I hate FORS/CLOCS and the racketeering that is the EPIC/MPQC card. I’m not overly keen on all this hug a cyclist and wrap them in cotton wool hysteria that’s going on, but I do see the benefits in these bin lorry cabs; I’ve lost count of the number of times where getting out of the drivers’ door on site is made difficult by trees, bushes, walls etc.
That’s given me an idea. A bin lorry cab with a pair of doors off a Commer van. Everyone wins 
kr79:
Not a fan of cab myself feel very vulnerable in one.
Im sure Id feel the same. But maybe thats another trick thats going on? A driver who feels a bit more vulnerable is less likely to behave like a “high and mighty” (literally) selfish fool. Now, you and I may be better than that, but Im sure weve known others who are that way inclined. I think psychologists would talk about eye contact too. Just looking at someone will often establish some sort of link. Youre more likely to act considerately towards someone you can see. And that works both ways: cyclists will maybe see that we too are "soft and cuddly" human beings too, not steel wrapped wannabe warriors, only there to make their life a smelly misery. Of course we see evidence of the opposite, a cyclist who appears as a blurry image in a mirror or screen is not as "real" as one beside you. And this is how those poor sods who work in tele-sales survive: by not looking into the eyes of those they are ripping off, their consciences are clear. They can succeed in sales on the phone they never could on the doorstep. Remember "Thelma & Louise"? The copper with the mirror shades? All sorts of mind games going on here. Now some of you will disagree with my very amateur psychological analysis and will send a very rude reply. . .but Id bet that reply would be less rude if we were in the same room, and not because of my physique, (Im the before model in the Charles Atlas ads) but because were looking directly at each others faces.
Franglais:
kr79:
Not a fan of cab myself feel very vulnerable in one.I
m sure Id feel the same. But maybe thats another trick thats going on? A driver who feels a bit more vulnerable is less likely to behave like a “high and mighty” (literally) selfish fool. Now, you and I may be better than that, but Im sure weve known others who are that way inclined. I think psychologists would talk about eye contact too. Just looking at someone will often establish some sort of link. Youre more likely to act considerately towards someone you can see. And that works both ways: cyclists will maybe see that we too are "soft and cuddly" human beings too, not steel wrapped wannabe warriors, only there to make their life a smelly misery. Of course we see evidence of the opposite, a cyclist who appears as a blurry image in a mirror or screen is not as "real" as one beside you. And this is how those poor sods who work in tele-sales survive: by not looking into the eyes of those they are ripping off, their consciences are clear. They can succeed in sales on the phone they never could on the doorstep. Remember "Thelma & Louise"? The copper with the mirror shades? All sorts of mind games going on here. Now some of you will disagree with my very amateur psychological analysis and will send a very rude reply. . .but Id bet that reply would be less rude if we were in the same room, and not because of my physique, (Im the before model in the Charles Atlas ads) but because were looking directly at each others faces.
I fully appreciate what you’re saying. In my normal cab, the clued-up cyclists and motorcyclists made eye contact with you before they did what they were going to, sometimes even pointing to where they wanted to go. You acknowledge them and everyone’s happy. What you can’t do is make eye contact with the ones that come wanging down the inside while you’re indicating left 
Nobby_Clarke:
Franglais:
kr79:
Not a fan of cab myself feel very vulnerable in one.I
m sure Id feel the same. But maybe thats another trick thats going on? A driver who feels a bit more vulnerable is less likely to behave like a “high and mighty” (literally) selfish fool. . . .I fully appreciate what you’re saying. In my normal cab, the clued-up cyclists and motorcyclists made eye contact with you before they did what they were going to, sometimes even pointing to where they wanted to go. You acknowledge them and everyone’s happy. What you can’t do is make eye contact with the ones that come wanging down the inside while you’re indicating left
Yep. Eye contact will probably make things better for most of us, but for those who are really trying to get a “Darwin Award” there ain`t much hope.
All this safety stuff adds weight, so why doesn’t the mgw increase? The most common MAN tipper is the TGS 35-400 which is designed to run at higher weights. There is the 32-400 designed for the UK but makes barely any difference to tares.
Thanks to Hardox steel, muck tippers are carrying similar payloads as 10 to 15 years ago. A place where I started as a plant trainee ran M amd N reg MANs that carried 18.5ton at 32 gross. The MANs they run now carry the same. If you look at aggregate firms their alloy bodied trucks used to take 20 to 21 tonnes. I’ve seen aggregate trucks with weight plates reading “19ton”. You might aswell buy a steel for that and save some money on purchase ad maintenance.
