Hardest vehicle to drive

[Ako Si Jamie]

Someone once told me that a butchers wagon was the hardest thing to drive because of the swinging carcasses in the back transferring the weight around.

I'd imagine though that farm and plant machinery was quite difficult too.

Anyone had any experience with driving different kinds of vehicles/machinery?

[grahamw48]

I have driven all sizes of HGV vehicles and also had a plant operators 'card' for driving dump trucks of all sizes (artic' 6x6 ones and 4x4 up to 200 ton or more), Back hoes (excavators) and Front Loaders.

HGVs not much fun in today's traffic, and pay is rubbish for the skills involved.

Big dump trucks are nice, but lots of greasing before starting work. Scary at first, especially when tipping a load over a 100ft drop. Everyone gets out of your way. :biggrin:

Excavators need lots of practice and skill. Biggest I've driven weighed 60 tons, you could fit a kingsize bed or 4 tons in the bucket and could reach down and dig you a hole nearly 30ft deep. :smile:
This is the actual one...

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http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/4926/hdlp.jpg

Front loaders not too bad...got to be quick and accurate. They articulate in the middle, so can work fast in tight spaces.

This is like the one I used to drive...30 tons weight. Good for shifting stuff. :smile:
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http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/1606/ai2o.jpg

My friend drove dozers and graders, as well as the vehicles I drove, and he reckoned those two were the most difficult to master.

[fred]

I would have trouble backing up in a single trailer.. But this?:Cuckoo:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0ZyhwBeDA00-HXE1-fw6TtzCTglq5IK5Mwv1_CemWcEaPg07p

[London_Manila]

Any articulated trailer with a single axle right at the back is a pain in the ass to reverse
cuts corners badly when going forward also
Old hgv's with "dave brown" crash gearboxes were never much fun either

[Arthur Little]

:olddude: ... I don't even have a Driving Licence :nono-1-1: ... so ALL motor vehicles as far as I'm concerned.

[imagine]

I have driven all sizes of HGV vehicles and also had a plant operators 'card' for driving dump trucks of all sizes (artic' 6x6 ones and 4x4 up to 200 ton or more), Back hoes (excavators) and Front Loaders.

HGVs not much fun in today's traffic, and pay is rubbish for the skills involved.

Big dump trucks are nice, but lots of greasing before starting work. Scary at first, especially when tipping a load over a 100ft drop. Everyone gets out of your way. :biggrin:

Excavators need lots of practice and skill. Biggest I've driven weighed 60 tons, you could fit a kingsize bed or 4 tons in the bucket and could reach down and dig you a hole nearly 30ft deep. :smile:
This is the actual one...

Front loaders not too bad...got to be quick and accurate. They articulate in the middle, so can work fast in tight spaces.

This is like the one I used to drive...30 tons weight. Good for shifting stuff. :smile:
.
My friend drove dozers and graders, as well as the vehicles I drove, and he reckoned those two were the most difficult to master.

no parking problems with these tho :biggrin:

[stevewool]

drawbars with a Aframe trailer o what fun they are to reverse

[Ako Si Jamie]

drawbars with a Aframe trailer o what fun they are to reverseI bet these are too :icon_lol:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W4_84c8w68

[Ako Si Jamie]

I have driven all sizes of HGV vehicles and also had a plant operators 'card' for driving dump trucks of all sizes (artic' 6x6 ones and 4x4 up to 200 ton or more), Back hoes (excavators) and Front Loaders.

HGVs not much fun in today's traffic, and pay is rubbish for the skills involved.

Big dump trucks are nice, but lots of greasing before starting work. Scary at first, especially when tipping a load over a 100ft drop. Everyone gets out of your way. :biggrin:

Excavators need lots of practice and skill. Biggest I've driven weighed 60 tons, you could fit a kingsize bed or 4 tons in the bucket and could reach down and dig you a hole nearly 30ft deep. :smile:
This is the actual one...

.
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/4926/hdlp.jpg

Front loaders not too bad...got to be quick and accurate. They articulate in the middle, so can work fast in tight spaces.

This is like the one I used to drive...30 tons weight. Good for shifting stuff. :smile:
.
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/1606/ai2o.jpg

My friend drove dozers and graders, as well as the vehicles I drove, and he reckoned those two were the most difficult to master.Was this at the construction of Hong Kong airport?

[grahamw48]

Was this at the construction of Hong Kong airport?

Yes, and also on other projects there, plus working for a plant hire company here in the UK.

When I was in my early 20s I used to drive HGVs delivering truck and earthmover tyres. :)

[stevewool]

I bet these are too :icon_lol:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W4_84c8w68

driving is easy its reversing thats hard ,

[Ako Si Jamie]

driving is easy its reversing thats hard ,That's what put me off going for my HGV, reversing down narrow streets etc. I'm only good at reversing in a vehicle when I can see out the back window. :icon_lol:

[grahamw48]

One of the HK airport (under runway) 'cut and cover' tunnels being constructed. View from my cab.

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http://imageshack.us/a/img51/3813/91ys.jpg

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Lunch time: :smile:

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http://imageshack.us/a/img12/5682/os0n.jpg

[grahamw48]

Nice video 'CV' here...:smile:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0NRIRIBlr8

[stevewool]

my first bike was hard to ride but a few hours later i was brilliant:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Ako Si Jamie]

Nice video 'CV' here...:smile:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0NRIRIBlr8I was expecting to see a Russian HGV driver! :cwm24:

[Ako Si Jamie]

Anyone fancy driving a Dumaguete fire truck?

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/CatsMeow_07/Vehicles/IMG_5214.jpg

[grahamw48]

Only if it's a Bar-B-Q that needs putting out. :icon_lol:

[Terpe]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XD2dt_UQlkE/T22WYIjerJI/AAAAAAAAAEc/-PWDbDKHsHw/s1600/big-cool-white-vehicle.jpg

[Terpe]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_15oQhLFqIzs/TFB3qzbuPhI/AAAAAAAADT4/fMDTmEFt3ts/s1600/big_truck_1.jpg

[grahamw48]

Looks like the chassis cab of a Caterpillar 797 dump truck Peter.

If you want to read some jumbo figures....here they are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_797

The latest ones carry a 400 ton load....about the same weight as a diesel loco with 10 passenger carriages...or a couple of empty 747 Jumbo jets. :)

[Ako Si Jamie]

I bet those tyres cost a lot.

[grahamw48]

42,000 dollars each + £6,000 to fill the 1000 gallon fuel tank. :yikes:

I'd love to drive one that big. Biggest I've driven is a 777D.

Here's the Company spec. :smile:

(press the specification tab at the top of the page, and you'll realise when I laugh at people who call those little pickups with fat wheels 'monster trucks' ).

The 797 is 32 feet WIDE.

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http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=413188&x=7

(http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=413188&x=7)

[Ako Si Jamie]

Looks a bit dinky in that pic so I found a vid.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk1_ZrwRMIc

[grahamw48]

Yeah...I've worked near them, and they're the size of a detached house. :cwm24:

Don't bother going to kwikfit to get those 4+ tons (each) tyres changed either. :icon_lol:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmFiOnJ8yfQ#at=111