Tips for First Time Lorry Drivers

Tips to keep in mind when you first make the jump from car to your first haulage job…Break Early and Break Often,You Need to Make Wider Turns,Indicate Early to Warn off Cars and Bikes....

Tips for First Time Lorry Drivers

Make no mistake about it; being behind the wheel of a lorry for the first time is hugely intimidating. No matter how many years you have been driving a car for, nothing can prepare you for the sheer number of controls, the view and the responsibility you need to get a handle on when you first climb into your haulage vehicle’s cab. There’s a reason the licensing process is tougher than getting a licence to drive a car – it’s very hard.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you first make the jump from car to your first haulage job…

Break Early and Break Often

You’re now driving a far heavier vehicle, and your stopping distances are longer than you’d expect if you’re used to driving a car. Remember your stopping distance will be longer when carrying loads too, so be sure to adjust.

You Need to Make Wider Turns

Because you are now carrying a trailer behind you, you need to adjust your turning times to compensate and avoid clipping the curb.

Your Acceleration is Far Worse, so Join Lanes with Caution

With a car, you can be comparatively daring at joining a lane of fast moving traffic, because the acceleration is good. Lorry drivers have to be extra careful, as it will take them a good while to gain enough speed to pull away from the traffic immediately behind.

Indicate Early to Warn off Cars and Bikes

Many other motorists don’t realise exactly how slowly lorry drivers have to do things, and are notoriously impatient. You should be signalling turns in a lorry long before you would in a car to prevent the smaller vehicles – especially motorbikes – pulling up on your inside and forcing you to practice your emergency stops!

Know the Height and Weight of Your Lorry

The reason for knowing the height and weight of your lorry should be obvious: there are certain bridges and tunnels that will only allow vehicles below a certain height and weight to use them. If you don’t know, you could risk an accident – and if you’re aware of height restricted bridges in advance, you can plan your route to avoid them.

Be Aware of Your Lorry’s Dimensions and What it Means to You

Most lorries have a trailer that’s wider than the cab. This means that you should aim to drive more towards the centre of the lane than you would in a car, to make sure your trailer is in a good position.

Make Sure Your Load is Always Properly Placed and Secured

The reason for ensuring your load is secure is obvious – the last thing you want is for the load you’ve been carrying to fall into the road and cause an accident. Make sure it’s secure and check every time you stop for a break.

And finally a quick word of warning for when you return to a normal sized car after a long haulage job: it will feel terrifyingly small and fast! Don’t worry though – once you’ve made the switch a few times it becomes second nature!

By: Lyall Cresswell
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

5 Biggest Haulage Heists

5 Biggest Haulage Heists**Hi Def Hijack,Game Over,4 Million Up In Smoke-Hard Goods,Big Withdrawal,...

5 Biggest Haulage Heists

Every lorry driver knows that theft is one of risks of their profession. Lorry trailers, often filled with valuable goods, have long been tempting targets for haulage thieves, and this kind of crime is believed to cost the haulage and groupage industry over ?100 million every year. Each lorry load is worth at least several thousand pounds – sometimes, though, the cost is much, much higher, as a truly valuable cargo is stolen from a lorry or taken from a depot. Take a look at some of the highest value haulage heists in recent years.

Hi Def Hijack

The lorry drivers who were the victims of this heist in 2006 underwent a terrifying ordeal. After they had parked their lorry for the night in a lay-by, the two drivers were attacked by four men who threatened them at gun point then bound and gagged them. They were driven for over 400 miles to an unknown location, where their cargo was unloaded and they were finally released. They were transporting a shipment of expensive plasma screen televisions, believed to have been worth over ?250,000.

Game Over

Computer game fans are invariably plagued by the same problem each year – a shortage of consoles in the shops. This theft undoubtedly contributed to the problem in 2006, when over ?1 million of Xbox consoles were stolen from a lorry near Hillards Cross. The lorry driver who was transporting the consoles was flagged down on the A38 by several men in reflective jackets, who then overpowered him and drove off with his lorry. The vehicle was found abandoned – and empty – further up the A38, and the consoles presumably found their way on to the black market.

4 Million Up In Smoke

In 2001, a seven man gang broke into a depot in Belfast and forced a crane driver to load four freight containers full of cigarettes on to lorries. There has always been a black market appetite for cheap cigarettes sold with no questions asked – each lorry trailer contained cigarettes worth approximately ?1 million, with the heist as a whole bringing in a cool ?4 million.

Hard Goods

In 1998, thieves made off with a shipment of Viagra in Netherlands, breaking into the yard of the haulage company at night and making off with the contents of a trailer filled with the popular anti-impotence drug. The lorry driver returned in the morning to find the customs seal on his trailer broken and the contents gone. Viagra theft sounds like a joke, but the cost is no laughing matter – the consignment of pills is believed to have been worth a jaw-dropping ?15 million to the haulage and groupage industry. The pills are believed to have been sold on in night clubs, where it is rapidly becoming as popular a recreational drug as Ecstasy.

