First day as a tipper driver

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Just got in from my first day as a full time driver so as promised, a brief diary.

Due to start at 8.00am, so left with plenty of time. Having been there before I knew it took about 20 - 25 mins to get there, so left half hour before.

MISTAKE I hit the traffic. (I hadn’t timed the journey during rush hour) :blush: :blush:

Never mind, they wern’t bothered about 5 mins.

Got the truck (daf 60 with 180 engine) and followed another driver to the quarry. Glad I was on my own cos I could "play with the gearbox (6spd with a splitter) without any embarrasment. Then off to the first drop. No problem except the tight right hander that required a shunt to get round.

Found the drop and was told they wanted it in the corner of a field. OK this is gonna be fun cos it is wet. Made the drop and back to the quarry to reload.

after the 4th drop at this site the field was well and truly “ploughed”

Had lunch then off to Falmouth to pick up some mud to be taken away.
“just back into this driveway please driver”
“You most be joking :laughing: , I’ll never fit in there” I says. Was guided in and it did fit (just)

A couple of runs on that then off to pick up my load for tomorrow.
More gardening as the lane was the same width as the truck. Grass and gorse bushes in the wheel arches. (but no damage though, wahay :smiley:)

Back to the yard and finished.

Grin wider than the grill on a KW, I love it
Also I have no fears on reversing now. If in doubt GOAL or get someone else to do it. Can’t wait for tomorrow even though it is a 6.45am start

Cheers
Stuart :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

2

Fandabydosy mate :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Well done on getting that first one out of the way.

And your right just Get someone to guide you in (theres no shame in it) or get out and look for yourself till your happy.

3

I can see you grin from here Sniper. Congratulations on a first good day. May their be many more :wink: .

4

Excellent , sounds like you’re on to a winner there.

Paul

5

Well done - I knew you’d love it! Tipper driving’s great fun, especially down in this neck of the woods! Some great narrow roads to negotiate! Wait until you get your first taste of a school rat-run - the look on those Mummy’s faces through the windscreen of their 4x4 or MPV - usually travelling way too fast - as they round a bend and come face to face with several tonnes of tipper is one you won’t forget!.. :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: Needless to say, the next time they’re on that same road they tend to do it all over again - don’t people ever learn… :unamused:

Anyway, I hope it continues to go well for you, and it’s no lie to say I’m a tiny bit jealous! :wink:

6

well im glad you enjoed it also the get out and look bit you know no one ever got fired for gettin out and lookin so its the best policy hope you have fun tommrow let us know how it goes be safe

jason

7

Sniper,Glad you enjoyed it nice to have a good start sounds like an alright job.

8

Nice one sniper, always good to get the first day out of the way, i enjoyed my first day it was the second day i hated. :confused: .

Mick

9

GOOD STUFF glad you like ,it allways fancied a go on the tippers

10

mick57:
Nice one sniper, always good to get the first day out of the way, i enjoyed my first day it was the second day i hated. :confused: .

Mick

And then it goes steadily downhill :wink:

simon

11

Nice one sniper, hope it keeps going well.
Gordy

12

fatjay_uk:
no one ever got fired for gettin out and lookin jason

Our company policy is that you’re in trouble if you don’t get out and look and then have an accident!!

13

I have to say despite having a class 1 I still enjoy the rigid tipper stuff, but then as a sometime bus driver…well the driving styles are not that dissimilar are they ? Nor I suppose when you come to think of it are the unloading techniques, open the doors & tip em out.

14

daxi:
I have to say despite having a class 1 I still enjoy the rigid tipper stuff, but then as a sometime bus driver…well the driving styles are not that dissimilar are they ? Nor I suppose when you come to think of it are the unloading techniques, open the doors & tip em out.

True but the cargo is a lot quieter and doesn’t argue with you. Thats why I came of bus driving

15

Day 2, and as you all predicted last night, today I HATE it.

Got in at 6.45, run through the checks (it is so nice to have a working cab light to fill in the tacho) and set of for the first drop. No problems as it was my old school run so I knew where I was going.

Then back to the horrible quarry up the lane again. He wanted the truck in a different place, but i got in without too many problems. Getting out was where the fun began. It was even wetter and muddier than yesterday and the truck was slipping all over the place. Next thing i heard a "crunch as the front went sideways and hit a boulder. No debris, and everthing looking fine in the mirrors so of I goes.

Stopped for a coffee, and as i looked at the parked truck I’m thinking “that passenger step shouldn’t be blowing in the wind like that” So back to the yard. A bit of friendly abuse from the fitter and the step was temporarly removed. Boss was fine about it, “don’t worry” he says. (to be fair, it broke on the previous weld repairs)

Any way, I sets off to the second drop, running about an hour late.
Then I have to find a new quarry to pick up some sand, got loaded up and was told don’t forget you’ve got to sheet the load before you go.

SHEETING, they havn’t shown me that yet. Spent another 1/2 hour trying to unravel the net and figure out how to tie it down. Eventually set off to do the last drop. Only it wasn’t 1 drop, it was 2. At the first site I had to tip part of the load, then tip the other half elsewhere. Gggggrrrrrr How do I do this?
Answer, guess work. :angry: :angry:

In the meantime, I had a phone call, could I go back to THAT quarry and load for tomorrow. :unamused: :unamused: :angry: :angry:

By this time it is getting dark, still very muddy and slippery, and you guessed it, slip crunch, oh ■■■■■■■■.
As he loading I have a look and find I have bent the bumper so that the nearside headlight is now pointing at the owls and not the pussycats.

Gggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

All in it could have been worse. Yes at one point I wanted to jack it in and never drive again, however, cos of all the advice from on here, I knew this day was coming so roll on tomorrow. In both the incedents, I did GOAL, however, I was not to know that the truck would slide sideways. A day of experience.

Cheers
Stuart

16

Interesting read sniper. you have to look at this way
sniper you did not do to much damage and look
what experience you got from it. you have sheeted
it up and learned to split a load up for tipping and
you know what to expect with the truck sliding ect.

17

This is some steep learning curve you’ve got, good job it’s a K reg.
Chin up lad, at least it’s not a curtainsider in the gales.
Gordy

18

sniper:
… Only it wasn’t 1 drop, it was 2. At the first site I had to tip part of the load, then tip the other half elsewhere. Gggggrrrrrr How do I do this?
Answer, guess work. :angry: :angry: …

It does get easier! I remember the first time I had to do a split load - well, the load was in the same place but I had to tip half of it (around ten tonnes) then drop the ■■■■ to allow the shovel driver to mix in some other grade sand - then I had to tip the remainder… The first time I dropped the ■■■■ with half a load still in it I thought the truck would collapse… BANG - did that ■■■■ drop fast! :open_mouth:

It’s horrible weather we’re having now, which isn’t helping with your first few days as a tipper driver… Roll on the summer - tippers are great in the summer… Trust me! :wink: You’ll find other tipper drivers are a pretty friendly bunch too… Well, most of 'em! :wink:

I hope tomorrow’s better for you… At least the boss was ok about your mishaps… That’s a good sign! :wink:

19

Hi Sniper

I love tipper work but don’t get enough of it
don’t forget to look up for those electric/telephone wires
and remember that the diff lock is to get you out of trouble not into it

Keep sending it up

Tony

20

Doing some tipper work a few years back I had 2 loads into a site the wrong side of one of those ditch / insignificant stream things.
First drop no problems, it’s a reverse off a very tight lane up an incline of 45 degrees as you cross the stream on a bridge constructed from retaining walls, drain pipe & soil, so being wet lots of wheel spin as I go up the bank / cross the bridge that’s 1 ft wider than the truck, but I get straight on & off site with a few shunts & lots of hedge caught on wing mirrors bumper etc.
Second drop & the zb bridge collapses as I’m leaving the site dropping my back wheels about 1.5 feet down & 2 ft sideways into the ditch.
I got out but I took a bit more of the hedge this time & I left half the grass verge & a few bricks etc across the site as I spun the wheels with some rubble thrown in for extra grip.