Raymundo ref wheels coming off, a rigid left the Midlands on the way to Gib, it got as far as the forest road South of Bordeaux, they all came off, big fine from Mr Gendarme, made to buy expensive replacements.
I left Wakefield, got to Cambridge, shuddering and noise, pulled in to check it, the two back wheels coming off, the nuts popped off on the way in the services, the boss didn’t tell me the garage took all the wheels off.
You see a tyre overtaking you on the motorway and assume it is somebody elses misfortune.
It is yours.
Ref running engine 15 minutes is wasting your bosses fuel, if you were paying for it, you wouldn’t do it.
Conor:
Newbie7064:
Hiya all. Newbie c+e driver here although still stuck on rigid work. My question is how many of you guys do a walk around check in the morning when you away from the depot. Was parked at services the other week and I felt a right knob walking around my truck with a torch in the ■■■■■■■ rain at 6am when all the other drivers seemed to be just opening their curtains and driving off. Another question is on etiquette. When I have had to begin work at 4am etc, I have felt bad idling my engine on a quite lay by, services or industrial estate for 15 minutes while doing my checks as I was uncomfortable with waking other drivers up. Is it considered bad manners to idle for 15 min next to other drivers at ungodly hours?First of all yes you do your checks. I once parked a wagon up one night, went home, came back the following day and doing my walk round checks noticed a bit of tread missing on the outer drive axle tyre. When the tyre fitter removed the tyre the bit of tread I’d actually seen was the only bit left on the wheel. Had I just jumped in, turned the key and driven off I would have had a blowout and it wouldn’t have been one but both tyres on that side of the drive axle due to the weight I was going to be running at.
And why the hell are you running the engine for 15 minutes when doing your walk round check? Other than checking it starts and its not belching out loads of crap I don’t run mine at all when doing my checks.
the reason I idle for 15 min is coz someone told me it’s the minimum needed for the oil to lubricate the engine properly before driving off. They must have been talking ■■■■■■■■ lol, I think I will just do a 5 minutes or less from now on
Newbie7064:
the reason I idle for 15 min is coz someone told me it’s the minimum needed for the oil to lubricate the engine properly before driving off. They must have been talking ■■■■■■■■ lol, I think I will just do a 5 minutes or less from now on
Not necessarily ■■■■■■■■, just one school of thought, which no doubt has it merits.
I personally don’t leave the engine running for 15 minutes, but then again I hate to hear someone thrash a cold engine to build up the air.
Firstly it takes a long time for an engine to warm up on idle, and as far as I’m aware most damage is done whilst an engine is cold. also although you warm the engine by idling it, you don’t warm up the gearbox or diff or any other of the working parts.
I tend to let the engine run for a few minutes, to build up air if needed and to let the oil circulate through the engine. Then take it steady until everything has warmed up, although even then I don’t really push hard, just not my style. 
Also I don’t come steaming in and stop and switch the engine off, but come in gently and just let everything settle down for a few seconds before switching off, probably enough time to pull the brake on and put it in neutral and collect my thoughts, (not many of them and it’s normally I wonder who I can get to put the kettle on )
Newbie7064:
the reason I idle for 15 min is coz someone told me it’s the minimum needed for the oil to lubricate the engine properly before driving off. They must have been talking ■■■■■■■■ lol, I think I will just do a 5 minutes or less from now on
muckles:
Not necessarily ■■■■■■■■, just one school of thought, which no doubt has it merits.
A bit like the old man guvnor were we used to work Bruv, he insisted on oil being topped up to the max mark on the dipstick every day. Then the new chief mechanic pointed out how much money they were wasting in pounds shilling and pence, the policy was changed, let truck find its own level. To add to this, once when asked by the old man, why I hadn’t checked my oil, I said that as he’d already done it himself, that it was a waste off money to duplicate a job as with so many encounters he just walked away shaking his head 
Happy days 
From Volvo FH16 operators handbook
"Warm up
Warm the engine up by driving with low engine speed rather than running the engine while stationary. Avoid revving up excessively and high engine speed.
After starting let the clutch out in order to warm up the gearbox. The oil pump in the gearbox will begin working and will quickly attain working temperature.
Note!
It is especially important that the gearbox should be warmed up if it the outside temperature is below 0°C."
It pains me every time I see people revving the nuts off a cold engine.
toby1234abc:
Loo or coffee stop, I check my nuts and pin.
Mens health is important, nuts and pin (or whatever you want to call it) should be checked regularly
Captain Caveman 76:
toby1234abc:
Loo or coffee stop, I check my nuts and pin.Mens health is important, nuts and pin (or whatever you want to call it) should be checked regularly
Also regular pulling Back of
Sheaths as well to check for dirt etc
toby1234abc:
Loo or coffee stop, I check my nuts and pin in case it has been pulled.
Just don’t get caught 
I get my butler to do it.
Its written in my company handbook(3 pages total) please run the engine for 15 minutes while doing my checks. So I do. If was my truck I probably wouldn’t, but as its his, I’ll play his way.
