How many wheel chair lorry drivers are in UK?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I wonder, as I was in TESCO Livingstone today, and there is a lift for disabled people from lorry park to the GOODS IN office. Interesting, that there isn’t any from “GOODS OUT” or other places…

So i wonder: did any of you ever seen wheelchaired lorry driver? And if yes, do he also have a lift to the cab? :wink:

Or it’s just some form of political corecntess? But what about blind drivers then? Why there wasn’t any informations written in Braile’s alphabet?

But, being serious now, isn’t it a great waste of money? I bet that this lift is never in use, while it’s still needs to be serviced etc etc… And how many poor children in Etiopia we can feed for that money?

2

i remember reading an article in a truck mag a couple of years ago about a driver who was in a wheelchair. i think he might have had a crash on a motorbike. anyhow he had a fh12 globetrotter and it was fitted with a special lift to hoist him up to the cab.
credit to him i think he paid for the conversion himself.

3

It’s all about our caring sharing government and the disabillity rights act, even if it’s never used it has to be in place just in case a disabled driver happens to be ablke to get into a DAF SSC and is able to jump up on the cat walk and connect his sussies and is able to open the barn doors. So he can get into the goods in office and is able to reach over the 5’ counter and hand his notes in then go back down the lift and close his doors again and climb back into his SSC and drive to pick up a backload that has to go therough the curtains which he has to unfasten all the curtains and pull back said curtains then close them all over again.

That’s why there is a lift at TESCO, every little helps :sunglasses:

4

There was a article in truck and driver a few years ago, about a driver who, after a incident became paralyzed in the lower half of the body and left in a wheelchair. He went back to the same company, Lawsons heavy haulage and they had the cab modified to lift him in and the pedals altered to be operated with his hands on the steering column. Most his the work required a steersman, so they were left to deal with the wheelchair left on the ground.

5

Only ever seen one. Used to see him quite regularly on the ferry but haven’t seen him for a few months. He had a Volvo with a lift to get him in and out the cab and the loaders had to make sure to put his truck in such a position on the ferry to enable him to easily exit and enter the cab.

6

As someone who is legally classed as disabled and may well end up in a wheelchair sooner rather than later, I can only applaud this kind of thing. It all helps keep the likes of me in work for longer, therefore saving us the indignity and expense of claiming Incapacity Benefit.

Please also not that these things are not only used by wheelchair users. If I was having a bad day, I’d be using it too.

7

Yeah, I am fully to support people with disabilities, but if you are not able to climb up few steps, isn’t it even more impossible for you to climb up to your cab? :open_mouth:

By that I mean: OK, but if someone is disabled and can walk upstairs, isn’t it means that he can’t drive a lorry? And if he can’t drive a lorry, he can’t be there, so there is no point for that lifts. It’s like with blind people: no-one expects driver’s lines in touch alphabet, as blind person can’t drive, and that’s have nothing to do with discrimination…

8

Coffeeholic:
Only ever seen one. Used to see him quite regularly on the ferry but haven’t seen him for a few months. He had a Volvo with a lift to get him in and out the cab and the loaders had to make sure to put his truck in such a position on the ferry to enable him to easily exit and enter the cab.

hm. So there is one. As long as his job is driving only - why not?

But how he puts his wheelchair up?

9

Im registered disable too but i manage to do my job.

I was told I would be in a wheelchair when im 40 I just turned 42 and im getting on ok its all about WILL, I read that article about the guy who had a chairlift to get in his cab sad but the guy wanted to carry on no matter what happened in his life he was determined to carry on .

Top bloke.

10

For me, it’s not as simple as that. I have good upper body strength, so it’s more a case of “pulling” myself up into the cab rather than climbing. Also, in conditions like mine, walking across to the steps may temporarily cause the problem, which then eases with a short rest. Reducing fatigue by using things like this when they are available makes a big difference too.

Contrary to popular belief, with many disabilities, mine included, it’s genuinely not as simple as your legs either working or not. Hard to explain without boring you all stupid, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Suffice to say it’s down to the specific nerves and muscles, so if slightly different connections are used to make your body do one task rather than another, you end up with difficulties which seem odd to the untrained eye.

That is also why these days I can handball but not pump truck above a certain weight. Ditto pump truck at low weights but not walk distances. It varies from one day to the next, and that variation is unpredictable, so it’s good to know there’s help available when you find you need it.

Hope that makes some sort of sense… :blush:

11

Lucy:
As someone who is legally classed as disabled and may well end up in a wheelchair sooner rather than later, I can only applaud this kind of thing. It all helps keep the likes of me in work for longer, therefore saving us the indignity and expense of claiming Incapacity Benefit.

