Should I bother complaining about these truck drivers?

Should I bother complaining about these truck drivers?

Author
Discussion

rlg43p

Original Poster:

1,228 posts

249 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
On the evening of the 15th July I was driving north up the M1, through the 50mph limited roadworks leading up to the m18 exit.

Within this zone there were 3 trucks from Chambers and Cook Freight Ltd. Two of them were driving in the most pointlessly aggressive and dangerous fashion that I think I have ever seen.

In these crowded SPECs controlled zones pretty much all of the traffic is ambling along at 50 mph, because to do otherwise is pointless. However two out of the three of these trucks were trying to push the limit and clearly seemed to be in a hurry. As a result they were undertaking and tailgating in such an aggressive way that was really annoying.

I would make it clear that I was not tailgated, I observed them doing this to others. I could see the way they were behaving and kept out of their way.

However I did observe them driving literally about one metre off the back of other cars, in both the inside and middle lane, in such a way as to intimidate those in front of them to speed up or move out of the way.

I cannot understand why they would do this. It was utterly pointless behaviour and would enable them to maybe drive a couple of mph faster up to the next car in front of them.

I made a note of the numberplates of these trucks and had it in mind to complain to the company itself.

Should I bother? Is there any point?

I think there would be a point if these drivers were to get a disciplinary ticking off so that they thought twice about doing this again. Such blatantly dangerous and aggressive behaviour by someone driving such large vehicles has no place on our roads.

Or should I just keep my nose out of it?


Swanny87

1,265 posts

119 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Tailgating car to car is risking serious neck injury. Tailgating truck to car is risking death. So yeah I would report them for dangerous driving.

So called 'professional' drivers. I hate to say that but I bet the HGV drivers that are decent hate it even more than car drivers as it gives them a bad name.

ETA: I just don't get people who drive like this with their company name plastered all over, why put your livelihood at risk to get there 0.0000001 seconds quicker? To clear things up when I say 'so called...' I don't mean all HGV drivers, just the drivers in this instance.



Edited by Swanny87 on Friday 25th July 15:14

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

246 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
I could write a useful note the owners of a big truck which drove side-by-side with another truck at 50 mph for a full 4 miles of the two lane motorway earlier this week....

Who me ?

7,455 posts

212 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Might be more productive sending e mail to transport managers, with date /time etc outlining the bad driving.

GTIR

24,741 posts

266 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Probably racing each other to see who could get ahead the most.

On the grand scheme of things truckers are far better drivers than car/van drivers. Besides which they have continuous training (35 hours over five years) and far more involved getting their licence.

Just a few bad eggs.

Ring the company and speak to the transport manager who'll hold the operators licence CPC.

mp3manager

4,254 posts

196 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
I got reported a few years back for not moving over and letting a car onto the motorway at a sliproad.

The fact that there was roadworks on the main carriageway with a width restriction in L2, meant it was illegal for me in a truck to move over, was lost on the tt in the car.

I've often wondered what makes these tts qualified to pass judgement on other people?

skyline501

214 posts

186 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Swanny87 said:
ETA: I just don't get people who drive like this with their company name plastered all over, why put your livelihood at risk to get there 0.0000001 seconds quicker?
Agency drivers?

surveyor

17,811 posts

184 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Complain if you wish, but I can understand their frustration.

It's to do with the dick-head motorists who do 45 mph in this 20 mile section of roadworks and never move from the middle lane. Cars can pass in Lane 3, HGV or towing vehicles cannot.


Swanny87

1,265 posts

119 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
skyline501 said:
Agency drivers?
Didn't think of that, you're probably right. however, Due to the nature of using an agency's services, I imagine the drivers/agency company would then be told to fk off (I hope) by the main company considering there is no disciplinary procedure for contracted staff. I can't imagine that would look to good on any employment record or reference further down the line...

mp3manager

4,254 posts

196 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
I could report the OP for naming and shaming but then I'm not a .

If the OP wants to become a self-appointed policeman, then he should make sure he's whiter than white. And why wait 10 days?

Just sayin'

Rawwr

22,722 posts

234 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Complain if you wish, but I can understand their frustration.

It's to do with the dick-head motorists who do 45 mph in this 20 mile section of roadworks and never move from the middle lane. Cars can pass in Lane 3, HGV or towing vehicles cannot.
Still not an excuse. There really isn't any excuse at all.

jamieduff1981

8,024 posts

140 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
mp3manager said:
I got reported a few years back for not moving over and letting a car onto the motorway at a sliproad.

The fact that there was roadworks on the main carriageway with a width restriction in L2, meant it was illegal for me in a truck to move over, was lost on the tt in the car.

I've often wondered what makes these tts qualified to pass judgement on other people?
Are you defending tailgating and questioning other qualified road users' qualifications to pass judgement on HGVs tailgating cars?


tenpenceshort

32,880 posts

217 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
mp3manager said:
I could report the OP for naming and shaming but then I'm not a .

If the OP wants to become a self-appointed policeman, then he should make sure he's whiter than white. And why wait 10 days?

