When it says on the price list HGV/Coaches overnight parking plus trailer changes £17 (or whatever) is that just if you parking your trailer over night for a night driver to change it for you? Or are they expecting you to pay £17 for a quick change over in the day, i.e. 2 drivers arrive within half an hour of each other and quickly change.
My company seem to get us to do some change overs in pain in the arse places to avoid paying the change over fee at some places, but I’ve been noticeing that the change over price is listed as the same as the overnight parking charge, so I was wondering if they actually mean charging for a quick change or not. And if they do mean that then can they actually enforce it? Like if there is the camera to clock you in and out for not paying parking, but is there anything to catch you not paying for a change over?
With doing regular change overs free at barton services there are sometimes i think to myself they could charge £5 per change over and make the surface a bit less like the moon. Would also decrease wear and tear on the units and trailers.
You get two hours free use of the truck park anyway so unless your changeover partner is very late it shouldn’t matter.
Truckstops however can charge for changeovers because most of them have a dude with a hi-vis and a torch rather than funky camera setups. They usually charge a small amount though.
When I was driving for Norbert on the Vauxhall contract we used to do a changeover with a Motherwell driver at Walton Summit. Some days you would be there for hours waiting for the other driver because of a breakdown or a puncture. I always thought then that they should use Charnock Richard, so at lest then the waiting driver can get a brew and have a dump.
The biggest numbtys about, every night, every were, clanking and banging about, Beeb beeb beeb bang, shouting at each other, then leaving the engine donking away, while everyone else is trying to sleep, and wo-betide anyone who, try’s to tell them, to be a little bit respectful, for those asleep.
Do your change overs elsewhere drivers are resting and your tight arsed bosses wouldn’t like it on their drive or in their yard would they? Gets up my nose that these penny pinching tight wads can disturb everyone else in pursuit of profit.
I can’t see why they’d charge you if you stay under 2hrs. However, you must follow the rules for changing over in services. 1. You absolutely must not switch off your reversing beeper. 2. Use of air suspension is prohibited - leave the legs a good 2inches off the ground and pull out from under it as fast as possible. The only exception to using air suspension is when coupling - you must jack your unit up and bang under the trailer as hard as possible. 3. Any communication between you and the other driver must take place when both your engines are running, and you must be a minimum of 20 feet away from each other (Top Tip - wait until the other driver has walked down their trailer to collect their number plate before inquiring about traffic conditions). 4. Don’t forget to bid your colleague goodbye with a double blast of your horn.
slowlane:
I can’t see why they’d charge you if you stay under 2hrs. However, you must follow the rules for changing over in services. 1. You absolutely must not switch off your reversing beeper. 2. Use of air suspension is prohibited - leave the legs a good 2inches off the ground and pull out from under it as fast as possible. The only exception to using air suspension is when coupling - you must jack your unit up and bang under the trailer as hard as possible. 3. Any communication between you and the other driver must take place when both your engines are running, and you must be a minimum of 20 feet away from each other (Top Tip - wait until the other driver has walked down their trailer to collect their number plate before inquiring about traffic conditions). 4. Don’t forget to bid your colleague goodbye with a double blast of your horn.
slowlane:
I can’t see why they’d charge you if you stay under 2hrs. However, you must follow the rules for changing over in services. 1. You absolutely must not switch off your reversing beeper. 2. Use of air suspension is prohibited - leave the legs a good 2inches off the ground and pull out from under it as fast as possible. The only exception to using air suspension is when coupling - you must jack your unit up and bang under the trailer as hard as possible. 3. Any communication between you and the other driver must take place when both your engines are running, and you must be a minimum of 20 feet away from each other (Top Tip - wait until the other driver has walked down their trailer to collect their number plate before inquiring about traffic conditions). 4. Don’t forget to bid your colleague goodbye with a double blast of your horn.
and if you’ve got one of the new Daf’s…don’t forget to check your trailers reversing lights on the key fob…
Is it me or do Yodel and their drivers think that every services are for the sole use of Yodel to do changovers , at Southwaite N/B if you stop at their changover spot its a full scale confrontation , usually a ■■■■ right off ya bellend eases the tension
