Did an assessment for Tesco, Driver trainer “use a truck nav, dont stick it in the window put it down on the gearbox tunnel so no one can see it and put it in your bag before you come through the gates” Said better to use one than get lost and end up in a housing estate or worse.
adam277:
Use a sat nav.
Or just spend a few minutes going over the route.Dunno why driving through a high street would be a issue though. You work for a supermarket, you will get that a lot.
Also going through weight restrictions will be common so best get used to it.At the coop they offer print outs of what roads to take (risk assessments of each store)
Do you have these? If so just go on the roads it tells you to.
It’s not that I’m scared to drive down a certain street. It’s that it was stupid - for a lot of reasons. It was rush hour. It was ■■■■■■■ it down. And I could use a dual carriageway instead rather than fighting with a little b road.
Risk assessments - you can get. But they are not great. You also have them on your little computer terminal. But it won’t let you see that whilst driving. I also can’t read them in the cab without getting my phone out and turning the torch on. The interior lights are so weak on the cabs that I can’t even fill in the paperwork with them.
adam277:
Use a sat nav.
Or just spend a few minutes going over the route.Dunno why driving through a high street would be a issue though. You work for a supermarket, you will get that a lot.
Also going through weight restrictions will be common so best get used to it.At the coop they offer print outs of what roads to take (risk assessments of each store)
Do you have these? If so just go on the roads it tells you to.
adam277:
by adam277 » Wed Mar 06, 2019 2:13 amUse a phone and save yourself a ton of money.
Copilot is a cheap app. Google maps is free.I drive everything, from 7.5t to 44t. I also go all over the place including London and I’ve yet to have any issues.
That being said if your the type of guy that is 100% reliant on a sat nav then this may not be applicable.
adam277
Thought you didn’t use them
Sammy mate, what you describe is how me and many others learned the job way back in the Middle Ages 
…(1979/80 to be precise 
)
That is why most of our generation just take things in their stride more, and don’t panic easy…it’s an excellent way to learn the job, getting chucked in the deep end.
It was a case of there’s the truck, there’s yer notes, ■■■■ off and get it tipped.
Training? /Sat navs? …not a chance, that is how we got experience and why a lot of us just take the ■■■■ out of these knob heads who run the job today.
You did fine mate, you got into a potential ■■■■ up situation, then got out of it, by using a bit of initiative, neutralised it and cracked on doing no damage, how many others today with little experience would have wet their knickers and totally ■■■■ ed up.
I would not bother about it if I were you bud, you did fine. 
robroy:
Sammy mate, what you describe is how me and many others learned the job way back in the Middle Ages [emoji38] …(1979/80 to be preciseThat is why most of our generation just take things in their stride more, and don’t panic easy…it’s an excellent way to learn the job, getting chucked in the deep end.
It was a case of there’s the truck, there’s yer notes, [zb] off and get it tipped.
Training? /Sat navs? …not a chance, that is how we got experience and why a lot of us just take the ■■■■ out of these knob heads who run the job today.You did fine mate, you got into a potential ■■■■ up situation, then got out of it, by using a bit of initiative, neutralised it and cracked on doing no damage, how many others today with little experience would have wet their knickers and totally [zb] ed up.
I would not bother about it if I were you bud, you did fine.
This…
If it can’t kill you or make you pregnant.
Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk
Jimmy McNulty:
adam277:
Use a sat nav.
Or just spend a few minutes going over the route.Dunno why driving through a high street would be a issue though. You work for a supermarket, you will get that a lot.
Also going through weight restrictions will be common so best get used to it.At the coop they offer print outs of what roads to take (risk assessments of each store)
Do you have these? If so just go on the roads it tells you to.adam277:
by adam277 » Wed Mar 06, 2019 2:13 amUse a phone and save yourself a ton of money.
Copilot is a cheap app. Google maps is free.I drive everything, from 7.5t to 44t. I also go all over the place including London and I’ve yet to have any issues.
