Cornflake driving licences

[spuddog0507]

4 hours ago, devon TWiG said:

back in those days driving was a hard job, mostly handball loading /off loading as not many places had forklifts then , hundredweight sacks no joke !!   that is why women did not drive lorries ....it can be very easy work now ( like most jobs due to mechanisation ) that is why older drivers can continue ......I have noticed at roadworks how old most of the crew are as well and after a bit of research it would appear there are more people aged around 55 than any other age in the UK !!!! 

Yes there was a lot handball unloading, The said load on the Wagon was for the water board, fencing posts for a pumping station some where on the outskirts of Carlisle, the concreate Co my dad worked for did a lot of water board stuff, and he tells me most of the sites where small and remote and they might of had a dumper and a mixer on site and that was it so all posts unloaded by hand, Back then every one just got on with it and did,nt moan about much not like today,  

[devon TWiG]

I remember seeing breeze blocks being delivered to  building sites years ago they were just dumped from a tipper , many broke and a labourer / hod carrier had to stack / shift them around ...very different nowadays ...thank god !!!   When I started tree work  , mid 80's no one had a chipper locally and everything was stacked as high as possible in back of truck ( if not burnt on site ) and then tipped off at a burning site ....those were the days !!😱   did not know any different though and happily accepted it as part of the job then ....

[devon TWiG]

4 hours ago, Big J said:

My take on the lorry driver shortage is this.

 

I should add that my dad drove rigid 14 tonners for most of my childhood, so I'm not entirely ignorant of the industry, especially given that most of my professional life now is dictated on how I get timber off site and how much it costs to do so.

 

There is obviously a shortage of HGV drivers, but I think that the problem isn't just down to pay or leaving the EU. 

 

There is a fundamental skills issue when it comes to drivers in the the UK, full stop. How many people pass their tests with 10-20 45 minute lessons and then never undertake any further CPC regarding the operation of a vehicle? 

 

This has the following knock-on effects:

 

• There is a massive chasm in driver skill needed to step up to operating HGVs
• There is simply no appreciation for the limitations and challenges of operating a large vehicle, so HGV drivers are often at the receiving end of a lot of aggression from other motorists.

Beyond the lack of skills of Joe Bloggs, the infrastructure (as has been touched upon already) is lacking to support our hauliers and our road network is horribly crowded and under-maintained. 

 

I can imagine that spending 50 hours a week threading a 44t wagon through traffic and hideously narrow lanes (we have a lot of those in Devon 😏) is hell. I personally couldn't imagine anything worse, even with the pay incentives now. 

 

If I was in charge (God help us all), I'd make the initial licence to operate a motor vehicle on the road much harder to attain. Take the Finnish approach - if I remember correctly it's a minimum 2 year period on a provisional licence and you have undertake exercises such as skid pan training. If we upped the overall skill level of British drivers, there would maybe be more appreciation for the very tough work hauliers do and there would be more people prepared to step into that industry.

 

As for simply giving people a trailer licence if they ask for one......that's pretty terrifying. A badly loaded, badly maintained trailer grossing 3500kg has the potential to do some serious harm. I regard myself as a very good driver of trailers, but even with 40-50k miles under my belt (at least, it's just a guess) of heavy trailer towing, I still treat the endeavour with the utmost respect and caution. 

 

In summary, more training, not less and sort the bloody roads out 😄

I believe the current training of drivers is excellent and they acquire all the skills  needed to drive safely , it is just the ATTITUDE of some that is a problem !!!!  Young drivers seem a lot better than the mature ones , esp those driving well known German brands !!   Yes the lanes of Devon are a challenge ( I drive only rigid 25 ton )  but I would find it bloody boring up and down motorways all day !!  I heard an interview on the Radio of an "ice trucker " from the US and they could not believe how drivers in this country cope with the roads , small villages , steep hills , sharp bends , so many junctions / roundabouts and congestion and could not understand why they do not make a similar programme about trucking in the UK !!   I only drive part time and on the whole find it pretty easy ...sat down staring out the window listening to the radio is not too challenging !!

[daveatdave]

8 hours ago, devon TWiG said:

I remember seeing breeze blocks being delivered to  building sites years ago they were just dumped from a tipper , many broke and a labourer / hod carrier had to stack / shift them around ...very different nowadays ...thank god !!!   When I started tree work  , mid 80's no one had a chipper locally and everything was stacked as high as possible in back of truck ( if not burnt on site ) and then tipped off at a burning site ....those were the days !!😱   did not know any different though and happily accepted it as part of the job then ....

yes i remember working on a housing  site the brad stone got delivered on a flat back artic if the ground was dry you got it to where the house was going to be built then hand balled off then as the house was getting taller every thing hoded up the ladder 

[openspaceman]

On 22/08/2021 at 08:40, devon TWiG said:

.I have noticed at roadworks how old most of the crew are as well and after a bit of research it would appear there are more people aged around 55 than any other age in the UK !!!! 

Well the median age is 41 so it may be the younger generation have more sense than doing hard graft or sitting in a lorry and ending up heart trouble.

[devon TWiG]

56 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Well the median age is 41 so it may be the younger generation have more sense than doing hard graft or sitting in a lorry and ending up heart trouble.

that is perhaps just a different way of looking at statistics !!   Any job has the potential to affect your health one way or another , also a great deal depends on what your life style is as well as your job ...also there are many jobs now that never existed not that long ago !!

Edited August 23, 2021 by devon TWiG

[Will C]

Does any one know if this came to anything? @Justme guessing you have been watching it closely?

[Will C]

30 minutes ago, Will C said:

Does any one know if this came to anything? @Justme guessing you have been watching it closely?

Found it for trucks as well. Been putting off doing mine, going to wait and do class 1 👍 links are for truck followed by trailer.

Driver testing changes - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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Introducing measures to substantially increase the number of vocational driving tests available.

New rules for towing a trailer or caravan with a car from autumn 2021 - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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There will be new rules about towing a trailer or caravan with a car later in 2021. Find out how the changes affect you.

 

[devon TWiG]

looks like you will not need to take a towing test from 20 sept this year !!  same rules as pre 1997 license ...

[AHPP]

New rules for towing a trailer or caravan with a car from autumn 2021 - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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There will be new rules about towing a trailer or caravan with a car later in 2021. Find out how the changes affect you.