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[Jules]

This thread has been started so as to capture your comments on the >View From The Cab (Part-1)< article as featured in the January edition of the Ride Drive E-News bulletin.  This is a three-part series, written by John Covington, who is not only a member of the Ride Drive Team, but a part-time heavy good vehicle driver.

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I think it pays for all types of road users to have an appreciation of the difficulties others face.

I look forward to part 2

BW

[Stephen7738]

John,
Reading your article took me back to my day's of trucking I started on 7.5t multi drop at 18 then at 21 took my class 3 as it was then and progressed onto Wagon and Drags?.  They were the days an old Bedford TK or TM  4/5 speed .  Then I left in 1989 and joined the police,but I didnt half miss it,so,in 1999 I took my class 1 or C+e as it is now days, and I myself went back to driving at weekends for an agency,what a culture shock that was.
But enough of that Im starting too choke on the diesel fumes already .  Can I ask John the picture of you closing up the side of your trailer would I be right in saying that the company colours tend to make me think of a company called RT Keedwells if I am not mistaking,not that I am an anorak or anything like that.    look forward to your next part of your article .
Stephen
 

[johncov]

Hi Stephen,

spot on!  They are Keedwell's colours.  Ray Keedwell put the dosh up for Tom James to start his business 10 years ago.  Initially 6 trucks and trailers.  Tom has PSV as well as HGV and has a thing about coaches and buses.  He now owns more than 20 as well as the open top buses that do the York Tours.  He's had them beautifully renovated.  And he recently aquired 2 Pullman Class coaches.  They're the dog's do-dahs.

He's also a committed trucker.  Now with about 100 trucks and 200 trailers.  I've been with them 4 years now.  Previously, I spent my Saturdays doing the Glasgow run for MFI out of Howden, East Yorks.  A round trip of 580 miles from my door.  And one of the finest runs in the UK imho.  Beautiful scenery over the 66 Scotch Corner to Penrith and on up the M74 over the Southern Uplands.  The nicest motorway in the uk.  Very few straights!

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  Once diesel gets into your blood it's with you for life, you  know.  Hope to hear from you again.

Keep on Trucking.

John Cov

[Jules]

Just been added, part-2 of this truck driving series.  >Click Here< to access the page now

[Stephen7738]

As you say john once youve got it you never loose it,do you ever get to the depot in Trafford Park in Manchester,I think it is what you would call a satellite depot.
I have been in there a couple of times on business so to speak,mainly late at night I will have a read at part two now that it is published,so,I will speak to you later perhaps.
Stephen

[DRIVEWEL]

  Hi John

 I have read your articles with interest, both excellent, and I totally agree with your approach to others joining the motorwys, when I a am driving a Truck on the motorway I give those who want to join two options, join the road ahead of me or join the road behind me, they are not given the option of joining the road along side me. The majority of drivers opt for the road ahead where they will find plenty of space provided for them.  Last month  my Brother whom I call moses (he tends to drive trucks using the red sea effect, aims his truck and the cars part) was feeling rather generous on the M4, and moved over into lane two to allow a vauxhall astra to join lane one, the astra remained in lane one alongside my brothers truck. Moses, who has the memory of a goldfish, returns to lane one and takes out the astra, the driver escaped unhurt but his car died. My brother was charged with driving without due care and attention .He was not happy with this outcome and tells me he will never move into lane two again to let a car join the motorway(He always learns the hard way). I am still trying to convince him that his actions caused the crash, and that he and the astra driver were both culprits in the crash.  Sadly the highway code advises us to move over to let others join the motorway and I feel that this advice is used badly by those who train our drivers and most expect others to move over when they join high speed roads. Looking forward to the next article John,till then I wish you all the best and keep up the good work.

Regards Drivewel

[rlmr]

"Consequently, those who rise to head motorway driving the authoritative driving organisations have no real underpinning in terms of knowledge or appreciation of real driving practice on real roads, in today?s cars and at today?s speeds and congestion.  Somehow, those words of the blind leading the blind come to mind."

Until recently I would have agreed with you but of late I have notices a change in the DSA hierarchy and more and more similarities with Roadcraft... in fact the lad who I had a check run with for the DSA was an ex-traffic cop who really understood and practiced the system.  Things are changing... but perhaps it will take time to percolate through to the grass roots... the DSA Examiners at our local tests centres

"It seems criminal to me that we don?t move on to further training and grades after the basic vehicle handling assessment, which is all that the standard driving test is.  In other words, moving on to the next level and learning how to drive on real roads at real speeds.  How to overtake, for instance, both stationary and moving vehicles and hazards.  Building up new habits of appropriate spacing in traffic, learning to raise our eyes to raise our game.  Joining, using and leaving fast flow systems, and so on.  Taking on greater levels of training just like we would in every other learning experience, perhaps at work, in a profession, a sport, hobby or pastime."

OK we have Pass Plus for cars and the enhanced rider scheme for bikes... but I'd certainly say that the demands (locally) from the LGV & PCV examiners are high and more or less Advanced Driving within the speed limits and constraints of the test vehicles.  Perhaps this is another areas which might be addressed in the forthcoming CPD introduced thi8s summer for bus drivers and next summer for truckers?  OK I am not 100% convinced and it will probably be an expensive & wasted opportunity and no doubt another nail in the coffin of the UK's professional road users.  Increased legislation and fuel costs... not applied/enforced on foreign drivers will undermine the UK based drivers/companies and will be the death of the UK Transport Industry.

Sorry for the rant... good articles on what its like behind the wheel. I have always been the exponent of the poet Burns... "the gift to see us as others see us."  In other words I'd certainly like all road users to have a wee short using the methods of other roads users so they can see how difficult it can be and what allowances they need to make for others... Pedestrians; Cyclists; Car Drivers; Motorcyclists; Van Drivers; Articulated truck Drivers; Bus Drivers.