Any local lads and lassies from up that way??
From Newcastle upto the Forth Rd Bridge, for the next few weeks, fully loaded 44 ton, pulling a bulker, so not high.
Which route is best?
The A1 is a good run, but I just wondered what the A68 or the A697 were like, with regard to making good progress.
Thanks in advance.
A1 is OK,
A68 too many speed cameras
A697 it is narrow road - I don’t like it 
Regards
espresso:
Any local lads and lassies from up that way??
From Newcastle upto the Forth Rd Bridge, for the next few weeks, fully loaded 44 ton, pulling a bulker, so not high.
Which route is best?
The A1 is a good run, but I just wondered what the A68 or the A697 were like, with regard to making good progress.
Thanks in advance.
Either or mate .i would forget the 697 though but the A1/68 has equally the same hgv traffic imo .A1 is longer but fewer speed cameras .I use them regular and depends on the mood i’m in as what i use and how much fuel i’ve got ,
there are no Key fuels on the 68
You do say you’re going to be going up there for a few weeks, so why not vary it? I hate doing the same run two days on the bounce so will experiment with different routes constantly.
Any hint of snow then I’d stick to the A1 all the way. Not that it gets less snow, but clearing efforts will be concentrated more on that road. If you fancy scenery try the A68(?) via Carter Bar, Jedburgh etc, can be a pain at 44 tonne and not particularly fuel friendly, but has some awesome blind crests 
.
As has been said the Wooler road is quite narrow but it is challenging and different. Enjoy.
the maoster:
You do say you’re going to be going up there for a few weeks, so why not vary it? I hate doing the same run two days on the bounce so will experiment with different routes constantly.Any hint of snow then I’d stick to the A1 all the way. Not that it gets less snow, but clearing efforts will be concentrated more on that road. If you fancy scenery try the A68(?) via Carter Bar, Jedburgh etc, can be a pain at 44 tonne and not particularly fuel friendly, but has some awesome blind crests
As has been said the Wooler road is quite narrow but it is challenging and different. Enjoy.
The joys of northern driving down south it’s a choice of which motorway to take, up here it’s a toss as to which crappy and unsuitable road you want to crash on
I’m doing that route now and I’ll be taking the A1, I’ve only got 5 tonne on but if I was 44 I’d def stay on the a1.
The beautiful Northumbrian coastline is hard to beat, so for me, A1 everytime.
Ken.
Quinny:
The beautiful Northumbrian coastline is hard to beat, so for me, A1 everytime.Ken.
Gotta say, having done the run once so far, and taking the A1, it really is a beautiful route.
The whole run actually involves running empty from the Lancs coast to Darlington to load the bulker, then run up towards Forfar to tip, and then load next day to run back to Lancs, all in all a quite pleasant 650 mile round trip.
A1 is easier as its pretty much constant speed whereas the A697/A68 is much narrower and twistier with a few villages in your way
me personally would take the a1 everytime about 3 hours, just watch the scameras as some are set as low as 44 and usally have the unmarked car on the road (dont what they using just now as aint been that way for a few months)
scotstrucker:
me personally would take the a1 everytime about 3 hours, just watch the scameras as some are set as low as 44 and usally have the unmarked car on the road (dont what they using just now as aint been that way for a few months)
not that they seem to bother about us 