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Rikki Chequer, community manager for TruckNet UK, reports on the
Page 11
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past week's hot topics among members of the UK's leading internet forum for professional drivers.
This week's hot Issue is smoking. Some 70% of drivers who responded to a poll stated they would continue to smoke in defiance of the law. One smoker pointed out that Vosa and the police have no interest in prosecuting drivers for smoking in the cab, and that council enforcement officers have no powers to stop a CV on the road.
The general opinion among the drivers posting is that the smoking ban will only be as effective as the willingness of transport companies to enforce it. Most smoking drivers say that if they were given a non-smoker's truck to drive, they would limit their smoking when in it—or refrain entirely.
Non-smoking LGV drivers using the website say they normally don't mind using smokers' trucks for day runs, but a couple have refused to take particularly smelly trucks on nights out.
Following on from this, drivers are talking about the best ways to keep a truck clean. A couple of drivers recommend using a damp newspaper for the windscreen; others use normal household polish; and some go all the way with branded auto cleaners such as Autoglym. One driver admits he doesn't know what is used, but he will ask at the truckwash next time he visits.
It seems the horseriding community is perplexed by the new hours rules; most do not realise that to carry a horse not owned by the horsebox owner requires a 0licence whether money changes hands or not. Users of the OwnerDrivers forum are attempting to help them stay legal.
In the Transport Photo forum, an ex-Middle East driver shares his collection of photos from the glory days of UK-Middle East running. There are plenty of Scania 111/141s and Volvo F88/89s in evocative settings for us all to drool over.
That's it for this week; next week I'm taking a break and this round-up will be brought to you by Dave Young.