Declining HGV Driving Standards?

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Wed 10 Dec 2014 18:41
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - carl233

Over the last few years in my experience HGV drivers seem to be more impatient than ever before in respect of lane changing with minimum gap and minimum notice. In addition tailgating and pulling out at roundabouts without right of way seem to be commonplace.

Without wishing to be negative there does seem to be a fair number of HGV drivers driving to a very poor standard not expected by someone that drives for a profession. Is this down to pressure of work? Perhaps furstration due to being set difficult delivery targets? Has anyone else noticed the declining standards?

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Wed 10 Dec 2014 19:02
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - RT

I think declining standards applies to all types of drivers - LGVs, vans, cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

But then, declining standards applies to most things in life.

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Wed 10 Dec 2014 19:18
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - gordonbennet

I think declining standards applies to all types of drivers - LGVs, vans, cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

But then, declining standards applies to most things in life.

Exactly RT.

Yes, some standards of HGV driving have deteriorated, just like they have in cars.

Lots of reasons why someone drives badly, lack of pride, lack of interest, lack of pay leading to lack of pride and interest, i'm sure you could add lots more, i could...the average lorry driver's pay is very poor not much above minimum wage in too many cases only made into a liveable wage by working up to 70 hours a week, why would someone worry about losing such a miserable job, answer they won't would you?

The HGV test has changed over the years, and some babies have been thrown out with the bathwater, no controlled emergency stop test, no gearchanging exercise (crawler to top and back down to crawler through every gear), and from January this year a pass in an automatic lorry entitles the trainee to a manual pass so long as the hold a manual car licence...this change is nothing short of lunacy IMHO.

Luckily we now get 35 hours of classroom training every 5 years in order to qualify for the new DCPC, drivers certificate of competence, a box ticking exercise of almost no value whatsoever, but a handy paid skive for some of us.

In mitigation of HGV drivers who seem to have annoyed the OP, cars and vans are increasingly driven by idiots, a sizeable minority being terribly important people who are entitled to do whatever they like presumably due to bigger cars/jobs/egos/genitals, another minority being dangerously incompetent and a menace to all as they haven't a clue about anything going on around them, another minority being Darwin award candidates who only survive their aggressive bullying half witted driving due to the electronics of their cars and the skills of the vast majority of others, including the vast majority of lorry drivers.

It takes a special sort of fool to brake test 44 tons on a damp salty cold road with their (they think they're safe) 5 start N Cap car, oh how clever they are (that taught the lorry driver not to mess with me), the priest can explain to the congregation how clever they were in the eulogy.

Edited by gordonbennet on 10/12/2014 at 19:19

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Wed 10 Dec 2014 21:31
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - Bolt

I agree with all that has been said, and as far as smaller vehicles are concerned,the drivers are getting worse when it comes to crossing HGV paths and seen several near misses today due to drivers not wanting to wait

Just lately I notice smart car drivers risking their lives dodging artics and some really close shaves, but I doubt it will improve anytime soon as everyone is in a rush (possibly to reach their graves) I actually feel sorry for HGV drivers due to the idiots on the road

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Thu 11 Dec 2014 00:02
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - Wackyracer

Lots of reasons why someone drives badly, lack of pride, lack of interest, lack of pay leading to lack of pride and interest, i'm sure you could add lots more, i could...the average lorry driver's pay is very poor not much above minimum wage in too many cases only made into a liveable wage by working up to 70 hours a week, why would someone worry about losing such a miserable job, answer they won't would you?

For some reason, Lorry driving has always been classed as the same skill level as someone who mops the supermarket floors.

The HGV test has changed over the years, and some babies have been thrown out with the bathwater, no controlled emergency stop test, no gearchanging exercise (crawler to top and back down to crawler through every gear), and from January this year a pass in an automatic lorry entitles the trainee to a manual pass so long as the hold a manual car licence...this change is nothing short of lunacy IMHO.

That does not surprise me at all, Still I'm sure the new DCPC qualification is going to help with that as you can do one module as a first aid course to deal with the casualties of your inexperience of knowing how to perform an emergency stop.

Luckily we now get 35 hours of classroom training every 5 years in order to qualify for the new DCPC, drivers certificate of competence, a box ticking exercise of almost no value whatsoever, but a handy paid skive for some of us.

This is something that really bugs me. The government along with some big supermarket that is not doing so well both thought it would be a good idea to let any Eastern Europeans drive their trucks on british roads with licences they bought from some forgery company. They saved a few quid on drivers wages, Increased their monthly vehicle damage costs by thousands and put alot of british HGV drivers back to lower wages.

Then the government realise that there has been an increase in HGV related accidents. What can they do? Some great minded person who has probably never even sat in a truck has the answer - the Driver CPC.

This country does nothing to tackle the true issue of road transport and safety.

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Thu 11 Dec 2014 13:37
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - Gibbo_Wirral

I don't know if its connected but quite recently there have been some horrific HGV motorway crash photos in the media, one just a couple of days ago.

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Fri 12 Dec 2014 12:14
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - Snakey

I'd agree the decline was overall, including HGVs,cars,bikes,bicycles and pedestrians! Everyone is more important than everyone else and the amount of unnecessary delays on the roads these days pushes everyones patience to the limit.

The only concern is a careless HGV driver can do a lot more damage than a careless car driver - generally speaking.

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Fri 12 Dec 2014 19:27
Declining HGV Driving Standards? - Sofa Spud

I'm going to disagree. I don't think HGV driving standards are any worse than they were, say 30 years ago. Also I don't think general driving standards have declined either. Yes, one sees some bad driving of all types of vehicles, but that's always been the case. There's more traffic now, so one probably sees more instances of bad driving, but proportionately is it any more?

>>>QUOTE...""I don't know if its connected but quite recently there have been some horrific HGV motorway crash photos in the media, one just a couple of days ago""

Indeed, and such incidents are tragic, but they've always happened. One thing that's mercifully rare these days but was a regualr cause of lorry accidents in the past is brake failure, through a defect or fade as a result of overheating.

Also, 30 years ago there was a significant number of older car drivers who had never taken a test, because they had either learned to drive before tests were introduced in 1935 or during World War 2, when tests were suspended.


Edited by Sofa Spud on 12/12/2014 at 19:36

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