So the company has recently got a couple of new lorries in. (DAFS - six speed manuals. Barf!)
So far so good.
Because there’s a lot of drivers off, for one reason and another, ended up out the other week in one of the dinky toys – sorry, 18 tonners.
Anyway, the lorries are absolutely festooned with cameras. To be honest this doesn’t bother me one iota. However, what DOES bother me:
I got called into the TM 's office this week (at end of 13 hr shift!) – He’s been looking through the footage from the in-cab camera.
The conversation, essentially, goes like this [expletives deleted!] :-
Him. “Been looking though the in-cab footage.”
Me. “Why?”
H. [Ignores question] “Notice you always pull away in second.”
M. “You still haven’t explained whay you were looking at the camera footage.”
H. “To save wear and tear, you will always pull away in First gear.”
M. “Er, correct me if I’m wrong – but you don’t have a HGV, do you?”
H. “No, you know fine I don’t.”
M. “Well, @@@@ off, and don’t tell me how to drive!”
H. “Pardon?”
M. “You heard: get a licence and 30 plus years experience… then, and only then, can you tell me how to drive. Until then - @@@@ off.”
H. “Right, I’m putting you on report.”
M. “… and you can stick THAT etc., etc., etc.”
Been called in for a meeting with the Big Boss on Wednesday afternoon… Do I eat humble pie – or what?
I used to work at a place on 18T 6 speeds, there was a sticker on the dash which said you must pull away in 1st.
I clipped the back end on a bollard so had to do a review/assessment day with a trained instructor from the manufacturer. First drive he watches and then tell me what i need to change. He reckoned i should pull away in second unless fully loaded as it saves wear as you do one less change. I thought what a load of rubbish but agreed so i could ‘pass’ the review.
Your TM has way to much time on his hands though, our lorries were covered in cameras but no driver ever had anything said to him about any footage.
If its empty or very lightly loaded then 2nd should be fine.I remember driving a 6 speedbox with the sticker "pull away in first"the thing would stop before 2nd was engaged.This meant that I was pulling away twice.
So, for one reason or another you’ve ended driving one of these vehicles covered in cameras and the boss takes the opportunity to pay particular attention to the footage and calls you in■■?
Sounds like they might want you out and if your reaction is typical at work then they would know how to push your buttons and get the reaction they need.
I learnt in a 6 speed DAF and was told to pull off in 2nd. I did this in my test and I passed… I’ve done it ever since. When driving our 4 over 4 ivecos I pull off in 2nd sometimes 3rd.
My current auto iveco pulls off in 1st and its frckin useless. No need for it all, just revs to the limit within a second.
Maybe you should really give your boss something to worry about and start reading the newspaper and ■■■■■■■ in a bottle in the cab.
I would like to know why he spent all that time going through recordings and what was he looking for?
Your attitude about it stinks though. Just needed to explain that if there’s no load or only lightly loaded then is more economical to pull away in second. Exactly the same reason you would use on a 4/4 and pulling away in 3rd.
Apologise for the language, explain it away however you want. Although, they need to be extremely careful about the use of inward facing cameras because of the Data Protection Act and the way they review the recorded information.
If its a 6 speed then I always pull away in 1st. If its a 8 speed then its 2 when fully loaded or 4th if I’m empty. My auto at work starts off in 4th on the flat and lightly loaded.
I drive an auto 12t daf. Pulls away in second unless fully loaded on an incline. Before the Auto I had a 6 speed manual for a month. 2nd gear was as low as I had to get apart from hill starts. I usually ran fairly light though.
I’d push on the fact they were checking the cab camera without any incident being reported. Ask what the policy is and wether this has been selective monitoring or across the board. I would also approach the big boss with a better attitude than you have displayed so far. When I was office based that attitude would see a P45 in the post no matter who it was.
I wouldn’t be happy to work for a company that had a camera watching the driver. Very invasive. To my mind they should be illegal or have very strict laws on what they can be used as evidence for. Our company have provided 4 external cameras for the drivers benefit as well as to protect the company from false claims.
I have not seen any evidence of excessive clutch wear by pulling away in 2nd in a 6 speed 18 tonner or 3rd in a 4 over 4 and would happily do so myself.
However, their trucks you must drive them as they ask.
You’re attitude stinks no excuses, they own the truck you drive it how they say.
On the other hand it sounds as though you have never been shown by a properly qualified person how to drive the thing,'like the majority of drivers you have only been taught how to pass a test and then go on to develop a know it all attitude, look up block changing.
Carry it on till Wednesday and you will be off the payroll.
Fortunately im not your TM, if i was you would be target number one. If you find it hard to convey yourself without expletives then you are far from a professional driver and not someone i would like to meet our clients.
You where asked to drive off in 1st gear, some vehicles require it - some need that condition due to ceramic clutches, wear and tear or whatever reason. Some R+M and lease contracts might not cover wear and tear caused by negligent driving, driving off in the incorrect gear for the vehicle or neglect the manufacturers instructions will be a clause in the repair.
The fact of the matter is you where asked to drive off in 1st gear…do it, you don’t need a driving licence to be an idiot, just as much you don’t need a wallet on a chain to be a truck driver.
