Got to truckstop last night, it was still early about 1830 but it was rammed.
1 space left, right in the corner, tight as a.holes, on an awkward angle in the corner, and another truck parked at right angles stopping you getting a decent ‘‘swing’’ in.
One lad had a go and gave up.
So I thought …f.it I aint parking in a lay by, my time was up,.and there was a pint with my name on it in pub next door.
Tried to get in, did numerous kin shunts, must have jumped out of cab 10 times…but eventually got in.
I looked around and there were about 5 ''professional drivers ‘’ sat in their cabs just watching me.
In the old days all 5 would have been out…definite.
I’ll leave it there for your opinions…but seriously wtf?
Was just saying to a mate…If I had seen one of the sorry arsed useless ■■■■ s pointing a phone at me hoping for me to f.up, it would not have ended well for him.
On a similar note one of our lot who had just recently passed his test attempted to get into a space in the yard (that I would have thought twice about trying tbh)
I automatically (old school/2nd nature) went over to ‘watch him in’ and he more or less went off on one saying…
‘‘I can manage myself’’ …
I walked away and he proceeded to hit a trailer with a loud bang.
I mean I have driven these things for longer than I want to admit, but I accept any help and guidance offered.
..
I have noticed the same and it’s only the foreign drivers that get out the cab to act as a banks man.
I have seen other drivers just sit in their cab watching someone struggle then when it’s parked they do the sarcastic clap and roll their eyes to the other one’s sat in their cabs.
I was at a place in hull the other night, not great bays to get on to as the fence curved round where you had to reverse onto the bays. A guy shunting in a unit was trying to get on bay 1. He has a few attempts and I heard him curse a few times as he could get the trailer round next to me but then was against the brick wall almost with the unit at 90 degrees but not room to turn the unit to get it straight.
I jumped out to watch and help him he had another go or 2 and then sodded off back round the building. He then came back for another go and attempted it again, I jumped out again and watched him and he was about to give up, I said go on your fine nice and steady it will come round. His trailer missed my cab corner by literally a foot and he said are you sure and I said trust me I won’t let you hit anything. And even then he had to shunt a few times once he got the unit round.
A real pita if a bat with trailer and unit next to it, trailer only and it would have been fine.
But he was between a rock and hard place really, between a trailer and unit on bay 2 and the curve of the fencing and the concrete wall it made it incredibly difficult not to mention the lack of room in front of the bays barely trailer and unit length.
And I doubt he wasn’t an experienced driver either. We all know how hard it can be thinking about that nearside corner especially when having to turn at 90 degrees angles never ideal but when there is no other option you have to do what you have to do.
Mind we go to some hell holes where you have no choice but to get on tight or ridiculous bays and yards full of crap that often make it harder than it needs to be.
Or just places that are not really suitable for artics. We have so many that are classed as red on the risk assessments it’s bonkers really.
blame thatcher. NO SERIOUSLY guys
She’s the one who started it all off with her “No such thing as society”
We used to help each other, in all walks of life, in all sorts of ways.
Then it started to become “■■■■ you I’m all right”
And this last 5 years, it’s “can you ■■■■ that up again because I didn’t get a good video of it the first time”
But it’s also “elf and safety” that has bolloxed it all up. If we’re not “trained” banksmen, then our bosses say we can’t do it cos of the insurance and risk. Stuff that, I’ve helped a driver reverse off or onto the street, when I’ve simply been walking by or cycling by and saw he was struggling - usually because of nobhead car drivers refusing to stop back and give him room. Act like you know wot your doing and people do acquiesce despite not looking the part. and no driver has hit anything while I’ve banked them back.
Backing in myself without help offered, I’d just take my time and make others wait as I keep jumping out to check my blindside. And don’t think about blowing yer horn at me cos I’m holding you up, I’ll bloody take even longer
You’re either part of the solution, else part of the problem. And if we don’t stand together in this industry, like others, we’re gonna get terminated by AI and robotics soon enough.
It’s a shame the lorry manufacturers no longer put the glass window in the back of the cab, that was ideal for the blind spot when reversing at an angle, if you got the view right you could see the back of the trailer.
Unfortunately camaraderie as long gone in the industry with the drivers that choose not to socialise with pull in to park, cab curtains shut , won’t see them surface until the morning.
All our 4 wheelers have a rear window and yes helps a lot with blindsiding. In fact all our next gen DAF’s on 74 plates also have rear a rear window as well. The 73 plate next gens don’t.
Hovis at Nottingham is one that springs to mind (after him saying those bays are very tight do you want me to drop the trailer on for you) I let the shunter put my trailer on the bay the other week, there is next to no room between bays at all and little room at the front for turning either. With barn doors it also makes it even tighter.
When I took the trailer off the bay you have to go as far forward as you can almost against the wall then turn so your back end clears the trailer at the side of you, if you had a trailer and unit at the side of you it would be impossible I think to get off the bay.
Yet health and safety and not damaging kit is so important yet these places exist and still expect no damage to be done.
In fact some of our depots have bays that are way too close together. I went on a particular bay at Bristol and you can’t even open your driver’s door to climb out, door doesn’t open far enough so you have to get out the passenger side.
Portbury is another one with little room at the front of you to get onto the bays, thankfully they are spaced enough apart to not make it more difficult than it needs to be.
Not a nice way to go but you’d hope it was quick. Tbh not something I like thinking about much tbh.
In fact the other night I thought to myself imagine 2 trucks coming together on single carriageways bearing in mind a closing speed of 100mph at times and most times drivers corner to drivers corner and it actually does not best thinking about.
Even with all the safety aids and crash zones in trucks nowadays it still doesn’t bear thinking about it possibly happening.
I was having one for their nights or too much thought about all sorts of random crap.
The punishment bay at Woolworths in Swindon, if you were 5 minutes late they would allocate that trailer and unit destruction bay, it was littered with broken mirrors, bits of torn curtain, metal and plastic bits from the truck.
While back was parked at Ashford /Kent truck stop.
Saw some foreign truck trying reverse into a space I got out guided him in.
About half hour later got knock on truck door he gave me couple cans off beer few chocolate bars and said thank you .
Arla Oakthorpe North London, I saw many clutches being burnt out on one of the bays that was an absolute pig, poorly designed by a bean counter who has never seen a truck.
The Turkish drivers are one of the friendliest bunch on the roads, if you did them a very small favour they will pay you back in kindness by cooking a 4 course meal, then brew up very potent Turkish tea or coffee.
Modern car drivers who’ve blagged an LGV Rob.The type who think they can out accelerate cars from multi lane junctions and out brake them into roundabouts with a loaded 44 tonner.
