Can anyone help me with sorting out the bunk on this truck (MAN 18 224). Its 4 years old, company had just bought it and i have had it for two weeks. Im not impressed, mainly by the lack of space for nights out. Seems you have to slide both seats forward, take two cushions from the back and fit them in the spaces behind the seats. Trying to use a stove, set up TV etc is just about impossible due to lack of space. Last MAN I had was 12 years ago, just before I quit driving for 10 years, had masses of space! Hope this isnt a sign of things to come (sacrifice driver comfort to save money).
While Im at it, stalk on the right of the steering column, no one seems to know what it does, looks like cruise control but has just one ‘set’ button, its been suggested its to do with idle speed and the truck does idle a tad too high? Im not gonna fiddle.
And other thing (please insert your own preffered choice of missing expletives). It has a Radcliffe tail lift which if Im really unlucky I have to use. The problem Im having is flipping the tail lift up after use. This has to be done with your right arm as the left has to pull out a pin. Now call me a light weight if you will but I have pulled a muscle in my arm after using the thing 4 times yesterday. Im sure there has to be a knack to this, or am I finally over the hill?
I got a lot more questions after 10 years away from driving (WTD etc) but will be checking the forums when Im not away first.
No idea about the stalk…
But the taillift on the other hand…
Press down on it to help release the pin, pull the pin and lift enough to stop the pin dropping back in. Then lift with both bands.
Thanks Allikat, thinking about doing it that way I may also have the thing too high when trying to lift it, but I dont think it will lift under a certain height, it seems to lock.
I was sure I used the same tail lift when on Boots RDC in Chelmsford many years ago and didnt have the problem. I was 20 years younger…hmmmmmmm 
Most of them spring up a bit when you pull the pin…
I’ve never had one that wouldn’t fold at a comfortable height to lift.
It doesnt spring up when the pin is pulled but Im obviously doing it wrong, I will try on Monday Allikat, I appreciate your help mate.
I have had to defect a few things already on this truck, I dont think they checked it out properly when they bought it. Curtain ratchet on one side is broken, curtain pole on one side cant be located in the top hole as 4 bolts are in the way (and you cant see them) so near side curtain cant be opened (well it can, but your going to be 15 minutes trying to close it again, I got muscles that would do me well in tossing the caber events now), curtains are cut too short and in windy conditions cant be closed, roof leaks, tail lift switch broken. And this is better than the DAF 65 I had when I started 4 weeks ago, which amongst other things had no dash lights, funny but I always found it useful to know how fast I was going at night.
I have to add here that I reluctantly quit lorry driving 10 years ago after 27 years, mainly due to unroadworth vehicles and difficulty in finding a company that took legal issues seriously. I then ran a business for 10 years (unrelated to transport) but it went bust in the last 6 months, this job saved us losing the house. I wont drive a truck illegaly (I had a mate die because he did) but I need to work, so Im trying to tread a fine line here. I did also lose my hearing in one ear because I kept working with the flu and my night heater packed up.
Nothing to do with tail lifts I suppose, but after 4 weeks at this company Im worried that defects that arent obvious legal requirements (i.e. headlight out) are taken seriously.
Can I ask here what other drivers expectations are for repairs that arent necessarily legal requirements, but more to do with being able to do the job properly (like the curtains mentioned before, silly things like cab lights (when on nights out), being able to get a comfortable driving position etc etc) especially when up the road for 3 days when these things become a little more important?
Unless they’re paying GOOD money I’d look elsewhere,plenty of work about. 
The stalk is usually for setting the speed limiter at a lower limit, Handy for roadworks or single carrigeway roads, means you just keep your foot flat to the floor and the speed remains the same. You should have a switch on the dash that looks like a speedo, press that first then when you have reached the speed you want tap the “Set” button, then it will not go over that set speed. To return to normal just turn the switch off. I have found it really useful in the past.
Thanks for the replies, tartanraider Im thinking along those lines but I will give them a good chance to sort out the problems first, I worked for them 15 years ago and they were a good company then. If I hadnt got this job I would have lost our house so I dont really want to start changing jobs and look a bit flaky. I gotta admit I was worried after 10 years without driving a truck but I needent have.
