What a night. It is without a doubt the toughest conditions I have ever driven in. A double decker artic in these conditions is not fun. Music by Eldar Kedem Somg... Present Moment
I myself was also driving in this neck of the woods late Tuesday night in a small Transit doing a delivery to Sunderland. Heading back down the A19 Back to South Wales. The A19 was at least quieter than the A1M but it was a white out all the way down with thick fog and a blizzard. I live in the lanes in Wales and have had to learn to drive in these conditions in the past. I carry a shovel, bucket of grit and snow chains. which I had to use on Saturday morning to get my truck onto the main road from the industrial estate I work from. Thanks for putting this film up as no one believes me what it was like.
I used to work in a glass factory in the Rhondda valleys, in the snow of 2013 I was asked by one of the bosses to ferry staff in and out of work through out the Rhondda as I had borrowed my dad's 4x4. I was driving through 3 foot snow with one of the best 4x4's I've ever driven, the old square Nissan Patrol Lwb. Bomb proof monsters. towing a coach up a hill with so much power and grip. also had to tow a number out artics with it. unbelieveable machines if you have the patients to handle it calmly.
I'm a bloody yank that has driven rigs (Lorries) here in the states. There was a time when we had real drivers, now most all drivers here in the states are wannabe's (think they are drivers). It's a bloody shame, it is. I left jolly old England in 1956. Good to see a video of a real driver, keep up the good work mate.
I enjoyed this video a lot, thank you for posting it. I am an hgv driver myself based in the east of England and I too have been struggling. We have been given dispensation from the D.O.T that allows us to extend our hours from 60 to 72 a week and reduced 9hr daily rests everyday. Plus 10 hrs driving extended to 11, during these extreme conditions. I've subbed to your channel. Cheers.
Very clean straight forward precise and highly professional (partial only) uncoupling procedure. Well done. We need more like you. There's so many unprofessionals bringing bad name to our industry.
Thank you Trucker Steve for taking time to make such an awesome RU-vid video! I feel like I'm sitting right next to you on the journey. Drive carefully always xn
Respect, I would have given up. Thank you to you and all the other lorry drivers out there who transport goods around our country so that we may enjoy the things you deliver. Stay safe
I don’t know if I could ever learn to drive on the left. Every time I saw headlights it looked like you were going to crash. That was awesome video. Gives me a healthy respect for what truckers on the road have to deal with.
I got used to it in 3 days. The problem is every time I return to Greece that I need a couple of days to remember how to drive on the right side of the road.
They obviously don't remember 1963 when there was REAL snow drifts ! Just a few tenths of an inch of snow and this entire country grinds to a halt - pathetic !
The live video feed from the M62 crash as load's of car's & lorry's all smashing in to the back of a crashed vehicle,caused the whole grid-lock for hour's apon hour's . Class Video and lived in S-Shields and never -ever seen snow like this ,as originally from Glasgow i thought i had seen heavy SNOW...WOW ....NICE VIDEO )
I used to do that with my wife before we had children. Even got stuck in the snow once at an uphill junction, giving way to a car. Traction control was defeated, lifting the axle didn't help, difflock wouldn't budge it. My last trick before backing up and charging at it was lowering the truck suspension and lifting the trailer suspension. Fully expecting that to fail, I couldn't believe how much extra grip it gave me, it even accelerated instead of spinning when I put my foot down firmishly. Of course it might have just been sheer dumb luck, but if all else fails it's worth a try.
Brilliant Steve. I learned loads about trucking that I never knew before. All we ever see is a truck on a road but there’s lots mor to it than I ever thought.
some horrific conditions there my hats off to you and all the other truckers keeping this country going during these conditions, well done, drive safe :)
Amazing video. Steve I hope the bosses in suits sat in their office and sleeping in there beds on a night get to see this video and appreciate your total commitment and driving skills. I have total respect for all you hgv drivers. Well done Steve you beat the beast.
