Trucks and our environment

[LARRY99]

Just watched our welsh news and as usual they can’t find anything good
they were reporting from Holyhead docks, and how there are not many trucks going over to ireland

now before we left the eu , they were saying there was going to be a tremendous queue into the port
now they say it’s quiet because of stockpiling, customs forms filled in using the wrong colour ink ,etc

then they mentioned the french had laid on extra ferries from France to southern ireland ( makes sense if you are brittany ferries with ships laid up )

now I’m pretty glad not to have 100 to 1000 foreign trucks a week driving between Holyhead and dover
less fumes ,wear and tear on our roads ,so surely this has to good for our environment

perhaps all EU goods and trucks should go via this ferry route to France

 

[glenn2926]

The infrastructure is gone, goods yards, tracks, all gone, built on etc.
A massive amount of work and disruption to many would be involved, all is possible and maybe needed but as I said the cost will be enormous.
Would gou be happy if they built a ral track at the bottom of hour garden or even through it, maybe even demolish the house you live in.
Very few problems are insurmountable but ultimately society will have to decide if the price, in all senses of the word, is worth paying.

The rail builders are doing that now with HS2 which as I said will only benefit a very small number of people. Houses being knocked down, gardens compulsory purchased, lives disrupted. All for a fast train to get business people to London.
I’m sure the people would be more accepting of this if it was to benefit everyone.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

Doncaster has invested heavily in a "Freeport" railway hub. Goods come direct from the docks and is then transferred to other parts of the country either by rail or road. And they are looking to expand even more with the aim of getting lorries off the road for the bulk of the journeys.

 

[SpeedyDux]

It is the combined effect of underinvestment in the road system and demand for roadspace caused by overpopulation. Imagine what it will be like when the UK population reaches the globalists' target of 180 million.

I did read that the reason that Irish trucks are switching from using the Wales/England rat run to/from the continent to the additional ferries to Cherbourg etc is them being averse to extra paperwork.

Meanwhile country lanes round these parts are classed as A-Roads when it would be shameful even to class them as B-Roads. And they are full of trucks doing the max 56 mph everywhere because the poor sods driving them are under constant pressure for timed deliveries to supermarkets.

 

[jongood]

I think we will be surprised how quick they come. Admittedly it will probably be on trunking routes to start with, Royal Mail or other parcel firms with hubs beside a motorway for example.

I could see the follow my leader ones working on motorways but in city centres? It would require all other road users on foot and on wheels to follow the rules, thats the problem!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Despicable]

Night-time Use. The idea that trucks be limited to 1800hrs to 0600hrs would never work. Transport companies need to use their units 24hrs a day; a unit sitting in a depot, just for a couple of hours, is expensive and wasteful of a resource. Whilst most supermarkets can take deliveries 24/7, a large minority cannot: local residents/councils imposing time limitations (0700 to 2200hrs normally) on deliveries, quite understandably for noise issues.
Too Many Trucks (1). A motorhome at a junction behind an HGV and in front of another; who is delaying whom? The motorhome is delaying the second HGV. In simple terms, our motorways and trunk roads are there and developed to move commerce around, not to assist people going on holiday, school runs or to the shops (those are just sideline benefits). Whilst doing early morning multi-drop deliveries in an HGV-1 in London, I often wondered why there were so many fug-boxes (cars) on the road, when London is served by a massive public transport infrastructure.
Too Many Trucks (2). It would be nice to see a lot more freight on our over-loaded railway. Unfortunately, as mentioned before, the rail system, as it stands, cannot take much more. Hence HS2; please don't think HS2 is being developed to allow Miss Banker or Mr Rich-and-Important to get from one city to another 20 minutes earlier; it's primary purpose is to free-up space on our old and creaky railways.
As a side: supermarkets do use the railway; I've collected containers for a supermarket distribution depot from a Rail Freight Terminal (RFT) (at Crick), and delivered loaded containers for Scotland from the same depot to the RTF (I think it was either Tesco or Asda).

 

[Otter Spotter]

Oh the I did it so everyone else should. So looking like a criminal offence to not work night would be on the cards if some were in charge.

Who said that ?

 

[Otter Spotter]

Night-time Use. The idea that trucks be limited to 1800hrs to 0600hrs would never work. Transport companies need to use their units 24hrs a day; a unit sitting in a depot, just for a couple of hours, is expensive and wasteful of a resource. Whilst most supermarkets can take deliveries 24/7, a large minority cannot: local residents/councils imposing time limitations (0700 to 2200hrs normally) on deliveries, quite understandably for noise issues.
Too Many Trucks (1). A motorhome at a junction behind an HGV and in front of another; who is delaying whom? The motorhome is delaying the second HGV. In simple terms, our motorways and truck roads are there and developed to move commerce around, not to assist people going on holiday, school runs or to the shops (those are just sideline benefits). Whilst doing early morning multi-drop deliveries in an HGV-1 in London, I often wondered why there were so many fug-boxes (cars) on the road, when London is served by a massive public transport infrastructure.
Too Many Trucks (2). It would be nice to see a lot more freight on our over-loaded railway. Unfortunately, as mentioned before, the rail system, as it stands, cannot take much more. Hence HS2; please don't think HS2 is being developed to allow Miss Banker or Mr Rich-and-Important to get from one city to another 20 minutes earlier; it's primary purpose is to free-up space on our old and creaky railways.
As a side: supermarkets do use the railway; I've collected containers for a supermarket distribution depot from a Rail Freight Terminal (RFT) (at Crick), and delivered loaded containers for Scotland from the same depot to the RTF (I think it was either Tesco or Asda).

