Saaamon:
dri-diddly-iver:
Sorry but screwdrivers come to mindIf your not aware of your spatial awareness then you really shouldn’t be driving a truck!! If you’re close to a kerb then reposition…or get out and look! dcpc will sort this
Never damaged a truck? Actually, can you even drive a lorry lol?
Yes!! every day…and take pride in my job 
I also do the speed limit and won’t run overweight. Do you have a problem with that?
dri-diddly-iver:
Saaamon:
dri-diddly-iver:
Sorry but screwdrivers come to mindNever damaged a truck? Actually, can you even drive a lorry lol?
Yes!! every day…and take pride in my job
Why sit and be harsh to the op then? He ■■■■■■ up, held his hands up but you and many other people are shooting him down, perharps he’s only had his license for 6months, you just dont know.
Saaamon:
Why sit and be harsh to the op then? He [zb] up, held his hands up but you and many other people are shooting him down, perharps he’s only had his license for 6months, you just dont know.
Sorry… looking back I was a bit harsh and maybe should have asked how long he has been driving. I assumed…possibly that he had been driving a while (just given new truck) and responded 
Point taken 
but even…or especially as a new driver he really should know where his truck is!!
dri-diddly-iver:
Saaamon:
Why sit and be harsh to the op then? He [zb] up, held his hands up but you and many other people are shooting him down, perharps he’s only had his license for 6months, you just dont know.Sorry… looking back I was a bit harsh and maybe should have asked how long he has been driving. I assumed…possibly that he had been driving a while (just given new truck) and responded
I bet it’ll turn out that hes got like 30years experience lol.
Maybe he will take a 'step’ in the right direction next time 
I have mixed feelings on this subject, as a former operator I think that drivers should have to put their hand in their pocket after making a careless mistake, it is not an accident at all most of the time, it is carelessness or rather couldn’tcarelessness that causes most minor knocks, so why should the owner of the vehicle have to pay for the incompetence of his/her employees 
On the other hand I’m now a driver, I don’t intentionally set out to bend my lorry, but I’m only human and mistakes happen, even stupid mistakes like hitting a kerb and knocking a step off 
I may be concentrating so hard trying to get a trailer into an impossibly small gap that I forget about the post or whatever and have a small bump which bends something. I will be severely ■■■■■■ off about it, as it makes me look stupid and unprofessional, but it wasn’t because I was careless, it was because sometimes ■■■ happens and It would be adding insult to injury (my pride) to get hit in the pocket 
So a compromise needs to be reached, both sides have a valid argument as to why they should not have to pay out for damage. The best way I can think is to have a bonus scheme that you get if you don’t bend your lorry and you lose if you do, it may not pay for all the damage, so the owner loses out a little, but on the other hand it may stop a lot of the damage that’s done by the couldn’tcarelessers out there, so overall everyone’s a winner
Saaamon:
dri-diddly-iver:
Saaamon:
dri-diddly-iver:
Sorry but screwdrivers come to mindNever damaged a truck? Actually, can you even drive a lorry lol?
Yes!! every day…and take pride in my job
Why sit and be harsh to the op then? He [zb] up, held his hands up but you and many other people are shooting him down, perharps he’s only had his license for 6months, you just dont know.
He didn’t hold his hands up though lol he said it wasn’t pointed out to him that the steps were lower on an actros!!!
Mr B:
this wasn’t pointed out to me on the training briefing 2 days before.
just about one of the most pathetic remarks that I have seen in a long time
we have nearly all bent something at some time or another either through bad luck or plain stupidity but to then try and blame it on someone else by saying it was not pointed out to me during training is just to pathetic for words to be honest, what are eyes for ? one assumes that before getting in a different type of vehicle especially a new make and/or model that one actually walks around it has a look at the ■■■■ thing
newmercman:
I have mixed feelings on this subject, as a former operator I think that drivers should have to put their hand in their pocket after making a careless mistake, it is not an accident at all most of the time, it is carelessness or rather couldn’tcarelessness that causes most minor knocks, so why should the owner of the vehicle have to pay for the incompetence of his/her employees
But would you deduct money from the wages of a traffic clerk if the company lost money as a result of him/her giving a driver the wrong address, as happens all the time?
Lorry driving must be the only profession where we tear each other apart, you never hear of a doctor, lawyer, or policeman, being slagged off by his contemporaries, so why are some drivers so quick to knock others. Anyone who hasn’t made a mistake hasn’t done much and if you haven’t made one yet,you will.
Cut the guy some slack, he owned up. but don’t pay for damage, it’s why your boss has insurance, it’s part and parcel of running lorries, so long as he knows you didn’t do it on purpose, you won’t do it again that’s for sure.
