Came back over Shap today, I reckon the snow must have been a surprise as it looked like it had not been gritted or prepared for, it just came down real fast, all at once, and it was down to one lane.
Anyway there was a big procession of cars in lane 1 sat at 35 to 40 mph, I looked at the snow in lane 2, it did not look packed rather a wet dusting bordering on slush.
I made a judgement and thought ■■■■ it, and pulled into lane 2 and passed everybody at about 50.
The looks I got were interesting from the car drivers , maybe summet to do with the slush fountain on their bonnets (that went to prove it was all soft and not packed) not to mention at least 3 coffee shaker gestures.
In my mirror I had about 4 other trucks eventually pull out and follow me.
I still say I was doing nothing wrong (but this post might be one of those where you don’t get the reaction you expect )so if I get stick for being an irresponsible bad driver…hey, I’m a big lad , I can take it so bring it on. … I won’t mince off in a strop.
btw, Not trying to be a hero at all either, it was hardly ‘Ice road truckers’
I think you know the answer - You already mentioned the shedloads of snow/slush deposited on the bonnets and windscreens. Typical big-bully trucker behaviour…
Roymondo:
I think you know the answer - You already mentioned the shedloads of snow/slush deposited on the bonnets and windscreens. Typical big-bully trucker behaviour…
Oh dear, how will those poor dawdling diddumses’ cope, a bit of slush on the bonnet!
Roymondo:
I think you know the answer - You already mentioned the shedloads of snow/slush deposited on the bonnets and windscreens. Typical big-bully trucker behaviour…
Ok fair enough, but if it was safe for me to do 50 ( it evidently was unless I was just lucky) why was it not safe for the 2 cars in the front of the convoy to do so, or the others to overtake.
To be honest mate, I’ve never (knowingly) used ‘big bully tactics’ as a truck driver, …seriously btw.
BossHogg:
I was patrolling that area this afternoon, we attended quite a few RTCs, apparently it was down to some bloke called Rob kicking snow everywhere!
Yep and You can be sure a lot of those same drivers will quite happily drive along at 60 or 70mph in the thick fog when they can barely see past the end of the bonnet.
Don’t pay any attention to em Robroy, you’re my hero!
Even if you support a championship quality football team, wear cowboy boots and are 5’2" (In heels…)
Evil8Beezle:
Don’t pay any attention to em Robroy, You’re my hero!
Even if you support a championship quality football team, wear cowboy boots and are 5’2"!
You build me up, then put me right down again, I’m cut to the bone.
Btw with the boots it puts me up to 5 6.
Ignoring the football crack as well
I’ll pull out as you did any day of the week, many people cant drive(cars) in winter, they are frighten of the snow. Im guessing in UK you don’t drive cars on winter/snow tires, which might be a big problem in snowy weather.
I have driven all kind of vehicles in all kind of weather, you didn’t do anything wrong. The truck is heavy, more tires for contact with the road etc. when driven properly there is no problem. The only time I slide from right lane into shoulder was on black ice with empty trailer, but I was barely moving.
Evil8Beezle:
Don’t pay any attention to em Robroy, You’re my hero!
Even if you support a championship quality football team, wear cowboy boots and are 5’2"!
You build me up, then put me right down again, I’m cut to the bone.
Btw with the boots it puts me up to 5 6.
Bugger, you replied so quick I didn’t get chance to refine my dig!
Roymondo:
I think you know the answer - You already mentioned the shedloads of snow/slush deposited on the bonnets and windscreens. Typical big-bully trucker behaviour…
Ok fair enough, but if it was safe for me to do 50 ( it evidently was unless I was just lucky) why was it not safe for the 2 cars in the front of the convoy to do so, or the others to overtake.
To be honest mate, I’ve never (knowingly) used ‘big bully tactics’ as a truck driver, …seriously btw.
Because cars can and they do spin a lot easier then trucks, its dangerous in a car on summer tires then a truck in summer tires during the winter.
I will pull out if I think it’s safe, not to go screaming past but to keep moving,
some people seem to crawl along at the slightest mention of snow, of course if they’re not confident then that’s the best thing to do, however they also bunch up which means one slight bit of heavy braking and it vehicle all over the road.
Of course a truck coming passed them throwing slush all over their cars is probably not going to help their confidence, as they sit at crawling pace, hands gripping the wheel, peering through their misted up windscreen because they don’t understand the operation of heaters, air con and demisters.
I’d guess (as I know bugger all…) that soft snow is a lot like puddles in a truck, you tend to cut straight through them, rather than skating over them…
Although being from the south, I know sod all about snow!
Well you’ve been doing it long enough to have a ‘feel’ for wots going on down under, so if 50 felt ok to you i have no doubt it was ok.
Would i have done it, dunno really, maybe on the right tyres, i can get wheelspin on my MAN on a wet road empty in 11th gear, and i’ve actually been stuck on a flat road in 1/2" of snow with another MAN which then whilst i was trying (in vain with arsetronic) to rock it out the bloody useless box overheated and had to shut down to let it cool down before it would move again…good motors them MAN’s .
The coffee invitations were the pre conditioned response to someone who is able to think for themselves, a rare enough event these days someone displaying any individuality and the Borg/Cyberpersons can’t cope when someone else displays independence.
I would do as you did rob.
If it’s safe go for it, as mentioned a lot of car drivers are not seasoned motorway travelers in winter conditions and are a tad over cautious (thankfully so in a lot of cases)
It’s like the 40mph dudes in a 50mph road works zone, sure to be sure.
When I first started back in January there was a day or two when it snowed quite bad. Coming back on the M180/A180 there was a long line of cars doing about 30mph whilst the outside lane was full of wagons as far as I could see. I did get some strange looks from the car drivers like you did Robroy, I guess they aren’t used to seeing wagons go flying past them.
Have been driving Class 1 HGV’s for 38 years and had no problems and always think of my old mans phrase “if you dont use it you lose it” so rather than all stick in one lane bloody single file get out there and make the other lanes passable.
, maybe summet to do with the slush fountain on their bonnets (that went to prove it was all soft and not packed) not to mention at least 3 coffee shaker gestures. 
)so if I get stick for being an irresponsible bad driver…hey, I’m a big lad , I can take it 
so bring it on. 
