BBC Top Gear and trucks... did it do us any favours, wonders Biglorryblog?

Clarkson was obviously not wearing his seat belt, and he should have been. I'd like to know just how much was staged and how much was pure incomptance. They should have sent him round central London, like I have to !!!

It did not show us as drivers in any better light. All it proved that 3 idiots can't drive trucks !

BLB
Top Gear,haven't laughed so much for years,as for our reputation,do we have one,didn't even come into it.
But Jeremy if my memory serves me right can actually drive an artic,I seem to remember him driving while doing the publicity for the introduction of the Scania 4 series,first time I heard Scania called 'SCARNIA'.
Must be how posh people talk just like you B.
Can I congratulate Toyota for giving young Lewis the world title,they must really dislike Ferrari,maybe Lewis next year will win on his own accord.World champion at driving round an almost deserted,rather wide one way street quickly,must feel great.
The Boss

I thought lasts night Top Gear was brilliant,I don't think anybody would look apon that as what lorry drivers are really like.

Last of the Summer Wine (Compo, Clegg & Foggy) takes to the road. I think theyre getting a bit past their sell by date.

I don't drive an HGV but I do enjoy reading/watching/learning about the subject.

Top Gear last night was fantastic - great fun and very funny with the HGV segment being the pick of the bunch.

Some of the jokes were close to the mark, but only if you take life far too seriously. Otherwise it was great fun and as BLB says, hardly designed to be representative of the industry.

This discussion was already going on the truck drivers forums before the programme was aired.

Most drivers seem to feel that as entertainment it was pretty funny, and it was not to be taken as a serious piece of TV journalism. Some feel that parts of it did show how difficult driving an LGV is to the general driving population.

As one driver put it, each week Clarkson rips into some segment of the community, Belgians, OAP's, caravan owners this week it was truck drivers its part of his act. If you wanted serious motoring items watch 5th gear, but I warn you its as dull as dish water compared to Top Gear.

For myself I missed most of it, but out of the bits I did see I was concerned about the images of trucks crashing through portakabins and walls etc, the idea that limiters could be removed, and some of Clarksons more over the top comments about truckdrivers, but I have to admit...

I laughed..... A LOT

BLB
Can I merely retort to the visit by Rikki Chequer,there are Blog sites and THE Blog site,come again soon.
The Boss

One of the contributors to the TruckNet thread linked to this old Laurie Driver strip from Viz comic - in bad taste, but very funny...

Well as a comedy spot it hit the mark, myself, the dragon and the dogs have not laughed so much on a Sunday for a long time!!

How many hid behind the sofa when the Hamster managed to put the trailer on its legs twice!!

But I must say it did not suprise me to see the ERF come out top for speeding.

A good slap in the face for our industry however, if only one young person decides to join the industry after watching the show then it was worth the humiliation.

After all who does stand up to promote our professional image?
Clarkson & co achived more publicity being stupid in 20min, than our trade associations manage in 1 year!

As others have said, you can't take the challenges on Top Gear seriously. It is pure entertainment, and is not intended to be anything else at the end of the day. Anyone who's seen a few of their other challenges - tractors, crossing the channel in modified cars, people carrier racing etc - can testify to that.

As for saying they should try driving round central London...as self-professed incompetent fools, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Why do you think the whole affair was performed on private land/test tracks?

For my part, I thought the show was as hilarious as usual. Clarkson is not renowned for being politically correct, and the show would frequently be less funny if he were. I'm sure we've all laughed at jokes made about other sectors of society, so can you seriously then complain when it's your turn?

I watched the show lastnight and as a Transport Manager, I must admit I found the show both hilarious and informative (to a point).

I think it would have been better had they stated limiters are a legal requirement and it is illegal to tamper with this. As veiwers not familiar with the industry wouldn't have a clue what it is about. The driving through portacabins etc I thought was both good and interesting as it highlights the power of trucks and the damage they can cause and whilst JC wasn't wearing a seatbelt I thought this also come across well in showing that lorry drivers can get hurt!!!!

Never laughed so much and thought the entertainment value was brilliant. Safety is a factor to be considered but like all stunts and challenges they undertake, there will always be a certain amount of danger and which rehearsals will never cover.

Personally it made me laugh, same as trying to drive a pick up across the channel or settign fire to a caravan, hugely entertaining and it did make me laugh. yes I am in the trade and no I dont think it did our reputation any harm, there are enough real life drivers doing that for us. lets get the TG guys to do a days work maybe!!

I see from trucknetuk that the RHA has written to the BBC's grande fromage complaining about the programme. I bet he has more on his plate just now than to worry about Top Gear. I look forward with great anticipation to the programme next weekend to hear what Clarkson has to say about the RHA's letter!

Biglorryblog writes: I have received this e-mail from URTU. Thought BLB readers would like to see it.