In fact the biggest mistake you made was saying, ’ it wasn’t pointed out to me’
newmercman:
I have mixed feelings on this subject, as a former operator I think that drivers should have to put their hand in their pocket after making a careless mistake, it is not an accident at all most of the time, it is carelessness or rather couldn’tcarelessness that causes most minor knocks, so why should the owner of the vehicle have to pay for the incompetence of his/her employeesOn the other hand I’m now a driver, I don’t intentionally set out to bend my lorry, but I’m only human and mistakes happen, even stupid mistakes like hitting a kerb and knocking a step off
So a compromise needs to be reached, both sides have a valid argument as to why they should not have to pay out for damage. The best way I can think is to have a bonus scheme that you get if you don’t bend your lorry and you lose if you do, it may not pay for all the damage, so the owner loses out a little, but on the other hand it may stop a lot of the damage that’s done by the couldn’tcarelessers out there, so overall everyone’s a winner
I would never, ever, ever pay for damage.
If I worked in an office and broke the chair would I have to buy another? Damage to equipment is something that you should do everything you can to avoid but, when it happens, that’s life! I have been lucky enough to have never damaged a wagon. But there is no way I would pay for it whether it was a broken light or a re-cab!
If I ever employ drivers, woe betide anyone who wears out the tyres.
Harry Monk:
If I ever employ drivers, woe betide anyone who wears out the tyres.
not to mention the seat
Harry Monk:
But would you deduct money from the wages of a traffic clerk if the company lost money as a result of him/her giving a driver the wrong address, as happens all the time?
No I would sack the idiot
Now answer me this Harry, if a customer sent you on a wild goose chase because of a wrong address, would you charge them for the wasted time and extra miles
If a forklift driver damaged your lorry, say that he was loading a pallet on top of the load and was really concentrating on looking up to make sure he never hit your roof or damaged the goods, yet he rammed the mast of the forklift into your diesel tank and put a big dent in it, would you just accept that as a cost of doing business, or would you want some money from somebody
FarnboroughBoy11:
He didn’t hold his hands up though lol he said it wasn’t pointed out to him that the steps were lower on an actros!!!
That was my original point! But as stated above we don’t know how long he has been driving so allowances have to be made. Allowances for being told the difference in height of steps do we also need to be put into the equation that some mirrors stick out more than others and there is a risk of hitting trees? Where does it end - or start■■?
I just wouldn’t employ people. They would just turn on the lights and wear out my bulbs, they would drive along to road using up my diesel, after six months of employing them thay would have worn out my road tax, why should I pay for this type of incompetence?
Harry Monk:
I just wouldn’t employ people. They would just turn on the lights and wear out my bulbs, they would drive along to road using up my diesel, after six months of employing them thay would have worn out my road tax, why should I pay for this type of incompetence?
Tell me do you practice
Or does being a [zb]wit come naturally to you
newmercman:
If a forklift driver damaged your lorry, say that he was loading a pallet on top of the load and was really concentrating on looking up to make sure he never hit your roof or damaged the goods, yet he rammed the mast of the forklift into your diesel tank and put a big dent in it, would you just accept that as a cost of doing business, or would you want some money from somebody
Yes, I would want the damage paid for by the employer of the fork-lift driver, or his insurer. I very much doubt that fork-lift drivers get money stopped from their wages if they cause damage, if that is what you are suggesting happens.
There is no way in the world that I would deduct wages from a driver I employed for causing wear and tear. “Wear” is the natural decline of drivelines, brake pads etc, “Tear” is the inevitable damage caused accidentally and occasionally whenever machinery is operated. If I couldn’t cope with the costs of both Wear and Tear then I just wouldn’t employ a human being.
Harry Monk:
newmercman:
If a forklift driver damaged your lorry, say that he was loading a pallet on top of the load and was really concentrating on looking up to make sure he never hit your roof or damaged the goods, yet he rammed the mast of the forklift into your diesel tank and put a big dent in it, would you just accept that as a cost of doing business, or would you want some money from somebodyYes, I would want the damage paid for by the employer of the fork-lift driver, or his insurer. I very much doubt that fork-lift drivers get money stopped from their wages if they cause damage, if that is what you are suggesting happens.
There is no way in the world that I would deduct wages from a driver I employed for causing wear and tear. “Wear” is the natural decline of drivelines, brake pads etc, “Tear” is the inevitable damage caused accidentally and occasionally whenever machinery is operated. If I couldn’t cope with the costs of both Wear and Tear then I just wouldn’t employ a human being.
The post I made didn’t mention anything about wear and tear
I was talking about incompetence, or even just being human, as someone who has to pay for other people’s mistakes you have the right to be angry about it and want compensation, yes, it happens, sometimes it’s just one of those things, but other times it’s down to a case of people not giving a toss, an honest mistake is part of life, but wanton destruction by people who don’t care is a different case entirely 
Bit of a change there mr monk I remember a thread a couple of years back about a guy who jumped the fith wheel and smashed the granny out of a fridge on two occasions. You said its wrong for the firm to expect the driver to pay and you wouldn’t.
Fact of the matter is ■■■■ happens and sometimes the most careful driver drops a bollock and punishing them wont realy resolve the situation however total disregard for the equipment is another story.