Too much in - cab technology

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Right, firstly I admit I am old school type driver, so a lot of you will not agree… but modern Sat nav systems?
I ain’t criticising as such, I ain’t saying the old ‘use a map’ mantra, and I do use a basic sat nav myself…as a GUIDE :bulb: , and I would not be without it (although I was for first 27:yrs of truck driving) I am not anti tech by any means, do not want to go back to old days, or anything else you are going to chuck at me…so let’s put all that to bed before I start.

After reading the posts about updating a Garmin xyz, or Snooper abc etc etc, Do you not think it has got to the stage now, where initiative and thinking for yourself (aka what makes a good driver) has gone down the crapper, and some now totally rely on technology to get you from a to b, avoid bridges, arrival times, delays etc etc, and to remind you of …speed limits :open_mouth: …like the guy that was going to drive around the M25 on his day off…to get the new updates or whatever t.f. they are :smiley:
You see what happens on you tube when drivers totally take everything as correct.
Now I ain’t asking who and how reliant you are on them, but I am asking if a lot of this stuff really is necessary( in real terms) for some of you to do the job now.
I am all for embracing technology, but think that some would ■■■■ themselves if they were made to go out of the yard without one,… usually the same ones that have it in for European drivers, some of which have maybe come over through god knows how many countries without one.
I am of the generation in my 50s and I do feel that everything (including trucks) is over engineered to the point where you do not actually ‘need’ 70% of the features, has it not got to the stage for some of you where 50% of the thinking is done by so called ‘planners’ :unamused: 49% by in cab technology and the remaining 1% by the driver.

2

I know what you mean about maps, i remember the old days having a load of Phillips Navigator maps for different areas when doing mulitdrop and it seemed a lot easier than using a SatNav, because you already knew most of the areas so a new drop was like “oh its there just round from a place ive been”. Or if going some area never been before like down south stopping at services and sneaking a peak at the maps in there and writing directions down on your arm. lol.

Think with a SatNav you never really know areas because can’t really get your bearings like you do using a map. Was speaking to my mate he was going up north on holiday was telling him a few places to go visit and he was like you got a place i can add to my satnav i said just go up this road and here didnt have a clue needed a satnav. I told him to get a map will be better can explore areas try different routes espec if on holiday.

The new Dafs think they have gone way over board and not sure entirely safe, driving along in the snow and lump of snow hits the sensor it thinks you’ve hit something and slams on the retarder great fun when your driving over rannoch moor in the snow and ice.

3

I’m one of these clowns that has grown up with technology. A master of all things electronic and technical but it still doesn’t match common sense. Plenty of times I’ve argued with my Nag-Nav about where to go, London is a great test for how good you are vs how not good your Nag-Nav is. Mine has a habit of not remembering width restrictions. Its a regular thing for me to bust out Google Maps and Street View to find another way in.

As for planners, they all seem to go off the computer. If the computer says it will fit, then it should fit in their eyes. But they are forgetting that you, the driver may need things loaded differently but of the size and or contents of the pallets. That being said, I do love our planners no nonsense attitude when it comes to waiting. They want everything to be loaded quick sharp and will get on the blower if we’re sat waiting, wait too long for them and they will tell you to move on to your next one.

4

Where I work we have all of the above and more, I’m now in my 26th year in transport what I find is an increasing number of alleged drivers who are completely unable to think for themselves, I get senseless phone calls in the office constantly regarding routes this warning light that warning light, I fell asleep with the headlights on why won’t the truck start blah blah blah .

Our drivers are not allowed to touch the vehicle even screenwash has to be done by a fitter (a member of club plant pot filled the clutch reservoir with water) technology and health and safety have dumbed the job down to the point where little skill is required.

5

mike68:
Where I work we have all of the above and more, I’m now in my 26th year in transport what I find is an increasing number of alleged drivers who are completely unable to think for themselves, I get senseless phone calls in the office constantly regarding routes this warning light that warning light, I fell asleep with the headlights on why won’t the truck start blah blah blah .

Our drivers are not allowed to touch the vehicle even screenwash has to be done by a fitter (a member of club plant pot filled the clutch reservoir with water) technology and health and safety have dumbed the job down to the point where little skill is required.

I know exactly what you mean, when I first started with my present employer I was amazed how much he checked up on me, and some of the info he spoon fed me, routes, times etc.
He soon got to know that …a. I aint thick, and b. I can work stuff out for myself, so he got the message and now leaves me alone. Some of the drivers there are unreal, and have to be told when and how to wipe their arses, and can’t even spell initiative let alone use it :unamused:

6

I am from the same generation as you robroy and my view is if it makes the job easier (which it does) then I will use all the technology available.
I wasn’t brought up with computers, sat navs, google maps etc but they are here so why not use them?
You won’t get any medals for finding a delivery on your own initiative

7

mike68:
I get senseless phone calls in the office constantly regarding routes this warning light that warning light, I fell asleep with the headlights on why won’t the truck start blah blah blah .

