Bad driving habits!

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

We see the poor standard of car drivers everyday in the UK and heavily criticise them however some of us lorry drivers are just as bad. When we pass a HGV or LGV as it is called now we have passed a basic test and we are meant to learn from there. Most of do learn but unfortunately pick up a lot of bad habits along the way. Usually not intentional but they come with years of driving and complacency. I would reckon there are very few (just like car drivers) that take the time to read and learn exactly what we should be doing. I am not talking about sitting up straight and not crossing your hands on the wheel. I am talking about wrong positioning, poor observation, poor signalling, driving too close to other vehicles, not be able to follow simple signage and rules and being very aggressive at times. Ask most drivers what their driving is like and most will say they are top notch but the reality is usually a different story. I have witnessed it many times.

To me the only way to solve these problems (because they cause a lot of unnecessary accidents frustration and bad feeling) is to have all drivers regularily assessed. IE They are taken out for a decent drive and if they are up to standard thats the end but if they have problems they would require further training. They also could make the test a lot harder and remove the luck element of passing which is fairly common.

Now I know this is probably never going to happen mainly because of cost and nobody being bothered but it’s the only way we will get our standards higher. Or will driverless vehicles be the way forward.

2

jakethesnake:
We see the poor standard of car drivers everyday in the UK and heavily criticise them however some of us lorry drivers are just as bad. When we pass a HGV or LGV as it is called now we have passed a basic test and we are meant to learn from there. Most of do learn but unfortunately pick up a lot of bad habits along the way. Usually not intentional but they come with years of driving and complacency. I would reckon there are very few (just like car drivers) that take the time to read and learn exactly what we should be doing. I am not talking about sitting up straight and not crossing your hands on the wheel. I am talking about wrong positioning, poor observation, poor signalling, driving too close to other vehicles, not be able to follow simple signage and rules and being very aggressive at times. Ask most drivers what their driving is like and most will say they are top notch but the reality is usually a different story. I have witnessed it many times.

To me the only way to solve these problems (because they cause a lot of unnecessary accidents frustration and bad feeling) is to have all drivers regularily assessed. IE They are taken out for a decent drive and if they are up to standard thats the end but if they have problems they would require further training. They also could make the test a lot harder and remove the luck element of passing which is fairly common.

Now I know this is probably never going to happen mainly because of cost and nobody being bothered but it’s the only way we will get our standards higher. Or will driverless vehicles be the way forward.

If only there was a MR PERFECT on hand to carry out these assessments and bring us up to his standards…

Very weak Saturday morning effort btw, the standard of trolling has really declined recently, lazy and repetitive, I have witnessed it many times but of course trolls these days think that they are perfect and do not need to keep up to date with modern trolling techniques, where as I on the other hand know better :wink:

3

idrive:
If only there was a MR PERFECT on hand to carry out these assessments and bring us up to his standards…

Very weak Saturday morning effort btw, the standard of trolling has really declined recently, lazy and repetitive, I have witnessed it many times but of course trolls these days think that they are perfect and do not need to keep up to date with modern trolling techniques, where as I on the other hand know better :wink:

Started out well in the 1st half but the transition wasn’t smooth. Almost had me as well but hey ho, not this time!

4

Pointless…

Drivel from the man who gives you FACTS.

5

idrive:

jakethesnake:
We see the poor standard of car drivers everyday in the UK and heavily criticise them however some of us lorry drivers are just as bad. When we pass a HGV or LGV as it is called now we have passed a basic test and we are meant to learn from there. Most of do learn but unfortunately pick up a lot of bad habits along the way. Usually not intentional but they come with years of driving and complacency. I would reckon there are very few (just like car drivers) that take the time to read and learn exactly what we should be doing. I am not talking about sitting up straight and not crossing your hands on the wheel. I am talking about wrong positioning, poor observation, poor signalling, driving too close to other vehicles, not be able to follow simple signage and rules and being very aggressive at times. Ask most drivers what their driving is like and most will say they are top notch but the reality is usually a different story. I have witnessed it many times.

To me the only way to solve these problems (because they cause a lot of unnecessary accidents frustration and bad feeling) is to have all drivers regularily assessed. IE They are taken out for a decent drive and if they are up to standard thats the end but if they have problems they would require further training. They also could make the test a lot harder and remove the luck element of passing which is fairly common.

Now I know this is probably never going to happen mainly because of cost and nobody being bothered but it’s the only way we will get our standards higher. Or will driverless vehicles be the way forward.

