http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-22700170

So why not chain them all together, and call them a train, then there is the problem of all those trucks traveling close together how are motorists going to enter and exit the various offand on slip junctions.

It hasnt been thought out has it.

well for an outlandish idea, how about banning cars? buses, trains and bikes that gets people to and from work so why the need for cars getting in the way and preventing hauliers getting produce from a to b?

Why not just ban stupid people?

Seems like a mad idea and obviously the truckers will hate it, but they do this for fairly long stretches in some parts of Europe, and at the end of the day, even if they do get stuck behind a car doing 50mph, they are only talking 6mph.

Why not just ban stupid people?

that’ll make the roads a wonderful place if my experience of the ability of the average driver is anything to go by.

ok, so a lorry is overtaking and slowing you up cos you can’t pass.

As soon as he has overtaken there is a freakin’ great big stretch of clear road ahead to accelerate into.

‘delays’ like that make sod all difference to average speeds on a journey – completely pointless.

Probably thought up by someone who moans about cyclists slowing them down.

I saw an Argos lorry on the motorway today proudly proclaiming that its maximum speed was limited to 50mph, instantly I thought of the other unfortunate HGV drivers limited to 56mph who will have to go through all the bollox of overtaking it, and the congestion it’s likely to cause on 2 lane carriageways. Idiotic idea imo.

No way are argos trucks limited to 50.
Tescos are the slowest, about 52.
driving a truck is very boring…..

Conservatives on Essex County Council claim lorries in the outside lanes are contributing to congestion.

I think the clue is in this sentence. Just the latest of a long line of things that aren’t well thought out, but probably one of the less disastrous when compared with the impact of many of the others.

So why not chain them all together, and call them a train,

That’d work. In fact, why not pull all the stuff they’re carting about…on a train.

My lorry was limited to 55 and was a pain in the arse on dual carrage ways.

I did get 85 out of it down Shap though. 😀

Can you imagine a train backing into the local Tesco superstore, or craning a bag of gravel onto my front lawn? Nah, neither can I!

No way are argos trucks limited to 50.

Well I need to go back to specsavers then. Thanks for the tip 8)

Conservatives on Essex County Council claim lorries in the outside lanes are contributing to congestion.

Trucks in any lane are doing something important. Its the cars on the road, including the ones with councillors in that cause the congestion.

If trucks were, on their own, a cause of congestion then the roads would be congested all day and most of the night as truck are on the road all day. As it is roads are typically congested at breakfast and teatime.

The sticker says fifty, but…… 😀
The truck I drive is limited at about 56, I get overtaken on the flat by argos trucks.
Companies put the stickers on to say, “look at us, we’re saving the enviroment”
Quite ironic on a 10 year old, fume belching shitheap.

Although I do tend to take the more enlightened view that the without the trucks the country would grind to a halt I do find that difficult to reconcile when stuck behind yet another +1mph overtaking truck on the A14.

TurnerGuy – Member
ok, so a lorry is overtaking and slowing you up cos you can’t pass.

As soon as he has overtaken there is a freakin’ great big stretch of clear road ahead to accelerate into.

‘delays’ like that make sod all difference to average speeds on a journey – completely pointless.

As above; you must have never had this happen to you for mile after mile on the A14….my longest was 6 miles. Then just as you get back up to speed another lorry pulls out and you repeat the whole tedious process.
A14 has to be the worst road for this; guess it’s all the lorries from Felixstowe?

Even the stretch west of Spittal’s where they’ve put the restrictions to vehicles >7.5t in the outside lane, they just all ignore it.

Can you imagine a train backing into the local Tesco superstore

Tesco actualy do run trains, they sub contract the the work to Eddie Stobart plc,a huge transhipment depot at Widnes in Cheshire.Trains on one side and a huge depot the other side of the road, and the Transpennine trail goes right past.

How about we drop the speed limit to 50mph Mon-Fri 630 – 930 and 430 – 730 and then cover the road in yellow vultures that only work at that time. Take away all the incentive to speed at the busiest periods.

Would quite happily see that done on my local motorway. Vultures are currently on their perches and lo and behold people are not driving like prats on that part of the road.

Then just as you get back up to speed another lorry pulls out and you repeat the whole tedious process.

Relieve the tedium by turning it into a game of hoof it before the truck catches up with the one in front. Perfectly doable unless you’re (the generic you, not this specific correspondent) is the sort of driver who can’t see beyond the end of his/her bonnet.

The futility play is that rare one where there’s a slow wide load occupying two of three lanes and everyone moves into the fast lane (non-PC term) about six miles back to get round it creating a lane that is growing longer and becoming slower than the obstruction itself. Divs. And then you get the big bad stares when you whizz down the slow lane to overtake somewhat closer to the obstruction.

Get rid of the speed limiters? Probably cause more accidents than they prevent.
It didn’t help allowing larger trucks from the continent into UK roads twenty years ago, now home based trucks have grown in size.

