Tony's early morning rant

[Fan of Big Tone]

One of my pet hates when driving on motorways is when large lorries decide to pull out to overtake another lorry thereby reducing the motorway to one lane or non if it's a two lane motorway, then they proceed to take a really long time to complete the overtaking manoeuvre which results in a long tail back of frustrated drivers behind them.

Or worse still after pulling out and trying to overtake for 5 minutes they realise they can't get the speed necessary and have to drop back behind the lorry they were trying to overtake.

If the lorry in front is only doing a few mile an hour slower can't they wait and drop their speed accordingly.

Perhaps @PTID1862 has a view on this, I believe you drive lorries and also cars so you have seen it from both angles are some lorry drivers being inconsiderate or am I just a grumpy old man?

[PTID1862]

@tonyhateley short answer, a bit of both...

 

long answer: When an LGV is overtaking another LGV, it is common courtesy amongst ourselves that when the vehicle performing the manoeuvre is half way along side, then the slower vehicle will yield and allow the overtake to take place. Where you have difficulties nowadays are firstly poor UK drivers, secondly migrant drivers who are possibly unaware of this old custom, a society who wants everything now (including being somewhere) and people who are slightly less tolerant of the needs of others.

 

The old Knight of the road as the British trucker used to be known, is a fast fading memory. Now of course, if the general public perceived the trucker as professional and they were more appreciated, rather than being labelled as fat and smelly, the trucker might just be more predisposed to go out of his way to help.

 

We see so many instances of LGV accidents near to junctions... the reasons...  "Joe/Joanne" car driver screams along the motorway, rush rush rush, who gives, and then decides I am getting off here, so pulls into lane 1 and.... Brakes! Alternatively car driver comes down slip road and rather than merge with speed of traffic in lane 1 tries to force its way in... now if lanes 2 and 3 are occupied there is only one outcome.

 

We aren't all perfect, far from it, but quick arithmetic when changing the insurance for my new car, showed me to have done almost 2,000,000 miles without collision. I could rant for hours, the most infuriating beasts on the road are impatient drivers.

 

 

Apologies, but you did ask

[Northants Pie]

@PTID1862 Do you believe that companies are as much to blame then as I know from family members who drive lorries they were always complaining about this especially the ones who used to work for Eddie Stobart?

[PTID1862]

to a certain degree yes they are, I think it is society as a whole that is to blame.

[liampie]

blame the drivers they dont have to drive like idiots, even if they are told by companies to do this or the other.

[Chris]

Oh the joys I have to face, I can see myself being exactly like @tonyhateley in a few years! (I never said this was a bad thing).

[Fan of Big Tone]

I wouldn't consider myself particularly impatient @PTID1862 in fact I think I am quite considerate compared to some of the idiots on the road today. I don't normally have a deadline to meet or anything as I don't work as such but I do find some lorry drivers to be inconsiderate (not all obviously) I guess they are the same as any other driver I.e. Some good some bad.

@notts-joe how are the lessons going? Anywhere near a test yet?

[PTID1862]

oh, and just one last post on this from me, apart from the air you breath, everything else requires a truck and a nice truck driver to deliver it !!!

[Fan of Big Tone]

oh, and just one last post on this from me, apart from the air you breath, everything else requires a truck and a nice truck driver to deliver it !!!

No we could use trains and canals.

I'm only joking mate, you do a grand job. Just don't take so long to overtake next time I'm behind you

[GrannyPie]

to a certain degree yes they are, I think it is society as a whole that is to blame.

I agree,too much impatience and bad manners.

[Cobby]

@PTID1862 That's quite an interesting read actually. I never knew/noticed anything like that!

 

Maybe you can answer my query? What does it mean when a trucker flashes his high beams at me when I overtake and come back into the first lane? I always worry they are mad with me, even if I have given them a large gap before changing lane.

[PTID1862]

@Cobby if you are in the process of overtaking a truck and it is safe to pull back in, they will flash you generally so you know you are ok, this is normal for trucks overtaking each other. Although this is slowly changing, foreign drivers flash to say I am coming through, so you have to be careful.

 

Unsure what you were driving but flashing nowadays can mean differing things dependant on vehicle, but as a reminder flashing could still get you in trouble if caught.