I was about to leave,and a mum with her two young boys walked past the truck,i asked her if they would like to sit in the seat,it made their day,the smiles of joy on their faces,like it was the best thing that happened that day.
When they are older and driving cars,they may look back,and regard us in a different manner to the other ignorant road users,and inspire them to drive trucks one day,the mum said a relation of hers was on tippers,public relations does not cost nothing,we get a bad press,in the local paper,they are recruiting volunteers to catch bridge crossers with a 17ton limit,and a MP was moaning about monster trucks that are in his words “walloping”,he was saying about how his taxes are not spent to tackle the menace of trucks on the roads,and some rubbish about using more smaller trucks,what planet are these people on,maybe he wants voting in soon,so getting in with the Jones`es who dont like these gastly things blockingtheir road,making them late to the golf course.I would make the MP collect his fridge freezer in a wheel barrow,and make him walk it 35 miles.How did his tv get there,by Paul Daniels.
Actually a sensible quote from you toby…if we were all a bit more PR savvy it would go a long way towards getting a bit more respect.
We should let more people out of junctions (not just the blonds 
), be more considerate to other road users even if they are knobswho passed their test via Kelloggs.
Be polite and always acknowledge someone that lets you through.
Wave at kids in buses and cars and on bridges (unless theyre just about to lob a brick over…thats a different kind of wave )
As you say toby that kid may grow up remembering the day he sat in a truck while the driver ogled his mum
toby1234abc:
I was about to leave,and a mum with her two young boys walked past the truck,i asked her if they would like to sit in the seat,it made their day,the smiles of joy on their faces,like it was the best thing that happened that day.
When they are older and driving cars,they may look back,and regard us in a different manner to the other ignorant road users,and inspire them to drive trucks one day,the mum said a relation of hers was on tippers,public relations does not cost nothing,we get a bad press,in the local paper,they are recruiting volunteers to catch bridge crossers with a 17ton limit,and a MP was moaning about monster trucks that are in his words “walloping”,he was saying about how his taxes are not spent to tackle the menace of trucks on the roads,and some rubbish about using more smaller trucks,what planet are these people on,maybe he wants voting in soon,so getting in with the Jones`es who dont like these gastly things blockingtheir road,making them late to the golf course.I would make the MP collect his fridge freezer in a wheel barrow,and make him walk it 35 miles.How did his tv get there,by Paul Daniels.
Or she might have thought you were a kiddie fiddler and called the law, do you think that it’s wise for lorry drivers to invite kids into their cab 
pete-b:
Or she might have thought you were a kiddie fiddler and called the law, do you think that it’s wise for lorry drivers to invite kids into their cab
Even the most committed “kiddie fiddler” is highly unlikely to do anything while he is talking to their mother. 
I applaud what he did and if more of us did show a bit more of what we do to the general public, it can only make things better.
I had one of the factory managers in my cab the other day, just from one end of the yard to the other.
He’s a grown man and yet had never even sat in the cab of a truck.
The first thing he said, as we negotiated the stacks of trays, pedestrians and forklifts was “you can’t see a thing from up here ( he meant the corners of the cab), how on earth do you drive this every day?”
He may well still think I’m “just a driver” but at least he now knows he couldn’t do what I do.
Regards,
Nick
pete-b:
Or she might have thought you were a kiddie fiddler and called the law, do you think that it’s wise for lorry drivers to invite kids into their
i’ve read some stuff on here but that takes the biscuit,jesus!!!
i did the same a few weeks back while parked up at leceister forest services,i was driving for a well know red/green firm 
a family appeared at the side of of my truck while i was on a break,they got a couple of pictures of it,so i aksed them if the kids wanted to sit in the passenger seat & have a picture taken there as well,they were well chuffed,parents even had a look in the cab as well and were very gratefull to me for letting them do it.kids had a massive smile on their faces & went off really happy.
Well you carry on doing what you’re doing then, cos it’s a well known fact that nobody has ever been accused of doing something they didn’t do, and to you to.
Every post you make Toby there’s about 5 different storys in there 
starts off with you letting kids sit in the truck then finishes with your local MP walking down the highstreet with a fridge freezer on his back!!!
But to be honest I don’t think no amount of PR stuff or possitive press would really work as that will all go out the window when they are in a car in a rush going up hill behind a loaded wagon.
i just read the thread title and assumed someone had taken tobys computer away. 
pete-b:
toby1234abc:
I was about to leave,and a mum with her two young boys walked past the truck,i asked her if they would like to sit in the seat,it made their day,the smiles of joy on their faces,like it was the best thing that happened that day.
When they are older and driving cars,they may look back,and regard us in a different manner to the other ignorant road users,and inspire them to drive trucks one day,the mum said a relation of hers was on tippers,public relations does not cost nothing,we get a bad press,in the local paper,they are recruiting volunteers to catch bridge crossers with a 17ton limit,and a MP was moaning about monster trucks that are in his words “walloping”,he was saying about how his taxes are not spent to tackle the menace of trucks on the roads,and some rubbish about using more smaller trucks,what planet are these people on,maybe he wants voting in soon,so getting in with the Jones`es who dont like these gastly things blockingtheir road,making them late to the golf course.I would make the MP collect his fridge freezer in a wheel barrow,and make him walk it 35 miles.How did his tv get there,by Paul Daniels.Or she might have thought you were a kiddie fiddler and called the law, do you think that it’s wise for lorry drivers to invite kids into their cab
that was my first thought after reading it !
