Also, how do you find a safe place to park (over night) if you’re a newbee, just Google it? I’ve find, not being British, that services are way too few and far between in the UK. Where I’m from there’s one every couple of miles!
Yoni:
Another question relating to being female; at overnight truck stops, are there always seperate female bathrooms/showers/[RESTROOM] etc. Is this a compulsory must for any resting place?
A lot of places have separate shower facilities , however there are still odd places that don’t. This is where common sense must prevail, & you have your own responsibility to never put yourself in a vulnerable position. If you pre plan your route & stopping places. And have a plan b in place for 'if there are no separate facilities ’ .
There are lots of jobs about that wouldn’t need nights out, or you could work nights , that would remove the shower worries , though still be careful & safety aware of quiet places in the dead of night!
bonnie lass:
Yoni:
Another question relating to being female; at overnight truck stops, are there always seperate female bathrooms/showers/[RESTROOM] etc. Is this a compulsory must for any resting place?A lot of places have separate shower facilities , however there are still odd places that don’t. This is where common sense must prevail, & you have your own responsibility to never put yourself in a vulnerable position. If you pre plan your route & stopping places. And have a plan b in place for 'if there are no separate facilities ’ .
There are lots of jobs about that wouldn’t need nights out, or you could work nights , that would remove the shower worries , though still be careful & safety aware of quiet places in the dead of night!
Thanks bonnie lass, do you feel unsafe doing nights out? Do you carry a weapon, I’ve thought about doing a self defence class or something [emoji4]
If you carry a weapon you run the risk of being charged yourself, as saying it is for self defense, is not a defense in court. Maybe pepper spray, a very load personal alarm, or a punch in the throat may be better! But best of all, be very very aware of your situation.
I don’t feel unsafe, as I said before use common sense, nowt wrong with doing self defence if it makes you feel more confident, but you still need to use good old common sense!!
Yoni:
What’s MSA? Remember, I’m a complete greenhorn
Motorway Service Area 
Yoni:
Also, how do you find a safe place to park (over night) if you’re a newbee, just Google it? I’ve find, not being British, that services are way too few and far between in the UK. Where I’m from there’s one every couple of miles!
Many Haulage companies are now going onto Snap, (a one stop expenses account service) if the company does this then you will get a book with all the Snap account parking areas listed and the parking charge is dealt with without you the driver being involved
Regardless whether Male or Female, a Driver should always choose carefully where to park, for personal safety and that off the load vehicle and fuel, unfortunately many hauliers don’t take the risks as seriously until something goes wrong, and are reluctant to pay overnight parking charges, in those cases, you can only do your best.
Don’t be too concerned about tramping though, its a great life if it floats your boat. Best to give it a go. if it suit you then you’ll build a personal knowledge off where the best parking places to suit you are, and how they fit in with any particular journey you would be making at any particular time
bonnie lass:
I don’t feel unsafe, as I said before use common sense, nowt wrong with doing self defence if it makes you feel more confident, but you still need to use good old common sense!!
I would think for a Women in any walk of life, self defence would be useful. But as you say you cant beet good old common sense
Thanks Eddie, that’s all useful stuff to know. I think tramping would suit me, I’m defo not doing multi drop. This morning came across Class One Driver Hire, have any of you heard of them? Are they good to work for?
eddie snax:
Yoni:
Thanks Bach home. My thoughts exactly, on both.
And to the other ladies comments, no pink for me either, black and boots and is more my thing.Only just seen this thread, so good luck with every thing, hope all is going to plan as I’ve just skimmed through it.
I used to work at a firm with about 100 driver, including 1 women, and to prove the respect point she was nominated to go on the workers council along with numerous guys, and She was 1 off 3 who were duly elected. To me that says it all, get on with the job as a driver, and, well its job 1st gender 2nd.
Ps good on you for no pink, I’m sorry and I might be out of line, but what is it with the pink hi-vis, I mean as a bloke I don’t wear a blue hi-vis
You’re not out of line at all! Like you said, what IS it with pink on women? I hate pink, make-up, false lashes, nails, hair, teeth [emoji6]. I love black, like Johnny Cash said…
Evil8Beezle:
If you carry a weapon you run the risk of being charged yourself, as saying it is for self defense, is not a defense in court. Maybe pepper spray
Pepper spray, Mace and CS gas are definite no-nos in the UK - they are prohibited weapons under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968. Other supposedly lawful defence sprays such as gel marker sprays could also fall foul of this provision - unless there is clear case law that they are not a ‘weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing’, you are simply relying on the supplier’s assertion that they are legal. The usual understanding of weapon in this context is being designed or adapted for use as a weapon - if the supplier is selling a product as a lawful defence spray, it suggests that the sole or primary use of that spray is as a weapon, placing the owner in some legal jeopardy.