Big Withdrawal

Not technically a theft from a lorry; rather it is a theft using a lorry, but the sheer scale of the heist makes it worthy of inclusion here. The Securitas Security Depot heist in 2006 is to date the largest cash robbery in UK history. After abducting the site manager and his family, breaking onto the depot premises and locking up the night staff working at the depot, a gang of criminals proceeded to load over ?53 million in cash into the back of their white Renault lorry, which they then used as a getaway vehicle. The empty lorry was found one week later, and the crew were rounded up and arrested shortly thereafter.

By: Lyall Cresswell
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Innovative Snowplow Feature Provides Cutting-Edge Safety During Dangerous Winter Weather

Innovative Snowplow Feature Provides Cutting
-Edge Safety During Dangerous Winter Weather

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Sept. 9 -- Acela, LLC, a company with a mission to keep people safer on the roads, is on the cutting Edge with an innovative safety product - the Edge-O-Lite(TM) - a snowplow reflector designed so drivers can easily identify blade edges and avoid accidents.

Auto collisions with snowplows account for large insurance payouts and are costly to states, cities and towns. More importantly, injuries, property damage and even fatalities may occur.

When vehicles attempt to pass a snowplow, a common accident caused by catching the outer edge of the blade, may result. Or, the car is forced to veer off the road at the last minute, often ending up in an injurious or fatal crash.

"The Edge-O-Lite is made to increase the efficiency and safety of snowplow clearance operations," Antoinette Donofrio, company spokesperson, said. "Lives and money can be saved."

State, government and transportation safety agencies are continually searching for ways to make roads safer. Many have invested in comprehensive safety research programs, analysis projects, and collision avoidance studies to discover and implement new ways to make roads and people safer.

The Edge-O-Lite (www.edgeolite.com) is designed to increase the visibility of oncoming drivers and to decrease collisions. Highly visible reflectors illuminate the outer edge of the snowplow blades to allow for safe passage in hazardous winter driving conditions and to reduce deadly crashes.

The reflectors allow drivers to evaluate, in a timely manner, how far away they are or need to be for proper blade clearance.

When installed on the edge of a snowplow's blade, the innovatively-designed Edge-O-Lite (TM) attracts the oncoming car's headlights and reflects the light back to the driver, clearly lighting the blade's edge.

The product is highly visible and durable. It is designed to withstand harsh winter weather, is salt resistant, and easily installed.

"It's a low-cost solution for a serious problem," Donofrio said. "It also could reduce the stress of the snowplow driver by providing a higher level of safety."

By: Toni Dono
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Buying a Triumph Spitfire

Buying a Triumph Spitfire

I suppose the first point to take into consideration before buying a Triumph Spitfire is that you are buying a hobby and not a car! You have to realise that the technology used to design and build a Triumph Spitfire is old just like the cars themselves and they do not have the reliability of today's hi-tech cars built by robots. Triumph Spitfires do and will break down so be prepared for this eventuality.

Once you understand the above you can have peace of mind that almost everything that can go wrong with a Triumph Spitfire can be easily fixed - with the exception of some aspects of the body work! An otherwise decent car can turn into a costly mess or even a death trap. A shiny paint job can hide major rust, it is wise to take a magnet when looking to buy a Triumph Spitfire (preferably from a refrigerator door seal) and use this on key areas of the bodywork such as the nose, under the doors (sills) and behind the wheels. If you find the magnet does not stick to the bodywork there could be body filler under the paint. This does not mean the car is a total wreck, it maybe the odd repair but at least you have highlighted it and you can discuss with the seller.

If you go through with buying a Triumph Spitfire then it's a good idea to give your new hobby a complete going over. Everything on the car that can wear out needs replacing to ensure your car starts with a new lease of life. Start by replacing the fluids including oil, brake fluid, gearbox fluid and coolant. Next oil/grease hinges, u-joints and trunnions. Give it a complete tune up and replace plugs, ignition wires, distribution cap and points and follow this by checking the timing etc. Replace all hoses, belts and brake pads and you could even consider rebuilding the carb. There is obviously a cost involved if you do this yourself or if you have someone do this for you - remember though that the difference in performance of the car will be huge.

If the car has not moved for sometime then the brakes and clutch will most probably have problems. Whilst these repairs are quite simple and straight forward they must be fixed as yours and other road users safety is critical.

