Damage at Charnock Richard

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

muckles:
So I don’t think this is a new problem and as you say, there plenty of good drivers who get on with the job and bring the truck back in one piece, but in my experience they don’t they’re anything special they’re just doing their job so don’t feel the need to shout about it to everybody.

+1. The best drivers are usually the quiet ones around the yard where if your their colleague, you’ll someones find yourself wondering when the last time you heard from them or saw them was. They just come in, get their keys and go, come back later on in the day/week with the wagon in tact and disappear. It’s all a gaffer wants really isn’t it?

22

We have cornered the market in useless drivers where I work, I the bulk of it caused by employed drivers not agency, one clown managed £20,000 before he even got out of the gate, automated truck wash ruined beyond repair £40,000 back of the cab smacked in on all but a few units, nearly every 65 plate unit damaged trucks parked up with un-reported damage punctures bulbs blown ETC.

Tell me how can you damage the N/S step with four mirrors and a proximity sensor?

23

the nodding donkey:
As was in days gone past, it’s the driver that drives the truck. I have none of the problems you mention when driving my 65 plate XF SSC.

The lane departure warning can be switched off (do you know why it gives you’false’ alarms?)
The anti collision system can be adjusted, and switched off.
The eco can be switched off, and when you switch it to manual, it stays in manual until you switch off, or the cruise senses that you are driving on the level again for some time.
And the adaptive CC can be overridden.

Don’t blame the tool.

OK. For myself : 65plate SSC also.
“Lane Departure” is switched off. False alarms come from reflective joint sealing repairs. False positves. It puts up warnings to say it isnt working in rain and bright sun. If I cant trust it, what use is it? Its only a distraction. If it worked well Id welcome it.

" Anti Collision" is switched off. A warning light tells me Ive switched it off. But it is still active. The book also says it will remain active. Maybe youre right and it can be adjusted. I should check that.

“Adaptive Cruise Control” is no longer switched on by me. So not a problem.

Now the interesting bit. Eco switching. The vehicle I drive does not have this. The vehicle supplied to a colleague was fitted with it. (now been lifted because its unsuitable for our work) Maybe it is a different version to that on your truck. It seems to be the same as on a current demo unit we have. It starts in "auto" and "eco" as default. Pushing the button on end of "engine brake stalk" switches "eco" off and into "manual". So long as the throttle pedal is pushed it stays in "manual". As soon as pedal is let up, it reverts to "auto" and "eco" straight away. Hence it is out of the drivers control.
Yours may well be different, but thats the truck we have.

Don`t blame the tool? If I were to give you a teaspoon to shovel coal would you not have a choice word or two to use?

And for those who are about to say “You`ll get used to it”, maybe I will. After all I used to accept driving a noisy smokey rattly old dog with no power steering and brakes that would fade on a spring afternoon. I got used to that too!

Im now going to cut the grass. That machine smokes vibrates and screams, but it does what I tell it do do. Nurse ! Nurse ! Wheres my medication?

24

Juddian:
Muckles, i agree this isn’t a new thing, but there was a time when you had to have at least some lorry driving nous just to get the thing out the gate.

I know trucks are easier to drive and that probably doesn’t help sort the numpties from those who have some ability, but the real problem is the industry isn’t recruiting decent staff and that won’t happen with wages to low, poor conditions and unsociable hours and lack status, is the best way I can put it, but it’s obvious that the haulage (or rather the logistics) industry don’t care about it. I can only assume the damage is seen as an inevitable cost.

Juddian:
Ha, are you in for a bloody shock if you thought the MAN was bad… :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

I doubt I’ll be driving something very new for years, I see some race teams with the latest piece of kit, but I never seem to get on those teams, just changed jobs and gone from a 700k+kms, 56 plate FH for 2x 56 plate Mercs with less miles on them and they are knackered. Trying to work out the costs of replacing the 2 Units with one newer one, nothing flash, Renault are selling low mileage Premiums with a drive line warranty, no gizmos, only got the auto box which are pretty good and ad blue, that would do the job, as although I’m going all over Europe I don’t spend many night in the cab and I’m not pulling full weight and having driven the on general haulage I know the issues the trucks have, and I where I was driving them we were doing full weight work on forestry, building sites and farms, so the trucks were living a hard life.