Forgive me as I am not an expert but I thought most tractive units currently need a driver who is restricted to the number of hours he or she can drive. Therefore that tractive unit will be parked up on services or depot for a time.
My initial suggestion was just that, I do not expect all HGV traffic to swap from daytime to night time And I don’t expect it to happen any time soon.

 

[Ivory55]

You didn’t answer my question about why you don’t want people to work nights did you? Not really a surprise there.you know the heart attack, fire, crime scenario.

It wasn’t so long ago that most window cleaners and decorators were fireman as they slept all night, so I guess working like that all night is a bit different.

 

[Despicable]

Forgive me as I am not an expert but I thought most tractive units currently need a driver who is restricted to the number of hours he or she can drive. Therefore that tractive unit will be parked up on services or depot for a time.
My initial suggestion was just that, I do not expect all HGV traffic to swap from daytime to night time And I don’t expect it to happen any time soon.

No problems, Otter Spotter; if the unit returns to its depot (and not 'tramping*' or long-distance that would mean being away overnight) then another driver will be allocated to the unit (known as hot-seating or relay). This tended to create a bit of tension when some drivers had their favourite units and got upset if it was returned late (too many cars on the road!).

I'm not an expert in this, it's just that I clocked up 25 years HGV-1-ing as a secondary trade; some people collect stamps or train (even otter) spotting; I drove trucks and got paid for it.

* Tramping is when after a delivery is made, the depot will send instructions to go elsewhere and make another collection and delivery. I've known drivers to be away from their depot for a fortnight, having been assured it will be just three or four nights. It could be one long mystery tour.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[busby]

Why can’t people work nights? I and everybody else in the emergency services works nights and days. Shift work often fits in very well with family life especially with young children.
If the job you’re doing changes to shift work then you either adapt or change jobs.

Hugh shortage of HGV drivers at the moment,,BUSBY.

 

[Ivory55]

Hugh shortage of HGV drivers at the moment,,BUSBY.

I beg to differ. A shortage at the price they want to pay, but not a shortage full stop.

 

[Otter Spotter]

Hugh shortage of HGV drivers at the moment,,BUSBY.

Cheaper to train Bargees and less pollution

 

[Despicable]

Hugh shortage of HGV drivers at the moment,,BUSBY.

You're right, Busby, caused by the trucking agencies. They went to a lot of trouble recruiting eastern European drivers, importing them into UK and gave them preferential treatment over their UK recruited drivers. This suppressed the wages and discouraged home-grown stock. Then, as a double-whammy, the crazy CPC system came into force.
When Brexit kicked-in I was getting 3 or 4 messages a day asking me to go to various locations to drive, prior to that I would've been luck to get one a week.

 

[busby]

Cheaper to train Bargees and less pollution

Need to build a few canals up through Spain to get our fruit and salad to the UK supermarkets,,doubt it would be very fresh when it arrivedBUSBY.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jongood]

I beg to differ. A shortage at the price they want to pay, but not a shortage full stop.

You re both right.

 

[Coolcats]

I do like it that people say oh they can work at night. Not all people can work at night and others would not want to for a low wage, but others are quite happy to say that people can work nights as if it’s a criminal offence to not work at night.

I agree plus night work is bad for an individuals health.

 

[Neil S]

I agree plus night work is bad for an individuals health.

I concur on that one , 20+ years ago I fell asleep at the wheel at 4 in the morning near Stoke on the M6 and went of the road with a loaded artic .
I eventually came to rest upright and undamaged but up to the axles in mud on the embankment .
Exhaustion was the reason after workings constant nights and being unable to get uninterrupted sleep during the day because of out side noise .
Outcome was I told the company they either put me on sensible day shift or I walked , they relented .
Night working has been proven to be detrimental to ones health

 

[Clipgate]

Guess who is ultimately going to bear the cost!
The ultimate winner is going to be Eire.
Relocation of companies and tax friendly environment just off shore.
The other winners are the same old ones. Check where front bench investment fund accounts have been switched too, possibly the same as our PM father's new nationality, of course Boris holds an American passport.
Smoke and mirrors.

 

[MITHRANDIR]

I worked 15 years of days/nights, or weeks about as we called it, and while some liked it most didn't,
we also had another saying for it, nights, that is, good for cats, bats, and twat's.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Vipar]

Surely Ireland must be nearly empty by now with all the stuff that they have exported over the years

 

[Ivory55]

When ever there is a farm sale there is always Irish trucks loading up with farm equipment and heading for Ireland. There must be mountains of the stuff over there.

