Under cover Lorry

Kent Police use undercover lorry to catch law breakers

Police in Kent have caught truckers using a laptop and cooking meals

Police have been driving around Kent in an unmarked lorry looking for lorry drivers breaking the law.

Officers issued £11,000 of fixed penalty notices during the two-week operation.
Most of the 181 drivers fined were caught not wearing seatbelts or using mobile phones.
In the past, truckers have been caught in Kent watching DVDs, using laptops and cooking a meal while behind the wheel.
'Devastating consequences' Insp Paul Sellwood said the degree of offending was higher than he had expected.
He said: "Most of the offences committed distract drivers, and when those drivers are in charge of large and powerful LGVs the consequences to other motorists, as well as themselves, can be a lot more devastating than in a smaller vehicle.
"For instance, when a heavy vehicle hits a stationary car on the hard shoulder or in a tailback the consequences are quite often fatal."
Police said drivers were also fined for eating, drinking, steering with their knees and reading a map while driving.

Look at Life - A Load of Pheasants 1969

Police crackdown on distracted lorry drivers

Bet you Did Not Know These Facts Celebrity Lorry Drivers

Celebrity Lorry Drivers

Actors, athletes and mass murderers - it takes all sorts to drive lorries. With brief details of their involvement in the trade and subsequent celebrity, here is a countdown of the top 10 stars who worked as lorry drivers before they were famous, with varying degrees of success.
# 10 Chris Tarrant:
This radio and television presenter, best known for hosting the TV game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?', pursued a number of jobs before finding his feet in television. Tarrant's former roles include long-distance lorry driver, security officer and schoolteacher.
# 9 Chris Eubank:
Chris Eubank is notable for being the only member of our list to have taken up lorry driving after he become famous. October 2003 saw a politically motivated Eubank descending on Whitehall in his personal HGV to protest against the war in Iraq. The former world middleweight champion boxer ended up being arrested for blocking the entrance gates to Downing Street, driving around Parliament Square sounding his horn, with a knife in his pocket, and reversing into a delivery van.
# 8 Rock Hudson:
Hudson was a popular American film and television actor and a romantic leading man in the 1950s and 1960s. During WW II, Hudson served as a Navy airplane mechanic and after the war he was a truck driver. His size and good looks got him into movies.
# 7 Chevy Chase:
Our number seven is an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, writer, and television and film actor. Before his breakthrough as a comedian, Chase worked as a truck driver, cab driver, motorcycle messenger, waiter, busboy, construction worker, audio engineer, produce manager in a supermarket, salesman in a wine store and theatre usher.
# 6 Long Distance Clara:
The only woman on our list and, unfortunately, fictional, juggernaut-driving Clara was the star of 80s children's cartoon 'Pigeon Street'. Some see Long Distance Clara as an unsung feminist icon - her marriage to chef Hugo demonstrated a refreshing reversal of gender stereotypes.
# 5 Charles Bronson:
Charles Bronson was an American actor of 'tough guy' roles who made his name starring in a number of major Hollywood flicks including 'The Great Escape' and 'The Dirty Dozen'. Before becoming famous, Bronson was drafted into the army and was assigned to the Air Corps in 1943. He started as a truck driver and then trained as a pilot, winning awards for good service.
# 4 Richard Pryor:
Pryor was the first African American stand-up comedian to speak candidly to mixed audiences using the language and jokes of the black community. He worked in numerous jobs before finding fame, including truck driving and meatpacking.
# 3 Liam Neeson:
Liam Neeson is a movie star most well known for his role as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 blockbuster 'Schindler's List'. Irish-born Neeson once worked as a truck driver as well as a forklift operator for Guinness, an assistant architect and an amateur boxer.
# 2 Sean Connery:
This retired Scottish actor is best known for starring as James Bond in seven Bond films. Heart-throb Connery joined the Royal Navy after leaving school but was discharged on medical grounds. He went on to a succession of jobs, including lorry driver, labourer and lifeguard.
# 1 Elvis Presley:
The American singer, musician, actor and cultural icon took up truck driving as one of his jobs after graduation. The future 'King' drove a truck for the aptly named 'Crown Electric Company'. Presley even took up wearing his hair longer with a 'ducktail' - the style of truck drivers at the time. A musician for whom a young Elvis Presley auditioned advised him to 'Stick to driving a truck, because you'll never make it as a singer'.
The Mass Murderer - Peter Sutcliffe:
Quite possibly the most evil and deranged presence in the history of lorry driving, the 'Yorkshire Ripper' is far too nasty to make it into our top 10. Between 1975 and 1984, this lorry driver and former gravedigger killed 13 women in a five-year reign of terror before being sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in jail. On his arrest, Sutcliffe claimed that God had told him to go out and kill prostitutes. A sad blemish on the good name of lorry driving.
Celebrities who were lorry drivers before they were famous - a heady mixture of the talented, the eccentric, the unpleasant and the downright brilliant. Who knows what magical creatures are sitting behind the wheels of our country's lorries today?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/847153

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Drivers Hours

Is this Driver real , it really shocks me to think this driver has been allowed to take a lorry this size out on the road.


