Evil8Beezle:
Do I reverse back onto the main road, which is obviously Illegal, or do something else… Having no real experience of a vehicle that size, I didn’t properly consider that it’s ■■■■ near impossible in an 18ton truck so see what’s coming on the main road, and finding a gap. Meaning that without a banksperson to help you, you’re very likely to cause an accident. So I made the decision to drive down the side street and find my way out onto the main roads that way. But what i had missed (While on my approach to the store) was the sign to say this was a dead end street. And I didn’t find that out until I was 3/4 the way down it! Bollox! So instead of having to reverse out onto a main road, I now had to reverse the wagon almost the full length of the street with about a foot of clearance on either side, plus the problem of reversing back out onto the main road. Again, Bollox!!!
I frequently have to reverse out of side roads onto main roads. Not sure it actually illegal though, more a guidance in the highway code (whatever that looks like now).
A foot either side?? Wait till you’ve got less than an inch either side and you’re trying not to rip your mirrors off…
You wait till you pull in somewhere and then find some pillock has parked so close behind, you cannot drop the tail lift, or has happened to a friend, came back to find someone had parked their car on the tail lift.
You may be right about the reversing onto a main road, I just thought it was…
When I say a foot either side, I wasn’t including the mirrors, as they didn’t come into it with just cars either side. A
Already had the tail lift issue! Went in the shop to hand over the paperwork and check the delivery entry (front or back). Cam e back outside and had a “youth” (jack the lad) parked right up my arse and couldn’t drop the tail lift! But it’s hourly paid, no real stress to me!
Anyway, after my lack of reversing antics at that drop, I had another drop later in the day where i DID have to reverse off the main road up the side of the store between 2 buildings. This time the mirrors did come into play, and I decided the outer edge of my drivers mirror needed a bit of polishing along the wall, as I only had a few inches either side. The bad part of this tale, is that I scraped the mirror on the way out!
When routing I try and work in an emergency route, or ive dropped a bollock option.
Usually involves some section I can go round the block if I missed me turning or a roundabout. Ideally a road with 2 roundabouts I can go round for ages as practice.
Anyway whilst within spitting distance of the congestion charge today and refusing to budge in heavy traffic till a female cyclist had managed to struggle her way down the truck between me and the kerb, yes I saved her life I was rewarded at the next shop section by a youngish fit lady in pink lycra who was revealing a sweet bit of ■■■■■■■■■.
So nice was this ninjas flip flop that I have saved it to my personal W Bank for a multiple withdrawl later. ( well quite shortly if im honest).
Lsands:
I know what your going through. I went straight into class 1 as a young driver. I will get 2 miles from my delivery and my heart is beating because of all the above.
You should have the same attitude my dad has, just do what you have to do forget about it and move on.
Google street view is my biggest help as I use it all the time.
1drop tomorrow so it’s happy days with me.
Also think how much help you have nowadays. All ‘pro’ drivers will remind you about map reading and expecting the unexpected. Where a satnav does a good chuck of the work to get you outside your delivery point.
Just enjoy your work and try to keep chilled.
Thanks pal I will - The SatNav is a godsend, and I have the Philips Truckers atlas as backup. But that doesn’t really help me on the drops and routes I’m currently on. I could buy more detailed local maps, but I’m not assured to work the same route each time, so I’d need all of the central south coast up to the M25. I’m also not planning on being Class 2 for long, but feel i should serve some time for experience, and want the security of some job security before I shell out 1k plus on my Class 1.
I’m sure I’ll sort myself out, as I know my error, and I’m happy to be ridiculed about it.
And can you think of a better way to make it sink in?
I know which map you need, its probably 10 years out of print now but keep yer eyes peeled for a cheap used Nicholson atlas of Greater London and the South East…might be some other wording in that title but once you see the coverage on the cover you’ll know you have the right one.
Its a big bugger and soddin dear new but you will never see another map like it as long as you live, its basically the clearest high def street atlas of London you’ll ever find which extends from Southend one side right out to St Albans and from Reading near enough down to the south coast on your side, i used one extensively when i drove car transporters due to the number of rental and dealer sites in the SE, it was so good i bought my son one when he started lorry driving and one for my stepdaughter who lives down that way, both still get used regularly as there is no way a sat nav can provide this much reliable coverage.
