Juddian:
Maybe i’m overcautious too, but an artic starting to fold up on you at a decent speed is frightening.
^ This.Whatever the judgement call at the time.It also needs to be remembered that artics,especially euro spec artics, contain some inherent very nasty potential traits in regards to loss of traction or grip at the drive axle and resulting lightning fast unrecoverable jacknifing at the slightest provocation.On that note let’s just say the forces trying to fold the thing up outweigh any superiority in grip levels over the average car and if I was going to be doing much overtaking in slippery conditions then preferably it would be while driving a 4x4 car or a rigid or decent A frame drawbar outfit using a 6 wheeler prime mover,rather than the average euro spec artic.
Juddian:
Maybe i’m overcautious too, but an artic starting to fold up on you at a decent speed is frightening.
^ This.Whatever the judgement call at the time.It also needs to be remembered that artics,especially euro spec artics, contain some inherent very nasty potential traits in regards to loss of traction or grip at the drive axle and resulting lightning fast unrecoverable jacknifing at the slightest provocation.On that note let’s just say the forces trying to fold the thing up outweigh any superiority in grip levels over the average car and if I was going to be doing much overtaking in slippery conditions then preferably it would be while driving a 4x4 car or a rigid or decent A frame drawbar outfit using a 6 wheeler prime mover,rather than the average euro spec artic.
That will only happen if you’re driving like a nob. Very gentle acceleration, braking and steering inputs combined with keen observation of what’s going on in front, underneath and to the sides of you will keep you just fine driving on snow.
We had all of 2" max here & everything came to a stop due to drivers not knowing what to do as you said it was fresh wet snow so np I would have done the same
Couple years back on the M8 my son was in the car with a mate of his who was driving was a brand new car he had there was some snow on it he was waiting for someone to pull out as he wasn’t sure if there was any large stones or anything in the outside lane then a lorry did pass he pulled out to follow he was playing cautious due to it bing a new car even though there were 4x4 in onside lane following like sheep
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" (In heels…)
Tris:
OP I think you were foolish with your blazè attitude, but you’re not alone or even in the minority. Most truck drivers would have done the same.
Ok mate that’s your opinion, but how do you rate my attitude as blase exactly? If you read my o/p, I did say I looked at the snow and made a judgement, whether it was packed or not, it was fine snow on water, hence the slush I was chucking up The me saying '[zb] it' bit came after making the assessment, hardly indifferent or blase .
I wasn’t there so can’t judge really, I’m just basing my view on the times I’ve been in my car and I’ve been forced to slow right down because I’ve got no grip. And I’ve had lorries motoring past me and thought what a bunch of c00nts - if either I or they lose control I’ve got 44t ploughing into me. I’m not having a go, but what would you have done if a car had pulled out in front of you? Would you have been able to take evasive action?
You make a good point, but as I said when summing up, ‘‘you can never fully account for careless idiots in any traffic scenario’’
It’s like when you are being overtaken by another truck alongside a slip road full of cars intending to join the motorway for example, you just have to hope one of them isn’t a careless moron.
So I suppose the honest answer is …‘Maybe and as best as I could’
If potential accidents caused by the possible 1 in 10 idiot was your no 1 priority, you would be sat in a straight line all day not doing any other manouvres, the idiot in question has to take at least some responsibility.
I’m pretty used to snow after 8 Canadian winters, but it’s not about my confidence or ability, it’s about the other road users too. We have a moral duty to show consideration to other road users.
Yes they may be a PITA, but if you pass them and dust/slush them out and they hit the brakes in panic, causing a chain reaction crash then that is totally down to you.
Juddian:
Maybe i’m overcautious too, but an artic starting to fold up on you at a decent speed is frightening.
^ This.Whatever the judgement call at the time.It also needs to be remembered that artics,especially euro spec artics, contain some inherent very nasty potential traits in regards to loss of traction or grip at the drive axle and resulting lightning fast unrecoverable jacknifing at the slightest provocation.On that note let’s just say the forces trying to fold the thing up outweigh any superiority in grip levels over the average car and if I was going to be doing much overtaking in slippery conditions then preferably it would be while driving a 4x4 car or a rigid or decent A frame drawbar outfit using a 6 wheeler prime mover,rather than the average euro spec artic.
