Did you ever do a pickup at a place called Patchwork Foods for Langdons?
Lorry Driver!
- Thread starter SamMillarF1
- Start date
Did you ever do a pickup at a place called Patchwork Foods for Langdons?
A perception within the industry that they have driven many hauliers out of business by cutting down rates, whilst I understand this to a degree, I don't think its correct, not to mention Stobart have a lot of competition who will do the very same thing to win a contract - Great Bear Distribution for example have just gained a large contract for Unilever, from Stobart, I think its called business....
The TV show has not helped at all either, a lot of truck drivers especially seem to think its a serious "fly on the wall" show, when in fact its the usual Channel 5 drivel!!!
Not me personally.
Then again... How long ago re we talking ? And where are Patchwork foods ?
I ask because i used to be on days (about 7 years ago) and collected from a great many places... But I've been to bed (numerous times) since then and can't recall that name !
btw.. I've even "agencied" @ Corby Chilled who were a pretty good company until they got into bed with Tesco's
Been driving Volvo fire appliances for the last 20 years, passed out as a driver/operator of one of these last week:-
Quite a different beast to drive compared to a standard fire appliance. Carries a 26 ton demountable pod which is ridiculously top heavy but despite that the MAN is a fairly quick bit of kit for its bulk.
I've always wondered, what the hell do the fire brigade actually keep in those things ?
I've seen huge processions of them before, usually about 3 or 4 in convoy with other vehicles, command units, fire commanders etc..
Surely you don't need 3 or 4 containers full of hoses and ladders ?
We got them here, a prime mover with a collection of different pods, like Chemical Incident Unit, Damage Control Unit,High volume pump.
EDIT: See this link.
http://www.romar.org.uk/page130.html
Last edited:
It's in North Wales, in Ruthin. Used to work there till 2005 and they used Langdons for their Irish deliveries.
Thank you.
You get that in any industry. Unhooking trailers etc seems an exceptionally dangerous way of getting even.
Last edited:
Cheers for that.
Yorkshire has a similar setup to this one:
http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/usarvehicles2
According to this it looks like the West Yorkshire Urban Search and Rescue service has 5 of them. Knew i'd seen pretty big convoys of them floating about !
http://www.firewestyorkshire.com/usarnewdimensionwyfr.htm
*edit* lol just noticed the one in Draeger's photo belongs to West Yorkshire
Not me personally.. I "did" North Wales whilst working pre-Langdons
ie:
RPC Containers
Castle Cement
Pc Howard
We all know they're driven by the Navitron Autodrive System, there's no fooling us !!!
MW
Another question for your lorry drivers. Why do a lot of you feel the need to flash your headlights at me when I pull in front of you after overtaking you? I understand why you do this for other lorries who are creeping past you but the speed differential between your lorry and my car is such that by the time you have reacted and flashed I am so far ahead of you that your actions are somewhat inconsequential to me.
The ambulance services have a similar sort of scheme called HART, Hazardous Area Response Team.
I very much doubt it's being done for your benefit.
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 2,716
- Location
- Glasgow
Could you give me a lift from Leeds to EK or the reverse journey? 
Smart car = 2.5m
Jaguar XJ = 5.247m
Car lengths = ???
However yeah would be good to know!
Ideally, 100ft at least - which is still less than twice the length of your average artic....
Many though - trucks included - seem to think under 10 is fine!?!
Ideally, 100ft at least - which is still less than twice the length of your average artic....
Many though - trucks included - seem to think under 10 is fine!?!
When I see them full in my mirrors as told when I was learning to drive.
Yep, initially all MAN Prime Mover vehicles were purchased and supplied to Fire Authorities by Central Government as part of the New Dimension project after 9/11. There were row upon row of them, literally hundreds sat down at Moreton-in-Marsh at the Fire Service College. However now any additional Prime Movers are purchased by the relevant fire authority. I don't have any images of our new one as yet, I'll grab a few and post them back when I'm back on duty next week.
The UK Fire & Rescue Service utilises the demountable pod system for many different functions. USAR - Urban Search & Rescue, HVP - High Volume Pumps, Hoselayers, Heavy Technical Rescue and Welfare to name a few.
I'm a Crew Commander at a USAR station and within the pod you will find thousands of pounds worth of equipment such as breaking and breaching kit which can cut through concrete, steel etc, hot cutting equipment, life detection equipment (audio), various types of search cams including waterproof ones, gas detection equipment, SCBA sets, heavy hydraulic jacks, timber cutting equipment and nailguns, LED lighting and generators the list goes on. I often LOL at people making comments (some of which I've seen on these boards) about 'lazy firemen, if you don't like the job then leave and let someone else do it, can't be difficult'.
Most members of the public have absolutely no idea whatsoever just how technical our job is nowadays or how much training we do to maintain our skills.
Indeed. Up here they are called SORT - Special Operations Response Teams.
Last edited:
- Joined
- 4 Jan 2013
- Posts
- 3,783
I could see it being a nice job to do occasionally as it would allow you to skill up or explore interests and what not as you're driving, but I wouldn't want to do it for any length of time.
Can't see any social side to the job, it's pretty unskilled (for the most part) and I guess its hard to get out of it.
Can't see any social side to the job, it's pretty unskilled (for the most part) and I guess its hard to get out of it.