Smcaul, think you cracked it mate as the truck seems to go to 54mph and no more, didnt have limmiters 10 years ago (what a pain, dont help with passing do they, no flexibility, now heards of trucks in convoys). Will give it a go Monday, blimey an extra 2 mph 
Thanks again
Phil
there is nothing wrong with looking for other work. agency work is normally better paid but since your mortgage is at risk, probably not worth considering at the moment. things are normally going haywire at the moment trying to stock shops for crimbo but it aint happening yet and the usual jan/feb slump lasted longer this year so who can say it wont be worse this time around? look for a better company but dont risk a secure income
Thanks Scanny77, good advice. Im a bit reluctant to do agency work, dont laugh but a bit of security appeals to me now Im older. I have to get my head arount the WTD too, I know there is info on here so will check it out as soon as I get time this weekend. The job pays a salary for 45 hours a week (but some extra may be required if needed), the trouble here is Im regularly doing 12 hours plus a day and they seem to get around the 10 hour limit by calling some waiting/unloading time a ‘period of availability’. In my book Im still working but in fact I dont get paid for it, Im guessing this is going to be common wherever I go though, so I wont do the frying pan to fire trick yet, Ive done that in the past and shot myself in the foot big time. Not asking for info on this thread as I know there will be a lot on this forum. Its difficult to change old habits like getting paid for the hours I do.
Phil
The taillift sound as though the torsion bar needs adjusting. As allikat has said the taillift should have some spring tension which takes the platform off of horizontal and leave the locking pin disengaged allowing the operator to move to a more comfortable position to stow the thing.
Your company must have a defect process and it would appear from what you have told us that your manual handling training is either ineffective or non existant and either of these puts you at risk and your company will have a responsibility to correct the problem as part of its duty of care. BUT THEY HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE A CHANCE TO CORRECT IT. Tell your manager about the difficulties you are having and put it in writing as soon as possible keeping a copy for yourself, get your safety officer involved if there is one, and your staff rep be they trade union or otherwise if you have one.
Good luck with getting things sorted.
hi wiretwister, thanks for that mate I appreciate the info and for your trouble. I am familiar with my responsibilities and defect procedures, I was a HGV driver for 28 years prior to quiting, and the reason I quit before was that I was taught by my old dad, a lorry driver all his life (with RoSPA medals) and I was a professional, I reluctantly quit because of truck maintenance problems, I never drove a defective vehicle but a mate died because he did, Ministry didnt want to know.
Right now I need to work and although I wouldnt drive a truck that was a danger to the public I have to work, Im 58 and its started getting hard. Lorry driving is my first love and I hope I can stay with it. I have defected all vehicles I have driven there in the last few weeks, some as many as 10 defects, all written down in the relevant place on the timesheet and I have my own copy on the PC, apart from the dash lights being out on one (cant read speedo etc) none were of a dangerous nature, trucks guzzling water, low power, fast idle, problems with box etc etc.
There is no training at all, fortunatly i have a lot of experience over the years and driven most makes and types of truck, rope and sheet, range change, splitters, drawbar, blah blah. I dont remember having this problem in the past but its been a while, if the tailift sprung up when the pin was pulled I wouldnt have this trouble, as it is I have to pull the pin with one hand while swinging the tail lift up with the other so Im doing it one handed, two handed it wouldnt be a problem.
No trade union, no staff rep, you get the picture.
I dont want to be a whinger, I just want to get on with my job, you know.
Now I have the information kindly given to me by yourself and allikat I can define the problem (torsion bar), before I wasnt sure.
In the meantime if anyone knows a company that wants an experienced, hard working loyal Class II (with drawbar (C+E with 102 restriction)) driver with no points/convictins in 30 years let me know, mailnly done general haulage groupage UK work (continental once), in S Essex, the wife and I would be eternally grateful.
Im so pleased I found this forum, many thanks to you all
Phil
hmmm wish my 14-224 had cruise control. it’s a high top, solid double bunk so my living space is fine but not having cruise control really makes your right foot ache after a while! wish i could find some sort of kit to get it fitted 
Not sure what they are like to work for but youngs transport at purfleet are always looking for drivers as is the CO OP depot at oliver road grays jope this is of some help…from one essex driver to another
Adam
dogthehunter:
Not sure what they are like to work for but youngs transport at purfleet are always looking for drivers as is the CO OP depot at oliver road grays jope this is of some help…from one essex driver to anotherAdam
hopefully Freebird has found a job by now, since this was posted Sat Nov 19, 2005 
lol i didnt even look at the date