Does anybody else have serious problem with Truckers always being more severely treated by Police, Courts etc because of the Proffessional Driver Tag. Correct me if I am wrong but Proffessional simply means that we get paid to drive a truck. Something that anyone could do after passing a 4 day HGV course without any prior experience, yet immediately we are expected to be the best drivers on the planet and are judged as such!!
We are not allowed to make mistakes or errors of judgement because we are ‘Proffessional Drivers’!!
What about the sales rep that does 75000 miles a year?? Isn’y he also a proffessional driver? Does he get hammered for the slightest misdemeanour, where a car driver would get coached and a ticking off?? I think not.
This REALLY bugs me!! Nobody is infallable, not even proffessional drivers, and the fact that we drive big vehicles does not make us not human.
Of course it is. We have to deal with so much Bullpooh right across the board.
To me, Police are proffessional drivers because they have been on appropriate courses to enable to to drive to an advanced standard.
All truckers have been taught to do is handle the manouvreing of a large vehicle.
Everyone makes mistakes at work, the consequences and penalties are all to do with responsibility, and the level of harm caused by error.
If a Tesco checkout girl accidentally rings up a pound of bananas as a pound of potatoes, nobody is hurt. If a train driver accidentally thinks that a red light is in fact green, then lots of people get hurt, or worse. A train driver would potentially go to prison if his mistake was caused by inattention, a Tesco checkout girl wouldn’t.
Never noticed lorry drivers getting penalised more than other law breakers.
The results of a lorry hitting a queue of stopped vehicles up the arse is likely to be devastating compared to a Micra driver doing the same, so in such events where serious injury and loss of life occur the penalties are bound to be more harsh…and quite right too.
This professional status thing is quite amusing, lorry drivers want to be called professional and then often act and perform anything but.
quote ‘’‘All truckers have been taught to do is handle the manouvreing of a large vehicle.’‘’
well they’d better learn pretty quick how do drive the thing properly then, current driver training is only to pass the test, it doesn’t teach a new driver how to drive a lorry, that went out the window years ago.
You can do anything you like in a truck…as long as you pay money…everything you do wrong pay up…why do you think they have unmarked units on most major routes its about money making, and even if you behave yourself and bide by the law you will still have to pay money to drive a truck…cpc another tax on truckers and bus drivers…payup and everythings hunky dorey…medical more money…digi card more money it goes on , wages dont go up but you find more money to pay these things, as for the profesional aspect you should know better brigade…ie as someone said train driver neglect or accidents happen…but he has trained to drive the train…do you trust your local lolipop lady with your most precious every morning on there way to school ? what training do you need to stand there holding a sighn how much does it cost to train them…0 jack s…t, but you put your trust in them.
coreysboys:
What about the sales rep that does 75000 miles a year?? Isn’y he also a proffessional driver? Does he get hammered for the slightest misdemeanour, where a car driver would get coached and a ticking off?? I think not.
This REALLY bugs me!! Nobody is infallable, not even proffessional drivers, and the fact that we drive big vehicles does not make us not human.
A Sales Rep hasn’t taken a vocational driving test and doesn’t hold a vocational driving license class.
The fact we drive big heavy vehicles and if it goes wrong it usually results in serious injury/death is why we get more harshly treated when we commit an offence.
Juddian:
current driver training is only to pass the test, it doesn’t teach a new driver how to drive a lorry, that went out the window years ago.
I agree with that too.
When I was learning I asked my instructor how you operate the retarder. The answer was don’t worry that doesn’t come up on the test.
Same happened when I asked about raising/lower the suspension. I gathered these would be things that I would need to know to do the job but he was interested in spending time on subjects that weren’t covered by the tests.
Juddian:
current driver training is only to pass the test, it doesn’t teach a new driver how to drive a lorry, that went out the window years ago.
I agree with that too.
When I was learning I asked my instructor how you operate the retarder. The answer was don’t worry that doesn’t come up on the test.
Same happened when I asked about raising/lower the suspension. I gathered these would be things that I would need to know to do the job but he was interested in spending time on subjects that weren’t covered by the tests.
They also to teach pupils a pretty ■■■■ poor technique to hook up to and drop trailers.
wildfire:
its nice to see the op posting again 4 posts in 3 yrs woooohooo perhaps if he is that worried a career change might be in order
Already there mate, but thanks for the career advice.
I came to the conclusion a while ago that truck driving was too risky a job for a single parent. Even with the best will in the world, the most unpredictable circumstances could transpire and you’ve lost your licence/job, or even in prison. Then where would my kids end up.
I’ll carry on part time while I’m re-training to be a primary school teacher then it’s bye bye LGV licence.
wildfire:
its nice to see the op posting again 4 posts in 3 yrs woooohooo perhaps if he is that worried a career change might be in order
Already there mate, but thanks for the career advice.
I came to the conclusion a while ago that truck driving was too risky a job for a single parent. Even with the best will in the world, the most unpredictable circumstances could transpire and you’ve lost your licence/job, or even in prison. Then where would my kids end up.
I’ll carry on part time while I’m re-training to be a primary school teacher then it’s bye bye LGV licence.
i would agree with you there. best of luck in your new chosen proffession
