I’ve been shunting around a few different trucks for other drivers at the end of shifts lately.
and some of them have what i consider to be, really odd driving positions.
im finding lots of the other drivers have an almost vertical backrest, with the seat base that slopes foreward away from you, with the steering wheel quite horizantal and really high, whilst the seat is quite low.
personally, in the old wagon I drive, i sit more like i would in a car. back rest leaning back a bit, seat base leaning backward. sort of ■■■■■■■■■■■ like. with the wheel as near to vertical as poss (which is still very horizantal).
am I the freak here, or is it just a personal taste thing. how are you lot set up?
Funny enough I was thinking about this the other day. I can pretty much tell on opening the door of my truck what the age bracket of the agency driver, or one of our drivers, who drove it the previous shift is. Almost without fail older drivers have the more upright seating position, as I do, and younger ones have it set up like a car seat, often with the steering wheel raked down toward their lap.
This is something that I often wonder, when I got back in my truck after a week off yesterday, my seat was sloping forward so much I almost slipped off it. I would fall into the younger drivers category, where I have my seat very much like a car seat with the steering wheel close to my lap. I don’t think I could spend all day driving bolt upright leaning forward. But I bet the the bloke who got in my seat thought exactly the same thing about my driving position.
I suppose it is like when you get into a womans car, the seat is pulled so close to the wheel and bolt upright. This seems to get worse with age, the older the woman, the closer the seat is to the windscreen.
Being brought up with (in my opinion) proper trucks I prefer the flat steering wheel, at least you need to be able to rest a book or a plate on it. These Scanias with the wheel raked back like a family saloon or sports car are not for me.
I prefer the more upright MAN / DAF position.
There is a survey by FISITA 2010 in Holland about truck seats and the comfort. This is a typical Dutch lorry driver apparently.
The truck driver seat group consisted of 215 individuals (4 female and 211 male). The
average of the truck drivers was 45.6 years, the average weight was 92.6 kg and the average
height was 1.81 m. The average BMI of the truck drivers was 28.32 kg/m2.
Seat position is more important than a lot of people give it credit. The seat should always be set for driver comfort, ability to use all the controls without stretching and good all round visibility. Certainly, I’m sure age comes into it. eg my backrest is more upright than it used to be and I’ve noticed the same with some other “mature” drivers.
When I was on long-distance I used to move my seat during the journeys to avoid seizing up. Still do it in the car. But I also drive a sports car which has the seat fixed in position - so the answer there is to tour all the best tea stops I know and give my aging back a chance! Riding motorbikes, I used to change position to stay comfy. I imagine everyone does this - but perhaps without realising.
I always encorouge newbies to a) set the seat to be comfortable etc and then b) stop and reset it once you’ve realised you got it wrong the 1st time.
Another thing that sometimes surprises newbies is the air seat. Some elect to lock it off but I always try and get them to use it because, as most will agree, it is more comfortable when you get used to it.
As always, all the best to those training and testing in the next few days. Pete S
The air seat is also something that I think every driver differs on. I was driving a leyland DAF puddle jumper when I first started and it didn’t have a ‘bouncy’ seat when I was given a truck with one in I felt really sick after a while, but know having gotten used to it I have mine set quite springy!
The air seat is a biggy with me if i have it bouncing all over the place I feel sick this actually forced me to stop on The a34 once to throw up and also my feet leave the pedals which i find a bit worrying in case need the brake personally my seat is upright as if i have in what i call the relaxed position i find it too comfortable and tiredness sets in but as Peter says its the individual and they need to have the seat right for them if driving , whenever another driver gets into the truck after me they normally cant get in to the seat so now always throw the seat back after finishing so at least they can adjust for them surprisingly when shunting I dont even bother just sit on edge of seat and back it up !
Wheel Nut:
Being brought up with (in my opinion) proper trucks I prefer the flat steering wheel, at least you need to be able to rest a book or a plate on it. These Scanias with the wheel raked back like a family saloon or sports car are not for me.
This.^
I got back in my Daf the other day after it had been used on the night shift and found myself looking at the locker over the windscreen the seat was reclined that much and the steering wheel was getting very intimate with my Gentleman’s Area. I just could not drive it like that.
I think this very reclined/relaxed driving position also contributes to the complaints about blind spots. I drive with the seat back quite straight, the seat level or slightly pointing toward the pedals and the wheel quite flat. I have no blind spots in the Daf and never lose complete sight of a vehicle I am overtaking, or who is undertaking me after I move over to let them join the motorway. I can always see at least part of it in at least one of the three nearside mirrors or the one over the windscreen yet you hear complaints about bad blind spots on a Daf.
As I said before it does seem to be a generation thing with younger drivers not getting out of car driving mode and I think it piles one problem onto another. Car driving position means they are in a car driving frame of mind and then drive the auto box like it was one in a car when they are very different beasts and need to be driven differently. That’s a topic for another ongoing thread though.
Well I find I can never really get my seat perfect but I do have the backrest quite upright, also my left leg is aching quite a lot from clutch use any tips?
muzza:
Well I find I can never really get my seat perfect but I do have the backrest quite upright, also my left leg is aching quite a lot from clutch use any tips?
Get an auto, the clutch is on the right pedal then. I hope this helps.
Iv had complaints about altering the radio.
Also iv had to remove triangular banners with suction cups blocking the windscreen and also take off — twice, a knurl handle on the steering wheel (like whats on a forklift)
Wheel Nut:
I suppose it is like when you get into a womans car, the seat is pulled so close to the wheel and bolt upright. This seems to get worse with age, the older the woman, the closer the seat is to the windscreen.
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I do have my seat forward so can reach the pedals as being of the none to tall brigade have to
Do have my seat in the upright position & seat as straight as poss but have to turn the air sprung off well dont think feet would reach pedals otherwise I do like to see out of the windscreen
It’s not just the seats either. I drove a vehicle, 12 tonner, a few weeks back where the front of the footwell sloped down! It was on a Mercedes Atego chassis. Took me a while to get the seat adjusted.
Last week I was in a Daf CF 65 18t where I couldn’t get the height right on the seat. In the end I had it much closer to the steering wheel so my arms didn’t ache as much.
But then again, I used to drive an MCW Metro double decker where the ONLY adjuster for the seat was the height. No forwards, backwards, tilt etc. Even the steering wheel didn’t move! So they have at least improved
personally my seat is upright as if i have in what i call the relaxed position i find it too comfortable and tiredness sets in 
as being of the none to tall brigade have to
well dont think feet would reach pedals otherwise I do like to see out of the windscreen