DRIVERS' VIEWS
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▪ BRIAN HAULING, a self-employed driving instructor from NOV Training Services at Devizes, had stopped at BP's Swindon truckstop in his Oaf 2500. At the first roundabout in the MAN he said: The mirrors are nicely placed to see cars on the inside. The clutch is light and the brakes start to work as soon as you touch the pedal. The park brake lever is a bit close • to the gear lever when its forward. The gear • change is light in centre positions but stiffer for the top two—the split is easy. The steering is precise and indicator stalks are just about right. The engine certainly pulls well. I let it drop to about 1,000rpm and it picked up easily."
N kiCakiW i:ORP drives an MAN 17.272 for G Plan out of Melksham. "The cab is quite high but the three steps make entry easy." He pulled away in third. "It might not do that so well after a few months." Then skipping through the gears: "It's less hard work than mine, it's got the power to make block changes. The gears are easy to find and the box is smooth. The ride is firm but
the steering is lighter than mine. I like the space in the middle of this cab but cabs generally don't have enough stowage."
• HARRY SMITH drives a Scania 94.310 for Tibbett and Britten out of Milton Keynes. "It's sharp off the mark." he said, referring to clutch take-up, and then asked: "It pulls away well, are you sure it's fully freighted? It's easy to drive and quiet I like the walk-through cab. I have to climb over everything to get to the bunk in the Scania. The brakes are firm and the ride is smooth. It's easy to get used to driving it. Cruise control is useful. The exhaust brake needs a few revs to make it work. Just one gear lower makes all the difference—the torque is
amazing." As he reversed in our parking slot, he said how light he thought the steering felt. "In tight manoeuvres With three axles you have to be a little more aware of the back end, it tends to stick out a bit further on sharp turns". On the closely coupled trailer he said: "The suzie connections are too close to one another."