Great story Evil, I have no experience in UK, but had very similar situations in US in tractor trailer - low bridges, wrong addresses, very tight sport on narrow streets, blocking 2 streets in order to park etc. But the help of co driver is God send sometimes. On one delivery I was unloaded on the main road. One of the weird’s delivery I made was underneath a hill in Kansas City. In Seattle I didn’t make the correct turn and the road was ending into residential arеa, had to make U turn on the parking lot of local clinic, thank God it was 22.00.
In Indiana I was going to back several miles, exactly before my street delivery address a low bridge pop out, 13’5", well I lowered the truck suspension and menage to go thru very slowly, it was very nervous moment.
Every driver around the world have stories like this, you will have them as well. Very important is to stay calm and don’t rush things.
The truth is the more you drive(pick ups and drops) the more experienced and confident you become. Next time in situation like this, turn on your emergency signals(4 way flashers) and blow the horn while backing up SLOWLY.
PaulNowak:
Try a rigid full of handball in central London Beez, that’s how I cut my teeth. Nearly brought the sodding thing back after my first drop. Was told it was a palletised run, had a pump truck on and everything, nobody bothered telling me the gateway into the Grosvenor Hotel was only about 2 ft wide, so I left my sack truck at work.
Thanks Paul, I feel better now! And I bet you were chuffed you were delivering somewhere so posh!
Now I wonder if that was for bidvest or 3663? As from what i’ve read on here, that’s pallets, and why I’m thinking I’m not so stupid choosing cage work…
However saying that, my shoulders are killing me today from dragging the cages around, and glad in off. But that’s because I’m not used to it, and I’m a ■■■■■!
I’ve got a days work at Switch Logistics in Andover tomorrow, and all I know is that it’s multidrop. So if I see that the address is the Grosvenor Hotel, I’m going to ■■■■■■■ die! (But only after killing you! )
No mate, was similar sort of drops to the bidvest/3663/fresh direct boys, but we did non-food, chemicals, bog rolls, glassware & crockery etc.
Company called Alliance, depots all over the place, just nowhere near where they were needed.
All the stuff bigger than vans came out of Crewe. So I’d be running into London most days, with a full load on that could have come out of our Marlow depot.
And then drive all the way back empty. What terribly good sense that made.
Although i think I was close to getting one on my first day, but think the warden was in a good mood and probably giggling to himself about the lad that had parked so i couldn’t open my tail lift! (Maybe the lad did me a favour! )
Juddian - Thanks for the map tip, and as you say, it looks like they don’t do that one anymore. So I’ll keep my eyes peeled! Ta!
Dolph, as you say, it takes time. I know I need to calm down and not panick, and I’m sure that will come when I’m not going to hold up the traffic and then completely fluff the reverse! And the only way that happens is practice and from time to time fluffing it up! And when that happens, make sure it’s so slow that you can see the problems and act accordingly. Finally, If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to keep my “interesting” encounters of fudging it to a minimum! Cheers!
Fun fun fun. Evil, if that’s the worst thing that happens to you on multidrop, with second class syndrome, you are doing just fine!
If the job got done, the kit didn’t get smashed up, and you washed the blood off the side rails before you got back to the depot, it’s all good
Oh and I’ve reversed out on to the A10, reversed across the A414, and off the A405. Don’t sweat it, after the first car crashes into you, the rest generally back off…
Parking tickets are nothing to worry about you have to do deliveries and you have to park where you have to park at the end of the day. Tickets will get squashed its not the drivers fault. you will park on double yellows in the worst of places just to get the deliveries done
Evil8Beezle:
Not sure the last time you brought a map mate, but the ones I own don’t have house numbers on them.
Kinda make me wonder how you’ll ever manage to deliver anything!
What’s your point?
Do you know of a county map, or a set of maps YOU would buy (out of your own pocket working on agency) that DO have house numbers on them?
Please enlighten me…
How long is the truck you drive? Can you make U turn on a grocery store parking lot for example if you are going at the wrong side of the store, is there enough room?
Evil8Beezle:
Not sure the last time you brought a map mate, but the ones I own don’t have house numbers on them.
Kinda make me wonder how you’ll ever manage to deliver anything!
What’s your point?
Do you know of a county map, or a set of maps YOU would buy (out of your own pocket working on agency) that DO have house numbers on them?
Please enlighten me…
A to Z maps do have numbers on them, on the main roads at least.