We’ve got to phone in any warning lights that come on. Gaffer then phones the hire company and asks if the the truck can still safely be used. If its a no, park up and wait on a fitter. If its ok to use, hire company sends gaffer an email confirming its ok to continue. Hire companies have a habit of blaming you for silly things and hitting you with a big repair bill for it, so its purely an arse covering exercise.

8

Big Roy:
I am from the same generation as you robroy and my view is if it makes the job easier (which it does) then I will use all the technology available.
I wasn’t brought up with computers, sat navs, google maps etc but they are here so why not use them?
You won’t get any medals for finding a delivery on your own initiative

As I said I do use them, but not to the extent where I can’t do without it, that is the point I was trying to make. Are you saying there is now no need for initiative?

9

robroy:

Big Roy:
I am from the same generation as you robroy and my view is if it makes the job easier (which it does) then I will use all the technology available.
I wasn’t brought up with computers, sat navs, google maps etc but they are here so why not use them?
You won’t get any medals for finding a delivery on your own initiative

As I said I do use them, but not to the extent where I can’t do without it, that is the point I was trying to make. Are you saying there is now no need for initiative?

No not at all, of course you need initiative, what I’m saying is you now have a choice and you don’t get any better thought of for using either

10

Lorries themselves are getting a bit too clever, leading to those in them relying on the stuff too much, electric parking brake, automatic gearboxes, hill hold, full traction and stability systems, adaptive cruise auto braking etc etc.

Up to a point some of this stuff is needed now with the idiots out there (and i’m not decrying the massive improve safety due to improved braking etc), but we were all unknowing fools when we started whether that was in the days of steam or lighting fires under the Diesel tank in winter or ropes and sheets, log books, the earliest autoboxes, right up to present day, whatever, we all learn and in doing so learned to control our own vehicles, gradually taking a pride in doing the best we can with our individual styles…this bit some companies don’t like, they want yes sir no sir clones that do exactly as instructed, not learn how to control their lorries, then wonder why the fleet grinds to a halt the second something (like snow) happens…you have to learn your lorry over time, it’s no good trying to beat the electronic crap for the first time when there’s 6" of snow underfoot, you can’t deny the laws of physics but a good driver who knows their vehicle intimately can go a long way to mitigating them.

The latest generation of lorries, to me, are taking away every last bit of driver individuality, we’ve got some auto gearboxes that can’t be manually selected, we’ve got some mid lift tags that the driver has no control over, it’s all heading for the driverless lorry in the apparatchiks idea of utopia…unfortunately we all know that in practice that aint going to happen for a long long time, in the meantime the constant deskilling in the industry leaves us with myriads of problems, often resulting in road mayhem and massive costs all round.

Then there’s the inevitable downtime and costs involved in keeping all this electronic rubbish working.

As for satnav, yes i own one and use it probably once every three months.

They have their uses.
Its a handy pocket sized street map of the country and IMO should be used as you would street maps, lorry driver chooses route through knowledge or consulting a proper bridge height map, then consulting sat nav to which side of town a drop is and to help guide you in the last leg of the trip.
Extremely useful to let it run whilst you drive along though, the sat nav can point out hidden junctions approaching or confirm to you the name of a road with no nameplate (invaluable), and handy at unsigned junctions, handy pointing out places where those lovely camera vans operators park.

They should not be used by a professional lorry driver to route plan, thats for girls in cars their daddies or sugar daddy bought for them… :smiling_imp:

11

I don’t do it any more, but I loved all the tech. Auto boxes - bring em on (loved the twin splitter too). Take pride in learning how to get the best from them. Computer displays - who needs to be dipping oil in the dark? I never understood why someone hasn’t sorted out coupling up - getting all greasy and risking life and limb on the catwalk behind the cab was never good.

Ratchet straps? No contest with frozen ropes. LED lights - can I get rid of the box of bulbs I still have in my bag? Sleeper cabs - mixed feelings. Some digs were great and NO’s in a tin box are not. But it is handy and mostly you can make a profit on the deal.

Satnavs are another question. I didn’t need one in my last job - a street map of the West Midlands was there if I needed it, but I now have a car that has one fitted. I was driving around the Portsmouth area - a place I know a bit, but not well, so I made full use of it. The odd thing was, that even though I’d already been to a place, I couldn’t remember the route and had to use the satnav again…? I think that I understand people who ‘blindly’ follow it better now. It has that effect: “Prepare to turn right.” “Turn right at the next junction.” etc. You almost expect a “Well done,” after getting through a tricky junction. It’s a bit like when the boss phones and askes where you are. “On the M6.” “Where on the M6?” and you haven’t a clue - “Somewhere between Stoke and Brum■■?” “I think?”

I think that I would have one if I was still doing it for a living, but it would be switched off (as the one in my car is) most of the time. A nice big map to plan the route (or just the built-in system on my shoulders) and the satnav for the final bit.

