Really. I’m only in an 8x2 rear steering rigid, camera’d up, and I’ve got an understanding planner. At the end of the day you can’t go any faster than the vehicle in front.
Once you get the hang of the roads you can use, and in conjunction with some form of live traffic updates and its easy as anywhere else.
I don’t see how a driver can tell the boss where he will/won’t go.
rambo19:
I don’t see how a driver can tell the boss where he will/won’t go.
I think much of it has to do with London’s anti truck culture, that could leave an unaware driver with a whole plethora of unwanted fines. The overnight lorry ban and excluded roads is a classic example, as great if you know the area well and know where these excluded roads actually are, but if like most drivers you rely on a satnav to go through unfamiliar areas then you can end up with some pretty hefty penalties.
I haven’t been to London for at least fifteen years, so have zilch knowledge of congestion zones and charges, lorry specific compliances nor anything else that exists to take money of the unwary. Most of us go to work to make money - not lose it. 
Its a massive increase in stress for no more money or less if you have a few fines. Id rather sit on the M25 at a standstill for 3 hours than navigate london in an artic.
I think anyone who says that they won’t do London should be shown the door because someone has to do it,so share and share alike.It always ends up with the same blokes being stuck with it because of the whingers who refuse it,so yes send them down the road,end of.
bobbya:
I think anyone who says that they won’t do London should be shown the door because someone has to do it,so share and share alike.It always ends up with the same blokes being stuck with it because of the whingers who refuse it,so yes send them down the road,end of.
Amazes me. Where I do some work they have some really experienced senior drivers. Some won’t do fridges, some tautliners and tipping is seen as witchcraft. There’s things I enjoy more than others but I’m not bothered. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
midlifetrucker:
bobbya:
I think anyone who says that they won’t do London should be shown the door because someone has to do it,so share and share alike.It always ends up with the same blokes being stuck with it because of the whingers who refuse it,so yes send them down the road,end of.Amazes me. Where I do some work they have some really experienced senior drivers. Some won’t do fridges, some tautliners and tipping is seen as witchcraft. There’s things I enjoy more than others but I’m not bothered. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
Exactly share it round ,love it I do.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have registered with two new agencies this week and with both of them, one of the questions asked was along the lines of would you be prepared to do London routes or drops?Yep I know London is a craphole, as indeed are many big towns and cities, but what problems that are specific to London is it that makes so many truck drivers and even some hauliers refuse point blank to go there…? Am just curious as to the reasons as never come across a question like this before on an application form…
I hate London,i once sent an e mail to boris telling him he does not make it easy for delivery drivers,no right turn,no left turn,no entry,no vehicular access even if its the road you want,when you do get a roadside loading bay its usually taken up by car drivers parking there and that his parking enforcement gestapo do nothing about them,i got a nice e mail back saying they were sorry I had a rubbish day[which I admit was decent of them]but I still think like you London is a craphole
bobbya:
I think anyone who says that they won’t do London should be shown the door because someone has to do it,so share and share alike.It always ends up with the same blokes being stuck with it because of the whingers who refuse it,so yes send them down the road,end of.
It not just drivers though, I know of two hauliers that refuse to do London work too. Think that has more to do with economics though and not going to the expense of creating ‘London spec’ trucks in their fleet.
supermatt:
Its a massive increase in stress for no more money or less if you have a few fines. Id rather sit on the M25 at a standstill for 3 hours than navigate london in an artic.
Same here,give me the M25 any day of the week.Done London work for years,not anymore,hate the place…
It’s a big city…has lots of roads, nutters on two wheels but hey ho as drivers we just crack on, take a 45 before you go in and just go for it, no different to anywhere else, I don’t enjoy London, but I don’t enjoy any big city…give me a nice country run any day of the week
col68:
F-reds:
I’m in there all the time and it’s no harder than anywhere else.really? its a friggin nightmare . im in london regular up to 20 drops in an artic i hate the place.
+1, if it was that easy to get around in a truck all the car drivers wouldn’t be biking, cycling , tube , train,
I’ve had all week in centre and it’s just a bloody nightmare, and talking to drivers , folks from
London they agree
Dozy mate its only as hard as you make it. Chill out, relax, don’t sweat the small stuff and you’ll be away.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have registered with two new agencies this week and with both of them, one of the questions asked was along the lines of would you be prepared to do London routes or drops?Yep I know London is a craphole, as indeed are many big towns and cities, but what problems that are specific to London is it that makes so many truck drivers and even some hauliers refuse point blank to go there…? Am just curious as to the reasons as never come across a question like this before on an application form…
I will, but under strict conditions in a tacho controlled vehicle (and I almost never drive anything else) - one or two drops, then out. The reason is that there’s a 6-hour maximum drive/work limit and there’s nowhere you can stop for 30mins in a large vehicle anywhere near central London - the nearest is Heston services. Many drivers fudge breaks by setting the timer on rest while delivering (cheating themselves). I’m more flexible for outer London deliveries. Plus the fact that London driving is slower and more stressful than almost anywhere else. I won’t take a job that mostly involves London deliveries.
