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Paul Martin, in his early twenties, passed his test about

4th April 1996, Page 38
4th April 1996
Page 38
Page 38, 4th April 1996 — Paul Martin, in his early twenties, passed his test about
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seven months ago and drives an ERF El 0 eight-wheeler for GSD Transport Services. As we headed out of the quarry along the A505 he asked us: 'Is this the same cab as the Iveco?" We told him that Seddon Atkinson is part of the Iveco group which is why they use it. "it's quite a high cab which gives it quite a commanding driving position," he said. "The seat is comfortable; the air suspension gives a good ride. I like to have the backrest vertical and sit up close to the steering wheel. The mirrors are smaller than I'm used to and the one on the driver's side does not give me a good view of the road, but the one on the nearside is good. The steering seems a bit negative—it's a lighter truck than I'm used to driving. The feel is quite different and it has a much tighter turn. The brakes are quite soft but something happens straight away at the top of the pedal." Half way up a familiar climb he added: "It's not pulling badly. The cable change is smooth but it has a lack of feel across the gate. The clutch pedal is a shade on the high side." Dropping down to fifth he swung it around the next roundabout to head back the way we had come, commenting: "The engine is quite flexible and it's quicker on the uptake than mine. My cab has more space than this; the engine cover is quite tight on my legs. The instruments are quite well laid out but these column stalks are a bit close together; they would get on my nerves. The park brake would be easier to use if it was placed a bit further forward. The radio

Martin: "The engine is quite flexible?

is less of a reach but, like mine, it's a long way to take your eyes off the road."

Owner-driver Don Tattam has been in the business for 40 years. He has run a Volvo for the past seven years and now operates an L-re9 FI-112 340 4x2 tractive unit with a short tandem-axle trailer. He found the climb to the driving seat easy and quickly reset the seat for height and reach. Out on the road he said:" It's a very comfortable ride." Because he was sat further back than Martin the driver's mirror suited him better. On a steady downhill run he tried the exhaust Taftam: "It's aver1broke. "It just makes a lot of noise like the rest of them, " he comfortable ride.

laughed. "The steering wheel is geared lower than mine and the pedals are quite light, but the brakes are good. The gear lever seems a bit high and it's a longer stretch than in mine." Coming from a synchromesh box in the Volvo he found that getting a clean change with the earlier nine-speed Eaton box needed much more precise timing to match it with the engine's speed. "With the Cummins engine the revs take longer to fall off than with the FH," he noted. "The steering wheel seems high but if I compensate with the seat I will have to stretch for the pedals." After a final look round he added: "The cab trim looks like it will be easy to keep clean."

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