Last year I got offered a job driving an artic in France for a big firm. On my first trip I got to my destination and found my load to be a huge amount of fireworks! I am adr trained but my boss told me I was carrying horse feed the truck had no orange plates or safety equipment. When I spoke to my boss after I got back he told me that’s just the way they operate and if I don’t like it then there’s the door, so I did quit on my first day.
A lot of the other drivers took the Mick out of me for it and my friends and family said I did the wrong thing, so how many of you would have quit and who would have stayed? Did I do the right thing?
Quite a few like that
Depends who paying fines and how much you needed a job
Wouldnt loose your lucemce for it just hassle and mega fine
But emd of day that be his problem til fine paid whilst teuck stays parked in france
Dave’s the man to give the accurate info but it is just possible that fireworks don’t need ADR, I used to bring full loads of shotgun shells back from Spain and they didn’t.
I really needed the work, at the time I was 22 and been in full time employment driving hgvs since I was 19 but the firm I was working for went bust and I couldnt get a job with anyone else and I found these guys 6 months later. Luckily though after I quit I got another job really quick in France again for a removal firm.
The A-hole deliberately lied to you, and as such could never be trusted. What if stashing coke or heroin on board was also “the way they operated” ■■ My humble opinion is that you did the right thing by walking.
lewis1991:
Last year I got offered a job driving an artic in France for a big firm. On my first trip I got to my destination and found my load to be a huge amount of fireworks! I am adr trained but my boss told me I was carrying horse feed the truck had no orange plates or safety equipment. When I spoke to my boss after I got back he told me that’s just the way they operate and if I don’t like it then there’s the door, so I did quit on my first day.
Hi lewis1991,
Many fireworks aren’t subject to the need for orange plates, vehicle equipment and the rest of the normal ADR requirements.
ADR says that fireworks that have 1.4 S labels on the boxes can be carried without limit.
However, you did need (at least) an ADR transport document and a 2kg dry powder fire extinguisher.
If it was national transport (within France) there may be some other requirements under any applicable French national dangerous goods law.
Harry Monk is spot-on about the fireworks, he’s also correct that (most) shotgun cartridges can be carried without limit too, cos they’re also 1.4 S
Strange but true!!
lewis1991:
Did I do the right thing?
I don’t think I’d fancy getting caught in a control in France with a load that didn’t tally with the paperwork.
I’m sure diesel Dave is right but if you cross the channel with them (either way) don’t they have to be declared under maritime laws (is it IMDG ) rather than ADR laws even in limited quantity . And people have been locked up for not declaring hazardous goods to the ferry companies .
So when you did your pre-trip checks before leaving the yard,did you check the load.
It would not require a seal.You only found out what was in the trailerwhen you unloaded in France.
There was a case of a foreign driver who tried to board a ferry and was denied for some reason.
He then drove to another port but all ports were notified.
He took off his orange plates and did not declare his Adr load for the ferry crossing.
I think the fine was £10,000 for the driver and £20,000 for the operator.
France as Douanes or customs.
They patrol 24/7.It seems you did not meet them by luck as they check all the trucks paper work when departing the port in France.
It is all your fault for not checking the load.
If there was a fire on the ferry,you may have endangered the vessel and passengers.Long time in jail.
The driver is responsible for the load.Was the trailer a fridge trailer and the boss hid cargo behind the fireworks?
Or a tautliner curtain trailer?
If stopped in France,and you told them your boss said it was horse feed and they found fireworks,first they would laugh how stupid you were,then expect to pay a huge fine at the road side.
You would have to pay.I can not see your gaffer wiring the money to a Western Union branch when you are 30 miles away from the town.
I guess the fine would be about 6000 Euros or more.
It is not the UK with a £120 to £200 from Vosa.
You sit there til it is paid in full.
chester1:
I’m sure diesel Dave is right but if you cross the channel with them (either way) don’t they have to be declared under maritime laws (is it IMDG ) rather than ADR laws even in limited quantity . And people have been locked up for not declaring hazardous goods to the ferry companies .
Hi chester1,
Yes mate, you’re on the mark with your comments.
All dangerous goods should be correctly entered on an ADR transport document ( a CMR serves this purpose for international road journeys) and/or a Multi-Modal Dangerous Goods Note (AKA a “DGN”) when a ferry or the Channel Tunnel is involved. The info to be entered on a DGN is quite extensive and must be absolutely spot-on, otherwise delays (or eye watering 5-figure fines in £££s for IMDG offences) can occur.
The things that a vehicle driver has to do to comply with IMDG is to put placards (large diamonds) on the vehicle (when needed by IMDG) AND park on the ferry where the loading officer tells them to, because the way and order in which vehicles are parked on a ferry is a mandatory requirement in IMDG.
In IMDG, there are requirements for “on deck” or “under deck” etc.
For UN Class 1 (explosives,) there are 5 “stowage categories” (01 - 05)
For UN Classes 2 - 9 there are also 5 stowage categories, but these are called A - E
That’s one of the reasons that the ferry crew have to know exactly what’s loaded, and from that they can comply with the safety requirements.
Now for the strange bit… although both ADR (for roads) and IMDG (for sea) Regs both say that a vehicle/trailer doesn’t need any orange plate markings/placards when carrying explosives of 1.4 S in any quantity.
