Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

robroy:

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Hmmm. some would say that a lot of that is more down to a ‘perfectionist’ nature…and hey!, nothing wrong with that btw. :smiley:

(Just curious as to how long you have been in the job?..poss still in the ‘honeymoon period’?
But I’m maybe way off. :smiley: )

My point is I too was a bit that way .myself once over tbh, and for a long time, but all the unnecessary b/s aggravation and hassle in this industry, that has developed over the last 30.+ years,.(and especially the last 10 : :open_mouth: ) , has had an adverse and negative effect on me.
A lot of the stuff you mention?.., I’m at the stage where I really do not care anymore, .my CGAF attitude develops more all the time.

In fact one ‘perfectionist’ thing that grinds my gears is picking up a trailer when some smart arse has tied back the internals in a loop,.causing me to have to climb up and untangle the [zb] things :imp: …
Annoyances as minor as that indicate how I have become. :blush:

With you on the curtains and buckles kept tight,.deffo with you on [zb] s dropping trailers unstrapped :imp: …, not so much on position of ratchets, but I do use the wd40 like you do,.but all that stuff is more to do with safety and risk awareness I would say, ie a bit of professionalism.

I like the type of work that I do, but all the underlying b/s from authorities and especially the company has just made me…shall we say ‘A tad less enthusiastic about the job’ these days, my keen and wide eyed days are ancient history, so minor unimportant stuff is now way off my radar, like some you mention, but we are all different.

On positive side still strive to do 100% effort btw in my work,.that just comes naturally as a driver, but reaction to all the crap is usually ‘[zb] off and leave me to do my job’ then the CGAF stuff increases as a result…maybe just me eh? :smiley:

Hey…looks like I’m a bit of a hybrid. :smiley:
Part ‘proper driver’ Part SWA. :laughing:

Yet ANOTHER reap and sow reaction and situation in the job I reck. :smiley:

Way off robroy - been at this game for 27 years now . Always picked my employers because they run nice kit and take a bit of pride in doing the job right , I’m no tank polisher but I figure that if I’m going to be in a truck from early monday mornings to late Friday night I might as well keep it neat and tidy. I used to work to a firm with white curtains and black buckles we were told the day we strated that buckle straps would be tucked in , you would get one warning and then a P45.
I try to do my best , when I turn up I don’t want to look like something dragged out of a hedge , I want the truck to look smart and the load to be where it was loaded and not damaged or moved . I try to do it right and I’ve had some right rows with our office on a few occassions when I’ve been asked to do something I consider to be foolish or stupid , they now ask me what I think is the best way to do things and normally don’t get in my way. As a result anything that comes our way be it slightly strange / odd or different now ends up with me and thats the kind of work I enjoy , I don’t do well in RDC enviroments , I point blank refuse to go inside the M25 ,I much prefer to be in Scotland - the further north the better , no fear of a flat trailer , farmers yards or forests .

22

^^^^^
Yep can’t fault ya mate.
If sounds as if you work for a decent firm who both value you, and treat you like a grown up.
I have also worked for 2 firms much like that in the past,.and at that time my attitude and approach was much like yours.

But as I said presently with me it’s a classic ‘You reap what you sow’ situation…hence why I am like what I am now in my attitude after being 'worn down ’ with b/s , (but as I said not stopping giving 100%.in my actual approach to.the work that I actually enjoy despite it, but on a pure mercenary basis)

What a pity that many firms just do NOT get that concept.

23

I’ll chip in here, my lad came away with me from around the age of 4, every school holiday his hold-all was packed and he was up before my alarm went off and away we went
There was absolutely no doubt what he wanted to do when he was old enough and that was to pilot an HGV. He spent the time in between 14 and being old enough to get said licence working on farms and driving tractors and crucially gaining experience working and operating heavy equipment
He’s 26 now and on STGO work, 80ton plus low loaders taking plant and forestry machines into sites I’d think twice about in a 4x4 pick up. I see him regularly and little things I see like ratchet strap tails neatly folded up and chains tightened and loose ends stowed away tell me he’s a “driver”
I’ve 35 yrs plus in the game of driving and I wouldn’t attempt what he does every day

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

24

Steering wheel attendant attends to his steering wheel
Lorry driver drives a lorry simple really

25

Full auto and…

Cruise control has given us the steering wheel attendant. A generation of drivers who can’t concentrate on the road ahead and have to occupy their mind with Fakebook and Twits. Ok, that’s a generalisation but you get my drift. Watch some steering wheel attendants situational awareness on Ytube. It’s all about to happen, I can see what’s going to happen yet, it’s all a surprise when it does happen.

Easy to spot a lorry driver when they pull up to reverse into a tight spot. The number of steering wheel inputs and the start position are the pointers. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.

