One for Rhythm, I think...

[661-Pete]

My commute crosses a big industrial estate, so there are always HGVs manoeuvring into and out of premises. Normally I am in awe of the skill displayed by the driver, controlling their trailers with precision measured in inches....

Not so today. Big 44-tonner artic. this morning, completely straddled the road, driver didn't have a clue, moving his tractor this way and that, gouging out the verge, brushing against walls, trailer going every way but into the driveway (which was decently wide) ... eventually he ended up in a jacknifed position with the tractor almost doubled up with trailer.

At this point I (and several other road users) had lost patience. Being on the bike, I was able to squeeze past when he left a gap - something I don't usually do as it distracts the driver, but I'd had enough.

Rhythm Thief, I wish you'd been there to give the driver a few lessons. I reckon you (or any other competent HGVer) would have had that trailer neatly backed into the driveway in a twinkling...

 

[rich p]

Did you articulate your frustration. Pete?

 

[Aperitif]

...probably just got his back up...

 

[summerdays]

I must admit I often see reversing lorries with trailers and I'm often amazed at their skill.

I had stupid car drivers rather than the skip lorry. Narrow road near traffic lights, skip lorry swings around in road and reverses ... I wait patiently (lights beyond are red anyway). When he finishes reversing he waves us on towards the lights which change. Front car wishes to turn right (blocks cars behind him due to the road width)... cars head across lights from the opposite direction not letting him turn and then can't get past the skip lorry blocking their side. At that point I realise nobody can move either direction, except me, I decided there was enough room and time for me to get through the lights. But all it would have taken was 2 drivers to think about letting traffic through and not block both routes.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I must admit I often see reversing lorries with trailers and I'm often amazed at their skill.

I had stupid car drivers rather than the skip lorry. Narrow road near traffic lights, skip lorry swings around in road and reverses ... I wait patiently (lights beyond are red anyway). When he finishes reversing he waves us on towards the lights which change. Front car wishes to turn right (blocks cars behind him due to the road width)... cars head across lights from the opposite direction not letting him turn and then can't get past the skip lorry blocking their side. At that point I realise nobody can move either direction, except me, I decided there was enough room and time for me to get through the lights. But all it would have taken was 2 drivers to think about letting traffic through and not block both routes.

Emmmm Errrr Oxymoron really. And expecting 2 at the same time. 'Fraid that's just in a parrallel universe

 

[Coco]

Foreign driver, they're complete amateurs.

Ha-ha! Reminds me of that Public Information File - " are there many of you French fellas in Sheffield?"

 

[661-Pete]

Foreign driver, they're complete amateurs.

Might have been, but the lorry had British number plates, and the tractor was RHD and had livery in English on it.

 

[rich p]

Might have been, but the lorry had British number plates, and the tractor was RHD and had livery in English on it.

Hey man, he wuz from da West Indies, de livery driver

 

[Muddyfox]

Pete ... he probabaly was'nt an HGV driver

It's a very common occurance where the forklift driver or yardsman will use a tractor unit to shunt trailers around for loading/unloading

Simon

 

[Rhythm Thief]

He might just have been having an off day. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, or how good you are, there are days when you can't reverse to save your life. And yes, it is usually in a high pressure situation where loads of people are watching.
He might also have been new to it - I remember being in very similar situations to that described in the OP - and I'm afraid you have to get it wrong a few times before you learn how to do it right.

 

[661-Pete]

I remember being in very similar situations to that described in the OP

Well, that's frank and candid RT - respect! To be honest, if our trucker has to have his 'off' day, I'd much rather it was in the last few yards of his journey when he's inching along at 1mph, than when he's bowling along the main road at 70mph...

Perhaps it's through watching them board the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, the finesse with which they get themselves lined up spot-on on a very narrow gangway. Incidentally, we may be fond of slanging off foreign drivers, but watch the trucks with Bulgarian or Ukrainian, or whatever, numberplates - they're as skilled as the rest of them! But I suppose, one fine day, by the law of averages - someone's bound to tip their artic in the briny...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

But I suppose, one fine day, by the law of averages - someone's bound to tip their artic in the briny...

That's when you phone your boss and say "Hi, I've, er, missed the ferry. No, literally."

 

[Arch]

Needless to say though I managed to park the artic in the space (after getting out a couple of times to check how much room I had) after I had finished, my left leg was shaking and a couple of car transporters who had been waiting for me to finish so they could go - went. But as the last driver came past he stopped opposite me had a quick look either side of the vehicle, looked at me and nodded his head and then went.

Lovely!

I had to wait last night on my way home, while an M and S lorry reversed into the city centre store loading bay - it's a really tricky spot on a corner, a narrow road, buses and pedestrians and whatnot waiting to get by, loading bay total width probably only two lorry widths, and half of it full of stock trolleys and cages. Driver didn't bang it straight in first time, a little backing and filling needed, but in it went. I was somewhat pleased to see as we moved on that it was a woman driving and she looked quite pleased with herself.

There was of course, one cyclist who just couldn't wait, and felt the need to zip round and go through in front of the cab. Not what you need, the sight of a cyclist disappearing into a blind spot...

 

[Christopher]

i used to pass by a cold store on my way to work. The yard of it was so narrow that the drivers of the artics had to be very skilled just to get in and out of the yard, never mind reverse into the correct bay. It was ballet in 34-tonners!

I also find it neat when a 3-axle trailer is being turned so sharply that the middle set of wheels are stationary while the other two sets conter-rotate. I also like the popping sound the tyres make then (probably destroying them..)

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Have you had much work with your ADR licence, Lee? I'm thinking about doing mine.