(Or would the truck being passed simply do the same ....?)
Quite often, yes.
As Number Cruncher points out, the fault is with the truck being overtaken. All its driver needs to do is lift off for a moment and lose 3 or 4 mph, soon regained.
It would help of course if trucks didn't try to overtake each other uphill. It's much easier for them to regain speed on the flat or a downgrade.
But I do agree with posters who disapprove of trucks blocking the road in this way. They don't do it all the time but some are a bit of a nuisance. Can't say I am often inconvenienced in this way though.
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>>t would help of course if trucks didn't try to overtake each other uphill.
Yes, that would be one situation where, if I were driving a truck being overtaken I would be loathe to lift off - because the speed might not be easily regained, especially if I were also forced to change down a gear.
Having said that, with the profligate levels of power and innumerable gear ratios that modern trucks have, it isn't a big problem on most dual carriage ways, where the gradients aren't all that steep.
To put this into context, the 1979 Leyland Buffalo on my father's fleet had an L12 engine, giving 220bhp; it had 6 gears, and was plated at 32 tonnes gross. It, and the Leyland Lynx and Octopus we also ran would routinely be found in the low, "crawler" gear, climbing the hills between the quarries around Skipton and Settle, and their deliveries in the Bradford and Leeds area. These trucks would be seriously held up if you lifted off during a hill climb - getting out and walking would be a potentially quicker way to the summit!
A modern, albeit plated at 38 tonnes, equivalent would probably have 350 - 400bhp and 16 gears. A different machine altogehter.
Number_Cruncher
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In my hitch-hiking days on either side of 1960, mostly before, British HGVs were governed to 38mph in top gear. I believe most had four forward speeds, but some posh ones had a two-speed back axle giving overdrive on all gears. Don't know the sort of BHP output but they were quite small diesels, about five litres, run at highish revs. The only chance of exceeding the governed limit, which the more sporting drivers seized whenever they could, was to put the truck in neutral and coast downhill, which could be very exciting (not to say highly destructive in the event of anything going seriously wrong, in the days when main roads went straight through the middle of slumbering small towns...).
French trucks at the same time were far, far better. They had much bigger, lazier diesels stuck out in front where they didn't fill the cab with unholy and hypnotic clamour, and something like twelve gears operated by charming, hissing pneumatics. They went much faster much more quietly and comfortably. I used to wonder why our trucks were such carp, and concluded it might have something to do with taxation.
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Snip
Reason here. www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=42612
Particularly the paragraph "rather than editing, it may well come down to deleting the handful of persistant offenders replies, as it is a damn sight easier to do."
It's been mentioned to you by email, yet you still persist in quoting ALL the post in which you're replying to. (webmaster)
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i seem to remember the lancaster mk2 with 4 merlin engines had a 10 minute superboost for emergencies but only 10 mins mind else they would be flying home with no engines
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it's not just lorry drivers is it? everyone is becoming more selfish nowadays.
how come though when i drive to Scotland, that is generally not the case up there?
when i first drove there 3 years ago, with my now wife (her family live there) i couldn't believe my bad luck after a nightmare M6 and even worse drive through Glasgow, to get caught behind an HGV at the northern end of Loch Lomond where the road becomes 'interesting'.... I was amazed when at the first decent straight bit the lorry slowed down, indicated left and a huge great paw came out of the driver's window and waved me past.........where in England would that happen?
Furthermore all the single track roads near Fort William have police signs saying pull into lay-bys to let following traffic through.......all the locals do it, it's only the tourists that are too ignorant to comply.
how many horse lorries or tractors in England pull over regularly for following traffic?
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another one, while i'm on a roll......if you were driving down an A road, on a nice day, in no real hurry.........how many of you would leave nice gap to a vehicle in front
or is the scenario likely to be.... 'stayed bunched up, to stop anyone else overtaking'
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.*********
On the flipside I often dawdle along and see it as my pleasure to facilitate the progress of others........