Trucker Steve , thanks for the come back , I was I bit of a smart ass , in my comments , I know parts of the UK. Are very hilly and it's no joke driving in winter in the UK , I was on car carriers out of Oxford ,BMC Crowley . Back in the 60 's , but you guys haul all over the EU now all the best Steve ,
Good driving mate. Couldn't believe the car drivers switching lanes and overtaking! Biggest danger are the idiots on the road. Some in the small cars probably never experienced snow. Thought your pace and distance was spot on.
Very interesting video. We get a lot of conditions like this in Southern Ontario Canada. The difference is that we get way too much salt put down on the roads here, it freezes at the tarmac and turns the snow into heavy "brown sugar". I much prefer driving in the snow on plowed and not salted roads. Too many people here with inappropriate tires driving like it's a nice summer day.
I was out yesterday with the dog, and that wall of snow was coming straight at me. Dog wasn't impressed, nor was I. Bad time to get a hair cut. Drive safe buddy and keep your hat on.
I live in Siberia. We have a winter frost 60-65C (record -72,3 With). Snow can fill the house to the roof. Summer heat + 40C. Temperature changes more than 100C. And this is the norm for us. We live well and have fun.
I need a flask of hot chocolate just to watch this, greetings from California, ill stop complaining about bay area traffic, after seeing the weather conditions you have to drive in. Good to see you driving safe unlike that red semi passing you by, going to fast for conditions. Liking your choice of music. Be safe.
This is the sort of thing that people do not realise goes on.They think they can just go into a supermarket and buy whatever they want,whatever the weather.I can't stand the people that whinge because their online delivery has been postponed till the snow clears.There are some selfish people about.
I have 2 freezers and I keep them both well full.We get this weather every year and every year people still moan about it.It is not as if it has never snowed before.People should plan ahead.
it is the sad/funny part of human behavior, you know a cold front is comming so commen sence tells you to stock up, get cosy if you can and wait it out... and then there is always those that wait till the very last day and complain they are out of stock....
My wife works at Tesco and you would not believe some of the abuse the staff take from irate customers when a delivery is cancelled because of bad weather.I don't know how they put up with it.I would punch them and get sacked :)
I was on a team of farm contractors trying to reopen the a68 at corbridge it was amazing too see. Took us 7 days from starting on main roads to finishing the rural roads fair play at keeping the truck moving there where places that even our tractors started having problems sliding
Nice job mate, it would have been easy as to spin out and get stuck in those conditions but you feather-footed through it all and came out the other side smiling. I wish more people realised what you drivers do is what keeps this country working...
Fantastic video and great commentary. I was to truck down to Tralee from Belfast and back on Thursday/Friday. But boss cancelled, red weather warning due to snow storm Emma in ROI. Was looking forward to challenging my trucking capabilities in a snow storm. But safety is always first.
Did a night shift last night into this morning. Did a run to Glasgow and then Newhouse. It was getting that bad we thought we had to finish off in Penrith truck stop. They opened the 69 so we used that to get back to Gatenby. But I came across a jack knife lorry on the A1 just past scotch corner so I was sat for over an hour. I must have some bad infringements now.
