Discussion
I accept that HGVs are restricted to 40mph on single carriageways, but why do the majority have to tailgate making it harder & in some cases impossible for other vehicles that can legally do 50 or 60mph to pass, in the last few weeks I have had to do alot of cross country runs involving these roads & have encountered several convoys of 3 or more HGVs with a gap between them that I wouldn't put a Smnart car in let alone my van & trailer. There were plenty of oppurtunities to pass 1 or maybe 2 trucks but 3 would have been impossible. Is it a f
k you attitude or are you just oblivious to the obvious? It would only take some frustrated idiot to overtake & brake test the leading truck for it to end in tears for the followers (I am not suggesting someone try it, before I get flamed)
Probably asking in the wrong place to be fair as I'm sure all pistonhead truckers drive with consideration for other road users
k you attitude or are you just oblivious to the obvious? It would only take some frustrated idiot to overtake & brake test the leading truck for it to end in tears for the followers (I am not suggesting someone try it, before I get flamed)Probably asking in the wrong place to be fair as I'm sure all pistonhead truckers drive with consideration for other road users
Its not a 'fk you' attitude, probably a pretty good chance that the truckers behind the lead vehicle are getting just as cheesed off as you are and are considering there own overtake..... and not being funny, you say theres a small gap between the trucks... look at the gap between all the cars behind you, or between you and the cars behind the trucks... it all just bunches up, its going to happen when you got a slow vehicle up front.
k you' attitude, probably a pretty good chance that the truckers behind the lead vehicle are getting just as cheesed off as you are and are considering there own overtake..... and not being funny, you say theres a small gap between the trucks... look at the gap between all the cars behind you, or between you and the cars behind the trucks... it all just bunches up, its going to happen when you got a slow vehicle up front.While we're on the subject of "why oh why"
Why do some car/van drivers (when you are driving on a dual carriageway) who are on the right of a lorry and level with the cab, put their left indicator on and try to take your bumper off
Had this happen to me a lot lately. Tis madness I tell yer!
Why do some car/van drivers (when you are driving on a dual carriageway) who are on the right of a lorry and level with the cab, put their left indicator on and try to take your bumper off
Had this happen to me a lot lately. Tis madness I tell yer!
The switch for my beacons is above the windscreen and the little symbol doesn't come up on the dashboard, I normally realise that I've left them on when someone comes the other way and flashes theirs or I pull up behind a trailer and see them reflecting.
Normally they're crappy little switches hidden away, poor excuse but there's normally so much other stuff going on inside your head when you're starting a journey that it's easy to forget you turned them on.
Normally they're crappy little switches hidden away, poor excuse but there's normally so much other stuff going on inside your head when you're starting a journey that it's easy to forget you turned them on.
chilistrucker said:
Agreed, tailgating is wrong, but in a truck, you need to really plan an overtake well, on a single carriageway.
Ffs you are in the worst position possible if you are tailgating, you can't see past the vehicle in front, you have no space to accelerate & gain some momentum. Planning is obviously not your forte. shovelheadrob said:
chilistrucker said:
Agreed, tailgating is wrong, but in a truck, you need to really plan an overtake well, on a single carriageway.
Ffs you are in the worst position possible if you are tailgating, you can't see past the vehicle in front, you have no space to accelerate & gain some momentum. Planning is obviously not your forte. I said you need to plan well. Tbh, 1 truck overtaking another on single carriageway is pretty rare, but it is possible.
For example, if I'm heavy, say 35 to 40 tonne, I know I'm going to be holding other vehicles up. So wherever possible, I'll try and help vehicles wanting to pass. Cars, bikes, vans etc don't normally struggle.
Bit trickier for another truck, but, the difference in acceleration off of a roundabout between a laden, as opposed to an unladen truck is quite big, so on suitably wide stretches of single carriageway it would be easy for me to drift right over to the left to aid the vision of any passing vehicle.
Sorry it reads as" tailgating is wrong, but in a truck " which implies that it you have to do it, should have left out the but, I know that some drivers are quite considerate, more noticeable when I'm on the bike, but the vast majority would rather hold up everyone else. Even when there isn't a cat's chance in hell of them making a pass.
shovelheadrob said:
Sorry it reads as" tailgating is wrong, but in a truck " which implies that it you have to do it, should have left out the but, I know that some drivers are quite considerate, more noticeable when I'm on the bike, but the vast majority would rather hold up everyone else. Even when there isn't a cat's chance in hell of them making a pass.
Sadly, that is just down to inconsiderate drivers who are happy to hold everybody up.chilistrucker said:
Sadly, that is just down to inconsiderate drivers who are happy to hold everybody up.
You often can't win though in a truck.You are limited to those speeds by law anyway, but if you have a jolly up at 56 mph, someone will be moaning that your breaking the law offered them even less chance to overtake.If you are close to another truck and you decide to drop right back to leave a gap, there will always be a car behind at some point who has no intention of overtaking, so the drivers behind that car are just as likely to be moaning about how slow trucks are and that the limits should be raised. 
shovelheadrob said:
Sorry it reads as" tailgating is wrong, but in a truck " which implies that it you have to do it, should have left out the but, I know that some drivers are quite considerate, more noticeable when I'm on the bike, but the vast majority would rather hold up everyone else. Even when there isn't a cat's chance in hell of them making a pass.
Sadly, that is just down to inconsiderate drivers who are happy to hold everybody up.its a problem often caused by variations like...
BHP vs torque between different trucks
different loads
different wind drag (heights)
so an artic whistling along and able to attempt an overtake on the flat or downhill then meeting a rise/hill once passing another truck with more power suddenly finds itself underpowered and unable to pass the other truck, and thats ignoring the actual speed the limiter kicks in at
BHP vs torque between different trucks
different loads
different wind drag (heights)
so an artic whistling along and able to attempt an overtake on the flat or downhill then meeting a rise/hill once passing another truck with more power suddenly finds itself underpowered and unable to pass the other truck, and thats ignoring the actual speed the limiter kicks in at
Nothing in this world is 100% perfect and accurate.
When Speed Limiters are calibrated on a rolling road whether at the manufacturer or repair shop, there is a tolerance in the accuracy of the required speed setting, thus giving a variation on the road in the real world.
Also, as tyres wear, the rolling diameter gets smaller and reduces the actual speed of the vehicle on the road. The gearbox provides the speed signal to the speed limiter and tachograph.
When I'm flat-out on the limiter on a motorway or dual carriageway and notice that another truck has appeared on my back-door and wasn't there before, they're obviously faster. Then I'll lift off for a second or two to let them pass, that's all it takes. Similarly, if I catch up on another speed limited vehicle, I'm going to pass them. I ain't gonna sit behind wondering/waiting to pass or not, an un-safe practice and hard work.
When Speed Limiters are calibrated on a rolling road whether at the manufacturer or repair shop, there is a tolerance in the accuracy of the required speed setting, thus giving a variation on the road in the real world.
Also, as tyres wear, the rolling diameter gets smaller and reduces the actual speed of the vehicle on the road. The gearbox provides the speed signal to the speed limiter and tachograph.
When I'm flat-out on the limiter on a motorway or dual carriageway and notice that another truck has appeared on my back-door and wasn't there before, they're obviously faster. Then I'll lift off for a second or two to let them pass, that's all it takes. Similarly, if I catch up on another speed limited vehicle, I'm going to pass them. I ain't gonna sit behind wondering/waiting to pass or not, an un-safe practice and hard work.
Edited by bigwheel on Monday 7th October 18:28
Very true.
All our trucks get calibrated at the same place.
On the tour I've just finished their were 26 of us. All the speedos/tachos were showing 90kmh, but out on the open road this was clearly not the case.
Only a variation of say 5kmh, but certainly adds up over a day, week, etc.
My sat nav was showing a speed variating at 86-87kmh.
All our trucks get calibrated at the same place.
On the tour I've just finished their were 26 of us. All the speedos/tachos were showing 90kmh, but out on the open road this was clearly not the case.
Only a variation of say 5kmh, but certainly adds up over a day, week, etc.
My sat nav was showing a speed variating at 86-87kmh.
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