[Closed] Lorrydriverists; what gives?

I noticed that too.. gently pootling at 60 and a chuffing great truck damn near rams yer bumper!!

I too thought the speed limit 56..

Seems they think differently..

But try to hold your lane, damn near get run off the road.

Grrr, bet they’re all watching porn on thier iPads too.

Looking at this :

Increase in the national speed limit for heavy goods vehicles of more than 7.5 tonnes on dual carriageway roads from 50 mph to 60 mph.

Seems to indicate it’s now 60, so that’s 65 in the real world then..

They're busy important people. Places to go, people to see. Same with every loon for whom the speed limit is merely a minimum guide.

How do people get away with bombing through average speed zones? Baffles me.

But they were all LIMITED TO 56... has this requirement been lifted?

Maybe your speedo isn't what you think it is?

Same with every loon for whom the speed limit is merely a minimum guide.

A lot of Irish artics don’t seem to be restricted to 56mph

Nope no 56 anymoar it’s 60 ^^

So 70’s near enough eh..

Goods vehicles (more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight) in England and Wales 30 (48) 50 (80) 60 (96) 60 (96)

&

Buses, coaches and minibuses (more than 12 metres overall length) 30 (48) 50 (80) 60 (96) 60 (96)

Maybe your speedo isn't what you think it is?

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41361351 ]Tachograph knobbling?[/url]
This suggests that the interrupters turn off the speedo & presumably the limiter?
Limit for HGVs on dual carriageways was raised to 60mph in 2015

Suddenly 40tonne artics have started overtaking me on dual carriageways when I’m pootling along at cruise controlled 60

You may have been going slower than 60 mph, whenever I use my satnav to tell me the speed it generally seems to be about 10% less than the speedometer

Have lorry drivers learnt to hack their trucks?

Not so long ago you could just pop the fuse out of the limiter...... The fuse was sealed and you'd break that seal, but I've seen it done

Nice, recipie for killing folks then.

Honestly, a bloody law unto themselves.

As a professional steering wheel attendant I tend to see it from the other side of the coin.
More and more drivers sitting about 54-55mph which is a nightmare as it gives a chance for lorryists who are "making progress" to overtake them...which then pushes the traffic over into lane 3-4.
This becomes a problem when the majority of lorryists want to sit flat out on dual carriageways etc and encounter these 54-55 mileanhour's every few hundred yards.
You end up getting 2-3 lanes of traffic sat behind lorries at 56mph leaving 1 lane maximum for the rest of the car drivers to get past.
Quite often ive seen the digital displays of cars indicating 56-60mph and ive been able to pass them at an indicated 56mph on my cruise control.
Also a problem is belligerent lorryists being overtaken by faster vehicles not easing off their cruise control or accelerater pedal for a couple of seconds to allow easy passes to keep the roads moving clearly.

According to 5 live at the weekend they’re hacking the tachometer and limiters. More common with the pesky foreigners apparently.

so that’s 65 in the real world then.

Nah... Probably 65 on your tacho, 60 in the real world.

I don't get people getting het up about trucks whilst they themselves are using the very same space, most probably for their own amusement. Trucks are not just driving around clogging up the roads for a laugh. They are delivering all that crap that you buy from the supermarket (and most likely driving to), bringing your Amazon orders to a warehouse somewhere. How many of your journeys are really necessary?
Without trucks our stores would be empty and the economy would stall.

Lorries have always been allowed to do 60mph in the UK, it's the EU limit that is 56mph (90kph). A lot of companies limit their trucks to 52 or even 50mph to get better fuel economy. Don't forget that an indicated 60 in your car is most likely a genuine 56-7 so the lorry limited to an accurate 60 will overtake you.

If you know how it's easy to bypass the limiter and even fool the tacho into thinking you're not moving. Just need to remove the right fuse and deploy a small magnet in the right place.

More and more drivers sitting about 54-55mph which is a nightmare as it gives a chance for lorryists who are "making progress" to overtake them...which then pushes the traffic over into lane 3-4.
This becomes a problem when the majority of lorryists want to sit flat out on dual carriageways etc and encounter these 54-55 mileanhour's every few hundred yards.

