Asda HGV - how slow is too slow?
Discussion
Just popped along the M8 motorway, westbound from Edinburgh. As I joined at Hermiston Gait I clocked a lorry a good few hundred yards ahead, and particularly that it was going slowly. Too slowly, thought I.
Out of curiousity, and since there was no other traffic around behind me,I decided to match their speed. 40 on the speedo, 37 on the GPS. Shirley this is a dangerously slow speed for a vehicle to be travelling at without some sort of escort or warning beacon. Most traffic would be approaching at around double that speed.
Is this a "thing" nowadays? I note it says on the rear of some trailers it's limited to 52 or possibly even 50 mph and even that is often a right b
ks for traffic flow.
Out of curiousity, and since there was no other traffic around behind me,I decided to match their speed. 40 on the speedo, 37 on the GPS. Shirley this is a dangerously slow speed for a vehicle to be travelling at without some sort of escort or warning beacon. Most traffic would be approaching at around double that speed.
Is this a "thing" nowadays? I note it says on the rear of some trailers it's limited to 52 or possibly even 50 mph and even that is often a right b
ks for traffic flow.Well, 2 lanes yeah. It's 2 lanes most of the way from Edinburgh to the outskirts of Glasgow other than a mile or so with a third crawler lane idea at J3.
Once you've got 2 cars approaching at 65 and 70 mph, it's a potential unnecessary risk if one of them isn't expecting/paying attention to a sub-40 mph lorry I suppose.
Once you've got 2 cars approaching at 65 and 70 mph, it's a potential unnecessary risk if one of them isn't expecting/paying attention to a sub-40 mph lorry I suppose.
This is a pet peeve of pretty much all of our drivers at work, right behind cars who decide to go bellow 56mph on motorways, companies (mainly supermarkets) lowering the limiter of their trucks in order to achieve slightly better economy figures, it means he needs to perform passing maneuvers which cause congestion and reduce his efficiency or be stuck going slower than his intended speed which is a large problem for professional drivers with rigid driving time laws.
Its a practice that really needs to be stopped, the 56mph limit is bad enough.
Its a practice that really needs to be stopped, the 56mph limit is bad enough.
SVTRick said:
So you are quite happy to match the speed of the HGV and whinge about it
Yes to both, I suppose.SVTRick said:
The driver is not breaking the law and you in your own admission are doing the same speed in for car.
I think it might be inconsiderate or dangerously slow in the presence of other traffic. SVTRick said:
You would be moaning like hell if the truck had passed you a 60+ MPH
If it was inconsiderate or dangerous I probably would have a moan to myself, yes. Or on PH if I spotted a pattern.SVTRick said:
Get a life you retard
I'm quite happy with mine, thanks. I even manage to avoid throwing out insults on the internet on Saturday nights...!simoid said:
Just popped along the M8 motorway, westbound from Edinburgh. As I joined at Hermiston Gait I clocked a lorry a good few hundred yards ahead, and particularly that it was going slowly. Too slowly, thought I.
Out of curiousity, and since there was no other traffic around behind me,I decided to match their speed. 40 on the speedo, 37 on the GPS. Shirley this is a dangerously slow speed for a vehicle to be travelling at without some sort of escort or warning beacon. Most traffic would be approaching at around double that speed.
Is this a "thing" nowadays? I note it says on the rear of some trailers it's limited to 52 or possibly even 50 mph and even that is often a right bks for traffic flow.
It is too slow, yes. It's not just trucks though, cars are perhaps even worse for it. I mentioned in a thread I started a while back that I spend more time overtaking cars doing <50mph on motorways and d/cs when driving my truck than I do overtaking other trucks. The supermarket drivers in particular seem to have competitions with each other for who can drive the slowest on a motorway and the memo about the speed limit increase on singles doesn't seem to have reached them either (at least in England) as they still drive at 35 mph when legally they can do 50.Out of curiousity, and since there was no other traffic around behind me,I decided to match their speed. 40 on the speedo, 37 on the GPS. Shirley this is a dangerously slow speed for a vehicle to be travelling at without some sort of escort or warning beacon. Most traffic would be approaching at around double that speed.