Thank you forFor downloading the footage of how much HGV driver drives in bad weather I don’t know really really bad it was up north compare to what we are down in the south thank you very much for your view
" A Bit lengthy, Sorry " - Good Driving there Steve. That on and off snow, that you showed earlier, we call them Squalls. Sometimes, very intense winds mixed with snow, that, at times, you are lucky if you can see 10 feet in front, to nothing over the hood. Where I am in Southern Ontario, we have the Great lakes, Lake Huron/Georgian Bay to the North, Lake Ontario to the south of us, and until they freeze over for the winter, they are like a Snow Machine. Having the Sea not far from you anywhere in Britain, means those Sea Affects Squalls, are the humidity rising from the waters and dropping on land. When the sun went down, well, you saw the effects of no sun. Plus, you likely don't have the kinds of threads we have on Our Tires, ( Sorry Tyres ) so your traction would be limited. I saw the Bob-tail guy just before you finished the run. Phew, 10,000 pounds up front and 1,500 on the tail, in the snow, makes for Extreme trucking. Hit the brakes hard and you will spin so fast, you will never catch it. At least you had a load, and that is something. As a hint, when you get Track Snow, where your literally driving on the Ice path created, by the vehicles in front, place your truck into some of the snowed areas, it's not the best, but it will give you just that little bit of traction you may need, even in braking. Sometimes a little is a lot. I lived in England with my wife ( Who I British, I am Canadian) and we lived in Hoddesdon Herts. And before I left to come back to Canada, in the 8 years I lived there, the snow in winter was getting stronger and more intense. Which is telling me, England could be in for a cycle of Winter, not seen since the 60's. So before the winter come, get your self a good set tires, All Seasoned would be god for you. Snow Tires are a compound that works in temps below 7c and begin to melt above, so we throw on Summer tires for the rest of the year, or about 7 to 15 c. Anyway, sorry for keeping you, here you did a Great Job and as usual, the 4 wheelers are going way to fast for conditions, and do yourself a favour. Don't put your foot into the throttle too much, that kind of torque will spin you out real fast. you can catch a start of a Jackknife, but usually once the truck goes beyond the 1 O'clock position, it's a ride. what I mean by that is you Tractor is 12 and your rear of the trailer is 6, if the tractor points to 1 or 11 or 5 degrees, on the clock or the trailer does a 5 or 7, is when it can get hairy, it does not mean to quit, just keep off the gas and turn into the slide, and just hope. You still have that chance if your ever there. Drive Safe and Keep the Shiny Side Up and the Rubber Side Down... Keep On truckn' Steve. Be Safe Always, as we try to tell the Public, we do have families also, waiting for us.
Great video They should show videos like this when going for a hgv test etc because it's the weather truckers are expected to drive in which not every driver feels confident in driving in etc Transport offices should have socialmedia bods constantly watching twitter and fb so that they can keep their drivers up to date of the cause of the traffic jams etc because you get pics from other motorists passengers nearer the congestion etc which is handy but with drivers not being able to access it at the wheel etc Good info from your buddy tho which helps
Trucker Steve I mentioned you the other day in the comments section of a vlog I watch that was analysing RU-vid stats etc and that vlog needs more male viewers etc I did say about doing a blog on lobsters lol after yours went off the scale
Thank God my employer took the decision and sent us all home early yesterday, barely made it home before the worst of it hit. Parts of my garden are now 3 feet deep .... and it's still snowing here in Glasgow !!
Great video Steve , I did a lot of driving in Canada back in the 60's , when the temp got below -10C consistently for the winter it was as good as having grit on the road , good traction but up around the freezing temp was the most dangerous probably just like in the uK at the moment .
Magic song you used on the high speed @8 mins when the cab sound would have been distorted but who is it? A very long time ago I used to drive my uncle's Fodens and ERFs and loved it but wouldn't want to do it nowadays, far too much stress and too many idiots! Brilliant gentle snow driving with a lot of respect in your bubble of influence, very well driven!
John Brackenbury I hear you , I'm 50 years retired now. As a Trucker we take the good with the bad , 10 years in the UK and over 40 in Canada , not to smile but that is nothing compared with Canada , where are your snow ploughs? It was the fog in the UK that got me on edge , watch TJV. Trucker. On RU-vid , and Trucker. Indianajacktrucker ,
Tony Summers even getting home after the yard was fun lol. Was so glad when I walked in the door. Big hug off the Mrs and a cold one and I was sorted lol
Wow that's not snow lol, come up to Scotland and see the snow :P, we have about 4 ft of it, but being serious driving any vehicle in that weather is hell, I know I have to use my MotorBike to get around, and it aint easy. Thank for sharing this with us Steve :D
Well Steve for someone who has not driven in snow with an artic you did it well low rev on the hills i have tramp the roads for 40 years and i love the snow.
freaks me out ya'll driving on the wrong side of the road he heee Truck driving was my motor home! Seeing the country side, good places to eat meeting new people Then the idiots took over> Now i hate it! Hate all the silly ass laws DOT! Company DISPATCHES , Safety Dept, PLANERS! Customer F EM ALL! Threw the keys at em! You drive it !
