I have noticed in quite a few places I have been to lately, (that have been tight reverse spots) the goods in staff give the impression when you arrive, that they just take for granted that you are going to be a crap driver and make a balls of backing in.
There is always either a look of amazement and/or a comment of surprise when you get in first time (not boasting btw, if I can’t do it now I never will,… done job long enough)
More often than not you get some guy that has never driven anything bigger than a Mondeo telling you the technique needed for their particular place, I just say ‘‘yeh ok mate I know what I’m doing, but thanks anyway’’ and they look at you before you back in, looking as if they are thinking …yeh right.
I then try and do it completely different to the way they try and ‘instruct’ you. just to see their face change.
Is it because there has been a lot of newbies turned up or what? (not knocking newbies either, we have all had to learn) or just a lot of crap drivers, or are there actually more crap ones about now than good ones.
It should be the opposite that they take for granted you will have no probs, and be surprised if you make an arse of it.
I just think it’s a bit of an insult to our perceived professionalism, when they actually EXPECT us to be crap at our jobs.
Anybody else had this, or is it just my furtive imagination…again
I’ll take their advice, they may not have driven a truck, but they’ll have seen a few on their home turf, seen what they do that works, and what they’ve done that’s been a big ■■■■ off ■■■■ up.
I’ll take their advice, they may not have driven a truck, but they’ll have seen a few on their home turf, seen what they do that works, and what they’ve done that’s been a big [zb] off ■■■■ up.
Yeh, I’ll take their advise if their attitude is right, that is what I am on about. It’s when they come across as if they know how,… and you don’t, and they expect you not to know, that gets up my arse.
Maybe I didn’t explain that bit properly, I did not mean I was being a complete smartarse trying to prove them wrong all the time.
Sorry but I’m not being racist or anything here but it is purely down to the influx of our European labour that has brought this about. Think back 10 years, this would never happen but alas nearly every driver I speak to nowadays seems to be a foreigner and their reversing skills leave a lot to be desired.
The Dcpc was only brought in because of all the side swipes etc caused by foreign drivers not checking their blind spots etc and the number of Poles that thought the A1 was a straight through road until they came upon a roundabout. This is why they took out all the roundabouts on the A1. The foreign knobs kept on driving straight over them, or at least trying to.
Gangan:
They have probably seen a hundred lorries carryout the manoeuvre, only a fool thinks they know everything.
Yeh, my point is out of that 100 how many ballsed up to make them have the prejudice that they have, ie. They assume you lack the skills to get in.
Right, we seem to have a misunderstanding here judging by a couple of subtle digs so far ,
I aint saying I am better than anyone else just because I can reverse , I am pretty sure most of us can.
My question was why do a lot of places automatically assume that you can not
If a plumber/electrician/joiner turned up would they not assume that they can actually do their job.
Truckbling:
Sorry but I’m not being racist or anything here but it is purely down to the influx of our European labour that has brought this about. Think back 10 years, this would never happen but alas nearly every driver I speak to nowadays seems to be a foreigner and their reversing skills leave a lot to be desired.
The Dcpc was only brought in because of all the side swipes etc caused by foreign drivers not checking their blind spots etc and the number of Poles that thought the A1 was a straight through road until they came upon a roundabout. This is why they took out all the roundabouts on the A1. The foreign knobs kept on driving straight over them, or at least trying to.
With respect mate there is a large element of ■■■■■■■■ in that post.
ALL European drivers are incompetent?
Purely? So you mean that is 100% of the problem in question.
ALL foreigners can not reverse?
DCPC was brought in entirely because of side swipes?
(also I don’t know if you have any lhd experience or not, but many side swipes are not entirely the fault of the driver)
Can I point out that there are also roundabouts abroad.
You are right in respect that a lot of foreigeners are bad drivers, (just as a lot of Brits are bad drivers) but I do not agree that it is entirely down to that why we get negative perceptions in this case.
Truckbling:
Sorry but I’m not being racist or anything here but it is purely down to the influx of our European labour that has brought this about. Think back 10 years, this would never happen but alas nearly every driver I speak to nowadays seems to be a foreigner and their reversing skills leave a lot to be desired.
The Dcpc was only brought in because of all the side swipes etc caused by foreign drivers not checking their blind spots etc and the number of Poles that thought the A1 was a straight through road until they came upon a roundabout. This is why they took out all the roundabouts on the A1. The foreign knobs kept on driving straight over them, or at least trying to.
Sorry not being rude (well maybe I am) but that is just a load of ignorant drivel!
For a start many foreign drivers, Dutch and German in particular are far better trained than most UK drivers. The DCPC was brought in due to an EU directive in an attempt to improve and standardise training across Europe. The A1 has been in the process of slowly being turned into an ‘almost’ motorway for decades.
Gangan:
They have probably seen a hundred lorries carryout the manoeuvre, only a fool thinks they know everything.
Yeh, my point is out of that 100 how many ballsed up to make them have the prejudice that they have, ie. They assume you lack the skills to get in.
Right, we seem to have a misunderstanding here judging by a couple of subtle digs so far ,
I aint saying I am better than anyone else just because I can reverse , I am pretty sure most of us can.
My question was why do a lot of places automatically assume that you can not
If a plumber/electrician/joiner turned up would they not assume that they can actually do their job.
