…rubbish!
Everyone’s favourite Howden based kitchen supplier (not Wren) has had a couple of drivers drop a bollock (well trailer actually) recently. They came to the conclusion that drivers are being distracted and, as a result, not hooking up properly. Some office genius (who may or may not have ever driven a lorry) came up with the solution. Hi Viz vests with “Do Not Disturb” on the back to be worn whilst connecting unit and trailer!
Genius!
Captain Caveman 76:
…rubbish!Everyone’s favourite Howden based kitchen supplier (not Wren) has had a couple of drivers drop a bollock (well trailer actually) recently. They came to the conclusion that drivers are being distracted and, as a result, not hooking up properly. Some office genius (who may or may not have ever driven a lorry) came up with the solution. Hi Viz vests with “Do Not Disturb” on the back to be worn whilst connecting unit and trailer!
Genius!
Haha.
It seems to be rife. Place I just joined are on the case because some people where not following procedure. They’ve sacked a few for dropping trailers.
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I need one to put on my door when i’m having a kip…Or sitting in a rdc waiting room…To avoid the x SAS
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I sometimes notice other drivers routines for coupling/uncoupling and it’s not uncommon to see people doing BLACK backwards when dropping & skipping the tug test and any sort of visual check when coupling up. I’ve been handed over a coupled rig from night men and found the dog clip hanging loose on several occasions. Drivers driving down the road without number plates suggesting a rushed couple up.
All in all, doesn’t surprise me one bit that trailers are getting dropped all the time.
According to Conor, Howden’s drivers are all on superstar wages so if they are doing it there is no hope. Unless it’s the agency night men doing it.
rob22888:
I sometimes notice other drivers routines for coupling/uncoupling and it’s not uncommon to see people doing BLACK backwards when dropping & skipping the tug test and any sort of visual check when coupling up. I’ve been handed over a coupled rig from night men and found the dog clip hanging loose on several occasions. Drivers driving down the road without number plates suggesting a rushed couple up.All in all, doesn’t surprise me one bit that trailers are getting dropped all the time.
According to Conor**, Howden’s drivers are all on superstar wages** so if they are doing it there is no hope. Unless it’s the agency night men doing it.
Only the ones that are registered nurses.
They’re on £43k a year. They do run a lot of agency, both days and nights, and they’ve got an in house driver training programme so a fair few newbies in their first year or less.
Trouble is at that firm they tend to over-react if anything happens no matter how small so a once in a blue flood event ends up with a raft of H&S bollox or some new method of something being done being applied to the whole company. They tip some of the supplier trailers in LGV bays in the warehouse, one of those where you reverse through some large roller shutter doors into a box marked on the ground type. Once upon a time it was a case that the driver just had to get out of his cab whilst being tipped, fair enough. Now though they have to reverse in, drop the trailer, pull out, put a barrier across the entrance until its tipped. Why? Damned if I know.
It got so bad that on the doors going into the warehouse they had a tape barrier that went across the open doors that they actually employed someone to stand there all day opening and closing it for the forklifts.
Some of it is good such as coning off an unloading area at a store so the forkie can get on with the job in peace and safety but some of it is just beyond belief. If I’d kept every dictat that had been issued in a folder it would be three inches thick. It has got to the point where it is basically impossible to do any of the day runs in the time allocated because of all the additional H&S and things you need to follow because one person once in the last 20 years made a mistake doing something.
In the olden days, you made a mistake, you got fired, you went down to the labour exchange, and you got a job on the buses, or anything else on the Mr Benn menu that took your fancy.
These days, the only person who can get the sack is a Santa Claus. 
