In my line of work , builders merchants to rural west Wales , some of the places I’m expected to go havnt been touched since the days of a horse & cart, one particular job two weeks ago turned out to be a nightmare, off a main road , down a track , down a pathway then bridleway, very tight , very narrow & the only way to get round a 70’ bend is put the front in the hedge & push with the lorry & shunt back & same again, I know this as I was sent there last year & got stuck resulting in damage , roll on two weeks ago & same drop comes up , so I inform them that its in passable for lorries, its got to go comes the reply its £1600 quids worth, I understand that but its impassable & trying to do so will result in damage ! Do what you have to do I get told, ok , went down , damaged lorry, came out , damaged lorry , went back to yard , good them , they said ok , 5 drops to said place later after explaining each time it will get damaged , told its got to go , same scenario …
One week before mot & lorry has gone in for some prep work & theyve been told there’s about 2000 ks worth of damage to front bumper & headlight, there’s been a big fuss about it today but of course nobody backs me , I believe they intend to charge me for damage , which I will not be accepting! In hindsight I should of refused to go down there , although in this company your always told by office your just being awkward , so & so go down there just get it done … I look forward to the outcome, even today I had a tight difficult drop so phoned to say its too tight , reply was he’s had stuff from other merchants get it done , I asked what if damage occurs ? Well that’s your call your the driver, so it came back with me & guy ranting on the phone about his drop to the boss , so guess where first drop is tomorrow , I can’t see it getting wider over night , can you ?
Why not do the delivery get as far as you can then phone back to the yard and tell them that you are stuck and need help hopefully someone from the office would come out and see how tight the drop really is
Have you taken any photos while in situ to show the Office?
Have you no agency drivers at your place to blame the damage on?
If they insist on you going, get a manager to write you a disclaimer for damage with the date and time. They usually buckle at this stage.
Also have you signed any part of your contract saying you accept deductions for damage? If not then it is Illegal to deduct it from your wages.
Is it a chain or an independent builders merchant ?
Although I’m well known to try anything once, there are some jobs that are just impossible to do how the customer wants them. Like getting a 13’ 6" HIAB into a courtyard thru’ a 10’ archway, regardless of how many other drivers have done it before.
I wish I had £1 for every customer who can drive my truck better than I can.
Builder merchants are on a tightrope at the mo’ with precious little activity & very tight margins. Regardless of the pressure being put on you to “get the job done” it still has to be done realistically & YOUR opinion as the man on the frontline needs to carry weight with those who may have their raised expectations shattered when the gear can’t be landed where they want it.
If your opinion is not, or cannot be respected, then you might be in the wrong job !
Or go and get proper stuck. Recovery costs aren’t the cheapest either.
m1cks:
If they insist on you going, get a manager to write you a disclaimer for damage with the date and time. They usually buckle at this stage.
Also have you signed any part of your contract saying you accept deductions for damage? If not then it is Illegal to deduct it from your wages.
Even with such a clause in your contract, they are still on very dodgy ground (legally) by willy nilly deducting wages for any damages.
Every scenario is different, but I’m more than happy to sign employment T&C’s with such clauses because I’m confidant that if it all goes ■■■■ up the most I will lose will be my time in sorting it all out.
I’m now in the same industry. I have learned to accept that shopkeepers who run trucks have no clue at all of the trials and tribulations of how we get the job done.
If the truck was somehow connected to the cash till, it would get better treated. We too get penalised for damage to vehicles, not because we cant drive them properly, but simply that the specs are not up to the job.
Highway type bumpers with a valance also fitted underneath, and steps that are too low or fixed, are not up to this type of work. We need flexi steps and bumpers and other off road style fittings found on tippers and quarry trucks.
I have damaged the fascia, I call it that because it’s certainly not a bumper, on the Stralis I drive. I pulled it off on a Hawthorn hedge reversing into a very tight entrance to a site! The hedge proving to be tougher than the plastic clips that hold the whole lot in place. I never heard the last of it either!
But now I have leaned my lesson, I give it one really good go at getting in, if that will not work then I tell the knuckle dragging neanderthals…sorry builders, that I cant get in and refer them to the clause on the back of the ticket that says ‘Kerbside Delivery only’ any thing else is at the drivers discretion.
I personally wouldn’t off even tried it, if I know I’m going to do damage I won’t put scratches on my truck so someone gets there delivery where they want it. If my boss insists then he can come and do it in his motor because I can guarantee the bollocking ill get for refusing to do it will be nothing compared to the one ill be getting for putting a dent in the cab. Next time you want to take photos send them to your manager if you have a smart phone or refuse to attempt it and take it back to show them. It doesn’t matter how good a driver you are you can’t fit something that’s 9-10 foot wide through an 8 foot gap as soon as the spotty pricks in the office realise this the better.
If they want to charge you, just reck the truck and leave.
That’ll learn um
I deliver to building sites too and if I think I’ll get stuck or damage the truck I say no. Builders on the whole are lazy gits, you only have to look at the size of them! Some comparable to lorry drivers yet they do a manual job 
Thankfully most our sites are pretty easy access so it’s not too much of an issue but my office have always backed my decision whenever I’ve said no.
