If i was doing a trunk and ventured off route, then hit a low bridge i’d be surprised if i kept my job at most of the places ive worked.
Especially since its trunking and shouldnt have been near it.
Circumstances like a road closed ending up on a diversion or delivering to different places and not sure about areas a bit more understandable.
One place i worked i heard one of their trunkers from down south did similar ventured off course to get a kebab in Manchester or Birmingham can’t remember, ended up lost and asking some youths for directions, who assualted him and stole the truck. I think he got bounced out the door because he went off route with a hi-value load.
DHL had a policy of three strikes and you were out when drivng their vehicles and having accidents… A decent Class 1 driver was out the door because of this and two of them werent even his fault.
Most places ive worked if you have an accident fair enough it happens, but if the accidents caused by doing something reckless, or forgetting to do somthing like not securing a load, or hitting a low bridge would be out the door. Espec if the truck is badly damaged.
Krankee:
You dismiss an employee for a mistake that, in their entire lifetime, they are unlikely to repeat, only to replace them with an ‘unknown quantity’ that might also do the same thing.
I agree with that to a point but unfortunately it’s not always the case that people learn from their mistakes, I don’t doubt that this girl will learn from this but unfortunately company policy is often made with the idiots in mind and the rest who will likely never make the same mistake again have to suffer for it.
Also I wonder would the company’s insurance play any part in their final decision.
No mention was made of how much damage was caused or how serious the incident was.
Imp:
Think thats harsh. We lost a driver for smoking in his cab. Well that was the reason given. Ok he was a nice lad but did have an attitude towards them in the office. Really it was the tip of the iceburg but smoking was the reason used.
I find that harsh and im a none smoker!
im harsh think driving without due care and attention come into play here think plod might be a bit harsher here than me court case at the least
I have a couple of thoughts on this:
I do think that it is ‘reasonable’ for the company to have sacked her. I would think that this was mainly for the bridge strike rather than the detour (unless she had specific instructions to follow the set route). A bloke at our place recently hit a bridge - he was travelling at over 17’ 
and had not measured his load as he was in a hired vehicle and didn’t have his height stick. He had been with the company for 13 years - but company policy is clear: if you hit a bridge, you’re out. Unless there was an acceptable reason, ie the height marked on the bridge was incorrect, then although it may seem harsh, and I wouldn’t wish anybody to lose their job over a single mistake, I don’t think it was ‘unreasonable’.
Secondly, reading between the lines matchbox, I get the feeling that this has made you question whether you want to stay with the company? Please don’t make any decisions based on this. If you are happy for now with the new unit and had decided to stay for while longer, then stay with it. It’s never a good idea to leave a place on principle because of something that has happened to someone else. If it had been really obviously unfair, then maybe, but it wasn’t - you just don’t like it. Don’t let that affect your own job.
Best of luck to her though, I hope she finds something she likes just as much - as others have said, she won’t do that again! 
scania245:
Imp:
Think thats harsh. We lost a driver for smoking in his cab. Well that was the reason given. Ok he was a nice lad but did have an attitude towards them in the office. Really it was the tip of the iceburg but smoking was the reason used.
I find that harsh and im a none smoker!
im harsh think driving without due care and attention come into play here think plod might be a bit harsher here than me court case at the least
Driving without due care? Because he’s smoking? Hope you don’t have your radio on or carry passengers in anything you drive, mate; wouldn’t want you being distracted would we? 
gnasty gnome:
scania245:
Imp:
Think thats harsh. We lost a driver for smoking in his cab. Well that was the reason given. Ok he was a nice lad but did have an attitude towards them in the office. Really it was the tip of the iceburg but smoking was the reason used.
I find that harsh and im a none smoker!
im harsh think driving without due care and attention come into play here think plod might be a bit harsher here than me court case at the least
Driving without due care? Because he’s smoking? Hope you don’t have your radio on or carry passengers in anything you drive, mate; wouldn’t want you being distracted would we?
P.O.R.G (person of restricted growth) if you had read this thread from the start i wouldnt be wastin my time now READ BACK 
as for my driving i only get distracted in the summer months going through a city
scania245:
gnasty gnome:
scania245:
Imp:
Think thats harsh. We lost a driver for smoking in his cab. Well that was the reason given. Ok he was a nice lad but did have an attitude towards them in the office. Really it was the tip of the iceburg but smoking was the reason used.
I find that harsh and im a none smoker!
im harsh think driving without due care and attention come into play here think plod might be a bit harsher here than me court case at the least
Driving without due care? Because he’s smoking? Hope you don’t have your radio on or carry passengers in anything you drive, mate; wouldn’t want you being distracted would we?
P.O.R.G (person of restricted growth) if you had read this thread from the start i wouldnt be wastin my time now READ BACK as for my driving i only get distracted in the summer months going through a city
I had read it from the start. You originally quoted Imp’s comments about a lad who got sacked for smoking; I accept that you were in fact referring to the bridge strike, but it would have helped if you’d clarified that.