If only there was a MR PERFECT on hand to carry out these assessments and bring us up to his standards…

Very weak Saturday morning effort btw, the standard of trolling has really declined recently, lazy and repetitive, I have witnessed it many times but of course trolls these days think that they are perfect and do not need to keep up to date with modern trolling techniques, where as I on the other hand know better :wink:

Because you don’t like the subject and you know what I say is perfectly true you call me a troll.
I would consider the major problem with most drivers is they are in denial about a serious problem. It’s always everyone else that’s the bad driver eh.

6

yourhavingalarf:
Pointless…

Drivel from the man who gives you FACTS.

The poor standards on our roads are fine. Let’s just carry on.
Who cares. Everything is pointless.

Most of your replies are completely pointless BTW.

7

Now I know this is probably never going to happen mainly because of cost and nobody being bothered but it’s the only way we will get our standards higher. Or will driverless vehicles be the way forward.
[/quote]
If only there was a MR PERFECT on hand to carry out these assessments and bring us up to his standards…

Very weak Saturday morning effort btw, the standard of trolling has really declined recently, lazy and repetitive, I have witnessed it many times but of course trolls these days think that they are perfect and do not need to keep up to date with modern trolling techniques, where as I on the other hand know better :wink:
[/quote]
Because you don’t like the subject and you know what I say is perfectly true you call me a troll.
I would consider the major problem with most drivers is they are in denial about a serious problem. It’s always everyone else that’s the bad driver eh.
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the same denial appears to exist in posters like yourself that just flog to deat trolling pish like this…denial… :unamused:

8

I’ve got salted, scotch and a big bag of minstrels here so dig in all.

Now, I’m Agreed there should be a basic standard, which allegedly the test provides, but I’d raise the question as NOOB of HOW can prospective new passes gain a better standard of driving once passed as,

A, barely anyone will give new passes a go so how can they learn a better standard going forward as one week to pass the test is a challenge, let alone to a supposed PROFESSIONAL standard that someone who’s driven for years may have…(or not…)… acquired?

B, Firms either don’t have, can’t afford, or can’t muster the means to spare the drivers to coach the new guys up to a better standard, as that’s where it starts to me.
Road positioning, and the like are yes basics but it’s Alot to take in and do when potentially it’s your first go in a truck on the road, your going to make mistakes sadly.

Then lob in all the elements I believe help make a TRUCK DRIVER a proper good driver, such as having a basic mechanical aptitude, which helps keep the vehicles in a better state since if your clued up you can potentially stop alot of grief before it may happen in all the associated realms…
an awareness of community so teaching the basics of keeping vehicles clean for others, also some respect for the career and the company’s, then maybe you will see this standard improve on the road.

Also alot of folk don’t come from a background in anything really related to haulage, which again to me is a double edged sword as it seems most just want a ticket to wage, not a ticket to drive, yet seem to pass a test with flying colours and then go on to be the ones who care not, or if lucky do care yet can’t get a foot as their toooo wet to employ.

On My CE test I racked up alot of marks for hesitation…
I was FOOOKING terrified with nerves at BEING TESTED and not with the driving of the truck, this subsequently evolved into me being too bloody curtious/cautious but I knew I wernt seasoned enough to just bang it through that gap and potentially risk it as spacial awareness to me is a constant thing in a truck and not a given, and to me you need to learn it by doing it which is very hard to do in just one week of ON THE ROAD driving.

Now I’d rather be slower as newbie than be blind siding a car on a roundabout due to needing to be home for my tea because they told me lorry driving is 7am-3pm and its just like a big transit so crack on [emoji38]

The whole industry is backwards, and the public regard for it is only compounding it further, chuck in the element of money and we, to me atleast, end up with the issues you raise, but I don’t feel drivers should be subjected to regular torture by means of testing, end of day if their company and driving record is clean then it must say something for their standard, and we all know that the How’s my driving sticker crap simply invites folk to be road Nazis for their own agenda allowing them to shop folk for even the absolute most basic of mistakes which alas cost decent folk their wage which to me is bang outta line.

Alot of lads make driving a truck look easier than piloting a car, BUT to an uneducated car driver it can be deemed as bad driving, bullying, ignorance…

When in fact, its called making professional progress.

TOOOOO many elements in the equation to me that need to be worked out before any kind of firing squad be assembled.

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9

Thank you Ben83 for at least having an opinion. It’s almost impossible to have a decent discussion on here if the subject doesn’t suit. Too many in complete denial about driving standards. I will get back to you about your post when I have a bit more time.

10

jakethesnake:
Thank you Ben83 for at least having an opinion. It’s almost impossible to have a decent discussion on here if the subject doesn’t suit. Too many in complete denial about driving standards. I will get back to you about your post when I have a bit more time.

