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Rikki Chequer, community manager for TruckNet UK, reports on the
Page 12
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past week's hot topics of discussion among members of the UK's leading internet forum for professional drivers.
I start this week with a round-up of the thread on the nine-hour reduced daily rest period —and most drivers seem to dislike it. Comments against include: "It's a nonsense in this day and age to permit a man to drive a 44-tonne vehicle on the road after only nine hours off," "Would you let your family get onto an aeroplane if the pilot felt as tired as you do?" and: "[The] nine-hour [rule] should be scrapped. Whenever I do it, I'm always knackered the next day."
Drivers in favour of the shortened break say: "I work 65-75 hours a week. I need money [and] that is
the bottom line," and: "Who wants to sit in a truck wiggling their thumbs for -11 hours?"
Gearboxes are also discussed in the TruckNet UK forums, or more accurately so-called automatic truck gearboxes and some companies' habit of modifying them to remove the power option and kickdown.
Drivers pant out that not only do these trucks struggle on hills, but it also makes them feel less respected when their employers won't trust them to use those removed facilities,
One driver says that if companies spent money on training drivers to use the gearboxes correctly, then having those options would probably save them money.
Owner-drivers are discussing how to chase up slow payers without scaring off their customers. Comments vary from the small claims court to more 'hands-on' approaches.
TruckNet UK is free to register and use, so join one of Britain's biggest discussion forums on the UK transport industry.