 

[DerryW]

Very interesting thread. Having spent almost all my working life in logistics (formally transport industry). Starting out at 16 as a drivers mate collecting fruit and veg from the local farms for onward transshipment down to Covent Garden of Glasgow markets. moving onto drivers mate delivering agri equipment across the UK, before passing my class one at 21, then the next 30 years trunking across the UK and Europe. I can remember there being a rail goods yard in almost every medium size town. Unfortunately those days are not coming back. if you think HS2 is expensive, that's just for 1 new line, can you image the cost of new line criss crossing the country. Anyway as I said a very interesting thread.

 

[Coolcats]

I concur on that one , 20+ years ago I fell asleep at the wheel at 4 in the morning near Stoke on the M6 and went of the road with a loaded artic .
I eventually came to rest upright and undamaged but up to the axles in mud on the embankment .
Exhaustion was the reason after workings constant nights and being unable to get uninterrupted sleep during the day because of out side noise .
Outcome was I told the company they either put me on sensible day shift or I walked , they relented .
Night working has been proven to be detrimental to ones health

I have never had to work nights, but have mates who have and seen the toll it takes on them and their families. A 24/7 society is not a good one and think this pandemic has shown we really do not need to be working all hours.

 

[busby]

I have never had to work nights, but have mates who have and seen the toll it takes on them and their families. A 24/7 society is not a good one and think this pandemic has shown we really do not need to be working all hours.

Unfortunately it's a necessity in some occupations,,emergency services,transport,power industry etc etc.BUSBY.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Coolcats]

Unfortunately it's a necessity in some occupations,,emergency services,transport,power industry etc etc.BUSBY.

Maybe but as an exception rather than a norm

 

[busby]

Maybe but as an exception rather than a norm

Ambulance,police,fire brigade,doctors,power station workers,truck drivers, ships crews, an exception ??? Many many of them.BUSBY.

 

[Otter Spotter]

Ambulance,police,fire brigade,doctors,power station workers,truck drivers, ships crews, an exception ??? Many many of them.BUSBY.

Cargo Pilots, Oil riggers, Fishermen, and there’s more

 

[Coolcats]

Ambulance,police,fire brigade,doctors,power station workers,truck drivers, ships crews, an exception ??? Many many of them.BUSBY.

Not arguing with you Busby, with automation your power station maybe needs one man and his dog (the dog to keep the man busy). Once we had a 5 day working week for the majority was a norm 9-5.

Now its flexible working, zero contract hours you get a call you have to turn up. You may have a job in Retail try and get a day off when you want is nigh impossible, you get told when you can have a day off (I am told this by friends and their Children). Today with the race to the bottom on prices, peoples wages are minimal and often involve 24/7 working.

So whilst I accept there are jobs that may need night work, overall conditions and toxic management prevail for many. So unless Night work is absolutely essential it should be discouraged for health and family.

 

[busby]

Not arguing with you Busby, with automation your power station maybe needs one man and his dog (the dog to keep the man busy). Once we had a 5 day working week for the majority was a norm 9-5.

Now its flexible working, zero contract hours you get a call you have to turn up. You may have a job in Retail try and get a day off when you want is nigh impossible, you get told when you can have a day off (I am told this by friends and their Children). Today with the race to the bottom on prices, peoples wages are minimal and often involve 24/7 working.

So whilst I accept there are jobs that may need night work, overall conditions and toxic management prevail for many. So unless Night work is absolutely essential it should be discouraged for health and family.

Unfortunately I worked in road haulage for all my life so a 5 day 9 to 5 job was only ever something other people did..Same with my mother and father..Always worked six or seven days a week and mainly 12 hour days..Funnily enough I loved it..Made up for it since I retired 21 years ago,,don't even own a watch now.BUSBY,,

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jongood]

Not arguing with you Busby, with automation your power station maybe needs one man and his dog (the dog to keep the man busy). Once we had a 5 day working week for the majority was a norm 9-5.

Now its flexible working, zero contract hours you get a call you have to turn up. You may have a job in Retail try and get a day off when you want is nigh impossible, you get told when you can have a day off (I am told this by friends and their Children). Today with the race to the bottom on prices, peoples wages are minimal and often involve 24/7 working.

So whilst I accept there are jobs that may need night work, overall conditions and toxic management prevail for many. So unless Night work is absolutely essential it should be discouraged for health and family.

Have you thought about all these items we order for delivery?

The parcels are collected from the sender in the afternoon taken to the nearest depot where they are loaded onto a night trunking lorry, a guy drives this to a hub (like the big Hermes depot next to M6J1) where a team of people unload the lorries and assist in the sorting, reloading the parcels to the delivery depot when our trunker man restarts his engine and takes the delivery parcels and returns to hi s depot. Having been in a few of these places there are lots of people working nights - mostly on low wages.