Things which fall off lorries
Discussion
Whilst experiencing the joy of Escape and Evasion training with the military, involving five days with only cereal bars and whatever we could catch/scavenge/illicitly harvest to eat, a colleague and I found ourselves hiding in the undergrowth at dusk after hearing an approaching vehicle.
A four tonner clattered in to view and as it bounced through a pothole on the range track in front of us, it pooped a large beige cardboard box.
Once the truck had passed we retrieved what turned out to be a ten-man seven-day ration pack.
Which was nice, given our immediate circumstances.
A four tonner clattered in to view and as it bounced through a pothole on the range track in front of us, it pooped a large beige cardboard box.
Once the truck had passed we retrieved what turned out to be a ten-man seven-day ration pack.
Which was nice, given our immediate circumstances.
Back when I was a kid a lorry drove from Doncaster to Barnsley. It was carrying nails.
Unforutnatley something went wrong, and it dropped nails over the course of several miles. The Police had issues stopping it, as they kept getting punctures.... They had to call ahead in the end to intercept him...
Unforutnatley something went wrong, and it dropped nails over the course of several miles. The Police had issues stopping it, as they kept getting punctures.... They had to call ahead in the end to intercept him...
Years and years ago, I worked for a haulage contractor in Dagenham, who did a lot of work for the Ford Motor Company.
One day I was driving an artic, laden with large tractor tyres along Heathway, a road in Dagenham, when, probably due to not being secured properly, one of the tyres fell off, and I saw it overtake me on the left, bounce along the pavement, through someone's privet hedge, and come to a stop in their garden.
The householder, 2 passers by and I managed to hump it back on to the trailer, I never heard a thing about it.
Another time, in the late 70s, I was driving what is known as an 8 wheeler, a four axled rigid oil tanker, at the southern end of the M1, heading north.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a complete wheel and tyre bouncing along and up the bank on my left, gradually slowing, and coming down to the hard shoulder, eventually coming to a standstill, and falling flat.
I pulled over to look at it, and it turned out to be from my 'second steer'.
The front two axles both steered, and apparently a couple of wheel nuts had sheared off the second steer's wheel, and the inevitable happened.
I had to wait for a breakdown truck to come and lift-tow me to Watford, as my second axle was dangling about 18" from the ground, and a new wheel and tyre couldn't be put on, as the threads on the bolts were screwed, (pardon the pun).
One day I was driving an artic, laden with large tractor tyres along Heathway, a road in Dagenham, when, probably due to not being secured properly, one of the tyres fell off, and I saw it overtake me on the left, bounce along the pavement, through someone's privet hedge, and come to a stop in their garden.
The householder, 2 passers by and I managed to hump it back on to the trailer, I never heard a thing about it.
Another time, in the late 70s, I was driving what is known as an 8 wheeler, a four axled rigid oil tanker, at the southern end of the M1, heading north.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a complete wheel and tyre bouncing along and up the bank on my left, gradually slowing, and coming down to the hard shoulder, eventually coming to a standstill, and falling flat.
I pulled over to look at it, and it turned out to be from my 'second steer'.
The front two axles both steered, and apparently a couple of wheel nuts had sheared off the second steer's wheel, and the inevitable happened.
I had to wait for a breakdown truck to come and lift-tow me to Watford, as my second axle was dangling about 18" from the ground, and a new wheel and tyre couldn't be put on, as the threads on the bolts were screwed, (pardon the pun).
Burbling North up the M6, I was following a skip wagon... the net over the skip was flailing about through not being secured. A two-footed piece of 4"x4" timber, with added concrete on it dropped off, bounced along and hit my car's front nearside. Big bang, big crease/ding in the front bumper moulding... it needed a new one. Bit much on a 9-month-old Scirocco.
The other way around for me... I was responsible for something falling off the back of a lorry..... or more accurately, the roof of a lorry.
Driving up over Shap Summit in a fairly new Iveco 75e15 in fairly windy conditions when there's a strange noise followed by a loud bang from behind me.
The adhesive had failed on the plastic? roof of the truck and it had peeled back before snapping 1/3 of the way along and landing on the car behind me.
Thankfully the driver was fine though a little shocked - was a right pain to get home though as I had to tie the rear doors open to equalize the air pressure.
Driving up over Shap Summit in a fairly new Iveco 75e15 in fairly windy conditions when there's a strange noise followed by a loud bang from behind me.
The adhesive had failed on the plastic? roof of the truck and it had peeled back before snapping 1/3 of the way along and landing on the car behind me.
Thankfully the driver was fine though a little shocked - was a right pain to get home though as I had to tie the rear doors open to equalize the air pressure.
Driving up the M67 near Manchester only a couple years ago. Queueing traffic and lane closed due to accident. Noticed a smell from a few hundred meters back, which was getting unbearable as I got closer to the accident.
Came over brow of hill to see a huge tipper pulled up with rear hanging open, and a mountain of grey rotting chicken carcasses piled along the inside lane behind it...
Honestly the most horrendous smell I've encountered.
Came over brow of hill to see a huge tipper pulled up with rear hanging open, and a mountain of grey rotting chicken carcasses piled along the inside lane behind it...