In Canada, they get this and much much worse every year and still drive their trucks at 70mph on it. Nice video and good driving driver, got her back in one piece with the rubber still on the ground. Liked.
Hi Steve. Much respect to all the truckers out there delivering our goods. What is the name of the tune at the end of your VLOG? Thanking you in advance
Hi you did very well getting through that I don't envy your job on a night like that, but you treated the conditions with respect and just took it steady the way it should be done. What always worries me is the idiots out there that are just to arrogant or stupid to slow down, In this recent weather I've only driven locally and I have a landrover but I still take it steady as I know ,some other don't seem to but even 4x4 aren't exempt from slipping and sliding and getting stuck or causing accidents, slow steady and try to keep moving like you did is the way to go, Anyway great vid thanks🙂👍
This winter has been really strange Steve man ..... it’s still daragging on here , just had a storm rip through Nebraska and Wyoming a few days ago and it brought a tornado to here in Van Buren , AR ..... stay safe
I agree loaded decker out of Birmingham pallet line hub destination Plymouth. 6 hours later managed to get into Gregory's yard at Cullompton at 2300, Plymouth defiantly a no go (they'd all gone home)A38 shut.. Snug as a rug for the night in Cullompton. Trucking eh!
I've been listening to the radio about how hard you got hit up there with that weather but this is the first time I've seen it. Us southern softies got off quite lightly yesterday & today. Apparently it's gonna hit us tomorrow (Friday 2nd) South West and Wales are on Red alert I think. South East and London are on Amber still. Stay safe lad!!
Hi Steve, another great vlog. I had similar problems yesterday got stuck three times in central Southampton, took 8hrs in gridlock traffic to get back to depot 10mls away. Lucky I wasn’t loaded, and took the flattest route. Stay safe bud. 👍🏻🚛😜
Well done. I didn’t realise you are from up this way! I’ve never driven an artic in bad weather but all sizes of rigid. I drove a gritter for Gateshead Council for eighteen seasons. Loved this type of weather back in the day. I drive an ally cat bin motor all year round for the same authority now and this weather is now a pain in the arse. Funny how points of view change depending on what you’re doing lol. Keep up the great work and I’ll subscribe now.
thanks for the upload Steve, I used to drive on that stuff in the 60,s ,had enough of it so came to Australia . no snow where I am now. stay safe mate , ex brit .
Forgive me I didn’t watch all of the video I skipped through but do these artic lorry’s ( forgive the pun) drive well in these conditions. Surly the weight of the lorry keeps it moving through the snow. The 1st beast from the east I saw a artic with trailer slowly going up a hill. The cab was sideways but front wheels aiming straight and the trailer in a normal position and this truck in 1st gear ( I presume) just slowly climbed this hill, a guy in a 4x4 pulled infront of him to offer a pull and the driver of the artic went mad and basically said get that 4x4 out my way as he was making progress without help, I was just curious that the shear weight and power of these trucks allows them to just plow through even If slowly through the snow.
Fowler Welch? I recognised the run in to Pattison industrial estate, and realised that you're probably doing the job I used to many years ago tripping the frozen food for Tesco. Driving a Fowler Welch double decker out from Washington was the first job I ever had after getting my class 1 - I was mortified of taking a wrong turn because it was so tall.
Yes, I'm good thanks. I rarely get to drive HGV these days but always loved driving in heavy snow. Fowler Welch has probably changed beyond all recognition since I was there - it was a rundown place surrounded by mud when I was there. I remember splitters and range changes giving about 16 gears on the old Scanias they had, and I never knew which gear I was in. I still remember that first day sweating it up the A1 and hoping it wasn't busy at the old Tesco Livingston site because I wasn't sure I could reverse it all that well in the dark.
So, everybody passed these embarrassing moments...... Do you see young drivers out there? The only advice my dad gave me. Always take your time when you are in the truck. Dont see how fast others do it, just get how they do it and one day you will do it as fast they can do it.
Great vlog Steve what a nightmare for you on the way back to base. You was lucky to get momentum on the incline when those cars was stop starting in front of you mate. Best way is to keep moving slowly when your able too saves spinning out then. You done well stay safe Steve.
