Questions for truckers...
Discussion
theshrew said:
A couple of questions for you fellas.
With the new CPC laws how long do you think it would take to do test and cpc. The driving part shouldnt be a problem. Does 2 weeks sound about right + another week if i then did class 1 ?
Im in the North West - What sort of hourly rate would i be looking at for class 2 work ?
How difficult is it to get a job when you first start out ?
Cheers
Where in the north west are you? Coopers at Winsford used to put drivers through their class 2.With the new CPC laws how long do you think it would take to do test and cpc. The driving part shouldnt be a problem. Does 2 weeks sound about right + another week if i then did class 1 ?
Im in the North West - What sort of hourly rate would i be looking at for class 2 work ?
How difficult is it to get a job when you first start out ?
Cheers
You may get lucky getting a start as a noob but if you do make sure they don't take the piss by trying to push you hard and paying a below average wage. Maybe try an agency to get you started and a good way of getting varied work and experience.
I'd probably look into all the smaller, (proper) haulage companies in my local area for a start. Explain your brand new but keen to learn and maybe be versatile by driving whatever they have from an Escort van to an artic, as long as they run legal and treat you right. Only personal preference but i've always preferred a smaller family run type firm from some huge nationwide ,'logistics' company.
Good luck.
I'd probably look into all the smaller, (proper) haulage companies in my local area for a start. Explain your brand new but keen to learn and maybe be versatile by driving whatever they have from an Escort van to an artic, as long as they run legal and treat you right. Only personal preference but i've always preferred a smaller family run type firm from some huge nationwide ,'logistics' company.
Good luck.
StuntmanMike said:
Where in the north west are you? Coopers at Winsford used to put drivers through their class 2.
I can be in Coopers yard in less than 10 min. I've Already tried them but they don't do it anymore :-( Although on the bright side they did say they took on new drivers however it's no good if they don't have a vacancy for 2 years. If I do decide to do it at least I have loads of experience driving them already so that shouldn't be a problem.
I don't know if it's still the same but race trucks were limited to 100 mph , which they achieved very easily, they reached this speed as quickly as a sierra cosworth.
I have only driven one tractor unit on the road , taken to the workshop that serviced them, a Scania 113 450 that had been played with by a Belgian specialist , no idea what power it had but I couldn't change gear quick enough in it and you could power slide out of corners and roundabouts. Then I was banned from taking the units to the workshop by the new transport manager as I didn't have a HGV/LGV licence only 7.5 ton .
I have only driven one tractor unit on the road , taken to the workshop that serviced them, a Scania 113 450 that had been played with by a Belgian specialist , no idea what power it had but I couldn't change gear quick enough in it and you could power slide out of corners and roundabouts. Then I was banned from taking the units to the workshop by the new transport manager as I didn't have a HGV/LGV licence only 7.5 ton .
iva cosworth said:
grumpy52 said:
I don't know if it's still the same but race trucks were limited to 100 mph.
I believe this is still true.When they race all the marshalls go and stand the other side of the fence.
When they go off they REALLY make a mess.
sherbertdip said:
No link but i was there, you will have to take my word for it, and seriously i can't give any further details, Officials Secret Act.
That's OK. I've signed the OSA, so you can put it on here, so long as everyone else promises not to look 
ETA: I think I've posted this before, but I was once passed by an interesting convoy - 4 marked cars, but an unmarked four-wheeler box truck. One car lane 3 100yds out in front, one car lane 3 in front of the truck, one car in lane 2 at the side of the truck in lane 3, one car behind the truck. Let me put it this way - there is no way the truck had a limiter fitted, unless at was set for 80+
Edited by cravir on Tuesday 9th September 21:38
cravir said:
That's OK. I've signed the OSA, so you can put it on here, so long as everyone else promises not to look
ETA: I think I've posted this before, but I was once passed by an interesting convoy - 4 marked cars, but an unmarked four-wheeler box truck. One car lane 3 100yds out in front, one car lane 3 in front of the truck, one car in lane 2 at the side of the truck in lane 3, one car behind the truck. Let me put it this way - there is no way the truck had a limiter fitted, unless at was set for 80+
Ive been in a truck doing a fair bit above the speed limit ( i wasnt driving ) they go like sETA: I think I've posted this before, but I was once passed by an interesting convoy - 4 marked cars, but an unmarked four-wheeler box truck. One car lane 3 100yds out in front, one car lane 3 in front of the truck, one car in lane 2 at the side of the truck in lane 3, one car behind the truck. Let me put it this way - there is no way the truck had a limiter fitted, unless at was set for 80+
Edited by cravir on Tuesday 9th September 21:38
t off a shovel if you want them to. Rigids aren't too bad, they're just like big vans and can get a bit bouncy when heavy at speed but nothing that would worry you. I've gone flat out in artics a few times and empty they are fine, tried to do it loaded though and it would have ended up in a ditch after half an hour, too much effort just to keep it in a lane.
How I miss the old paper Frisbees and wires for dodgy Saturday night work
How I miss the old paper Frisbees and wires for dodgy Saturday night work
s p a c e m a n said:
Rigids aren't too bad, they're just like big vans and can get a bit bouncy when heavy at speed but nothing that would worry you. I've gone flat out in artics a few times and empty they are fine, tried to do it loaded though and it would have ended up in a ditch after half an hour, too much effort just to keep it in a lane.
How I miss the old paper Frisbees and wires for dodgy Saturday night work
How about the thumb pressing the middle of the tacho trick ? How I miss the old paper Frisbees and wires for dodgy Saturday night work
ChemicalChaos said:
Just a little thing I wondered - I know that when tyres are fitted to a wheel, it then goes on a balancing machine whose axle fits though the wheel centre.
How the hell does one balance the tyres on one of those old fashioned truck rims, where literally only the rim comes off from the spoked hub?
I've had a powder balance in the past. They deflate the tyres and then blow in a kilo or to of powder stuff that distributes itself around the tyre as you drive and helps to balance it. How the hell does one balance the tyres on one of those old fashioned truck rims, where literally only the rim comes off from the spoked hub?
It's probably only used on the front tyres though.
StuntmanMike said:
Many many memories of cracking that glass in the nineties doing the continent, shouting bks and wearing the required mullet.
They brought out new gizmos to limit the trucks and within a couple of months ways of getting round them were found. ks and wearing the required mullet.The company I worked in the yard for even paid for modifications , lots of bending of the rules in the 90's.
Regular thefts of the briefcase containing the drivers records was a common occurrence !
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