The bane of my life!! And I only drive large vans up to 7.5T so it must drive lorry drivers mad.

[quote=milky1980 said]Lorries have always been allowed to do 60mph in the UK,

Not on dual carriageways.

I'm not sure all of the people on the countries motorways between 7 and 9am are there for their own amusement! They are probably involved in some type of employment.

Milky... They aint the worst im afraid.
That accolade is reserved for the mongs who either are conpletely oblivious or do it on purpose.... When you move out to overtake them, suddenly find that their vehicles move a bit faster which leaves yku sat out in the next lane looking like a plum as you pull back in.

+1 for transporter13
As someone who does some miles (not a wheel attendant, but making my way between horse's backsides), anyway loads of people sit in inside lane on dual carriageways or M-ways at sub-60mph which pushes all traffic right, making lane 3 a bit crowded with the Audi/BMW crew sitting on their cruise controls at 83 flashing the lights like they own the place. Lorryists are stuck in between, kinda feel for them as I imagine 40T takes a while and much diesel to wind up to 60

Limit is 60 on motorways (and duallers in England), the 56 limiters are for EU regs. Some companies fit them even for uk use to save fuel.

I've had my C licence for all of 2 weeks, so natch I'm a hardened warrior of the road and expert on all things truckin'. 😉

Where i work all our trucks are limited to 56mph , and we have volvo, scania and renault trucks , all sit dead on 56 flat out
Ive done 59mph downhill once and a warning of over-speeding flashed up on the led dash and it was recorded to my tacho as over-speeding, this caused a infringement warning for it and a little chat from transport dept at work !

I don't get people getting het up about trucks whilst they themselves are using the very same space, most probably for their own amusement. Trucks are not just driving around clogging up the roads for a laugh. They are delivering all that crap that you buy from the supermarket (and most likely driving to), bringing your Amazon orders to a warehouse somewhere. How many of your journeys are really necessary?
Without trucks our stores would be empty and the economy would stall.

This.

A necessary inconvenience I'm afraid...more annoying are the people who lane hog the middle lane...thick drivers need to understand that everything apart from lane one is an overtaking lane...if you're not overtaking its time to move across back to lane one, it's not a difficult concept.

More and more I set my cruise control to 70mph and just travel in lane one, I have to move out for the odd artic but I find my progress otherwise effortless as I pass all manner of traffic traveling at 65mph in the middle lane...what i don't understand is said vehicles then get the hump and flash their lights at me for undertaking...well if these idiots were in lane one pottering along at 65mph I'd be able to overtake correctly in the middle lane they're hogging!....bizarre behavior from a surprisingly high number of road users.

Rule 264
You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking.

....and...

Rule 268
In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.

To go from lane one in order to pass a middle lane idiot without undertaking requires four lane changes...1st out from lane one to lane two behind said driver, 2nd to lane three to overtake, 3rd back to lane two in front of said driver, 4th to go back into lane one...if they were in the correct lane it'd be two lane changes and better moving traffic.

deviant - Member
I don't get people getting het up about trucks whilst they themselves are using the very same space, most probably for their own amusement. Trucks are not just driving around clogging up the roads for a laugh. They are delivering all that crap that you buy from the supermarket (and most likely driving to), bringing your Amazon orders to a warehouse somewhere. How many of your journeys are really necessary?
Without trucks our stores would be empty and the economy would stall.
This.

A necessary inconvenience I'm afraid...more annoying are the people who lane hog the middle lane...thick drivers need to understand that everything apart from lane one is an overtaking lane...if you're not overtaking its time to move across back to lane one, it's not a difficult concept.

More and more I set my cruise control to 70mph and just travel in lane one, I have to move out for the odd artic but I find my progress otherwise effortless as I pass all manner of traffic traveling at 65mph in the middle lane...what i don't understand is said vehicles then get the hump and flash their lights at me for undertaking...well if these idiots were in lane one pottering along at 65mph I'd be able to overtake correctly in the middle lane they're hogging!....bizarre behavior from a surprisingly high number of road users.

