Should I bother complaining about these truck drivers?
Discussion
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.
The people they were tailgating were doing 50 mph. They were also hassling people who were in the left hand lane. 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.
At one point the lorries overtook me when I was doing 52 mph on the cruise control.
I'm usually the type to just let things go, since there's usually two sides to every situation, and I myself don't claim to be whiter than white.
However these guys were effing maniacs, truly idiotic, totally out of order.
I spoke to the transport manager, since the majority opinion on here seemed to be in favour. He was very reasonable and asked for the details. It's up to him what he does about it.
As someone else said - if they have an unblemished record then no action will be necessary, but if it's not the first time they've been reported then I guess there'll be consequences.
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?
Been on the receiving end of this behavour. Told the company transport manager that his drivers driving was all on my road cam, and I was going to pop into the local fuzz shop with it. Result. Drivers suspended for 1 week, and being re-trained.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?
If you feel the driving standard was at all dangerous then report them. As others have said if you're the first to report then nothing will happen, however if there are already black marks against their names then you would hope the appropriate action would be taken to remove a dangerous driver from the road.
I had a similar situation early this year. Travelling back from Essex to Hertfordshire I was in a SPECS section of the M25 limited to 50. I set my cruise control at 50 and proceeded in lane one, it was fairly quiet as it was around midnight but I came along a line of cars travelling slightly slower than myself. Nothing in lane two so I indicated and moved over.
An articulated Tesco's lorry which had been making progress behind me in lane one shortly after moved over into lane two to pass the same line of cars I was. He came very close behind me and proceeded to flash his full beam. I didn't change course or speed at all and finished my overtake of the remaining two cars and moved back into lane one. As the lorry then passed he swerved towards my lane, I’m guessing to make a point that I was holding him up.
This is the point where I took offence. Once he moved back into lane one I moved over into lane two to drive alongside to see what his problem was. His response was to give me the coffee beans. Now I was really wound up as far as I could see I hadn’t done anything wrong. I completed my overtake and then slowed down to make him pass me again.
There was a nearby Tesco’s depot which I guessed the driver would be heading too so I followed to ask what his problem was. His response, I wanted to pass and I’m not allowed to use lane three. Now I completely understand this and consider how frustrating it must be especially if you’re on a deadline but I was making an overtake and if he had waited for 30 seconds more I would have been out of his way and he could of passed without me then holding him up later on.
I left after giving him a few choice words but in hindsight I should have reported him. If he reacted this way with me then I can imagine this isn’t the first time he has bullied someone out of the way.
I had a similar situation early this year. Travelling back from Essex to Hertfordshire I was in a SPECS section of the M25 limited to 50. I set my cruise control at 50 and proceeded in lane one, it was fairly quiet as it was around midnight but I came along a line of cars travelling slightly slower than myself. Nothing in lane two so I indicated and moved over.
An articulated Tesco's lorry which had been making progress behind me in lane one shortly after moved over into lane two to pass the same line of cars I was. He came very close behind me and proceeded to flash his full beam. I didn't change course or speed at all and finished my overtake of the remaining two cars and moved back into lane one. As the lorry then passed he swerved towards my lane, I’m guessing to make a point that I was holding him up.
This is the point where I took offence. Once he moved back into lane one I moved over into lane two to drive alongside to see what his problem was. His response was to give me the coffee beans. Now I was really wound up as far as I could see I hadn’t done anything wrong. I completed my overtake and then slowed down to make him pass me again.
There was a nearby Tesco’s depot which I guessed the driver would be heading too so I followed to ask what his problem was. His response, I wanted to pass and I’m not allowed to use lane three. Now I completely understand this and consider how frustrating it must be especially if you’re on a deadline but I was making an overtake and if he had waited for 30 seconds more I would have been out of his way and he could of passed without me then holding him up later on.
I left after giving him a few choice words but in hindsight I should have reported him. If he reacted this way with me then I can imagine this isn’t the first time he has bullied someone out of the way.
Edited by Bradley1500 on Friday 25th July 17:00
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 t
t in the car.
I've often wondered what makes these tts qualified to pass judgement on other people?
But that's got nothing to do with the OP. Just because someone else who does the same job as you is a 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 t
t in the car.I've often wondered what makes these t
ts qualified to pass judgement on other people? doesn't automatically make you a . Stop taking it so personally.Bradley1500 said:
If you feel the driving standard was at all dangerous then report them. As others have said if you're the first to report then nothing will happen, however if there are already black marks against their names then you would hope the appropriate action would be taken to remove a dangerous driver from the road.
I had a similar situation early this year. Travelling back from Essex to Hertfordshire I was in a SPECS section of the M25 limited to 50. I set my cruise control at 50 and proceeded in lane one, it was fairly quiet as it was around midnight but I came along a line of cars travelling slightly slower than myself. Nothing in lane two so I indicated and moved over.
