I have been reading some posts where guys are asking for advice on variouse things from containers to friges ect and i am quiet suprised at the atitude of some posters on here ,time was people where only to pleased to give advice i remember 20 years ago when i went solo for the 1 st time doing general haulage on a 6 wheeler flat i new how to rope n sheet thanks to hours of practice tieing the dolly on anything i could but the 1st job i attended was a woodworkers centre lath luckely there was another driver older more experienced so i asked the question whats the best way to rope this ,he sugested strangling it so it held down and wouldent roll over he then stayed with me till i done it so i learnt something new that day .An agency rung me about a year ago just after i passed my class one offering me fridge work so i sugested going out with another driver to learn the ropes they refused i said ok so if i go out with someone but not paid still no so in the end rung a mate and he showed me one sat morning it would seem that the days of people being prepared to help you out are ending which is a shame i for one would have no probs giving someone advice or help we all started somewhere this forums generally quiet good guys on here usually helpfull long may it continue
Agreed. 
Dunno then?:
Agreed.
+1
Many were the times in my younger days when I needed advice or tips on how to do a job, so I always turned to the ‘old hands’ for that advice and I listened gratefully.
After I’d been in the job for some time, it came to be my turn to be asked for advice, which I gladly gave because I remembered how I felt when I didn’t know and how the ‘old hands’ had helped me.
What goes around comes around. 
It’s a sad day when you can’t ask a fellow driver to put you right cos of a fear of being ignored or ridiculed. 
By 10 minutes doing a Google search or 15 minutes trying on this forums own search engine, an answer may be forthcoming, but depending on the time of week, an international or operators answer may not be as forthcoming for 3 or 4 days.
There are thousands of threads on this site, there are probably hundreds asking the same question and probably a dozen in the same week.
There are helpful posts, there are funny posts, there are racist posts, there are advisory posts, whatever they are, the posts are more up to date than anything you will read in a magazine and generally more helpful & truthful than you will ever hear in an RDC canteen or on the train.
Like you I could rope and sheet before I went on the road, I could reverse an artic. I could fit new light bulbs and adjust trailer brakes. Unfortunately the new driver expects to pass a driving test and be able to do this after 25 years of selling insurance or cream cakes, what is more they expect to do it in new powerful trucks. Modern hauliers do not have the facility to train drivers from the bottom like the old hands learnt their ropes. Of course any question I can answer I will, and often do 
totally agree dave i would rather ask even now after 20 years than damage the kit or the load the future of this trade is in training i no thats expencive for hauliers but can the industry aford not to invest in training
Fortunately, you usually find that out in the face-to-face world, drivers do help each other.
When I was struggling to unload some plant at Holyhead docks once (ramps buckled and skewed to one side half way down!) and I knocked on the door of a UPS truck and the driver happily came out and we sorted it out between us, with him tightening a ■■■■■■■■ the errant ramp as I teetered down the ramps with lots of girly screams (mine, obviously 
) And I have helped other drivers out too, it wouldn’t cross my mind to refuse to help a fellow driver if there was something I could do.
dieseldave:
Dunno then?:
Agreed.+1
Many were the times in my younger days when I needed advice or tips on how to do a job, so I always turned to the ‘old hands’ for that advice and I listened gratefully.
After I’d been in the job for some time, it came to be my turn to be asked for advice, which I gladly gave because I remembered how I felt when I didn’t know and how the ‘old hands’ had helped me.
It’s a sad day when you can’t ask a fellow driver to put you right cos of a fear of being ignored or ridiculed.
Agee 100% with you Dave, but how many times if you offer your advice or experience do you come accross a driver who knows it all?
Some of them are 20 years of age and have 50 years experience in the Haulage industrie.
I was a couple of weeks ago somewhere and overheard a driver talking what he all had done, and where he had been, with his age to do all that work, he must have done 1500 mile and 60 hours a day.
The attitude has changed, young unexperienced drivers requesting the top of the range equipment, before they can wipe their own arse.
You use to start on the oldest hack in the yard and worked your way up.
When we started, you started for a couple of quid going for weeks with an experienced driver, if you could offer that now, the answer would probaly be, " aint gone do that, passed my test and are a full quailified driver mate"…are they ■■■■!
So it’s not always the old hand not willing to show, but sometimes the newbie not willing to learn!
And as probaly many know in the haulage industry, if you stop learning, its time to stop with it all!
caledoniandream:
dieseldave:
Dunno then?:
Agreed.+1
Many were the times in my younger days when I needed advice or tips on how to do a job, so I always turned to the ‘old hands’ for that advice and I listened gratefully.
