cav551:
I have no idea how old you are nor do I care, but I hope that you manage to avoid the bowel, stomach and urinary problems that are likely to trouble you if you keep on attempting to sit behind the wheel for 4.5 hrs at a stretch and then repeat the process 45 minutes later.
I have never been, nor ever will I be prepared to work for companies who attempt to dictate that I must drive for that sort of time without stopping
Are you saying that train drivers regularly running non stop from London to Glasgow for example are relieved from driving numerous times during the run by a spare driver in either direction ?.Or is it more a case of one driver having to get on with it for around 4 hours + continuous driving then a break on arrival at the terminal then around 4 hours + back ?.Also while I might be wrong the information suggests train drivers only require a minimum 30 min break between turn arounds.
Carryfast, let’s be honest here, as a comparison, hardly the same is it ■■
Train drivers = easy peasy : train follows the track and driver holds a lever May have to stop once or twice en route
Truck driver = has to put up with one hell of a long list of issues: I’ll start the ball rolling
having to steer the ■■■■ thing
road congestion causing delays
other road users
etc etc etc
cav551:
I have no idea how old you are nor do I care, but I hope that you manage to avoid the bowel, stomach and urinary problems that are likely to trouble you if you keep on attempting to sit behind the wheel for 4.5 hrs at a stretch and then repeat the process 45 minutes later.
I have never been, nor ever will I be prepared to work for companies who attempt to dictate that I must drive for that sort of time without stopping
Are you saying that train drivers regularly running non stop from London to Glasgow for example are relieved from driving numerous times during the run by a spare driver in either direction ?.Or is it more a case of one driver having to get on with it for around 4 hours + continuous driving then a break on arrival at the terminal then around 4 hours + back ?.Also while I might be wrong the information suggests train drivers only require a minimum 30 min break between turn arounds.
Carryfast, let’s be honest here, as a comparison, hardly the same is it ■■
Train drivers = easy peasy : train follows the track and driver holds a lever May have to stop once or twice en route
Truck driver = has to put up with one hell of a long list of issues: I’ll start the ball rolling
having to steer the ■■■■ thing
road congestion causing delays
other road users
etc etc etc
That wasn’t exactly the point that cav was making and I clearly made the comparison of,what I’m assuming is just the one driver of a ‘non stop’ long haul rail service like London Glasgow etc ?.In which case I don’t see the big difference between having to stay at his post and stay alert regarding the observation of signals and stopping if required throughout that driving period.
Just as I did years of non stop runs like Feltham-Dewsbury and Feltham- Charnock Richard for example and taking my break during the turn around for the return run just as,I’m guessing,in the case of the train driver example.All without problem.
Or I could have added numerous extra breaks during the journey in each direction.In which case at best I’d have just traded pointless extra break time on the road for less of the more the valuable ( to me ) daily rest and decent sleep time at home.Or at worse the freight is late to the point of wrecking the timing of the operation to the point of making it unviable or I get stuck in the early morning traffic and run out of driving time.
IE realistically if a night trunk ‘driver’ can’t drive properly for around a continuous 4 hour period they are really in the wrong job.Just as I’d guess that walking away from the job would have left me unemployed and no good saying to the job centre pay me my dole money because I couldn’t hack up to around 4 hours of driving each way without stopping for loads of unnecessary breaks on the road.Although ironically speed limiters and tachos actually reduce the scope for a driver being able to take extra breaks on the road without the guvnor knowing,or without zb’ing up the operation,or reducing more valuable daily rest time.
I am surprised to hear that trains run non stop London/ Glasgow and even more surprised that the drivers’ union has tolerated such rostas, I can only assume that there must have been a considerable financial incentive offered. I guess that drivers must pee in bottle while on the move or alternatively restrict their liquid intake. Doing the latter risks headaches, dizziness and more seriously drowsiness.
The unions representing the bus drivers in London have been campaigning for a long time about the lack of toilet facilities for drivers at various route termini and the length of duty period before a compulsory break needs to be taken.
The link between intestinal/urinary complaints and driving for long periods was identified in the 1930s.
ROG:
If I have this correct -
Numpty lorry driver over the drink limit driver stopped in lane 1 and numpty lorry driver behind was on the phone with cruise control on
If that is correct then it proves my points - no drink driving (already in law) + phone laws are wrong + cruise controls need changing so that they only work if the foot is on the accelerator apart from fully up or fully down
Agreed.
