trucks on dual c'ways
Discussion
Just had spent a lot of time on the A1 up and down today.
The amount of holdups due to trucks overtaking each other at half a mile an hour more is staggering.
I have no issue with them overtaking, but can anyone give me one good reason why the truck being overtaken can not just roll out the throttle for a second or so to make the pass quicker for the overtaking truck?
Often this process can take 2 or 3 miles as they speed up and slow down over hills etc, it can be very frustrating for the queues of cars behind.
I expect a torrent of abuse here, but surely rolling out the throttle for a second is not going to impact a journey that significantly? But then I suppose no-one can do anything about it so f*** everyone hey?
The amount of holdups due to trucks overtaking each other at half a mile an hour more is staggering.
I have no issue with them overtaking, but can anyone give me one good reason why the truck being overtaken can not just roll out the throttle for a second or so to make the pass quicker for the overtaking truck?
Often this process can take 2 or 3 miles as they speed up and slow down over hills etc, it can be very frustrating for the queues of cars behind.
I expect a torrent of abuse here, but surely rolling out the throttle for a second is not going to impact a journey that significantly? But then I suppose no-one can do anything about it so f*** everyone hey?
. speaking as an ex-trucker...you do it once, you do it again, how many time do you back off and increase your own journey time? Driving hours are limited. In my wagon I could get in one case from our yard to a customer in Glasgow in around 4h 26 min in the early hours of the morning. If I missed it, I'd be parked up a mile away for 45 minutes. and on the way back, I may have to park up for the night a few miles way from home. The wagon driver really couldn't care less if a cosy car driver has to back it off from 70+ mph and travel at his speed for a few miles, he's got a skin like a rhino already 
I’m one of those truckers that eases off the cruise control to let others past quicker. The only exception being when I’m going uphill and don’t want to lose momentum.
Most of my long overtakes seem to be passing doddery old coffin dodgers in Honda Jazz’s who speed up to 56.2mph when you pull out to overtake
Most of my long overtakes seem to be passing doddery old coffin dodgers in Honda Jazz’s who speed up to 56.2mph when you pull out to overtake
And by the time the overtakes is level, it becomes a downhill stretch, and the overtaken speeds up.
The alternative is, they reach an upward incline and the overtaken just can’t make it. The A12 used to be notorious for all that, I guess the A14 is worse as it heads towards Felixstowe.
The alternative is, they reach an upward incline and the overtaken just can’t make it. The A12 used to be notorious for all that, I guess the A14 is worse as it heads towards Felixstowe.
chunder27 said:
...it can be very frustrating for the queues of cars behind...
Only if you let it. The truck driver doesn’t know, or care, about how important your journey is, and will only do what makes his life less stressful. Best thing to do is relax and accept your fate, it really isn’t worth getting wound up about.Im a trucker also and usually let of the cruise if another truck is creeping past but luckily in my current job I’m never rushed and usually dragging my feet! Like above though the only times I seem to be stuck out for any amount of time is when overtaking a car and half way they decide to match your speed 
I currently get this on my daily commute down the A14.
Doesn’t bother me as its just the way things are. Some impatient car/van drivers who can see you are queuing to overtake but still decide to blast down the inside and then cut in.
Again I just back off and don’t get stressed.
Only time I do get a bit wound up is on a four lane motorway and you have through trucks abreast so all the cars wanting to move along a bit are funnelled into the fourth lane.
Surely trucks should be restricted to the inside two lanes?
Doesn’t bother me as its just the way things are. Some impatient car/van drivers who can see you are queuing to overtake but still decide to blast down the inside and then cut in.
Again I just back off and don’t get stressed.
Only time I do get a bit wound up is on a four lane motorway and you have through trucks abreast so all the cars wanting to move along a bit are funnelled into the fourth lane.
Surely trucks should be restricted to the inside two lanes?
Macneil said:
. speaking as an ex-trucker...you do it once, you do it again, how many time do you back off and increase your own journey time? Driving hours are limited. In my wagon I could get in one case from our yard to a customer in Glasgow in around 4h 26 min in the early hours of the morning. If I missed it, I'd be parked up a mile away for 45 minutes. and on the way back, I may have to park up for the night a few miles way from home. The wagon driver really couldn't care less if a cosy car driver has to back it off from 70+ mph and travel at his speed for a few miles, he's got a skin like a rhino already
The same inconsiderate a
hole truckers are more than happy to sit 7 microns from the rear bumpers of cars who dare to abide by the speed limit in 50mph average speed zones though. Can’t have it both ways, y chops.chunder27 said:
Just had spent a lot of time on the A1 up and down today.
The amount of holdups due to trucks overtaking each other at half a mile an hour more is staggering.
I have no issue with them overtaking, but can anyone give me one good reason why the truck being overtaken can not just roll out the throttle for a second or so to make the pass quicker for the overtaking truck?
Often this process can take 2 or 3 miles as they speed up and slow down over hills etc, it can be very frustrating for the queues of cars behind.
I expect a torrent of abuse here, but surely rolling out the throttle for a second is not going to impact a journey that significantly? But then I suppose no-one can do anything about it so f*** everyone hey?
As it happens, I also have spent the day up and down the A1 and had exactly the same issue. It was really bad today as the road was very busy with holiday traffic as well, sometimes there'd be almost a mile of traffic stuck in the outside lane while two trucks battled it out. Everyone would be nose to tail, and also there was often a "wave" of sudden slowing down as people pushed out into the queue, and the "wave" would move back down the traffic getting worse the further back it went leading to much hard braking and near rear end shunts. It's really dangerous.The amount of holdups due to trucks overtaking each other at half a mile an hour more is staggering.
