wait till people find out about the secret handshake members use to communicate
No need! We’ve got jackets… 
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I’m known among my family and friends as someone with a very very wide general knowledge. Someone who loves reading up on anything and everything. Want to know something about anything, call me, if I can’t answer you right away I’ll read up on it and quite often dig deeper in to the topic even after I found the answer I was originally after.
Have to buy a pack of nappies for a friend who’s getting a baby, it takes me 30 minutes or more because I find myself not only comparing prices, but reading up on nappy technology.
Wondering about something in a F1 engine during Sunday evening’s race, that ended up being 3 hours trolling the internet, going down the rabbet hole of F1 engines.
That’s just the kind of person I am, others find it weird.
I’m not a lawyer, I’m not a doctor and thank goodness I’m not a engineer because if I was, I’d have to keep on telling you that I’m a engineer. 
Fortunately I’m not one to weigh up a person based on the amount of paper stuck to their office wall. Some of the most successful, some of the most wealthy and some of the most interesting people I know only have matric to their name.
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I use the wife a lot, Ducksplaining did not work so well, cause when I can get her to understand a problem I need to solve, the problem gets a whole new “interpretation”, let me tell you guys.
What gets me is when people tell me how experienced they are … I tried it once with the wife on a subject matter I believed I had more experience in, actually told her that I’m more experienced than she was … turns out I was wrong.
I got some more experience on the matter and learned that never ever underestimate any opinions, experienced or not.
Bah, going downhill, “let it gooooo”, and save some diesel! 
ZF/Eaton Fuller boxes … you don’t need a clutch man, just remove it … IF you are good!
And because of no clutch, going downhill … refer back to “let it gooooo”.
Only joking. 
Never learned to drive a lorry (although for a short period I had the opportunity). But one thing I learned from watching over dad’s shoulder. Come down a hill in the same gear you’d use to go up it. Works in passenger vehicles too.
Edit: Have to say something about the saving Diesel thing. Modern Diesels completely cut the Injectors when going down a hill. You actually save diesel by using engine braking.
Nice way to put it @plonkster. I work in this trade and got years of experience because I grown up in a house where my father is in the heavy vehicle trade more then 42 years.
I can relate.
My wife tells me it takes me 2 weeks to buy anything.
And then after a few weeks she asks “so when does that thing arrive?” , and I have to tell her I never ordered it. I’m still thinking about it. 
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Having driven trucks, cause I wanted to, there is a caveat to that fact.
Downhill on Sir Lowry’s pass towards Hermanus, 38 500kg, Piekernierspass, also ±38 000kg, 380l/100km going up, going down both with an automatic gearbox … retarders/exhaust brakes, magic inventions let me tell you.
Trucks driving down passes using their brakes, an accident just waiting to occur.
Flip side, coming empty up Piekernierspass from Citrusdal, geez mother, I had to brake going up!!!
An off-loaded truck that can haul 40 000kg with ease, a whole new ballgame empty!
Actually quite dangerous, as the brakes and suspension are geared towards a load, not empty.
I saw this vid once:
And promptly got myself in a similar situation. Having seen that vid, which defied logic the first time I saw it, I checked the space and to the amazement of the passengers, did that. They did NOT see it coming.
A very serious job driving trucks, experiences gained mostly by doing it, seeing it done, listening to other experienced drivers, the trainers, fathers.
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Got my military heavy duty licence at 8 SAI in Upington, where we had to take the trucks with trailers through town regularly.
Later had the licence revoked in Walvis, after overturning a Samil 50 while playing in the dunes 
Upgintgon, yeah, they lost a few robots and quite a few parked cars were regularly “moved” with no “permission” from the owners.
So yeah, also 8-SAI “trained”.
Was lucky to get the army drivers converted to Code 14 when we “klaared uit”.
At one point a few years ago we had a driver, the stuff that guy could do with a truck and trailer boggled the mind. He used to reverse 25 tons in to places where other people struggled to reverse a bakkie with normal trailer. We had this stupid warehouse with a roller door on each side, but the warehouse was full of pillars like a parking garage. His party trick was to weave the truck and trailer threw the network of pillars, in reverse, even the interlinks.
Interviewing new truck drivers, before putting them in a truck, I used to first send them around the block with a Sprinter and 2 ton trailer with this guy as passenger. When they returned he would tell me whether it was worth pursuing them any further, or simply sending them on their way. Cause remember, everyone is a Code 14 driver.
Awesome, and I loved the trips up to Riemvasmaak.
Speaking to black truckers, I asked them: So how did you guys get a new job on say a interlink?
Answer (my words): You wing it till you make it.
Applying to drive for a major retailer (on contract), they had all the drivers do a reverse into a tight spot, once from the left, once from the right. I was amazed at how many experienced drivers could not do that.
So the answer made sense.
In my previous job we only had to go forward.
Sien jy daardie @#$&$^@ blaar bo-op die #(%%&# boom op die $&%^#@ kop … gaan haal die $(%*&$ ding vir my NOU!!!
When you get back … Maar dis die verkeerde $(%*#&# blaar!!! Die ANDER ene jou dom troep!!!
I loved Angola, the beauty, the nature, mahango beer … wet shona’s driving a Buffel.
Not so much the rest though.
Like the pick.
Solution: Next Buffel in line comes charging up the same spore and “bumps” the one stuck a wee bit, care is taken for the grill/radiator cause real drivers don’t do walking … hopefully the first one “comes loose”,
pulls one out.
This one is a wee bit fooked though.
Ai, I miss those carefree times … bar the reason for being there.
Eish, so true. 
Worst ever day of my life was winning myself a tank track link for the day, and you were not allowed to put it down AT ALL … 
Proudly ex 61 Mech (89-90)
As unofficial spokesperson for the South African Responsible Car Drivers Guild who take seriously the “if you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you” notice that used to be on truck trailers… please have your people at least put dummy mirror frames to the modern truck cabs…
Recently, while approaching heavy vehicles on our tar railway lines and trying to find the small bleddie camera pod next to the cab, I almost end up looking like car drivers who think the best way to overtake a heavy vehicle is to drive right up to the back of the trailer, wait for a blind rise and then at a random moment pull out into the oncoming lane (without gearing down, or even any real acceleration).
Yup. Brake Fade. I’m pretty sure that school bus accident on Chapman’s peak (probably a decade ago by now) was caused by brake fade.
Man, this made my day. What a funny, though sadly accurate description. Some people even put themselves in that situation, by driving right up to the back of the trailer and getting stuck there because they cannot see properly, attempting to “peek around” every now and then. Then you have two other guys behind this guy, trying to give him a chance, and then you have guy Nr. 4 (invariably in a Bi-Turbo Ford Ranger, want hy is mos vinnig) decide he’s done with all of this, overtaking all three vehicles and the lorry… all up that same blind rise.
Friday afternoon trip to Hermanus, a bunch of cars stuck behind me. I know how they feel, the road is fine, so I make space so that they can pass. no cars from the front, I had a view see.
No one moves. Count to 10 … I come back.
Next safe stretch, I move over … no one moves … count to 10 … I come back.
3rd time I pulled over and cars 2/3/4/5…10 all comes racing past in a queue, the road was clear, relax guys.
Then the penny dropped … the first driver is still THERE behind me, the same spot!
IF you are unsure when a truck pulls over for YOU(!) and you don’t want to pass, then indicate that and pull a bit aside with the truck and let the other cars pass. Even better, slow down, don’t tailgate the truck, let cars pass you, then the truck.
In my experience, Toyota drivers are the most impatient ones around trucks.
Best drivers around trucks? Taxis.
N2 into town, taxi drivers will make space for you by slowing down the lane that you can pull in front of them. They even ask if they can come in front of you if they have to.
N1, the Fortuner drivers, man, they will NOT BUDGE. Actually, most whities are like that.
Like coming up Plattekloof hill. You must drive far left until you have to change lanes, no one gives an inch, Toyota’s always accelerating, most other drivers too, will NOT let you in. So eventually you are crawling in 1st, the lane ends, only then maybe someone gives you space. Picking up speed again, not a chance … the traffic jam starts. Bugger.
If a truck needs to change lanes, let them in by slowing the lanes down for them, don’t let them lose speed. You can overtake them with ease later, and the driver will really have appreciated the help, you made his day.
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