By: Andrew Whitehead
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Best Gas Mileage Pickup Truck - Top 5 By Ranking Revealed

Best Gas Mileage Pickup Truck - Top 5 By Ranking Revealed

Not only is the economy severely faltering right now but gas prices are through the roof and there seems to be no end in site. An increasing number of states are already seeing prices that are in danger of skyrocketing right past five dollars per gallon. As such, it is vitally important to find the best gas mileage pickup truck; our wallets practically demand it. Truthfully, whether you want to buy a car, a truck, or a sports utility vehicle, getting the best gas mileage for your money is crucial. This is especially true for pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles, however, because they generally haul heavier loads. Trying to haul anything heavy with a truck that gets poor gas mileage is financially disastrous, so you simply have to take the time to find a vehicle with good mileage.

In the world of pickup trucks, there are small ones and standard ones. In both cases, gas mileage is determined in large part by standards and guidelines imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as how many miles they get per gallon of gas for highway driving and city driving. If you are trying to find the best gas mileage pickup truck for a small truck, the top five are as follows: Ford Ranger, for a variety of years, is usually ranked as the highest, it is a two wheel drive truck with a 4 cyl, 2.3 liter engine. Next up is the Mazda B2300, followed by the Toyota Tacoma with a 4 cyl, 2.7 liter engine. The fourth ranked small pickup truck with the best gas mileage is the Chevrolet Colorado with a 2.9 liter engine, followed by the GMC Canyon, which has similar specs.

For standard pickups, a lot of the top ranked manufacturers are decidedly different. In the top spot is the Dodge Dakota with a 6 cylinder, 3.7 liter engine, followed by the Mitsubishi Raider, also a 6 cylinder with a 3.7 liter engine. In third place is the Chevrolet Silverado; it has an 8 cyl, 5.3 liter engine. Following that is the GMC Sierra, which has a 4.3 liter engine, and last, there is the Honda Ridgeline, which is a four wheel drive truck with a 6 cylinder, 3.5 liter engine.

Basically, in order to find the best gas mileage pickup truck, you simply have to be informed. Do some research on the Internet and practice comparison shopping, and always make sure to tally up how much you can expect to pay for gas for the entire year, even if it is only a loose estimate.

By: Dean Forster
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Dodge Truck 4x4 Dakota For Superior Handling and Braking Capabilities

Dodge Truck 4x4 Dakota For
Superior Handling and Braking Capabilities

By all available indications, the best Dodge truck 4x4 is the Dakota in all of its incarnations. The Dodge Dakota has been a favorite since its inception. For purposes of this article, we are going to discuss the specifications of the 2007 Dodge Dakota, which is a favorite because it is the only pickup truck in its class which offers a V8 engine. Those who drive and rely on pickup trucks appreciate this because, in general, especially for people who have to use a truck for their jobs, they are hauling and towing a lot of heavy loads. A powerful engine comes in handy for this, but according to numerous reviews of the 2007 Dakota, this vehicle is advantageous for many more reasons.

The 2007 Dakota is considered a high quality Dodge truck 4x4 in part because of its engine; even standard, it comes with a 3.7 liter Magnum V6 engine which features two hundred and ten horsepower at 5200 rpm, with two hundred and thirty five pounds per feet of torque at 4000 rpm. There is also the option for the High Output 4.7 liter V8 engine, which is considered one of the best engines currently on the market. It creates two hundred and sixty horsepower and three hundred and ten pounds per feet of torque. Given the fact that most truck fans utilize their trucks to haul heavy loads and to tow strenuous items, this kind of engine power is not only required but thought to be the highest possible standard. It offers fifteen miles per gallon for city driving and nineteen miles per gallon for highway driving.

The 2007 Dodge Dakota is also praised for the way it handles and its braking capabilities. It comes with rack and pinion steering as well as highly developed hydroformed rails on the chassis. This allows for a solid driving experience and maneuverability, which again, makes it a good choice of Dodge truck 4x4 for those drivers who rely on their trucks to tow or haul extremely heavy loads and cargo. It has also been ranked on several lists as producing the best gas mileage for a mid sized pickup truck. In general, it is always in the ranking on top five lists, usually falling somewhere between the number two position and the number four positions. The Environmental Protection Agency plays an important role in determining gas mileage, as does the amount of miles per gallon a truck gets for city and highway driving.

By: Dean Forster
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

10 Lorries in Harmony

10 Lorries in Harmony

To some, trucks and lorries may seem functional, but not exactly prime inspiration for songwriting. But maybe that’s why you’re not a multi-platinum selling artist, because all of these artists have managed to find their muse in the form of the humble HGV or the owner operator’s job…

69 Eyes – Truck On

While some have used the lorry as a metaphor for life, Finnish gothic metalers 69 Eyes talk no uncertain terms about the lorry as means to deliver loads from one place to another. Things do get a bit weird at one point though – perhaps the lead singer is getting stir crazy from being in his cab all night:

"Well I’m drivin’ amok Doggone’s my luck But I don’t give a **** And I’m feelin’ mean Bleedin’ gasoline Would you lick it clean?"