I have no issue with them overtaking, but can anyone give me one good reason why the truck being overtaken can not just roll out the throttle for a second or so to make the pass quicker for the overtaking truck?
Often this process can take 2 or 3 miles as they speed up and slow down over hills etc, it can be very frustrating for the queues of cars behind.
I expect a torrent of abuse here, but surely rolling out the throttle for a second is not going to impact a journey that significantly? But then I suppose no-one can do anything about it so f*** everyone hey?
They have the answer on the continent which is to ban overtaking by trucks at peak hours, and it works really well. It's time to introduce this here and stop this dangerous practice.
jm doc said:
As it happens, I also have spent the day up and down the A1 and had exactly the same issue. It was really bad today as the road was very busy with holiday traffic as well, sometimes there'd be almost a mile of traffic stuck in the outside lane while two trucks battled it out. Everyone would be nose to tail, and also there was often a "wave" of sudden slowing down as people pushed out into the queue, and the "wave" would move back down the traffic getting worse the further back it went leading to much hard braking and near rear end shunts. It's really dangerous.
They have the answer on the continent which is to ban overtaking by trucks at peak hours, and it works really well. It's time to introduce this here and stop this dangerous practice.
Good luck trying to get off the road then, as lane 1 will be nose to tail with trucks and no gaps. They have the answer on the continent which is to ban overtaking by trucks at peak hours, and it works really well. It's time to introduce this here and stop this dangerous practice.
Interesting to read that some of you lorry drivers do realise and try and help the road system out.
I realise it is a tricky job and you get no thanks for it and you guys are working while the rest of us are commuting or going away etc and you have to put up with endlessly inconsiderate car drivers and fellow truck drivers.
And I was not really getting annoyed, it just happened a hell of a lot, and on a 2 lane motorway it is very obvious and frequent. there is nothing you can do, I was not getting ratty, simply observed it happening nearly every 10 mils or so, so on a 170 mile journey, the last 50 or so miles were rather sedantry as a result of this.
Was not aware of the situation abroad where this happens, but it can easily happen there as in my experience traffic is so much less and the roads are nearly all 2 lanes in the most part, although I confess to being not well travelled abroad.
As to slowing briefly, even if you did it 5 times in 50 miles how much difference is that really going to make on that journey? Yes as drivers we all have to share the road, but sharing it to yourselves simply coz you can't be arsed to roll out for a second does seem extremely selfish! Yet if we as car drivers are stuck behind those 5 queues, it adds to stress, increases the chances of accidents and makes our journey even longer as we have to sit in a half mile of 55mph traffic when we can do 70-80. Makes a bigger difference to us than a truck does it not?
I realise it is a tricky job and you get no thanks for it and you guys are working while the rest of us are commuting or going away etc and you have to put up with endlessly inconsiderate car drivers and fellow truck drivers.
And I was not really getting annoyed, it just happened a hell of a lot, and on a 2 lane motorway it is very obvious and frequent. there is nothing you can do, I was not getting ratty, simply observed it happening nearly every 10 mils or so, so on a 170 mile journey, the last 50 or so miles were rather sedantry as a result of this.
Was not aware of the situation abroad where this happens, but it can easily happen there as in my experience traffic is so much less and the roads are nearly all 2 lanes in the most part, although I confess to being not well travelled abroad.
As to slowing briefly, even if you did it 5 times in 50 miles how much difference is that really going to make on that journey? Yes as drivers we all have to share the road, but sharing it to yourselves simply coz you can't be arsed to roll out for a second does seem extremely selfish! Yet if we as car drivers are stuck behind those 5 queues, it adds to stress, increases the chances of accidents and makes our journey even longer as we have to sit in a half mile of 55mph traffic when we can do 70-80. Makes a bigger difference to us than a truck does it not?
Here's an idea... New law; when overtaking another vehicle on a DC or motorway, after 20 seconds the overtaking vehicle automatically moves left by itself. That would filter out the morons who speed up when being overtaken and might also encourage hgv drivers to help each other on overtakes.
Of course any benefit would be countered by regular road closures due to massive accidents until people learn... Then it would work.
Of course any benefit would be countered by regular road closures due to massive accidents until people learn... Then it would work.
I find that I am overtaking as many cars as trucks on the dual carriageways and motorways nowadays. What possesses car drivers to want to travel at less than 56mph on a 70mph road is beyond me.
And to those car drivers that want to dawdle 100 yards behind a truck matching his 55mph - you've just turned my overtaking manoeuvre from trying to round 50ft of truck into something like a 350ft overtaking pass...
And to those car drivers that want to dawdle 100 yards behind a truck matching his 55mph - you've just turned my overtaking manoeuvre from trying to round 50ft of truck into something like a 350ft overtaking pass...
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
And to those car drivers that want to dawdle 100 yards behind a truck matching his 55mph - you've just turned my overtaking manoeuvre from trying to round 50ft of truck into something like a 350ft overtaking pass...
Could you not overtake the dawdler into the 100 yard gap, then overtake the lorry
The considerate truckers are few and far between. Most see themselves as Road Captains these days. Have a huge chip on their shoulders with their "if it wasn't for us, you'd have no food or clothes.." attitude.
Only have to listen to them talking to each other. Once they get past whose had the best/worst employer/truck, it's other road users. Braying fools who love the sound of their own voices.
Anyway, I digress. Half the time the elephant racing is to annoy everyone else. Like tractors at the moment, a special delight in how big a queue they can form.
Only have to listen to them talking to each other. Once they get past whose had the best/worst employer/truck, it's other road users. Braying fools who love the sound of their own voices.
Anyway, I digress. Half the time the elephant racing is to annoy everyone else. Like tractors at the moment, a special delight in how big a queue they can form.
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