bridge bashing

Because kitkat…your “plan” won’t always work. One day you’ll come to one of those 14ft 2" signed bridges with your 14ft 9 trailer and find it doesn’t go under anymore because they resurfaced the road.
14’2’'…can’t see where i mentioned this height,but i suppose guy’s like you just see what you want to see.and then let yer belly rumble.

Oh and if you wonder why people don’t think we’re professional anymore I suggest you take a look in the mirror

well the last time i looked in the mirror the bridge was at the rear of my trl.and as i have a clean licence with 14 years of driving wagons experiance behind me and an accident free record to back me up,then i think i am professional,and if you don’t think so conor then that’s your problem.but mayby one day we’ll meet and you can tell me to my face.

No wonder people think we’re stupid when some of us pulling a clearly marked 14ft 9" trailer hit a clearly marked 14ft 2" bridge.

as i said open mouth and let belly rumble b4 reading it properly. :open_mouth:

ohterry:

kitkat:
although the bridge state’s 15’3 and this is your running height,you will get under it as there is alway’s a few inch’s to play with.i got under a 14’3’’ bridge with a 14’9’'trailer :wink:

aye but thats cos ur a ffa jim u kept the rig low with ur weight m8
hehehe… :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing::wink:

hehehe you`ve met him too then terry :laughing:
kitkat… more like porkpie :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

scanny77:
that is not always true kitkat. some bridges are marked higher than they actually are. with some you can see that the actual height is nowhere near the marked height. i always apply a 6 inch rule. if the cab says it is within 6 inches of the bridge height, i re-route. i wont chance it. hence, i have never hit a bridge. i do know of someone who got stuck under one in a 7.5 tonner though :astonished:

:unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

Firstly, Richie, if the bridge is marked higher than it actually is and you hit it, knowing that your vehicle is lower than the marked height then quite simply that is the fault of the local council and you have a 100% solid legal case against them.

For you to find an alternative route when you’re faced with a marked 13’6 bridge in your 13’0 truck is just absurd and completely ridiculous and to be perfectly honest if I was your gaffer and found out that that is what you do then you’d be looking for another job with immediate effect :exclamation: :unamused:

Conor:
Because kitkat…your “plan” won’t always work. One day you’ll come to one of those 14ft 2" signed bridges with your 14ft 9 trailer and find it doesn’t go under anymore because they resurfaced the road.

Yes, I agree that is a very high risk to take, but

Oh and if you wonder why people don’t think we’re professional anymore I suggest you take a look in the mirror.

No wonder people think we’re stupid when some of us pulling a clearly marked 14ft 9" trailer hit a clearly marked 14ft 2" bridge.

If you’d read Jim’s post properly you would have seen that he didn’t see the low bridge warning sign for whatever reason (covered by tree branches perhaps or something along those lines) and after having rounded a blind bend was suddenly faced with a bridge 7" lower that the height of his truck. In such a situation, what would you have done, given that there was nowhere to turn round without reversing blind-side round a blind bend on a busy road :question:

Frankly, I think he did the most professional thing he could have done in the circumstances.

Rob K:
If you’d read Jim’s post properly you would have seen that he didn’t see the low bridge warning sign for whatever reason (covered by tree branches perhaps or something along those lines) and after having rounded a blind bend was suddenly faced with a bridge 7" lower that the height of his truck. In such a situation, what would you have done, given that there was nowhere to turn round without reversing blind-side round a blind bend on a busy road :question:

Not even attempted to go under it and phoned the Police who would have come and stopped the traffic. I assume kitkat is at least half capable of reversing so it wouldn’t be an issue.

What would have happened if he had hit the bridge? Would he just have kept his mouth shut and carried on? Meanwhile as the next train comes along at 70MPH and gets derailed…Would he have phoned railtrack and reported it, risking a fine of thousands of pounds and guaranteed loss of job? I doubt it.

