…Of roads, haulage companies etc.
Seems to me to be a bit of a clash, the local authorities are unable to keep roads open in very mild conditions, haulage companies seem unable to accept that they are sending drivers into queues of stationary traffic.
All round it is an inability to accept reality.
I spent the night on the A23 in Croydon last night, I went over my 15 hours because of nowhere to park, then when I did, another driver told me I would get a ticket or moved on because I was on a Red Route, I didn`t care, I was tired, hungry, and thirsty, so my basic needs were met before anything else…When I awoke this morning, I was not alone Many other trucks in front and behind me.
When all this kicked off in Croydon yesterday, there was only 2 or 3 inches of snow, so why exactly did it happen?
One main reason has to have been insufficient gritting(I did see a gritter under Police ■■■■■■!) But the overwhelming reason has to be the inability to drive, both of truck drivers and car drivers.
Granted, the units used these days are not designed for severe weather, but the 'gizmos' they have on them for snow/ice etc. are just that, gizmos. You cannot beat common sense and mechanical empathy in harsh conditions.
I am immensely disappointed in the amount of trucks that have jack-knifed, this can be avoided.
I am immensely disappointed with management that want to send you to queue up on a stationary motorway It is just pathetic, the infrastructure and support of is not there, so why do you send some poor sod out to get stuck? Use the information you have, listen to the drivers and apply the common sense and the disruption will be kept to a minimum, I understand that it cannot, nor will it ever be perfect, but with communication, common sense and application of information, it should be a much thorough job well done.
While I was out last night I was listening to BBC local radio for Kent and a guy from near Clacket lane phoned in saying he had 4 ploughs loaded with grit sat in his yard ready to roll with drivers but the council still hadn’t issued the contracts so would not authorise him to grit and clear the roads. This was Kent County Council, but I wonder if it was the same for Sussex as well. The guy even asked if they could Email the contracts so they could get out and clear the roads, but whoever he was talking to said that it would be no good as it needed a signature on it to be legal
So not many ploughs about for kent
jimti:
While I was out last night I was listening to BBC local radio for Kent and a guy from near Clacket lane phoned in saying he had 4 ploughs loaded with grit sat in his yard ready to roll with drivers but the council still hadn’t issued the contracts so would not authorise him to grit and clear the roads. This was Kent County Council, but I wonder if it was the same for Sussex as well. The guy even asked if they could Email the contracts so they could get out and clear the roads, but whoever he was talking to said that it would be no good as it needed a signature on it to be legal
So not many ploughs about for kent
I find one thing about this story strange, a Fax can be a legal document, so why couldn’t the contract have been faxed?
att:
But the overwhelming reason has to be the inability to drive, both of truck drivers and car drivers.
I think this has more to do with the problems than alomost anything else.
att:
Granted, the units used these days are not designed for severe weather,
The contributers to this website who work places like Scandinavia, seem to manage with modern European kit.
att:
I am immensely disappointed with management that want to send you to queue up on a stationary motorway It is just pathetic, the infrastructure and support of is not there, so why do you send some poor sod out to get stuck? Use the information you have, listen to the drivers and apply the common sense and the disruption will be kept to a minimum, I understand that it cannot, nor will it ever be perfect, but with communication, common sense and application of information, it should be a much thorough job well done.
Not rocket science is it
I agree a bit of foresight and planning would be good, but I suppose nobody wants to (or can’t) take the responsibility to keep the trucks in the Depot.
att:
Granted, the units used these days are not designed for severe weather,
The contributers to this website who work places like Scandinavia, seem to manage with modern European kit.
Brit pete will explain the virtues of winter tyres in a bit.
Scandinavians have a higher standard winter tyre than the rest of Europe as well.
All the times I have driven in Scandenavia I have never seen a gritter
[quote=“att”}I am immensely disappointed in the amount of trucks that have jack-knifed, this can be avoided.[/quote]
Yes, get the bosses to stop buying uneconomical automatics. I can get much better fuel economy with a manual gearbox, and i am much more in control of the motor when I have a manual box and a clutch.
what is it with every new truck being auto? who is telling the fleet managers that autos are better?
some companies are actually disabling the manual option on auto boxes too, crazy!
att:
Granted, the units used these days are not designed for severe weather,
The contributers to this website who work places like Scandinavia, seem to manage with modern European kit.
Brit pete will explain the virtues of winter tyres in a bit.
Scandinavians have a higher standard winter tyre than the rest of Europe as well.
All the times I have driven in Scandenavia I have never seen a gritter
I agree they are ready for the weather, but they are still using modern trucks and don’t seem to have major problems because of it.
Credit where it’s due, we got a message (through the Volvo Dynafleet system) 'round from our TM yesterday morning thanking us all for our efforts this week and how amazingly well we’d all done in the conditions. Cost nothing, but made a HUGE difference to morale when we were all at the point where we looked like death warmed up and had coal sacks under our eyes.
Many other trucks in front and behind me.
It is just pathetic, the infrastructure and support of is not there, so why do you send some poor sod out to get stuck? Use the information you have, listen to the drivers and apply the common sense and the disruption will be kept to a minimum, I understand that it cannot, nor will it ever be perfect, but with communication, common sense and application of information, it should be a much thorough job well done.
so management ignore anything they say as bs as they have the certificate so they must know better