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>>The only chance of exceeding the governed limit, which the more sporting drivers seized >>whenever they could, was to put the truck in neutral and coast downhill,
Ah the good old 'silent top'. Although rather disappointingly only today did I let the truck I was driving 'go' down the hill towards J23 on the M1 northbound and it wouldn't go past 100k's, which is about 62mph.
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down the hill towards J23 on the M1 northbound andit wouldn't go past 100k's which is about 62mph.
Can't be much of a hill. I seem to remember hitting 70-odd in the middle of small Essex towns in a Tate&Lyle 12-wheeler with trailer... but perhaps time has gilded the details.
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>>but perhaps time has gilded the details.
I like it!!
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if you were driving down an A road on a nice day in no real hurry.........how many of you would leave nice gap to a vehicle in front
Lots of people... perhaps some feel pressured when there's someone else right on their tail
weaving around up their 'zorst pipe...
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>>Can't be much of a hill. I seem to remember hitting 70-odd in the middle of small Essex towns >>in a Tate&Lyle 12-wheeler with trailer... but perhaps time has gilded the details.
Its a good hill and with the right truck and load you can reach 75mph before you lose your nerve and touch the brakes. It was just the one that I was driving yesterday wouldn't 'have it' so to speak.
To stir the mix up a little more if I am running along with one of my workmates and we come to a good downward hill on the motorway, my normal truck will easily pick up speed and sail past him (whilst both in gear - not out of it). Now you might not think this is strange but when you consider that I am roughly about 8 tons lighter than he is you would think the heavier truck would go downhill faster. Now I put this down to him having a 16 litre V8 580hp engine under his bonnet whilst I have a 12 litre 6cyl 440hp under mine. Plus his is an eight legger whilst mine is a six. I can only conclude that his engine and rolling resistance provide a bigger barrier to overcome when trying to pick up speed downhill.
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Oh how i long for the day when all you "perfect" drivers are speed limited.
There wont be any queue`s or accidents because you`ll all be prepared to "lift off" to let the car at the side of you do his extra 0.64 mph wont you?
But you wont try to overtake in the first place because your quite happy sitting behind the slightly slower car even though you know you can go faster...............
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha yeah right!
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Back to your mead and wenches you tiresome fellow.
We don't guffaw like that here. We snigger politely, if a bit nastily.
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: )
Indeed. Caddish behaviour is unnecessary. And for my part, may I apologise for the tone of some of my comments (not the content, just the tone...) my only defence is that the world of luxury cars, or rather the people who own them, was unkind to me for most of last week.
It's funny to read them back with a glass of wine on a Bank Holiday weekend....
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On the rare occasions you get stuck for mile after mile after mile behind some selfish idiot in a truck, blocking lane 2 of a dual carriageway, pass the time by phoning his company (phone no usually well advertised on the tailgate), ask to speak to the MD, and explain how selfish one of his employees is being, and what a negative image he is portraying of the company.
It'll make you feel much better, knowing that the driver will be taught the error of his ways when he returns to base.>> : )
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More dangerous are lorry drivers who lose control of their vehicles on steep hills. The M62 towards Rochdale as you come down from Saddleworth moor is an excellent example. I have been regularly passed by HGVs doing in excess of 80mph, presumably in neutral and just rolling along.
You're acutely aware that they couldn't stop within half a mile on that gradient, and they are barely within the driver's control.
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...fun, fun, fun 'til his daddy took the Scammell away...
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Lorry drivers have a job to do and when they start overtaking another lorry at the bottom of an incline they do not know the exact power, gearing or loading characteristics of the vehicle they start to overatke - it migh be slower to start with but pull better uphill. If the driver then decides to slow and pull in behind the vehicle he wanted to overtake, he will lose momentum, possibly have to drop a gear or two and end up losing time on the hill.
I am more bothered by drivers who think I should break speed limits (as hinted by tailgating) simply because they want to do so.
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Lorry drivers have a job to do and when they start overtaking another lorry at the bottom of an incline they do not know the exact power gearing or loading characteristics of the vehicle they start to overatke - it migh be slower to start with but pull better uphill. If the driver then decides to slow and pull in behind the vehicle he wanted to overtake he will lose momentum possibly have to drop a gear or two and end up losing time on the hill. I am more bothered by drivers who think I should break speed limits (as hinted by tailgating) simply because they want to do so.