Welcome to 2011, if your male and interact with a child it is classed as being a ■■■■■ unless proven otherwise.
I bet it was a young mum with blonde hair and a masssive set of jugs
I’ve had that happen to me twice one was a little lad who had autism when i was parked outside the tesco store in melton mowbray …he’s mom asked if he could have his picture taken with the truck has he loved stobart trucks …so i said let him sit on drivers seat while you take a picture …you should of seen the smile on his face…2nd time was only a few weeks ago delivering to a tesco store again in mansfield …woman came over with her daughter who had a heart problem she still had some tube on her don’t know what they were for …anyway she asked again could she have her picture taken with the stobart truck has she loved them …same again let her sit in drivers seat while her mother took her picture …you should of seen her face …you could see this little girl was poorly …bet her smile was beaming…
for all those that slag stobarts down …i don’t think theres many fleet trucks that can have this effect …and trust me I’m no company man …
I actually agree with Toby for once and strongly disagree with Pete B and Large Bloke.
You are the reason we cannot photograph our kids in a school play, take them to the gents in a pub, go swimming and sleep in the same bed, not every driver works for Blakemores or Spar.
My mates kids often pop round after school and wait here for their mum, occasionally I will take another mates kids in my car because their dad is racing and has to leave earlier or there are not enough seats in the van. Both are old enough to use the toilet unaided but if they had an “accident” I wouldn’t hesitate to help them get cleaned up.
As a kid I used to go with a family friend in his lorry because I was mad on lorries, not because he offered me sweeties or puppies.
When I was at School we had the RTITB bring a truck down for us all to sit in and show us the danger of blindspots. I was able to show off and explain how to drop the trailer safely.
Wheel Nut:
I actually agree with Toby for once and strongly disagree with Pete B and Large Bloke.You are the reason we cannot photograph our kids in a school play, take them to the gents in a pub, go swimming and sleep in the same bed, not every driver works for Blakemores or Spar.
My mates kids often pop round after school and wait here for their mum, occasionally I will take another mates kids in my car because their dad is racing and has to leave earlier or there are not enough seats in the van. Both are old enough to use the toilet unaided but if they had an “accident” I wouldn’t hesitate to help them get cleaned up.
As a kid I used to go with a family friend in his lorry because I was mad on lorries, not because he offered me sweeties or puppies.
When I was at School we had the RTITB bring a truck down for us all to sit in and show us the danger of blindspots. I was able to show off and explain how to drop the trailer safely.
And how the ■■■■ am I the reason you can’t photograph kids in a school play, take them to the gents in a pub, go swimming or sleep in the same bed I think you will find that the ■■■■■ who took advantage of vulnerable children in the past and carried out their sordid acts are to blame. don’t ever tar me with the same brush as them 
. ■■■■■
Thanks for backing me up on this post,no offence had taken place,i saw the mum looking up at the truck,and she gave permission for the lads to sit on the seat,and pretend to drive it,i was going to put the ignition so they could do the horn,but it may have upset the neighbours.
What has what i did got to with what some on here have mentioned,i did not mention it,but sadly,someone had to put their tuppence in to it.
The lads were so happy,and would have told their class mates what they did.When i let other drivers go at at junction or traffic lights,sometimes they put a lot of effort in to waving and thanking me,that it would not bother me if they just drove,i can see them panic,to wave,at the same time of engaging the gears,check the mirrors and pull off,but at least they have tried to thank me for letting them out.
Toby I may not have agreed with a lot of things youve said on here but on this one I think youre spot on, This industry has got a terrible reputation, everytime you read a paper it says “Juggernauts thundering through villages” or “massive trucks threatening the public”.
We may not change this attitude overnight or even within a few years but as Tesco says “Every little helps”.
Its only a matter of 40 years or so ago that we were known as Knights of the road, now we may not get back to that ever, but at least we must be able to get a little bit better than we are now.
I hate to admit it but Stobarts have helped in this with their fan club and attitude to the general public.
My local rag is anti truck,not sure why,they use attention grabbing headlines like hurtling,thundering,menacing,and so on,like the MP using walloping,he needs a walloping for no grip on reality,a public school boy,who knows nothing on the industry he is slagging off,in Europe,the driver is still held with great public esteem,in the UK the roads are too small for the size of the vehicles,combine that with bad planning of roads,with bottlenecks and jams,we get the blame for holding them up.
An example is the A36,Southampton to Bristol,mostly single carrigeway,i asked why they had not duelled it,the answer was that it is better the way it is,as the single carrigeway is adequate for the traffic volumes,and in their view is safer.
Sadly no matter what we do in the general publics eye we are scum but its nice when you see a mum and her baby/toddler watching you unload with the crane and then they wave to you as you drive off, i’ll always wave back
I do get a tea made for me at some delivery points by the lady in the office,last week,i had a chap say "what time do you call this on a friday,"it was 15.30,knocking off time for some lazy builders off to the pub.Ok mate,i will take it all back,it is no problem for me.
That’s great until said child slips from the top step and falls out of the cab and the parents sue the company for £1000’s.
I do TACS (truck and child safety) demonstrations where we take the artics into schools and talk to the kids about the obvious and unonvious dangers of being around a truck(blind spots ect),whilst these demos take place the children are covered by my companies insurance.
In a “no win no fee” world thar we seem to have found ourselves in I wouldn’t bother with the hassle it could cause by inviting someone to come and sit in my truck for the hell of it.