DRIVERS HOURS UK

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, or VOSA, is a governmental body with the power to enforce laws for road safety. Truckers are bound to rules created by these agencies. Failure to adhere to drivers hours HGV can bring on legal action against the transport company. Transport firms interested in maintaining good relations with the governing bodies should acquire the necessary information on these topics. On the site truckers have identified manuals that describe their HGV driver hours. Each manual has provided people with details on their schedule, and the best way to stick to the program. The company also provides special equipment to help maintain a watch over the completed hours. Such methods have proven to add to the productivity of the truckers and an advantage for transport companies.
It is important to follow drivers hours rules to ensure the company is not infringing any regulations. Products available in the market have helped truckers maintain log books with ease. Tachographs are often used by drivers to measure the distance traveled. It is a necessity to utilize the support offered by these devices to maintain the trucker's health, and to prevent mishaps on the road. This is ideal to make sure that certain transport laws are met, and that each driver is aware of the hours they have put in. A digital Tachograph is a legal requirement in UK. It is important to get regular software updates for such technology. The firm provides the product to help avoid unnecessary fines.

Each time a driver sits behind the wheel, it is their duty to follow the governing body's rules. A certificate guarantees that the trucker has sufficient knowledge of HGV driver hours. This provides them the ability to work a schedule ideal for their body clock. Hours for rest must be maintained to ensure the driver does not lose concentration. It is essential for drivers to keep to their schedule, especially when driving at night. The driving hours HGV documents for truckers need to be maintained with perfect records. It can reduce the number of accidents and improve driving efficiency.
Ferry transport has a host of regulations devised to prevent any accidents or wrongful driving. Follow the HGV driver hours for such transport to ensure complete safety for drivers as well as goods. There are websites that offer free downloads for people interested in maintaining a record. Intimate the service of what the business is about as this helps them create a customized spreadsheet. Different guides have helped drivers to learn how optimization of their operations has helped. A handbook for every HGV and PSV driver is a must. It can make a difference to the performance of the drivers and add to the safety measures considerably

HGV Choices

Another common misconception is that this is a career only males should consider. While there are fewer female lorry drivers out there, the number is growing and should keep growing if the younger generation moves past the gender issues and allows this shift to take place.

The best thing about this career is that there is a lot of freedom. The hours are very flexible and you get to decide when you work, and how much you work. If you want to work long hours because you don’t have a family, you can do so and earn enough to live comfortably and save. However, if you do have a family, you can make sure you’re home most nights for dinner.

An additional benefit is the advances in technology that have taken place. Modern trucks are very comfortable, with air-conditioning and your favorite music. You will be able to pick the best routes with the result of your GPS system. In the past few years, this has become a profession that pays more than the national average (with wages being between 26,000 and 34,000 pounds per year). Also, there has been a decrease in the number of hours you must work in a week, down to 48 from 65.

There are also opportunities for career growth in this industry. After you have had significant experience in haulage, you can move on to become an instructor for future drivers. You will be required to teach students how to drive safely and help them develop the skills they will need to pass their HGV tests.

You will be required to assess each student’s skills and knowledge and plan customized lessons for them based on this research. At the end of the lessons, the student must be able to control the vehicle with confidence, understand road safety, know the driving law and Highway Code as well as know how to deal with emergencies and be able to check the vehicle for basic maintenance.

After you had had several years of experience as an instructor, you will be able to get further qualifications to become a specialist instructor. Sometimes, companies will hire or train one of their drivers to become a specialist instructor so that the training of other employees can take place on site.

There are plenty of opportunities to advance your career should you choose to become an HGV driver. By no means is this a dead end career, and you can earn plenty of money in each of the stages, while retaining control over the number of hours you work and with a flexible workday. Furthermore, with the advances in technology, this career is going to become more and more profitable as the years go on.

CPC

Anyone wanting to work as an LGV or PCV driver must undergo and pass CPC driver training as well as hold the applicable licence entitlement. Those who already have the vocational licence are exempt from the Drivers CPC training scheme and have "acquired rights".

What is involved in the Driver CPC?

To obtain a Driver CPC, applicants must sit a series of tests and then undertake a total of 35 hours of periodic training within five years of obtaining the Driver CPC or by September 2014 for those with acquired rights. This periodic Driver CPC training must be repeated every five years to ensure those holding the certificate keep their skills, such as safe loading and complying with relevant rules, updated.

In the CPC driver training programme there are 100 multiple choice theory test questions and 19 hazard perception video clips. Drivers must pass both elements. Drivers will also take modules containing LGV case studies and a licence acquisition test.

Drivers who pass the multiple choice questions and case studies have the option to undertake an approved National Vocational Training programme while they take the remainder of the Drivers CPC elements. This allows them to drive professionally for up to 12 months while finishing the exams and can also count towards an accredited national qualification such as an NVQ or BTEC in driving goods vehicles or carrying and delivering goods.

Following the theory elements a half-hour practical test must also be passed. This involves around ten minutes of independent driving on public roads to assess ability to control the lorry unsupervised and make decisions without guidance. During the practical element of the CPC driver training, candidates will have to complete a reversing exercise at the test centre. There is also an eco-safe driving assessment which looks at control of the vehicle and planning while driving. This does not count towards the result but the examiner will give feedback to help lorry drivers improve their fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Once the Driver CPC has been issued evidence of it must be carried when driving professionally. It is valid in all EU member states, allowing drivers to work on the continent without having to pass further tests or gain extra qualifications.