Just sayin'
As an alternative, that section is 20 miles long with no hard shoulder. Any accident or breakdown tends to cause 45+ minutes of delays to all and sundry. Tailgating and intimidating motorists in such a confined space is massively increasing the risk of retaliatory behaviour, domino effects, accidents and delays. Most of all, there's no need for or benefit from it- it's SPECS controlled throughout and a truck can only go 5mph, at best, faster than the limit.

The people employing these drivers ought to be told about the behaviour so at least there is an opportunity to educate them.


MYOB

4,784 posts

138 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
mp3manager said:
I got reported a few years back for not moving over and letting a car onto the motorway at a sliproad.
I didn't think the car on the motorway had to give way to traffic joining from slip roads?

philmots

4,631 posts

260 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Just let it go.. Or report it to the police.

As some others point above most car drivers are tts and don't realise limitations etc of trucks.. As above when he couldn't move out into the next lane as it's a worth restriction.

Therefore most calls to a transport manager will be palmed off and forgotten about as 99% of the time you can bet there's no issue or it's the car driver that's at fault.

I'm not saying your opinion is wrong, I'm saying you're wasting your time reporting it to the company as they'll do nothing about it.

oyster

12,591 posts

248 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
mp3manager said:
I could report the OP for naming and shaming but then I'm not a .

If the OP wants to become a self-appointed policeman, then he should make sure he's whiter than white. And why wait 10 days?

Just sayin'
Stop trying to defend the indefensible.

I'm sure if the drivers in question have a clean record to date then they won't be affected by a single report from a member of the public. Now if they already have black marks against them then maybe the OP is doing us all a favour by helping remove a dangerous driver from our roads.

Surely you'd be in favour of that?

thatdude

2,655 posts

127 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
Report it to the company / companies responsible for those trucks. If they come across as not bothered etc, then politly inform them that you will, instead, deal with the police. And then deal with the police.

There is no excuse for tailgating; the speed limit is the upper limit, not the exact very speed everyone should be travelling at. Granted, very slow speeds are also unsafe, but 45 mph in a 50 is hardly travelling very slow - that's 90% of the maximum permissible speed.


thatdude

2,655 posts

127 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
mp3manager said:
I could report the OP for naming and shaming but then I'm not a .

If the OP wants to become a self-appointed policeman, then he should make sure he's whiter than white. And why wait 10 days?

Just sayin'
If such a driver (i.e. tailgating) were to be instrumental in the death of someone you loved, or many people you loved, perhaps you'll feel different.

I recall an episode of (i thiink) traffic cops or something like that, where a woman had been rear ended by a (small?) lorry...the driver of which never applied his brakes to slow his vehicle before he hit her (stationary) vehicle.

The scene when the police officer had to walk to the house to deliver the heartbreaking news to the family is a haunting peice of television. It has strongly influenced my attitude as a driver, and my attitude to drivers around me.

CoolHands

18,616 posts

195 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
rlg43p said:
On the evening of the 15th July I was driving north up the M1, through the 50mph limited roadworks leading up to the m18 exit.

Within this zone there were 3 trucks from Chambers and Cook Freight Ltd. Two of them were driving in the most pointlessly aggressive and dangerous fashion that I think I have ever seen.

In these crowded SPECs controlled zones pretty much all of the traffic is ambling along at 50 mph, because to do otherwise is pointless. However two out of the three of these trucks were trying to push the limit and clearly seemed to be in a hurry. As a result they were undertaking and tailgating in such an aggressive way that was really annoying.

I would make it clear that I was not tailgated, I observed them doing this to others. I could see the way they were behaving and kept out of their way.

However I did observe them driving literally about one metre off the back of other cars, in both the inside and middle lane, in such a way as to intimidate those in front of them to speed up or move out of the way.

I cannot understand why they would do this. It was utterly pointless behaviour and would enable them to maybe drive a couple of mph faster up to the next car in front of them.

I made a note of the numberplates of these trucks and had it in mind to complain to the company itself.

Should I bother? Is there any point?

I think there would be a point if these drivers were to get a disciplinary ticking off so that they thought twice about doing this again. Such blatantly dangerous and aggressive behaviour by someone driving such large vehicles has no place on our roads.

Or should I just keep my nose out of it?
I say do it.

jdw100

4,103 posts

164 months

Friday 25th July 2014
quotequote all
I've reported a number of liveried drivers over the years for things like:

-Overtaking at high speed a car that had stopped to let people across a zebra crossing. (British Gas)

- Some crazy guy driving like a maniac on the A1, forcing people over, trying to overtake on hard shoulder etc.

- A lorry driver nearly causing a major crash by forcing his way out in to lane 2 and nearly taking out 4/5 cars.

- A van driver nearly running me over going through a red light on a pedestrian crossing as he was smoking and texting on his phone at the same time (British Gas again)

and a few others over the years....

On the whole the results have been worth taking the time apart from from one haulage firm owner who threatened to fight me!

British Gas' Transport Managers will deny they can do anything as they have no idea where their vans could possibly be...rolleyes However last digits of number plate will suffice to get some action.

With the guy on the A1, the owner of the company said it was the last straw and they were going to fire him. It was the worst, most dangerous driving I have ever seen..like something from a film!