26

[quote=“yourhavingalarf”. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.[/quote]
■■?

27

stu675:
[quote=“yourhavingalarf”. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.

■■?
[/quote]
They don’t…

Drive 3 inches off your back bumper in heavy rain, snow or fog.

28

yourhavingalarf:

stu675:
[quote=“yourhavingalarf”. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.

■■?

They don’t…

Drive 3 inches off your back bumper in heavy rain, snow or fog.
[/quote]
Ok agreed, but in good weather, the 2 seconds is 50 meters/150 feet. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do that ever. Is that what you would do, or maybe leave it to half that before pulling out to overtake?

29

stu675:

yourhavingalarf:

stu675:
[quote=“yourhavingalarf”. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.

■■?

They don’t…

Drive 3 inches off your back bumper in heavy rain, snow or fog.

Ok agreed, but in good weather, the 2 seconds is 50 meters/150 feet. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do that ever. Is that what you would do, or maybe leave it to half that before pulling out to overtake?
[/quote]
I don’t have…

A set plan, rules that I must adhere to or ideas that govern what I should do. I constantly assess what’s happening around me and drive accordingly. I can’t remember a time I was right up another trucks behind, I just can’t, it doesn’t happen. I feel confident that if what ever was in front of me decided to whack it all on for no reason at all, I’d have an escape plan.

30

yourhavingalarf:

stu675:

yourhavingalarf:

stu675:
[quote=“yourhavingalarf”. Also the distance they keep from other lorries on the motorway.

■■?

They don’t…

Drive 3 inches off your back bumper in heavy rain, snow or fog.

Ok agreed, but in good weather, the 2 seconds is 50 meters/150 feet. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do that ever. Is that what you would do, or maybe leave it to half that before pulling out to overtake?

I don’t have…

A set plan, rules that I must adhere to or ideas that govern what I should do. I constantly assess what’s happening around me and drive accordingly. I can’t remember a time I was right up another trucks behind, I just can’t, it doesn’t happen. I feel confident that if what ever was in front of me decided to whack it all on for no reason at all, I’d have an escape plan.
[/quote]
Thanks [emoji106]

31

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Add to that; any dodgy or damaged straps and ratchets replaced when you get back instead of being hidden away for the next driver to find when he’s 20 miles from the yard doing a collection.

32

Sidevalve:

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Add to that; any dodgy or damaged straps and ratchets replaced when you get back instead of being hidden away for the next driver to find when he’s 20 miles from the yard doing a collection.

A truly professional driver would check the equipment before leaving the yard.

33

the nodding donkey:

Sidevalve:

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Add to that; any dodgy or damaged straps and ratchets replaced when you get back instead of being hidden away for the next driver to find when he’s 20 miles from the yard doing a collection.

A truly professional driver would check the equipment before leaving the yard.

Or if you have a dedicated lorry for yourself you carry 15 - 20 brand new straps and 40-60 corner pieces so no matter what gets shipped out to you , you can strap and secure it properly before leaving the port .

34

robroy:

blue estate:

the maoster:
Steering wheel attendant = poor quality driver. Not so much the physical act of driving but more the peripheral stuff, the guy/girl who can also be classed as a car driver who happens to have a class one licence. The type of person who’ll abandon a truck across the front of in use loading bays, who’ll let it go downhill when you’re passing them, who’ll pull out in front of you from a side road and make no attempt to accelerate, who’ll start to overtake you 100 yards from a roundabout, who’ll do their shopping whilst parked on the fuel pumps, who’ll sail past the queue of waiting lorries and push in at the front.

In short; an ignorant person who has no concept or care of the repercussions of their selfish actions. Or the type of person who I’d like to peel their face off!

And breathe :smiley:

WHAT ! No mention of Eaton, Fuller or any splitter gearbox , Rope and sheeting , Sleeping on a bit of ply wood in -20 with only spud sacks as a blanket
Stuck for a week on Shap in 4ft of Snow
Only air con was manual windy windows
Cab floor so rusty you could see road
Using string to operate wipers because the vacuum supplied by truck was less than yer granny’s ■■■■
I could go on but I’ve not got Rose tinted specs :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Nah there are a lot of experienced guys like you mention who are SWAs, and on the other hand a lot of young lads with only a couple of years under their belt that are ‘Drivers’.

It’s more about attitude, application, and professional.ISM, than just experience. :bulb:

What Maoster says, but he forgot to mention you absolute f/wit toss pots who almost overtake me and cut in on my windscreen :smiling_imp: …I’d like to watch you [zb] burn while I pour petrol over you at same time. :imp:…I know you are on here reading this.!!..you need to sort your [zb] selves out !..Use your [zb] mirrors and count to ten at the point YOU decide to wrongly pull in ffs!
:laughing:

Yeah I get that too. I find when overtaking that a 1/3 down the n/s mirror glass is fine but some flash us in when it is nearer 1/2 way down.

