Is truck "elephant racing" against the law?
Discussion
Crossflow Kid said:
No worse than causing traffic to bunch up and tailgate whilst playing "Who's Got The Best Limiter?" though, is it?
As an evil selfish HGV driver I also cannot stand this elephant racing, I always lift and let the other driver past, all it takes is pressing a button, no effort and even less stress.I do wonder though, how is the truck causing bunching and tailgating? Surely that is down to the awful driving standards of the idiots who don't look further that the end of the bonnet and have planned their journey or day so badly that any delay results in the end of the world?? The example given certainly did merit a phone call, but causing tailgating, sorry, simply not true...........
Mk3Spitfire said:
Nigel Worc's said:
Cracker on the A14 this evening, even all through the area they aren't supposed to be in lane two between 6am to 8pm.
What's the matter? Dislike being held up by someone in front not paying attention? If only you had blue flashing lights eh? 
Nigel Worc's said:
Mk3Spitfire said:
Nigel Worc's said:
Cracker on the A14 this evening, even all through the area they aren't supposed to be in lane two between 6am to 8pm.
What's the matter? Dislike being held up by someone in front not paying attention? If only you had blue flashing lights eh? I find that on the A14, progress is likely to be held up by cars as well as lorries, even worse when shed dragging season starts. Heading east at the moment you just get to the traffic jam quicker.
More recently being caught out by a few wagons that wake up part way through an overtake (after catching them up and the speed is there to get by with little pain to the company directors). Now thinking they do it on purpose, limited van by the way.
cptsideways said:
I had the pleasure of being stuck behind two elephant racers last night southbound on the A34
From the A44 Oxford juntion to the Newbury junction, a total distance of 29miles!!! or about 30 mins, I'd joined the queue at the A44 which was already some 50 cars long. Neither was giving way come hills or junctions
Lets just say I had time to ring the number on the back of the Lomas Distribution truck in the outside lane & have a fairly long chat to their transport manager whilst this was all in progress. Apparently I was not the only one to ring in to the company
I do believe said driver is being called into the office as we speak this morning to be dealt with accordingly by the MD & the transport manager who were very pleased I & others called in regards the driving standards of their company vehicles.
Any transport managers out there care to comment?
Is this some sort of record? I've witnessed Stansted to Duxford, which resulted in several followers undertaking on the hard shoulder.From the A44 Oxford juntion to the Newbury junction, a total distance of 29miles!!! or about 30 mins, I'd joined the queue at the A44 which was already some 50 cars long. Neither was giving way come hills or junctions
Lets just say I had time to ring the number on the back of the Lomas Distribution truck in the outside lane & have a fairly long chat to their transport manager whilst this was all in progress. Apparently I was not the only one to ring in to the company
I do believe said driver is being called into the office as we speak this morning to be dealt with accordingly by the MD & the transport manager who were very pleased I & others called in regards the driving standards of their company vehicles.
Any transport managers out there care to comment?
mp3manager said:
And you think slipstreaming the lorry in front is a good idea?
They should link all that lot together with some kind of coupling then they'd only need one tractor unit. If they were going to roughly the same geographical location they could have a separate route just for them away from other traffic. The road surface would have to be more hard wearing than tarmac, of course - maybe strips of metal?Impasse said:
They should link all that lot together with some kind of coupling then they'd only need one tractor unit. If they were going to roughly the same geographical location they could have a separate route just for them away from other traffic. The road surface would have to be more hard wearing than tarmac, of course - maybe strips of metal?
The news last year (I think) reported someone trying this to test the law for super-long (but still <44T) loads. I don't know the outcome, but presume it has been deemed illegal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longer_Heavier_Vehicl...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denby_Eco-Link
AFAIK, it never actually got to court so it's still some what up-in-the-air...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denby_Eco-Link
AFAIK, it never actually got to court so it's still some what up-in-the-air...
jmorgan said:
cptsideways said:
Lets just say I had time to ring the number on the back of the Lomas Distribution truck in the outside lane & have a fairly long chat to their transport manager whilst this was all in progress. Apparently I was not the only one to ring in to the company
If Lomas was upside that long its a very very rare thing, they "all" seem to be rather fast compared to every other lorry on the road. In 18 months ive never passed one.
Bet his boss was well pleased,
(weren't a 12 plate Volvo was it? I know a lad that drives for them)
Moonhawk said:
Flawless Victory said:
This is what happens when a truck misses its booking time...the load is rejected and the haulier doesn't get paid.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-1662...
So if a truckdriver is constantly slowing down to let other trucks pass, it's increasing costs by using more fuel and putting jobs at risk. No company can operate like that.
Of course, the commuter-types don't care about this at all.
But if we go by the example a few posts back - how much time would it actually cost them. If a car only loses a matter of seconds over a long journey having to occasionally slow from 70mph to 55 - then how much would a lorry lose by slowing 1 or 2mph a few times per trip? Are lorry deliveries really time critical to the second?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-1662...
So if a truckdriver is constantly slowing down to let other trucks pass, it's increasing costs by using more fuel and putting jobs at risk. No company can operate like that.
Of course, the commuter-types don't care about this at all.
In terms of using additional fuel by slowing - would it really be that significant? Does slowing temporarily by say 1 or 2mph make such a huge difference to the fuel efficiency of a truck? Also isn't it swings and roundabouts - what little fuel they did lose by slowing slightly - surely they would gain back by being able to slipstream the lorry in front once it pulls back in?
Of course, I wasn't in a hurry or on some schedule but the timed delivery stuff is b
ks. Go to any place that takes timed deliveries and you'll see the trucks lined up waiting for their slot. In any case just allow more time for the journey and then you don't need to cause chaos on the way.The thing is, I'm not sure that the guys who do this stuff are smart enough to understand all this..........
NorfolkInClue1 said:
I do wonder though, how is the truck causing bunching and tailgating?........
Read the example higher up the page...about the A34. Only two lanes, usually blocked by vest-wearing egg banjo scoffing retards.
Same can be said for the last bit of the M3 before it splits at the coast.
cptsideways said:
I had the pleasure of being stuck behind two elephant racers last night southbound on the A34
From the A44 Oxford juntion to the Newbury junction, a total distance of 29miles!!! or about 30 mins, I'd joined the queue at the A44 which was already some 50 cars long. Neither was giving way come hills or junctions
Lets just say I had time to ring the number on the back of the Lomas Distribution truck in the outside lane & have a fairly long chat to their transport manager whilst this was all in progress. Apparently I was not the only one to ring in to the company
I do believe said driver is being called into the office as we speak this morning to be dealt with accordingly by the MD & the transport manager who were very pleased I & others called in regards the driving standards of their company vehicles.
Any transport managers out there care to comment?
What a hero you are, I don't believe any of what you say apart from the bit about calling the company to complain about a driver who may have held you up for a minute or 2, I'd also stake a bet it's a regular thing for you to do, a fully paid up member of SARP From the A44 Oxford juntion to the Newbury junction, a total distance of 29miles!!! or about 30 mins, I'd joined the queue at the A44 which was already some 50 cars long. Neither was giving way come hills or junctions
Lets just say I had time to ring the number on the back of the Lomas Distribution truck in the outside lane & have a fairly long chat to their transport manager whilst this was all in progress. Apparently I was not the only one to ring in to the company
I do believe said driver is being called into the office as we speak this morning to be dealt with accordingly by the MD & the transport manager who were very pleased I & others called in regards the driving standards of their company vehicles.
Any transport managers out there care to comment?
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