My Weekend Wheels

[waue1978]

The Pug's just for running around in. Come the weekend I use the Merc...

[steve_earwig]

When you say weekend, do you mean weekends at the seaside with the family or on the track?

[waue1978]

Bloody silly question...




At the seaside with the family of course! I wouldn't want the trailer if I was going on the track. They're fast as hell with no trailer.

[plod]

I remember years ago
Was on something like top gear
They took a racing truck and a BTCC car
Did an standing start, and the lorry won

[waue1978]

Don't even need a racing truck really - 430 horses & 12 gears will blitz most things off the lights without any weight behind it.

First time I ever drove one years ago I had it wheelspinning in 6th!

[steve_earwig]

Pull away in 8th...

So, this is your own truck, in the week you work in an office but at the weekend you haul, err, apples for kicks?

[plod]

I worked for the Asda years back

Anyway, at the time my car was a Opel Manta with a 16v astra engine in it
I needed to spend a few quid on it, but didn't have the money, so hitch hiked the 12mile to work each day

If any of the Asda drivers who knew me, spotted me, they'd give me a lift the last 9 mile ( had to walk the first 3 mile to the motorway )
Often they'd give me a ligt back
Sometimes they'd drop me at the M69, sometimes they'd come down the A5 a bit and drop me nearer to home
One time, one of the guys brought me within half a mile of home by going up the local ring road
Whilst with the 40foot trailer in tow, he had the truck wheelspinning around a few of the islands

[waue1978]

Pull away in 8th...

So, this is your own truck, in the week you work in an office but at the weekend you haul, err, apples for kicks?

In an office? I wish I had a cushy number where I get to sit on my arse looking at the internet for 8hrs. Work in the warehouse during the week & took on weekend work might trunking to Wellingborough Friday nights for the extra money & HGV experience. Had the license nearly 2 years now & only done 3 proper trips so far.

One time, one of the guys brought me within half a mile of home by going up the local ring road
Whilst with the 40foot trailer in tow, he had the truck wheelspinning around a few of the islands

I can well believe it. Our big Volvos would probably do the same, but I certainly won't be testing it as I'm still a bit of a novice & don't fancy making a mess.

[sirwiggum]

Some article!

Must be difficult enough to negotiate some of the tighter roads and even lanes on main roads can be narrow

[FarmerPug]

the scania 620 seems to be the one the lorry drivers all want, they all seem to have a hatred for the daf.

[sirwiggum]

What sort of MPG does it get?

[waue1978]

Some article!

Must be difficult enough to negotiate some of the tighter roads and even lanes on main roads can be narrow

My Wellingborough run is nearly all dual carriageway, but there was a diversion last night which took me through some interestingly tight little villages! If you look at the trailer, you'll see a gap between the 2 axles - this is because it's a rear steer (or command steer) & you have to see it to believe how tight the sucker will go!

the scania 620 seems to be the one the lorry drivers all want, they all seem to have a hatred for the daf.

We've got Volvos, Mercs & a couple of the rigids are Scanias. Most of our guys swear by the Volvos & hate the Mercs. I don't mind either to be honest. Not sure what a DAF would be like as not driven a recent one, but the key to why they want the Scania is in the 620 - that's a lot of horses.

What sort of MPG does it get?

Being a good boy & sticking to 50mph on all the dual carriageways gets me 10.5mpg from the Mercs. You'd be pi**ed if your car was doing that, but out of an artic that's a pretty respectable figure. Next time out I'm going to try the Volvo to see what I get out of that.

[FarmerPug]

10mpg wow that is actually very good, here at this place the drivers get bonuses for over 8mpg. They hate the merc though there is 1, but its the most economical.
They do say even the lower powered scanias most are 420s are a better drivers lorry, although some like the volvos.

[steve_earwig]

I know it doesn't really qualify but I drove a Ford Cargo cabling lorry just the once. Wtf are you supposed to do with something that big? I told them I didn't want to drive it but would they listen? Anyway, I was negotiating some little one way streets in Crouch End, tried to get it round a tiny tight bend, looked in the l/h mirror and saw all the plastic off a new mini flying up in the air. I didn't have to drive it again

And a couple of weeks later another one of our guys was driving it when (allegedly) the brakes failed and he totalled 5 cars with it. No one hurt but there wasn't enough left of the front of the cargo to blame it on him.

I've worked with a few ex-truck drivers, they all seem to have stories which involve trucks falling over and scattering their cargo everywhere

[FarmerPug]

my cousin hauls livestock and has a second lorry and gets a man to drive it. He tipped the trailer when it was full with cattle.