Seems like a mad idea and obviously the truckers will hate it, but they do this for fairly long stretches in some parts of Europe, and at the end of the day, even if they do get stuck behind a car doing 50mph, they are only talking 6mph.

I agree with the first part, but its mainly on hilly duals’ and its also in operation on parts of the A34 in Oxfordshire, the hilly bit north of the M4.

But each minute they take longer is extra cost, which we pay.

I drive a horsebox that is speed-limited to 50mph on single carriageways. Rarely held up by lorries (probably got more accurate speedo than me), but am by bloody cars. Does usually worry them though when you overtake 🙂

stuck behind yet another +1mph overtaking truck on the A14

A14 has to be the worst road for this

There is a ban on trucks in the outside lane on the ‘hilly’ stretch between Kelmarsh and Catthorpe, which is nice!

Cheers,
Jamie

Jamiea…doesn’t work in my experience. Last time I was on that stretch it was business as usual with hgv’s using both lanes…

M42/A42’s bad but they also have an 0700-1900 trucks in single file stretch at the southern end.

I’d welcome a “no immediately attempting to overtake the lorry that’s just spent the last fortnight passing you on a two-lane carriageway” law.

I did get 85 out of it down Shap though.

Clutch in and let it roll? 😀

Ahh, I’m on that stretch later on in the evening usually when going away for the weekend!

The problem with the A14 is it was done on the cheap. If it was built like the A1M upto Peterborough (that was built around the same time) there would be plenty of room for the lorries to crawl past each other and others to bomb past them.

Cheers,
Jamie

As soon as he has overtaken there is a freakin’ great big stretch of clear road ahead to accelerate into.

Not so convenient if you’re stuck behind two jousting juggernauts for all of the three junctions you’re on the dual carriageway on the way home!

Cheers,
Jamie

4 laning the a14 it’s never gonna happen. Too many junctions to sort out. That stretch of the a1 up to Peterborough used to be only 2 lane, but was widened…

I question the accuracy of these speed limiters and also of the speedometers on many trucks.

Example, M62 J25-J30 is restricted to 50mph with average speed cameras the whole of the way in both directions.
So you sit in the inside line at exactly 50, cruise control on and what do you see looming up in your rear view mirror? yes, a truck. his idea of 50 certainly is not the same as yours…

and of the almost daily accidents on that stretch, how many involve only cars?

I’ve done the A14 today, the elephant racing is so tedious especially coming out of Cambridge.

They could do it like the continent and restrict the HGV’s from the outer lane in the rush hour periods.

I’d hazard a guess that the amount of freight carried on the a14 beats 3 lane motorways. I’m generally not an advocate of widening roads but in the a14s case it’s justified

Us lorriests have a right to overtake slower vehicles aswell you know. The road doesn’t belong to “you” or “us”. I see why people get frustrated though mind you. I tend to wait until there is a decent gap before I pull out to overtake a slower lorry, it makes a huge difference if some gonk is doing 50mph and I want to sit on my limiter at 56mph, I have a job to do and a home to get to aswell.

Chances are we have been up and at work long before you stirred from you slumber, and we will STILL be working when you finish your day and are heading for home to be with your family, most HGV drivers will spend the week away from friends and family, sleeping in cabs and being served some truly gruesome food.. All to keep this country going and bring “things” to the shops for folk to buy.

Tesco swines sit at 50mph on the motorway.. Just a bloody nuisance if you ask me. Who cares if your doing 50, all your doing is slowing everybody down with your incessant doddling.

However as I have said before I see far worse driving from car drivers than HGV drivers.. Hoofing it up the outside lane then 100 yards before your junction cut across all 3 lanes into the slip road… That is just bloody dangerous and down right thoughtless. If something happens I have a very slim chance of hauling 44 tonnes to a stop without wiping out the car in the process.. Or jacknifing and endangering my life.. If they want to play suicidal games, go do it elsewhere.. Out of my way. If you really can’t wait -10 seconds to get on the slip road… Leave earlier or be late!

Also cars crawling along at 45-50mph.. Think your being a good, safe driver?? Well your not so get up to speed.

Without lorries you get nothing!

Oh and ps.. When did people stop flashing lights when the rozzers are up ahead with a speed gun or camera van? Not that I have been done.. But just wondered as nobody seems to do it anymore.

I reckon:

– Ditch road tax
– Stick a GPS in every car and charge per mile
– Charge per mile is dependant on time of day travelled, more at peak times
– Price it so it’s dirt cheap outside of peak times (e.g. night time and mid morning / mid afternoon)

Et volia, congestion is reduced, lorries only drive on the roads at night / non busy times and people are priced into car sharing.

Everyone’s a winner (even lorry drivers who’d presumably get paid more for working anti-social hours)*.

* Assuming the ‘market’ works.

You could even penalise short journeys and force people onto bikes / walking…

Us lorriests have a right to overtake slower vehicles aswell you know.

No arguments here, but some could pick their moments better. I’ve followed pairs overtaking each other in turn for bloody miles, it’s really frustrating.