Union condemns Clarkson comments

Comments by Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC series, ‘Top Gear’, have been met by fierce criticsm from the United Road Transport Union.

During an episode first aired on 02 November, Clarkson commented that, as part of their working day, lorry drivers have nothing better to do than murder prostitutes.

URTU General Secretary, Bob Monks, says such juvenile yet offensive remarks are not acceptable;

“URTU members have been contacting the Union to express both their disgust at Clarkson’s outburst and their shock that the BBC finds such comments acceptable for broadcast. Given the recent spotlight that the BBC finds itself under, regarding comments broadcast by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, one would have thought that the BBC would have learnt its lesson.

“Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘off the cuff’ attempt at humour is deeply offensive to professional drivers who work incredibly hard for such a small financial reward, compared to Clarkson’s inflated earnings.”

Isn't it typical, someone somewhere has what is thought to be 'a bit of a pop' at our industry and look what happens...
Some folks really need to get a life, honestly, it was nothing more than humour... at its best in my humble opinion.
One could go really deep, look at the real small details/messages. Some of the comments & actions made by JC & Co really were a great way of putting across a message to those with little understanding of what drivers put up with daily, without the 1950s style patronising plum-in-the-gob bbc announcer voice-over.
1. Remember the comment made by JC, 'what car? i didnt see it' - to me shows the general public what can happen when they sit in the drivers 'blind-spot' for too long.
2. Jezza not wearing seat belt.... should show a few of our more chancer-type brotherhood what happens when they wont do as they are asked for their own good.
3. Hamster... did anyone see him do a pull-test after hitching up? no, nor me... nor do some of our well paid 'professional drivers', a least Topgear didnt have to pay for claims/damage/downtime.
4. Car overtakes then slows unnecessarily - Jezza bemoans the problem about having to go all the way up the box again. Good message to those who dont understand - will it make them think again? probably not, but you never know..
5. JC & Co cargo all over the place in trailers - proving to the masses, that their groceries, white goods, etc etc need care to be delivered in one piece.
6. knocking out the speed limiter - could be a poke at the authorities this one... just think what can be done in one day if the truck can go a bit faster = less trucks on the road - also, possible end to 10 mile truck overtakes causing such unwanted congestion - speed does not kill, inappropriate use of it does. Speeding and failing to appreciate the amount of concentration/forward planning needed is much worse.
7. Crashing through Cabin/Water-coolers/walls then stopping afterwards & walking away from it - Anyone remember A-series ERFs/Foden Fleetmasters/drum brakes/dodgy maintenance.

Of course, 1 to 7 could just be considered 'spin'.
All in all, Topgear is light-hearted entertainment, nothing more.
Meant I suppose for those of us sick to the back teeth of regulation after regulation, political correctness gone mad and a humourless society that we seem so hell-bent on becoming.

Every single driver i've spoken to (and I know a few after 28 years in the game) who watched TopGear, has said the same - 'laughed like mad mate', 'typical Topgear at its best'.

So I say to those with thinner skin - there are of course other channels of viewing or an 'off' button on your remote.

My greatest wish other than world peace of course, is for the haulage, oops sorry, 'logistics' game to stop taking itself so seriously... you never know, it may attract more fresh blood into the game.

Of course, we are all hard working professionals doing an essential, worthwhile job. But do we really have to get all 'hot-and-bothered' about it?

RIGHT - off to BBC iPlayer to watch it all again, could do with a laugh after the day i've had....

Topgear have done more for improving public perception of HGV DRIVERS in one solitary hour than the self serving RHA have done during their existence, and as for the RHA representing the views of half a million lorryists... just how far out of touch are they?

I think that there are many people out there just waiting for something to complain about. After the Ross and Brand nonsense, it seems that complaining to the'TV' people is now very fashionable. Regular Top Gear viewers know what the team is like and they often poke fun at other professions. If we all just take life a little less seriously and laugh at something when it's meant to be funny, the Top Gear trio gave all us truckers a laugh and all of my fellow drivers agree. When is it repeated as want another chuckle.

After almost a full year of the build-up to the USA Presidential Election, I could not wait for Top Gear to start up again.It was worth the wait. Anyone who takes umbrage at Clarkson,s views, whoever he is slagging off, must have had a sense of humour by-pass operation.Insofar as the "change gear, change gear, murder a prostitute " bit is concerned. it was Clarkson being Clarkson, ie. Open gob- forget to put brain in gear. When he drove through that brick wall I thought "excellent, he,s killed his bloody self".Sadly he was just a bit injured. The only bit that wound me up was when Captain Slow went through the load of water containers. They appeared to me to be full. The picture that I could not get out of my mind was of the hundreds of children who die each day in Africa, for want of a cup of water.Otherwise it was, as usual, Top Fun from Top Gear.(ps. I am a 74 year old , retired waggon driver, whose sense of humour is still intact).

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simply the best programme there is. great work top gear