That will only happen if you’re driving like a nob. Very gentle acceleration, braking and steering inputs combined with keen observation of what’s going on in front, underneath and to the sides of you will keep you just fine driving on snow.
I’m sorry but that is ■■■■■■■■, the conditions can change so quickly, a change in temperature or road surface will make a huge difference to the type of snow under your tyres and you can suddenly turn into a passenger heading straight to the scene of the accident.
Slightly deeper or slushier snow on one side, a big bump in the road, a sudden camber or a gust of wind and you can lose control.
Here’s a couple of pictures from my last couple of trips, trust me I do know what I’m talking about when it comes to snow…
When driving in snow you lose the ability to know where your limits of grip and traction are, hence the amounts of ifs, buts and what ifs here so there’s no real right or wrong answer to your question, you completed the manoeuvre without drama, but (there it is again) had something happened to make you lose control you would then be a passenger
I’m very surprised there’s been no input from the “I’m paid by the hour” crew on this one
Oh and to get too upset about being called “blasé”
I think this thread come down to what you feel comfortable with, and your skill level…
Saturday I was doing a box jockey run, and it was my first time fully loaded/weighed after picking up concentrate from Coca Cola in Milton Keynes for MB in Basingstoke. It was a job and knock run, but i was taking it very slow as I don’t have the experience to know how it would affect the handling of the truck. It’s all very well people criticizing another, but if Robroy hasn’t put the truck in a ditch or caused an accident with the way he drove in the snow, it’s very hard to say he was being reckless, as we weren’t there! Would I have pulled out into the middle lane and overtaken them? Not a chance in hell!!! I’d have sat in the first lane leaving a huge gap between me and the vehicle in front. Not because I’m scared or doubt my abilities, but because I don’t have the experience to know what to expect…
And after carrying 1 heavy load, I still don’t know what to expect with a fully laden truck, as it’s simply not enough experience to make a judgment on… But what I did learn was that it’s embarrassing climbing up the inclines/hills on the M1 at 36 miles an hour.
But by the same token I was grateful that i wasn’t being blown around as much as some of the other trucks seemed to be!
I live in the North East we had some of this wet white stuff btw it is all gone now as it did rain so np with what Roy done I had to go out on my crutches & it was fine ( for those that don’t know had accident fracture ankle ruptured achillies torn ligaments ) even took my car out round the block
It was more like rain but white simple as that no reason to go that slow
Being paid by the hour doesn’t make us slow, just like the salary guys aren’t all boy racers The snow wouldn’t give me an excuse to milk it, it would make me put on my sunglasses
You have to make a call based on what you see and feel along with your abilities and experience, isn’t that why we are called professionals? Have done the same as RR a few times, held back a few times. Just makes me a typical driver who drives for a living.
Last February from A465 heads of the valley’s road,took the mountain road A4059 for Brecon,couple of miles up the road,inch or so of snow,hadn’t been any snow prior to this point,this was a sudden flurry,didn’t appear to be a concern,doing 30mph,2 pallets on and Moffat,couple miles short of the A470,trailer kicked out,nothing I could do,off the road she went,managed to keep her upright,proper recovery job,9 hours later,never known conditions like it,5 month old Scania V8,luckily only bumper and headlight damage,but was a big lesson for me,had only been in artic a year at that point so could put it down to inexperience but obviously it could be judged I was doing excess speed,as I was in the ditch,gritters and snow ploughs were out,10 mins too late!? Just thought would share this!
