yesterday i had a really bad first day in the new job. was going alright until i got stopped and interogated by police at a checkpoint, then got back to the yard and was told to take such and such a trailer to do a collection when the sat nav sent me up a a road that soon turned into a very narrow lane and just about made it to the end. got to the collection to find the trailer was already loaded so had to go to a place down the road and swap it with an empty one.
got back to the yard hoping that was it because id had enough but was told I had to go and swap trailers in a place about an hours drive away, drove for about half an hour before the sat nav wanted me to go down a road with a 7.5t limit and I was about to go over my hours and didn’t want to risk it after what happened earlier and it was dark and raining so I turned around and went back. needless to say that didn’t go down very well with anyone.
went home really ■■■■■■ off and didn’t go in today because I didnt think driving a lorry was for me and I was going to quit and go back to my previous job but I decided to give it another try and hopefully it will get better because its something that ive always wanted to do and it was very hard to get having only a couple of months experience on rigids and being under 25 so im not going to write it off just yet and they said I can do an easy short run for a while until I get a bit more confident so im hoping it works out.
Oh dear. My advice: Slow things down, keep calm, and stick with it, i’m sure it’ll get better. Perhaps invest in a better sat-nav tho ?
Could have been worse, I watched a guy on (what looked to be), his Class 1 test today take out the side of another trucks cab with his tail-swing. Oops.
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
Que. all the old and bold tellin you A-Z maps are all what you need. Of course them sort of drivers wont rely on technology in anyway shape or form ie a cell phone.
They all of course use a little black book and 10p in a phone box like we did in the old days.
I just spent 20 mins writing a load of ■■■■ out but I can’t be arsed so I’m just gonna say this… Put that moany ■■■■■ in the bin and use a map.
Good luck and don’t give up.
Chris1207:
Oh dear. My advice: Slow things down, keep calm, and stick with it, i’m sure it’ll get better. Perhaps invest in a better sat-nav tho ?
Could have been worse, I watched a guy on (what looked to be), his Class 1 test today take out the side of another trucks cab with his tail-swing. Oops.
yeah I just kept telling myself whatever you do don’t hit anything I can see how the tail swing would catch you out, its very hard to judge if your close to something.
Ian G:
Dark and raining? Yeah, definitely throw in the towel.
ive never driven any lorry at night before never mind an artic, it was a combination of a few things that made me turn back and I still feel it was the right decision.
chester:
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
Que. all the old and bold tellin you A-Z maps are all what you need. Of course them sort of drivers wont rely on technology in anyway shape or form ie a cell phone.
They all of course use a little black book and 10p in a phone box like we did in the old days.
As the future is bad…
I have a map now and I got a fone I can use google maps on aswell and I was planning on getting a trucknav at Christmas.
FarnboroughBoy11:
I just spent 20 mins writing a load of [zb] out but I can’t be arsed so I’m just gonna say this… Put that moany ■■■■■ in the bin and use a map.
Good luck and don’t give up.
chester:
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
No.
Are you suggesting a new driver buys in 2013 every map he may or may not go to?
If in that case you can all ditch your mobile phones!
Not at all, just a decent truck map of the UK.
If you was in Stoke and I said go and collect out of Kettering, you would probably only need a sat nav for the last couple of miles wouldn’t you, even if you were inexperienced like Jay here, you could look at the map and pretty much memorise your whole way there until you’re coming into town by which time you will know where all the limits/bridges are because you’ve already seen it on the map.
I said put the sat nav in the bin because I mark on my phone where the destination is and memorise it from where I already know, in this case the edge of the A14 outside Kettering.
But I can appreciate everyone’s different so I take that back, but with a sat nav you are only as good as the next road as there is no real forward planning.
These people that just rely on sat navs have never seen the UK from a birds eye view from looking at a map, therefor actually have no idea where they are in relation to where they are going, let alone the shape of the road networks.
So yes, you could spend 400 quid on a sat nav and put in all your truck dimensions, or you could spend 30 quid on a car one and just read road signs to get you in.
chester:
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
No.
As of yet no-one on this thread knows where the op is operating/driving!
Are you suggesting a new driver buys in 2013 every map he may or may not go to?
If in that case you can all ditch your mobile phones!
Or are folks choosey in which technology they choose to use!
That’s what I did when I was doing multidrop tramping around city centres across the UK. Granted it was before sat navs existed, but it’s what I’d do again if I went back on that work. Maps give you much more of a feel for where you’re going and where you are than a sat nav does. I prefer them anyway … ymmv.
chester:
So your all telling the OP to buy A-Z maps of the entire country!
No, I’m saying that’s what I did and would do again, and outlining my reasons for it. What the OP does is up to him. But buying a different map for every county you visit really isn’t as big a deal as you’re making out, regardless of what sort of work he’s on. Just think of it as an investment.
chester:
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
No.
As of yet no-one on this thread knows where the op is operating/driving!
Are you suggesting a new driver buys in 2013 every map he may or may not go to?
If in that case you can all ditch your mobile phones!
Or are folks choosey in which technology they choose to use!
That’s what I did when I was doing multidrop tramping around city centres across the UK. Granted it was before sat navs existed, but it’s what I’d do again if I went back on that work. Maps give you much more of a feel for where you’re going and where you are than a sat nav does. I prefer them anyway … ymmv.
One of the jobs I had in Yorkshire was delivering to farms so an a2z was essential, used the satnav to get me into the area and maps the rest of the way there…
DAF95XF:
One of the jobs I had in Yorkshire was delivering to farms so an a2z was essential, used the satnav to get me into the area and maps the rest of the way there…
Iam from a farming background, I got some flack on this forum when I paid my wife to pass her class 2 on here. To drive horses about. (I can see why some professional drivers find that an insult)
Anyway farms and land change as much as the tide. A sat nav can be updated to keep up to date. Although once you bought a A-Z it’s redundant as soon as it’s published.
Learn by your experiences both good and bad. When you think you know it all then your troubles will realy start.
If you don’t have the right satng then don’t rely on it, it will get you in trouble.
Either buy a good truck atlas (I have the Phillips one) and use the satnag for the last little bit as previously said or buy a truck sat nav. You can rely on it more.
As you can see from above, some do - some don’t, some agree - some don’t, some can embrace new stuff - some can’t.
Me I have the best of both, phillips truck atlas and a truck satnav. The more I’ve learnt the less my atlas needs to comeout and the the more my satnav collects dust, even on multidrops.
chester:
Without a doubt you need to change your sat-nav for a more dearer one.
No.
Are you suggesting a new driver buys in 2013 every map he may or may not go to?
If in that case you can all ditch your mobile phones!
Not at all, just a decent truck map of the UK.
If you was in Stoke and I said go and collect out of Kettering, you would probably only need a sat nav for the last couple of miles wouldn’t you, even if you were inexperienced like Jay here, you could look at the map and pretty much memorise your whole way there until you’re coming into town by which time you will know where all the limits/bridges are because you’ve already seen it on the map.
I said put the sat nav in the bin because I mark on my phone where the destination is and memorise it from where I already know, in this case the edge of the A14 outside Kettering.
But I can appreciate everyone’s different so I take that back, but with a sat nav you are only as good as the next road as there is no real forward planning.
These people that just rely on sat navs have never seen the UK from a birds eye view from looking at a map, therefor actually have no idea where they are in relation to where they are going, let alone the shape of the road networks.
So yes, you could spend 400 quid on a sat nav and put in all your truck dimensions, or you could spend 30 quid on a car one and just read road signs to get you in.
I can see how the tail swing would catch you out, its very hard to judge if your close to something.