Rule 264
You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking.
....and...

Rule 268
In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.

POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Nah. Left lane is for trucks.

As above ^^, road speed limit is different to the speed limiter setting

Older trucks don't need a limiter, but there won't be many of those around
A limiter must not exceed 90kmh and is an annual test item, a car speedo must measure under at 30mph and can be within 10% tolerance
Speed limiters don't work so well downhill (engine at tickover in high gear)
Combine these and a truck could well pass you (buses are faster still)

Gladly take opinions from truckers on here.

Yes middle lane hogging is piss boiling, we all know that, we get caught up in it too.
Gainful employment or not, they could be cruising the highways looking for xxxxxxx for all I care..

But it’s the trucks driving 1cm from my bumper in the “slow” lane I get cheesed off about. Then they have the audacity to slam overtake and sit on my rear quarter going nowhere fast and blocking normal folks in.. you’d think there would be some sort of driving test to be allowed to drive such vehicles wouldn’t you 😛

And the iPad porn watching they do whilst driving, Obvz.

Back off a bit eh.

Disproportionate amount of dickheads are car drivers. Most truck drivers drive well cos hauling 40t requires it. Car driving encourages lazy and selfish habits.

Nah. Left lane is for trucks.

Penis.

I'll be sure to give you the middle finger next time I undertake your 65mph, middle lane hogging self.

👿

+1 for deviant.... I do the same in my truck and get the same reactions from idiot drivers thinking Ive been undertaking... Some have even been other lorryists 🙄

I have a lot of sympathy for HGV drivers with inside lane dawdlers and middle lane hoggers and IME there are a lot of very decent truckers out there but there are some proper prats too.

Where I totally lose sympathy is when someone (as happens far too regularly) decides to drive 40 tonnes of artic up the arse of my car going through 50mph average speed camera controlled roadworks and even less so when I have my terrified kids in the car because you are filling the car with your headlights and the rear windscreen with nothing but grille.

My kids are savvy enough to understand that if you **** up just a tiny bit at that distance all four of us will likely be dead. Your forward observation skills may be great but they don't disapply the laws of physics. One little glitch and bang.

You may have a calibrated Speedo (or maybe you're hiding your number plate from the average speed cameras) but I don't.

I need my license for my job so I'll follow my Speedo since it's the best indicator of speed I have and I need my life to bring up my family so don't drive like a **** and back off.

In my job sometimes I have to wait months for a basic answer to a question from a third party. That doesn't give me the right to start behaving in an intimidating way.

If you can't handle 5 miles at an actual 47mph through roadworks then you're in the wrong job. Especially when you consider that that limit has been put there for the safety of those who are fixing and improving the roads for you.

Fwiw this view of tailgating applies to any road user but I have a special ire for doing it in something that is as potentially destructive as an HGV.

Penis.

I'll be sure to give you the middle finger next time I undertake your 65mph, middle lane hogging self.

Finger away old chap if it'll keep the aneurysm at bay. But I use the inside lane, moving into the middle temporarily to allow faster/more german vehicles past.

Garage-dweller + lots

Not sure the 10% rule is right anymore for modern cars. My speedo vs sat nav is around 1 mph whatever speed I seem to do. Plus as I drive past a radar thing that tells me my speed twice each day this seems to corresponding with the speedo being 1mph under reporting.

Couldn't agree morr Garage dweller

Another +1 for garage-dweller.

That accolade is reserved for the mongs who either are completely oblivious or do it on purpose.... When you move out to overtake them, suddenly find that their vehicles move a bit faster which leaves you sat out in the next lane looking like a plum as you pull back in.

Ha, had one of those yesterday. Guy in an oldish 4x4 wavering between 50 and 60 for a good 6 miles of dual carriageway, must have nearly got past him 3 or 4 times before I managed it without him gunning it for a few seconds. Even worse was once I was past and back in the 'slow' lane he went past me and then disappeared into the distance, complete with a trail of black smoke from his knackered Diesel!

