Hi all
Just wanted to canvas opinion.
Parking in gear especially on a slope, good or bad habit?
I did it and was told it was dangerous because people have been hurt when someone starts the vehicle without checking especially LGV.
Are bad handbrakes a thing of the past?
Is this old school or local bad habits?
Thoughts please.
BB
Unnecessary in HGVs in my opinion. 
I mostly start engines with clutch down no matter what the vehicle.
Just force of habit from those that do leave them in gear
bad idea if the air drops, you have no clutch and probably impossible to get neutral
Wheel Nut:
bad idea if the air drops, you have no clutch and probably impossible to get neutral
Fair point. Hadn’t thought about it like that
dar1976:
I mostly start engines with clutch down no matter what the vehicle.
Even an automatic vehicle? 
As for OP’s question, really bad idea with a truck as it could leave you unable to start it. There is a reason auto boxes complain if you leave the gear selector in D or R when you switch off.
Coffeeholic:
dar1976:
I mostly start engines with clutch down no matter what the vehicle.Even an automatic vehicle?
As for OP’s question, really bad idea with a truck as it could leave you unable to start it. There is a reason auto boxes complain if you leave the gear selector in D or R when you switch off.
The majority of Autos I drive are Scania with a clutch. I still start with clutch down even when not needed 
Wheel Nut:
bad idea if the air drops, you have no clutch and probably impossible to get neutral
The only way out of that situation is to recharge the air.
Once the recovery truck has been and gone and your employer is £500 worse off,
you will know why not to leave a truck in gear.
Regards,
Nick.
I obviously didn’t put in enough info. Not that it will change the overwhelming opinion.
we were working in the vicinity of air braked vehicles but the truck we were driving was standard braked manual.
However my posting with missing facts has brought issues to mind which I hadn’t thought about.
Many thanks
BB
dar1976:
Coffeeholic:
dar1976:
I mostly start engines with clutch down no matter what the vehicle.Even an automatic vehicle?
As for OP’s question, really bad idea with a truck as it could leave you unable to start it. There is a reason auto boxes complain if you leave the gear selector in D or R when you switch off.
The majority of Autos I drive are Scania with a clutch. I still start with clutch down even when not needed
All auto trucks have a clutch, not just Scanias, it’s the clutch pedal that is missing in the good ones.
Wheel Nut:
bad idea if the air drops, you have no clutch and probably impossible to get neutral
Very good point Malc - not something I would have thought of if I’m honest. Learnt something new again!
Know from experience bab idea like wheelnut says when air drops you can’t get it out of gear took me half an hour messing about trying after that I learned my lesson
In my vast (6 months) experience, all the (manual) DAFs that I’ve driven won’t turn over if you try and start them in hear with the clutch down. And the only auto box (MAN TG 7.5T) wouldn’t start unless the gearbox selector was at N not D or R.
Having stopped on a few (very) steep hills in North wales and then done a hill start, the hand brake definitely holds the wagon.
I was fairly certain that the hand brake is held off by air, so if the wagon’s parked up for a while and looses its air, the brakes won’t come off?
Thats a no for hgv’s, but for cars definately as the brake can come off as it cools down, was on Watchdog once about a certain make of car’s hanbrake failing after it cooled down. One guy complained it had happened to him 3 times!!! after first time it should have clicked to leave it in gear, and you should always check if it’s in gear before starting. I always leave my motorbike in gear too, you don’t want it rolling forward and off it’s stand !!! 
Parking in gear for an HGV should be unnecessary if the parking brakes are in working order, as air pressure is only required to keep them off and when on exert pressure far greater than achievable with a car handbrake system. As for getting it out of gear, just about all the lorries I have driven can be taken out of gear while the ignition is off without the clutch being engaged. This is quite handy as none of the lorries in the fleet where I work hold pressure while the engines are off…
My car wont start unless your foot is on the clutch so even if it is in gear, we’re safe.
But like above mentioned, it could be quite dangerous/silly to leave an HGV in gear while stopped for long periods.
Many thanks for the feedback.
Thanks Foxstein for the advise about non air braked vehicles.
in my opinion bad idea as a diesel engine once started you can take the battery off and it will still run I think as no spark plugs, so what if the brakes failed would it bump start itself ! and bugger off with you asleep in the bunk 
suppose some mechanic will put me right …just a thought
Rather than leave it in gear, which imho is a big no-no as others had said, if you are worried about it rolling which if the truck is well maintained and the handbrake is working it won’t, why don’t you chock the wheels and obviously turn the front wheels into the kerb. Also if it is an artic you can always pull the “park” brake on the trailer.
If you are worried (icy or whatever) you can park up on a slope, apply handbrake, turn off engine and then pump your brake pedal until all the air is out. All brakes on all axles will now be applied and not just drive axle