Truck Shite

[Jim Bell]

[Cavcraft]

Awesome!  I couldnt find the truck thread!  Thanks to which ever mod that found it and merged.

 

No worries, just makes it easier that way.

[willswitchengage]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38066824

 

 

 

A tipper truck which killed four people when its brakes failed had clocked up almost 450,000 miles

 

Is that high for a construction lorry? It looked like a Scania artic. Obviously they get worked like dogs and live harsh lives, but I still don't know if that's excessive.

 

[chaseracer]

450k?  Not really.  Still needs to be maintained appropriately, though...

[Inspector Morose]

I wonder where they got that figure from?

Tachos are in KMs and any service record or mot (LGV or PCV you can't check online, by the way) will be in KMs too.

So 450,000km is about 280000 miles. How old is the truck? If it's more than 7 years old, probably about right.

[spike60]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38066824

 

 

Is that high for a construction lorry? It looked like a Scania artic. Obviously they get worked like dogs and live harsh lives, but I still don't know if that's excessive.

 

I'm a diesel tech/bus mechanic etc and I would reckon 100k miles per year is fairly normal. Shit maintainance shouldn't be. Back in the late 70's the bus co I worked for had quite a few doing 100k town miles a year, the staff ones were out at 4am and back at 1am everyday. 450k on a commercial is nowt, my daily car has 252k.

[Eddie Honda]

I wonder where they got that figure from?

Tachos are in KMs and any service record or mot (LGV or PCV you can't check online, by the way) will be in KMs too.

So 450,000km is about 280000 miles. How old is the truck? If it's more than 7 years old, probably about right.

 

June 2004 Scania rigid (32T) - The figure is from the news report: 724,000km

[garbaldy]

My mates daf has done a million and he's now put it out to pasture, his next oldest has 850k on it,

[catsinthewelder]

Spotted this at a site in Thetford the other week.

 

[cms206]

450k miles is fuck all. Mr Fowler can confirm but buses on Megabus do mental miles - some of the older Van Hool Deckers and the like are on 2,000,000+ clicks at five years old.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[worldofceri]

The point is, the mileage is irrelevant.  All HGV have six-weekly checks regardless of mileage and the failure to carry out these out properly appears to have caused - or increased the seriousness of - the incident.

 

Joe Public is being encouraged to think that the lorry was a 'death-trap' because it was old, rather than because it was poorly maintained.

[DodgeRover]

Spotted this at a site in Thetford the other week.

 

IMG_20161107_1313119411.jpg

That's been sat about a while, last taxed August '85 - what was on the back as it's MOT exempted? Ex showmans or something?

[gordonbennet]

Without wishing to make arguments, part of the problem now is the current (and has been for some time) driver training regime and this bloody obsession with brakes to slow gears to go, its complete and utter bollocks.

 

The service brakes are not there as primary brakes IMO, the engine brake and appropriate downshifting of gears to maximise auxilliary braking is what should be slowing lorries with proper pre planning by looking as far ahead as possible and judging things sensibly (and why fuckin autonomous lorries will never work on our roads), this then leaves service brakes cool as possible for when they are really needed.

They are doing new drivers no favours by no longer teaching them to drive lorries properly, and a rethink is needed sooner rather than later, it's not a large car it's a lorry, end of..

The mantra should be gears to slow brakes to stop.

 

Doesn't matter how many miles a lorry has done, the brakes should be working as well as they were the first month it went into service.

[warren t claim]

Without wishing to make arguments, part of the problem now is the current (and has been for some time) driver training regime and this bloody obsession with brakes to slow gears to go, its complete and utter bollocks.

 

The service brakes are not there as primary brakes IMO, the engine brake and appropriate downshifting of gears to maximise auxilliary braking is what should be slowing lorries with proper pre planning by looking as far ahead as possible and judging things sensibly (and why fuckin autonomous lorries will never work on our roads), this then leaves service brakes cool as possible for when they are really needed.

They are doing new drivers no favours by no longer teaching them to drive lorries properly, and a rethink is needed sooner rather than later, it's not a large car it's a lorry, end of..

The mantra should be gears to slow brakes to stop.

 

Doesn't matter how many miles a lorry has done, the brakes should be working as well as they were the first month it went into service.

I think you'll find that most modern trucks are some form of automatic.

[warren t claim]

Oh, and you no longer have the gearchange element of the test anymore where you have to go through the box sequentially from a standing start.

 

I honestly think nowadays you could pass your test in an auto truck and it wont be a barrier to finding work. 

[Richard]

Do you get automatic and manual licences for HGVs?

[warren t claim]

Do you get automatic and manual licences for HGVs?

Yes.

[cms206]

Oh, and you no longer have the gearchange element of the test anymore where you have to go through the box sequentially from a standing start.

 

I honestly think nowadays you could pass your test in an auto truck and it wont be a barrier to finding work.

My PSV test was the last test at Bishopbriggs test centre to feature it; more or less pointless when what I was driving was a syncromesh 'boxed 6 speed ex-MOD Dennis with 48k on the clock. It dated back to crash 'box Leopards and the like which must have been cuntish.

