Tippers

[rich80]

I obviously didn’t mean to cause offence in regards to the bread and bacon. Just the guy at the agency said no way do you want to do that job. He called it hell. Hence my comment. I was just going on what he said. Although he was a bit of plum as he said I was wasting my time and would struggle to get a job. 70 letters later & two interview later I’ve proved him wrong. I’ve just been given a job at a local company. It looks like a good place to begin and get some experience. Merc 53 plate curtain sider with about 3 drops a day, I’ve bought a map with all the low bridge on also.

Also the comment in regards to the building site and the crap part was not knowing what was involved.
I wasn’t being arrogant at all. I just didn’t know what was involved in driving on building sites. If you read
it, I’m actually asking a question. Not stating a fact.

Also my office job is very boring, hence why I said it. Sitting wasting my talent at a company that doesn’t make any effort to encourage it’s employees, even loyal ones like myself.

Maybe someone could explain the points listed on the 3 post down in regards to potential problems on building sites.

Also is there any info about curtain siders that you can give me. I’ve made a check sheet of everything that is required of me during the day and going to ask my employer if I’ve miss anything so not to make big errors. I just hope I can do this job properly, been on drivers course also recently about the usual requirement.

Thanks

[8wheels]

Nice one on the job.

I started on DBC (the B is for Bacon) and endured 9 months of 4.30am starts multidropping an 18 tonner around 20+ Cafe Nero shops around London. I had been let down by someone and had to take what I could, although I didn’t really enjoy the work it was a good start, lots of different vehicles to drive, routes to learn and tons of awkward manouevering.

The experience from your first job will help you go onto tippers if you still want to.

The main hazard on a building site is stuff being in the way, you need eyes everywhere. Occasionally you’ll get a banksman to guide you but sometimes they can get you into trouble. If in doubt Get Out And Look (GOAL) Getting stuck is also possible, but vehicles designed for site work will have a diff lock. If the wheels start to spin, you engage the difflock (switch on dash) so that the drive wheels all rotate at the same speed, this should stop the spinning and hopefully get you unstuck. Crosslocks are on multiaxled vehicles with a double drive bogie (ie both rear axles driven) and will lock the whole lot together. Once you are on decent ground stop and disengage as you need the wheels to be able to rotate at different speeds for corners etc and leaving them locked will damaged the drivetrain.

Failing all that, you’d better hope there’s a big machine on site to give you a oull or a push.

PTO’s are POWER TAKE OFF basically a hydraulic pump powered off the gearbox to power cranes, tipping rams and skip gear etc. Usually this can only be engaged whilst stationary with the clutch in. Depressing the clutch again will usually disengage the clutch. But not in every case. PTO’s come in all different shapes and sizes and some are factory fitted, some are aftermarket. Best ask about that stuff when you get around to needing it.

[sockpuppet]

Lucy:
Know anything about PTOs?

Is PTO, power take off? Thats what I assume you mean but thats just my tractor side kicking in. Powering the lifty thing a ma bob.

[8wheels]

lifty thing a ma bob.

Yesterday I was in the yard when a 7.5t numpty driver came in from a parcel firm. He points to the bucket on a machine and says “I’ve got one of them scoopy things on a pallet for you”

I replied “I’ll just get the old lifty up & down thing out and be right with you”

[andyroo]

8wheels:

lifty thing a ma bob.

Yesterday I was in the yard when a 7.5t numpty driver came in from a parcel firm. He points to the bucket on a machine and says “I’ve got one of them scoopy things on a pallet for you”

I replied “I’ll just get the old lifty up & down thing out and be right with you”

Sounds a bit like me with some stuff…

“I’ve got two packs of bricks and a roll of something or other…I dunno what it is!”

[dave_shimeld]

Andyroo:
Sounds a bit like me with some stuff…

“I’ve got two packs of bricks and a roll of something or other…I dunno what it is!”

Me too! When you are on multi-drop, you don’t very often get too inquizative about your loads!

[kyrbo]

8wheels:
Getting stuck is also possible, but vehicles designed for site work will have a diff lock. If the wheels start to spin, you engage the difflock (switch on dash) so that the drive wheels all rotate at the same speed, this should stop the spinning and hopefully get you unstuck. Crosslocks are on multiaxled vehicles with a double drive bogie (ie both rear axles driven) and will lock the whole lot together.

I’d just like to clarify for those unfamiliar with difflock, that engaging the difflock when wheels are spinning is very easy way to break the differential. I wouldn’t ever engage difflock unless lorry is stationary. I think the same applies also to crosslocks, but I’m not sure.

8wheels:
Once you are on decent ground stop and disengage as you need the wheels to be able to rotate at different speeds for corners etc and leaving them locked will damaged the drivetrain.

Again, I’m not sure if this applies to crosslocks, but there is no reason why vehicle should be stationary when difflock(s) are disengaged. You just disengage the switch, press the clutch and difflocks disengage. This in ideal case, but in real life it isn’t anything unusual that vehicle in fact needs to turn and move a little bit before difflock actually disengages.