After I’d been in the job for some time, it came to be my turn to be asked for advice, which I gladly gave because I remembered how I felt when I didn’t know and how the ‘old hands’ had helped me.
It’s a sad day when you can’t ask a fellow driver to put you right cos of a fear of being ignored or ridiculed.
Agee 100% with you Dave, but how many times if you offer your advice or experience do you come accross a driver who knows it all?
Some of them are 20 years of age and have 50 years experience in the Haulage industrie.
I was a couple of weeks ago somewhere and overheard a driver talking what he all had done, and where he had been, with his age to do all that work, he must have done 1500 mile and 60 hours a day.
The attitude has changed, young unexperienced drivers requesting the top of the range equipment, before they can wipe their own arse.
You use to start on the oldest hack in the yard and worked your way up.
When we started, you started for a couple of quid going for weeks with an experienced driver, if you could offer that now, the answer would probably be, " aint gone do that, passed my test and are a full qualified driver mate"…are they [zb]!
So it’s not always the old hand not willing to show, but sometimes the newbie not willing to learn!
And as probably many know in the haulage industry, if you stop learning, its time to stop with it all!
everyday is a different day
I agree with the sentiment of the OP. There is lot of ego’s on here only too quick to jump down someones throat because they have asked a question relative to them because a search would of done it 
Not everyone that comes on here is up with the internet and forums and doesnt know the basics but I feel such treatment of some is why you see so many posters posting very rarely and have 50 posts for 4 years or more being registered.
On topic of helping out newbies, I am still a newbie. Had class one 2 years in Dec but learning all the time, just passed assessment for kuene and nagel for manpower which most fail and the assessor really liked me from the feedback at the end despite me not knowing all there is to know so maybe I am on the side of the fence where willingness shows through rather then arrogance just because my license has a picture of a lorry on.
Just to add, I think its a sad show that when you are struggling like ■■■■ to get on a loading dock so many fat ■■■■ heads just sit there with a big grin on their face while the driver is sweating buckets and getting worse with every shunt I have got out of the cab in the early hours to help a foriegner do a blind side reverse in the pitch black in an msa because he was struggling and the guy infront of me just sat waving his arms around with no patience moaning instead of helping him get on his way I felt like telling him to ■■■■■■■■ Also not so long ago I was struggling to get onto a tight bay and I mean tight and the lorrys were also tight together and I was in fear of clipping a unit behind my blind side and the idiot sat there reading his paper until I shunted forward to try again and sat there laughing and tutting instead of just watching my back to make sure I didnt hit his unit 
I know we “should” be able to do it and I can but ffs it would of took him 3 seconds to jump down and 20 odd watching me in I always get out and watch any driver back if needed even in services.
And what about those who expect you to know the ins and outs of every job and every unit there is just because you have a class one license?
I have driven some sheds on agency, also I have driven nice new shiny ones but at the end of the day if it legal I wont complain. I can and do clean myself when needed, never heard anyone demand new expensive kit but I am sure it does go on but there are plenty of you old gits who demand the same 
Rant over
it would appear that theres quiet a few old hands who think new drivers should be gratfull for any work they get expearence comes with time but heres a news flash new drivers are entitled to earn a decent wage a more positive attitude might be to encourage and help new drivers surley thats the way forward
OllieNotts:
I agree with the sentiment of the OP. There is lot of ego’s on here only too quick to jump down someones throat because they have asked a question relative to them because a search would of done it
On topic of helping out newbies, I am still a newbie. Had class one 2 years in Dec but learning all the time, just passed assessment for kuene and nagel for manpower which most fail and the assessor really liked me from the feedback at the end despite me not knowing all there is to know so maybe I am on the side of the fence where willingness shows through rather then arrogance just because my license has a picture of a lorry on.
Just to add, I think its a sad show that when you are struggling like [zb] to get on a loading dock so many fat ■■■■ heads just sit there with a big grin on their face while the driver is sweating buckets and getting worse with every shunt
And what about those who expect you to know the ins and outs of every job and every unit there is just because you have a class one license?
I have driven some sheds on agency, also I have driven nice new shiny ones but at the end of the day if it legal I wont complain. I can and do clean myself when needed, never heard anyone demand new expensive kit but I am sure it does go on but there are plenty of you old gits who demand the same
Rant over
Strange that because I have seen a couple of posts lately that you started and you have been given some very good advice.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61795&start=0
I seem to remember one when you knew best and told the people helping you the same
I certainly agree with the previous comments and if I know the answer to something being asked, or think that my opinion will materially add to the collective knowledge, then I’m happy to help.