Please also not that these things are not only used by wheelchair users. If I was having a bad day, I’d be using it too.

Somebody who lives on our street is an heroin addict, he’s legally classed as disabled, he can still climb stairs.
If you need a lift to get to goods in at TESCO Livingston how would you be able to climb in and out of the cab or open the back doors, if " you was having a bad day"

12

jammymutt:
Im registered disable too but i manage to do my job.

I was told I would be in a wheelchair when im 40 I just turned 42 and im getting on ok its all about WILL, I read that article about the guy who had a chairlift to get in his cab sad but the guy wanted to carry on no matter what happened in his life he was determined to carry on .

Top bloke.

Agree with every word of that. Willpower is definately the key.

13

Okey-Didley-Dokely:

Lucy:
As someone who is legally classed as disabled and may well end up in a wheelchair sooner rather than later, I can only applaud this kind of thing. It all helps keep the likes of me in work for longer, therefore saving us the indignity and expense of claiming Incapacity Benefit.

Please also not that these things are not only used by wheelchair users. If I was having a bad day, I’d be using it too.

Somebody who lives on our street is an heroin addict, he’s legally classed as disabled, he can still climb stairs.
If you need a lift to get to goods in at TESCO Livingston how would you be able to climb in and out of the cab or open the back doors, if " you was having a bad day"

See the post above your original one. I think we crossed in the ether… :wink:

14

September 2005 I crashed racing at Mallory Park (yes i know it was self inflicted) which left me paralysed from the neck down. 13 months later i was able to drive (just) but no one would give me a job and paying a mortgage on £150 benefit is a no go.
I decided to become an owner/driver and i cannot believe the number of people who have given me assistance over the past two years.
From drivers who have helped me couple up/ close doors/ whatever, to warehousemen who have told me to stay in the cab while they sort it, it just restored my faith in the general population.

15

Once again OKDD you are wrong you cannot be registered diasbled if you are just a heroin addict!
In the USA drug/alcohol dependancy is regarded as a disability but not in the UK. To receive Disabilty Living Allowance in the UK you have to fulfil a very rigid and difficult assessment procedure and you have to have been diagnosed with some kind of chronic illness/degenerative/terminal illness that affects your mobility or means you need extra care provided for you.

As with others who have responded to this post you don’t have to be in a wheelchair to be disabled and for you to try and equate heroin addiction to disability is despicable knowing that this site is used by people who have been in transport all their lives, are still involved with it or are just starting out in it.

You sound like a typical tabloid reader who’s views and judgements are made on a daily basis on the back of the cheap tat tabloid you might have just read and BTW I’ll swap my disability with you anyday!!! :bulb: :bulb: :bulb: Uumm thought not :open_mouth: Don’t think you’d last a month with it.

People like you are all too quick to judge others against your own limited terms of reference and knowledge of the outside world. God forbid that sometime in the future you get diagnosed with some incurable illness like MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis,Diabetes,Motor Neurone Disease, Leukemia, Stroke, heart attack and million other things that disable the best of drivers for the rest of the lives.
I think you are a narrow minded moron to even try to link heroin addiction to disability within this forum what is your point :question: :question: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

Maybe next week when you go to pick up your vehicle and you slip over in the diesel you spilt at the pumps and you bang your head on kerb and then spend weeks in a coma but gain enough memory to remember that you used to drive something like a lorry before :unamused:

Should you be let back at it because you’re now brain damaged and disabled? Its not a question I can answer but only say that the brain damage seemed to be there before the accident and any disability hadn’t been acknowledged because OKDD might have been a heroin addict.
OKDD you introduced the link between heroin addiction and disability, not that it is true, just hope you don’t become disabled any day in the future because why shouldn’t anyone think you are a heroin addict :laughing: :laughing:

16

davepenn54:
God forbid that sometime in the future you get diagnosed with some incurable illness like MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis,Diabetes,Motor Neurone Disease, Leukemia, Stroke, heart attack

just when i thought i may be getting better :laughing: :laughing:

17

davepenn54:
Once again OKDD you are wrong you cannot be registered diasbled if you are just a heroin addict!
In the USA drug/alcohol dependancy is regarded as a disability but not in the UK. To receive Disabilty Living Allowance in the UK you have to fulfil a very rigid and difficult assessment procedure and you have to have been diagnosed with some kind of chronic illness/degenerative/terminal illness that affects your mobility or means you need extra care provided for you.

As with others who have responded to this post you don’t have to be in a wheelchair to be disabled and for you to try and equate heroin addiction to disability is despicable knowing that this site is used by people who have been in transport all their lives, are still involved with it or are just starting out in it.

