Link to local rag article:
£17,000 worth of damage (according to the article) and yet another decker trailer newly converted into a low loader.
I like how he got 5 points on his licence, just leaving him with 1 left 
He said he was… ‘‘Merely following his sat nav’’.
Enough said. 
Think ward brothers was a bit daft letting him loose with a DD on his first day after he passed his test.
I feel a bit sorry for him to be honest. He was brand-new at the job, and I think anybody given such a tall trailer to drag around should be pre-routed by the office. In fact, to show my full hand I think double decker trailers should be illegal anyway and there should be a maximum permissible trailer height of 4 metres.
Ok I feel sorry for him also, new lad just passed his test, we all made mistakes when new, although his was epic…but come on, what’s the first thing you think of (or should) and first consideration, when the words ‘double’ and ‘decker’ are mentioned?? 
I don’t know whether to feel sorry for the lad or not.
Naive and inexperienced or a dope?
My first shift on class 1 was a double deck mega trailer. Pretty daunting to be honest but it made me go extra careful due to the size
The article was trying to blame the haulier rather than the bloody driver! He should have known better that he had a 16’-something decker and take a detour to avoid hitting it. There are several factors to this. Maybe the height indicator in the cab was set at a different height and he forgot to reset it, or he just “forgot” about the height of his outfit and didn’t bother looking at the signs on the bridge whilst blindly following his sat nav. Most truck sat navs (including my Garmin) now have a feature to set the height and dimensions of your vehicle.
The Albert Bridge is only 13’ 3" high and has been struck on numerous occassions, including at least one incident of a Scarbourgh-bound double decker Arriva bus hitting it whilst carrying a full load of holidaymakers, some receiving
very serious injuries as a result of that. Also, on the last Sunday of April every year, a vintage bus running day takes place at the nearby Transporter Bridge, and the buses are routed via the crossroads just before the bridge. Luckily, I’ve haven’t heard anything about one of their buses hitting it yet.
So, in my mind, there’s NO excuse whatsoever about hitting low bridges, and you should know the height of your vehicle before setting off on your merry way.
Another case for TruckNet CSI here!
elsa Lad:
Think ward brothers was a bit daft letting him loose with a DD on his first day after he passed his test.
For some daft reason, they always seems to put at least one decker on Palletways local multi-drops. Deckers should, in my opinion, only be restricted to being used on the night trunks to and from the hubs (i.e, routes that have only motorways and dual carriageways on them).
With any new start, give them a easy trunking job to settle in with. Ward’s quite big so they must had a run with a normal height trailer to a DC somewhere.
This is nonsense; I have driven DDs all over when working for Halfords and for Plumb Centre. I knew how high I was and we always planned the route to avoid low bridges. I remember having to go all around the houses (and through a 7½ tonne limit) to get to a shop in Frome. That was far from the only one and the only time I heard of someone bashing something was a driver who hit a low branch on an overhanging tree. Oddly enough, there were no warning signs.
Garbo2018:
elsa Lad:
Think ward brothers was a bit daft letting him loose with a DD on his first day after he passed his test.For some daft reason, they always seems to put at least one decker on Palletways local multi-drops. Deckers should, in my opinion, only be restricted to being used on the night trunks to and from the hubs (i.e, routes that have only motorways and dual carriageways on them).
As a night trunker pulling DDs for the last 15 years I agree this would be a lovely idea. Unfortunately I can’t remember the last time I worked a complete shift with no closures/diversions and we are often sent on somewhat dubious routes. When there is an accident or other reason for the boys/ladies in blue to divert us it is quite common to hear the famous “we’ve had bigger than that down here driver”. A couple of years ago the M42 was closed around J3 or 4 and the diversion sent deckers into a low bridge. That said, it is the driver’s responsibility to know the height and check the route but we all started out knowing very little!!
"His sat-nav was programmed with the height of the lorry cab but not the load by his employer.
I feel bad for the guy.
The worst I done when I started was I went the entire day without putting tachocard card in. I just completely forgot 
The first few weeks driving a hgv are usually a trial by fire particularly if you don’t have a decent employer.
He was not totally inexperienced, you don’t go straight to a class one these days!
Dave…
dave docwra:
He was not totally inexperienced, you don’t go straight to a class one these days!Dave…
I’d hardly count 4.5days in a class 2 as experienced! That’s all I had before doing my class 1 and I’ve not driven a class 2 since then.
It’s a big mistake. I do feel sorry for him being so new to the job, but what a mistake to make! Maybe there’s not enough sense of danger any more, or caution.
Sat nav was programmed to height of lorry cab rather than the height of the double decker trailer, and he was just following it. Does inexperience come in to play there? I’m all for giving chances for any mistake, particularly one where being inexperienced is just part of it. But not changing your sat nav to the height of the Trailer? Surely being inexperienced would make you double and triple check something like that. Or am I just being harsh?
mrginge:
"His sat-nav was programmed with the height of the lorry cab but not the load by his employer.
Yep.
I noticed that too.
I wouldn’t mind betting he was told summat like
“It’s all been set up for you, just follow the satnav”?
New pass, new job, loads to learn in a short time…
The final responsibility IS his. He is the one who went past the road signs, so the penalties stand, but he deserves some sympathy.
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
DickyNick:
Sat nav was programmed to height of lorry cab rather than the height of the double decker trailer, and he was just following it. Does inexperience come in to play there? I’m all for giving chances for any mistake, particularly one where being inexperienced is just part of it. But not changing your sat nav to the height of the Trailer? Surely being inexperienced would make you double and triple check something like that. Or am I just being harsh?
No you aint been harsh mate, a sat nav is a guide, it doesn’t ‘‘send’’ you anywhere, it’s the driver’s call.
If a lot of dumbasses could just realise that there would not be as many bridge bashings and trucks stuck down lanes.