AlexWignall:
When I was new at our place ‘a good’ driver crunched his 15’8" trailer into the 15’6" bridge on the A20 near Lenham.
I asked him why he went that way and he said it was because that’s what he always did. Turns out he pressed the wrong button on his air suspension (because he was on the phone) and lifted the trailer high enough to write it off.
He didn’t get prosecuted or even fired but he did have to tow the wrecked trailer all the way to Preston.
He left within the month.
W
I’d have prosecuted and sacked the muppet for being on the phone AND playing with the air suspension whilst the vehicle’s moving. MUPPET!!
He refused to accept that he had done anything wrong on the grounds that he had been that way before with the same combination.
I’m sure that bridge has a couple of Height Prohibition signs and I know it has a warning light system. He shut the A20 and cost the firm over £10000 and I know if I saw that lad today he would still say it wasn’t his fault.
For what it’s worth, two of us measured the height of our tallest trailer on my truck with a tape measure. It really is the only way to know for sure but I would still be reluctant to defy the measurement on the headboards of our trailers.
When I was working on the agency I was sent in a 4 wheeler to deliver double glazing extrusions round S Wales.
One place was in an estate where the only access was via a low (and much battered) bridge under a railway line. I stopped and measured the truck and it was an inch or so taller than the sighn, so I phoned the office to ask for advice.
They told me that the regular driver went there and it should be OK, so I drove carefully through, stopping part way to see that there seemed to be very little clearance, and made the delivery. When I was tipped I set off back, and then I realised that the truck had old fashioned cart springs so after dropping several tonnes off, it would be higher - I phoned again for advice.
The outcome was that a forklift came charging down the hill with a bid concrete block on a pallet - they popped it in the back door and took it back off when I was safely through. I seemed that it was a regular occurence.
Where I work now there are two identical 4 wheelers which I have personally measured at 12’9".
On Hanbury Road between Stoke Heath (Bromsgrove), and Stoke Wharf (Harris Brush) there as a bridge marked as 12’9". In both directions there are beams across the road and the trucks set the flashing lights off - even though they will go under the bridge with inches to spare. Takes nerve to ignore all the flashing lights though.
On the A30 from Andover running into Salisbury the bridge is marked up at 13ft 3ins and all our trailers are 14ft 2ins but they all go under…last time i went through i was following one of uncle Eddie’s finest and his tralier was as tall as mine and he didnt even slow down …must have balls of steel,i always crawl under it
Used to do a regular run out Crowborough way in Sussex — company I did work for then had a fleet of Merc rigids — all identical and with sequential reg numbers and 12ft 8 in high — except one it was 13ft 3in. One day I came flying down the hill brain in neutral with the tall motor and under the railway bridge marked at 12ft 9in - at the last minute it registered which motor I had that day — luckily it was fully loaded, truck OK but drivers seat had to go away to the dry cleaners.
Hiya …on the A610 Ambergate to Ripley the bridge is marked at 13 9 … if you are a
centimeter over 13 8 you’ll not get under…the girders are 13 9 but there are some rivets
that are lower. i think the warning lights are set at 13 6 but the signs up the road say 13 9.
a company took over the firm i worked for and i asked for 13 6 trailers…guess what come 14 3
one of our regular runs was tip a couple in Notts 1 in ripley and load out of Buxton no problem
untill we had high trailers…we had to go into Derby(i did know a short cut over Heanor) round
the ring road and back along the A6 about 35 miles out of your way just because some git
wouldf’nt listen…we never got back to Buxton in time to load after that c…k up.and they
woundered why…
John
quinn glass in chester has a low bridge going into it an if u have a 14.6 trailer u have to run with your tag down or ul hit it ( DRIVING A SCANIA THAT IS )
cliffton 27:
whislt bein held captive at sainsburys stoke i got chattin to another driver we got to talkin about gettin stuck at low bridges etc i told him how i ended up on a rd with 2 bridges the same hight as my trailer n was forced to blindside into a tiny side st to get out of the situation anyway this fellow driver went on to say how every bridge that is marked up with a height is actually 2 or 3 inch higher than stated on the sign an that if he meets a bridge the same height as him he will always go through it is this true or is the bloke as i suspect 1 either full of it or 2 a fool n eventually come unstook
cliffton 27:
quinn glass in chester has a low bridge going into it an if u have a 14.6 trailer u have to run with your tag down or ul hit it ( DRIVING A SCANIA THAT IS )
I think there’s a bit to spare.
Behind Chester services, the signs all tell you where to go, but you still think you’ve took a wrong turn.
But I’ve took Scania units with High Cube containers in with the lift axle up and I was fine.
Used to collect Newcy Browns from there for export.
…must have balls of steel,i always crawl under it 
