44 Tonne Ton:
It’s a bloody dangerous practice that’s why I don’t flash anyone in.
Why is it dangerous? sorry just saw the other post, I always back off when someone is overtaking me…
Good for you mate!
There is also the point that has been missed so far. Flashing headlights is a warning in the highway code, not a signal to pull in… but then how many LGV drivers nowadays know what the highway code even looks like?
So… truckers… sorry… lorry drivers (trucks in my day ran on tracks), use their lights differently, and why shouldn’t they? The lorry driver’s code has been going on since before the highway code was invented. It is a tradition…another point that has been missed. Long may it continue.
I still flash in heavies now that I am retired and only drive a private 4x4 (I can’t bear to be as low as a car on the road either literally or in esteem). Most of them just ignore me, but some respond with a flick of their flashers.
On the other hand on the rare occasions when I’ve overtaken a heavy in my little 4x4 and been flashed in, I always douse or flash my rear-lights twice in thanks. That was the original ‘thank you’. The flashers is the lazy way of doing it. Also we had illuminated signal arms, not indicators when I started.
Sometimes you known you’ve overtaken a veteran driver because when they see the tail-light flashes, they instantly know that I am an old lorry driver, and they will again flash their headlights a couple of times in recognition of that fact.
btw, even in my 4x4 I still cruise with the LGVs. It’s a habit, and it still saves fuel consumption now that I’m paying for it out of state pension.
mark41:
i dont drive any truck at the moment as im in the process of getting my class 2 but as long as ive had my licence and have been driving wether it was a car or van i have always flashed trucks in, with all the [zb] most lorry drivers have to put up with on a day to day basis i just consider it the least i can do…
Jeez, smell the coffee! I DON’T NEED ANYBODY TO FLASH ME IN AND I WON’T BE FLASHING YOU IN WHEN YOU JOIN US ON HEAVIES!
Where’s ROG when you need rockets and banners■■?
Great. Just what the roads need! Another aggressive, selfish, self-opinionated driver!
44 Tonne Ton:
It’s a bloody dangerous practice that’s why I don’t flash anyone in.
Why is it dangerous? sorry just saw the other post, I always back off when someone is overtaking me…
Good for you mate!
There is also the point that has been missed so far. Flashing headlights is a warning in the highway code, not a signal to pull in… but then how many LGV drivers nowadays know what the highway code even looks like?
So… truckers… sorry… lorry drivers (trucks in my day ran on tracks), use their lights differently, and why shouldn’t they? The lorry driver’s code has been going on since before the highway code was invented. It is a tradition…another point that has been missed. Long may it continue.
I still flash in heavies now that I am retired and only drive a private 4x4 (I can’t bear to be as low as a car on the road either literally or in esteem). Most of them just ignore me, but some respond with a flick of their flashers.
On the other hand on the rare occasions when I’ve overtaken a heavy in my little 4x4 and been flashed in, I always douse or flash my rear-lights twice in thanks. That was the original ‘thank you’. The flashers is the lazy way of doing it. Also we had illuminated signal arms, not indicators when I started.
Sometimes you known you’ve overtaken a veteran driver because when they see the tail-light flashes, they instantly know that I am an old lorry driver, and they will again flash their headlights a couple of times in recognition of that fact.
btw, even in my 4x4 I still cruise with the LGVs. It’s a habit, and it still saves fuel consumption now that I’m paying for it out of state pension.
Tone
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.And it’s always been a bit difficult to use the tail lights as a thanks at night because that means you’d need to turn all your headlights off at the same time because you can’t turn off the tail lights without turning off the headlights first.
44 Tonne Ton:
It’s a bloody dangerous practice that’s why I don’t flash anyone in.
Why is it dangerous? sorry just saw the other post, I always back off when someone is overtaking me…
Good for you mate!
There is also the point that has been missed so far. Flashing headlights is a warning in the highway code, not a signal to pull in… but then how many LGV drivers nowadays know what the highway code even looks like?