If I’m out and about and see someone who needs some help I’ll normally volunteer it, if I think it will aid a fellow driver. And mostly before being asked as well. We all had to learn. I learned by doing and asking questions about the things I hadn’t done.
BUT! A number of times here I have read some pretty snotty posts suggesting that a complete and comprehensive answer to a question, is the right of any Tom, ■■■■ or Harry that happens to post it here.
As caledoniandream mentioned above;
So it’s not always the old hand not willing to show, but sometimes the newbie not willing to learn! (Or listen!)
And yes, I have seen “young, less experienced drivers” act in an incredibly arrogant and disrespectful way, not just to more senior and more experienced drivers, but demonstrate their complete lack of understanding of what used to be known as camaraderie amongst truck drivers. It’s a sad, but inevitable result of growing a generation of “I’m alright Jacks!”
Note bjd’s comment above:
…quiet a few old hands who think new drivers should be gratfull for any work they get expearence comes with time but heres a news flash new drivers are entitled to earn a decent wage a more positive attitude might be to encourage and help new drivers…
Well done bjd, that’s the sort of attitude that would generally see me NOT give anyone the benefit of my experience! I don’t need to be told I should have a more positive attitude thanks.
And I’m sorry, but manners still go a long way in my book. A please and a thank you are the least I would expect if I’m going to spend time helping someone by answering their questions.
cant see yout point east certanly dont think i have atitude imm allways willing to learn and allways gratfull for any help along the way fella i have learnt a lot from people on here and imm gratfull for it but theres some who dont like helpingpeople i was in clackets a few weeks back walking back across the car park and a guy reversing went into another truck and the guy next to him just watched it happen as i walked past he said i could see that happening if thats thecase why didnt he get out and help thats bad attitude i was just pointing out that some not all drivers have a bad attitude wasent a personal attack on you was it
grumpybum:
Fortunately, you usually find that out in the face-to-face world, drivers do help each other.When I was struggling to unload some plant at Holyhead docks once (ramps buckled and skewed to one side half way down!) and I knocked on the door of a UPS truck and the driver happily came out and we sorted it out between us, with him tightening a ■■■■■■■■ the errant ramp as I teetered down the ramps with lots of girly screams (mine, obviously
Well said, could’nt improve on that at all. I’ve had my Class 1 5 years now, and can clearly remember just what a steep upward learning curve it was those first few months, the soul searching, is this really the job for me? ect., ect. I can remember how many I used to see, just got their licences like me, and something or other occurred and frightened them off and you never saw them again, (this was on agency). For me, giving up was never an option, there was too much money at stake to throw down the drain on a whim, but I could see and understand where others were coming from.
I was definitely fortunate and got some timely advice where and when needed, and am profoundly grateful for it, for my part, I’m always glad to impart my limited experience in order to help someone else along the way.
I remember when I first went out in an artic on my own, (no it wasn’t horse drawn!) an AEC Mandator, my first week was night work delivering to a sod of a place where you had to blind side onto a bay after turning in a small area, then reversing about 300 yards past parked trailers, you couldn’;t see the bay until your trailer was pointed at it. First night I really cocked up, didn’t hit anything, but struggled. the yard shunter came and asked me if I needed help. when i explained that it was my first class one job, he told me to sit in the passenger seat while he reversed it for me, talking me through it all he time.
He then said to find him tomorrow morning, and he would walk along side me and talk me through it. on the third day, he just watched me do it myself, and the day after that he would just keep an eye on me from a distance. Without his help, I’m sure i would have made a total idiot out of myself, or hit something, or destoyed my confidence and given up driving.
last week I was fuelling up in Warwick services, there was a lithuanian driver with low air in a tyre and I could see he was struggling to understand how to use the air line, so I went over, offered to help. With my limited russian, and his limited english, we managed to communicate and he was so happy that someone came and helped without asking. I just think how i would feel, thousands of miles from home and not understanding what I needed to do, I too would appriciate any help offered.
another day this week, I was in Oxford servives fuelling up, when another agency lad who i know came in. I’d worked with him some years ago when he had just started class one work, and had helped him with his reversing etc, He was queuing for the wrong pump, needed BP and he was on the Keyfuels pump, I told him about it, and also how to avoid the queue in the roadworks on the A40.OK small things I know, but when i saw him back in the yard later, his words to me were, Thanks jon I’ve learnt 2 new things today.
I’m not too proud to accept help, I don’t know it all, and I will always be the first to offer it. thats how I learned, and thats how I, as a “senior” driver feel i can pass on my experience to the younger ones who will take my place.