Or go the way we do, sell material by the load where builders all call 8wheelers “20 tonners” anyway.
kr79:
I just wonder what happens if and when one has an incident with a bike
Just waiting for it to happen and it will and then we’ll see what stupid idea the Mayor of London comes up with next.
Muckaway:
All this safety stuff adds weight, so why doesn’t the mgw increase? The most common MAN tipper is the TGS 35-400 which is designed to run at higher weights. There is the 32-400 designed for the UK but makes barely any difference to tares.
Thanks to Hardox steel, muck tippers are carrying similar payloads as 10 to 15 years ago. A place where I started as a plant trainee ran M amd N reg MANs that carried 18.5ton at 32 gross. The MANs they run now carry the same. If you look at aggregate firms their alloy bodied trucks used to take 20 to 21 tonnes. I’ve seen aggregate trucks with weight plates reading “19ton”. You might aswell buy a steel for that and save some money on purchase ad maintenance.
Or go the way we do, sell material by the load where builders all call 8wheelers “20 tonners” anyway.
Nearly 20.5t apparently
I don’t trust a lot of the body builders’ payload claims. I’ve seen some local companies featured and IME you knock off 250kg of what they claim to get the real figure. However any payload above 20t is an achievement these days.
Smiths bought some 8wheelers with those Wilcox bodies and get just under 20 on them as they have those bodyliner plates fitted to reduce wear and tear. Trouble with those Wilcox bodies is that the tailgates are single hinged with a silly crossbar, which Smiths found jams easily with large chunks of rubble. As a result they’ve binned the alloy idea and gone back to steel Charlton superlites (carry about 800kg less though).
I think Thompson Loadmasters are the best buy for bodies but not good if you’re paid by the tonne.
kr79:
Round our way a lot bought hinos in 06-08 as they was cheap and available straight away coupled with the demise of foden and the local foden dealer who had a good reputation with the construction based firms taking on the franchise.
Then the recession stopped firms buying for a few years but when they did none went back to hino Scania seems to have most of the London market seen up now.
Tales of heavy fuel consumption and horrendous parts prices seemed to have done for hino
Horrendous parts prices for Hino?
The one we have needed a new alternator-1400 quid plus labour!!!
Dreadful things
Much as I like my job I think I’d contemplate limping if this was bought for me…
trucks.autotrader.co.uk/mobile/s … geNumber=2
Muckaway:
Much as I like my job I think I’d contemplate limping if this was bought for me…
trucks.autotrader.co.uk/mobile/s … geNumber=2
You like all that pictures Gubbins?. A grab/tipper crowd around here have all that Spiderman stuff. The dangermouse one isn’t bad at a push.
In the unlikely event one was invented,I’d drive a T-cab Scania tridem for nothing. Oh alright, almost nothing
andrew.s:
kr79:
Round our way a lot bought hinos in 06-08 as they was cheap and available straight away coupled with the demise of foden and the local foden dealer who had a good reputation with the construction based firms taking on the franchise.
Then the recession stopped firms buying for a few years but when they did none went back to hino Scania seems to have most of the London market seen up now.
Tales of heavy fuel consumption and horrendous parts prices seemed to have done for hinoHorrendous parts prices for Hino?
The one we have needed a new alternator-1400 quid plus labour!!!
Dreadful things
Hino for the home market around the early nineties had a 21 litre non turbo model, the fuel consumption was pretty bad i remember reading…
Nobby_Clarke:
Muckaway:
Much as I like my job I think I’d contemplate limping if this was bought for me…
trucks.autotrader.co.uk/mobile/s … geNumber=2You like all that pictures Gubbins?. A grab/tipper crowd around here have all that Spiderman stuff. The dangermouse one isn’t bad at a push.
In the unlikely event one was invented,I’d drive a T-cab Scania tridem for nothing. Oh alright, almost nothing
No mate I think it looks ridiculous. That grab wagon’s even got the interior airbrushed. Fancy waking up and seeing that, it’d be like waking up on the waltzers.
I fear you might be leaving yourself open to comments about curtains and airdusters
Nobby_Clarke:
I fear you might be leaving yourself open to comments about curtains and airdusters
Couldn’t give a rats’ ■■■■■■, I have neither. 
I wouldn’t mind a drive in this, a nice truck for a steelboy?
trucks.autotrader.co.uk/mobile/s … geNumber=5