Are Eddie Stobart drivers "incentivised" to stick to a fairly strict schedule that doesn't make allowances for temporary speed limits, roadworks or other hold-ups?
Do you (as a commercial lorry driver) have any idea why some commercial lorry drivers might apparently deliberately exceed the temporary speed limit in bad weather?
For what it is worth, I do know what speed I was doing (based on a Sat-Nav unit); I did know what the (temporary) speed limit was, it was typically either 40 or 50 and I also know that in at least one case, a lorry which had hurtled up to and past me slowed down to the limit when we reached some average speed-limit cameras, making me suspect that he knew where he was likely to be detected.
I am just curious as to whether employers impose inflexible schedules on their drivers; I wasn't particularly bothered, just puzzled.
Stobart drivers are in no way incentivised to speed full stop.
Yes, we have tight delivery schedules to try to meet, that said, if were running late we simply inform our "Traffic Planner" so he/she is aware of the delay and can re-plan the vehicles run & the "Customer Services Dept" can contact the customer with either a revised e.t.a. or, re-book the delivery for another time and/or date.
Some other hauliers may well trying to meet "delivery windows" i.e. if the load gets there late, the haulier will get a financial penalty or, the load may be refused altogether, which itself causes further problems as the truck can't then go and get its next load! For whatever reason, the load may be late and the driver is trying to make up time. I'm not saying this makes speeding right, far from it, more trying to give you a possible explanation as to why they may feel the need for speed!
As far as bad weather is concerned, then its down to the stupidity of the driver! - A fully freighted artic takes a long time to stop in the wet, many drivers simply seem to disregard this although I do conceed that what may well seem bad weather / spray etc conditions to a car / van or bike is not much of an issue to a truck simply because you are sitting literally above the majority of the spray and have a far better view ahead than others around you.
Yes, many people percieve HGV's to be travelling faster in temporary limits, that said, in my limited experience of SAT-NAV's & trucks, the speed given on the GPS is generally slower than the speed registered on the calibrated tachograph, especially with digital tachographs for some reason.
I Say limited with regard to SAT-NAV's as I personally don't own one as I feel the take a lot away from driving (like remembering routes and learning to use a map!) but, if I get a truck that has one fitted, I usually try it even if its to see what absurd route it suggests for my 44tonner - even the ones designed for HGV's are far from perfect, you hear of foreign HGV's getting stuck in small villages and narrow bends simply because Pedro the Spaniard could not be arsed to look at a map and appreciate that in actual fact his truck should not be anywhere near that given bottleneck, anyway, thats quite another thread!
It must be so tedious being limited to a speed so low like that, guess it feels quite slow when you're sitting high up aswell?
The sence of speed is totally different in a vehicle the size & weight of a six axle artic, and tbh, you notice very little perception of speed difference between 50 & 56 MPH. believe me, 50 - 56MPH is plenty fast enough with upto 44tons behind you on a trailer thats given to jack-knife under panic braking (especially on a bend in the wet) and thats assuming you have space to stop......
Its something you have to experience to fully appreciate imo.