What a load of pony!
So it's OK for you to pull out and start a manouvre which you don't know if you'll be able to complete or not, holding up all the traffic behind you? And then when you discover (shock horror) that the vehicle you're trying to overtake has the same limiter as you and you can't pass, it's OK to just sit there, because "you'll lose momentum" if you pull in?
I hope I'm stuck behind you one day - your boss and I will be speaking ;-)
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What a load of pony! So it's OK for you to pull out and start a manouvre which you don't know if you'll be able to complete or not holding up all the traffic behind you? And then when you discover (shock horror) that the vehicle you're trying to overtake has the same limiter as you and you can't pass it's OK to just sit there because "you'll lose momentum" if you pull in? I hope I'm stuck behind you one day - your boss and I will be speaking ;-)
I genuinely don't understand why anyone would want to drive like that.....it is sheer ignorance and rudeness to hold up a line of traffic for a great period of time, for the sake of a minute or so loss of time, to pull back in..... and the justification, i wan't to get there quicker...selfish, selfish, selfish
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Something to do with being a 'professional' driver and imagining that all the cars, vans etc. are just driving about for pleasure and to clog up the roads.
One can sympathise up to a point since the average HGV, 500hp and 12 gears or not, is probably a bit tiresome to drive over long distances, and long distances are what they are for after all.
But only up to a point. Getting in the way with lorries is the moral equivalent of dustmen making a disgusting mess on purpose, something they tend to do. It's because being a dustman is a carp job.
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because being a dustman is a carp job.
I take issue with that comment- not only is it a job with massive worth to the community (far more than many others I can think of) I also think that denigrating them demonstrates massive snobbery. I'm sure many might look down on the career you or I have chosen. I'd be proud if any son or daughter of mine decided that was the job for them and they did well at it.
Anywayback on topic surely the point regarding the lorry drivers is that overtaking is perfectly legal and they have as much right to the road as anybody? Possibly considering the issue as if you were one of them might help?
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Possibly considering the issue as if you were one of them might help?
I had considered it in that way. I have defended truck drivers in several threads. Nor am I remotely snobbish about dustmen.
But I have noted over many years that some dustmen make a mess, obviously on purpose (I have witnessed them doing so on several occasions). I think they do it because they don't like some aspect of their job.
I think those truck drivers that drive selfishly, as some do, do it for the same reason. They don't like the job, project the blame onto others and punish them for it.
As I said, one can sympathise up to a point. But only up to a point.
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I think those truck drivers that drive selfishly, as some do, do it for the same reason. They don't like the job, project the blame onto others and punish them for it.
>>>>.
>>>>>>>>
i think you have hit the nail on the head here lud
some drivers do indeed do it for malice
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When I lived in Australia during the 1990's, truckies who agreed to have speed-limiters were given lower tax rates, so nearly all of them opted for the 100 km/hr [ a touch over 60 mph ] limited speed. However, in order to get extra power for overtaking, especially on hills, drag-racing off the lights, etc., the diesel "cold-start" button was pressed. Of course, things got a bit dark if you were in the following vehicle, but long hold-ups were rare. Howls of "pollution" were raised by those so inclined, and regulations were brought in to have the cold-start buttons installed outside the cab. Politicians in their comfy offices did fail miserably to take into account the ingenuity of the average Aussie truck driver.
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Well put Lud.
Anyway, being a dustman is easy, because (punchline alert) you just pick it up as you go along.
I'm here all week. Try the beef.
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still a rubbish job though ;-)
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You've wheelie bin thinking about this haven't you?
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Still, 56 mph is much better than what they do in the states - 44 tonner doing 70+ Not my idea of fun when they simply can't stop.
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What have they got to stop for? Tumbleweed on the horizon?
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Still 56 mph is much better than what they do in the states - 44 tonner doing 70+ Not my idea of fun when they simply can't stop.
how come the accident stats for lorries have gone up since the limiters were introduced?
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You're 'wasting' your time!
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