The other day i had an interview for a job. The boss man said that he couldn’t
offer me anything at the moment, because i hadn’t had any experience of driving with 44ton (i could see his point btw) i was hoping i could have started on class 2 first for a while, but he said even they run at 32 tons, plus out of 20-odd trucks only 2 were eight wheelers. he did however welcome me to go
back again, after gaining the relevent experience.
On my way home i was thinking, how hard is it actually driving 44 tons then?
is it so hard that you’re to scared to actually enjoy your driving? How different is it to 38tons then? Surely the spec. of these trucks are stepped up accordingly to cope with the extra weight?
i stepped up to 44 tons recently (used to run at about 28) and you do notice the diffrence.
i deliver the amber nectar so the load is volatile to roll overs on islands and such so you have to read the road a bit better.and you find your braking earlier then usual. and you need eyes up your arse.
it doesn’t take away the enjoyment of driving it,i find its just a diffrent style of driving. with the hanging garments (ex shop delivery driver) i could just throw it at a island and it would come out the otherside on all its wheels. know i have to brake earlier, leave more room to the vehicle in front and drive it round the island instead of trying to take the racing line through it.
i suppose i’ve become a better driver through doing it
After a certain length of time you don’t think about the adjustments to your driving when you have tipped and the wagon has gone from 44ton to 15 but the main differences are obviously the gears you would use ie; pulling off in second when you would probably pull of in 3rd when empty. Hill starts and appropriate gears to get you out of the way on a roundabout are also slightly different. The behavior of a fully loaded wagon is also effected by the nature of the load ie; clay pellets on a bulker acts like a liquid load where as steel loaded properly has a low center of gravity so therefore has it’s own characteristics.
This chap probably figured for your own safety, stress levels and the safety of his wagon would be better served if you got yourself some experience running more forgiving loads ie; parcels which rarely come in heavy, rather than make a perfectly normal mistake only to find a fully frieghted wagon pushing you in the [zb] deeper.
I am sorry you didn’t get the job but the right one will come along I’m sure.
Although trucks are designed to take 44 tons, it still take a bit if thought to drive them.
Ladytrucker made some good points about handling characteristics of different types of loads. I used to work for a company and we used to do a mixture of Spuds in bulkers, which are hopper shaped so most of the weight is at the top and you feel them roll on roundabouts, and slabs of pre-stresses concrete, on flatbeds with the C of G nice and low and concrete, which unlike steel, won’t move without a lot of force.
The other thing to remember is, even with modern brakes, going downhill with a full load needs respect and planning. No good flying down a hill and hoping you’ll stop at the bottom, even if you think you are going slow enough you’ll still might find yourself with smoking brakes at the bottom.
Still unless somebody give’s you the chance how are you going to learn. An elightened employer might give the chance and use his more experienced drivers to show you the ropes, and in return he might get a good, keen employee.
thanks for the reply people, yes the rest was artics bulk trailers carrying animal
feeds.
There used to be an article in the truck and driver mag, back in the late eighties/early ninetys, where they would take a truck to an m.s.a. and get everyday lorry drivers to test drive new trucks, and many times when i’ve read
this article, the drivers would ask if the truck was loaded or not,this was when
the limit was 38 tons, and i used to think surely you must be able to tell if it’s loaded or not. thats why i asked, the difference between 38+44 tons.
It seemed a good job anyway, and a decent bunch of people, so i might try
there again in the future. Also i like the thought of the truck being able to
unload itself
It definately makes a difference,on containers we run at 44 tonne at least 2-3 times a week with scrap metal and paper,you get loaded to the max.
It does sound a bit of a lame excuse not to take a new driver on though.
I had no experience and i was pulling 44 tonne in my 2nd week,you just have to be very careful with speed,braking ,wet weather,and never forget the weight you are carrying with regards to the distance you leave in front of you to the next vehicle,as it can catch you out if your not quite on the ball.
as far as i know upto 38 tonne vehicles dont have a lift axle and to be plated to 44 tonne the wagon has a lift axle
bikemonkey:
as far as i know upto 38 tonne vehicles dont have a lift axle and to be plated to 44 tonne the wagon has a lift axle
Basically, you can run upto 40tonne on 5 axles and 44t on 6 axles on road friendly suspension. Provided it’s all plated correctly.
The lifting axle thing has to do with saving tyre wear and fuel when empty. The Axle on the unit should drop automatically when there is enough weight on the drive axle. Trailers probally have a button that drops or raises the axle, but don’t get it mixed up with the park brake (normally Red) or shunt valve (normally Black).
all information contained in this post is based on my failing memory and every effort has been made to ensure it’s is correct, but no responsiblity can be accepted by me for any situations arrising from following the information contained above.
not necessarily the case, some units, such as my ERF don’t drop the lift axle automatically when loaded which is a real bonus when trying to shunt into something tight, i always lift the axle for easier steering
as for weight? it’s just common sense, your carrying more so need more time to stop and a bigger gap to get going on roundabouts etc apart from that there’s nothing to it, although you will find that at top weight you’ll look that bit further in front, the last thing you want is to come to a complete standstill and have to go to the bottom of the box to set off in busy traffic.
i started off in an 18 tonner in april, by august, im running around at 44 plus im driving all sorts of different hire trucks so im constantly having to familiarise myself with each one
CBR_SI:
sounds like a bit of a cop-out to me, ie an excuse not to give a new driver a job.
I have to agree, it is pretty ridiculous. He wants you to get the experience but not on HIS truck. Its people like that that help cause the barriers to young drivers and new drivers of any age. This is only me, but unless its a company I really want to work for, I wouldn’t entertain them if they knocked me back due to lack of experience/age etc. If I’m not good enough for them now and they slap me in the face after I’ve spent £2000 of my own very hard earned cash just to get this far, then they go go take a running jump if they think I’ll work for them after I’ve struggled further just to get experience. I’d rather stick with the guys who were good enough to give me a go in the first place, so long as they’re not a bad company to work for.
robinhood_1984:
[ I’d rather stick with the guys who were good enough to give me a go in the first place, so long as they’re not a bad company to work for.
Absolutely, an interview is as much of the firm as of the driver, and I reckon this one failed.
i have 20 years commercial driving experience, i’ve never done anything else
since leaving school, (started as a mate) but mostly non h.g.v.
i,d driven up to 17? ton (old class 3) before, so i thought with my work record
etc. would be enough to start off on the rigids and then artic, subject to refresher course, as they were advertising for both c, and c+e. I didn’t realise
these four axle rigids were plated so heavy though.
to be fair to the bloke though he did welcome me to go back there, when i have
driven something at 44 ton.
.