I’m only young…

So treat my opinion gently please [emoji8][emoji38]

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11

jakethesnake:
Thank you Ben83 for at least having an opinion. It’s almost impossible to have a decent discussion on here if the subject doesn’t suit. Too many in complete denial about driving standards. I will get back to you about your post when I have a bit more time.

Can’t wait…

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12

jimcab:

jakethesnake:
Thank you Ben83 for at least having an opinion. It’s almost impossible to have a decent discussion on here if the subject doesn’t suit. Too many in complete denial about driving standards. I will get back to you about your post when I have a bit more time.

Can’t wait…

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
id imagine if sky news are broadcasting about the illegals in the trailer they will just interrupt it to let us all know about updates from jakethesnake regarding his opinion on his previous reply on trucknet…watch this space for breaking news.
i cant imagine what its like to live in a bubble of fantasy self importance.
would it be satisfying,or would it mean you were sad and pathetic with a miserable life.it has to be one or the other… :unamused:

13

An assessment proves nothing other than you know what you’re supposed to be doing. We had a guy who went out in the morning for an assessment (which he passed) then smashed his truck and a couple of cars up in the afternoon.

Another of our drivers dropped a fully loaded trailer on its knees. Hed been dropping trailers for over thirty years without incident. Cue trailer dropping assessment which he passed.

My annual assessment is due, I’ve no idea why. I’ve done nearly 100,000 miles since my last one without incident. There was nearly 100,000 miles before that one and nearly 100,000 miles before that, yet my company insist that someone witnesses me not having an accident.

In my opinion, the only assessment you need is when you start for a new company to show you know what you’re supposed to be doing. If after that you drive like a pillock, it’ll show pretty quick.

14

Alot of lads make driving a truck look easier than piloting a car, BUT to an uneducated car driver it can be deemed as bad driving, bullying, ignorance…

Thanks again Ben and I totally agree with most of what you say. At least you have an opinion and seem to understand what I am saying. Testing as you say is not a good way but assessing to me is nessecary as long as it is done correctly. I wish there was another way to improve standards but I can’t think of one. Of course you will always get the ones that think they know better because they have been doing it for years but as a former LGV/PCV instructor (properly qualified) I have seen the standards of some drivers and they are appalling although they think there is nothing wrong.
To me when I was driving trucks (many many years) I took a pride in what I did. I like to do things properly so made an effort to do so. I liked to look after my vehicle and did not look at it as someone elses using and abusing as many do. TBH I think an awful lot has to do with driver attitude especially these days.

I highlighted your above sentence because I don’t get that at all. Maybe you can explain a little more. Of course you like to make progress in a loaded truck but that should never interfere with other drivers.

15

Nite Owl:
An assessment proves nothing other than you know what you’re supposed to be doing. We had a guy who went out in the morning for an assessment (which he passed) then smashed his truck and a couple of cars up in the afternoon.

Another of our drivers dropped a fully loaded trailer on its knees. Hed been dropping trailers for over thirty years without incident. Cue trailer dropping assessment which he passed.

My annual assessment is due, I’ve no idea why. I’ve done nearly 100,000 miles since my last one without incident. There was nearly 100,000 miles before that one and nearly 100,000 miles before that, yet my company insist that someone witnesses me not having an accident.

In my opinion, the only assessment you need is when you start for a new company to show you know what you’re supposed to be doing. If after that you drive like a pillock, it’ll show pretty quick.

You could be correct with some drivers Nite Owl however an assessment will prove that a driver has the nessessary skill to drive the vehicle correctly and follow the rules of the road.
Now some drivers are more than capable of that but when on their own they go back to driving like a ■■■■■ Nothing you can do there until the day they mess up.
Just because a driver passes an LGV test does not mean they are capable. (far from it in a lot of cases) and that is my point. There needs to be a better way to raise standards.
Any ideas?

16

jakethesnake:
Alot of lads make driving a truck look easier than piloting a car, BUT to an uneducated car driver it can be deemed as bad driving, bullying, ignorance…

Thanks again Ben and I totally agree with most of what you say. At least you have an opinion and seem to understand what I am saying. Testing as you say is not a good way but assessing to me is nessecary as long as it is done correctly. I wish there was another way to improve standards but I can’t think of one. Of course you will always get the ones that think they know better because they have been doing it for years but as a former LGV/PCV instructor (properly qualified) I have seen the standards of some drivers and they are appalling although they think there is nothing wrong.
To me when I was driving trucks (many many years) I took a pride in what I did. I like to do things properly so made an effort to do so. I liked to look after my vehicle and did not look at it as someone elses using and abusing as many do. TBH I think an awful lot has to do with driver attitude especially these days.

