Questions for truckers...
Discussion
bigfatnick said:
Although I quite like when the lorry is parked facing uphill. Sleeping at the back of the bed against the wall. But I will never park downhill.
I'd be interested to see if other lorry drivers are as OCD as I am about sleeping with their heads away from traffic, if someone crashes into me in the middle of the night, I'd much rather have smashed up feet than a smushed head.
I haven't done nights out for 9 years but I'm fairly sure I slept with head to the kerb side.I'd be interested to see if other lorry drivers are as OCD as I am about sleeping with their heads away from traffic, if someone crashes into me in the middle of the night, I'd much rather have smashed up feet than a smushed head.
I remember some of the places I stopped weren't good for sleep.
Like beside the A52 dual carriageway,truck getting rocked about with every passing car.
spikey78 said:
Question for truckers that sleep in their cabs: Do the bunks have any kind of levelling mechanism? I often see lorries parked up with the cab on some uneven ground and think it must be pretty uncomfortable to sleep like that
At a guess I'd sayNo, in a word. I suppose you could raise or lower the rear air suspension but that's about it.
In some trucks you're lucky to get a sprung mattress. Most of them have just a fabric covered piece of foam.
ChemicalChaos said:
Sorry to hear about all this chilli, must be so infuriating. Have you considered taking them to the cleaners in a national newspaper?
Another question for you all btw - given that Aussie trucks are also RHD, and there are a few of people importing and using bonneted Scanias for big loads and to show off, why aren't there people importing operating cabover Macks and Kenworths over here as something a bit different and probably a lot tougher than EU market trucks?
Problems associated with maximum length regulations, poor turning circle and no need for the larger cabs -Another question for you all btw - given that Aussie trucks are also RHD, and there are a few of people importing and using bonneted Scanias for big loads and to show off, why aren't there people importing operating cabover Macks and Kenworths over here as something a bit different and probably a lot tougher than EU market trucks?
Not necessarily any tougher either.
Lucas CAV said:
Problems associated with maximum length regulations, poor turning circle and no need for the larger cabs -
Not necessarily any tougher either.
If you actually work for a living driving long hauls as I do, comfort is important. American trucks seems really really old fashioned and lacking said comfort. But they look cool, that's about it. That being said, the company I work for does have an old Scania with the bonnet, or Torpedo cab as they are called here, and they are rattly and un-comfortable old pieces of junk compared to a modern Cab over engine.Not necessarily any tougher either.
PowerslideSWE said:
If you actually work for a living driving long hauls as I do, comfort is important. American trucks seems really really old fashioned and lacking said comfort. But they look cool, that's about it. That being said, the company I work for does have an old Scania with the bonnet, or Torpedo cab as they are called here, and they are rattly and un-comfortable old pieces of junk compared to a modern Cab over engine.
Thought I heard once that due to the shape they can be slightly more fuel efficient? or is that something I've made up in my head?
Lots of times now in the laybys of major A-roads, I've seen convoys of Eastern European vans parked up. Without fail, very single one in every single convoy has been a new Renault Master with a short curtainsider body on it. What is so popular about that van and body style?
Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt? There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt? There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
ChemicalChaos said:
Lots of times now in the laybys of major A-roads, I've seen convoys of Eastern European vans parked up. Without fail, very single one in every single convoy has been a new Renault Master with a short curtainsider body on it. What is so popular about that van and body style?
Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt?
There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
They have a sleeper pod above the cab as for why they use vans id guess it's cheaper than a HGVAlso, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt?
There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
daydotz said:
ChemicalChaos said:
Lots of times now in the laybys of major A-roads, I've seen convoys of Eastern European vans parked up. Without fail, very single one in every single convoy has been a new Renault Master with a short curtainsider body on it. What is so popular about that van and body style?
Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt?
There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
They have a sleeper pod above the cab as for why they use vans id guess it's cheaper than a HGVAlso, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt?
There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
On the continent many places don't charge tolls on small commercials ,they aren't so restricted on speed ,many areas have restrictions of weight at night and weekends .Some areas have a restriction of movement of anything over 7.5 t from Friday night to midnight sunday . Bank holidays also cause problems of movement in some countries.
We have it very easy in this country except in a couple of large cities .
ChemicalChaos said:
Lots of times now in the laybys of major A-roads, I've seen convoys of Eastern European vans parked up. Without fail, very single one in every single convoy has been a new Renault Master with a short curtainsider body on it. What is so popular about that van and body style?
Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt? There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
faster as not limited if 3.5 tonne are 50/60 /70 not 50 /56/ 56, not bound to tacho ... so for loads that will fit it all adds up ...Also, why are they always parked up for ages as if they're having an HGV style rest halt? There can't be anywhere in the cab of one of those vans for a bed?
The UK parcel couriers use 3.5 tonners from the hubs to the far north / far west for the time sensitive and or 'late in the night' runs despite the capacity being a fraction of an artic , but the extra 14 mph on the motorway and not being forced to break at 4.5 hours makes it worthwhile..
mph1977 said:
ChemicalChaos said:
I gathered that much, but why curtainsiders when a Luton van body is far more secure for the same load area?
fork lift loading ... and curtains are lighter than alloy / fibreglass Not all pallets are a standard size and a lot of these foreign small trucks are transporting metal or plastic stillages which are much larger than pallets .
Most of our car manufacturers in this country are fed by foreign supplied parts mainly shipped in stillages .
All rely on a constant stream of parts as many do not hold more than a few hours worth of stock .
New question folks.
After the M1 opened and before speed limits (pre-1965ish??) we had buses capable of 90mph. Did we have high speed thundering buses and trucks passing the slow cars of the day when the roads were quieter?
I have memories, early 70s, of being in a Mk1 Transit bullnose with a 3-litre V6 where the speedo was regularly reading right round off the clock on long downhill runs.
After the M1 opened and before speed limits (pre-1965ish??) we had buses capable of 90mph. Did we have high speed thundering buses and trucks passing the slow cars of the day when the roads were quieter?
I have memories, early 70s, of being in a Mk1 Transit bullnose with a 3-litre V6 where the speedo was regularly reading right round off the clock on long downhill runs.
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