You will still need to switch the engine on, find the correct gears and move without hurting anyone. Better get back on the hazard perception videos on your monitor You need to do that first.
Part of the reason I think was they were undervalued for years so it wasn't seen as an attractive long term proposition, I have had a few friends who were HGV drivers they seemed to be on the road an awful lot for the cash they were getting.
2 of my friends 50 years ago went into hgv driving. one drove every night from birmingham to carlisle--swapped trailers--and drove back. night trunking he called it . Highly skilled ? no--not IMO. the other drove all over europe--on occasions having to buy fuel himself to get back because the company had gone bust. but isnt there a bigger reason ?
John, on two separate threads you are being condescending to Mike about his current and prior professions, I've looked in detail at the timeline and the trigger for all this was definitely you, it needs to stop. Everyone can have a discussion about roots of the potential crisis the country is now in and even mention the role transport is playing in that crisis without getting into personal attacks.
Hi bigmac, As in many jobs, if things are done correctly, there is no problem. Problems arise when things are not done properly and this is where experience comes in. An accident takes place in an office and the consequences are mostly minor. An accident in a unit pulling a trailer with a gross weight of 44 tonnes can be fatal. Highly skilled? Only car drivers who sit in with artic drivers will realise how difficult it can be. The trouble is that car drivers have no idea of the dangers they can cause. Truck drivers also cause accidents; the ones where the driver was texting and crashing into queuing traffic were heart-breaking. Coupling up and uncoupling a trailer is easy but many drivers have been killed before they get onto the road or drive home. (We will overlook the fact that neither of the trainers wore hi-viz vests or jackets in the yard. ) A moments' lack of concentration can squash the driver and kill him or her instantly. Highly skilled? You betya
It depends how you define highly skilled. I havent driven an artic..so i dont know. I have driven large rigid vans..furniture vans driven with a car licence. I found that easy..even with no power steering...great view of the road ahead.
I had a scuba-diving friend who was a Boeing 747 pilot. He also passed his HGV 1 (LGV C+E) licence and told me it was more stressful to get than his 747 licence
Traffic volumes now and 50 years ago are not comparable! Big picture problems historically Traffic volumes JITdeliveries Very poor rest areas Attitude of Joe public towards LGV drivers Poor pay Poor vehicles Bosses pushing drivers Poor life balance Other road users Some are or have been addressed some are worse now than before
