First of all, I’ll start off by saying I’m a night driver for Tesco.
I was on the M25 yesterday evening, clockwise around the Sevenoaks area. There was a truck in front of me in no particular hurry, so once another truck had passed me, I moved over into lane 2 to overtake. The truck that had just passed me received a flash from the truck in no particular hurry and duly thanked him with his indicators. I passed him, no flash. I judged I was past him by now, so indicated and pulled in. The tanker behind me received a flash and duly thanked the truck in no particular hurry.
I can only assume it was because I drive for Tesco, I didn’t warrant a flash to say I was far enough past, and it was ok to move over. The truck I was driving was no different from the first truck i.e. a 13 metre tautliner.
This happens a lot on the motorway and dual carriageways. Is there anyone on here who has the [zb] to own up to doing this, and can you explain why, please?
No matter who passes me, whether it’s a Sainsbury or a Stobart, a tautliner or tipper, they get a flash to let them know it’s ok to move over.
I find this is childish behaviour and not very professional.
Probably going to get my nuts chewed off now, but hey-ho.
I’ve often wanted to bring this subject up, and I’m pleased I’ve now found a forum in which to do it.
I thnk you may be getting a bit paranoid mate. Sometimes I flash (oo er) and sometimes I don’t, depends on various reasons, none are because I don’t like a firm someone drives for. How far in front was the truck that had just passed him, sometimes I don’t flash the 2nd man past as you don’t know if he wants to carry on and overtake a further vehicle or if the road is clear and there is no traffic behind the overtaker then it doesn’t matter if he stays in lane 2 for a further mile as we all like our space. It also doesn’t bother me if I don’t get a flash, I just drive a bit further in lane 2, no big deal.
Maybe he was rummaging around in the cab when you were passing and found what he was looking for when the next one passed or maybe he’s an ex middlewich driver who hates the mighty T.
You didn’t get a flash cos when you passed him (a Tesco lorry!) he realized he was still in lo range and therefore his left hand was busy changing up. 
Just kidding. 
I’ve no idea why some drivers are like that, i drive for Eddie and it happens to me now and then. I know Eddie’s ■■■■■■ off a lot of people and i can understand to an extent where they’re coming from, but as someone has said on here before, it’s not as if the drivers are responsible for company policy.
maybe he was on the phone
no real need for this if it was because of your uniform but then we dont know weather the driver was concentrating on something else and didnt get chance to flash before you had completed pulling in, personnally I will flash (and not in the way your thinking) any truck or bus and where its needed cars, just common courtesy.
I treat everyone the same - I never flash 
when he seen a tesco pass him he maybe got a little confused and thought he was on a break at the time and wasn’t moving
only joking by the way 
thnk your just a bit paranoid mate - your in the same game as the rest of us
ROG:
I treat everyone the same - I never flash
you heartless (zb)
if it needs star’s it’s not allowed mm
Maybe he was doing this 
and couldn’t flash at the same time 
I do the same thing to Morrisons drivers 
Just goes to show the mentality of a lot of so called drivers these days.
( your trucks faster than mine so i,m gone a be a big boy and not flash you in)
see it all the time and it really ■■■■■■ me off. I always flash people in i find it saves a lot of trouble like having your front end taken off or having to stand on your brakes. 
DABenji:
ROG:
I treat everyone the same - I never flash
you heartless (zb)
if it needs star’s it’s not allowed mm
Not really as I never get the chance to - they usually pull in before the minimum safety gap is reached and I have to ease off to reclaim that minimum gap.
Ah now this is interesting, I’ve noticed a different flashing pecking order with different vehicle size.
When I used to drive at DBC the 18 tonners used to get flashed about half the time, the 13 tonners would be down to about 25% of the time.
Then I moved to 8 wheelers and got lots more flashers (as it were) probably 75. When I did the skips the 4 wheeler was fairly unpopular but the 8 wheeler would score better (not that it overtook too much with a 310 engine)
Back on to 6 wheelers and it was a bit less than the 8’s, now with the artic it’s 90% and almost 100% when loaded with a 20 tonner at 11’ wide.
I’ll generally flash any driver unless they come flying past and there’s no point, unrestricted 7.5 tonners and other wagons when Im lumbering up a hill for example but if they come creeping past and dont just cut in I’ll give them a flash.
If someone comes inching past at 0.001mph faster I’ll leave them there until they get their cab past, once they’ve got there I’ll ease off and give them a chance. I’m not going to slow down straight away just because they want to crawl past but I’ll not keep them alongside until teatime.
aidey:
saves a lot of trouble like having your front end taken off or having to stand on your brakes.
Saves a lot of time being cut up by morons you mean?
This ■■■■■■ me off…WTF (W stands for why) would i want a truck 1ft in front of me?
WTF do you “need” to get back in so bloody quick and proceed to travel another hour on same road?
I hate it when a faster(all be it 0000.523 a mile faster) truck sticks his indicator on and waits for me to “flash” him in when i don’t want him 1ft in front of my screen…
Pull back in when you think its clear, you do know how long your truck is don’t you?
I end up backing off anyway!!
Rant over
I judged I was past him by now, so indicated and pulled in
Has it occurred to you that just because you judged that you were past him doesn’t necessarily mean that he considered you to be a safe distance in front to pull in, if this happens to you a lot perhaps you should consider weather or not it could be your driving style rather than your uniform 
Koop:
…i don’t want him 1ft in front of my screen…
Pull back in when you think its clear, you do know how long your truck is don’t you?
I have a method for judging the safe distance for when to pull back in - it is of course, speed relative.
Example - I am doing 50 and overtaking a vehicle doing 45/47 so are speeds are in the relative same stopping distance bracket.
Using the lane lines, I know that the minimum is calculated at one lane line for every 10 mph.
Very easy now for me to judge 5 lane lines from the rear of my truck to the front of the vehicle being overtaken - using constant mirror checks, I can see one lane line between us, then two, three, four and finally five - works every time
OH, and do I give a rats bottom about the vehicle that is now close behind me and THINKS that I should do as they want and pull in earlier 
- NO
the driver was so shocked to see a tesco truck over taking him he was taking a photograph of such a rare happining that he could’nt flash
as the only tesco trucks i ever see are doing about 48mph on the motorway
I fail to see the problem here yes you know when your past but it’s better if your flashed as u know that your not cutting anyone up then and it does save you having some moron putting the arse end of his trailer a foot from your windscreen. After all when you’ve paid all that money to have all them flash lights on the front of your truck you might as well use them.
In 1965 there was every need to flash a truck that had overtaken you on a dark unlit road, with modern mirrors you can be sure where the rear of your trailer is.
There are plenty of other clues, like the dotted lines on the road, or tarmac banding.
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I really don’t think anyone (not anyone on here anyway) would not flash just because what livery the truck or trailer is wearing!
My only thoughts are:
- They didn’t think you were far enough ahead to flash you in yet.
- They were concentrating elsewhere
- They thought you looked like you knew what you were doing and didn’t need the flash.
I wouldn’t get paranoid about it buddy, If it WAS because you drive for Tesco (or some other unfathomable reason) then its their problem, not yours.
Alex
Mixed reactions there, good and bad. Thanks chaps.
Paranoid?? Nah, not me. It happens too often
It just strikes me as a bit daft to think ‘you drive for so and so company, so I’m not extending any courtesy to you’.
We’re all drivers for gawd’s sake.
Don’t know about you lads, but I only do it to pay the mortgage and keep my wife in jewellery.
Seriously though, it’s just a job, it doesn’t matter whether the truck’s blue, pink, green or purple, surely we’re all at it for the same reason.
Oh, by the way, I was well past him when I indicated and pulled over.
And, maybe I’m one of the rare Tesco drivers who thinks it’s not too clever to dawdle along a busy motorway at 45 mph.