Evil8Beezle:
I think this thread come down to what you feel comfortable with, and your skill level…
Saturday I was doing a box jockey run, and it was my first time fully loaded/weighed after picking up concentrate from Coca Cola in Milton Keynes for MB in Basingstoke. It was a job and knock run, but i was taking it very slow as I don’t have the experience to know how it would affect the handling of the truck. It’s all very well people criticizing another, but if Robroy hasn’t put the truck in a ditch or caused an accident with the way he drove in the snow, it’s very hard to say he was being reckless, as we weren’t there! Would I have pulled out into the middle lane and overtaken them? Not a chance in hell!!! I’d have sat in the first lane leaving a huge gap between me and the vehicle in front. Not because I’m scared or doubt my abilities, but because I don’t have the experience to know what to expect…
And after carrying 1 heavy load, I still don’t know what to expect with a fully laden truck, as it’s simply not enough experience to make a judgment on… But what I did learn was that it’s embarrassing climbing up the inclines/hills on the M1 at 36 miles an hour.
But by the same token I was grateful that i wasn’t being blown around as much as some of the other trucks seemed to be!
Concentrate can be tricky stuff especially if its not in a vacum bag and sloshing about all over the shop. The trick is (which im sure everyone realises) is to drive to the load, different loads give different handling characteristics from driving like you stole it to driving miss daisy.
No matter what though on roundabouts always go for the miss daisy option unless empty skel then you can really throw the bugger about.
Snow should never be underestimated as one second you can have traction then the next a ring peice twitching moment akin to a rabbits nose in a carrot factory.
Juddian:
Maybe i’m overcautious too, but an artic starting to fold up on you at a decent speed is frightening.
^ This.Whatever the judgement call at the time.It also needs to be remembered that artics,especially euro spec artics, contain some inherent very nasty potential traits in regards to loss of traction or grip at the drive axle and resulting lightning fast unrecoverable jacknifing at the slightest provocation.On that note let’s just say the forces trying to fold the thing up outweigh any superiority in grip levels over the average car and if I was going to be doing much overtaking in slippery conditions then preferably it would be while driving a 4x4 car or a rigid or decent A frame drawbar outfit using a 6 wheeler prime mover,rather than the average euro spec artic.
That will only happen if you’re driving like a nob. Very gentle acceleration, braking and steering inputs combined with keen observation of what’s going on in front, underneath and to the sides of you will keep you just fine driving on snow.
I’m sorry but that is ■■■■■■■■, the conditions can change so quickly, a change in temperature or road surface will make a huge difference to the type of snow under your tyres and you can suddenly turn into a passenger heading straight to the scene of the accident.
Slightly deeper or slushier snow on one side, a big bump in the road, a sudden camber or a gust of wind and you can lose control.
Here’s a couple of pictures from my last couple of trips, trust me I do know what I’m talking about when it comes to snow…
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As I said to robinhood, I would not be in you guy’s league when it came to driving in snow.
I have done most stuff in transport over the years, but still take a back seat, and have a lot of respect when it comes to guys like yourselves that have done stuff that I have not, whatever it may be. So there is no way I would attempt to argue with you on this.
If I could just re.iterate, it was nothing like Arctic blizzard conditions or anything like that, but a bit of wet snow, and/or slush on a wet road surface.
Who knows,… maybe the car drivers were in the right and I was as accused earlier, a bit inconsiderate and blase, but it was an on the spot decision, and given a second chance in an entirely identical situation, I WOULD do the same.
Dipper_Dave:
Concentrate can be tricky stuff especially if its not in a vacum bag and sloshing about all over the shop. The trick is (which im sure everyone realises) is to drive to the load, different loads give different handling characteristics from driving like you stole it to driving miss daisy.
No matter what though on roundabouts always go for the miss daisy option unless empty skel then you can really throw the bugger about.
Snow should never be underestimated as one second you can have traction then the next a ring peice twitching moment akin to a rabbits nose in a carrot factory.
I’m not sure if it was vacuum bagged, as it was in grey plastic cubes which I assume were about 800mm, as they fitted 3 wide on the trailer. I couldn’t feel it sloshing, but certainly knew it was there on the corners and roundabouts, as the whole truck rolled as I changed direction. Hence slow and smooth steering! I’m sure I was doing a Miss Daisy, but when you haven’t got the experience, you have to drive on the side of caution! I’d rather be late than making a call to the office saying the trucks in the ditch, and can you bring some vodka to go with the coke! lol:
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