Another HGV moan. Why stick to 40 in NSL?

[LotusOmega375D]

This has probably been debated a million times on here, but I just need to get it off my chest.

I was driving home yesterday on a 270 mile trip and got stuck on a single carriageway A road behind a supermarket chain artic that refused to go above 40mph.

The driving conditions were perfect, so why would he stick to such a low speed? Have they been instructed by their bosses that now diesel rather than time is money?

I know 60mph is the maximum but being stuck at 40mph for mile after mile seems ridiculous. I'd be OK at 56mph, but not 40. That's just wasting my life. I got past eventually, but it frustrated a whole lot of people.

[Reardy Mister]

LotusOmega375D said:

This has probably been debated a million times on here, but I just need to get it off my chest.

I was driving home yesterday on a 270 mile trip and got stuck on a single carriageway A road behind a supermarket chain artic that refused to go above 40mph.

The driving conditions were perfect, so why would he stick to such a low speed? Have they been instructed by their bosses that now diesel rather than time is money?

I know 60mph is the maximum but being stuck at 40mph for mile after mile seems ridiculous. I'd be OK at 56mph, but not 40. That's just wasting my life. I got past eventually, but it frustrated a whole lot of people.

Mainly because on a single carriageway NSL, 40 is his speed limit.

What a lunatic eh?

ETA posterity quote.

[GBDG]

Umm.. that's the speed limit for HGVs on single track roads...

[extvr]

That's the law im afraid.

[LotusOmega375D]

In which case he's the first one I've ever seen sticking to it.

[mig25_foxbat2003]

40 is actually the legal limit for HGVs on NSL single carriageways... it's just that (thankfully) not too many of them stick to it.

[nellyleelephant]

T'is the law.

40 on single carriage way, 50 on dual....60 on the motorway?

[v8will]

LotusOmega375D said:

but it frustrated a whole lot of people.

Most frustrating for the driver of the HGV no doubt.

Most now have trackers, the supermarket rigs definately do (mine as well unfortunately) and overspeed incidents usually involve a lenghty debrief with the transport manager.

The law is the law and in the case of HGVs, VOSA seem to be on a mission at the moment so breaking the speed limit to save a few minutes just isn't worth the risk.

[LotusOmega375D]

v8will said:

Most frustrating for the driver of the HGV no doubt.

Most now have trackers, the supermarket rigs definately do (mine as well unfortunately) and overspeed incidents usually involve a lenghty debrief with the transport manager.

The law is the law and in the case of HGVs, VOSA seem to be on a mission at the moment so breaking the speed limit to save a few minutes just isn't worth the risk.

Does seem a crazy slow speed. Was it always thus?

[freecar]

LotusOmega375D said:

v8will said:

Most frustrating for the driver of the HGV no doubt.

Most now have trackers, the supermarket rigs definately do (mine as well unfortunately) and overspeed incidents usually involve a lenghty debrief with the transport manager.

The law is the law and in the case of HGVs, VOSA seem to be on a mission at the moment so breaking the speed limit to save a few minutes just isn't worth the risk.

Does seem a crazy slow speed. Was it always thus?

Try stopping it!

[Himself]

Most vans above Fiesta size are also limited to 50 in a NSL and 60 on a NSL dual carriageway. But most van drivers don't know this and it wouldn't make much difference if they did.

[TheTurbonator]

LotusOmega375D said:

This has probably been debated a million times on here, but I just need to get it off my chest.

I was driving home yesterday on a 270 mile trip and got stuck on a single carriageway A road behind a supermarket chain artic that refused to go above 40mph.

The driving conditions were perfect, so why would he stick to such a low speed? Have they been instructed by their bosses that now diesel rather than time is money?

I know 60mph is the maximum but being stuck at 40mph for mile after mile seems ridiculous. I'd be OK at 56mph, but not 40. That's just wasting my life. I got past eventually, but it frustrated a whole lot of people.

[v8will]

LotusOmega375D said:

Does seem a crazy slow speed. Was it always thus?

As far as I know it was but compliance is more common now. Got to think of the children you know.

I've never driven for a supermarket and wouldn't to be honest, they are ruthless for economic driving and alot of them are now physically limited to 50mph. One guy I know commented on a points system that Tesco used for 'unsympathetic driving' but I can't recall exactly how it worked.

On a side note, most of the rigs that now use automatic boxes (for economy no less) are an accident waiting to happen IMHO. Difficult to control at slow speeds beyond what the crawler function allows, unresponsive etc etc.

[v8will]

freecar said:

Try stopping it!

A misconception except for the very heaviest loads. Unfortunately common sense or lack thereof applies.

[Tunku]

FFS! Highway Code - get a copy!

[Flawless Victory]

On some roads these signs are appearing but it's not for the truckers benefit....it's for the dumb, ignorant car-drivers like the OP who don't know the highway code.

[kambites]

[Aizle]

Bless.

[Himself]

Flawless Victory said:

On some roads these signs are appearing but it's not for the truckers benefit....it's for the dumb, ignorant car-drivers like the OP who don't know the highway code.

Interesting. What do you take that to mean?

[carreauchompeur]

I was stuck behind this bloody truck the other day doing 30mph through town. I gave them the fingers as I passed.