[8wheels]

Thanks Kyrbo, I got a bit bogged down myself in trying to explain things…

should have mentioned that.

[Lucy]

Bear in mind as well that diff locks are your tool of last resort. Try altering the way the weight is acting on your drive wheels first, using the air suspension (if you have it) and a higher gear than normal.

Your steering goes completely up the creek when the diff locks are engaged. This is simply because they do what it says on the tin - they lock your differential together so that the wheels are forced to turn at the same speed, eliminating (theoretically) the problem of being stuck because one wheel is spinning.

The flipside to that is that when you try and steer the wheels won’t turn at the different speeds required for a smooth turn - so when you go to the left, say, the wheel on the outside which is turning faster will force the inner wheel to do the same, which in turn will try to push the vehicle in a straight line, until you end up sliding sideways as a result, pointing in totally the wrong direction and possibly more stuck than before!

It’s also a bad idea, as a consequence, to use your diff lock anywhere that you will need to steer immediately you move in order to clear an obstacle…because chances are, your wagon will have other ideas!
As has been said above, even if you disengage the diff lock as soon as you get going, it will take a while to do it’s thing, by which time you could have wound up just about anywhere…

Differentials are not designed to be locked together for any length of time - they will burn out, basically. Hence take it off as soon as you can. Yes, in theory you can do this whilst you are moving, but in practice it is better to stop and disengage, as this is far less likely to accidentally damage the diff because of the delay.

Differential = big bill = unhappy gaffer = severely bollocked driver.

High gear, gentle clutch use, is your first line of attack, even without the added bonus of being able to alter the suspension. Clutches burn out too, granted, but they are cheaper than diffs to replace.

[mataos32]

can’t see nuffin wrong with asking for advice. proffesional drivers should in my humble opinion be willing to share their experience ( i bet most of you have asked questions whilst learning the ropes, as have i).

i passed my tests and signed up with a local agency got a few jobs under my belt, but got lost and mucked up some timed deliveries got into an argument with the firm(never a good thing to do). all credit to the agency they kept me on. i did a few more jobs for them all the while realising that multidrop shop deliveries ARE HELL so i jacked it in and drove a 7.5 with a trailer for a local pallet company as a temp stop gap (crap wages 5.00 an hour and not a good job) untill i found sommat better. Two weeks later i was driving a 6 wheel 38 foot plant lorry, (in my opinion one of the best jobs in the world) for a year (temp contract). Now i drive a 4 wheel tipper with crane and lift axle and have been here for three years (crap firm but another one of the best jobs in the world apart from being multidrop )
Now i’ve got my sights set on driving an artic bulker, i’ve had an assessment and have a promise of a job in a month or so when one of their drivers retire.
fingers crossed.

rich 80 follow your dreams and be persistant, good luck

[8wheels]

Now i drive a 4 wheel tipper with crane and lift axle

Err, hows that work then?

[semtex]

8wheels:

Now i drive a 4 wheel tipper with crane and lift axle

Err, hows that work then?

Don’t you remember the “wheelie” truck that used to do truckfest’s a few years ago

[mataos32]

8wheels:

Now i drive a 4 wheel tipper with crane and lift axle

Err, hows that work then?

you flick a switch on the dash
have you ever seen a dog dragging is ars on the floor… now you’ve got the idea

ok smartiepants i should of said an optional six wheeler

[equilizer]

Hi I used to drive tippers and the reason for mentioning building sites is to operate a tipper on site you have to have the cscs certificate which is a basic health and safety course I think the cost is around £17 booking fee and £25 to convert the pass certificate to plastic card licence I would imagine if you took the course and got the pass they would give you a start

[andyroo]

equilizer:
Hi I used to drive tippers and the reason for mentioning building sites is to operate a tipper on site you have to have the cscs certificate which is a basic health and safety course I think the cost is around £17 booking fee and £25 to convert the pass certificate to plastic card licence I would imagine if you took the course and got the pass they would give you a start

Never knew that…I don’t need one to to use my Hiab on sites.

[equilizer]

Hi its been advertised on the tv and some sites wont let you in without one cscs card so perhaps you should maybe look into it im in norfolk and most of the sites have a notice on the entrance saying you need one to enter site I see your in gorleston I dont know if you have been to carters site at tesco’s in lowestoft its on there gate thats if they are still working there!

[semtex]

Don’t know about the cscs card (I don’t have one!) but I have just recieved a training course at the quarry and am now an “Approved Bardon Contractor”

[8wheels]

You should have a CSCS card to enter any site to undertake any work. It’s a H&S course to make you more aware of the hazards there are. It’s a touch screen test like the theory test.

To operate machinery including HIAB you should have a CPCS ? (I think) card which is the plant holders card.

Although I have never been asked for any of these on any site I’ve been to, in fact the only time I’ve ever had to produce any extra documentation for anything was some photo ID so that I could deliver to a prison.

[andyroo]

I’ve got a little card from the training company that Keyline use for HIAB training.

[semtex]

Does anyone have a link for where I can do this in the south west, might be worth looking into as I can see a lot of job losses when the A30 contract ends in a couple of months.