LIBERTY_GUY:
bobbya:
I think anyone who says that they won’t do London should be shown the door because someone has to do it,so share and share alike.It always ends up with the same blokes being stuck with it because of the whingers who refuse it,so yes send them down the road,end of.It not just drivers though, I know of two hauliers that refuse to do London work too. Think that has more to do with economics though and not going to the expense of creating ‘London spec’ trucks in their fleet.
Hauliers (as opposed to drivers) outside London have the low emission zone to think about - if they’ve not got any Euro 4 or later trucks, (which many don’t, and they may well have acquired older vehicles sold by London operators) it’s a hefty fee to drive in. Plus the added cost of the slower travel within London.
IndigoJo:
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have registered with two new agencies this week and with both of them, one of the questions asked was along the lines of would you be prepared to do London routes or drops?Yep I know London is a craphole, as indeed are many big towns and cities, but what problems that are specific to London is it that makes so many truck drivers and even some hauliers refuse point blank to go there…? Am just curious as to the reasons as never come across a question like this before on an application form…
I will, but under strict conditions in a tacho controlled vehicle (and I almost never drive anything else) - one or two drops, then out. The reason is that there’s a 6-hour maximum drive/work limit and there’s nowhere you can stop for 30mins in a large vehicle anywhere near central London - the nearest is Heston services. Many drivers fudge breaks by setting the timer on rest while delivering (cheating themselves). I’m more flexible for outer London deliveries. Plus the fact that London driving is slower and more stressful than almost anywhere else. I won’t take a job that mostly involves London deliveries.
If you’re still ok for driving time you’d only need 15 mins at the 6 hour point. Plenty of places to do that.
When I first started, the company I was on for had four (later three) 18 tonners which they used for, among other things, the daily deliveries to London stores. They used artics for the vast majority of the stores (most of which were on retail parks). With five days in the working week, that meant that each Class 2 driver had one “London run” a week, with one (later two) of them getting two such runs. This caused a certain amount of grumbling as some drivers thought they were being unfairly treated if they were getting more “London runs” than their colleagues. Nothing new there.
Come the run-up to Christmas (i.e. September onwards) and there would be “Double London” runs where we would run down and do 1 or 2 stores, return to Northampton to reload then go and do a couple more. This resulted in much grumbling and throwing of toys out of prams. I enjoyed doing them (we always started early so missed the worst of the traffic, they gave me a driver’s mate for security (high value goods) and there was plenty of time parked up on the back door waiting for the store to open with a coffee shop nearby) so I told the TM I would happily do the London runs all the time. Peace and harmony reigned. Until the day I had got back to base to reload for the second run when one of the other drivers threw a major strop because he wasn’t getting as many hours as I was. No pleasing some folk…
I hate the place. Don’t know why all the Landoners think it’s so special. Landon this landon that you kants. Took me 90 minutes to do 8 mile through the centre of London one day last week. Endless queues, morons on (motor)bikes who seem to think they’re playing a game with an invincibility cheat activated, car drivers who think the highway code is a piece of fiction, weight restrictions, height restrictions, length restrictions, width restrictions, permit zones, congestion zones, safer HGV zones, low emission zones, nowhere to stop etc.
And the Landoners think it’s something special because they live in a house that costs half a million quid when the reality is they live in a scruffy 3 bedroom semi on the side of the North Circular which for all intents and purposes is the same as living on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
Hurry up BoJo and ban us from it 
Terry T:
I hate the place. Don’t know why all the Landoners think it’s so special. Landon this landon that you kants. Took me 90 minutes to do 8 mile through the centre of London one day last week. Endless queues, morons on (motor)bikes who seem to think they’re playing a game with an invincibility cheat activated, car drivers who think the highway code is a piece of fiction, weight restrictions, height restrictions, length restrictions, width restrictions, permit zones, congestion zones, safer HGV zones, low emission zones, nowhere to stop etc.And the Landoners think it’s something special because they live in a house that costs half a million quid when the reality is they live in a scruffy 3 bedroom semi on the side of the North Circular which for all intents and purposes is the same as living on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
Hurry up BoJo and ban us from it
To be fair it’s more like Lundern vis and Lundern vat yer muppets.But there was a time when being called a Londoner for living in Middx would ( rightly ) have been taken as an insult.Just like being inside the M25 now.In which case no one could possibly ate ver zb place more van vat. 
i’ve done a London run today…1 drop in Colliers Wood,no problem 
can’t see what all the fuss is about 