12

The reason I use a sat-nav is because I don’t know where I’ll be going any given day, and so despite acquiring a collection of county road atlases in my early years as an agency 7.5T driver, I’d have to take them all with me if I were to rely on those alone. If I was going to be delivering in several counties, I’d have to take three or four, when one is bigger than a sat-nav. And those truckers’ atlases do not give comprehensive height and weight limit coverage (for example, the Phillips one doesn’t have most of the 17T limits around Windsor). I’m well able to read a map; I’d rely on Google Maps a lot more if I had more data allowance.

13

Santa:
“Somewhere between Stoke and Brum■■?” “I think?”

Also known as Cannock/Walsall, or more generally The Blackcountry.

Drive very quickly.

14

I use a car sat nav,not paying out for a HGV specific one ■■ that!,and a bit of common sense…served me well for 8 years of trucking.

15

htmldude:

Santa:
“Somewhere between Stoke and Brum■■?” “I think?”

Also known as Cannock/Walsall, or more generally The Blackcountry.

Drive very quickly.

Haha the Blackcountry,ya daft racist :laughing:

16

Juddian:
As for satnav, yes i own one and use it probably once every three months.

They have their uses.
Its a handy pocket sized street map of the country and IMO should be used as you would street maps, lorry driver chooses route through knowledge or consulting a proper bridge height map, then consulting sat nav to which side of town a drop is and to help guide you in the last leg of the trip.
Extremely useful to let it run whilst you drive along though, the sat nav can point out hidden junctions approaching or confirm to you the name of a road with no nameplate (invaluable), and handy at unsigned junctions, handy pointing out places where those lovely camera vans operators park.

They should not be used by a professional lorry driver to route plan, thats for girls in cars their daddies or sugar daddy bought for them… :smiling_imp:

I’m not wasting 20-30 minutes thumbing through a map, squinting at tiny ■■■ lines when an electronic gizmo can work out my route in less than 30 seconds, cross reference it with Google Maps and then crack on!

17

Radar19:

Juddian:
As for satnav, yes i own one and use it probably once every three months.

They have their uses.
Its a handy pocket sized street map of the country and IMO should be used as you would street maps, lorry driver chooses route through knowledge or consulting a proper bridge height map, then consulting sat nav to which side of town a drop is and to help guide you in the last leg of the trip.
Extremely useful to let it run whilst you drive along though, the sat nav can point out hidden junctions approaching or confirm to you the name of a road with no nameplate (invaluable), and handy at unsigned junctions, handy pointing out places where those lovely camera vans operators park.

They should not be used by a professional lorry driver to route plan, thats for girls in cars their daddies or sugar daddy bought for them… :smiling_imp:

I’m not wasting 20-30 minutes thumbing through a map, squinting at tiny ■■■ lines when an electronic gizmo can work out my route in less than 30 seconds, cross reference it with Google Maps and then crack on!

Yes but that 20 to 30 minutes also incorporates time for a brew and a 15 break[emoji6].

18

ckm1981:

htmldude:

Santa:
“Somewhere between Stoke and Brum■■?” “I think?”

Also known as Cannock/Walsall, or more generally The Blackcountry.

Drive very quickly.

Haha the Blackcountry,ya daft racist :laughing:

I’m allowed to, I have blackcountry friends! (An’ ahm frum 'ere)

19

beetee07:

Radar19:

Juddian:
As for satnav, yes i own one and use it probably once every three months.

They have their uses.
Its a handy pocket sized street map of the country and IMO should be used as you would street maps, lorry driver chooses route through knowledge or consulting a proper bridge height map, then consulting sat nav to which side of town a drop is and to help guide you in the last leg of the trip.
Extremely useful to let it run whilst you drive along though, the sat nav can point out hidden junctions approaching or confirm to you the name of a road with no nameplate (invaluable), and handy at unsigned junctions, handy pointing out places where those lovely camera vans operators park.

They should not be used by a professional lorry driver to route plan, thats for girls in cars their daddies or sugar daddy bought for them… :smiling_imp:

I’m not wasting 20-30 minutes thumbing through a map, squinting at tiny ■■■ lines when an electronic gizmo can work out my route in less than 30 seconds, cross reference it with Google Maps and then crack on!

Yes but that 20 to 30 minutes also incorporates time for a brew and a 15 break[emoji6].

I use my breaks for sleeping.

20

I have never had a sat-nav and, now I no longer drive for a living, probably never will have. What I have found though is that folk who visit me via a sat-nav often have no idea which route they took to achieve that. I live in Matlock but some are totally unaware of wether they came via the A6 from Derby or from the A38 via Alfreton. Rather worrying if the gadget throws a ‘wobbly’ and then they are left in limbo with not a clue how to get home!! One of the ‘pleasures’ in trucking was planning my route via a map/A-Z but I also well remember trying to find back streets in towns and struggling to read the map in the A-Z while driving and drinking coffee ( :wink:) in which case the sat-nav would be most beneficial, as long as you are aware of which town you are actually driving in of course! :slight_smile:

Pete.