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DRIVERS' VERDICTS

21st July 1994, Page 34
21st July 1994
Page 34
Page 34, 21st July 1994 — DRIVERS' VERDICTS
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

As usual, we took our latest test truck out and about to get the views of experienced LGV drivers. Our trio of industry testers gave the Strato a clear thumbs up.

We met up with 24-year-old Anthony Harvey driving an ERF E6 for TNT at BP's South Mimms truckstop. He has held a Class 1 licence for four years. As he climbed in the Seddon Atkinson 201 he commented: "The entry is getting higher for a lot of cabs but this one is not too high." He adjusted the seat and asked how to lock out its suspension: "I'd like to stop it from bouncing me around."

Out on the road he noticed the power and questioned the load—fully freighted at 17 tonnes, we told him. On a steep incline he held off from changing down and instead made use of the engine's torque: "It pulls down a site better than mine. The gears are well spread but it's an easy box to use once you get them. The steering is nice and light; it's heavy on mine. The sun visors could be a bit deeper and I would like another mirror below the existing one on the nearside.

"It doesn't roll a lot. It's like my ERF with half a load on—but I think I'm sitting lower down here. The plastic trim looks pretty standard. There is plenty of room for stowage under the bunk and the high roof leaves space for an other one above it."

Neil Raynbird, driving for Turner's, was up from Exning, Suffolk in a Volvo FL6. He's been driving for 30 years and told us that the Seddon Atkinson would "have to be good to beat mine. This is a bit different from what it was like a few years ago...is this the normal spec?" He asked what engine it had and reset the suspension seat before pulling away in second gear. "It's got a bit less lock than I thought but perhaps with this full sleeper cab the wheelbase is a bit longer than on mine. It likes to lug. It pulls as well as the Volvo and there's not much difference in the noise level. There is nice all-round vision and I can see the instruments. In mine the steering wheel cuts across the tacho.

"The gears are nice and smooth but the detente is a bit too stiff. The two stalks on the left of the column are a bit tricky too. The steering has a nice feel." He looked at the controls for the diff-lock and the headlamp leveller and asked if the Strata had a night heater and an exhaust brake. We told him they were available as options. "That bunk is a lot bigger than mine," he said, "and I like the low floor here in front of the engine cowl. Its almost a-walk through cab. It means that you can get down at the kerb if you stop in a busy high street. It's certainly a lot different to any British truck I've seen for a long time"

Trevor O'Flyn is in his mid-twenties and has been driving for four years. He was piloting a 1317 Mercedes-Benz for Chartatruc out of Newbury. "This suspension seat is a bit unnerving if you're not used to it," he commented. Although he could feel the difference in weight from his regular vehicle he thought the Strato offered plenty of power for the job and liked the view afforded by the windows and mirrors. Harvey: It's like my ERF with half a load on."

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O'Flym You appreciate this amount of space in a cab if you're sleeping out overnight."

"The Merc is quiet but this is good and the ride is better than mine. I like the steering; it's positive." We showed him the lockers over the screen, in the rear panel and stowage under the bunk. "The trim is OK and will probably stand up to the wear," he said, "but I would cover the engine hump with carpet or something if it was mine. There's plenty of headroom and you appreciate this amount of space in a cab if you're sleeping out overnight. You can't have too much of it can you?"


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