So… truckers… sorry… lorry drivers (trucks in my day ran on tracks), use their lights differently, and why shouldn’t they? The lorry driver’s code has been going on since before the highway code was invented. It is a tradition…another point that has been missed. Long may it continue.
I still flash in heavies now that I am retired and only drive a private 4x4 (I can’t bear to be as low as a car on the road either literally or in esteem). Most of them just ignore me, but some respond with a flick of their flashers.
On the other hand on the rare occasions when I’ve overtaken a heavy in my little 4x4 and been flashed in, I always douse or flash my rear-lights twice in thanks. That was the original ‘thank you’. The flashers is the lazy way of doing it. Also we had illuminated signal arms, not indicators when I started.
Sometimes you known you’ve overtaken a veteran driver because when they see the tail-light flashes, they instantly know that I am an old lorry driver, and they will again flash their headlights a couple of times in recognition of that fact.
btw, even in my 4x4 I still cruise with the LGVs. It’s a habit, and it still saves fuel consumption now that I’m paying for it out of state pension.
Tone
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.And it’s always been a bit difficult to use the tail lights as a thanks at night because that means you’d need to turn all your headlights off at the same time because you can’t turn off the tail lights without turning off the headlights first.
… and your point is■■?
A second of no headlights makes no difference at all.
I love newsgroups and forums like this. A little winding up and posters flounder around like clockwork penguins!
44 Tonne Ton:
It’s a bloody dangerous practice that’s why I don’t flash anyone in.
Why is it dangerous? sorry just saw the other post, I always back off when someone is overtaking me…
Good for you mate!
There is also the point that has been missed so far. Flashing headlights is a warning in the highway code, not a signal to pull in… but then how many LGV drivers nowadays know what the highway code even looks like?
So… truckers… sorry… lorry drivers (trucks in my day ran on tracks), use their lights differently, and why shouldn’t they? The lorry driver’s code has been going on since before the highway code was invented. It is a tradition…another point that has been missed. Long may it continue.
I still flash in heavies now that I am retired and only drive a private 4x4 (I can’t bear to be as low as a car on the road either literally or in esteem). Most of them just ignore me, but some respond with a flick of their flashers.
On the other hand on the rare occasions when I’ve overtaken a heavy in my little 4x4 and been flashed in, I always douse or flash my rear-lights twice in thanks. That was the original ‘thank you’. The flashers is the lazy way of doing it. Also we had illuminated signal arms, not indicators when I started.
Sometimes you known you’ve overtaken a veteran driver because when they see the tail-light flashes, they instantly know that I am an old lorry driver, and they will again flash their headlights a couple of times in recognition of that fact.
btw, even in my 4x4 I still cruise with the LGVs. It’s a habit, and it still saves fuel consumption now that I’m paying for it out of state pension.
Tone
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.And it’s always been a bit difficult to use the tail lights as a thanks at night because that means you’d need to turn all your headlights off at the same time because you can’t turn off the tail lights without turning off the headlights first.
… and your point is■■?
A second of no headlights makes no difference at all.
I love newsgroups and forums like this. A little winding up and posters flounder around like clockwork penguins!
Tone
A second of no lights makes a lot of difference at on an unlit motorway especially if a copper sees you turn them all off I should know because I thanked enough of them who’d flashed me in using my indicators not my tail lights.And I’ve never understood why anyone needs to drive a car at less than 90 kmh,or 60 mph in the old days,which requires trucks to have to go to all the aggro of needing to overtake them.But the description ‘veteran’ driver is relative and those of us who were new drivers,when you were one of the older ones,are becoming veterans now.Which means using the indicators sometimes as a thanks for a flash while some of the newer drivers now won’t even understand why we’re still flashing in anyway.
Sorry am I getting the wrong end of the drift here or Is Canaldrifter saying he flashes us in as he was there years before us and want to let us know that?
