The other thread on the subject of hgv is of too narrow a viewpoint to be of any help to anyone so I am going to try and explain some of the types of hgv use, drivers, and other info that may (just may) allow non hgv people (and some with limited and out of date experience) some idea of why the hgv s behave as they do.
i am not a hgv driver (and it is a very skilled trade to do correctly) but I do hold a licence and help an owner/driver friend to cover at times.
There are various types of hgv on the roads but the 1 type that most people hate are the artics on the motorway/dual carriageway that hold up their journeys by long winded overtaking.
The types of lorry use here actually matter, and if this explains well enough and you can understand more than I can say, then you might begin to understand why the problems occur (and its not always the lorry drivers fault).
Ignore the stone hauling, quarry type, and car haulage etc type vehicles (they usually cause no problem because of the routes and way they are paid; time is not too important on their pay). But pay attention mostly to curtain sided arctics and/or wagon and drag units (mostly foreign) and obvious supermarket lorries.
An avaerage route of these get in your way types are
1. From docks to bulk warehouse and return.
2. From bulk warehouse to customer warehouse.
3. From customer warehouse to delivery locations.
Generally it is type 2 that will cause the problems because of the way they are paid, timed, and generally its the area where most agency drivers will be because its the most aggravational route. This is with the exception of most supermarket lorries (they will rarely cause any problems).
To explain it further. They are given a time slot to arrive at (normally with a 15 min limit on it! Yes 15 mins leeway even on a route of over 100 miles!). If they miss this slot they may well have to wait 24 hours before another slot is allocated and no provision is made for them to park or wait in the meantime. So these, rightly or wrongly, will be the ones with the attitude of "get past him even if it holds up other traffic".
It is a very complex subject but hope this explains just alittle and proves its only a few who drive like this. And that maybe the answer is in the hands of the managers and controllers (no doubt that includes a few on here?) who just push numbers around a computer and not actually try the job to see how under pressure some of the drivers are! And agency drivers dont care if they are reported for bad driving because there is such a demand for them they just go the next job!
Sits back and waits for the "well they should get another job type" responses. But that doesnt really cure any problem at all does it?
And as an extra comment regarding qulaity of modern day hgv drivers. The newer ones are cheaper to use. Pay peanuts get monkeys?
{dropped make/model as not required for this discussion}
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 04/02/2008 at 17:53
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Timed deliveries are no excuse for rude, inconsiderate, or unsafe driving.
Number_Cruncher
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"Timed deliveries are no excuse for rude, inconsiderate, or unsafe driving."
Agreed, I was trying to explain it not justify it. There is no excuse for outside lane bullying either; but that happens too!
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Interesting examples YB. Presumably the 15 minute thing also accounts for the untidy crush of hgv's waiting outside around these warehouses.
The operators get away with it because the drivers are agency employed and if one objects his job is taken by another. This is why we used to have trade unions!!
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Millions of car drivers in ` clock on ` type work lose money if they are late to work. Is it similar to that, having to travel towards a fixed time slot after dropping the kids at school ;)
Regards
(I know your`e just explaining Yorkie and not justifying ;)
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These timed slots plus the fuel rebate (they get a percentage if they use less fuel) terrify me.
I do not need to imagine being in the little Rover doing 50 on the motorway when one of these machines looms in to view and the drivers attitude is I will not brake because it will cost me money as I WAS there and the driver of the Rover was my uncle and it was a very close call.
The only answer to this is LAW SUIT. Private obviously unless we change the law and give the cops a slice of any wonga that results. Get a few big money judgements against the employers of these clowns for causing accidents by their crazy driving and they will soon think again.
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I was trying to explain it not justify it.
Fair enough.
I do agree with your point about the managers, but stop way short of saying this is why we need unions as per another post in this thread. My, albeit dated, experience is that as a qualified and demonstrably safe driver, there was no shortage of work, and if a company made my life difficult, I would simply move on - job flexibility can work both ways!
Number_Cruncher
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