Despite the theme of the song and the obvious rhyme, the censored word is definitely not "Truck"…

Pavement – Heaven is a Truck

The song title makes it look like Stephen Malkmus is going to create a stunning ode to the truck as paradise… though the lyrics give the impression that Pavement’s idea of heaven is slightly more down to earth than most of us:

"Heaven is a truck It got stuck On a breeze Asked the driver nicely, I need a lift? I need release The sands in the boats On the rose-covered floats"

Yello – The Lorry

Swiss electronica act Yello played up the lonely elements of long distance haulage in their ode to lorries.

"Inside my lorry I am driving through the night Inside my lorry The world does look all right Five to five I’ve got to drive And if you ask me where I go I tell you coast to coast is what I do"

As they’re Swiss, we’ll forgive them not knowing that "go" and "do" don’t rhyme.

Bobby Bare – Truck Driver, Truck Driver

Bobby Bare’s truck driving song is taken slightly differently, all sung from the perspective of "a highway bum" hitching a ride, making increasingly bold requests. Starting of with "Don’t suppose you could sorta scoot over a little bit and give me a little more room cause I got long legs" via asking for cigarettes and the truckers jacket all the way up to "I see in that plastic frame a picture of a sexy blonde and you know that’s my kind of dame, man I’d really like to grab onto your wife huh." Eventually the patience of the truck driver is worn out, and the hitcher says "Now if you lend me a dollar and half I’ll move on down the line."

James Coffey – Hard Workin’ Truck

We’ve seen truck songs from the perspective of the driver and the passenger, but this one sets a new trend by being sung by the vehicle itself! The song outlines all the tasks that lorries can comfortably accomplish including picking up rubbish, digging ditches, construction work and haulage. The vehicle is evidently boastful about its talents: "No load is too heavy for my rig, no hill too high, no job too big…"

Bill Monroe – Lonesome Truck Driver Blues

As the title of this truck driving song suggests… this is another song highlighting the loneliness of the open road. The song describes the entire journey all the way down to the truckstops, but the drivers’ concerns about the road laws certainly ring true with our current fears about government interference: "If you load too light you can’t make a dime, if you load too heavy then you get a fine." The song does have an upbeat ending however, highlighting the best part of many a long distance haulier’s day:

"Oh the motor’s purrin’ I’m makin’ time Takin’ me back to that baby of mine She’ll be purrin’ like a kitten When I walk in the door The truck driver blues I won’t sing anymore"

David Lynn Jones – Bonnie Jean (Little Sister)

A country ballad about a woman left by her husband with 3 young children to look after who takes up long distance lorry work to make ends meet. It’s a sad tale, but some of the details will sound familiar to all truckers:

"She’s a runnin’ down the road from coast to coast, It’s the little things she misses the most She’s a mother all day and a trucker all night Livin’ on coffee and mini-whites"

Weird Al Yankovic – Truck Drivin’ Song

Comedy songwriter Weird Al Yankovic’s Truck Driving Song starts off in much the same style as the other truck songs: "I’m driving a truck Drivin’ a big ol’ truck Pedal to the metal, hope I don’t run out of luck"

But quickly goes a little strange:

"Rollin’ down the highway until the break of dawn Drivin’ a truck with my high heels on"

The song continues this theme to reverse the macho stereotype of the industry, probably angering a few truckers in the process:

"Oh, I don’t mind when my crotchless panties creep right up on me And my nipple rings don’t bother me too much But when I hit those big speed bumps My darling little rhinestone pumps Keep slippin’ off the mother-lovin’ clutch"

Of course, lorries aren’t the only bigger industrial vehicles that have inspired songwriters – here’s two more which move slightly further away from the trucking remit.

The Wurzels – Combine Harvester

The number one single – a reworking of "Brand New Key" by Melanie was a change of direction for the band, after the death of songwriter Adge Cutler – at this point, the band moved away from original composition and in to altering other people’s work. The West Country band moved away from farms and cider to pen another trucking themed song "I Want to be an Eddie Stobart Driver"

Nizlopi – JCB Song

Alt-folk act Nizlopi made it big by having the Christmas number one in 2005 – a song about a boy escaping into a fantasy world on his Dad’s JCB away from the bullies at school. Aside from having a delightful video, the song is notable for its sudden change of fortune – the Christmas single was a re-release of a song which had made #160 in the charts on its first go 6 months earlier.

So if you spot a lorry heading past you on the motorway, or take on an owner operator job, perhaps its time to pull out the guitar and start strumming!

By: Lyall Cresswell
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com