Is this a "thing" nowadays? I note it says on the rear of some trailers it's limited to 52 or possibly even 50 mph and even that is often a right b
ks for traffic flow.I expect the accountants are the object of your ire rather than the drivers. We have limiters fitted to vans, the fuel economy is along the lines of a 1/4 tank on a 150 mile run. Not sure what wagons return but on a fleet I expect there are saving.
Just wondering about the single lanes. Never driven an artic myself, I expect there is a bit more to it than keeping at 50.
Just wondering about the single lanes. Never driven an artic myself, I expect there is a bit more to it than keeping at 50.
Edited by jmorgan on Sunday 13th November 06:40
karona said:
Asda "goods in" yards have strict time slots for deliveries, your wagon is booked in for a specific time, and if you're early you have to wait. There's no point hammering down the motorway wasting fuel if you're going to be sitting for an hour waiting to be tipped.
They should pull into a layby then instead of holding everyone up. I've done work for Asda myself and despite all the scare-mongering from the drivers about being hauled in the office over the Isotrak logs showing some insignificant wrong-doing it never actually happened. The drivers are just being jobsworths and the trucks are perfectly capable of doing 56, the same as Tesco/Stobrats, Sainsbugs (some of their Mercs are limited to 50).It's on the slow side, but it isn't too slow. An artic doing a speedo indicated 40 on the motorway is fine. It wouldn't bother me, I'd assume he had good reason. As someone said, maybe early for his drop, so may as well maximise fuel economy. They are probably on a bonus for that. Just pass it when you can.
Live and let live.
Live and let live.
caelite said:
This is a pet peeve of pretty much all of our drivers at work, right behind cars who decide to go bellow 56mph on motorways, companies (mainly supermarkets) lowering the limiter of their trucks in order to achieve slightly better economy figures, it means he needs to perform passing maneuvers which cause congestion and reduce his efficiency or be stuck going slower than his intended speed which is a large problem for professional drivers with rigid driving time laws.
Its a practice that really needs to be stopped, the 56mph limit is bad enough.
From your post you appear to be in the know about HGV speed limits?Its a practice that really needs to be stopped, the 56mph limit is bad enough.
You do know there is no such thing as a 56mph speed limit in the UK?
Hang on, was this on a flat section of road or uphill? I've driven many a truck that couldn't maintain its max speed on an uphill section of motorway.
I have not so fond memories of grinding up parts of the M62 at a lot less than 30mph.
It might just be the case that the truck was going as fast as it could on that piece of road. Might also be that there was a problem with the vehicle and he was nursing it along to the nearest safe place to stop.
I have not so fond memories of grinding up parts of the M62 at a lot less than 30mph.
It might just be the case that the truck was going as fast as it could on that piece of road. Might also be that there was a problem with the vehicle and he was nursing it along to the nearest safe place to stop.
sherbertdip said:
caelite said:
Its a practice that really needs to be stopped, the 56mph limit is bad enough.
From your post you appear to be in the know about HGV speed limits?You do know there is no such thing as a 56mph speed limit in the UK?
280E said:
TooMany2cvs said:
So it's legal for an HGV to be doing 60mph on the m'way, is it? Umm, nope.
Well, according to this hearsay evidence: https://www.gov.uk/speed-limitsUmm, yes
280E said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Umm, no. Because that's not the offence they'd be committing, is it?
Hmm - is there a lower limit for HGVs other than NSL? If there is, I haven't noticed many HGVs sticking to it!If a truck is doing 60mph, he might not be exceeding the speed limit, but are any other offences being committed? Yes, they are. Clue: Construction & Use regs.
280E said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Clearly, I'm being a bit subtle for a Sunday morning.
If a truck is doing 60mph, he might not be exceeding the speed limit, but are any other offences being committed? Yes, they are. Clue: Construction & Use regs.
Ah - will things change post-'Brexit' ?If a truck is doing 60mph, he might not be exceeding the speed limit, but are any other offences being committed? Yes, they are. Clue: Construction & Use regs.
TooMany2cvs said:
280E said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Umm, no. Because that's not the offence they'd be committing, is it?
Hmm - is there a lower limit for HGVs other than NSL? If there is, I haven't noticed many HGVs sticking to it!If a truck is doing 60mph, he might not be exceeding the speed limit, but are any other offences being committed? Yes, they are. Clue: Construction & Use regs.
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