HGV speed limits pale into insignificance compared to the absurd law that results in coaches having a motorway speed limit of 70mph, and a limiter of 62mph.

When combined with schedules designed to make use of every minute of the drivers allowable driving time, these things spend more time changing lanes than staying in them, leapfrogging HGVs and tailgating cars in the middle lane, and then cutting across at every third sliproad to make pickups in each major town. I suspect this 'slightly faster' allowance is partially to blame for coach drivers tending to be a bit more stressy and road ragey than your average HGV driver.

You don't notice them so much when cruising at 70mph as you pass fairly quickly, but drive at 60mph because your employer has limited your small van, or towing a caravan or a horsebox, and you certainly will. Particularly if you are towing, the suck and push effect as they pass can be significant, normally you can stay within your lane if you see them approach and try to widen the gap, but if they pass close and surprise you they can send you onto the rumble strips by the time you have corrected. I reckon they affect towing vehicles more as they are much closer to the ground, the odd speeding lorry with lots of open space under the trailer doesn't seem to have the same problems with air pressure.

The HGV tacho is accurate and regularly calibrated your car spedo is calibrated below actual speed by about 5 percent. avoids law suits

"Most truck drivers drive well"
Complete nonsense.
They just get away with awful driving because of their size.

"Most truck drivers drive well"
Complete nonsense.
They just get away with awful driving because of their size.

On my route from swimming pool to work (by bicycle) I cross a 40 mph limit dual carriageway, which is often solid traffic crawling along due to rush hour and traffic lights further on.

It is invariably a pair of trucks stopping to let me across, never cars.

The perception of poor truck driving is probably just because when you do see one driven badly, it's very obvious due to size. In my experience they are better at observing and considering other road users than the average car driver.

I can often be found trundling the nation's roads at sub-60 mph speeds in my German whip. I remain steadfastly in the left lane, very seldom do I overtake anything. Very few road-users irritate me, cyclists, lorries, Audis, SUVs. Where are those lorry drivers in such a hurry to get to? Is there a prostitute culling festival on in Hull?

I recommend chilling on the roads.

And left foot braking...

Most truck drivers drive well

So they bloody should! Everyone should drive well of course, but not everyone is driving professionally and piloting a massive steel death machine (yes, yes i know every vehicle can be that...)

I also know it's harder for lorries to get up to speed but that doesn't mean they should drive too close, pull out when they want etc in the unfaltering quest to maintain momentum at all costs.

Of course that's a generalisation and they don't all do it, but the potential consequences are so great that when they do it really stands out.

kenneththecurtain - Member

It is invariably a pair of trucks stopping to let me across, never cars.

One piece of anecdotal evidence does not a trend make.

“Most truck drivers drive well”
Id agree.
The vast majority are absolutely superb, its not an easy job, its their skills and experience that make it look easy
I dread to think what a normal car driver would destroy if they were let loose in an artic without the (considerable) training/testing that professional drivers are subject to.
Obviously, all drivers make mistakes sometimes, and with a truck its so much more obvious.
When im trundling along in my coach, i always have a sneaky peek if im overtaking someone, just see what they’re doing, its amazing how many car drivers have a phone in their hand.
Or, alternatively, tha telltale one hand on the wheel, the other hand out of sight and the head down reading a text.
I can’t recall the last time i saw a trucker doing this.

+ garage dweller, again

trucks generally seem well driven to me.

anyone tailgating at motorway speeds deserves license removal; car, bike, truck, or members of the special category of aspirational motor car owners who own the third lane.

Can't remember the last time I had any hassle from a lorry driver. Much higher proportion of car drivers are knobs IMO. Only thing lorries do to piss me off is the rolling roadblock when one overtakes another at <1mph speed differential.

I've said it before - when being tailgated, just ease off the gas a bit. Continue slowing down until they either overtake or get the message. This has literally never failed to work for me. In the worst case that they actually hit you, at least there's more space in front to reduce the chance of a big pile-up.

