I just thought I might ask a question and I am sorry if it causes offence
I was just reading the post about stopping on the hard shoulder for a pee! and I got thinking,
I work for a Scania dealer and regulary attend breakdowns on the motorway, So I pull up a good distance behind the vehicle, My vehicle is lit up like a christmas tree with all manner of warning lights, Put 5 or 6 cones behind the vehicle which must stretch at least 200 yards behind my van.
And maybe 1 or 2 trucks out of 50 or 60 might pull out to the middle lane and give me a bit of space!
Now I am not making any bad driving comments but I can be seen at least half a mile before the actual breakdown so why don’t you pull over?
I noticed the other day that a lot of drivers were on the phone whilst driving on the limiter within two metres of me!, If I were to follow procedures then any working on the Offside of a vehicle I must call for police assistance, But this wastes time, An good case was I had to fill a five gallon drum of diesel from a offside tank and put it in the nearside tank as there was a pair of latex gloves blocking the transfer pipe, I was stood in between the broken down vehicle and the traffic in lane 1 for half an hour whiclst filling numerous barrels of diesel and do you know how many trucks moved over, five, Yes FIVE.
I know car drivers are at best stupid but you lot are professionals, Please move over when you see the amber lights!
I do. Its not easy to see if whats happening, or if its totally on the hard shoulder untill you get close & I would rather have time & space to move out safely.
As a second thought, I think having done recovery work I now find I take greater care when passing anyone working at the road side.
Laying between recovery vehicle & vehicle being recoverd with wheels passing inches away is not one of the best & it does make you realise the risks involved in any road based work.
Well I will hold my hand up and be the first (of many ) to admit that I don’t move over a lane, although I do move over to the extreme right of the nearside lane, often straddling the white line.
I guessed that you guys are used to working with traffic roaring past a few foot away from you and didn’t think you particularly needed the width of a whole lane plus the width of the one you’re already in unless changing an offside wheel, for example, where I certainly would move over.
We don’t really need a whole lane but it would be better for safety’s sake,
It would be nice to open a cab door without it being ripped out of your hand as the next wagon passes,
As to following procedures, The police are always called if the truck it only just on the hard shoulder and can’t be moved, But it would be great to get a safety barrier of the nearside lane clear,
Also if the police are called they wan’t to know what you are doing, how long it will take, etc, and sometimes this can result in the police insisting that the vehicle be towed off! Which as you imagine this can be very costly. And it holds everyone up as when the blue lights are seen everybody slows to have a look, and this causes tailbacks!
Can any of you imagine how much water and spray is pushed under a truck on the hard shoulder when there are other trucks 3-4 feet away in the pouring rain.
I have great sympathy for the tow truck drivers that have to rely on motorists being aware of the situation, as when a tow truck is in front of a wagon coupling up, have you noticed that most of the warning lights on the truck can’t be seen very easily?
If just a handful of trucks move over then the car drivers might take notice and in time make the hard shoulder what it was ment for ,
"if just a handful of trucks move over then the car drivers might take notice and in time make the hard shoulder what it was meant for "
Man, you have gotta be joking. Most of them don’t even seem to notice whether it’s day or night !!
How many times have you been waiting to join a dual carriageway from a T-junction or a layby. Three trucks will move over to let you out but the blind idiot in the Vectra behind the second truck just keeps on going in lane 1.
Tomcat:
"if just a handful of trucks move over then the car drivers might take notice and in time make the hard shoulder what it was meant for "
Man, you have gotta be joking. Most of them don’t even seem to notice whether it’s day or night !!
How many times have you been waiting to join a dual carriageway from a T-junction or a layby. Three trucks will move over to let you out but the blind idiot in the Vectra behind the second truck just keeps on going in lane 1.
Thats the same prat that phones the ‘Well Driven?’ hotline…who the chuff is he to grade our driving■■?
me if i can pull out i usually but sometimes its not possible with traffic flow ie the muppet who sits next to your rear wheels for five miles aaaarrrgggghhhhh
I know it will cost billions somehow and so will never be done, but why doesnt the hard shoulder be widened to 1 &1/2 lanes width. Afterall if your in a hurry to get out of your car or truck you dont want to have to worry about getting runover by the traffic traveling at speed right next to you. It would obviously be safer for recovery as well.
It’s the prats who think it’s funny to scare the fitter and edge towoards them that annoy me. I don’t know their mentality. If I badly injured or killed someone, because I’d been stupid, then I think I’d have a nervous breakdown. And for the record, yes I do pull as far over as I can get.
I’d just like to add a thank you to all recovery drivers who come out in bad weather at all hours to save our butts when we break down or get a blow out. It’s a thankless task and OMG it’s dangerous work.
Shame the same Vectra drivers 9 times out of 10 don’t put their phones down long enough to let you out to avoid soaking the poor mechanics on a rainy day
Three trucks will move over to let you out but the blind idiot in the Vectra behind the second truck just keeps on going in lane 1.
Scuse me.I drive a Vectra…
But seriously though,I do,wherever possible,move over,because as your trundling along,invariably,someone will pop their body out from behind a broken down vehicle,and I would rather not have to scrape them from the front of my truck,due to the fact that they might get blown over from the draught as the truck in front passes,and can’t be arsed to move over.
Also,I just think it’s a bit of courtesy,but as has been pointed out,not everyone does it,so there are just as many bad truck drivers as there are car drivers that are guilty.
Aye you lot, What ya giving it. you make it sound as though every Vectra driver on the face of this earth is severely lacking a brain cell or two.
I drive a Vectra as do a further two C1 drivers that spring to mind & I am guessing here there are many more truck drivers who all so drive Vectras. I am certainly not an idiot and I have better things to do than call the Muppet driver line. Driving in a selfish and stubborn manner isn't me either. I suppose its possible that I am the only Vectra driver who isn't a blind Pratt. Unlikely ! Now had you been talking about red BMW drivers or those 4X4 road hogging fat heads I would have agreed :laughing: I mean you all know that bad crappy drivers come in all sorts of packaging from small to large and I mean artic large. So leave the Vectra driver out of your argument, Pick on a Tescos driver instead its loads more fun.
Ok that’s my two penneth. well not quite. I always try to get over into 2nd lane when passing breakdowns unless of course I have something overtaking me in particularly another truck or maybe if I got bored and and happen to be on my mobile talking to the crap driver people about how badly and unlawfully the Tesco`s driver in front is… ;o)
Muppets who sit next to your rear wheels for five miles Is a bloody pain !
Along with Tesco`s and thier drivers
talking about tesco drivers… …i was on the bottom end of the A24 friday night bound for littlehampton when a tesco arctic over took me on a blind bend,i couldent believe it, iwas doing a very steady 45(bendy road) and he flew past me,it was about 0130 so no traffic to speak of , but what if…
but surely it’s better to be safe than sorry, if this is the procedure then i think you should stick to it.for you own safety. 
) to admit that I don’t move over a lane, although I do move over to the extreme right of the nearside lane, often straddling the white line.
so touchy…