Most ■■■■■■ drivers I have met are either ex ab load drivers or very experienced steersmen, they know to look for that camber on the road that wouldnt affect a C&U load to any degree but would make a top heavy load on a command steer trailer veer towards the kerb, most would be able to spot wether a load has to wrong side of a traffic island to have enough space to make a turn or avoid obstruction. or the line needed to take to get rouand a bend or turning etc etc, not something someone with no ab load experience would possibly see.
When they see these problams they have to try to ensure that other road users who may not understand why the truck is doing a certain manouvre are kept out of the way for both their sfaety and to ensure the load is on its way causing as least delay to other road users as possible.
And they have to do this with zero legal rights over other road users. Not an easy job, combining experience, teamwork with the ab load driver, and tact and diplomacty with road users who dont have a clue why you want them to wait at the side of the road for 2 minutes.
I personally would not be at all happy taking an ab load with “a man and a van” as an ■■■■■■, the job needs someone who knows they are doing.
Abnormal Load Escorters are having to try to get across a public safety message with pretty much zero support from the establishment - the Eurodaily YouTube vid was a great idea (I caught an impatient numpty on video which is now on YouTube for all to see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlNI7Q4sBbA). I put up some advice to other road users onto MyAbnormalLoad.com with the same idea in mind (have I missed anything - all constructive feedback appreciated?) http://www.myabnormalload.com/Public/tabid/1367/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
Btw - I am one of the Escorters who now have front & rear facing on-board CCTV cameras/DVR to protect myself and the Abload driver from the actions of other road-users.
Whilst i appreciate its not an easy job and that the load may often need to quite legally cross solid white lines or solid hatched areas, i wasn’t aware you are allowed to in the ■■■■■■ vehicle?
Advice from my (ex-Police) advanced driving instructor is that he considers that straddling a solid white centre-line is not deemed as ‘crossing’ it. Having said that, when we do a ‘wrong side’ this is technically an offence albeit a very necessary manoeuvre undertaken when there is no other option and often done in-front of/with Police in any event. Unfortunately the realities of moving Abnormal Loads and the law often do not stand close scrutiny very well… 
Driveroneuk:
Whilst i appreciate its not an easy job and that the load may often need to quite legally cross solid white lines or solid hatched areas, i wasn’t aware you are allowed to in the ■■■■■■ vehicle?
We as an ■■■■■■ are there to warn or another word Bring to the attention of other road users the approach of an abnormal load now take for instance The A69 heading over to Newcastle from Carlisle between haltwhistle and haydon bridge there are climbing lanes 2 going up and 1 going down now we taking a catt 777 dumptruck it takes up a lane and a half so on the down hill it has half on the other side of the double white lines, now the ■■■■■■ vehicle has to make sure that nobody coming the opposite way starts to overtake coming up the two lanes and its the only way tried and tested is for the ■■■■■■ to straddle the double white lines thus keeping everyone away from the load ,But this action can only be done on a straight part of the road ,when it comes to bendy roads with double whites its adifferent approach either we shoot to he other side of the bends and stop the traffic tell ing the driver what the last car and its colour is or if its not to narrow a road then we slow the on coming traffic down to walking pace again straddling the white lines and we get a domino effect everyone moves over and the load passes safely . Dont get me wrong there are a few drivers who wont move over for the ■■■■■■ but they soon mover over when a huge lump is heading right at them , But really being at the front isnt a real problem for us the escorts its being at the back on motorways especially on a hill and we are sitting in the middle lane doing 5mph in the dark or in the rain or anytime time for that matter ,i tend to look in my mirrors more than look forward i know what in front its who coming up behind that worries me , You all know them the tailgate truckers 
4 trucks bumper to bumper flat out the first is 50 yrds back from me realises im going slow ,he’s out trap 3 the one behind was that close he cant get to trap 3 because there are cars passing him so hes on the brake and im off up the hardshoulder leaving them to argue with the load
ive seen ■■■■■■ cars/vans etc move over to block vehicles passing(as the load approaches some lane restriction ahead) leaving you very little braking space. so as usual there are good and bad in every job.
I work with drivers who when moving things like big dump trucks etc you no the big uns and on dual carriagways or two lane they will run in one lane when really they should be in 2 lanes, to let the traffic past that them being curtious but when then they say they need out they need out ,no if or buts . So if you come up against a big wide load and you get past have a look at the nearside see where the over hang is it maybe over the grass verge or into the hard shoulder but its over enough so you can get past and keep the traffic flowing but as i said when he needs out we are coming out .Now The A1 between Jct 49 thirsk and Scotch Corner the lanes are narrowed down, people say we could pull into laybys but we have a problem as many will be aware laybys tend not to be deep yes you can park a normal truck in one but when its double the width you can we arent parking ■■■■■■ vehicles in live lanes to warn drivers it a no no, so we just keep going
Rikki you couldnt do a bit it your column in Commercial motor For Us Please everything helps