Heads up for the UK members

a reply to: Zaphod58

We were down in the Cotswolds on holiday last week, 5 miles from the usually quiet Fairford, lots of activity around there for the whole week, which I thought was unusual so thanks for the mystery solve Zaph!

Cheers
Robbie

Here's an interesting couple of videos, which I don't think have been posted.

> The first one is a demonstration of how the F35 will land on the UK carriers, so links to a conversation earlier.
> The second one is a bit of old and new, which I think is apt and an interesting watch.

B-1 MYTEE11 departed Bangor for Mildenhall at 0130Z.

The B-1 is only scheduled over night for fuel and crew rest.

Did anyone manage to catch the Antonov at Brize Norton hoping Waynos caught it?!

a reply to: Woody510

Saw several pictures of it in social media.

A group of B-52s from Barksdale arrived at Fairford.

Urgh I wish I wasn't so tied down with things going on I've got so much holiday to use at work but I'm doing so much training at work and stuff to do at home I don't have the chance to get anywhere

Off topic .. Zaph the training I'm doing is so I can become a truck driver !

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Sweet! Good luck!

a reply to: Zaphod58
Well today I passed one test, to get the licence you have to do a theory test which is like multiple choice questions and videos along with case studies when making deliveries etc and the other part is practical side to the driving. Today I passed the theory exams I now go onto practical training starting off in what we call rigid trucks (ones without trailers) after I pass that I then go into training to drive trucks that pull trailers. I've only been driving a car for just over a year and a half now I'm working my way up to something that weighs close to 40 tonne

Thanks anyway

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Neat trick for when you're learning to back in the articulated truck is to put your hand on the bottom of the wheel. If you do that, then you can turn the wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go. If you hold the wheel at the top, you have to turn it in under opposite direction to turn the trailer.

That's how I learned too. I find the best way to do most thing in a truck is nice and easy.

a reply to: LeviB

The hardest lesson to learn is don't let other people drive your truck. Once I learned that, I could finally back in at truck stops.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah, for sure. We/I pull grain and fertilizer (when I do drive, which isn't often). One of the few benefits of Ontario is that we can load to 143,000 gross

a reply to: LeviB

We have a nice easy set run now, about 1200 miles each way. The drawback is a good chunk is through oil country. Oil field drivers are the only ones I've ever seen that scare me more than logging trucks.

Oh, that's pretty slick. Oil field drivers are a group I haven't run into but I can draw a pretty quick conclusion.

a reply to: LeviB

Their trucks tend to be older and beat to hell. And the oil field motto seems to be "drive it like you stole it".

a reply to: Zaphod58

I used to work in the oilfields. North Dakota and Montana with Halliburton and Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas with 2 smaller companies. I got out largely because I didnt want to drive in those conditions.

I have a cdl-a and tanker and drove occasionally when we moved from pad (well site) to pad or to our yard (office/truck storage area)

It's an interesting /dangerous mix of rough roads, new cdl drivers, the oilfield exemption from hours of service causing fatigue...

The frac, wireline, coiled tubing, workover, and cement guys drove very infrequently and many never got very proficient..

The sand, crude, and water haulers are often paid by the load..ans drive like LUNATICS to make more money.


Be safe out there..

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Neat trick for when you're learning to back in the articulated truck is to put your hand on the bottom of the wheel. If you do that, then you can turn the wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go. If you hold the wheel at the top, you have to turn it in under opposite direction to turn the trailer.

Thanks for the tip I'll remember this and I'd never let anyone reverse for me, the only way to learn and become experienced is to do it yourself

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

What I meant was when you're in a truck stop, or backing in at a door, you're going to feel pressure by other drivers to get backed in as quickly as possible. Screw them. If it takes you 10 minutes to back up without hitting anything, it takes 10 minutes. If it takes longer, so be it. Don't let them pressure you into rushing. Take as long as you need to do it safely.