[bhavik.1991]

Originally Posted by BLACKBLADE

Just conveys the message beautifully, summarized in a few words. Nice perspective too. The food, the clothes and almost all the products that we use must have been transported by a trucker at some point of time, either as raw material or as finished goods! Indeed truckers drive the nation's economy. Their purpose is larger, just like the trucks they drive, touching the lives of millions.

Heck, even the cars other drivers are driving is most likely to be transported from the factory to the stockyard by a trucker.

Respect to the hard working community.

[salilpawar1]

Well, I have been a trucker all my life (in the virtual world )

I have been playing simulation games made by SCS software for the past decade.

The latest is Euro Truck Simulator 2

https://youtu.be/xlTuC18xVII

Even though it is much easier considering these are European trucks and in the virtual world, a long haul journey of driving for hours can still be very stressful even in the game!

Over the years, Indian modders have added Indian busses, trucks and Asian maps too as unofficial mods.

SCS also had another simpler version called Extreme Trucker 2 which had Bangladesh locales and Tata trucks.

https://youtu.be/Q7QXWqMZmq8

[benbsb29]

I agree with the points mentioned by many about how highway truckers are usually quite disciplined, and also do their bit to help make an overtaking maneuver easier. Some use the right indicator to indicate that its safe to overtake, some wave their hand to allow access. I usually wave a thank you to thank them for their consideration after the overtake.

Interestingly i saw the same behavior on Australian highways too. This is a pic i had clicked while the car in front of me was indicated to overtake on a single laned highway.

Taken from this thread/post : Exploring Australia

[am1m]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I agree with the points mentioned by many about how highway truckers are usually quite disciplined, and also do their bit to help make an overtaking maneuver easier.

Completely agree. I've ridden my bike quite a bit on highways all over the country and as the smallest vehicle on the road, I'm always a bit cautious when overtaking or being overtaken at high speeds. I've always found the truckers the most gentlemanly when it comes to road manners. In fact, I'm not at all nervous when I see a truck in my rear view mirrors or right in front of me. I give a wide berth to fancy sedans where unpredictable lane swerves, reckless acceleration and random braking when the 'family' suddenly decides they have to stop at that restaurant are pretty much the norm with those guys!

[RGK]

Interesting thread blackblade.

I never honk and show my respect towards them when two trucks go in parallel on a national highway. Will wait till one of them go past the other. Many thank by tapping the horn to give a polite toot when I overtake them.

[Theyota]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I agree with much of what is on this thread, but have to bring forth another supposedly vital sector that is treated even worse - construction workers. No one even keeps track of deaths on construction sites in India.

Or another vital sector - sanitation workers.

How about school teachers in general?

We may reach Mars, ride in hyper loops and bullet trains and live in gated housing complexes, but this schizophrenic behaviour is not sustainable over a long term in this age of information connectedness. A day will come when we are presented with the bill for this kind of development and behaviour.

What truck drivers see is just one aspect of the Indian ground reality.

There is no denial of any of the issues you have raised especially when we hear so much about deaths due to manual scavenging in this day and age. It is just that this board is about automobiles and all things automobiles related. Therefore it is particularly important issues related to trucking industry and truckers specifically are raised on this board to create awareness.

[sandx]

While going through a report on the frequent accidents on Yamuna Expressway, came across these lines which aptly describes and relates to this thread's headline:

Quoting as is: "The wire-cutters are used to disentangle the truck which had partially fallen on barbed wire. The truck is straightened and on the back you read the ironic line: "Driver phute tere karam, khana khate kabhi kabhi, sona agle janam (O luckless driver, you will only get to eat occasionally, and never get to sleep)." The cranes carry the vehicles off the road. Amidst all this, the EcoSport windshield wiper keeps moving. By 3 am, all lanes have reopened."

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/63404834.cms

[Who_are_you]

Short documentry about life of truck drivers in India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_l-HaIGsw0

[sunishsamuel]

I have some questions for the experts:

1) Why are the trucks consistently having electrical issues ? I see brand new Tata, Bharat Benz trucks with busted headlights (they are not broken/smashed) just that they don't work. Same story with tail lamps. Any specific reasons ? I am pretty sure this is causing great inconvenience to the drivers as well as public.

