You know what I mean? When you’re overtaking and the slower vehicle flashes its headlights to tell you you’re trailer is clear and it’s OK to pull back into the left lane.
A driver worth his/her salt would know how long the trailer is, but it still helps, especially at night.
Do you know how it started? When I first began on the road in 1970, I was told by an old driver who had worked all through WW2 that they had to do it then. Before the war most lorries had a driver’s mate, and no nearside mirror. When a lorry overtook another, the driver’s mate would hang his head out of the cab and let the driver know when it was okay to pull back in.
But during the war, most of the mates were called up, and the drivers found themselves on their own, with no nearside mirror. Even the offside mirror was a tiny little round thing on a stalk, but you could just make out lights behind.
They also drove at night with hooded headlights, but there was just enough beam to reach ahead of the overtaking vehicle. It was a hairy operation on those old blacked-out single carriageway bumpy roads to overtake anyway.
When the overtaking lorry was clear the slower driver would flash his lights frantically. The overtaker would pull in and be so relieved that he would flash back a thank you by dowsing his one and only tail light.
But, the slower lorry would slow down even more to let him pass. You don’t see that much nowadays when everyone is creeping around at 56mph. Maybe it should come back in, thus ending the long lines of traffic being held back by two artics travelling on speed-limiters and cruise control at almost exactly the same speed before an ‘enlightened’ government bans overtaking altogether.
Someone on here has said about knocking a couple of clicks off the limiter-I’ve been doing it this week (except for steep hills like Stokenchurch Cutting) it does make things easier, though I would advise people to drive a couple of mph under their max speed, thus leaving a bit in reserve if you need to get by…
most of the highway truckers here in oz will flash you in when youre past them, its especially handy when towing bdoubles (25 metres), but you can usually tell, day or night when you’re clear, its just a courtesy thing, rarely happens around town but thats mostly because the round town clowns (local drivers) dont know any better.
its just about the only common courtesy left in the industry so i hope it never gets lost
as for backing off when someones passing, thats very very rare here except on single lane roads then we’ll communicate on the old charlie bravo and get them around safely before any encounters with oncoming traffic need to happen
canaldrifter:
But, the slower lorry would slow down even more to let him pass. You don’t see that much nowadays when everyone is creeping around at 56mph.
Perhaps you don’t know that the limit then was 20mph. Yes 20. OK it was not widely observed but 30 was considered pretty fast.
The rules:
Side Lights - The light may only be emitted through an opening two inches in diameter and the opening must be obscured with two thicknesses of newspaper or the equivalent and reflectors must be blackened side and top panels must be obscured.
Rear Lights - All openings other than the red rear light and stop light must be completely obscured. The red rear light must not exceed two inches in diameter and be screened with two thicknesses of newspaper or its equivalent, and the reflector must be blackened. The stop light must not exceed one square inch in diameter and must be screened similarly to the red rear light. This means that there must no longer be any light illuminating from the number plate.
The front and rear bumpers and the edge of the running-boards must be painted white. No other light may be used, except headlamps masked in the manner indicated in the manner indicated in the leaflet.
Not surprising then that more people were killed on the roads than by bombs during the blitz.
We use 25 metre combinations here too, b-doubles as Beattun mentioned above, and other combinations of the same length. Getting flashed back in is a real rarity here however, and I have to admit I miss it. I suppose it’s too much like opening a conversation with someone you don’t know, and therefore too much for the shy Finns
Of course I do know how long my combination is, but the flash does help, especially in less-than-ideal conditions. Occasionally when my head is stuck in UK mode I forget, and flash people in, I just hope that it doesn’t cause confusion
BIGRIG:
Had a clown overtake me last week he didnt wait for me to flash him in he just pulled in and i had a windscreen full of rear doors. nearly [zb] meself
Was it a LENHAM wagon by any chance? This Richard Head cut in front of me up the hill M1 south at Jct15 saturday morning at 3am and i knocked the limiter off a few clicks never again reg began DK08*** i wouldn’t mind as i just let him out at Northampton services-Now all Lenham can shove it on entry to any Motorway here at night Payback from A Stobart Driver You 5 knuckle shuffller
I’ve only been in the game just over 10 years but how many heavies do you let out now and they’ll sit on cruise control and you’ll be 3 miles up the road before they’ll let you in?
We’re starting to get into the car brigade unfortunately fella’s as I can’t help thinking that some people do not want to be lorry drivers but got it as part of a reduntancy package or some likes?
I still love driving but wonder why your work mates (so to speak) hang you out to dry for the car drivers to think we are all selfish.
Not long now before the middle lane is full of front fogged lighted LGV hoggers I think!
Oh sorry I forgot the blokes that you have near enough got past but down hill they decide to not let you in but just dip the clutch and start the whole parade again. Well done for helping the the public think we’re all knobs for holding them up!
And I was about when our dads parked their Volvo’s up the top of the roads so I still love trucks.
Shame the public do not realise what we do for them hey?
canaldrifter:
Do you know how it started? When I first began on the road in 1970…You don’t see that much nowadays when everyone is creeping around at 56mph.
There wasn’t so many motorways then and it was helpful with having next to no mirrors to be flashed in. Everyone nowadays creeping about at 56mph is on a motorway. Why do you need flashing in from lane two? You unsure of when its safe to do so or summat? Don’t give us the old holding other motorists up balloney, since when did lorry drivers need to worry about that? We’re always holding someone up, even if its other lorry drivers. If you don’t know when its safe to pull in in an modern articulated vehicle then you shouldn’t be driving one. I get sick of you fellas who always want someone else to do some thing, like give way, pull over, flash in etc…its typical of the me, my booking time, i can get finished in x amount of hours if i get a wiggle on. Well here’s the news…we’re all the same. Get over it, get a grip on what you’re doing and leave other people to go about their own buisness…the guy you’re trying to pass is trying to do the same as you.