At my old place I used to deliver solar panels in a 3.5t van. Farmer says ‘may as well unload on the field lad’ off I go and almost instantly axle deep in ■■■■■ 
never again will I listen to the customers orders on where he wants it.
Op, you should have got the go ahead from them in writing.
m1cks:
Or go and get proper stuck. Recovery costs aren’t the cheapest either.
Getting stuck in builders merchant work is simply not an option because getting a wrecker in to some places would be impossible, after a stint on this type of work your idea of “tight” will take on a whole new meaning and damaging the lorry is just par for the course, sometimes you’ve got no option but to scrape it abit here and there.
I dont have many pictures as there on my old computer, but this was a narrow lane i had to reverse half a mile down to deliver to get to a customers house, both mirrors were folded in whilst reversing and i had to climb out the window to get this shot… Fairly typical delivery.
Saaamon:
…this was a narrow lane i had to reverse half a mile down to deliver to get to a customers house, both mirrors were folded in whilst reversing…Fairly typical delivery…
That pic reminds me of Hallsenna, Holmrook. Utter ball-ache.
Been there, done that. Scalescleugh, just south of the Fleece on the A6, not the tarmac down to the main estate but the ■■■■■■ lane to the cottage/stables.
Had one or two small scrapes as can be expected in that line of work but never any proper damage, cracked step-cover at most…well, apart from just the once when someone in Midgey, Whitehaven ended up getting a new wall. 
Try a stint on the gas mini-bulkers. Not a chance in hell of opting out, it’s a whole new world!
nickb67:
0
We’ve had bigger than that in here drive’ !
kemaro:
In my line of work , builders merchants to rural west Wales , some of the places I’m expected to go havnt been touched since the days of a horse & cart, one particular job two weeks ago turned out to be a nightmare, off a main road , down a track , down a pathway then bridleway, very tight , very narrow & the only way to get round a 70’ bend is put the front in the hedge & push with the lorry & shunt back & same again, I know this as I was sent there last year & got stuck resulting in damage , roll on two weeks ago & same drop comes up , so I inform them that its in passable for lorries, its got to go comes the reply its £1600 quids worth, I understand that but its impassable & trying to do so will result in damage ! Do what you have to do I get told, ok , went down , damaged lorry, came out , damaged lorry , went back to yard , good them , they said ok , 5 drops to said place later after explaining each time it will get damaged , told its got to go , same scenario …
One week before mot & lorry has gone in for some prep work & theyve been told there’s about 2000 ks worth of damage to front bumper & headlight, there’s been a big fuss about it today but of course nobody backs me , I believe they intend to charge me for damage , which I will not be accepting! In hindsight I should of refused to go down there , although in this company your always told by office your just being awkward , so & so go down there just get it done … I look forward to the outcome, even today I had a tight difficult drop so phoned to say its too tight , reply was he’s had stuff from other merchants get it done , I asked what if damage occurs ? Well that’s your call your the driver, so it came back with me & guy ranting on the phone about his drop to the boss , so guess where first drop is tomorrow , I can’t see it getting wider over night , can you ?
What they probably mean is there’s damage to the bumper and the only way they’re going to offer to fix (if your place is daft enough) is replace the whole thing. Even when one of the fibre construction type get ripped off their mounts you can usually cobble a serviceable repair without a whole new bumper.
Twoninety88:
I’m now in the same industry. I have learned to accept that shopkeepers who run trucks have no clue at all of the trials and tribulations of how we get the job done.If the truck was somehow connected to the cash till, it would get better treated. We too get penalised for damage to vehicles, not because we cant drive them properly, but simply that the specs are not up to the job.
Highway type bumpers with a valance also fitted underneath, and steps that are too low or fixed, are not up to this type of work. We need flexi steps and bumpers and other off road style fittings found on tippers and quarry trucks.
I have damaged the fascia, I call it that because it’s certainly not a bumper, on the Stralis I drive. I pulled it off on a Hawthorn hedge reversing into a very tight entrance to a site! The hedge proving to be tougher than the plastic clips that hold the whole lot in place. I never heard the last of it either!
But now I have leaned my lesson, I give it one really good go at getting in, if that will not work then I tell the knuckle dragging neanderthals…sorry builders, that I cant get in and refer them to the clause on the back of the ticket that says ‘Kerbside Delivery only’ any thing else is at the drivers discretion.
You’ll never keep those plastic valances and triangular corner pieces on for five minutes on anything that’s not tarmac. I used to go to farms a lot with ours and they only have to see a big lump of earth hidden in some grass and they’d immediately fall off. If your paying a dealer to fix then it’s going to cost but if you’ve got your own workshop most of the bits like steps and bumper trims are all only in the £20-£50 price range for parts.
I absolutely hate hearing stuff like this. If they told you to do it, then it’s on them but you should have got it in writing as most folks will stab you in the back as soon as say hello to you. You learn this as you get older.
But, I couldn’t personally, deliberately damage a wagon even if I was told to by an employer as its just not, well, right…
I wouldn’t pay them a single penny towards repairs & would leave the job if it was forced, I don’t know your personal circumstances though.
We shall see what’s said today but I’m ready for battle …