Do you get automatic and manual licences for HGVs?

Both PSV and HGV testing is now carried out in the main on autos; as long as you have a manual car license you get manual entitlement. Those who passed before that can upgrade by posting a letter.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[warren t claim]

PSV and HGV testing is now carried out in the main on autos; as long as you have a manual car license you get manual entitlement. Those who passed before that can upgrade by posting a letter.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

There's a whole world of difference between driving a 5 speed manual car and a truck equipped with a range change/ slapover box with a splitter!

[cms206]

There's a whole world of difference between driving a 5 speed manual car and a truck equipped with a range change/ slapover box with a splitter!

That was the arguement of many industry bods but it is in fact the case. Manual car licence means you get Cat C/D upgrade from auto if you post a letter, otherwise it's now granted on passing in an auto if you have manual car entitlement. Crazy but true.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[warren t claim]

That was the arguement of many industry bods but it is in fact the case. Manual car licence means you get Cat C/D upgrade from auto if you post a letter, otherwise it's now granted on passing in an auto if you have manual car entitlement. Crazy but true.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Mind you, I was told to drive a wagon and drag/drawbar by an agency just because my licence said I had entitlement even though I wouldn't know where to start. 

[Eddie Honda]

My PSV test was the last test at Bishopbriggs test centre to feature it; more or less pointless when what I was driving was a syncromesh 'boxed 6 speed ex-MOD Dennis with 48k on the clock.

 

You must of passed you test after me then (Was it that long ago?? Where did the time go!) Sounds like you were driving one of Walter Ritchie's buses. I took my C, D and CE tests at Bishopbriggs, Nov/Dec 2007. Head honco examiner Alan Dickson took my C with 12 minors. Got Andy McVey for the last two with two minors each - he had the best pass rate of the examiners there, but he was a cunt for trying to put you off early on in the test. I was surprised my CE went ahead as it was foggy as fuck that morning, still had to get it over that poxy narrow bridge north of the test centre.

[AMC Rebel]

So they (the hauliers in Bath) could afford a stupid registration plate (C8 something), but not brake maintenance?

[warren t claim]

You must of passed you test after me then (Was it that long ago?? Where did the time go!) Sounds like you were driving one of Walter Ritchie's buses. I took my C, D and CE tests at Bishopbriggs, Nov/Dec 2007. Head honco examiner Alan Dickson took my C with 12 minors. Got Andy McVey for the last two with two minors each - he had the best pass rate of the examiners there, but he was a cunt for trying to put you off early on in the test. I was surprised my CE went ahead as it was foggy as fuck that morning, still had to get it over that poxy narrow bridge north of the test centre.

So where did everyone else take their truck tests? Both of mine were at Simonswood in Kirkby, home of the infamous 'Ted's Bend', a 90 degree corner where you had to position yourself blind in the middle of a tree lined road. I was lucky as both my tests were in spring or autumn so I had the luxury of being able to look for oncoming traffic. Oddly enough I had the same examiner for both tests, a lady called Donna which was ironic as I had a female instructor as well for my class 2.

[cms206]

You must of passed you test after me then (Was it that long ago?? Where did the time go!) Sounds like you were driving one of Walter Ritchie's buses. I took my C, D and CE tests at Bishopbriggs, Nov/Dec 2007. Head honco examiner Alan Dickson took my C with 12 minors. Got Andy McVey for the last two with two minors each - he had the best pass rate of the examiners there, but he was a cunt for trying to put you off early on in the test. I was surprised my CE went ahead as it was foggy as fuck that morning, still had to get it over that poxy narrow bridge north of the test centre.

January 2008 I passed second attempt with Andy McVey (failed first time with Walter Ritchie's son in law before I even left the test centre). Ritchie's Javelins were all shagged; I did mine with the GTG (£588 instead of double that with Ritchie's) but it was subbed out to Happy Hour 'cos the GTG's own bus didn't have ABS. Meant to do C at the same time but didn't hence why I'm still on the buses.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Kiltox]

Why does that truck show as "no MOT info held by DVLA"? Do they not get put on the same database??

[cms206]

Why does that truck show as "no MOT info held by DVLA"? Do they not get put on the same database??

HGV and PSV tests aren't computerised yet; their certificates look like this...

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Inspector Morose]

When I took my first test I had to do the gear exercise yet still only got an auto licence. Then I had to take the test again to upgrade to a manual a year or so later.

[Jim Bell]

This sounds like the most random system ever. Imagine if they gave out pilots licences like this?

Can you fly a glider? Want to upgrade to a jet? Send a letter. Youre automatcally covered for helicopters on paper under the regs so dont require further training.

[AMC Rebel]

Without wishing to make arguments, part of the problem now is the current (and has been for some time) driver training regime and this bloody obsession with brakes to slow gears to go, its complete and utter bollocks.

 

I totally agree with this - however it does appear in the Bath case that they were spending money on stuff like vanity registration plates and not on brake maintenance, so although over-reliance on brakes might have had a role, they'd have been OK if anyone had been looking after them properly.