The case law I could dig up on a quick search only relates to pepper spray or CS spray, possession of which typically leads to a sentence of around four years imprisonment.
There is a chance that a court would hold that an everyday aerosol product such as hair spray falls foul of s. 5(1)(b) of the 1968 Act if it was being carried solely as a defensive weapon. Pulling a hair spray aerosol carried for cosmetic purposes from your bag in the face of an imminent threat is likely to be seen as preparing to defend yourself with an everyday item you have around your person. Leaving the cab in a situation where you are uneasy but where there is no clear imminent threat with a hair spray aerosol in your hand ready for use that you keep for purely defensive purposes might be viewed as possession of an unlawful s. 5(1)(b) weapon.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to approach a potential assailant with the intention of giving them a good spray to the face with an everyday aerosol because of how close you would need to get and the risk of incapacitating yourself. Police officers trained to use CS spray do not always manage to avoid partially incapacitating themselves or a colleague in a real world deployment, and their incapacitant sprays are designed to jet the incapacitating agent some distance. You might stand a better chance of incapacitating an assailant by throwing an everyday aerosol or similar heavy object at their head!
Carrying a baton, baseball bat or similar item for defensive purposes leaves you open to being charged with carrying an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, contrary to section 1 Prevention of Crime Act 1953.
Any weapon can be taken from you and used against you - even a small non-locking folding knife which is exempt from the requirement to show ‘good cause’ to carry in public. I’d argue for the combination of awareness of your surroundings, self defence training, a loud alarm and a confident but not over-confident attitude.
Well said djw
These are torches. You use them for inspecting your vehicle at the start of your duty. ‘onest occifer’,
amazon.co.uk/Maglite-Blister … B000056BME
A torch would be a reasonable item to have with you, but I believe you need to be a little careful.
I would avoid any torch fitted with a crenelated ‘strike’ bezel, as they could be deemed an offensive weapon.
The 6D Maglite that clunk linked to or its 4D cousin is an increasingly difficult item to justify as a torch. It’s huge, unwieldy and doesn’t have anything like the light output of a modern LED torch. There may come a point where anyone with one of those large Maglites in the cab has it viewed primarily as a metal baton (i.e. offensive weapon) rather than as a practical torch.
I’d go for a modern high output LED unit with a flat bezel and good quality rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, hooked up to an in-cab power supply to keep the batteries charged. That gives you a ready charged powerful light source to use around the truck or for household purposes. The secondary use of the torch is as a light source that is likely intense enough to cause someone at close range to avert their gaze. If you were desperate, the torch would be a fairly heavy metal item to throw at someone or hit them with in a self-defence situation, but I’d still recommend awareness of surroundings, self defence training, a loud alarm and a confident but not over-confident attitude over attempting to use a torch as a club or throwing object.
The sort of torch I’m thinking of is something like the Fenix UC35 - not a cheap item, but one with a lot of value, I believe (N.B. I cannot personally vouch either for this model or the supplier I’ve linked to - my daily carry torch, which I keep clipped into my pocket, is a tiny AAA powered Foursevens Preon P1). All you would need is a micro USB charger to keep this torch topped up in the truck.
djw:
Evil8Beezle:
If you carry a weapon you run the risk of being charged yourself, as saying it is for self defense, is not a defense in court. Maybe pepper sprayPepper spray, Mace and CS gas are definite no-nos in the UK - they are prohibited weapons under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968. Other supposedly lawful defence sprays such as gel marker sprays could also fall foul of this provision - unless there is clear case law that they are not a ‘weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing’, you are simply relying on the supplier’s assertion that they are legal. The usual understanding of weapon in this context is being designed or adapted for use as a weapon - if the supplier is selling a product as a lawful defence spray, it suggests that the sole or primary use of that spray is as a weapon, placing the owner in some legal jeopardy.
The case law I could dig up on a quick search only relates to pepper spray or CS spray, possession of which typically leads to a sentence of around four years imprisonment.
There is a chance that a court would hold that an everyday aerosol product such as hair spray falls foul of s. 5(1)(b) of the 1968 Act if it was being carried solely as a defensive weapon. Pulling a hair spray aerosol carried for cosmetic purposes from your bag in the face of an imminent threat is likely to be seen as preparing to defend yourself with an everyday item you have around your person. Leaving the cab in a situation where you are uneasy but where there is no clear imminent threat with a hair spray aerosol in your hand ready for use that you keep for purely defensive purposes might be viewed as possession of an unlawful s. 5(1)(b) weapon.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to approach a potential assailant with the intention of giving them a good spray to the face with an everyday aerosol because of how close you would need to get and the risk of incapacitating yourself. Police officers trained to use CS spray do not always manage to avoid partially incapacitating themselves or a colleague in a real world deployment, and their incapacitant sprays are designed to jet the incapacitating agent some distance. You might stand a better chance of incapacitating an assailant by throwing an everyday aerosol or similar heavy object at their head!