I highlighted your above sentence because I don’t get that at all. Maybe you can explain a little more. Of course you like to make progress in a loaded truck but that should never interfere with other drivers.

I mean as to say, to the untrained eye a guy who puts a truck round the roads in a swift manner can be deemed being reckless by the masses.

Many a time I’ve come to situations where a chaps used full width of road for example, at above a snails pace and I’ve watched people shake their heads in pure disgust as if he’s barrelling it like a ■■■■■■, yet if you’ve been around vehicles you know who’s got the beans and who’s gonna loose em, alas many folk can’t even move off a driveway yet claim the carnage they left behind them is no issue as they got 30yrs no claims… [emoji38]

And thats my point, Alot of chaps can peddle a truck, and even the best will occasionally miss a signal, or get the lane wrong, that’s just human nature amongst the mortals, but I do sense, to me atleast there are Alot of ■■■■ HGV drivers out there, and I don’t mean ability, I mean with regards to their attitudes, and my god does it show in the road manners, pure ■■■■■ who will kill in time, and should be strung up once so.

Hard line to define sadly but I do feel company’s really should be investing in making sure new passes are given proper encouragement and enlightenment to help them drive well, and that company’s change their mentality towards drivers so as to ensure good ones on the books, and good ones who will fill the voids when needed instead of what Alot do which Is just take any old licence holder and let em loose…

I dunno, but I’m sure their are far brighter folk on here who can maybe see a way of perhaps concluding an outcome to the point you initially raised on standards.

I’ve had CE a week… So best I’m ignored [emoji38][emoji38]
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17

Just wondering, as you claim to spend so much time in Holland since you ‘retired’ why do you care so much?
I know that when i retire finally after my 6 month extension to my working life I will not give a monkeys what anyone else does!

Couldnt you take up fridge repairs or do a bit of consultation work instead of worrying so much about other peoples driving…jeez.

18

Twoninety88:
Just wondering, as you claim to spend so much time in Holland since you ‘retired’ why do you care so much?
I know that when i retire finally after my 6 month extension to my working life I will not give a monkeys what anyone else does!

Couldnt you take up fridge repairs or do a bit of consultation work instead of worrying so much about other peoples driving…jeez.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
nice one…id reckon autonomous trucking would be a nicer time filler though.all those flat roads around holland.
possibly he could take up photography and swap comics with uktramp.i think he was there on holiday and took a few ? :unamused:

19

Don’t get me started on bloody assessments, first thing soon as the half wit does what any one of us mere mortals could have told them would happen, is, you guessed it, re-assessment, even though said half wit was only employed a few weeks ago and assessed at the time, he’s as thick as two short planks and will never be any use as a lorry driver as long as he has that certain orifice.

This ■■■■■■■■ has been going on for years, back in the day my mate took on the driver trainer role, one of the chimps the company saw fit to employ managed to overtake on a series of bends putting the lorry he was overtaking in the ditch in the process…‘‘er you’d better take him out on an re-assessment John’’…to which he answered in his own inimitable way, no doubt peppered with some choice terms…‘so what do you want me to do with him, practice overtaking on blind bends till we get it right?’'.

This is where we are now, the job dumbed down to such a level that all the sods are doing is steering, and the industry wonders why half of them can’t even manage that, if you scrapped all the bloody automatic gearboxes and deprogrammed the traction and braking anti skid controls you’d soon see the people that need assessing (or rather training properly or sacking), half the sods wouldn’t manage to get the thing out the gate and those that drive on the brakes would fold it up on the first slippery roundabout.

I’m about up to my eyes in all this ■■■■■■■■, lorry management has assumed (the industry is not alone in this) one size fits all, based on the lowest common denominator or rather the worse berk they could find and must assume everyone is at that standard.
Well i for one absolutely refuse to be pigeon holed with the scrapings of the barrel, i’m not alone in this.

What beats me is all this box ticking is called driver training, and it couldn’t be further from what is needed, no driver trainer is out there helping new drivers who have been through what passes for instruction these days to pass their tests, to improve their actual LORRY driving with hints and tips relevant to the sector.
No one is teaching them proper techniques as applicable uniquely to lorries, we’re stuck permanently at HGV test level, so long as you learn the walk around check off pat, can answer a few highway code signs, and then on the road use lots of mirrors and driving school road positioning you’ll pass, Christ on a bike is that what this industry calls professional :unamused:

First suggestion, tell the new driver to forget that utter cobblers mantra ‘‘brakes to slow gears to go’’ and get back some vehicle control.

20

I forgot about autonomous vehicles…but dont you have to have a Doctorate to advise on that sort of thing DD ?