RBI has decided to convert my overseas subscription for Truck Magazine over to Commercial Motor magazine. I’ve never seen this publication, and I’m not sure if it’s what I really want. It’s a weekly publication, so I assume it’s more topical, and therefore, will be old news by the time it makes it across the atlantic 2 weeks later.
Here in the states, most of the weekly magazines (like Transport Topics) are quite dull, and are geared more to the business owner or accounting manager. I hope that Commercial Motor isn’t like this, but it sounds like it might be.
I understand that other subscribers of Truck are being offered Truck and Driver or another magazine as alternatives. For myself, what made Truck interesting were the articles about vehicles that I would never see on the roads here, as well as the articles about runs to exotic locales. I don’t really care much about what trucks XYZ company bought last month, where the lane closures on the M1 are, or who was just promoted to the tire bay at Joe’s truck tires in Ipswich. Is this what I am to expect from Commercial Motor?
If any of the other Reed publications are more like what I’m looking for, please let me know. If none of them are what I’m looking for, then I’ll just let Reed waste a lot of money on weekly overseas postage…
Alex, Truck & Driver is very similar to Truck in layout and features. Comercial Motor seems to be a slightly more serious publication with alarger emphesis on regulations etc, both are good but if you were a ‘Truck’ fan you would more apreciate ‘Truck & Driver’
Alex.
Also the Commercial Motor magazine also carries loads of adverts for trucks and trailers, and sometimes job pages.
It is a magazine for truck operators more than drivers, but is more likely to carry the stories that matter in the UK and Europe.
Plus if you are getting 4 issues for the price of a monthly subscription, you are on a winner! although most companies and operators receive free copies. Motor Transport is ■■■■■■■ with CM too and is more for the accountants and fleet buyers
What about ‘Trucking’ ? That’s better than ‘Truck & Driver’ . Far more truck tests and useful info in ‘Trucking’ than ‘Truck & Driver’ which is more geared for kids given the increasing ‘kid’ content. I don’t want a mag with dot to dot pictures to fill in and kids artwork. If they want to get the kid audience then they should do a ‘T & D kids’ or increase the space in the main mag rather than reduce content for the actual DRIVERS (you know, remember them??).
I’ve stopped buying T & D until it stops. Trucking is the king of truck mags.
OK, I did some research on Trucking magazine, and it does look like the sort of magazine I’m looking for, but yikes, that’s a lot of money!!! According to my currency converter, this is what a 1 year subscription will cost me:
72.00 GBP United Kingdom Pounds = 129.140 USD United States Dollars .
Is it worth it?? How bad is truck and driver, anyways? Should I ask Reed to give me T&D, or just a refund??
Blimey Alex, don’t take the opinions of one or two as the entire truth about T&D. It’s so bad that it’s the best selling transport title in the UK (figures released by the Audited Bureau of Circulation), and it’s the only one written almost entirely by drivers and ex-transport people, from the editor through to the contributors. Oh yeah, and it’s the magazine that has helped keeped these forums going.
Have a read, and then make your decision - the tastes of others on this forum may not be yours. You may indeed hate T&D, but then again …
T&D is the best for drivers and enthusiasts. Take no notice of the dot to dot comment above, they have a regular section for kids which this month is bigger because the school holidays are on.
T&D would be a good magazine if it wasn’t for the editor’s comment inside the front cover, Dave Young is it?
Who does he think he is?
Every time I read his comments, I wonder what planet is he really on!
I was sitting in a layby, on my break, reading his comments in an edition of T&D that had been left in the truck by another driver. He was saying that the public’s perception of lorry drivers would greatly improve if truckers would dispose of their rubbish properly. Looking around that particular layby, I wondered how many lorry drivers wore disposable nappies or have got their truck through a McD’s Drive-Thru?
Another time, a friend of his commented on why trucks drive so close to each other on motorways. Did his friend notice this whilst driving at 100mph on the outside lane of the motorway, 2 feet from the car in front, mobile phone clenched between his ear and shoulder having a conversation, drinking coffee, reading a sheaf of papers placed on the steering wheel and around him, with his laptop open on the passenger seat, and taking his eyes off the road in front to see what the trucks are doing? We’ve all seen it!
He should get away from his desk a little more often!
To answer Brummie’s (possibly rhetorical) question:Dave Young thinks he’s lucky enough to be editor of T&D magzine and gets out from behind his desk to take a wagon up the road as often as possible , and lot more frequently than any other transport magazine editors.
I write about what I observe, good or bad. Pretending bad things don’t happen isn’t going to make them go away. I spend a lot of time defending professional drivers from ill-informed criticism but this summer I’ve witnessed some terrifying example of tailgating by UK registered, RHD trucks and lost count of the time’s I’ve seen drivers throw rubbish out of the cab onto the ground.
That a truth is uncomfortable doesn’t make it any less true and to ignore it is dishonest… That such drivers are in the minority doesn’t stop them tarnishing the images of those who strive to present them themselves and their truck with pride.
I don’t pretend my editorials to be objective, They’re subjective, but firmly rooted in both my experience and the stories readers share with me everyday.
Still, at least Brummie reads T&D or he wouldn’t know I’m crap…
Just an update: Reed is going to send me a full year of T&D. I’ll be getting the first issue as the october issue, which means I’ll be lucky to see it before halloween…(I still haven’t received my final issue of Truck, BTW)
Here, here, from what you have said Alex, I would recommend you get T & D. I think it’s more of what you are looking for.
. Far more truck tests and useful info in ‘Trucking’ than ‘Truck & Driver’ which is more geared for kids given the increasing ‘kid’ content. I don’t want a mag with dot to dot pictures to fill in and kids artwork. If they want to get the kid audience then they should do a ‘T & D kids’ or increase the space in the main mag rather than reduce content for the actual DRIVERS (you know, remember them??).
