Lorry drivers requested to stop crashing....
Discussion
I'm not a truck driver, but have driven the odd 7.5 tonne truck....
First time out, 5 minutes from hire depot, I realised that I needed to think about height... Fortunately the emergency stop worked, and the car behind managed not to collide with me.
I then discovered that the school having an evening panto had some drivers who parked somewhat inconveniently.
Interesting learning journey.
On another day, we were moving from Bristol to Doncaster. 2 rammed 7.5 tonne trucks, we had pulled my ex concrete lorry driving father in-law out of retirement. He had a grin like a Cheshire cat for 2 days...
First time out, 5 minutes from hire depot, I realised that I needed to think about height... Fortunately the emergency stop worked, and the car behind managed not to collide with me.
I then discovered that the school having an evening panto had some drivers who parked somewhat inconveniently.
Interesting learning journey.
On another day, we were moving from Bristol to Doncaster. 2 rammed 7.5 tonne trucks, we had pulled my ex concrete lorry driving father in-law out of retirement. He had a grin like a Cheshire cat for 2 days...
red_slr said:
There is a massive shortage of drivers in the UK now
I've stolen this from elsewhere as I couldn't put it better myself.When there is a shortage of something, its value goes up. If there was a shortage of drivers, then wages would be going up. They aren't, therefore there isn't.
mp3manager said:
red_slr said:
There is a massive shortage of drivers in the UK now
I've stolen this from elsewhere as I couldn't put it better myself.When there is a shortage of something, its value goes up. If there was a shortage of drivers, then wages would be going up. They aren't, therefore there isn't.
I have tried to get a couple of good grab drives onto the team in the last 12 months and they are both cards in on c.£30k+OT. I just cant afford them.
So not sure where you are getting your data from but its not correct.
chilistrucker said:
The place I currently work at, (started there via agency) just have vans but they carry access type tower equipment the frames for these are various different heights, and stand upright during transport on open backed vans. The first time I took one out I asked various staff in the yard what the height was of said frame. Not 1 person could answer me 
1 of the drivers even asked why I wanted to know
When I enlightened him he said, "But how are you going to measure it?" I got my tape measure from my bag and showed him.
When I was training at the bus company I work for now, me and the other trainees had a nose around a few service buses, and found one route's buses had no height plate fitted. 1 of the drivers even asked why I wanted to know
When I enlightened him he said, "But how are you going to measure it?" I got my tape measure from my bag and showed him.
I was really surprised at that, asked a driver on the route if she knew the height and she said she didn't have a clue.
Shocked me that the company, which when having travelled on their buses in the past always seem to take safety seriously, yet certain buses were missing such a basic legal requirement.
It would also be of use to have turning areas suitable for trucks before the bridges. So often there is nothing but a small height sign just before a bridge with no alternative but to stop and reverse back to a suitable turning area which is not ideal or safe.
This week in Wigan my route took me under a 15 foot bridge....No problem, I had 6 inches clearance and it was well signed, yet around the corner was an unsigned 9'6" bridge. Fortunately there was a small industrial estate before the bridge so I could get my artic turned round.......These things are sent to test us!
This week in Wigan my route took me under a 15 foot bridge....No problem, I had 6 inches clearance and it was well signed, yet around the corner was an unsigned 9'6" bridge. Fortunately there was a small industrial estate before the bridge so I could get my artic turned round.......These things are sent to test us!
99dndd said:
Strike me as a case of Warnings+signs+lights+restrictions+commonsense < "But Sat Nav says so."
TomTom sell a Sat Nav device for trucks and other large vehicles where you can input the dimensions of your vehicle.So it seems that the info is available if only these tightwad companies or individuals would fork out a few £££££.
If the true costs were passed on to their insurance companies i think they would insist on these being fitted fairly sharpish.
swisstoni said:
99dndd said:
Strike me as a case of Warnings+signs+lights+restrictions+commonsense < "But Sat Nav says so."
TomTom sell a Sat Nav device for trucks and other large vehicles where you can input the dimensions of your vehicle.So it seems that the info is available if only these tightwad companies or individuals would fork out a few £££££.
If the true costs were passed on to their insurance companies i think they would insist on these being fitted fairly sharpish.
Our office got straight on to them as we ve a few rigids and they didn't even know they were there.
I always refer any route it gives me to my Collins bridge map.
Which has never let me down so far.
But it's a scary feeling Watchin someone show up with a car nav and the "I'll be alright" attitude.
saaby93 said:
Wasnt there a note saying that Network rail had calculated the knock on costs at £800,000 per year
if so how much does it cost to lower the road approaches to the bridge, or raise the track bed?
I live near the bridge in the OP and over Christmas I believe they replaced the key bits bridge completely. They built the new bridge in a nearby field and swapped it over. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/t...if so how much does it cost to lower the road approaches to the bridge, or raise the track bed?
They should have dug out the road at the same time. However its not helped that the bridge is in the middle of a S bend that is also a 4 way junction so its possible to be blind to the bridge before you would be on top of the bridge and with the volume of traffic/shape/width of the road very hard to turn around again.
Currently they have four way temp. traffic lights so that you can only go through the bridge on one lane, this has been in place for ages, so I am not sure what they are doing if anything at present or if this is the new status quo for this route.
They have added temp. LED signs but they are a little small and placed in the wrong locations to catch drivers eyes.
tankplanker said:
saaby93 said:
Wasnt there a note saying that Network rail had calculated the knock on costs at £800,000 per year
if so how much does it cost to lower the road approaches to the bridge, or raise the track bed?
I live near the bridge in the OP and over Christmas I believe they replaced the key bits bridge completely. They built the new bridge in a nearby field and swapped it over. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/t...if so how much does it cost to lower the road approaches to the bridge, or raise the track bed?
They should have dug out the road at the same time. However its not helped that the bridge is in the middle of a S bend that is also a 4 way junction so its possible to be blind to the bridge before you would be on top of the bridge and with the volume of traffic/shape/width of the road very hard to turn around again.
Currently they have four way temp. traffic lights so that you can only go through the bridge on one lane, this has been in place for ages, so I am not sure what they are doing if anything at present or if this is the new status quo for this route.
They have added temp. LED signs but they are a little small and placed in the wrong locations to catch drivers eyes.
http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/new-l...
The £800,000 quoted is the cost of 150 bridge strikes in a year across Leicestershire, not just the cost of the A5 bridge, so there isn't that much to be saved by funding massively expensive bridge reconstructions or road alterations.
grumpy52 said:
Even the cheap Chinese sat navs are available as a truck version .
Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
The Woolwich Ferry and tunnels that are beneath water are verboten for a lot of ADR loads. Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
Flammable liquids and Bang, for example.
grumpy52 said:
Even the cheap Chinese sat navs are available as a truck version .
Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
Oh they'll take the data alright, but do they actually use it? Wouldn't be the first Chinese product to offer front end functionally with no application.Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
Evanivitch said:
grumpy52 said:
Even the cheap Chinese sat navs are available as a truck version .
Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
Oh they'll take the data alright, but do they actually use it? Wouldn't be the first Chinese product to offer front end functionally with no application.Enter weight,height,width ,length and number of axles and it's good to go .
You can even enter if you are carrying hazardous goods.
Didn't know about hazardous goods restrictions?
Most outside the industry don't.
But I do use other data sources for my ADR routes.
My usual routing would have me travelling via the Dartford Crossing and use the Crossing downloaded PDF to check if I'm permitted to use the tunnel.
It's just a copy of the list used in the crossing office .
The control seem to be impressed if you quote page and line of the listing to them .
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