I’m a bit shocked by some of the reply’s on this post as not been coming on this site for long and only in my 11th year of driving but why would some people come on this site to say they don’t give a stuff about other drivers and then post it on here??
We all have off days and I know there are some idiots driving cars and indeed driving HGV’s but when you get an oldschool driver like Tone and moaning that he goes slow enough to let a lorry in! COME ON!
WOW! He slow’s and flashes you in and makes it clear he’s oldschool? He gets my respect.
I bet I wouldn’t be roping and sheeting like he used to be.
Give him a break please and a little respect.
Carryfast:
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.
Indeed… And they are usually the first to complain about how congested the roads are these days but yet when you point out the connection you just get looked at blankly.
Carryfast:
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.
Indeed… And they are usually the first to complain about how congested the roads are these days but yet when you point out the connection you just get looked at blankly.
Sorry. maybe I’m thick. But can you explain your thoughts a little more? How does driving twixt 50-60mph cause congestion again?
To add to the debate. the way I drive now is to stay with the heavies. It’s relaxing, saves fuel and I can muse about the state of the rear crash bar in front and wonder if some driver really does know how long his trailer is when backing into bays.
If a slightly faster truck comes up behind and pulls out to overtake me, I slow down a couple of mph and let him past as quickly as he can, instead of making him hog the overtaking lane for mile after mile. When he is clear I flash him in, especially in dirty weather, which is another factor not mentioned here yet.
Similarly, if I come across a slower lorry, usually a low loader, doing about 45mph, I pull out and pass. If he flashes me in in my 4x4, I’ll give him the tail-light signal. Quite often the driver will pickup on thefact that I’m one of the old school, and flash a ‘Hi’ on his headlights.
There was more to the drivers code,like helping another driver fold his sheets or re build a tilt at a drop, or give way to another truck chugging up the Alps. But it seems to be everyone for themselfs now with no time for anyone else . I must be getting old or something
Carryfast:
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.
Indeed… And they are usually the first to complain about how congested the roads are these days but yet when you point out the connection you just get looked at blankly.
Sorry. maybe I’m thick. But can you explain your thoughts a little more? How does driving twixt 50-60mph cause congestion again?
To add to the debate. the way I drive now is to stay with the heavies. It’s relaxing, saves fuel and I can muse about the state of the rear crash bar in front and wonder if some driver really does know how long his trailer is when backing into bays.
If a slightly faster truck comes up behind and pulls out to overtake me, I slow down a couple of mph and let him past as quickly as he can, instead of making him hog the overtaking lane for mile after mile. When he is clear I flash him in, especially in dirty weather, which is another factor not mentioned here yet.
Similarly, if I come across a slower lorry, usually a low loader, doing about 45mph, I pull out and pass. If he flashes me in in my 4x4, I’ll give him the tail-light signal. Quite often the driver will pickup on thefact that I’m one of the old school, and flash a ‘Hi’ on his headlights.
Wots wrong with that guys?
Tone
You shouldn’t even be doing 50mph on a motorway! Motorways are there for people and freight to get from A to B as fast as legally possible, not for Sunday drivers who have nowhere to go so dawdle along causing chaos. If you want to drive at a snails pace to save 2p in fuel costs then get on the back roads where you won’t be causing any problems, or better still, catch a [zb] bus. It’s people like you that are the root cause of all the congestion on the roads. You see it on DCs all the time now - everyone forced to do 56mph because the trucks are having to spend their entire time in the outside lane overtaking the ‘nowhere to go, all day to do it’ brigade doing anything from 30-55mph. This means that the rest of us that do actually have places to be have to set off 2 hours earlier because of you selfish [zb]s. Makes my blood boil. ME ME ME, that’s all you care about.
Carryfast:
Great another car driver who drives everywhere at less than 90 kmh.
Indeed… And they are usually the first to complain about how congested the roads are these days but yet when you point out the connection you just get looked at blankly.
Sorry. maybe I’m thick. But can you explain your thoughts a little more? How does driving twixt 50-60mph cause congestion again?