2) Why do truckers drive around their vehicles with tyres that are in extremely poor condition ? Few of the trucks did not even cover 5000kms, so I am wondering why this happens ?

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

I have some questions for the experts:

1) Why are the trucks consistently having electrical issues ? I see brand new Tata, Bharat Benz trucks with busted headlights



2) Why do truckers drive around their vehicles with tyres that are in extremely poor condition ? Few of the trucks did not even cover 5000kms, so I am wondering why this happens ?

Not just trucks, even state transport buses and intra-city private buses don't have working tail lights or indicators most of the time. Probably they are of poor quality to begin with and secondly, since their running is more (compared to the average private car), they reach their end of life fairly quickly and don't get replaced.
This brings to the second point, there must be some underground market for the tyres and other components. Like they are taken on rent and fitted to get the fitness cirtificate and then replaced with the old ones to reduce the overall running cost. Maybe done by the drivers, or the owners themselves, or both.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

I have some questions for the experts:

1) Why are the trucks consistently having electrical issues ? I see brand new Tata, Bharat Benz trucks with busted headlights...

I'll throw some light on this:

It might seem a little absurd, but I know a distant relative who's a teacher in a government school in rural TN. She says that many workshops on the highway side are part of a nexus for selling out parts like bulbs, small rubber parts etc. She knows this as kids have told her about the work their parents do.

[condor]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

... many workshops on the highway side are part of a nexus for selling out parts like bulbs, small rubber parts etc.

Does this mean that the drivers themselves sell the parts from their trucks ? So who buys them ?

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by BLACKBLADE

Rightly said . A 'Thank You' surely would give a little spark of happiness for them.

'Beep Beep'. That's how we do it in the hills and in return you get a single 'Beep' or rather a loud 'phom' as acknowledgement from the truckers.

But in cities people are so busy even to thank.

Well, a majority of today's drivers (current generation) are absolutely clueless about the thanking gesture.

I've got surprised looks and responses from co-passengers to the likes of, "Oh, I did'nt know you had trucker friends", "What's wrong with you?"

People today are so proud of being constantly busy, and convince themselves that they are above all. And then, exasperatingly go seeking inner peace!

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

1) Why are the trucks consistently having electrical issues ? I see brand new Tata, Bharat Benz trucks with busted headlights (they are not broken/smashed) just that they don't work. Same story with tail lamps. Any specific reasons ? I am pretty sure this is causing great inconvenience to the drivers as well as public.

All components in trucks and buses are very heavy duty, and designed to last a very long time. But these are not Vandal proof. Just a few days back I was driving in the slow lane between Satara and Karad as my car was in limp mode and anything above 1800rpm (85 kph) was lighting up the check engine light. A Bharat Benz truck overtook me quiet slowly must have been at 90, and due to incessant honking by a few cars behind him took to the LH lane. This angered local two wheeler riders, one of who overtook both me and the truck from the left, and blocked him forcing both of us to stop.
they threatened both me and the trucker, then smashed his LH mirror and then one of them reached in from the LH front wheel arch and ripped out the wiring loom. This did not break, at most the ties holding it must have snapped. But i dont expect a loom not in its place to last more than a few 1000 km. Nor do I expect the trucker to get it repaired.

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

2) Why do truckers drive around their vehicles with tyres that are in extremely poor condition ? Few of the trucks did not even cover 5000kms, so I am wondering why this happens ?

This is something i've never observed except for local brick sand and rubble trucks. Most on highway trucks, even some that we hire always have good tires and power train. The body and electrical are never maintained though.


Rahul

[sachinnair]

Originally Posted by condor

Does this mean that the drivers themselves sell the parts from their trucks ? So who buys them ?

Large fleet owners employ drivers to drive their trucks. Most of them complain that the drivers "steal diesel". This is usually done by siphoning off diesel from the diesel tank and selling it to other drivers at less than the price at the pump and pocketing the money. They later tell the owner the diesel mileage of the truck is lesser than whatever it is.

The buyer in this case is usually single truck owner who drives his own truck. He is happy to buy diesel at a lesser rate.

Probably the same thing happens to other parts also. Sadly, drivers and owners have an antagonistic relationship, but cannot do without the other. Drivers may take their petty revenge by selling off such things like batteries etc. Even if they fail, the owner may not be able to attribute it to a particular driver.