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What a complete irritation it is to have to sit behind HGV drivers who have appointed themselves as gatekeepers of the road on the approach to a closed-off lane on dual carriageways and motorways.
I think that the origin of this behaviour was to stop car drivers whizzing up to a closure at motorways speeds, before suddenly cutting back into the open lane or lanes in a dangerous manner. All well and good, although it is still not clear who asked lorry drivers to police this particular habit.
However, what we now find, as I came across just this morning on my way into Birmingham City Centre, is lorry drivers doing the same thing when traffic is travelling very slowly. The main A38 tunnels through Birmingham are currently closed, so traffic travelling along the A38(M) finds that the road is coned off into one lane close to the city centre. And there he was in his truck, sat in the outside lane with 300 yards of clear carriageway in front of him before the cones started, forcing every vehicle to queue in the inside lane for a far greater distance than was necessary. Why?
I can only imagine that it must be out of a desire to enforce a particularly British kind of 'manners' when queuing. True enough, nobody likes anyone pushing into the supermarket queue. But this is not a shop, it's a road. The Highway Code rule 134 states, "Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching roadworks or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed." To me this basically says it all really.
Lorry drivers acting like nightclub doormen are neither needed nor welcome on our roads. They just make congestion worse by denying other road users the right to safely use a clear section of carriageway. It is not 'pushing in' or 'cutting in', it is merging in turn as recommended by the Highway Code.
So, lorry drivers, listen up. Just get on with your driving, don't seek to modify others' behaviour. You are not police officers, so it is no business of yours. All you achieve is worse congestion and annoyance to drivers. Or is this the true aim?
By: George Doors
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They're just entitled pricks who are bitter about the fact people are using a lane which they are perfectly within their rights to use.


As pointed out by FreddyF, the Highway Code recommends merge-in-turn and is intended to encourage full use of lanes while they are open. The Highways Act 1980 s.137 states that deliberately blocking a carriageway is illegal.
Everyday (Monday - Friday) since around September, I have been unable to use the outside lane westbound as it is intended to be used by the Highway Code because HGV's are deliberately and illegally blocking the outside lane. The HGV drivers who have been doing this have been ignoring the overhead variable message signs that read 'use the outside lane for overtaking only' - which I suspect have been put in place to stop this behaviour.
On three occasions in the last two weeks a HGV has blocked both lanes at once from about 400 yards from the lane merge.
Last night, whilst approaching the lane merge eastbound (approximately 600 yards) a HGV quickly moved from the inside lane across the middle lane and then halfway into the outside lane before slowing right down. I was in the outside lane with no cars in front of me when the HGV pulled out. I had to slow down from 50mph to 25mph very quickly - not safe. I waited behind the HGV for a few seconds before going around. The HGV driver began flashing their headlights. I've seen this happen to other drivers several times now. WHY!?
I totally understand the frustration of HGV drivers described in this thread and I understand and appreciate how vital HGV drivers are to the everyday running of the nation. That being said, this doesn't give HGVs the right to police the roads or put others at danger. It doesn't give HGV drivers the right to take away the right of other road users from using the outside lane as intended. This behaviour is preventing other road users from completing their journeys in the time it "should" take. If I need to use the outside lane in order to get to my destination on time I should be able to do so.
And... ultimately, the behaviour of HGV drivers I've described is illegal and at times unsafe - so please stop!!

Supermarkets the house you live in (building supplies) the furniture you have the deadly you use absolutely everything you have in life was at some point transported by truck. We are the most underapriciated proffesion in this country but we are also the backbone of it. Because if every hgv driver went on strike... you’d go hungry, cold, and the fact is the economy would come to a stand still. You need us. We do not need you! So for fuck sake cut us some slack. And when you are entering our place of work (the roads) have some fucking respect and manners.

Consider this : exiting a slip road from a motorway or duel carriageway. You want to turn left. Ninety percent of drivers begin the que in the left lane to take first exit at roundabout. However, lanes 1 and 2 allow you to turn left. I take lane 2 direct to the island and take the turn whilst others who haven’t the foggiest idea both lanes turn left sit and que for an eternity. No one blocks you, it’s just human kinds lack of thinking and ‘sheep’ motives which astounds me but benefits me all the same 😂😂😂


People who think that merging early means less time in a queue are also wrong, as per this RAC article: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driving-advice/zip-merging/

If most drivers don't make use of the open lane then it is some kind of mass-hysteria. They are all perfectly entitled to do so.


it took me 3 phone calls 3 promises of a call back.
visited local office. 2 hour waiting time., due to the volume.
I will get a call back. never came.
do these big organized companies not communicate these days/

this action of a lorry driver. in the outside lane. to hold up over zealous drivers.
is actually a time saver. the lanes filter more quickly. the single line of cars ,toward the the works, flows ,with out this stopping and starting.,,,co prende


As for "queues", it's a dual carriage way, it has two lanes and two queues, if you want to sit in the LH lane like an idiot, then don't criticise people who use the road properly!!!
Artur