An articulated Tesco's lorry which had been making progress behind me in lane one shortly after moved over into lane two to pass the same line of cars I was. He came very close behind me and proceeded to flash his full beam. I didn't change course or speed at all and finished my overtake of the remaining two cars and moved back into lane one. As the lorry then passed he swerved towards my lane, I’m guessing to make a point that I was holding him up.
This is the point where I took offence. Once he moved back into lane one I moved over into lane two to drive alongside to see what his problem was. His response was to give me the coffee beans. Now I was really wound up as far as I could see I hadn’t done anything wrong. I completed my overtake and then slowed down to make him pass me again.
There was a nearby Tesco’s depot which I guessed the driver would be heading too so I followed to ask what his problem was. His response, I wanted to pass and I’m not allowed to use lane three. Now I completely understand this and consider how frustrating it must be especially if you’re on a deadline but I was making an overtake and if he had waited for 30 seconds more I would have been out of his way and he could of passed without me then holding him up later on.
I left after giving him a few choice words but in hindsight I should have reported him. If he reacted this way with me then I can imagine this isn’t the first time he has bullied someone out of the way.
The lorry tailgated you and flashed his lights, so you decided to overtake him and purposely slow him down? You sound like more of a wI had a similar situation early this year. Travelling back from Essex to Hertfordshire I was in a SPECS section of the M25 limited to 50. I set my cruise control at 50 and proceeded in lane one, it was fairly quiet as it was around midnight but I came along a line of cars travelling slightly slower than myself. Nothing in lane two so I indicated and moved over.
An articulated Tesco's lorry which had been making progress behind me in lane one shortly after moved over into lane two to pass the same line of cars I was. He came very close behind me and proceeded to flash his full beam. I didn't change course or speed at all and finished my overtake of the remaining two cars and moved back into lane one. As the lorry then passed he swerved towards my lane, I’m guessing to make a point that I was holding him up.
This is the point where I took offence. Once he moved back into lane one I moved over into lane two to drive alongside to see what his problem was. His response was to give me the coffee beans. Now I was really wound up as far as I could see I hadn’t done anything wrong. I completed my overtake and then slowed down to make him pass me again.
There was a nearby Tesco’s depot which I guessed the driver would be heading too so I followed to ask what his problem was. His response, I wanted to pass and I’m not allowed to use lane three. Now I completely understand this and consider how frustrating it must be especially if you’re on a deadline but I was making an overtake and if he had waited for 30 seconds more I would have been out of his way and he could of passed without me then holding him up later on.
I left after giving him a few choice words but in hindsight I should have reported him. If he reacted this way with me then I can imagine this isn’t the first time he has bullied someone out of the way.
Edited by Bradley1500 on Friday 25th July 17:00
ker than him. I absolutely hate people like you in average speed zones, and find them far more annoying than the occasional tailgating lorries. All it takes is a bit of thought and understanding when it comes to lorries - if everyone had a bit of consideration there'd be less tailgating, less congestion and less aggression.One thing I sometimes do if lane 1 is busy and a lorry is approaching me in lane 2, is move out into lane 3 (if clear), let the lorry pass me on the inside and then move back into lane 2. I always get a flash of the hazards as thanks, and everybody can get on with their journey at their own pace.
To quote OP's original question.
I have been in receipt of the "your employee was driving like a cock" call. Not a lot I could do about it apart from having a quiet word and trying to appeal to the drivers better nature without evidence. To sack someone these days is very difficult and potentially messy. To do so on say so of someone who might be the sort who drives everywhere at 40mph because "that's quite fast enough thank you very much" would take a very brave or foolish manager. Not saying OP is that sort but they're out there.
rlg43p said:
Should I bother complaining about these truck drivers?
With evidence like dash cam footage most definitely yes. Without it then probably not worth it unless they have their own dash cam footage could be taken off. I have been in receipt of the "your employee was driving like a cock" call. Not a lot I could do about it apart from having a quiet word and trying to appeal to the drivers better nature without evidence. To sack someone these days is very difficult and potentially messy. To do so on say so of someone who might be the sort who drives everywhere at 40mph because "that's quite fast enough thank you very much" would take a very brave or foolish manager. Not saying OP is that sort but they're out there.
Whilst it certainly doent excuse the tailgating behavior, half the problem is caused by the inaccuracy of car speedometers. Remember that truck tachographs have to be legally calibrated so are far more accurate. Car speedometers can be up to 10% out. In the case of the poster who says he was flashed out of the way by a tesco truck, they are speed limited to 50mph! If he could overtake then you were doing less than 50mph no matter what your speedometer says!
Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
robinessex said:
Been on the receiving end of this behavour. Told the company transport manager that his drivers driving was all on my road cam, and I was going to pop into the local fuzz shop with it. Result. Drivers suspended for 1 week, and being re-trained.
