HR trucks

[Brissieboy]

oh dear,
I just had to do a refresher for my HR at work .. the first thing my Teacher Examiner said to me if you do not use your clutch every change instant failure.
and then gave me a thing to read from Fuller transmissions . I had a bit of trouble remembering to clutch .. but got it . It was a new Isuzu with an 18 speed . . the highlight was a few hours on the skid pan going sideways ..

And 'palming' the wheel is another big no-no at testing time but done by virtually everyone on the road.

[dom14]

And 'palming' the wheel is another big no-no at testing time but done by virtually everyone on the road.

What is "palming the wheel" mate?

[the evil twin]

Using pressure from the palm of your hand to 'spin' the wheel rather than gripping it in your hands

[Brissieboy]

Using pressure from the palm of your hand to 'spin' the wheel rather than gripping it in your hands

Yep, that's it. Trucks have quite a few of turns of the steering wheel from lock to lock so it is MUCH quicker and easier while maneuvering to just rotate it using the palm of your hand than taking the full grip required by those in authority.

[dom14]

Using pressure from the palm of your hand to 'spin' the wheel rather than gripping it in your hands

That's good to know. I've seen some truckies do that with their super super power steering wheels.

I'm trying to remember whether I do that. I don't do that with the Patrol, 'cos the power steering is bit too tight to do that. I have a vague memory of "palming the wheel" of some forklifts when I was driving a one ages ago.

[dom14]

Yep, that's it. Trucks have quite a few of turns of the steering wheel from lock to lock so it is MUCH quicker and easier while maneuvering to just rotate it using the palm of your hand than taking the full grip required by those in authority.

Ok, cool. If I understood you correctly, it's ok and sometime necessary in the real world, but don't do it with the testing instructor?

[Brissieboy]

Ok, cool. If I understood you correctly, it's ok and sometime necessary in the real world, but don't do it with the testing instructor?

Well it's not really necessary, just convenient. And it is definitely NOT OK - you should have both hands with a good grip of the wheel at all times except when you need to do something like change gear, use indicators, wipers, jakes, etc. This is just another example of where the real world and the rules clash a bit.
It is also a no-no to leave your hand resting on the gear lever when not actually changing gear for the same reason.
Even in a car you are supposed to have both hands on the wheel even when stopped at lights or stationary in traffic etc.

[dom14]

Well it's not really necessary, just convenient. And it is definitely NOT OK - you should have both hands with a good grip of the wheel at all times except when you need to do something like change gear, use indicators, wipers, jakes, etc. This is just another example of where the real world and the rules clash a bit.
It is also a no-no to leave your hand resting on the gear lever when not actually changing gear for the same reason.
Even in a car you are supposed to have both hands on the wheel even when stopped at lights or stationary in traffic etc.

Totally agree. We(speaking for myself) develop bad habits. I tend to rest my right arm on the door rest and steer. I rarely use both hands to steer unless it's critical, and only realize the importance of having both hands in an emergency situation where I only have a fraction of a second to correct the direction by steering the right way. I guess we don't see Formula 1 - Grand Prix drivers with a one hand on the wheel for a good reason. Faster the speed, more important it is obviously. I've never seen my military trained cousin driving the way I do. I think the bigger the vehicle, having both arms on the steering wheel becomes more important, obviously.

[the evil twin]

Size and speed of the vehicle is totally irrelevant.

If you don't have both hands on the wheel you do NOT have control of the vehicle.
Only exception is if you need a hand to operate another function of the vehicle like gears or whatever and the hand should be returned to the wheel ASAP.

Failure to maintain control is an immediate 'not yet competent' on any and all Students I assess in Driving Assessments.
... and adjusting mirrors etc MUST be done prior to moving off or you get a NYC for that as well as 'Failure to maintain' for taking a hand off when moving.

[4bye4]

Hey Dom, I usually stay out of these things as more people usually just means more opinions and no answers. In this case though ill offer the following opinion. Your idea about "resting" your hands and not using both hands on the wheel is a bad idea, not just in an emergency situation. In my opinion, if you are "resting" your hands, you are probably also "resting" the rest of your body including your brain, thus increasing your reaction time, potentially making a minor incident, like a sudden jar from the road, or a tyre blow out into and emergency while you try and figure out what happened and then get your hands onto the wheel to correct. It is not only speed that plays a part in this as you quote the example of F1, but all driving when you may encounter a sudden change of condition, as a tyre blow out , or off road in a descent or ascent when a drop off or large rock can change your direction unless you are both mentally and physically ready to react. Falling off the track off road at 2km per hour can kill you as effectively as driving off the track in F1 at 200km per hour. In other words you really should be as alert and ready to react in all driving conditions, and not "resting" behind the wheel. I have been driving for 50 years and have been involved in 6 crashes. Two of these were my fault, and both caused by inattention, that is I was mentally somewhere else instead of behind the wheel and failed to react to a situation.
Bottom line in my opinion is drive the way you do your test or when you think the boss is watching.