I love my cruise but, as I have said somewhere else, I can’t believe they are allowed. I only use it because it is all I have in that respect and would much prefer the old Econocruise I used to specify before limiters were obligatory. When the driver reached the speed he was comfortable with, any speed, he flicked a little lever on the dash and the wagon would go no faster. BUT HE HAD TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE PEDAL. Any lapse of concentration and the vehicle would slow down, thus prompting him to re-apply. Sadly not available to me now.
Regarding phones, anything in the ear is banned in France now, but my Bluetooth through the radio is not. I don’t recieve a lot of calls but when I do I have noticed a change in my driving. It may not be dangerous, often simply missing a long awaited chance to pass a slower vehicle. But it does alert me to the fact that it has diverted my attention from the job in hand.
ROG:
If I have this correct -
Numpty lorry driver over the drink limit driver stopped in lane 1 and numpty lorry driver behind was on the phone with cruise control on
If that is correct then it proves my points - no drink driving (already in law) + phone laws are wrong + cruise controls need changing so that they only work if the foot is on the accelerator apart from fully up or fully down
Agreed.
I love my cruise but, as I have said somewhere else, I can’t believe they are allowed. I only use it because it is all I have in that respect and would much prefer the old Econocruise I used to specify before limiters were obligatory. When the driver reached the speed he was comfortable with, any speed, he flicked a little lever on the dash and the wagon would go no faster. BUT HE HAD TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE PEDAL. Any lapse of concentration and the vehicle would slow down, thus prompting him to re-apply. Sadly not available to me now.
Regarding phones, anything in the ear is banned in France now, but my Bluetooth through the radio is not. I don’t recieve a lot of calls but when I do I have noticed a change in my driving. It may not be dangerous, often simply missing a long awaited chance to pass a slower vehicle. But it does alert me to the fact that it has diverted my attention from the job in hand.
Lots of companies now use this microlise ■■■■ or some other equally crap system that means drivers are pressured/forced to use cruise control to the max. Fuel economy dontcha know…
I have been using trains a lot recently and although the trains run between London and Edinburgh they do stop for crew changes, fill the buffet trolley up and presumably have a ■■■■. Direct trains only means you don’t have to change, main inbetween stops are Peterborough, York and Newcastle
It is a very long time since I took a long distance train ride. The last one was East coast which stopped as said at Peterborough, York and Newcastle on Tyne. IIRC there was a driver change at Newcastle which was about 3 hrs from Kings Cross - a sensible first stint of duty. The West Coast mainline journey was much longer ago, but IIRC 1st stop was Rugby, then Crewe, Preston and Carlisle. I can’t recall where the driver change took place, possibly Carlisle which would be about 3.25 hrs.
TiredAndEmotional:
Lots of companies now use this microlise [zb] or some other equally crap system that means drivers are pressured/forced to use cruise control to the max. Fuel economy dontcha know…
Personally I hate cruise control, the whole point of driving to me, is to drive, not to point something in the general direction with the occasional input from the driver.
We don’t have any instruction about using cruise control or when they stop/start for a break, except for a couple of runs that have security plans lodged.
cav551:
I am surprised to hear that trains run non stop London/ Glasgow and even more surprised that the drivers’ union has tolerated such rostas, I can only assume that there must have been a considerable financial incentive offered. I guess that drivers must pee in bottle while on the move or alternatively restrict their liquid intake. Doing the latter risks headaches, dizziness and more seriously drowsiness.
The unions representing the bus drivers in London have been campaigning for a long time about the lack of toilet facilities for drivers at various route termini and the length of duty period before a compulsory break needs to be taken.
The link between intestinal/urinary complaints and driving for long periods was identified in the 1930s.
Blimey ignorance must be bliss in my case.
5 nights per week for years driving continuously for well over 3 hours at a stretch in each direction and often closer to 4 hours and sometimes more than 4 hours.All that with no medical problems directly resulting from it unless you want to count gall stones needing gall bladder removal and spinal problems which medical opinion is has more to do with heavy manual labour combined with a medical pre disposition to degenrative spinal problems.Although look on the bright side a gall bladder problem also actually killed by Grand Mother and she never drove anything anywhere.
Realistically the excuse of a truck driver not being able to hack a 4 + hour drive before taking a break wouldn’t even be a reasonable excuse for a claim for unemployment benefit,let alone running into stationary traffic ahead for lack of concentration over that time scale.
I was though also surprised that train drivers don’t actually seem to be expected to drive over that type of period.