That being said if your the type of guy that is 100% reliant on a sat nav then this may not be applicable.
adam277
Thought you didn’t use them
Where did I say I don’t use them?
robroy:
Sammy mate, what you describe is how me and many others learned the job way back in the Middle AgesThat is why most of our generation just take things in their stride more, and don’t panic easy…it’s an excellent way to learn the job, getting chucked in the deep end.
It was a case of there’s the truck, there’s yer notes, [zb] off and get it tipped.
Training? /Sat navs? …not a chance, that is how we got experience and why a lot of us just take the ■■■■ out of these knob heads who run the job today.
BAM!..
That’s the nail hit right on the head!
Sums up neatly in a few sentences the massive changes in the job over the last few decades.
top post robroy
yourhavingalarf:
robroy:
Sammy mate, what you describe is how me and many others learned the job way back in the Middle AgesThat is why most of our generation just take things in their stride more, and don’t panic easy…it’s an excellent way to learn the job, getting chucked in the deep end.
It was a case of there’s the truck, there’s yer notes, [zb] off and get it tipped.
Training? /Sat navs? …not a chance, that is how we got experience and why a lot of us just take the ■■■■ out of these knob heads who run the job today.BAM!..
That’s the nail hit right on the head!
Sums up neatly in a few sentences the massive changes in the job over the last few decades.
top post robroy.
Cheers mate, and yeh, it does.
In those days it was as like I said, but today it’s the direct opposite.
Training today is spot on and has come a long way over the years.
However…It would be a bad idea to go back to the old ways, but Jeez H 
, … a happy medium between the two would be better all round I reckon.
It’s got to the stage now where they virtually train drivers to wipe their arses, and the result is a generation of drivers who can’t decide anything themselves, but instead need to be spoon fed every bit of information over a telephone by some dill in an office, who in real terms knows Jack ■■■■ about the job, resulting in a whole cluster ■■■■ of misdemeanours and balls ups.
(Not referring to the o/p now btw, he proved he can think for himself, but needs a bit more exp to build his confidence…we’ve all been there)
Who knows…maybe that’s the modern management agenda to get drivers to totally rely on instructions in order to get a complete servile generation, where they can do whatever tf they like with them. 
sammym:
adam277:
Use a sat nav.
Or just spend a few minutes going over the route.Dunno why driving through a high street would be a issue though. You work for a supermarket, you will get that a lot.
Also going through weight restrictions will be common so best get used to it.At the coop they offer print outs of what roads to take (risk assessments of each store)
Do you have these? If so just go on the roads it tells you to.It’s not that I’m scared to drive down a certain street. It’s that it was stupid - for a lot of reasons. It was rush hour. It was ■■■■■■■ it down. And I could use a dual carriageway instead rather than fighting with a little b road.
Risk assessments - you can get. But they are not great. You also have them on your little computer terminal. But it won’t let you see that whilst driving. I also can’t read them in the cab without getting my phone out and turning the torch on. The interior lights are so weak on the cabs that I can’t even fill in the paperwork with them.
So long as the sat nav is a proper truck one and you remember to alter the vehicle details just use it. Sod them. A few people I work for say don’t use them, I just ignore them. Use them mainly for more accurate speed readings. Yes they can often route you silly ways but remember you do have a Mark 1 eyeball and hopefully a ‘trucker’s brain’ which after a while you get a sixth sense about where you are.
One of the things I often find is that a postcode and address don’t marry up (probably because the sat nav mapping has not updated yet). That’s when you use the marine navigation mindset. That is to know where you are not and use the info around you that you can see. You don’t have to worry about depth of water but you do have to worry about height (trees, lamp posts, overhead pipes in factories etc) and getting into places where turning round is an r’s ache
Remember the old loo adage. Look before you leap. i.e if driving an artic especially make sure you can get out before you go in. If in doubt park up and go and ask/look/assess.
