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In the second instalment of one CM tester's journey to truck driving stardom, Julian Milnes
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hits the road in a 7.5-tonner — with
minimal fatalities.
you may remember that a few months ago (CM21 December 2006) your favourite resident van tester was placed in a Volvo Fl-fl 6 with 660hp and a GCW of 90 tonnes to get the 'feel' of driving a big truck — on a test track,of course.
This wasn't punishment for crimes against reverse parking, but a heavyweight initiation into the world of truck driving.The procurement of an LGV licence is something that comes with serving time on CM, and the more experience you can cram in beforehand the better.
The next step was to take a 7.5-tonner for a spin on the open road to further increase confidence. As my driving licence was acquired pre 1997 there was no need for any further training to tackle a vehicle of this size.
The only problem was convincing a manufacturer to lend a truck for the day: who would be mad enough to do so?
Step forward Mercedes-Benz, which lined up an Atego 816. Rated at 7.5 tonnes it packs 160hp and comes with the company's Autotrans gearbox — a rarity on this size of vehicle and a welcome inclusion considering my novice status.
The day arrived and I headed to M-B's head office in Milton Keynes to meet my steed — and co-driver (you didn't think they'd send me out on my own, did you?).
Taking a walk round the Atego there was no discernable difference in length over the latest generation of 'jumbo' panel vans — Ford's biggest Transit comes in at 6,403mm compared with the Atego's 6,025mm. However, the Atego is notably wider at 2,321mm compared with the Ford's 1,974mm -this width being further amplified by the inclusion of extended door mirrors to help see past the rear load box.
Hopping aboard threw up no surprises in terms of layout, though the Atego being forward control meant that turning-in points would have to be recalibrated to avoid kerb mounting and barrier crunching.
And so it was time to get moving. Starting up the 4.25-litre unit there was a refinement to it more in keeping with a van. Maybe driving trucks isn't that had after all.
The open road
After tentatively negotiating the parking lot we headed for the roads.The plan was to leave Milton Keynes and head towards Hinckley, travelling through Towcester en route, while negotiating a variety of road types to hone those driving skills and return to base in one piece.
Lesson one came at the first roundabout. Slowing to a near stop at the entrance due to oncoming traffic means that a) momentum is lost and b) fuel consumption takes a kicking as you will have to accelerate back up to speed again,To begin with, this was done with monotonous regularity.
But as all truck drivers know, you have to be bold, and a little cheeky sometimes, if you are to keep moving and that means commanding your space and not being afraid to enter a roundabout when traffic is approaching (at a reasonable distance, of course).
This confidence no doubt comes with time and familiarity with the vehicle, but it was an early insight into the extra awareness required when driving a vehicle this size.
Switching to the motorway we took our place in the nearside lane and set the cruise control to 56mph.However, as not all truck speeds are created equal,overtaking is required at some point. But with differences in momentum being around 1-3mph you have to time it right to avoid collecting frustrated motorists behind you or encountering a change in gradient at the crucial point, which could reduce your difference in speed to nothing and in some cases a minus.
This may sound obvious to seasoned LGV drivers, but for the novice it's a daunting task and one that requires you to pull out without hesitation, sticking to your guns once underway.
Luckily our experienced Mercedes co-pilot had a few pointers to help smooth the path, and it wasn't long before I was making moves unprompted (some more successful than others).
Nimble and composed Leaving the motorway for the countryside the Atego proved to be a nimble machine,coping with twisting country lanes and remaining composed when tackling cambers. However, it must be said that it wasn't comparable to a van in terms of handling.
Again, it was necessary to read the road conditions more carefully than with a light CV to avoid losing ground. Braking and acceleration are far slower and longer than I'm used to,so an extra degree of judgment is needed to keep up that precious momentum particularly when approaching gradients that require a decent head of steam if you want to avoid standstill.
Next up on the list of road conditions was the country village, which posed its own problemsprimarily spatial awareness In tight situations knowing the turn-in of your vehicle is vital, as is the use of mirrors, which helps you avoid ending up in court over squashed cyclists.
It may sound obvious,but during the course of the day it was surprisingjust what the mirrors picked up before I made a particular manoeuvre. •