The job I had between 1994 & 2004 saw me amass about £1k worth of maps covered the whole of the UK so if I didn’t have one of the area I was in I bought one. Okay, most were bought with expenses but I kept them for my own use until I chucked the job in and gave them all to the firm when I left. Fortunately I knew 2-4 weeks ahead of time where I was going so only took the ones that I needed rather than cart the lot about all the time.
The massive Philips UK atlas was great for finding places such as farms down remote roads & lanes, the current version is cheaper than it cost to buy 20 years ago!!!
If you’re going to be working mainly in the south then it will make your life easier to have the A to Z maps of Hants, Surrey, Sussex, Berks, Wilts, Dorset, etc. and of course Greater London for a period of time. Sat-navs/ google maps are all well and good once the areas you’re in mean something to you.
Evil8Beezle:
Not sure the last time you brought a map mate, but the ones I own don’t have house numbers on them.
Kinda make me wonder how you’ll ever manage to deliver anything!
What’s your point?
Do you know of a county map, or a set of maps YOU would buy (out of your own pocket working on agency) that DO have house numbers on them?
Please enlighten me…
How long is the truck you drive? Can you make U turn on a grocery store parking lot for example if you are going at the wrong side of the store, is there enough room?
I think an image is worth a thousand words mate, so here’s a pic of the stallion!
The turning circle on it is crap, and the Merc i had the previous day was better in that respect, it was a dog in every other.
The Merc had 550,000k on the clock, & the Iveco has 400,000k
And I found out how poor the turning circle was when I went to make a right turn, I had to come to a stop before I came closer to the traffic furniture than I was comfortable with. I probably actually had enough room, but didn’t want to risk collecting those types of trophies! In the UK, the rural or village roads don’t have much in the way of free space to swing something around. So you’re either looking for a short loop, or a nice easy 3 point turn. Yes there are car parks that you could fit in and do that, bt only if you remove all the cars first…
Why do you fannies need house numbers on a map ? Lowest numbers start nearest town center getting higher going out . odd 1 side , even other . Some have numbers on door gate as a clue , count up in 2’s
Wheres the need for bloody computer to tell me house names ?
Can look up address in index quicker than you can ■■■■ about programming and route planning is simples obvs .
And BTW where i come from 3663 was done in artics !!! And when us men were off they would send 2/3 boys in rigids ! Guffaw
Evil8Beezle:
Not sure the last time you brought a map mate, but the ones I own don’t have house numbers on them.
Kinda make me wonder how you’ll ever manage to deliver anything!
What’s your point?
Do you know of a county map, or a set of maps YOU would buy (out of your own pocket working on agency) that DO have house numbers on them?
Please enlighten me…
A to Z maps do have numbers on them, on the main roads at least.
The job I had between 1994 & 2004 saw me amass about £1k worth of maps covered the whole of the UK so if I didn’t have one of the area I was in I bought one. Okay, most were bought with expenses but I kept them for my own use until I chucked the job in and gave them all to the firm when I left. Fortunately I knew 2-4 weeks ahead of time where I was going so only took the ones that I needed rather than cart the lot about all the time.
The massive Philips UK atlas was great for finding places such as farms down remote roads & lanes, the current version is cheaper than it cost to buy 20 years ago!!!
If you’re going to be working mainly in the south then it will make your life easier to have the A to Z maps of Hants, Surrey, Sussex, Berks, Wilts, Dorset, etc. and of course Greater London for a period of time. Sat-navs/ google maps are all well and good once the areas you’re in mean something to you.
I agree mate, and why I worded my challenge to the poorly thought through flippant comment of busteredwards, as I knew that some very local maps have the odd number on them. And as you say, you would need to spend a fortune, which just isn’t practical for a previously stated temp job with varying areas.
Yes I’ve got most of what I need for West and North of where I am, But the buggers are sending me East!
But to be honest, I think Google Maps & Street view has pretty much killed off buying more than just the philips UK Atlas, as that will get you very close, and after that it’s off to google… Let’s see if I’ve another lesson to learn!
Went in the shop to hand over the paperwork and check the delivery entry (front or back). Cam e back outside and had a “youth” (jack the lad) parked right up my arse and couldn’t drop the tail lift! 
But it’s hourly paid, no real stress to me! 
)
Cheers!