For some people, an HGV is an annoyance when they encounter one on the road. For others, they are a source of fear. It's easy to see why car drivers can be frustrated, as HGVs are big, slow, and unwieldy vehicles to deal with when driving. Yet HGV drivers are just workers doing transport contracts who want to arrive safe and sound - they aren't the enemy on the road!
Expert Author: Lyall Cresswell | Category: Business With the current state of the Royal Mail, and all the postal delays, you may feel that a chimpanzee would do a better job than your current postie, and who knows you could even be right. The truth is that animals have been working courier jobs for centuries, and as we've yet to see a Saint Bernard on strike it's likely that they'll be working a more reliable service than your average postman for many more...
Postman Pat is probably the most reliable, friendly and responsible postman in the world. And deep down, we all wish he was the one delivering our post, particularly given the current state of the British Royal Mail.
For as long as cars have been on the road, drivers have been adorning their windshields with lucky amulets designed to provide them with safety on their long journeys. These amulets differ throughout the world, from the evil eyes of Turkey and the Middle East to the slightly stranger rabbit feet often used as a talisman in Europe. So whether you're thinking of getting a mascot to guide you on your self-employed courier job, or already have one dangling from your windshield and just want to know the meaning, our guide will help you to discover the true meaning behind your chosen charm...
Whether it is through luck or fate, lorries just seem to keep finding their way to the centre of the most bizarre news stories and urban myths around the internet. Weird and wonderful, strange and terrible, the crazy lorry stories just keep appearing. There certainly are some strange lorry stories out there – bee filled lorry crashes, chocolate powered lorries, and even a church that was moved 100 miles on the back of a lorry!
Most lorry drivers transport ordinary goods to their destination, pickup their backload if they’ve arranged one, and drive back. Most will need some kind of identification, even if it’s only a name tag, or possibly a security pass. Few will need armed guards or refractive armour, but some do, and these are the truck and lorry drivers that transport hazardous and life threatening loads.
The British Army is modern and fully mechanised, with rapid response and fast troop transport the world over. But to be able to maintain and service such a mobile force needs a similarly mobile logistical organisation. We have a look at the interesting world of the Army’s logistical corps and the lorries that they use to keep the armed forces going.
It has been a tough year for UK lorry drivers, with fuel prices fluctuating and the Low Emission Zone opening, but there has been a lighter side to the news too. The Managing Director of the Transport Exchange group lists the most unusual lorry stories to make the headlines this year...
Expert Author: Lyall Cresswell | Category: Games Lorries are an every day sight on our roads and motorways, ubiquitous in modern life and a common sight (and sometimes annoyance) for drivers. A lorry in the next lane is as much a part of road life as cat’s eyes or yellow speed cameras. But these haulage giants have become more than just a part of our road life – they are a cultural symbol and are frequently seen on our cinema and PC screens. We take a look at the latter, and count down the top five uses of lorries, lorry drivers and general purpose road haulage vehicles in computer games.
Expert Author: Lyall Cresswell | Category: Business As times get tighter and costs fluctuate, companies are rightly worried about profit margins and staying afloat. While many companies try to pass the effects of these changing costs onto the customer, the widely varied price elasticity of demand for products means that often these fluctuations (in real terms) of price can’t be passed on to customers; i.e, changes in price mean a steep or shallow rise or fall in demand for your product depending on what the product is.
On a long haul road haulage job, a lorry driver can be on the road for days or even weeks. That’s a long time for something to go wrong with your lorry – and if you are stuck by the side of the road waiting for help and paying for repairs, you and your company will be losing time and money.
The world of haulage and lorry driving has never been seen as the most glamorous, despite there being some truly memorable lorries in the world of film and television. Here are 5 of my favourites...
There are plenty of lorry jobs around for those with the experience and the skills, but how do you make sure you stand out from the other candidates? The Managing Director of a leading freight exchange demonstrates how your CV can land you that haulage job interview...
I’ve written about lorry driver urban legends before, but they just keep cropping up all over the internet. I’m not sure quite why lorry drivers and their vehicles often seem to be at the centre of these kinds of stories - my theory is that it’s the lorry drivers themselves who spread them while running haulage jobs and return loads all over the world! Perhaps it is just that many urban legends take place on the road, and lorry drivers make for convenient and plausible participants.
If you read any lorry-centric news sites at the moment, you’ll be aware that times are not exactly good. Fuel prices are higher than ever, there are taxes to enter major city centres and to top it all off the whole world is suffering from an economic downturn. The big companies will manage to get through this, no doubt, but what about the independent lorry drivers - the owner operators? It’s going to be a struggle for some of them undoubtedly, but cutting down on unnecessary expenses can allow them to fight another day.
Looking to boost the profits of your haulage company, or just trying to survive in an increasingly competitive marketplace? Learn more about return loads and groupage, two of the essential ways of improving haulage efficiency.
If you think of lorry drivers in England, you probably get the same common stereotype in your head – a middle aged white man. There’s a good reason for that – they dominate the industry. Of course, the problem with this status quo is that an industry cannot survive on those in their middle age, and it’s estimated that around 80,000 of them could be retiring in the next 10 years – with nobody to replace them. The haulage industry needs to fish outside its usual demographic to secure its future. Could you be the sort of person that’s suited to a job in the road haulage industry?
Expert Author: Lyall Cresswell | Category: Music 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...