Carrying a baton, baseball bat or similar item for defensive purposes leaves you open to being charged with carrying an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, contrary to section 1 Prevention of Crime Act 1953.
Any weapon can be taken from you and used against you - even a small non-locking folding knife which is exempt from the requirement to show ‘good cause’ to carry in public. I’d argue for the combination of awareness of your surroundings, self defence training, a loud alarm and a confident but not over-confident attitude.
Thanks for the useful info. I’m going to think about it for a bit.
djw:
A torch would be a reasonable item to have with you, but I believe you need to be a little careful.I would avoid any torch fitted with a crenelated ‘strike’ bezel, as they could be deemed an offensive weapon.
The 6D Maglite that clunk linked to or its 4D cousin is an increasingly difficult item to justify as a torch. It’s huge, unwieldy and doesn’t have anything like the light output of a modern LED torch. There may come a point where anyone with one of those large Maglites in the cab has it viewed primarily as a metal baton (i.e. offensive weapon) rather than as a practical torch.
I’d go for a modern high output LED unit with a flat bezel and good quality rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, hooked up to an in-cab power supply to keep the batteries charged. That gives you a ready charged powerful light source to use around the truck or for household purposes. The secondary use of the torch is as a light source that is likely intense enough to cause someone at close range to avert their gaze. If you were desperate, the torch would be a fairly heavy metal item to throw at someone or hit them with in a self-defence situation, but I’d still recommend awareness of surroundings, self defence training, a loud alarm and a confident but not over-confident attitude over attempting to use a torch as a club or throwing object.
The sort of torch I’m thinking of is something like the Fenix UC35 - not a cheap item, but one with a lot of value, I believe (N.B. I cannot personally vouch either for this model or the supplier I’ve linked to - my daily carry torch, which I keep clipped into my pocket, is a tiny AAA powered Foursevens Preon P1). All you would need is a micro USB charger to keep this torch topped up in the truck.
Thanks for those suggestions, I’ll add them to the list of necessaries
Yoni:
Also, how do you find a safe place to park (over night) if you’re a newbee, just Google it? I’ve find, not being British, that services are way too few and far between in the UK. Where I’m from there’s one every couple of miles!
If you have a smart phone the two best apps are Motorway Buddy and HGV Parking.
Radar19:
Yoni:
Also, how do you find a safe place to park (over night) if you’re a newbee, just Google it? I’ve find, not being British, that services are way too few and far between in the UK. Where I’m from there’s one every couple of miles!If you have a smart phone the two best apps are Motorway Buddy and HGV Parking.
Thanks Radar, nice one.
Yoni:
Radar19:
Yoni:
Also, how do you find a safe place to park (over night) if you’re a newbee, just Google it? I’ve find, not being British, that services are way too few and far between in the UK. Where I’m from there’s one every couple of miles!If you have a smart phone the two best apps are Motorway Buddy and HGV Parking.
Thanks Radar, nice one.
They are certainly very useful when I’m looking for a place to abandon it for the night!
Have been tramping on/off for 10 or so years now never had a problem
I do plan where I am stopping mind or try to & yes have driven past places as didn’t want to stop there just be very sensible about it & don’t worry too much I have very really stopped in a services or lorry park prefer t stop in lay by industrial est etc but each to there own
I don’t carry a weapon as such although I do have some knives in the cab as I self cater also have a stanly type knife if nee to strip a pallet down or remove some shrink wrap
As I have said I am not the tallest being 147 cm ( 4;10" ) not that heavy either in 45-50 kg ( 8st ish )
Driver hire are an agency they wrk different in each area they are in
Yoni:
Thanks Eddie, that’s all useful stuff to know. I think tramping would suit me, I’m defo not doing multi drop. ?
Don’t shut the door on any type off work, I used to do multi drops(groupage) on artics, would have anything upto 10 drops going out, Maybe the first was 200 miles from base then the rest were all in that rough area, have most done on day 1, day 2 clear the trailer then reload could be full load or multi collections, or into local depot top out with groupage for onward delivery to anywhere UK or Continent. once empty the merry go round would start, enjoy
animal:
Have been tramping on/off for 10 or so years now never had a problemI do plan where I am stopping mind or try to & yes have driven past places as didn’t want to stop there just be very sensible about it & don’t worry too much I have very really stopped in a services or lorry park prefer t stop in lay by industrial est etc but each to there own
I don’t carry a weapon as such although I do have some knives in the cab as I self cater also have a stanly type knife if nee to strip a pallet down or remove some shrink wrap
As I have said I am not the tallest being 147 cm ( 4;10" ) not that heavy either in 45-50 kg ( 8st ish )
Driver hire are an agency they wrk different in each area they are in
I hope you don’t drive a CF, you’d not be able to see over the wheel! 