Juddian:
Why do our guvnors listen to the utter cobblers these sales bods talk, ooh this one’s much more economical its got ‘‘eco’’ doncha know :unamused:

Accountants buy trucks (well probably don’t actually but them) for big companies and the manufactures sales department know this, so they talk their language, it’s all about costs, capital ■■■■■■■, residuals, fixed costs, running costs etc. Even when they have a truck on long term demo, they just look at the figures and don’t talk to the drivers who used them, to see if they were suitable for the work.

25

Speaking of cockends with licences :unamused:.
I was taking a break the other week in our main South depot. I was stood talking to the guy in the garage when one of our South based ‘drivers’ came through the metal gates…almost.

He turned far too soon to clear them, and succeeded in ripping the entire curtain, full length from back to front, revealing a full pallet load of drinks.
He came over to us to report it, without a hint of shame or embarrasment :open_mouth: …but if that was not bad enough, if I had been him, the first thing I would have done before coming over to admit to it, would have been to remove the tee shirt that had in big letters ‘‘Simply the best’’ on the front. :unamused: :laughing:

26

Rob, why would he look embarrassed mate?

He just invented the “Auto-Open Curtain” (patent pending). He’s going to be rich! :laughing:

27

robroy:
Speaking of cockends with licences :unamused:.
I was taking a break the other week in our main South depot. I was stood talking to the guy in the garage when one of our South based ‘drivers’ came through the metal gates…almost.

He turned far too soon to clear them, and succeeded in ripping the entire curtain, full length from back to front, revealing a full pallet load of drinks.
He came over to us to report it, without a hint of shame or embarrasment :open_mouth: …but if that was not bad enough, if I had been him, the first thing I would have done before coming over to admit to it, would have been to remove the tee shirt that had in big letters ‘‘Simply the best’’ on the front. :unamused: :laughing:

Bloody Southerners eh? And I am the best, just not at driving! :grimacing:

28

Evil8Beezle:

robroy:
Speaking of cockends with licences :unamused:.
I was taking a break the other week in our main South depot. I was stood talking to the guy in the garage when one of our South based ‘drivers’ came through the metal gates…almost.

He turned far too soon to clear them, and succeeded in ripping the entire curtain, full length from back to front, revealing a full pallet load of drinks.
He came over to us to report it, without a hint of shame or embarrasment :open_mouth: …but if that was not bad enough, if I had been him, the first thing I would have done before coming over to admit to it, would have been to remove the tee shirt that had in big letters ‘‘Simply the best’’ on the front. :unamused: :laughing:

Bloody Southerners eh? And I am the best, just not at driving! :grimacing:

Ok then if I need driving advice I’ll get back to you…maybe :smiley:
Don’t want to start a North/South debate bud :wink: , but when I first started at an Essex based firm as the only Northern driver (home based for 10yrs) the boss would ring me and thank me for my co.operation. I used to ask why he felt the need to thank me just for doing my job I was getting paid for.
The answer was that all the rest of his (Southern) drivers moaned like ■■■■ whatever they were asked to do, and it was nice to employ someone that just got on with it. :sunglasses:
So draw your own conclusions :smiley:

29

robroy:
Don’t want to start a North/South debate bud :wink: , but when I first started at an Essex based firm as the only Northern driver (home based for 10yrs) the boss would ring me and thank me for my co.operation. I used to ask why he felt the need to thank me just for doing my job I was getting paid for.
The answer was that all the rest of his (Southern) drivers moaned like [zb] whatever they were asked to do, and it was nice to employ someone that just got on with it. :sunglasses:
So draw your own conclusions :smiley:

Maybe he was worried you might get punchy if he didn’t thank you? :open_mouth:
Or possibly (not wanting to create a South/South divide :wink:) he appreciated that you could read a clock face and did your job on time! :laughing:

30

Evil8Beezle:

robroy:
Don’t want to start a North/South debate bud :wink: , but when I first started at an Essex based firm as the only Northern driver (home based for 10yrs) the boss would ring me and thank me for my co.operation. I used to ask why he felt the need to thank me just for doing my job I was getting paid for.
The answer was that all the rest of his (Southern) drivers moaned like [zb] whatever they were asked to do, and it was nice to employ someone that just got on with it. :sunglasses:
So draw your own conclusions :smiley:

Maybe he was worried you might get punchy if he didn’t thank you? :open_mouth:

Yeh, well you Southern softies do tend to quake at the knees when confronted by a big macho butch hardened Northern type trucker like me :sunglasses: …I’ll give you that one. :laughing:

31

Blimey, what a barrel of laughs you lot are!

32

Last week, finishing up for the day when i saw one of our rigids that was being driven by an agency chap. The tuck under tail lift was all bent up, completely twisted like he’d clobbered it on a bollard or something. Told my planner about it who lost his rag at this. It wasn’t reported and the regular driver was back then next day with 3 tail lift jobs. Cost the company a pretty penny as its a rental truck.

It’s not the first time it’s happened, we seem to get a few agency bods who really don’t give a toss about the load or the truck. Smashed mirrors, broken lights, dents and scrapes a plenty. One had mine for a week, came back to find the curtain pole bent, the cab recking of ■■■ smoke and buttons missing off the radio. How is it that I can drive it for over a year and not break anything yet this clown has it for a week and ruins it.

33

Well Rob me old mucker…love the post, and i put my hand up…you see i normally fill up there, then take a 45 and pop into the ablutions, then look around the shop for goodies to eat on my long journey, sadly, a few drivers have complained, and i though i would use the other pumps instead, i didnt realise it was lower than the hgv pumps, cos my sat nav didnt warn me, and i had the wrong glasses on :smiley:
Anyway, the purpose of this reply is this, as you know ive been there, done it all and got the T shirt..sad as it may seem i dont understand some of the jargon, regarding new equipment, or the warning signs, the newest truck i have driven is an 08..anyway: 1. Lane departure ■■? 2. Anti Collision system ■■ my interpretation of those are as follows: number 1. sounds really good, maybe i have to indicate now when im leaving one lane to go into another.? number 2. A, that sounds like really good safety advice, hopefully if all trucks have them fitted by next week, there will never be anymore accidents.
Cant wait for your reply. :smiley: :smiley:

34

Radar19:
the cab recking of ■■■ smoke.

I have that fun tomorrow, as ‘my’ unit has been passed down to a new driver without my replacement yet i have been cab hoping a bit. Got told on Friday which lorry I have next week and its a early start tomorrow so I checked the lorry for fluids Friday evening. Opened the door and the smell was horrible, so I have got together some carpet/fabric cleaner and air fresh spray now ready to spend the next few days/nights cleaning it. Once I got the anti bac wipes out all over the dash it should be nice again quick enough.

Then I will move out and clean the next lorry. :cry: :cry: :cry:

35

truckyboy:
Well Rob me old mucker…love the post, and i put my hand up…you see i normally fill up there, then take a 45 and pop into the ablutions, then look around the shop for goodies to eat on my long journey, sadly, a few drivers have complained, and i though i would use the other pumps instead, i didnt realise it was lower than the hgv pumps, cos my sat nav didnt warn me, and i had the wrong glasses on :smiley:
Anyway, the purpose of this reply is this, as you know ive been there, done it all and got the T shirt..sad as it may seem i dont understand some of the jargon, regarding new equipment, or the warning signs, the newest truck i have driven is an 08..anyway: 1. Lane departure ■■? 2. Anti Collision system ■■ my interpretation of those are as follows: number 1. sounds really good, maybe i have to indicate now when im leaving one lane to go into another.? number 2. A, that sounds like really good safety advice, hopefully if all trucks have them fitted by next week, there will never be anymore accidents.
Cant wait for your reply. :smiley: :smiley:

Yeh well the guy did say that one of the drivers who hit the canopy was older than God’s dog :laughing:
You never even entered my head TB. :smiley:

No, …even I can’t believe a man with your stature in the trucking fraternity would not check your trailer height, unless of course your mind is going, and you thought you were back in 1966 and rushing in there without a thought, to get your quadruple Green shield stamps. :smiley:

Btw …you are actually asking ME about all this hi tech ■■■■■■■■? :open_mouth:
I was actually joking about your mind going before, but now I’m starting to wonder.

You carry on keep showing us ‘youngsters’ :smiley: how it’s done mate. :wink: .

36

rob22888:
+1. The best drivers are usually the quiet ones around the yard where if your their colleague, you’ll someones find yourself wondering when the last time you heard from them or saw them was. They just come in, get their keys and go, come back later on in the day/week with the wagon in tact and disappear. It’s all a gaffer wants really isn’t it?

Absolutely right! I sometimes just ring to see if they need anything/make them feel wanted.

We have a clause in one our contracts that specifies vehicles be no more than five year old; the customer wants it that way for image purposes. We don’t take a lot of notice, we don’t do heavy mileage.

37

All this is just a follow on from cars with all the added ‘driver assist’ cr@p. A real shame things are moving this way when its not even needed. Would love to be able to use an older truck (as per my F16 thread) but unfortunatly not legislatively viable. Renting a new FH from the company im subbing from in Spain and in some ways its a great truck but id much rather be in my old F16 or previous MAN 462 V10. More driver input required certainly but far more enjoyable to drive…

38

rob22888:

muckles:
So I don’t think this is a new problem and as you say, there plenty of good drivers who get on with the job and bring the truck back in one piece, but in my experience they don’t they’re anything special they’re just doing their job so don’t feel the need to shout about it to everybody.

+1. The best drivers are usually the quiet ones around the yard where if your their colleague, you’ll someones find yourself wondering when the last time you heard from them or saw them was. They just come in, get their keys and go, come back later on in the day/week with the wagon in tact and disappear. It’s all a gaffer wants really isn’t it?

Well, not guaranteed. I was a member of the silent squad, never said boo to a goose, got all me drops and collections done every day and didn’t break or bend anything.

On jacking all I got was "Er, OK Tim, ta da then.

39

Socketset:

rob22888:

muckles:
So I don’t think this is a new problem and as you say, there plenty of good drivers who get on with the job and bring the truck back in one piece, but in my experience they don’t they’re anything special they’re just doing their job so don’t feel the need to shout about it to everybody.

+1. The best drivers are usually the quiet ones around the yard where if your their colleague, you’ll someones find yourself wondering when the last time you heard from them or saw them was. They just come in, get their keys and go, come back later on in the day/week with the wagon in tact and disappear. It’s all a gaffer wants really isn’t it?

Well, not guaranteed. I was a member of the silent squad, never said boo to a goose, got all me drops and collections done every day and didn’t break or bend anything.

On jacking all I got was "Er, OK Tim, ta da then.

Sounds about right, one place i worked this driver (the most professional i’ve ever known) used to be left in charge when boss was on holiday, superb driver been there 27 years, puts his notice in…reaction was ‘yeah ok mate’, unbelievable, blokes like that don’t grow on trees and the company went under long ago.

Hah, thinking about it that was a better response than i got when i packed the transporters in, the sum total of contact from the company being a 7 word text telling me where to leave the lorry on Friday afternoon.

40

With most companies your only a bumper on a seat.