The study deals with the psychological aspects of the operation of those long trucks that were logged on for the field test of the Federal Government until January 2013 (19 companies with 33 trucks and about 60 drivers). The investigation should blend as smoothly as possible in the regular course of business of the participating carriers. Thirty-eight drivers were interviewed and 35 were monitored on a subsequent drive. Interview and accompanied ride lasted one hour each on average. The study took place from December, 15. 2012 to May, 07. 2013. The evaluation of 22 traffic situations regarding the question: "what is better, what is worse than before" (with the long truck compared to the conventional truck) showed a slight deterioration on the average of 3.1 on a scale from 1 (much better) to 5 (much worse) with 3 indicating no difference. This decline is only marginal, the adverse effects are very small and presumably not very serious. Somewhat stronger decline could be observed for urban driving, loading and unloading, prospecting of lay-bys and above all – quite massively – parking/overnight resting at a parking area. The latter is a currently known issue, to a reduced degree also for normal trucks. Many free responses confirmed that. Driving bends and roundabouts yielded even better ratings, which surprised – according to some free answers – even the drivers. The often made concern about stress in the long truck as workplace has been addressed in several positions in the interview and in the driving observation. There were no indications of a high or increased stress compared to normal truck driving. In monitored driving, the safety of the long truck drivers proved high. Driving errors or rule violations were light and rare. A methodologically secure comparison with the corresponding frequencies in the normal truck was not possible; however, hints on an increase were missing. The reactions of other road users, especially by truck and car drivers, were mainly reported by the long truck drivers as friendly and positive. All drivers wanted permanent approval of the long truck. Because of the high technical level of the chassis, the brakes, and the driver assistance systems and the high safety standards of the drivers, no adverse effect on road safety through the participation of long trucks is recognizable from a psychological perspective. (Author/publisher)
Abstract