And what he did was completely unprofessional but I guess then that must include you if you think it was a viable thing to do. This is why I left the (zb)banging my head against the wall trying to promote us as professionals when people who should know better come up with stupid comments like his and yours.

edited not allowed to mention that place here :wink: mrs mix

Conor:

Rob K:
If you’d read Jim’s post properly you would have seen that he didn’t see the low bridge warning sign for whatever reason (covered by tree branches perhaps or something along those lines) and after having rounded a blind bend was suddenly faced with a bridge 7" lower that the height of his truck. In such a situation, what would you have done, given that there was nowhere to turn round without reversing blind-side round a blind bend on a busy road :question:

Not even attempted to go under it and phoned the Police who would have come and stopped the traffic. I assume kitkat is at least half capable of reversing so it wouldn’t be an issue.

You’ve clearly never asked the police for assistance before because trust me, it doesn’t happen. On the flip side, let’s assume the plod do actually have some ‘spare resources’ for once (it will be a first, believe me), it is realistically going to be at least and hour to two hours before they turn up and catch them when they’re having a mildly bad day and they won’t think twice to do you for driving without due care and attention, irrelevant of whether a few tree branches were obscuring the low bridge warning sign, because they’re like that and so you’re gonna cause even more of a hold-up while all the traffic battles with each other to get round you.

What would have happened if he had hit the bridge?

Well considering the points he made in his post then that is irrelevant - he clearly stated he had a P&O wagon driver watching to make sure that there was clearance before he made contact with the bridge.

Would he just have kept his mouth shut and carried on?

Irrelevant.

Meanwhile as the next train comes along at 70MPH and gets derailed…

:laughing: Do you have a degree in Drama(queen) Studies per chance :question:

Would he have phoned railtrack and reported it, risking a fine of thousands of pounds and guaranteed loss of job? I doubt it.

:unamused:

And what he did was completely unprofessional but I guess then that must include you if you think it was a viable thing to do.

In your opinion. Others would disagree. Like I said before, in the circumstances Jim did the best thing - in my opinion - to resolve the problem. He was quick thinking and sought the help from another wagon driver to act as a second pair of eyes whilst he used his head in thinking to drop the air and try to get through like that, rather than causing chaos and huge queues/delays while he attempted to reverse back to the last turning point, aided or unaided and risk causing a serious accident.

In my experience of driving, summoning the police for any kind of help is a complete waste of time and if they can ‘do’ you for something in the process, they will do, to justify their precious time coming to ‘help’ you.

I just hope it happens to you one day and I will laugh very loudly at you when that’s exactly what happens when the plod turn up :exclamation: :laughing:

This is why I left the (zb)- banging my head against the wall trying to promote us as professionals when people who should know better come up with stupid comments like his and yours.

sorry rob see above :wink: pam
:unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

One other small point. Irrelevant anyway, but a low speed strike on a bridge, will not cause any damage to the bridge. They are steel and concrete and weigh several tonnes. Also, KitKat could easily have reported striking the bridge anonymously, as in “I saw a truck hitting this bridge”.

Much as I hate to say it, I agree with RobK in this instance. :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

Simon:
One other small point. Irrelevant anyway, but a low speed strike on a bridge, will not cause any damage to the bridge. They are steel and concrete and weigh several tonnes.

I think they weigh a fair bit more than that actually, but anyway… As soon as a railway bridge is hit, make no mistake - Network Rail will close the line until the bridge has been inspected by their engineers, no matter whether it’s been hit at 1mph or 100mph. As the train operating companies then claim any compensation payments they may have to make to delayed passengers back from NR, your boss will soon find a bill for several thousand pounds on the doormat.

Simon:
One other small point. Irrelevant anyway, but a low speed strike on a bridge, will not cause any damage to the bridge. They are steel and concrete and weigh several tonnes.:

And they’re also on rollers…

Rob K:
I just hope it happens to you one day and I will laugh very loudly at you when that’s exactly what happens when the plod turn up :exclamation: :laughing:

Never has, never will. Meanwhile I’ll just continue going along shaking my head in disbelief at the amazing antics from people who think they’re professional and can’t understand why car drivers think we’re idiots.

Conor:

Rob K:
I just hope it happens to you one day and I will laugh very loudly at you when that’s exactly what happens when the plod turn up :exclamation: :laughing:

Never has, never will. Meanwhile I’ll just continue going along shaking my head in disbelief at the amazing antics from people who think they’re professional and can’t understand why car drivers think we’re idiots.