<pheww!! I feel better now !!>
canaldrifter:
Do you know how it started? When I first began on the road in 1970…You don’t see that much nowadays when everyone is creeping around at 56mph.
There wasn’t so many motorways then and it was helpful with having next to no mirrors to be flashed in. Everyone nowadays creeping about at 56mph is on a motorway. Why do you need flashing in from lane two? You unsure of when its safe to do so or summat? Don’t give us the old holding other motorists up balloney, since when did lorry drivers need to worry about that? We’re always holding someone up, even if its other lorry drivers. If you don’t know when its safe to pull in in an modern articulated vehicle then you shouldn’t be driving one. **I get sick of you fellas who always want someone else to do some thing, like give way, pull over, flash in etc…**its typical of the me, my booking time, i can get finished in x amount of hours if i get a wiggle on. Well here’s the news…we’re all the same. Get over it, get a grip on what you’re doing and leave other people to go about their own buisness…the guy you’re trying to pass is trying to do the same as you.
<pheww!! I feel better now !!>
Wasn’t it you that announced to all & sundry on here some time ago that you never ease off when someone is overtaking you on a M/DC because it’s not your problem etc, they should have the speed to make the manoeuvre etc?
I know the length of my lorry to the millimeter, if I want to I can wipe the flies off your bumper as I pull in, obviously I don’t, but I could and we should all be able to do this, yet I still flash people in, although I turn my headlights off instead of giving the overtaker arc eye with my main beams, it’s just the same as giving a fellow driver a wave, they shouldn’t need it to come back over in a safe manner, but it doesn’t hurt anyone if you do it, I don’t give a toss if I get flashed in or no thanks back if I’ve done the flashing, but I always do it and always say thanks.
RobK:
Wasn’t it you that announced to all & sundry on here some time ago that you never ease off when someone is overtaking you on a M/DC because it’s not your problem etc, they should have the speed to make the manoeuvre etc?
Spot on. I drive my truck and i leave anyone else to drive theirs. I’ve got places to get to same as everyone else.
RobK:
Wasn’t it you that announced to all & sundry on here some time ago that you never ease off when someone is overtaking you on a M/DC because it’s not your problem etc, they should have the speed to make the manoeuvre etc?
Spot on. I drive my truck and i leave anyone else to drive theirs. I’ve got places to get to same as everyone else.
Right.
So it’s “someone elses fault” then when you pull out to overtake another trucker on a DC and he won’t ease off thus causing a 2 mile queue of cars behind you? More than happy to quote specific posts of yours if you like!
newmercman:
I know the length of my lorry to the millimeter, if I want to I can wipe the flies off your bumper as I pull in, obviously I don’t, but I could and we should all be able to do this, yet I still flash people in, although I turn my headlights off instead of giving the overtaker arc eye with my main beams, it’s just the same as giving a fellow driver a wave, they shouldn’t need it to come back over in a safe manner, but it doesn’t hurt anyone if you do it, I don’t give a toss if I get flashed in or no thanks back if I’ve done the flashing, but I always do it and always say thanks.
I reckon you need a chill pill Mr C
Everyone (should) know how long the the truck is from the time you leave the yard or you’ll wipe loads of things out before you’ve even got a mile down the road.But with overtaking it’s getting the calculation of speed differential and time needed to clear the vehicle you’re overtaking right which is the important bit.The bigger that speed differential the easier and quicker it’ll be to clear the vehicle being overtaken and it’s the one that’s doing the overtaking which needs to make that speed differential as large as possible by increasing speed while overtaking.But zb speed limiters and insane speed enforcement won’t allow that now.However trying to solve that issue by calling for the vehicle being overtaken to back off will just make ripple effects going back miles which are like ly to result in more pile ups and a continuously increasing slowing up of traffic because to make a worthwile difference you’d need to back off to around 70 kmh which means trucks running at 80 kmh will then try to overtake so you’ll need to back off to 60 kmh so on and so forth.I knew the length of my wagon to the millimetre and I’d cleared most,if not all,of the trucks I overtook by more than enough of a safe margin (based on timing and speed differential not just possibly erroneous distance calculations) by the time I got a flash but they still got a thanks and the flash was a useful help especially on night trunking in zb weather conditions when the mirrors were soaked in spray etc…
BIGRIG:
Had a clown overtake me last week he didnt wait for me to flash him in he just pulled in and i had a windscreen full of rear doors. nearly [zb] meself
Yeah we all meet these smart arses who like to show you they know the length of their rig.I know how much room I feel safe with before I flash anybody in,and I expect them to be of the same mind when they flash me in.
BIGRIG:
Had a clown overtake me last week he didnt wait for me to flash him in he just pulled in and i had a windscreen full of rear doors. nearly [zb] meself
Yeah we all meet these smart arses who like to show you they know the length of their rig.
And that’s their big mistake because it’s the 2-3 truck lengths they need to clear you by before coming back in which matters not just the length of their truck itself and it takes a bit more thought than just the quick calculation of that distance as it seems in the mirrors (especially in the dark on an unlit section of road in zb weather conditions) and in that context there’s still a place for the good old fashioned flashing in to help in the process especially with the type of speed differentials forced on us by zb limiters and cameras etc.
Iwork nights so its always dark but some of these clowns are pulling in far too soon.I dont think they are judging the distance and gap.theyre guessing which is bloody dangerouse
reg began DK08*** i wouldn’t mind as i just let him out at Northampton services-Now all Lenham can shove it on entry to any Motorway here at night 
Payback from A Stobart Driver You 5 knuckle shuffller 