I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60. Drive at 70 if it's clear then they wouldn't be overtaken and causing delays to others while a truck is inching past massaging their ego.

Not as if that few mph is going to do much to fuel economy to the average 50+ mpg diesel.

Years ago I mentioned to a mate that if I was getting tailgated I used to dab the brake with my left foot whilst keeping the right on the accelerator. The brake light coming on usually made them back off a bit.
One day he is driving along in his van and an artic starts driving right up his chuff so he decides to try the brake light thing. Unfortunately, as he had never practiced this before he completely misjudged the amount of pressure to put on the brake. He said the cab of the truck dipped about 3 foot as the driver had to slam on to avoid ploughing right into him. Needless to say they both shit themselves. Hopefully they both learned useful lessons from the experience. 😆

How do people get away with bombing through average speed zones? Baffles me.

How do you know they 'get away with it'?

joefm - Member
I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60. Drive at 70 if it's clear then they wouldn't be overtaken and causing delays to others while a truck is inching past massaging their ego.

Not as if that few mph is going to do much to fuel economy to the average 50+ mpg diesel.

We all don't live in a world where speed is the main thing to do whilst driving.

Some of us expect to drive at a pace we decide for both comfort and road conditions. Fuel consumption rarely figures in our decision making process, it's more about being polite and courteous and keeping within any regulated speed limits enforced.
HTHs.

I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60.

Sometimes

CBA to join in the BMercaudiW shark pack in lane 3
CBA to play silly buggers speed up and slow down and speed up and slow down and lane hop to try and go at 70 in nose-tail traffic
Its clearer in lane 1, because middle lane hoggers + shark pack
I'm drafting an artic
I feel like it, you know it is within the legally allowable sphere of driving speeds etc?
I've got my digestive biscuit sized spare wheel fitted

edit: the amount of middle fingers / blast-the-horn-that-will-show-him / punishment-passes that entitled twonks safe in their tin boxes give out, when doing the last one of that list, was difficult to believe

One piece of anecdotal evidence does not a trend make.

It's a discussion forum, forgive me for adding my experiences to the discussion 😆

kenneththecurtain - Member
One piece of anecdotal evidence does not a trend make.
It's a discussion forum, forgive me for adding my experiences to the discussion

😀 It's more the string of "well I've seen X" and then people (not necessarily you!) extrapolating that to be generally representative of the class behaviour for the whole body or class.

I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60.

My car won't do 70mph, is that a problem for you?

If an Artic is overtaking you it's nothing about conditions of the road. You're a rolling road block.

My car won't do 70mph, is that a problem for you?

I presume that's a classic, so out of interest what is it?

[i]I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60. Drive at 70[/i]

Much rather trundle along at 60mph with the predictable trucks than in the hammer lane with everyone else driving bumper to bumper. Makes a difference to MPG as well, even a safe distance from a lorry there is still a significant increase in mpg

Suddenly 40tonne artics have started overtaking me on dual carriageways when I’m pootling along at cruise controlled 60. This never used to happen because lorries are limited to 56, right? But suddenly, several have come past on the same stretch, and not only just faster, fair barrelling along. Have lorry drivers learnt to hack their trucks? These weren’t foreigners, they were UK wagons.

Brexit, innit?

MrSparkle, I wouldn't recommend actually braking. Flicking on the rear fogs may have a similar effect depending on location etc. But the idea being slowing down is not so much to "warn off" the tailgater but to actually decrease the danger. Everything goes slower, the gap in front is bigger, and it's easier for the tailgater to overtake if that's what they are hoping to do.

Sometimes

CBA to join in the BMercaudiW shark pack in lane 3
CBA to play silly buggers speed up and slow down and speed up and slow down and lane hop to try and go at 70 in nose-tail traffic
Its clearer in lane 1, because middle lane hoggers + shark pack
I'm drafting an artic
I feel like it, you know it is within the legally allowable sphere of driving speeds etc?
I've got my digestive biscuit sized spare wheel fitted

Added to this list:
Have a car with 3" straight pipe and short ratio gearbox.

Ever since I bought a weekend car with the above 'features', I've taken to driving at 60 on motorways to avoid being deafened and bankrupt.

Such a stress-free experience compared to being caught up in the 80mph traffic jam in lane 3.

giantalkali -
Where are those lorry drivers in such a hurry to get to?

Probably to a timed delivery where you have an allocated slot. Miss it and you're stuffed. Driving hours are restricted, run out of time due to unexpected delays and you're parked up for the night rather than getting home to the kids Christmas play or parents evening. I bet you complain when your parcel is delivered a day late as well...............

I bet you complain when your parcel is delivered a day late as well...............

No, I'm the epitome of chill, in this thread anyway

I use the inside lane, moving into the middle temporarily to allow faster/more german vehicles past.

1) I think you mean the outside lane.
2) send your licence back to the DVLA.

I don't understand why car drivers are driving at 55 - 60.

No problem with this as long as it's being done in lane one...it becomes a problem when the idiot does it for mile after mile in the middle lane forcing traffic to split either side of them and undertake or all pile into lane three.

Again, it's dead simple...if you're not overtaking get in lane one.
In lane one nobody cares how slow you want to drive because you're easy to overtake...the only people that may have something to say eventually are traffic police who may feel that below a certain speed you now pose a danger to yourself or other road users.

HGVs always seem to 6 ft behind me in 50 limits itching to overtake. Here's a radical idea - why not do 50?

And the blocking 2 lanes whilst trying to inch past another HGV, that's ridiculous. If your speed differential is that low just stay behind FFS.

Again, it's dead simple...if you're not overtaking get in lane one.

But look ahead and stay out if there's more traffic. Dont' be zig-zagging all over the road constantly like some people do. I reckon they drive 10% more miles for the same trip.

But look ahead and stay out if there's more traffic.

I know you have form for this middle lane thing but...how far ahead are we talking here?

Cougar - Moderator
1) I think you mean the outside lane.
2) send your licence back to the DVLA.

1) You're right.
2) So they can stamp 'FULLY AWESOME' on it? Good idea!

I know you have form for this middle lane thing but...how far ahead are we talking here?

Based on the nearest motorways to me I'd say the acceptable distance is at least a mile probably more, at a closing speed not exceeding 0.13mph.

More seriously I think the answer to your question is that the right amount of time to stay out is variable with traffic density and flow and road conditions and your speed relative to traffic behind, traffic in front and the speed limit.

1000 on a Sunday night in October you can sit in the middle (first overtaking?) Lane at 65-70mph all night long and it won't cause much bother on a practical level. I wouldn't because I think it's sloppy but the real world impact is limited.

M40 at 7.00pm on a weekday you'll likely be a pain in someone's arse if it's less than a minute between overtakes if they want to go quicker.

I use a rough 15second rule for passing multiple groups of vehicles. My feeling is less than that from starting to pull in to starting to pull out is a waste of time and can make you look unpredictable. I have a vague recollection of reading this in an article or book on driver improvement.

I flex around that for what else I can see on the road ahead and behind. E.g. Queue of tailgaters behind and no easy gap to get back out I'd maybe stretch it a little (seconds not minutes). Clear road except one rocket ship approaching fast from behind I'll nip in and straight back out once they are past if it's safe to do so. I'd also be sizing up if I'm likely to get undertaken by some boy racer/power ranger etc.

Based on the nearest motorways to me I'd say the acceptable distance is at least a mile probably more, at a closing speed not exceeding 0.13mph.

🙂

I use a rough 15second rule for passing multiple groups of vehicles. My feeling is less than that from starting to pull in to starting to pull out is a waste of time and can make you look unpredictable.

Yeah, I use a little more - 30 secs but obviously, as you wrote above, it's really a conditional thing - if a herd of traffic is approaching fast behind in lane two and three and there's space for me to tuck in, lift off and let it pass I will.