Does anyone know anything about Masternaut?

[Cock Womble 7]

Got into work at 0600 this morning and was pretty much immediately hauled into the back office for an interview with two supervisors.

Apparently, a fine up-standing member of the public has taken time out of their busy and important schedule to report me for "speeding and dangerous driving".

By all accounts, I was doing 60mph through the 50mph SPECS-covered roadworks on the M62 around Huddersfield last week, "weaving from lane to lane" and had "more than three near-misses with other vehicles". Allegedly.

Now clearly, this is bullst.

Firstly, can anyone explain how I could be doing 60mph in an artic which is limited to 55mph? The M62 is pretty flat around there, so we can discount gravity.

Whenever I'm in a SPECS area, I will set the cruise control to a Sat Nav verified 50mph, or thereabouts. My theory is that this jumped-up wannabe traffic cop has been driving at just under 50mph on their speedo which in reality is probably closer to 45mph or so. Seeing me "flying past" at an actual 50mph must have made them think I was doing 60mph. I wasn't. I can't.

Also, I already have 6 points on my licence - why would I deliberately run the risk of adding more?

As for "More than three near misses with other vehicles", that's simply not my style. I like to think of myself as a professional driver and I take very seriously the responsibilities that brings with it. I wouldn't drive like that in the Caterham and I'm certainly not going to do it in a bloody artic.


Anyway, our company have this Masternaut telemetry system installed in all the units. Apparently, a report shows that I did exceed 60mph at some point that day (my guess is on some downhill section of the M1, nowhere near the M62). It happens.

Because the system is fairly new (to us), "user inexperience" means that they can't (yet) be more specific than that.

Surely, if Masternaut is all it's cracked up to be, it can show that I wasn't doing 60mph through the roadworks?

Can I sleep easy tonight in the knowledge that this technology will prove my innocence?

[Cock Womble 7]

HorneyMX5 said:

It's a GPS system that datalogs lots of info so should easily be able to confirm your story.

That's what I thought.

[Cock Womble 7]

GC8 said:

I sympathise with you position. You'd hope for a more informed and professional reaction from the firm that you work for.

I know it's bull and I'd hope they would know it's bull too. But the complaint somehow got through to a fairly top bod in the company (my bit of it, at least) so they need to be seen to be investigating it.

I held off using the word "bullst" in the interview, but I fought my corner and made my feelings clear.

[Cock Womble 7]

Masternaut "evidence" notwithstanding, this will boil down to a "Their word against mine" thing, will it not?

[Cock Womble 7]

XDA said:

If you were doing 60mph through a 50mph, shouldn't your employer have a NIP on their desk....

Exactly.

[Cock Womble 7]

Magictrousers said:

There are sections of the system where an entire journey, or part of, can be replayed showing location and speed, should be easy enough to see what was going on at a given moment, however, it has shown me doing 70 mph in a lorry before now, so I'd also question its accuracy.

This is all good to know, thank you.

[Cock Womble 7]

GC8 said:

It's worrying that the fact that you apparently exceeded 60mph at one point during that day seems to carry so much weight and be seen as supporting the complainants story.

This is something they're working on - looking into getting more accurate, detailed information from the Masternaut system. I don't doubt for a minute that I exceeded 60mph at some point that day - but I can hand on heart guarantee it wasn't through the 50mph SPECS zone on the M62.

GC8 said:

I'm honestly not sure why anyone wants to be an HGV driver.

I make a living.

[Cock Womble 7]

I've just been shown on Masternaut the details of my journey on the day in question.

At no point whatsoever did I exceed 56mph on the M62 and even when I did, it was on the section away from the roadworks. In the roadworks, I averaged around 50/52mph.

Case dismissed.

[Cock Womble 7]

Mr2Mike said:

Cock Womble 7 said:

At no point whatsoever did I exceed 56mph on the M62 and even when I did, it was on the section away from the roadworks.

Glad you got this sorted out, but that sentence made me chuckle.

I did word that a bit badly! What I meant was I didn't exceed 56mph on the M62 at all and stuck to around 50mph through the roadworks.

The system did show that I exceeded 56mph (got up to just over 60mph) on one occasion that day - on the M1 near Ashby DLZ, a very steep section (but still a long way from the roadworks on the M62).

XDA said:

It's in situations like this that it's great having a tracker fitted. Imagine trying to plead your innocence without any evidence to cover your arse!

Exactly. It's crystal clear from the Masternaut information that I wasn't in the wrong at all.

As for the other stuff I was accused of, well let's just say that the inability of the "witness" to accurately judge my speed puts his credibility to comment on any other aspect of my driving into doubt.

[Cock Womble 7]

GC8 said:

Did anything come of your exceeding 60mph?

Nope. It was at most 62mph and apparently not cause for concern.

[Cock Womble 7]

FunBusMk2 said:

It was poor form for CW's management not to analyse the tracker data and then discuss it with him. Hauling him in, giving him a hard time and then doing it was out of order if you ask me.

Quite possibly, but that's pretty much the way things are done "around here".

Guilty until proven innocent.

[Cock Womble 7]

PhilboSE said:

Cock Womble 7 said:

...have made them think I was doing 60mph. I wasn't. I can't on a level road.

Cock Womble 7 said:

Apparently, a report shows that I did exceed 60mph at some point that day. It happens on steep downhill stretches of road.

I hope you're more prepared with your statements other than the above if they take it any further...

There, I've edited it to make it clearer for you.