I am not going to doubt that this is what you were told, but I do doubt that it actually happened as promised.GC8 said:
robinessex said:
Been on the receiving end of this behavour. Told the company transport manager that his drivers driving was all on my road cam, and I was going to pop into the local fuzz shop with it. Result. Drivers suspended for 1 week, and being re-trained.
I am not going to doubt that this is what you were told, but I do doubt that it actually happened as promised.One place I worked at many years ago on the vans had a great way of dealing with the public. We had over 40 transits that worked nationwide doing deliveries and collections, the vans were very well liveried to a high street store. Anyway, if someone rang up to complain (which was rare as turns out, we had 3 accidents in the 7 years I was there) the person complaining would be asked for all there contact details, car type and number plate, they would then be told that the complaint would be investigated fully and that if the complaint was proved to be false or malicious the the complainants details would be made available to the company solicitor to allow the driver to pursue for professional deformation damages if they chose. All a load of rubbish but of course the phone went dead very quickly.
I had someone ring the office to say that I had been racing another van in a town, swerving and cutting people up, driver was asked for details, office rang my boss who was sat beside me and confirmed it was the car 2 behind us who I had not allowed to cut us up when they tried to straight line a right filter lane at some lights!!!
For the OP, if you feel it was that bad then ring, at worst the tacho will confirm location to add credence to your complaint, at best the units may have Isotrak or similar which would back you up almost 100%.
Oh and for the Tesco storyteller, well done you for turning one drivers incompetence into tit for tat road rage, Tescos are renowned as one of the slowest on the road and are already limited to 50mph so your manoeuvres would have taken some time to execute, it's not like he would have been flying but you managed to make the situation worse. Let's hope the next HGV you decide to try and slow down doesn't and you end up with half the car you had......bell end.
OP, I'd say report it if you thought it was dangerous. If the HGV driver continually acts like a knob, chances are he's been reported before. If it was a one-off incident, nothing will come of it but if he's racing around trying to bully everyone else off the road, the number of people reporting it that will make it obvious to his employer and they'll need to do something about it.
Geekman said:
One thing I sometimes do if lane 1 is busy and a lorry is approaching me in lane 2, is move out into lane 3 (if clear), let the lorry pass me on the inside and then move back into lane 2. I always get a flash of the hazards as thanks, and everybody can get on with their journey at their own pace.
I try to be courteous on the road and this sounds like a good solution but doesn't the truck driver leave himself open to being accused of undertaking?PhilTD5 said:
Whilst it certainly doent excuse the tailgating behavior, half the problem is caused by the inaccuracy of car speedometers. Remember that truck tachographs have to be legally calibrated so are far more accurate. Car speedometers can be up to 10% out. In the case of the poster who says he was flashed out of the way by a tesco truck, they are speed limited to 50mph! If he could overtake then you were doing less than 50mph no matter what your speedometer says!
Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
100% this!Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
No excuse for the divs that were tailgating and bullying, as normal it's this minority that gets the rest of us a bad name.
Pistom said:
I try to be courteous on the road and this sounds like a good solution but doesn't the truck driver leave himself open to being accused of undertaking?
No - the lorry is simply continuing in his lane so there's no risk of him getting into trouble. It would only be undertaking if he moved into a different lane to pass me on the inside and then moved back.chilistrucker said:
PhilTD5 said:
Whilst it certainly doent excuse the tailgating behavior, half the problem is caused by the inaccuracy of car speedometers. Remember that truck tachographs have to be legally calibrated so are far more accurate. Car speedometers can be up to 10% out. In the case of the poster who says he was flashed out of the way by a tesco truck, they are speed limited to 50mph! If he could overtake then you were doing less than 50mph no matter what your speedometer says!
Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
100% this!Add in the equation car drivers who cautiously pass the specs cameras at 45mph on their speedo, and you have a rolling roadblock of approx 40mph.
How many car drivers upon coming across a vehicle travelling at 40mph in a 50 limit would overtake it?
Just because a big dirty truck overtakes you in roadworks doesnt mean its breaking any laws. Tailgating/bullying is a different matter again though.
No excuse for the divs that were tailgating and bullying, as normal it's this minority that gets the rest of us a bad name.
I once complained to a truck co after a bad driver, fist time there was road rage between the two of us, he ended up driving into my car. The police couldn't prove this so there was no resolution.
I saw him again and couldn't believe what I was witnessing, he was inches away from another cars bumper road raging again. The same guy. I didn't get involved but thought it may be an idea to call his company. I did, they weren't interested.
So, no, imo don't bother complaining. The majority of truck drivers are very good, they travel many long hours and have a job to do.
I saw him again and couldn't believe what I was witnessing, he was inches away from another cars bumper road raging again. The same guy. I didn't get involved but thought it may be an idea to call his company. I did, they weren't interested.
So, no, imo don't bother complaining. The majority of truck drivers are very good, they travel many long hours and have a job to do.
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