Used properly a sat nav is invaluable.
You are the driver, use every tool available and as they say there are some right tools about! 
Thanks all. Especially Robroy who’s post made me feel a lot better.
I’ve made some decisions - one of which is that I’m going to totally ignore the stupid targets and do things at my own pace. I’m also going to bin off working nights. At this place it’s a whopping 50p an hour more mon-fri and nothing extra on the weekends. So it’s not worth it. If they are not happy with that I’ll sort something else out.
Part of what stressed me was a rule of 30 mins from paperwork in hand to out of yard. Which sounds reasonable. But not when you need to find a unit, find a trailer and then complete two mini MOT’s in the form of daily checks (on their little computer system) and also go over a weight bridge. It leaves you rushing like a maniac and there is no fun in that. Given time restraints if basically forced you to trust their version of a satnav (which is shocking) or use your own and be risk being banned. So sod it - I’ll take my time and point out how insane it is if they kick off.
sammym:
Thanks all. Especially Robroy who’s post made me feel a lot better.I’ve made some decisions - one of which is that I’m going to totally ignore the stupid targets and do things at my own pace. I’m also going to bin off working nights. At this place it’s a whopping 50p an hour more mon-fri and nothing extra on the weekends. So it’s not worth it. If they are not happy with that I’ll sort something else out.
Part of what stressed me was a rule of 30 mins from paperwork in hand to out of yard. Which sounds reasonable. But not when you need to find a unit, find a trailer and then complete two mini MOT’s in the form of daily checks (on their little computer system) and also go over a weight bridge. It leaves you rushing like a maniac and there is no fun in that. Given time restraints if basically forced you to trust their version of a satnav (which is shocking) or use your own and be risk being banned. So sod it - I’ll take my time and point out how insane it is if they kick off.
I’ve said on many occasions they only do this stuff because they get away with it,.and they just expect drivers to bend.
Teararsing about with 44 tonnes is a recipe for disaster.
If you genuinely think you are being pushed and it’s having an adverse effect on road safety etc, ask them how they want the job done…‘‘The safe and efficient way or their way’’ ,.and explain your point concisely and politely with no effin and jeffin.
At that point if they have anything about them they will.see you are not a servile idiot but a sensible driver.
If they don’t…then l tell em to ram it and to employ an idiot instead, they aint worth working for.
The sat nav thing is up to you mate ,.I can not see why they are putting unnecessary restrictions on drivers,.I would say if you feel more comfortable using your sat nav, then use it discreetly…■■■■ em.
As for that idiot 30 minute deadline from being handed keys/paperwork to being out of gate, well yes sometimes you’ll find the tractor was last used by a lorry driver who left it in decent condition and the trailer all good so that 30 minutes is not bother, other times it will look like it was last used by a chimp so you’ll end up clearing out all the rubbish they left, cleaning up the coffee stains, possibly topping the oil water washer bottle up and almost certainly have to clean the windows and mirrors inside and out, and you haven’t even thought about the trailer at this point.
This is where their pet debrief ■■■■■■■■ paperwork becomes your friend, because you just write in the comments all the reasons for being late leaving the yard, oh the bod behind the desk who wouldn’t know which end of a lorry to get in will probably chunter, but you ignore that.
I always justified my late leaving times with items like, clean lights windows mirrors, vehicle filthy needed to be washed before departure, various defects to sort.
Always always clean the lights, but especially the windows and mirrors inside and out and set the mirrors correctly before you even think of leaving the depot, if you can’t see clearly where you are and whats about you’ve already lost when it comes to getting in tight places.
Good that you’re going to go at your pace, not the one that billy whizz the half wit (every company has a few of these) does the job at.
Set your stall out when you start a job, it’ll be done right, the right load will be delivered safe and secure to the right delivery point, the customer will be left happy, the lorry will be returned in good condition, no accidents no damage, any company with an ounce of sense that is 90% of what they require from their drivers.