Professional???

[robert_haynes]

This term always seems to state the blindingly obvious to me.

If you are a truck driver it is most likely to mean that it is your profession.
Is there any need to say so?

[weemack]

professional !! doctors, teachers, paramedics, firemen., lawyers.carpenter. electrician.(time served ) qualify 3 years min.
. trucker 1 week. dream on

[ianyng]

They say it’s a professional job - but here in the UK we’re not treated as such.
Now in the rest of Europe, it’s a different matter…
Wonder why that is?

Ian.

[liberace]

Robert Haynes:
This term always seems to state the blindingly obvious to me.

If you are a truck driver it is most likely to mean that it is your profession.
Is there any need to say so?

Depends, upon the standards you set yourself.

[fenman]

I do the M11 M25 every day of the week, and my opinion is that there are very few lorry drivers on the road today who could be called “professional” .

I’ve been doing this job now for 40 odd years, and quite honestly the standard of driving today is just about the worst I have known it.

I ‘ll not miss it when I retire that’s for sure.

[andym]

As Ive said before, there is a huge difference between ‘Driving for a Profession’ and being a ‘Professional Driver’…

[alexxinny]

Fenman:
I do the M11 M25 every day of the week, and my opinion is that there are very few lorry drivers on the road today who could be called “professional” .

I’ve been doing this job now for 40 odd years, and quite honestly the standard of driving today is just about the worst I have known it.

I ‘ll not miss it when I retire that’s for sure.

If you think it’s bad over there, come over to the US and see how bad it can get!

[pat_hasler]

Well said Alex

The standard of driving here is disgracefull

[dapper_scavenger]

The upcoming compulsary driver training might help change that a bit

publications.parliament.uk/p … /15207.htm

[willy_gofar]

Dapper Scavenger:
The upcoming compulsary driver training might help change that a bit

publications.parliament.uk/p … /15207.htm

I can understand anyone who wants to see more professionally minded drivers behind the wheel of trucks but do not understand why any truck driver would stand up and vote for compulsory re-training. It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas to be every weekend.

a. Who is going to pay for the training ■■? Your boss isn’t going to be happy about paying for it, the customer isn’t going to stand for the charge being passed on to him/her and will just go elsewwhere for his transport needs. That only leaves you the driver to pay for it and if you want that job then you’ll have to pay.

b. It will just be a tax on your job.

c. Standards will vary from one area to another as they always do.

d. Whether you pass or fail could be down to the state of mind of the tester, if he/she had a row with their partner just before coming to work then your hopes of passing will be toast. And there WILL be a pass or fail test otherwise what would be the point of re-training in the first place.

The real answer is to make absolutely sure that the driver is up to the job in the first place in every aspect of the job and then maybe a 2 or 3 year provisional period where they have to carry a special marker and snap inspections where they are accompanied by a training examiner to make sure they are keeping up to the standards expected, not sure how this would work but am sure that it is not beyond the realms of possibility, if they can maintain standards over 2 to 3 years then they should be able to continue in a professional manner afterwards.

[brit_pete]

The apprentice system here in GERMANY is quite good and when the
person has finished the course and passed,A certificate equivalent to
the city&guilds is issued, For a potential professional heavy goods driver
it takes three years at the end these participants will have the following
A class CE Driveing licence (if under 21 they can only drive in GERMANY)
ADR-LICENCE-for Tanks-packages, Forklift licence, hiab certificate,
Loading security+safety certificate, also whilist takeing the course also
particapation in on hands work experience in the firms workshop,traffic—
–office, and with the dayto daytasks driveing a lorry first with another
experienced Driver and when then considered competent sent out on
their own,The student will attend a training college 3-4 days a week depending on the timetable .

[dapper_scavenger]

Wow, way to snap.

I’m just saying that we’re not the first to see that there’s something lacking, and this is the governments response to it.

The response by the FTA and DSA has been interesting and has already highlighted some of your concerns.

It will improve a driver’s reputation, and since this thread is about so-caled ‘professionalism’, I thought it appropriate to bring up, cost notwithstanding.

[steve_24v]

Fenman:
I do the M11 M25 every day of the week, and my opinion is that there are very few lorry drivers on the road today who could be called “professional” .