Roymondo:
The Glasgow-london service stops at least twice (Carlisle and preston as a minimum).
I believe train operators are required to schedule “Personal Needs Breaks” at no greater than three hour intervals.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Back in steam days, when the Flying Scotsman service did actually run non-stop London to Edinburgh, crews changed over half-way using the corridor specially built into the engine’s tender. I think the total journey time was about 7 1/2 hours.
Clearly a fireman shovelling coal for up to 4 hours had to be fit, the drivers were almost all at least in their late forties by the time they were entrusted with that run and had long experience.
Going way off the original topic of course; my brother drives trains for Virgin out of Preston and does either Preston-Glasgow or Edinburgh or Preston-London and return. Not the full London-Glasgow etc run in one go. Like most older rail drivers he is ■■■■■■ off with the job as it is nothing like when he started 40 years ago and will retire at the first opportunity he gets!
Back in steam days, when the Flying Scotsman service did actually run non-stop London to Edinburgh, crews changed over half-way using the corridor specially built into the engine’s tender. I think the total journey time was about 7 1/2 hours.
Clearly a fireman shovelling coal for up to 4 hours had to be fit, the drivers were almost all at least in their late forties by the time they were entrusted with that run and had long experience.
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
it must have been easier back in those days when the driver and fireman could just pish on the coal
Thank you for confirming that. I thought I had heard it before. I think other long distance lines had to change locomotives partway since performance deteriorated as clinker built up on the grate.
dieseldog999:
Back in steam days, when the Flying Scotsman service did actually run non-stop London to Edinburgh, crews changed over half-way using the corridor specially built into the engine’s tender. I think the total journey time was about 7 1/2 hours.
Clearly a fireman shovelling coal for up to 4 hours had to be fit, the drivers were almost all at least in their late forties by the time they were entrusted with that run and had long experience.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
it must have been easier back in those days when the driver and fireman could just pish on the coal
[/quote]
And best not to ask about the shovel…which was also used to cook fried eggs and bacon…an ‘engineman’s breakfast’ …er, I’ll pass on the sausages, thanks.
cav551:
I have no idea how old you are nor do I care, but I hope that you manage to avoid the bowel, stomach and urinary problems that are likely to trouble you if you keep on attempting to sit behind the wheel for 4.5 hrs at a stretch and then repeat the process 45 minutes later.
I have never been, nor ever will I be prepared to work for companies who attempt to dictate that I must drive for that sort of time without stopping
Are you saying that train drivers regularly running non stop from London to Glasgow for example are relieved from driving numerous times during the run by a spare driver in either direction ?.Or is it more a case of one driver having to get on with it for around 4 hours + continuous driving then a break on arrival at the terminal then around 4 hours + back ?.Also while I might be wrong the information suggests train drivers only require a minimum 30 min break between turn arounds.
Carryfast, let’s be honest here, as a comparison, hardly the same is it ■■
Train drivers = easy peasy : train follows the track and driver holds a lever May have to stop once or twice en route
Truck driver = has to put up with one hell of a long list of issues: I’ll start the ball rolling
having to steer the ■■■■ thing
road congestion causing delays
other road users
etc etc etc
Are you being serious? Why do you think we get paid peanuts compared to train drivers? You need to talk to a train driver and realise the training involved to become one and the issues they have to deal with.
pierrot 14:
Carryfast, let’s be honest here, as a comparison, hardly the same is it ■■
Train drivers = easy peasy : train follows the track and driver holds a lever May have to stop once or twice en route
Truck driver = has to put up with one hell of a long list of issues: I’ll start the ball rolling
having to steer the ■■■■ thing
road congestion causing delays
other road users
etc etc etc
Are you being serious? Why do you think we get paid peanuts compared to train drivers? You need to talk to a train driver and realise the training involved to become one and the issues they have to deal with.
The fact is the job of a truck driver is far more demanding in terms of the level of responsibility in actually controlling the vehicle and sharing the road with other unpredictable variables in terms of the actions of other road users and far less forgiving in the event of getting any of those far more numerous and demanding requirements wrong.IE no signals and no automatic protection systems and no defence for a driver who runs into something unexpectedly stopped ahead for example.As Wagstaff has found out.
While it’s the general under estimation of the demands of what it takes to drive a truck properly,v a train,that probably in large part explains why so many truck drivers seem to be living up to the erroneous stereotype.While I certainly wouldn’t regard around 4 hours of continous driving being any excuse for under performance in either case regardless.
