I know there was a debate about this not too long ago about whether lorries need flashing in or not. I think everyone knows the length of their vehicle (well I hope so!) but since starting my new job and coming off artics into rigids I find that you get a little less respect as a rigid driver.
During the day little drivers will flash you in, at night it’s a little bit better buy I’ve certainly noticed that you’re less likely to get flashed in in a rigid but they’ll flash sprinters etc in?!
I think it’s just a bit of comradery tbh and it’s nice to be nice, I’ll flash both in.
There is definitely a divide in respect between artic and rigid drivers.
Also you find that as a rule, you get flashed in more in darkness, heavy rain, fog etc where visibility is reduced.
When I read the title I tho he mean flashing like a bird showing her ■■■■■ off 
I usually flash rigids in, but don’t often get thanked!
It depends on the situation, if it’s dark or poor weather I’ll flash any wagon in. During the day, as I’m stuck at 53 I tend to get everything flying past me. It becomes quite tedious if I try and flash everything so I tend to not flash rigids, not out of some odd notion of superiority or lack of respect, but because they are shorter, get past me quicker and seem to have a better idea of when to come back over. I will flash them in if traffic is quite heavy and there is a queue forming behind them to get them over quicker and get the other traffic moving again.
Interestingly, you do find that rigids are more likely to give the old “courtesy thanks” than artics.
As a rule I flash everything over 7.5 ton in, including caravans. I don’t see it as a problem. It’s not as if you are busy doing something else is it? I do agree that rigids are looked down on though, I see it all the time. I have to drive both depending on what’s required by my company and there is a marked difference as to how you are viewed by C&E drivers. It must be some sort of superiority complex.
I can understand anything going significantly faster but my rigid is set at 55.9 so I’m often doing the same as others around me, or mostly.
truckertang:
Sam Millar:
I can understand anything going significantly faster but my rigid is set at 55.9 so I’m often doing the same as others around me, or mostly.
Mine does 57 ish so we just cruise-on and don`t use any more electrickery than we need to 
Contrary to popular belief it doesn’t use up ya lecky bill you know!!
Rigid drivers are scum and should know the place within the hierachy.
Sam Millar:
Contrary to popular belief it doesn’t use up ya lecky bill you know!!
No but it does add to your diesel bill, the lecky you use comes out of the battery and then your engine has to put a tiny bit of extra enery into charging the battery for the tiny bit of lecky being used.
However i flash most vehicles in front of me as it’s friendly to do it, whether they be artics, rigids, 7.5 tonners, lutons panel vans or anything pulling a trailer or caravan, lets face it the smaller they are the less effective their mirrors are.
If they don’t say thanks with their indicators or hazards …well thats up to them.
(but I hope they die horribly 
)
RIGID DRIVERS ARE NOT REAL DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY CANNY PASS THEIR CLASS 1
Size/weight of vehicle (and absence of trailer) makes no difference as far as I’m concerned - if it’s passing me slowly I’ll flash him in, but if he’s off at a rate of knots I’ll not bother. It bothers me not one jot whether they acknowledge my flash, but it does annoy me when Richard Head insists on demonstrating that he knows just where his trailer ends by pulling in just as the tailboard passes my cab. YOY don’t they leave it another 15 seconds and allow me a little safety margin?
stagedriver:
RIGID DRIVERS ARE NOT REAL DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY CANNY PASS THEIR CLASS 1
But they do know where the CapsLock key is located 
And how do you know what tests they can or cannot pass? I’m happy to drive (or ride) anything my licence covers me for. Maybe I’m not a real driver after all?
Hmmm, lets see… 31 years on artics & 5 years on rigids. What category do I fall in to I wonder…
I drive rigids at the minute and you dont need flashing in so dont get too upset about it not happening. It saves me the bother of the courtesy flick of the indicator stalk.
Despite the complaints about people cutting in too early on here, its Interesting how many drivers flash me in before there is a safe gap, then get frustrated with me and flash again as i wait in lane 2 trying to build a larger gap for both our benefit.
If you really want to do a man (and everyone else on the road esp on dc’s) a favour on the road knock the cruise down a few clicks and let us pass quicker when im struggling. Try not to get myself into that situation but it happens.
Knights of the road? whats happened to respect for fellow professionals who’s to say the guy in 7.5 tonner do’nt hold a class1, I used drive long/wide loads with a trombone behind an AEC Mandator, WTF is one of them I hear you ask! as an O/D have been on ridgid 8’s for nearly 30 years, it’s not about size of vehicle it’s about size of wages, judging by some of the posts on TNUK the girls on Transit Connects at my local motor factors are on better wages than some artic drivers 
An artic driver wouldn’t ■■■■ on a rigid drives if they ran across the truck park on fire! Lol. The artic driver would shout down truck park “don’t ■■■■, let 'em burn”
stagedriver:
RIGID DRIVERS ARE NOT REAL DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY CANNY PASS THEIR CLASS 1
Ok drove Corsa, took and passed class 1 + 2 never drove a truck. Now drive 26 tonne rigid because it’s a job. Are corsa drivers real drivers, oh and the with the rate of pay being offered I won’t be rushing to drive a bigger vehicle for the same or less pay. 