In the reverse when the offside of the trailer comes left side of the off side windscreen pillar that’s alright.

In both scenarios it depends upon whether you going uphill or downhill or how heavy your load is, Going down the M6 near the Morecambe junction if overtaken by said artic with 28 tons of concrete beams on chances are he’s going to pull away from you.

A year or so ago had some Gist ■■■■■■■■■ nearly crash into me on the w/b A66 because he couldn’t get it in his head that our trucks though similarly speed matched had different climbing/downhill characteristics. Found out he was a Chesterfield driver so reported the r-sole. I don’t come to work, to damage my truck, me or any other person or animal.

35

the nodding donkey:

Sidevalve:

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Add to that; any dodgy or damaged straps and ratchets replaced when you get back instead of being hidden away for the next driver to find when he’s 20 miles from the yard doing a collection.

A truly professional driver would check the equipment before leaving the yard.

Must be amazing to be as perfect as you.

36

Sidevalve:

the nodding donkey:

Sidevalve:

beefy4605:
Steering Wheel Attendant vs Lorry Driver

Curtains loose - ie not tightened front and rear and buckles slack and tails of buckles flapping in the wind - my pet peeve - I can’t stand to see curtains flapping about and the black marks where people haven’t tucked the buckle straps up in out of the way.

Straps and ratchets like a birds nest heaved in the back door. straps rolled up (hook out )and ratchets folded and if they need it hung on the trailer chime and a shot of WD40 before folding them up and putting them into the strap box ratchets one side , straps the other with corner pieces neatly stacked

load not properly strapped with the excuse - sure its an ENEXL curtain - nothing boils me more than having to start and open up a cutrainsider and restrap a load , or find that its been strapped with the ratchet handles all down the drivers side . If something happens and you have to tighten / readjust a ■■■■■■■■ the roadside from a saftey point you want the ratchet handles on the passengerside / kerbside.
3 examples of the difference between STA’s and Drivers - I could go on but my blood pressure is rising just typing this :imp:

Add to that; any dodgy or damaged straps and ratchets replaced when you get back instead of being hidden away for the next driver to find when he’s 20 miles from the yard doing a collection.

A truly professional driver would check the equipment before leaving the yard.

Must be amazing to be as perfect as you.

It is a burden, but I have to carry it.

37

beefy4605:
Or if you have a dedicated lorry for yourself you carry 15 - 20 brand new straps and 40-60 corner pieces so no matter what gets shipped out to you , you can strap and secure it properly before leaving the port .

You replace 15-20 straps a day? [emoji85]

38

stu675:

beefy4605:
Or if you have a dedicated lorry for yourself you carry 15 - 20 brand new straps and 40-60 corner pieces so no matter what gets shipped out to you , you can strap and secure it properly before leaving the port .

You replace 15-20 straps a day? [emoji85]

No I “have” 15-20 extra straps . If when I collect trailers from the ferry terminal and deliver the load . Then when reloading and I find I don’t have enough straps/ corner pieces I can take some of my “stock” to replace worn out straps . When I run low on stock I replace them when I get back to our yard at the weekend.

39

beefy4605:

stu675:

beefy4605:
Or if you have a dedicated lorry for yourself you carry 15 - 20 brand new straps and 40-60 corner pieces so no matter what gets shipped out to you , you can strap and secure it properly before leaving the port .

You replace 15-20 straps a day? [emoji85]

No I “have” 15-20 extra straps . If when I collect trailers from the ferry terminal and deliver the load . Then when reloading and I find I don’t have enough straps/ corner pieces I can take some of my “stock” to replace worn out straps . When I run low on stock I replace them when I get back to our yard at the weekend.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense [emoji106]. I do the same, but in my case only one extra strap could be required.

40

Witnessed 2 bona fide classic SWAs this week…only 2? :open_mouth:

Wed pm, Tyneside Safety Glass, yellow 4 wheeler M74 s/b, cut in on me after (almost :unamused: ) overtaking me :imp: …, then I watched him do the same on 3 trucks in front of me,. all of us each touching our brakes…Christ knows how many more he’d done over before and after.
If you are on here reading this you are a complete and utter ■■■■ !!

Tonight M5 n/b, guy in container truck in front of me pulled over to let out a DHL Volvo, I pulled out behind him,.where he kept guy in front of me out like a spare prick instead of backing off a couple of clicks…then headed off to hog the middle lane for ■■■■ knows how long.
‘‘Drivers’’ my ■■■■ arse. :unamused:
Happy days.