Hello
My name is Iain and I’ve just signed up. I am based in Hampshire and commute to Scotland regularly.
This might not be the most appropriate forum to ask this question but for my dad’s 65th birthday I’d like to fulfill his life long dream of driving an American truck like a Peterbilt or Kenworth and I was curious whether you know of any place in the UK that offers this type of driving experience?
The only thing I could find was driving a DAF lorry but my father has already done that.
Maybe worth contacting the cha organising the Wessex Truck Show in Yeovil. If he has anyone exhibiting an American rig, maybe he could help. Just a thought.
Years ago there was a HGV driving school that had a bonneted Kenworth they encouraged newly qualified drivers to have a go in it if I remember right. I think they were called Kent or something like that, they used to advertise regularly in the mags. As I say it was a while ago and might be irrelevant now
Yeap , don’t shatter his dreams . N American trucks are crap , and worse still after the new emissions . Secretly you’ll find most Expats hunched over the latest Volvo catalogue , dreaming about a VN with I-Shift . HTH , Jack Doff .
flat to the mat:
Yeap , don’t shatter his dreams . N American trucks are crap , and worse still after the new emissions . Secretly you’ll find most Expats hunched over the latest Volvo catalogue , dreaming about a VN with I-Shift . HTH , Jack Doff .
Very true. Though I am glad I got to drive a Freightliner Classic which is one of the most traditional American looking motors on the road for 9 months when I first came out. Yes it was a hideous thing to drive and maneuver but it was certainly a worth while experience. More British/Europeans should have a go in a North American truck so they realise just how good their Volvo’s, Mercs, Daf’s etc are from a drivers point of view, with the exception of the space inside the cabs of course.
I reckon any UK driver under 35ish couldn’t drive one anyway, not their fault, but reckon they have never even seen, let alone could handle, a crash or semi crash box.
robroy:
I reckon any UK driver under 35ish couldn’t drive one anyway, not their fault, but reckon they have never even seen, let alone could handle, a crash or semi crash box.
I’m 29 and came here at 25 and could drive one within a day or two without much problem. I still dont like them though.
robroy:
I reckon any UK driver under 35ish couldn’t drive one anyway, not their fault, but reckon they have never even seen, let alone could handle, a crash or semi crash box.
I’m 29 and came here at 25 and could drive one within a day or two without much problem. I still dont like them though.
Good on yer mate it took me a lot longer than a couple of days on an old David Brown crash, travelled more miles in neutral with crunches than in gear I did eventually master it and went on a DAF 22OO (think it was ) that was even more different. Are the boxes over there 9/13 speed Eaton Fullers or what? I got to be an artist on those without using the clutch
robroy:
Good on yer mate it took me a lot longer than a couple of days on an old David Brown crash, travelled more miles in neutral with crunches than in gear I did eventually master it and went on a DAF 22OO (think it was ) that was even more different. Are the boxes over there 9/13 speed Eaton Fullers or what? I got to be an artist on those without using the clutch
Most of the ones I’ve driven have been Eaton Fuller 13 speeds where its basically a 4 over 4 box but only the top range have half gear splits where you just rev them a bit to do the half change etc. I’ve also had some 10 speeds that are absolutely rubbish as our engines here are gutless and the ratio between the gears on a 10 speed is too great when it comes to hills or pulling a heavy load etc. Some also have 18 speeds which I’ve never driven but I’m presuming its a 4 over 4 with a half gear split throughout both ranges and crawler gear etc.
I’ve been driving an automatic for the past year, I know if I went back on a crash box again there’d be a lot of crunching and swearing taking place!
When you think that my super modern Frieghtliner Cascadia has a gear box that became virtually obsolete in the late 80’s in the UK it does seem bad …I remember my very first ‘Roadranger’ gear box, it was in a DAF 2800, it was a pig to drive and the new one is no better.
The USA once designed and built the most advanced vehicles on Earth, Its like they just thought ‘Ok, we are ahead of everyone else’ and just stopped advancing from there, the vehicles they make now are about 15 - 25 years behind in technology. Cars are no better either Chevy look like cheap crap (because they are). Dodge / Chrysler / Jeep are all rot boxes, the most popular comercial vehicle on the planet is the Ford Transit and you can’t get one in the USA.
robroy:
I reckon any UK driver under 35ish couldn’t drive one anyway, not their fault, but reckon they have never even seen, let alone could handle, a crash or semi crash box.
Im 23 and have been driving kenworth k100 with an eaton fuller 13 speed for a living for 18 months now. Everyone can do it. Its just not everyone knows how.
RDC:
Im 23 and have been driving kenworth k100 with an eaton fuller 13 speed for a living for 18 months now. Everyone can do it. Its just not everyone knows how.
Do tell us more! I see you’re in Wiltshire and a K100 is a very rare sight over here, let alone in England!
on an old David Brown crash, travelled more miles in neutral with crunches than in gear 
I did eventually master it and went on a DAF 22OO (think it was 
) that was even more different. Are the boxes over there 9/13 speed Eaton Fullers or what? I got to be an artist on those without using the clutch 