You sound like a typical tabloid reader who’s views and judgements are made on a daily basis on the back of the cheap tat tabloid you might have just read and BTW I’ll swap my disability with you anyday!!! :bulb: :bulb: :bulb: Uumm thought not :open_mouth: Don’t think you’d last a month with it.

People like you are all too quick to judge others against your own limited terms of reference and knowledge of the outside world. God forbid that sometime in the future you get diagnosed with some incurable illness like MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis,Diabetes,Motor Neurone Disease, Leukemia, Stroke, heart attack and million other things that disable the best of drivers for the rest of the lives.
I think you are a narrow minded moron to even try to link heroin addiction to disability within this forum what is your point :question: :question: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

Maybe next week when you go to pick up your vehicle and you slip over in the diesel you spilt at the pumps and you bang your head on kerb and then spend weeks in a coma but gain enough memory to remember that you used to drive something like a lorry before :unamused:

Should you be let back at it because you’re now brain damaged and disabled? Its not a question I can answer but only say that the brain damage seemed to be there before the accident and any disability hadn’t been acknowledged because OKDD might have been a heroin addict.
OKDD you introduced the link between heroin addiction and disability, not that it is true, just hope you don’t become disabled any day in the future because why shouldn’t anyone think you are a heroin addict :laughing: :laughing:

that is such a generalisation about someone you don’t know, you don’t know my circumstances or what I know about disabillity.

The people who live down my street actually brag about how they are on DLA and don’t presume I know nothing about DLA.

As for reading the sun you couldn’t be further from the truth, you are the idiot here shouting your mouth off after reading a post and seeing the worst of it.

Why don’t you read the first post properley and see the irony in it.

So DP54 your the ■■■■■■ here. why don’t you crawl back to where you come from and go moan to someone who gives a ■■■■ about your disabillity, I’ve got enough disabled people in my familly to worry about.

Actually you never mentioned your disabillity, I live with disabillity evry day, but the people in my familly who are disabled don’t go on about it and want pity. They get on with there lives and don’t think that other people couldn’t live with it.

So now tell me how the ■■■■ am I wrong again when no-one as every proved that I ever been wrong. Then read the last part of my sig ( anyone who thinks they are better than me) because at the end of the day we all drop our trousers sit on the toilet and have a ■■■■■

18

orys:
Yeah, I am fully to support people with disabilities, but if you are not able to climb up few steps, isn’t it even more impossible for you to climb up to your cab? :open_mouth:

By that I mean: OK, but if someone is disabled and can walk upstairs, isn’t it means that he can’t drive a lorry? And if he can’t drive a lorry, he can’t be there, so there is no point for that lifts. It’s like with blind people: no-one expects driver’s lines in touch alphabet, as blind person can’t drive, and that’s have nothing to do with discrimination…

Classing a person disable opens a can of worms with employers - in the eyes of the law I am classed as disabled (yes I know - its bad… ) and my issue - I have nerual sensory hearing loss - in truckers and laymans terms I have a 30% hearing loss… but it doesn’t stop me driving. :smiley: I still hear abit, waggon noise doesn’t bother me and fridges humming in the next truck - can’t hear it lol

Employers have to follow the law now due to the Discrimination act (it does work its wonders sometimes :wink: )

As with the herion addit getting DLA - that is plan bloody wrong! I was told to claim for DLA but they felt that I can cope as a normal person bar the hearing loss I have no need for it - well thats what I said as well really. The drug addit its a self imposed disability and that person should not get any ££ for soemthing they did - I was born with a hearing loss and will have to live with it for the rest of my life regardless what I do - I had to accept the fact that later in life my hearing my totally go all together? but those with problems accept it and move on and live life to the fullest they can :slight_smile:

19

Guy at Reed Boardall a good few years ago had no legs. They fitted hand controls to the wagon. I’m sure it’s the same volvo mentioned.

20

Not quite a wheelchair story but I was loading in Camberley earlier this year & a wagon & drag rolonoff Daf came in, the driver dropped the trailer & then went about the bin swapping process, he was back n forth putting bins on the floor, pulling them from trailer to prime mover etc, I was sitting there thinking that it was a pleasure to see a true professional at work & that’s what it was, the bloke made it look easy.

When I got a look at the driver he didn’t appear to have any hands, he had a kind of inverted V at the bottom of his forearms & a lot of scar tissue, I didn’t get to ask him what happened, well it’s not the sort of thing you do is it, as it’s quite close to Aldershot I presume it was a military accident of some description, the bloke had that soldier look about him, if you know what I mean & no, I don’t mean he had camo gear on & a beret!

Anyway, no hands or not, the bloke made a difficult job look very easy, fair play to him :wink: