The commercial vehicle enforcement police have been at motorway service areas so drivers can have an informal chat with any issues or worries they may have, it has worked in Germany,if ywou saw the officers what type of questions would you ask them.
I wouldn’t speak to them.
Why haven’t they got Limeyphil behind bars yet? The man is obviously a complete scoundrel!
DrivingMissDaisy:
Why haven’t they got Limeyphil behind bars yet? The man is obviously a complete scoundrel!
They let me out. I am a criminal, a villain, and yes i suppose i’m a scoundrel.
I’ve not harmed anyone unless they have harmed me, i’ve actually brought joy and happiness to the people of the united kingdom, at a highly competitive rate. 
I’m sure they have once or twice, they just couldn’t keep the artful dodger down for long.
Back to the OP’s question, ( no offence limeyphil I don’t care) I would park far enough away so they didn’t know my wagon and ask loads of searching questions .
Such as , load security the facts , will I get done for using ropes as opposed to straps.
Chaining loads down to unrecognised anchor points.
Would you do me for being 10 mins over driving time.
Would you really put a prohibition on for a blown bulb when I have a spare in cab.
Why are rules interpreted differently in some areas .
Are you really all nice guys just doing a job?
Please will you look away while I drive away??
Jim
Lancashire Police used to do Operation Stammtisch at Charnock Richard when I got back into truck driving in '07.
I asked them straight out if they were Prosecuting or intending to Prosecute drivers for WTD infringements (I hadn’t heard of TNUK in those days)
The most lucid reply I could get was
'…er, um you should be okay, if your driving hours are correct… ’ typical civil servants answer.
All they really want is to do a box ticking PR job and see if they can pick up some useful gossip on who might be running bent. The bloody coffee was cold too…
W
I asked them about WTD and the reply was they are not interested. It’s down to your employer to enforce
If you were involved in a serious incident then things may be looked at though!
I chatted to them for a few min in Fleet and they seamed nice enough. Loads of freebies!! lol
They are trying to sort HGV security, concerns on the road, unsafe/ dangerous things.
Its on one wed every month at several service stations, take a look at their website.
If they have it a non ridiculous name for a start, what does stametich even mean?
Why not operation friendly trucker instead has a nice ring to it…
Mark22_2:
I asked them about WTD and the reply was they are not interested. It’s down to your employer to enforce
If you were involved in a serious incident then things may be looked at though!
Not exactly a definitive answer then…?
Perhaps they might try patrolling a few lay bys and Industrial Estates then?
Maybe even (I admit I’m being radical now) get out on the roads and start doing their jobs instead of hanging about drinking brews, giving drivers evasive and useless advice?
Just a thought,
W
Silver_Surfer:
If they have it a non ridiculous name for a start, what does stametich even mean?Why not operation friendly trucker instead has a nice ring to it…
Stammtisch basically means ‘Meeting Table’ in the sense of a relaxed or informal get together for a chat about an issue.
Ahh I see, some of the code names they have are hilarious!
Operation soap on a rope…
Silver_Surfer:
If they have it a non ridiculous name for a start, what does stametich even mean?Why not operation friendly trucker instead has a nice ring to it…
It’s German, where this idea started. It’s worked out there but I don’t know any German truckers to ask how it’s helped
Perhaps they might try patrolling a few lay bys and Industrial Estates then?
Maybe even (I admit I’m being radical now) get out on the roads and start doing their jobs instead of hanging about drinking brews, giving drivers evasive and useless advice?
Just a thought,
W
[/quote]
See what you are saying but let’s be honest it’s never gonna happen! Although I have seen a increased police patrol of cars and bikes along the M4 reading to Chippenham so things may be on the change?
He was honest saying they are not interested in WTD, its more of a VOSA interest. He offered all sorts of info on hours, tacho use, vehicle inspections and maintenance. They are also handing out the stick on wide angle lens for passenger windows if you want one.
Not everyone’s cup of tea but I got a query cleared up and a couple of freebies so no harm done in my eyes.
Stammtisch sounds like what a bad comedian would say to let you know he’d just told a joke…
I spoke to them in Fleet on on the westbound one afternoon, they seemed down to earth and easy to approach, they should do it more often.
My query was diesel theft, and how i use to dye my tanks and the 3000 litre tank at my farm to colour the fuel.
Mark22_2:
Not everyone’s cup of tea but I got a query cleared up and a couple of freebies so no harm done in my eyes.
To be fair, I would like to think the boys in blue would rather be out doing their job too.
As for the German version of the Stammtisch, if anyone has done any work north of Bremen in the last couple of years they will agree with me…
The BAG/Police are exceptionally keen to meet any foreign lorry drivers, so much so that they are in nearly every other parking area from Padborg to Paderborn.
Unfortunately their ‘friendly chats’ tend to end with the poor old chauffeur making a sizeable contribution to the German Government, coffee and biscuits not included…
W