Honestly the most horrendous smell I've encountered.
caelite said:
There is a quarry near me, the exit of which is immediately before a stretch NSL dual carriageway. The drivers are supposed to check their wheels before they leave, they rarely do. The result is often big chunks of rock get lodged between the dual tyres, or in the tread. I had the unfortunate experience of having my work van hit by aforementioned chunk of rock as I was following a aggregate tipper as we where both accelerating. It took out a chunk of my radiator grill, I feel lucky it didn't hit ~30cm higher as it would've wrecked my windscreen.
Most drivers working from quarries are normally quite conscientious about this as any stone stuck is just as likely to go through their diesel or air tanks.My Dad, as a lorry driver, always has his story of a chain snapping allowing a 5 ton of granite rock to fall off on a left hand bend, bounce across the road landing on the verge opposite. (So lucky nothing coming the other way).
This was part of a contract delivering rock for sea defences so was passing the abandoned rock daily. One day he was sat in his lorry nearby having lunch only to see a mobile crane passing, a little beer money changed hands, rock loaded and Westward Ho eventually had all of their sea defences delivered.
graham22 said:
Most drivers working from quarries are normally quite conscientious about this as any stone stuck is just as likely to go through their diesel or air tanks.
Oh yeah, I am not insinuating that it is the attitude of all quarry drivers everywhere, this local company supposedly has a bit of a reputation, the owner treats there staff like utter crap, and as such the good drivers don't hang about so they are left with the dull and inexperienced. Sadly I didn't think of this before happened, it was when I was reporting the damage to my boss he told me to avoid their trucks like the plague in future. Damage wasn't too bad luckily, van needed a new grill, some of the radiator fins looked bent but it didn't leak.
I followed behind a milk float years ago round a round about and most of his milk fell off, was amusing until i realised there was glass everywhere!
Friend of mine was following a car with loads of stuff on the roof and a parasol feel off and went straight through his radiator. The car in front never noticed and drove off, very much looked like something out of the film final destination in the picture with it sticking out the front of the car.
Friend of mine was following a car with loads of stuff on the roof and a parasol feel off and went straight through his radiator. The car in front never noticed and drove off, very much looked like something out of the film final destination in the picture with it sticking out the front of the car.
I once heard of someone's wife ordering a new digital camera about seven years ago. Heading home following a courier van with its back door open, a package fell into the road and when she tried to alert the driver she got the two fingered salute so she got out and picked up the package which as luck would have it was her camera.
Of course, it was marked as lost by the courier so a replacement was sent but somebody evidently cocked up when sorting it out as they accidentally sent two of 'em. I believe the original one was kept and the other two flogged on eBay.
Of course, it was marked as lost by the courier so a replacement was sent but somebody evidently cocked up when sorting it out as they accidentally sent two of 'em. I believe the original one was kept and the other two flogged on eBay.
Crossflow Kid said:
Whilst experiencing the joy of Escape and Evasion training with the military, involving five days with only cereal bars and whatever we could catch/scavenge/illicitly harvest to eat, a colleague and I found ourselves hiding in the undergrowth at dusk after hearing an approaching vehicle.
A four tonner clattered in to view and as it bounced through a pothole on the range track in front of us, it pooped a large beige cardboard box.
Once the truck had passed we retrieved what turned out to be a ten-man seven-day ration pack.
Which was nice, given our immediate circumstances.
The following trackers thus knowing escapists were in the area as the ration box / contents thereof where missing from the planned drop..... (sorry must have read too many Andy McNabb books A four tonner clattered in to view and as it bounced through a pothole on the range track in front of us, it pooped a large beige cardboard box.
Once the truck had passed we retrieved what turned out to be a ten-man seven-day ration pack.
Which was nice, given our immediate circumstances.
) 
graham22 said:
Most drivers working from quarries are normally quite conscientious about this as any stone stuck is just as likely to go through their diesel or air tanks.
My Dad, as a lorry driver, always has his story of a chain snapping allowing a 5 ton of granite rock to fall off on a left hand bend, bounce across the road landing on the verge opposite. (So lucky nothing coming the other way).
This was part of a contract delivering rock for sea defences so was passing the abandoned rock daily. One day he was sat in his lorry nearby having lunch only to see a mobile crane passing, a little beer money changed hands, rock loaded and Westward Ho eventually had all of their sea defences delivered.
Was that in North Wales. THEY WERE transporting large rocks from North Wales quarries to build a new dock at Seaforth on the MerseyMy Dad, as a lorry driver, always has his story of a chain snapping allowing a 5 ton of granite rock to fall off on a left hand bend, bounce across the road landing on the verge opposite. (So lucky nothing coming the other way).
This was part of a contract delivering rock for sea defences so was passing the abandoned rock daily. One day he was sat in his lorry nearby having lunch only to see a mobile crane passing, a little beer money changed hands, rock loaded and Westward Ho eventually had all of their sea defences delivered.
Jonmx said:
A squaddie. We were all a little pissed up in the back of a few Bedfords after a week on exercise and one lad was standing up pissing out the back when a bump in the road caused him to lose balance and fall out with his todger hanging out. Fortunately it was on a track on the exercise area or it might have been a bit more than injured pride.
Negligent Discharge SantaBarbara said:
Was that in North Wales. THEY WERE transporting large rocks from North Wales quarries to build a new dock at Seaforth on the Mersey
No - 35-40 years ago, Cornwall to North Devon, 3 or 4 rocks at a time sat on railway lines attached to the trailer floor so the rocks could slide out when tipped.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff