RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

I've always wanted to know the following, so if any truckers could help that would be cool...

If you have a tv how long can you watch it before your batteries die

With the driving hours, what happens if your stuck in a 2hr traffic jam?

What's the tank next to the fuel tank - looks like water.

I'll add more later...

Ant

I'd imagine if you were in a 2hr jam you'd be stationary for a while so engine off

**jay**

iTrader: (1)

Depends if its a 12 volt tv or inverter, can leave it on all night no probs with either.
Driving time only counts when your actually moving, but still need a break for the working time directive after 6 hours.
The tank your on about is an adblue tank, its for the emmisions its filled with a clear liquid normally once a week depending on the size of tank.

hodgy0_2

and if you pick up a female hitchhiker and she says she is has something "hot a sticky between her legs and you want it" - bang to rights she is stitting on your Yorkie

tony de wonderful

>>>>Insert Ripper jokes.

JackClark

Isn't the clear liquid something to do with pigs ****?

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

It's called Adblue and it's a formulation of urine (animal or human it doesn't matter as they extract the UREA compound from it), a chemical cocktail and water; it was marketed as Adblue as not many would find a reference to urine palatable.

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Blue tank is Ad - blue as stated
Started on late 2006 production engines to comply with euro 4 emmisions , it basically goes to a wash box before exhaust exit & cleans the emmisions . It's 2012 now & euro 6 is now available , although the most common on uk networks is euro 5
24v so I wouldn't worry about running battery flat watching a tv
Use the microwave though & it will eventually flatten if stationary for a few days ,
2 hr traffic jam - all depends on your situation
I.e
6 hr period of work over
4.30 hr drive exeeded
Common sense would be to sit it out , then pull over into services, layby, truck stop at earliest opportunity & do a printout from your tachograph , sighn it & give an explain why you were over legal time / it would go a long way to help if you were stopped by vosa

Regards

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

this

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

When you see lorries with some of their wheels up in the air, is it because they dont want to create wear and tear on the tyres when they have a light or empty load ?


or is because they are giving the tyres and wheels a little rest

Carlh

wow, recycled pi55 to clean emissions.

Where do I sign up for a deposit ?

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Ad - blue only works on SCR engines ( selective catalytic reduction ) it's the most common within the commercial market , but it is also the most expensive , as you have to keep topping up the tank , the newer the truck say euro 6 will drink 40 Ltrs in 600 mile - were as a euro 4 would double that ,, the logic been the cleaner the engine the bigger the wash box , wich is implement to newer trucks . The other & in my opinion better technology is the EGR engine ( exhaust gas recirculation ) I can only assume the technology has been a much greater expense to the manufacturers wich is why it's less common

DARB

How long the battery lasts depends on the TV, stick a 50" plasma on the dash then it won't last as long as it would with a 7" digital TV from Mapilns

The 2hrs traffic jam is not a problem with an analogue tacho, just replace with a nice new one and this resets all your driving time if its a digital tacho then you need to replace with a second digicard that you needed because your original one got lost

The spare tank is a urinal for laybys

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Having worked in the commercial vehicle world for over 21 years and having worked for 3 marques (Mercedes Benz, MAN and currently Volvo) I can assure you that SCR is by far the better and more reliable option for cleaning exahust emissions.

SCR has it's faults but 80% of SCR faults occur due to driver errror; we have seen engine oil, hydraulic oil, brake fluid, kerosene, red diesel, water and of course dirt all within the Adblue tanks of customers vehicles. These then proceed to block the pump and delivery nozzle and can lead to some costly repairs. Of the remaining 20% most problems are due to wear and tear on the pump / delivery valve leading to low pressure and bringing on the dreaded Adblue fault warning, but in nearly all cases this will derate the engine to around 60% of it's normal output.

EGR is another kettle of fish altogether, and having worked for a manufacturer who relied totally upon EGR (MAN with the first generation TGA) I can assure you that when an EGR system fails it causes all kind of problems. The main one being that the EGR manifold is water cooled and when this fails it pressurises the rest of the cooling system (compressor cylinder heads, cylinder heads, header tank, water pump, radiator etc).

It was not uncommon if the EGR modulus failed for it to cause the failure of the compressor cylinder heads x 2, plus the cylinder heads x 6 as well. So when this occured you would be looking at a repair cost of around £4000 just for the parts alone (and this was over 6 years ago now) and that is without any labour being included, so the costs would have escalated beyond that if it was costed today.

MAN have tried and failed to improve EGR for the UK market but in the most part have failed miserably, even with the new and 'improved' version with twin radiators and intercoolers they are still having problems. With the engineering they have had to put into their revised EGR system it is so complex that engine failures are becoming more common now. As the aluminiuim crankcases they now use to save weight it's not uncommon for them to warp (this is for the D20/26 engines whereas as the predecessor the D28 engine used a conventional iron block).

Anyway I think that's enough from me.

steve ex vauxhall

iTrader: (5)

This , nearly, vosa will not accept this as mitigation.
It is an offence to go over your hours in any situation other than an emergency, where it's a matter of life or death, or the cargo could be damaged, eg livestock.
If the traffic is stationary then it's just working time that could become a problem, but if it's stop start then it's a bloody nightmare and eats up,all,your drive time, particularly on a digi tachometer as those damn things can take a minute off every time you stop, this soon adds up.

Lift axles are lifted to save on tyre,s when empty, only need to be down when loaded at maximum axle weights, most are automatically,dropped when loaded

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

having been in the industry 20yrs myself , I know nothing is cut & dried when it comes to vosa- I merely stated as a guide , we have had drivers who have had tacho infringement been stopped & not prosecuted - on the other hand have had drivers who have misplaced there trailer plate or a market out ( espesh) side & been given prosecution. / so as to say
Eggs is eggs is a myth / in this industry
Yes cannon I know exac what you are saying
Been with Mercedes contract since 95 running 150 Actros from depot

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Sry marker out !!!!

steve ex vauxhall

iTrader: (5)

Wasn't having a pop at what you said mate, from personal experience that was all, I have tried what you suggested, and got shafted for it, that's the only reason I posted.
Although I was driving for a shady outfit at the time!
Like you said mate, eggs ain't eggs in transport,

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

It's cool Steve
Yea it's a viscous game driving artics
, even more so now days , keep on trucking tho
There are people who still regard you as the bloodline of the country & true knights of the road /

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

I've been thinking of more Q's all day while doing the rounds..... but can't think of any at the minute..

Steve vRS

What speed are artics limited to? Is it 60mph? If so, how come they sometimes pass me when I'm going at a steady 70mph downhill? Do they coast with the clutch in

Steve

**jay**

iTrader: (1)

There limited to 56mph but 44 ton and downhill they will start to run on, not good for the brakes so some just let them go lol

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Technically the European limit is 85kph which equates to 53mph, but there is a tolerance which in effect makes it 90kph/56mph. Speed limiters are now intergrated into the engine/vehicle ECU's meaning that they cannot be easily bypassed as they used to in years gone by.

In the 'good old days' it was simply a matter of pulling the fuse to stop the speed limiter from working or any other devious method that was devised, most of these methods seem to have originated from the ROI (I believe the operator mainly responsible has the 'Moving On' across their sun visors and anyone involved in transport will not need me to name them ).

The transport industry and it's supporting industries really have gone down hill over the last 5 years or so, the influx of foreign operators who buy their fuel at a much lower rate on the continent and then work here for a week on their imported fuel. They then go back over to the continent pick up a load, re-fuel, come back into the UK and work here and the cycle repeats itself, and that's without the much lower rates that the Eastern European drivers get paid.

Having said that the UK transport operators are their own worst enemy in a lot of respects, a lot of operators are undercutting the competition to the point of loss leading just to pick up new contacts. In turn they will be undercut by someone else and it just drives the rates down, the only party to benefit is the customer as they are literally paying less now for transport than they were 10 years ago, and that's not even with any adjustments for fuel prices, inflation etc.

With the smaller transport operators literally working on such tiny margins they only need a tyre blowout, fuel price rise, breakdown or any other unplanned expense and it makes the difference between making a profit for the week or not.

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Thought I'd keep this thread running a little longer as its such a big part of my life .
So give a few Q & A for the people who are interested

So , the air & electric cables for ataching a tractor to a trailer are called suzis
6x3 tractors that carry lift axles
If the mid axle lifts its called a pusher axle
If the rear axle lifts its called a tag axle
Most modern tractor units are semi automatic & don't have a clutch pedal , although some do
Some have teligent technology for full auto shifting or manual operation
An industry standard fuel tank will carry 400-600 Ltrs

The company I work for is 1 of 3 in the country who currently are on trial with the new 52ft trailers , maximum uk lenth is 45ft / for a curtain side
Excluding low loaders, skeleton , trombone, stretch etc etc
The 52ft trailer will alow 30 pallet spaces on floor instead of 26
If a success expect to see more in future

Back to heavy & specialist haulage - there is a cap of around 75ft / but you must be double manned , have escort , repair, police etc - but longer loads have been allowed after police approval of said route
Hope this was of interest to some

Regards

Leslie

It reduces unecessary wear and drag.

Les

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Sry but it has nothing to do with either
The sole purpose of a 3rd axle on a tractor unit weather it be a pusher or tag is plated weight , that's all it's there for / besides who would want to run with it down if empty - it makes the characteristic change / for the worse
Larger turning circle, poorer handling ( ESP in wet ) etc etc

GC8

Surely he means that it is lifted to reduce wear and drag when it isnt required? Oddly, even though theyre required for plating, they dont appear to be required to be un use when running at the plated weight, unless there has been a more recent case than the one that I recall VOSA losing...

To answer an earlier question, an HGVs maximum speed limit is 60mph, on a motorway, although their limiters will have come into play before then, unless theyre free-wheeling downhill. Limit on single carriageways is 40mph and on a dual carriageway (may be a single lane road and twin lane roads arent necessarily DCs) is 50mph

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

I get the law says their limits are 60, 50, 40mph but is there actually anything in the cab that sees a single carriageway and goes, right slow down old chap... Or is it just the operators job.

Also, how the hell do you guys stay in one lane on one road for a million miles... When you sleep do you have white lines flashing past your eyes?

GC8

Theres no adaptive speed control, its all down to the wheel operator...

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

The adaptive speed controller is your right boot lol.

From lorries I have driven their limit varies from 52-56mph, some down hill will do 70, but with a tacho there is no point as with the digi cards saving data they will get you sooner or later.

Full manual is a chore around town when fully laden, as your constantly changing gear, and with a spilt box it's easy when not used to it to make a gear mistake, let alone idiots in cars jumping into your braking space as they can fit lol. Full auto is nice as its point and go, but cruise control is VERY nice. I find as I`m 6ft 3 the cabs are made for people 5ft 10 or less, so can be cramped. But only around your legs when driving, I find older trucks have more leg room.

The other thing I had to get used to when driving was that the truck has suspension, the cab has suspension, and the seat has suspension. So practically the seat stays still and the cab moves around so the peddles move up and down, which when I was first learning was VERY strange lol.


Main issue I find is getting work, I would love a full time job driving lorries, but at the moment I'm surviving on part time Coach driving, and Agency work. But if I was offered a tramping job, or days/nights regularly I'd be gone.