I’ve been doing this job now for 40 odd years, and quite honestly the standard of driving today is just about the worst I have known it.

I ‘ll not miss it when I retire that’s for sure.

Anything particular come to mind ?

I run up and down the M6/M5 from dusk to dawn and I’d hate to think there was an incompetent coming up along side of me… Things can get a little scary as it is

[roytheboy]

driving standards?, there arent any! .Take this week for instance, with all this varying weather you still get drivers on your back door because youre not going fast enough for them. Or, if you flash someone in, you dont get a thank you. There doesnt seem to be any cameraderie any more like there used to be. Nobody indicates on roundabouts properly (mainly car drivers ) and when you`re on the motorway and you move into lane 2 to let someone join they just zoom off without a blink of an eye!!
moan over,

[wheel_nut]

there have been plans released this week to alter the training and testing of drivers. this is to make them aware of motorcyclists they will have to show that they can make checks to be certain that bikes are seen.

WTF have they been teaching people up till now then?

Most car drivers are not even aware of their surroundings, just watch the hands and arms of two people in the centre lane as they are chatting, totally oblivious to the 44 tonne truck behind them!

[cabhopper]

If I remember rightly, and here I have to be careful, as I am a registered TOG, we hold a VOCATIONAL licence. That means our jobs are our Vocations. When friend Bliar is justifying throwing money at NHS employees and teachers he tells us it’s because it’s THEIR vocation, and how wonderful they are. BUT DO THEY HAVE A VOCATIONAL LICENCE?? and if not, why not?? If people following vocations are so important to this government, why are we not included in their list of important people■■?

[fenman]

Steve 24

One particular instance comes to mind just the other week, and I have to admit it was partially my fault.

5.30am going round the M25 inside lane with cruise control set at 56. In the distance I could see Mr Tesco so from experience I know there’s a good chance that Tesco will not be doing 56MPH, ( he was actually doing about 50 ) so check mirror and indicate to pull out to centre lane.

There’s a Merc 44 tonner doing about 57 sitting just on my back door, so I sit there for few seconds waiting for him to flash me out, it never happened. This is where I made my mistake, thinking there was enough room I started to pull out into the centre lane this is when he flashed his lights. He’s showing his displeasure at my driving and I’m thinking that he has flashed me out.

I’ve sort got it into my head now that maybe I have dropped the proverbial, and this was confirmed when the Merc has pulled out into lane three of the motorway. So now we’ve got Mr Tesco in lane one, me in lane two and the Merc in lane three who by now is doing more than 57. Not only is he in lane three but all his spots and headlights (about 10 of them come on) Then Tesco flashers me in, so I am now in lane one and the Merc is in lane two.

Now I’ve been doing this job long enough now to know what the hard shoulder is for so I was expecting what was going to happen next. He just got his unit level with my unit and stared to edge me over until I was completely on the hard shoulder and had to back off for fear of running out of road

I know I should have waited until he had passed me initially, but if I see someone catching up to another vehicle quite fast then I flash him out, but obviously
In this day and age that is too much to ask.

Anyway I made a mistake and he got his own back, so we were even, nature of the job today suppose.

Never mind hey !!

[brit_pete]

FENMAN. this happening more and more why for two reasons mainly

1. the drivers is being put under pressure to achieve the same work now
   as when the lorrys were able to travel a lttle fasterm
   2.The simpleton who was driveing is a product of our modern transport
   and while his intelligence and common sense is so non exsistent he
   or she does not understand the meaning of politeness on the road,
   along with foward thinking ahead for those suprises of dangerous
   incedents which will occour if you are not paying attention.
   This is not a dig at you fenman but that peabrain in the lorry behind
   who had only one aim in his head I WILL OVERTAKE AT ANY COSTS::
   and was also a impolite ignoramus of the lowest order.
   IMPORTANT NOTE in REGARDS to GERMANY::
   when over takeing you must be doing more than 9kms (10) if not and
   your are caught it is a fine+points onthe licence for your account in
   the german DVLC office. so be warned.

[jayhoe]

It may be that he was impolite etc, but with regards to flashing, the other driver is correct. The flash is a warning that he is there!

Having said that, I flash in and out and indicate thanks!!