Its about mind set I suppose, you say ‘prejudice’ I say friendly advice from someone who may well have seen quite a few drivers get it wrong or make a meal out of it. Their ‘advice’ may well be pants but I’m sure its usually well meant. As for plumbers, electricians and joiners I can’t say because I don’t know but I’m sure many of them have come across folk who like to offer advice…
Sorry dudes, you might all want to seem politically correct and all that but it is ■■■■■■■■!
Standards have gone down the toilet since about 2006/7 when we began to see our local agencies opening and actively sourcing labour from Poland.
A few of the contracts I used to regularly attend became no hopers because they could get labour cheaper than us. Roadways was a prime example of this and many of my co workers will attest to this fact.
After many rollover on the A1 along with much damage caused by the cheaper labour, we were called back in to work there but we wre put on locals and only given 8 hour shifts because and I quote " they wreck everything and get lost".
I refused to work there on that very basis. They were getting the long hour port runs and we were put on ■■■■ local multi box work for 8 hours.
Sorry but this is factual.
I have worked at many companies since and can say hand on heart I have met a stupid amount of foreign drivers, Mainly Polish and YES THEY ARE CRAP!
The Poland based Polish drivers may very well be a cut above the rest but the UK base Polish driver on the whole leave a lot to be desired. You can’t argue with the facts and I live and see the facts every day.
Its rare but I have occasionally heard the phrase ‘bloody hell drive ive never seen anyone do it like that before’. Admittedly not always complementary though.
Even with my 20+ years experience (albeit with 10 years off for special ops), im still fine tuning the black art of reversing articulated vehicles. Im probably about average but capable of moments of perfection and muppetry in equal measure.
I know some Polish lads who could reverse me under the table (hmmm that sounds ■■■■■■ for some reason), I also know some who are so hilarious they make me look like an expert.
Usually if a forkie or shunter driver gives me tips I will follow them to the letter.
One thing I do enjoy is a tricky reverse and I would rather spend hours trying to get her in than admit defeat. In fact if you ever hear the phrase ‘We have had bigger than that in here drive’, chances are they are reffering to me.
Banksmen who tell me when to turn rather than just watching me back annoy me. They have no idea how much lock I’ll need but a few will stop me and ask me to shunt again. Then there are those who stand in a particular point, you back upto them and they then say “it’s got to go over there.” Well why direct me towards you you daft ■■■■■
Dipper_Dave:
Its rare but I have occasionally heard the phrase ‘bloody hell drive ive never seen anyone do it like that before’.
I had someone say that to me once, but it was from a woman and she was foreign and she hadn’t seen all the times I’d made a complete balls up of it before.
I’ll take their advice, they may not have driven a truck, but they’ll have seen a few on their home turf, seen what they do that works, and what they’ve done that’s been a big [zb] off ■■■■ up.
Truckbling:
Sorry but I’m not being racist or anything here but it is purely down to the influx of our European labour that has brought this about. Think back 10 years, this would never happen but alas nearly every driver I speak to nowadays seems to be a foreigner and their reversing skills leave a lot to be desired.
The Dcpc was only brought in because of all the side swipes etc caused by foreign drivers not checking their blind spots etc and the number of Poles that thought the A1 was a straight through road until they came upon a roundabout. This is why they took out all the roundabouts on the A1. The foreign knobs kept on driving straight over them, or at least trying to.
i’ve seen a lot of ■■■■■■■■ on here, that’s up there with the best of it
Truckbling:
Sorry dudes, you might all want to seem politically correct and all that but it is ■■■■■■■■!
Standards have gone down the toilet since about 2006/7 when we began to see our local agencies opening and actively sourcing labour from Poland.
A few of the contracts I used to regularly attend became no hopers because they could get labour cheaper than us. Roadways was a prime example of this and many of my co workers will attest to this fact.
After many rollover on the A1 along with much damage caused by the cheaper labour, we were called back in to work there but we wre put on locals and only given 8 hour shifts because and I quote " they wreck everything and get lost".
I refused to work there on that very basis. They were getting the long hour port runs and we were put on [zb] local multi box work for 8 hours.
Sorry but this is factual.
I have worked at many companies since and can say hand on heart I have met a stupid amount of foreign drivers, Mainly Polish and YES THEY ARE CRAP!
The Poland based Polish drivers may very well be a cut above the rest but the UK base Polish driver on the whole leave a lot to be desired. You can’t argue with the facts and I live and see the facts every day.
The only fact on show in your posting is the fact that you sir, are a pillock. Good luck with that, I bet everyone runs a mile from you in the yard.
As for the OP, I used to work in a builders merchant that had a tight access, and there was really only one way to do it. I would tell every driver that showed up, " I don’t want to teach Granny how to ■■■■ eggs, but you should start here take this line and aim here…" Etc etc. If they wanted to listen, then they would be in, without drama’s. If they didn’t listen, that was fine too. I could stand and watch someone make their own life hard all day. It wasn’t any skin off my nose if they didn’t listen to me.
I am struggling to think of another profession where a member of the public tells them how to perform their job!
No matter how tight the access it is up to the driver to work it out, and as some have already alluded to, it is a challenge to our experience and professional pride, that we have to and want to rise to. I would be ashamed to have dents and scratches on the nearside bumper. Some people wear them as badges of honour I think.
Rob, you are not the only one who has those sorts of conversations. A guy actually shook my hand a few months ago in dis-belief. First time in ten years somebody had reversed an artic into his warehouse first go. Standards are low…whatever anyone says. The evidence is over-whelming. Bridge strikes, turnovers, crashes, rank-stupidity, tail-gating etc etc.