Yeah alright, Cpt.Perfect :unamused:

Alot of the above would be avoided if the signs warning of a low bridge ahead were placed in a more suitable location. I’ve seen a few signs no more than a couple of hundred metres from the bridge itself and with no places between the sign and the bridge for vehicles affected by the height limit to turn round, which is a great help to drivers of high sided vehicles!!! :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

uvox82:
Alot of the above would be avoided if the signs warning of a low bridge ahead were placed in a more suitable location. I’ve seen a few signs no more than a couple of hundred metres from the bridge itself and with no places between the sign and the bridge for vehicles affected by the height limit to turn round, which is a great help to drivers of high sided vehicles!!! :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

There was one I used to go under which had no warning sign at all and was only 12’ 1 , although to be fair, due to its location I was probably the only LGV to go under it.

aye but thats cos ur a ffa jim u kept the rig low with ur weight m8
hehehe… …

oh your so funny terry :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

hehehe you`ve met him too then terry …
kitkat… more like porkpie

and you can shut up to jb, :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: no one asked for your comment’s :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Not even attempted to go under it and phoned the Police who would have come and stopped the traffic. I assume kitkat is at least half capable of reversing so it wouldn’t be an issue.

and the company get’s a large bill for their time and effort,provided they can do it for me. :question: :question: and for your info mr perfect,i can revearse quite well ta very much.

What would have happened if he had hit the bridge? Would he just have kept his mouth shut and carried on? Meanwhile as the next train comes along at 70MPH and gets derailed…Would he have phoned railtrack and reported it, risking a fine of thousands of pounds and guaranteed loss of job? I doubt it.

you obviously don’t know me.yes i would call the police,railtrack etc.rather than run the risk of trains de-railing due to me not doing anything about it.and as for losing the job,do you really think if i had not reported the hitting of a bridge that could cost lives,that i’d really worry about a poxy job with DHL,i would think that i’d have more on my mind don’t you.let me chuck that question back to you,would you report it :question: ( although i already know what your answer will be,due to you being better than most,in other words a do-gooder)

And what he did was completely unprofessional but I guess then that must include you if you think it was a viable thing to do. This is why I left the (zb) - banging my head against the wall trying to promote us as professionals when people who should know better come up with stupid comments like his and yours.

i seeked help/assistance from another professional truck driver,and you call that unprofessional do you :question: (zb).say no more on that point :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

conor in my 14years off driving wagons,big or small i have never had an accident nor hit any bridges as i’m normally well alert,and on this occassion i had been given the directions from another lad who lived and worked out of our sei depot ( scottish express international) at dundonald.he told me that i would get under that bridge with no problems.as i approached the bend i noticed the height marker out of the corner of my eye’s.it was obscured by tree’s and by this time it was too late as i was past the point of no return.it was marked as 14’3’’ and as soon as i noticed this i had no option but to stop well away from the nasty bend,so to give oncoming trucks/cars plenty of room to stop.the 1st venicle round was p&o and i asked him to help/guide me through it as even he realised that i was in a difficult situation.we both agreed that i’d lower suspension front and back and that he’d stand on top of his unit and watch me under.i got through without touching the bridge and no damage was done.as soon as i got through i pulled over to the hard concrete surface to let him carry on to troon for his ferry,and to let the other cars on there way and i stood outside and i gave every car driver a wave and a thankyou for their time and patience.now if you say i ain’t a professional driver then that is your opinion and i can’t alter that opinion,but you don’t know me and never have met me, so how you can come to this opinion of me is puzzling me.( personnelly your opinion has of no interest to me) you seem to like to pass coments on other drivers actions and how we all handle different situations,but just ask yourself have you never got into a tricky situation :question: weather it’s entering a customers premises and suddenly realized hey i can’t turn in here.or down a street where the access is bloody tight as you have never been to them before.i see this on a daily bases and if i can i’ll get out and help them.would you :question: or would you call them non professional’s :question: for getting themselves into that situation in the 1st place.

edited for reasons given before :wink: pam

kitkat:
yes i would call the police,railtrack etc.rather than run the risk of trains de-railing due to me not doing anything about it.

Whilst I would disagree with not reporting a bridge strike, if a bridge was made structurally unsafe by being hit by an LGV at ~5 mph (the speed I’d go under a bridge (with someone watching the height) if I was unsure whether I’d clear it), I’d say that it was unsafe before it was hit.