Arconic / Kitts green / brum , security bod asked too check my can then took my can of polish , he did give a reason , something on site , but he didn’t take my can of air freshener
We dont actually have any H&S, everyones just left to get on with it…theres no mishaps. The UK’s completely brainwashed with H&S ballcocks and this ■■■■■ just proves its getting worse 
BTW, i dont believe for one minute any joinery company doing local runs pays its drivers £43K pa…ROFPMSL… 
AndrewG:
We dont actually have any H&S, everyones just left to get on with it…theres no mishaps. The UK’s completely brainwashed with H&S ballcocks and this [zb] just proves its getting worseBTW, i dont believe for one minute any joinery company doing local runs pays its drivers £43K pa…ROFPMSL…
That is actually about right. It’s quite a plum job by all accounts. Just a shame it’s 30 miles out of Hull or I’d be tempted.
These health and safety bods at howdens need to go and asses some of the store deliverys…
We subbied for them years ago and some of them were not fit for a van never mind an artic,total joke and I’m not easily fazed
AndrewG:
BTW, i dont believe for one minute any joinery company doing local runs pays its drivers £43K pa…ROFPMSL…
They have over 650 stores nationwide, three manufacturing sites with the site at Howden being over 1/3 of the size of Howden itself and a turnover exceeding £1Bn. The pay is £43k for a salaried 56hr week plus there are bonuses on top and a company pension scheme and as a result its pretty much dead mans shoes. It is an extremely well paying company and it doesn’t make its money from transport which is why it can pay well. You’re usually doing at least 2000km a week, even on days and if you do a local run its usually after doing something else. My lad is parked up at Taunton services and said a Howden wagon has just pulled in to park up so that’s not really local.
Howdens used to be run by DHL and they lost the contract to Wincanton who successfully tendered a 3 year contract but that was in 2014 sometime.
I assume the transport is still run my Wincanton.
rob22888:
…it’s not uncommon to see people doing BLACK backwards when dropping & skipping the tug test
The only trouble with the BLACK system is its easy to remember those 5 steps, but easy to forget the other bits like tug test / visual inspection and numberplate. For the test you’ve got to remember it, but beyond that it’s b.l.a.c.k. which gets stuck in your head not b.t.l.a.c.k.n.
I think the tug test should be the most important as I hitched up a trailer, heard the clonk and had a quick look at the pin but something didn’t work properly and the tug test resulted in me shooting forwards. Worked the second time however, think it was a unit level problem.
trevHCS:
rob22888:
…it’s not uncommon to see people doing BLACK backwards when dropping & skipping the tug testThe only trouble with the BLACK system is its easy to remember those 5 steps, but easy to forget the other bits like tug test / visual inspection and numberplate. For the test you’ve got to remember it, but beyond that it’s b.l.a.c.k. which gets stuck in your head not b.t.l.a.c.k.n.
I think the tug test should be the most important as I hitched up a trailer, heard the clonk and had a quick look at the pin but something didn’t work properly and the tug test resulted in me shooting forwards. Worked the second time however, think it was a unit level problem.
Wtf is the ‘BLACK’ system exactly? 
Nothing racist I hope. 
Think it’s Brake (on trailer) Legs down, airlines off etc. clip off king ping, then king pin. I just call it common sense instead
andy_s:
Think it’s Brake (on trailer) Legs down, airlines off etc. clip off king ping, then king pin. I just call it common sense instead
I used to work with a bloke who swor pin first was the correct way to do it as the hand brake on the unit holds the trailer 
He had a nasty shock one day doing a trailer change at a services and still wouldn’t admit he was wrong
andy_s:
Think it’s Brake (on trailer) Legs down, airlines off etc. clip off king ping, then king pin. I just call it common sense instead
Never heard of that, but when I learned you had to also remember to feed the horse.
robroy:
andy_s:
Think it’s Brake (on trailer) Legs down, airlines off etc. clip off king ping, then king pin. I just call it common sense insteadNever heard of that, but when I learned you had to also remember to feed the horse.
Wincanton have a plate on a chain to hang on your fifth wheel handle. Or some sites have a magnetic sheet to stick to their drivers door. It shows the BLACK procedure, they said they did these due to drivers dropping trailers on its nose (not necessarily Wincanton drivers-most of the sites seem to have stand trailers from loads of places).