I tend to look down on all lorry drivers in general, and also most folk who have to wear a hi-visibility vest as part of their work.
Don’t get me wrong, I did once start at the bottom and not scared to put a days graft in, but I soon found my way towards the top of the pile.
Why do the hard work, when you can get subordinates to get it done for you. I many a time look out the window and see them in the wind and rain and ponder why folk just do the same old, day in day out. Some of them in our yard been at it 30 odd years and still driving trucks 
I don’t have the company car yet but it’s somthing Iam striving for and which keeps me motivated.
Well I look up to everyone since I’m just a dinky bus driver. 
I mean how worse can it get when your load is people. 
In my 40th year of driving hgvs ,99% of that articulated, long wheel base rigid drivers I salute them! they are a nightmare, articulated easy.
robroy:
cupcake1973:
This thread is fantastic entertainmentHave to say I feel like a bit of a fraud when I have to park my little puddle jumper in amongst the “proper” lorries at the services. Often wish I could park with the cars and vans and dread wondering what all the blokes in their artics think when they see a little woman jump out of it
Maybe one day I’ll be a real lorry driver and you lot won’t look down on me
That has just reminded me, when I was young keen and wide eyed about the job
in my mind I was ‘real trucker’ but must have looked a complete [zb] dressed like The Rubber duck/Kristofferson in my little transit.
Burton services on the M6 was a regular stop for drivers at that time, and the truck park faced the cafe. I was sat with about 4 older drivers (we all used to talk to each other then
As the conversation went on I was asked which was mine, I was a bit embarrased to tell them, so I pointed to a Volvo 88 and said ‘That one parked beside that little transit’
The bloke sat next to me says ‘Pick another one son…that’s mine’
ok I have been fortunate and went from a deferent career straight into this one on attics so I have never driven rigid or drawbar. But my opinion is a driver is a driver doesn’t matter what size of vehicle he uses. The fact is a rigid can get to places other trucks can’t reach although they do seem to try sometimes.
I would be quite happy driving a close couple drawbar, but I wouldn have a clue where to start with reversing an A frame. Definitely think there should be some sort of conversion course before being let loose in one of those.
Also I would say driving the biggest doesn’t make you superior, those smaller city trailers can be a pig to reverse
Now where’s the artic roll
Now where’s the artic roll
Usually just past the adverse Camber
pepsifarr:
I would be quite happy driving a close couple drawbar, but I wouldn have a clue where to start with reversing an A frame. Definitely think there should be some sort of conversion course before being let loose in one of those.
Basically you just start the turn and/or turn in either direction with the opposite steering input you’d use for artic/close coupled but generally a lot less of it.Then remove/reverse the lock ‘quick’ to realign the prime mover with the trailer along the lines of ‘keep the rear corner of the prime mover together with the front corner of the trailer’,or the drawbar will swing and fold against the trailer.Like an artic it is obviously easier with a longer trailer except for the fact that the drawbar is effectively a very short trailer in itself that is steering the trailer.However when you’ve got used to them the way they follow and can handle weight,outweighs any of the extra thought needed to reverse them which just adds to the satisfaction of the job anyway.
youtube.com/watch?v=-SFblkwNpnU
youtube.com/watch?v=ebz9Z3EMWLM
As I said ‘class 1’ should really only be more than one point of articulation only or C + 2 E.While artic/close coupled ( single point of articulation ) drivers are/should be just ‘class 2’ or C + E in reality.While ironically the former having ( rightly ) historically been judged as being good enough rigid drivers to teach themselves to handle a trailer/s.The sad thing being that British drivers are being convinced themselves that they are second class v their German counterparts in that regard by the establishment when it just needs a can do attitude. 
Having said that UK drawbar operators are known to carry out their own in house testing along the lines which you suggest and trust me that testing is a lot stricter than the HGV/LGV test. 
Used to love doing recovery work and getting the odd caravan to tow.
Used to have no probs reversing with them.in the old 30 foot beaver tail I drove.
Once got a couple who commented that I made it look easy and said I put it into its parking bay easier then he could in his car.
My only problem was I could only tow tiny things as I only had 750kg tow limit. Via my psv…
I do look up to class 1 drivers… normally while I watch them mess up on a reverse hehehe…
Had a class 2 driver try and talk to me on the services today,cheeky fker…just blanked him.
Carryfast:
pepsifarr:
I would be quite happy driving a close couple drawbar, but I wouldn have a clue where to start with reversing an A frame. Definitely think there should be some sort of conversion course before being let loose in one of those.Basically you just start the turn and/or turn in either direction with the opposite steering input you’d use for artic/close coupled but generally a lot less of it.Then remove/reverse the lock ‘quick’ to realign the prime mover with the trailer along the lines of ‘keep the rear corner of the prime mover together with the front corner of the trailer’,or the drawbar will swing and fold against the trailer.Like an artic it is obviously easier with a longer trailer except for the fact that the drawbar is effectively a very short trailer in itself that is steering the trailer.However when you’ve got used to them the way they follow and can handle weight,outweighs any of the extra thought needed to reverse them which just adds to the satisfaction of the job anyway.
youtube.com/watch?v=-SFblkwNpnU
youtube.com/watch?v=ebz9Z3EMWLM
As I said ‘class 1’ should really only be more than one point of articulation only or C + 2 E.While artic/close coupled ( single point of articulation ) drivers are/should be just ‘class 2’ or C + E in reality.While ironically the former having ( rightly ) historically been judged as being good enough rigid drivers to teach themselves to handle a trailer/s.The sad thing being that British drivers are being convinced themselves that they are second class v their German counterparts in that regard by the establishment when it just needs a can do attitude.
Having said that UK drawbar operators are known to carry out their own in house testing along the lines which you suggest and trust me that testing is a lot stricter than the HGV/LGV test.
Many thanks for that, hats off to you guys. I have been wandering for ages how you go about reversing one of those things.
chester:
I don’t have the company car yet but it’s somthing Iam striving for and which keeps me motivated.
That’s me happy on this thread then, I’m a Class 2 (C) driver with a company car, sorted
chester:
I tend to look down on all lorry drivers in general, and also most folk who have to wear a hi-visibility vest as part of their work.
Don’t get me wrong, I did once start at the bottom and not scared to put a days graft in, but I soon found my way towards the top of the pile.
Why do the hard work, when you can get subordinates to get it done for you. I many a time look out the window and see them in the wind and rain and ponder why folk just do the same old, day in day out. Some of them in our yard been at it 30 odd years and still driving trucks
I don’t have the company car yet but it’s somthing Iam striving for and which keeps me motivated.
I’ve got a bad feeling this isn’t irony.
^^^
Own Account Driver:
chester:
I tend to look down on all lorry drivers in general, and also most folk who have to wear a hi-visibility vest as part of their work.
Don’t get me wrong, I did once start at the bottom and not scared to put a days graft in, but I soon found my way towards the top of the pile.
Why do the hard work, when you can get subordinates to get it done for you. I many a time look out the window and see them in the wind and rain and ponder why folk just do the same old, day in day out. Some of them in our yard been at it 30 odd years and still driving trucks
I don’t have the company car yet but it’s somthing Iam striving for and which keeps me motivated.I’ve got a bad feeling this isn’t irony.
+2. might be pomposity tho`. head…arse…pull.
mrginge:
Crane-boy:
Very ignorant comments from some people on here, class 2 work can be very challenging due to the fact they get sent to housing estates/closes/ cul-de-sacs and require a lot of skill navigating around obstacles, cars and everything else in the way.
Artics go along motorways and deliver to large depots or places designed to have a 44tonner in them.
Lot of skill in both jobs, and with regards to not flashing vehicles in on motorways is just pure ignorance.
We’re professional drivers for a reason, and should act like it.
Yep - i wuz gonna go with 
, however!
chester:
I tend to look down on all lorry drivers in general, and also most folk who have to wear a hi-visibility vest as part of their work.
Don’t get me wrong, I did once start at the bottom and not scared to put a days graft in, but I soon found my way towards the top of the pile.
Why do the hard work, when you can get subordinates to get it done for you. I many a time look out the window and see them in the wind and rain and ponder why folk just do the same old, day in day out. Some of them in our yard been at it 30 odd years and still driving trucks
I don’t have the company car yet but it’s somthing Iam striving for and which keeps me motivated.
Hey Chesty, I am sure most of us would get vertigo being as high up the pile as you are. Must be a real pleasure working for you too. Hope you get that company car. Your ambition knows no limits. 
Well it can only drive me to my next goal!
Never stay treading water in this day and age, the new breed will soon be chomping at our heels.
Whoosh… 
…and put some clothes on, ya creep.
I must be doing something wrong. My artic goes on b-roads,farm tracks,in fact pretty much anywhere it will fit!