Like most I do random checks or walk around throughout the day and in the morning no matter what time the engine on mine got one of these “engine warm up button things” so that’s on to and to tell you the truth my truck is so quiet being a Isuzu.
In the past before the night heater was put in I used to leave it running all night while I sleep never had any complains as I used to pull in spaces so I’m level with the back of trailers and everyone else gets to look at my fat back side
I’m on tesco today, had 3 tris up to now and spent 15 mins checking each one over ,also do 15 - 30 min check at beginning / end of shift .
Most lorry drivers with a good record check things first thing every time and then several times a day as they go about their work, you’re always keeping an eye and ear open for something not sounding looking or feeling right.
Wheel nuts arn’t the only criteria, it can save you a world of grief if you feel round the wheel hubs for excess heat (trailer especially) when you pull onto the services or layby after a long run without recent braking, if you are going to do this you must slow down solely on the auxilliary brake and only use the footbrake to come to final rest if at all, time it right as you pull into an MSA ■■■■■■■■■■■■ and you won’t have to touch the brakes at all to come to rest.
As for checks and keeping your own motor up to standard, who’s standard do you want to work to yours or the numpties without a minute to live that belt by you 6 feet from the arse of the lorry in front with filthy windows and mirrors and half the bulbs out cos they fell outa bed fired up and left, not a crew i’d use as a shining example or seek to ape so if they take the ■■■■ you are going about it the right way.
Depending what i’m doing and who might be affected by the noise or not i’ll let her fast idle for 10 mins while i sort me crap out after a cold start and she gets to cool down for a few mins on tickover after working before shutdown, only get the very odd overnighter subbie/supplier in our yard and if i’m parked near one i’ll do the oil level before starting up then move immediately away from the sleeper to do the noisy stuff, we aint all arse holes, if others are too ignorant/stupid/mean to act like grown ups then thats their problem.
I love these modern lorries with Gucci turbos that don’t need to be warmed or cooled, seeing how many of them fail these days when a failed turbo was unheard of in the days of ■■■■■■■ and Rolls, i’ll carry on doing it my way ta.
dozy:
I’m on tesco today, had 3 tris up to now and spent 15 mins checking each one over ,also do 15 - 30 min check at beginning / end of shift .
Just think if you were put on shunting like eager, you’d be able to fill 13 hours doing checks
F-reds:
Its written in my company handbook(3 pages total) please run the engine for 15 minutes while doing my checks. So I do. If was my truck I probably wouldn’t, but as its his, I’ll play his way.
If you have parked on the public highway then walkaround checks with the engine running may be illegal
Regulation 107 of The Road Vehicles (Constriction and Use) Regulation 1986 (SI 1986/1078 )
“no person shall cause or permit to be on any road any motor vehicle which is not attended by a person duly licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and the parking brake is effectively set. Exemptions to the requirements of this Regulation as to the stopping of the engine include a fire brigade vehicle, the engine of which is being used for any fire brigade purpose.”
Would your company pay the fines if an over zealous copper needed an arrest?
schrodingers cat:
F-reds:
Its written in my company handbook(3 pages total) please run the engine for 15 minutes while doing my checks. So I do. If was my truck I probably wouldn’t, but as its his, I’ll play his way.Would your company pay the fines if an over zealous copper needed an arrest?
Nobodies getting arrested 
fined? Maybe, there is an infinitely small chance of that happening. But it’s pretty unlikely!
So yes I would keep on doing just as the gaffer has asked, he wants it run for 15 minutes before it goes out for the day to warm it up and let the oil work its way round the engine, that’s what’s going happen PossiblyDeadPussy
Besides if you explained to your over zealous copper what you were doing I doubt you would get fined anyway.
Whether it is polite or not at services or truck park is another matter…
Don’t park next to me and run your engine for 15 mins or you might discover that your keys mysteriously vanish out of the ignition.
schrodingers cat:
F-reds:
Its written in my company handbook(3 pages total) please run the engine for 15 minutes while doing my checks. So I do. If was my truck I probably wouldn’t, but as its his, I’ll play his way.If you have parked on the public highway then walkaround checks with the engine running may be illegal
Regulation 107 of The Road Vehicles (Constriction and Use) Regulation 1986 (SI 1986/1078 )
“no person shall cause or permit to be on any road any motor vehicle which is not attended by a person duly licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and the parking brake is effectively set. Exemptions to the requirements of this Regulation as to the stopping of the engine include a fire brigade vehicle, the engine of which is being used for any fire brigade purpose.”
Would your company pay the fines if an over zealous copper needed an arrest?
The legal requirement is for a duly licensed person to be in attendance, not in the cab.
James the cat:
dozy:
I’m on tesco today, had 3 tris up to now and spent 15 mins checking each one over ,also do 15 - 30 min check at beginning / end of shift .Just think if you were put on shunting like eager, you’d be able to fill 13 hours doing checks
It’s about time shunters starting checking tris before they put them on bays , the amount of times I’ve had to have the load tran shipped / get fitter out/ tyre man out ( hrs ) due to mudguards / tyres / fridges u/s beggars belief .
Should be part of there job ,has it all the mudguards , tyres with air in them etc 