I find that most ‘seasoned’ drivers are real helpful in the ‘real’ world, forums and the ‘net is fine for ‘general’ help but nothing beats being shown or explained whilst ‘doing it’.
Recently I’ve had help from other drivers when shortening a trailer, so the 20’ container is at the back and then putting it in the middle again, I don’t know about anybody else but it feels strange and ‘wrong’, especially when you are ‘stretching it out again, it feels like you are going to pull it off and split the trailer. 
I also phoned a friend asking how to move the 5th wheel, cos I went from a 40’ container to a 45’ and it was 'catching at the front.
I was able to help a newbie foreign driver myself a short while back,with uncoupling of all things. 
There is so much to learn in this industry and I’m learning something new every day.
truckerjon:
I remember when I first went out in an artic on my own, (no it wasn’t horse drawn!) an AEC Mandator, my first week was night work delivering to a sod of a place where you had to blind side onto a bay after turning in a small area, then reversing about 300 yards past parked trailers, you couldn’;t see the bay until your trailer was pointed at it. First night I really cocked up, didn’t hit anything, but struggled. the yard shunter came and asked me if I needed help. when i explained that it was my first class one job, he told me to sit in the passenger seat while he reversed it for me, talking me through it all he time.
He then said to find him tomorrow morning, and he would walk along side me and talk me through it. on the third day, he just watched me do it myself, and the day after that he would just keep an eye on me from a distance. Without his help, I’m sure i would have made a total idiot out of myself, or hit something, or destoyed my confidence and given up driving.
last week I was fuelling up in Warwick services, there was a lithuanian driver with low air in a tyre and I could see he was struggling to understand how to use the air line, so I went over, offered to help. With my limited russian, and his limited english, we managed to communicate and he was so happy that someone came and helped without asking. I just think how i would feel, thousands of miles from home and not understanding what I needed to do, I too would appriciate any help offered.
another day this week, I was in Oxford servives fuelling up, when another agency lad who i know came in. I’d worked with him some years ago when he had just started class one work, and had helped him with his reversing etc, He was queuing for the wrong pump, needed BP and he was on the Keyfuels pump, I told him about it, and also how to avoid the queue in the roadworks on the A40.OK small things I know, but when i saw him back in the yard later, his words to me were, Thanks jon I’ve learnt 2 new things today.
I’m not too proud to accept help, I don’t know it all, and I will always be the first to offer it. thats how I learned, and thats how I, as a “senior” driver feel i can pass on my experience to the younger ones who will take my place.
Jon, it’s great the there are seasoned drivers like you willing to help, this can be a very lonely job and a friendly face helps.
Reversing is a big issue for me, I always fluck it up, I had to reverse the back into a building, could I do it? Could I fluck. The sweat was dripping off me and my confidence had evaporated ages ago and this driver came up and guided me in. After a few minutes of back and forth we got it in. He said that slot has always been a problem.
I too am a relative newbie but I also was thrown in at the deep end. I didn’t even know how to open the curtains on a tautliner until some fella from ceva helped me at news international - it seems embarrassing when I look back at it now but in anything you do, not just driving, you need to learn and start somewere.
I now do container work and I was watching some guy looking a bit lost on what to do @ freightliners so I asked him if he was okay. he asked me loads about where to report to & when to take the twist locks of and where to put them back on etc. All easy to me now but when you have NEVER done it before and there’s loads of blokes watching you it is daunting.
Anyway, he couldnt thank me enough for my help and I felt like I’d passed on my bit of experience too!
So any ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ who dont want to help anyone, go and join another forum because obviously you never had a first day in the job, you were just born with a gift! 
was in a sainsburys depot some months ago. goods in told me to go onto bay 6, when I walked out, the shunter was trying to pull a container off of bay 6 but it wasn’t moving. After a few minutes i went back to goods in, explained what was happening and suggested I go on bay 8 which was empty. As i walked back to my truck, there was now 2 shunters and a fitter walking around the shunt motor and the container scratching thier heads. After i parked on the bay, as i walked past the shunter, i suggested that he tries swapping the red airline onto the correct socket! there were 3 grinning at me when i came back out! So even the most experienced drivers can need a little help occasionally!
After 34 years of this industry, my best advice is ; WATCH + LISTEN, you`d be surprised what you can learn by just watching someone else doing the basics OR the difficult 
And, if you do ask, listen to the answer
Most of the drivers i`ve helped in the last few years have been appreciative of the help / advice, but, some have been right idiots, who tried to bluff their way out of a sticky situation.
I NEVER stop learning in this job, Never