Hi
Just after tips really. Just started working for a very good company, but they have this Microlise system and do print-outs each week with category’s, and a mark ranging from A - G, and then an overall driver rating, 1-100 for example.
I’ve never idle the engine at all, worry constantly about harsh braking (exhaust brake can cause an hard brake i’m told) so would appreciate any advice from drivers that get good scores.
Many thanks
Don’t let it idle for more than 3 mins, harsh braking is braking at more than 10mph per second for at least 3 seconds, you should know what overspeed is, green band driving is self explanatory as is cruise control, and can’t remember what our over - revving figure is set to.
Hope that helps, each company will probably set their’s up a bit differently. You’ll probably only get all A’s if you do trunking on motorways a lot.
We use it just drive to the best of your ability that’s all you can do. I get B rating every month did an A once but that was running very light for a month. Don’t worry about it no matter how good you do they will ask for a certain area for you to try and improve.
Thanks very much for the advice chaps.
Never heard of it before this job, so will be interesting to see how i score.
As if drivers havnt got enough to think about and get on with the job…which ■■■■■■■■ sits there thinking them up… i want to do the safety checks get in and drive…not have big brother sat on my shoulder for the shift.
Judehamish:
Thanks very much for the advice chaps.Never heard of it before this job, so will be interesting to see how i score.
A lot will depend on the type of work you do, ours also shows us our average speed and total mileage covered for that week.
What a load of ■■■■■■■■ drivers have to tolerate. i’d tell 'em to shove the grade up their arse.
DHL ■■
Debrief is like the bloody Stasi even if you manage a B with 8.9mpg average to Scotland and back with a loaded decker across the A66 etc, I actually refuse to work for them any more.
Truckulent:
What a load of [zb] drivers have to tolerate. i’d tell 'em to shove the grade up their arse.
Of course you would 
keep your foot light on the accelerator and keep looking ahead. they would like you to use the cruise control a lot, even in town centres but as that is dangerous, i wouldnt and didnt! try not to use the exhaust brake on stage 3 as microlise isnt sophisticated enough to recognise the difference between over-revving up the way or down the way 
Bad thing with it is if you go and do say 5mpg but do everything right you get a good score but if you do 10mpg but brake harsh or idle for to long even in traffic you get a bad score.
I hate the word Microlise nearly as much as I hate this so called system to identify rotten drivers. If the bloody system is that good, give the keys to the truck and let it drive one itself. We have enough to worry about with all the other hazards on the road without worrying about what a bloody computer (or some jumped up office bod) thinks about the way you drive. Drive gently and defensively, don’t be pushed too hard by the routers and concentrate on the road and not on how good (or bad) your performance is…
I thought this thread was about the other aspects of the system, confirmation of loads, arrival & departure times, logging shortages etc,
Rather than the “whos a good/bad driver aspect” of the system.
Though I know of 1 driver who was proved to be in the clear when involved in an accident, as the system proved he was stationary for 3 seconds before someone crashed into the back of him. It also showed how much G force was involved in the accident when the other vehicle ran into him
Judehamish:
HiJust after tips really. Just started working for a very good company, but they have this Microlise system and do print-outs each week with category’s, and a mark ranging from A - G, and then an overall driver rating, 1-100 for example.
I’ve never idle the engine at all, worry constantly about harsh braking (exhaust brake can cause an hard brake i’m told) so would appreciate any advice from drivers that get good scores.
Many thanks
First thing to do is to try and relax, you’ll be a smoother driver, it’s only a guide.
1 - Get into cruise as early as possible. Our fleet will let you engage at 19mph/30kph, then build the speed up gently and reset the cruise at intervals. This enable you to ease off without having to touch the brakes. If you are lucky cruise will stay engaged when you touch the brakes or exhaust break. Also reduce the cruise setting early if approaching hazards so as to keep it engaged as long as possible. If on a rural road I run with the cruise on a low setting and use the throttle as normal.
2 - A soft right foot is absolutely crucial. Don’t race away or brake late that burns a lot of fuel.
3 - Use the night heater to keep warm on breaks. Idling the engine will crucify your performance, if the night heater is defective report it, every day, till it’s fixed.
4 - Don’t idle for more than 5-10 seconds. Turn of at gate house, in the gate house queue, doing your walk round. If you have to build air up raise the rev level to about 900rpm it will not register as idling.
These, as well as all the usual empathic driving skills, are what I use and get a fuel target performance of about 120% all be it with a rating of B, never had an A rating have had the occasional C rating but to be honest the number of my colleagues who are performing, by this measure, worse than me suggest that I have a long wait before my tea and bickie chat with the TM. As a foot note I don’t have an allocated truck so will be in “any available” from day to day.
They use it a my place been about a year now . First few months was getting B&C then it went down hill as I was driving I London . The bloody thing gives you a individual rating for each section ie harsh breaking , using cc then given you the average score.
Well after being brought into office to explain myself like a naughty school boy I was told I was not using my cc enough , remember I’ve been driving all over London and then was asked why I harshed breaked a lot the day I was in south London which was one of the days of the riots .
The outcome of me telling office what I thought of the crap system they use is they have never pulled me up again but I still hear people getting told off for bad driving .
It’s just another toy for people who can’t drive trucks but work in the office to tell us drivers how bad we are .
Wot a lod of cobblers… 
Asda had a similar thing in for harsh breaking, overspeed etc, a week after I started i told the head trainer that no matter what gear I was in and how many revs I used i couldn’t keep all the lights on, he went barmy telling me I was supposed to have no lights on at all was a funny moment watching him pinging all over yard til he realised i was on the wind up. All well and good setting figures etc that you should be able to achieve but everyday is different and these black boxes don’t see the road ahead or the conditions etc
bald bloke:
Truckulent:
What a load of [zb] drivers have to tolerate. i’d tell 'em to shove the grade up their arse.Of course you would
One of the reasons I work for myself fella. If a company start ■■■■■■■■ procedures, i go elsewhere. I tend to work for smaller companies anyway. Most are as allergic to the BS as I am… 
I have No idea which Flipping Transport company you might be on about.
cant beleive what i’m reading here,what a load o pish,if you can get a all your deliveries done with clean P0D’s and return the wagon to base with no damage in a legal time is that not enough!!!.Don’t think i could keep a straight face if some office knob started reading out stats like this,some parts of this job really are a joke