To add to the debate. the way I drive now is to stay with the heavies. It’s relaxing, saves fuel and I can muse about the state of the rear crash bar in front and wonder if some driver really does know how long his trailer is when backing into bays.
If a slightly faster truck comes up behind and pulls out to overtake me, I slow down a couple of mph and let him past as quickly as he can, instead of making him hog the overtaking lane for mile after mile. When he is clear I flash him in, especially in dirty weather, which is another factor not mentioned here yet.
Similarly, if I come across a slower lorry, usually a low loader, doing about 45mph, I pull out and pass. If he flashes me in in my 4x4, I’ll give him the tail-light signal. Quite often the driver will pickup on thefact that I’m one of the old school, and flash a ‘Hi’ on his headlights.
Wots wrong with that guys?
Tone
I give up just carry on regardless.That’s why they keep on having to put more and more overtaking lanes on the M25 because most car drivers using it drive like that anyway except that most of them,unlike you,are’nt as considerate in backing off even more and flashing in the trucks which they’ve forced into the overtaking lanes to overtake them .And by the way while you’re busy musing on the state of that underrun bar in front of you just hope that there’s nothing much going on in front of him and around you either and that he does’nt have to stop quick.
Should that not be,ME,ME,ME,that`s all I care about?
I think you’re absolutely right, chum.
And it worries me that so many obviously utterly selfish immature idiots are at the wheels of LGVs. I do hope that someone from the ministry is reading this thread. Maybe it’s time a psychology element should be introduced into LGV test applications.
Luckily I don’t think the ranters on here are typical of the majority, who don’t need to regard their trucks as ■■■■■ substitutes.
newmercman:
Carryfast, you’ve seen the photos of my speedo so you’re well aware that I can do silly speeds, if I want, but I cruise at 64mph, in fact I’ve had my ECM programmed so that 64mph is flat out on cruise, I can still do what I want on the pedal, but I seldom use it, the reason I poodle around at 64mph is twofold, firstly it’s much less stressful, I’ve always got my own piece of road and nobody seems to be in my way and secondly I earn more money, yes I get paid by the mile, but at 64mph I can still do 700miles in an 11hr driving day and a 14hr duty day, there’s not much margin for error, but I have a log book which I write myself so that’s taken care of, my company has also started a fuel bonus scheme, this allows me to indulge my need for speed as I spend half of the extra $600 a month I now get on a hemi engined Dodge Charger & the other half on petrol and tyres for it
I’m gonna have to dig some pics of me going downhill fast too!!
“Jeez, smell the coffee! I DON’T NEED ANYBODY TO FLASH ME IN AND I WON’T BE FLASHING YOU IN WHEN YOU JOIN US ON HEAVIES!”
Tone
There was nothing aggressive there. > smiley? ? You drive a 4x4 and if ever there was an arrogant, selfish,brain dead and opinionated group of drivers on the road it’s them!
cypry0:
There was more to the drivers code,like helping another driver fold his sheets or re build a tilt at a drop, or give way to another truck chugging up the Alps. But it seems to be everyone for themselfs now with no time for anyone else . I must be getting old or something
Absolutely! When we first started using the M6, if a waggon broke down, within minutes there would be a whole string of 'em in the hard shoulder all trying to help out.
Roping and sheeting was a joint effort and we took pride in getting it just so. If we noticed another waggon had a slipped rope, a shifting load or a flapping sheet on the road, we’d flash the driver and let him know, then stop and help him fix it.
When I first got behind a big wheel, professional drivers were still known by the general public as the Knights of the Road’. They’d even help out broken down motorists if they had time.
If you held up a log book you could guarantee getting a lift, and the old driver’s, pre sleeper cab digs might have been a bit basic, but the camaraderie (and the breakfasts) were great!
Those days were hard and so were the drivers, but in the right way, not as a few are now. Hard-headed.
. I must be getting old or something 
