Hi all,
So, after a wee spell on the buses, got my first HGV driving job on Milk tankers - starting in a week or so. Getting full training, but does anyone have any tips / handy hints they’d care to share ?
Do you need to cry if you spill it ? 
Cheers,
Chris.
You take a junction, corner or a roundabout to to fast, you’'ll certainly will be crying over plenty of spilt milk… 
- having been on the buses, I’ve got slow & smooth cornering sorted, anticipation and gradual braking too. Will be going out with experienced drivers for a while until I learn the ropes, so I’m sure they’ll point out any faults, etc.
Well done mate! Im currently on the buses what a nightmare it is. Who were you working for and what area? Whos the new job for is it muller wisemans?
I enjoyed doing cow juice tankers.My tips are:
Some tankers have baffles to stop it slopping around.
Some have no or less baffles.Sheets of metal inside the tanker with big holes.
Never rely on anybody to say they will do the vent taps for you.
Vent taps in the wrong position will write off a tanker as like a vacumn,the air pressure gets sucked in.
Impoding is the result.
At farms,the driver takes a sample from the farm tank.
Tankers need a clean with hot water and chemicals to sterilise it.
On the tanker there is a plastic tube with the paper work that gets signed ir stamped for washing.Its called a CIP.
Cream can take hours to unload.
At Hatfield London.The bays are too small.
A banksman is needed or damage the truck when reversing.
At milk depots,the canteen food is cheap and good quality.
Are you on for Arla or Wisemans ?
Damo_hall:
Well done mate! Im currently on the buses what a nightmare it is. Who were you working for and what area? Whos the new job for is it muller wisemans?
Ta. 
Working for one of First’s subsidiarys in rural Central Scotland. I’m not completely hating it, it’s just not what I want to be doing. The shifts are horrendous though, huge spreadovers practically all the time. But, at least I already had my D license, so they don’t have me by the balls. lol
Getting a start with a local/independent firm, though I did speculatively apply to Wisemans too - but they don’t seem to be recruiting around here. I’m told I will be covering anywhere in Scotland and North England, though they have set runs, so I assume that’ll be a gradual process.
Have ordered a couple of the Philip’s Navigator maps, because they show the farms on them, got the Truckers Britain one, and the Scotland one. Think I’ll be needing a Satnav upgrade too
toby1234abc:
I enjoyed doing cow juice tankers.My tips are:
Some tankers have baffles to stop it slopping around.
Some have no or less baffles.Sheets of metal inside the tanker with big holes.
Never rely on anybody to say they will do the vent taps for you.
Vent taps in the wrong position will write off a tanker as like a vacumn,the air pressure gets sucked in.
Impoding is the result.
At farms,the driver takes a sample from the farm tank.
Tankers need a clean with hot water and chemicals to sterilise it.
On the tanker there is a plastic tube with the paper work that gets signed ir stamped for washing.Its called a CIP.
Cream can take hours to unload.
At Hatfield London.The bays are too small.
A banksman is needed or damage the truck when reversing.
At milk depots,the canteen food is cheap and good quality.
Are you on for Arla or Wisemans ?
Cheers for that. I asked about the baffles when I was in having a chat with them. I know some are baffled more than others, but I got the impression that none of the tanks have many, to stop it getting churned about too much - turns into cheese or something ? 
They mentioned training on venting the tanks, transhipping from Class 2 to Class 1 tanks, uplift/delivery procedures, drivers do their own CIP and (I believe) cleaning the wagon too. Do the drivers do the farm tank cleaning too?
toby1234abc:
Some tankers have baffles to stop it slopping around.
Some have no or less baffles.Sheets of metal inside the tanker with big holes.
Well if they give you a tank with baffles QUOTE “Sheets of metal inside with big holes”
ask for a shovel and a tin of elbow grease you’ll need both.
Some milk tanks have a half moon strip at the top of the tank and a ripple plate at the bottom these are to stop the tank from slapping (milk hitting front when you brake hard and launching you 20 feet) that’s pretty funny actually, try it just once on some dark lane.
Tips for driving a tank
Never take your foot off the brake until the engine Is off
20mph on islands
never answer the phone whilst driving it will distract you
Don’t listen to planetrock on the radio
Get to like black coffee = when you see what happens to milk you’ll probably never drink it again (I don’t) oh and black helps for keeping you awake at 4am whilst your waiting for the darn heifers
It’s a marmite job - love or hate it
The farmer cleans his own tank at the farm.In the past ,they added water to get paid more for less milk.
The driver takes a sample.The laboratory checks for anitbiotics in the milk.
Cows udders and teats get infected with Mastitus.In the food chain,the medicine affects food and drink production.With yoghurt and cheese production.
Farmers get lonely working all day alone.
If they get chatting,allow an hour.
I used to collect from a large farm in Devon.
If you went straight on at the turn to the farm, you end up being craned out in the narrow village.
From there up to Ashby de la Zouch.