Took a 16.2 trailer out today, it’s a bit higher than usual, had to plan route cause not been before(planning route was pestering another driver who had done it before). I’ve got a truck nav so never have any problems with bridges up to now. Astonished to read network rail has averaged 1800 bridge strikes a year since 2000, that’s about 5 a day(wow). Whats the main problem, inexperienced drivers, lack of support from transport office, lack of truck sat navs or truckers guides or pressured drivers on a I don’t care pay scale? Does anyone get support on routing from office when driving the high stuff?
You’re on a hiding to nothing expecting support from the office Boris. Most of the people you will deal with in your office will be acne ridden teenagers who dream of buying a 51 plate Corsa and hanging out at Maccy D’s on a night. The sum total of their knowledge of HGV’s, drivers hours regs and routing could be written on the back of a stamp. If you request guidance I suspect that the phone will go quiet for a minute to be followed by the sound of a keyboard being punched until finally the yoof will declare “well the computer says it’s ok”.
You could try and use anyone of what you’ve said as an attempt to make an excuse, when really it’s down to:
1/ taking short cuts (not checking the vehicle height)
2/ taking short cuts (knowing the height but then not setting the height indicator and then forgetting the height)
3/ not paying attention to road signs
4/ not paying attention to the bridge right in front of your eyes with a height marked on it
5/ no common sense
Come one, if you see a 14 foot bridge in front of you and you know your 15 foot then if you can’t turn round you’d at least stop and call the police to assist you (if needed) reverse however far you need to. You wouldn’t just think well I’m here now so I’ll try and get under. If you look at a lot of bridge stokes they’ve clearly hit it at speed though so must have been oblivious. Which brings me back to most bridge strikes being down to driver not knowing height or not paying attention. You can blame it being a car sat nav all you want but you can still read road signs and know your vehicle height!
Getting advice from the office goons but, the responsibility is yours when it comes to clouting bridges. You can’t say to the judge ‘the office sent me this way’. All the office will do is Google map it anyway.
Don’t forget to check the suspension after you’ve tipped somewhere. Loading bay staff will often jack your trailer up without telling you they’ve done it. That resulted in a friend of mines driver hitting a bridge on the M1 and ripping the back end off.
Most decker jobs are between distribution centres and the routes are well known. The problems tend to happen when there are diversions due to motorway closures etc and you’re sent off down some farmers track and into the night.
I’ve come across many bridges I couldn’t get under in the days before Satnavs were around, never hit any of them. Just found another way around, even it that meant backing up a half mile or so to spin it somewhere.
Absolutely nothing to do with what type of nav you have whether for truck or car, purely common sense…and of course the ridiculous trailer heights allowed on UK roads, 4m and under and you’ll get under 90% of bridges without a problem…
AndrewG:
Absolutely nothing to do with what type of nav you have whether for truck or car, purely common sense…and of course the ridiculous trailer heights allowed on UK roads, 4m and under and you’ll get under 90% of bridges without a problem…
Yawn. I’ve driven anything upto 16’2" , and still have to hit a bridge. Even in London, I have not come close to hitting a bridge. I have had to reverse. Yes. And once, in rush hour, I needed to call the police because I turned onto the embankment in London, and realised to late that I would not fit under the bridge. But I didn’t hit the bridge, nor did I drive right up to it, blocking the road. And whilst the copper was not happy with me, and read me the riot act (and rightly so), he did comment me on stopping in time where I did, not causing g a major nuisance earlier, and calling them for assistance. I could have been done for driving without due care, instead we parted with a handshake
From everything I remember about bridge heights in the UK, all bridges under 16’6" must have the warning signs so unless it has a sign warning you it is safe.
When I worked for Swifts in Duston they rented a trailer from BRS hire that was 17 feet high, we all refused to take it out
Oh and the other one I forgot is when drivers say “yeah but it’s always higher than what’s marked” and “I’ve seen 14 foot trailers go under that 13’6 bridge”. Then when everyone drives with that attitude to it then the one time they try to get their vehicle under a bridge that is 1 inch lower than required, that bridge will be the one that’s exactly as marked. And to say yeah but I thought they were always higher than what’s marked won’t wash. Again, you can’t blame that on any sat nav any office staff or anyone else but yourself.
If there’s a bridge that’s 15 foot and my trailer is 15 foot I won’t even risk that, never mind trying one that’s too low for me.
The only occasion I can think of where it wouldn’t the drivers fault is if the bridge was measured and it turn out to be a different height to what is marked. Not sure if that has ever happened? Maybe if a road has been resurfaced and they’ve remeasured and changed the sign. But I can’t think of any other occasion where it’s not the drivers fault, or even any occasion where you can actually blame your sat nav for that matter.
Rowley010:
The only occasion I can think of where it wouldn’t the drivers fault is if the bridge was measured and it turn out to be a different height to what is marked. Not sure if that has ever happened? Maybe if a road has been resurfaced and they’ve remeasured and changed the sign. But I can’t think of any other occasion where it’s not the drivers fault, or even any occasion where you can actually blame your sat nav for that matter.
There was a Euro-spec motor hit a 4.1m signed bridge not that long ago, there was a thread on here about it. Think it was in Wales.
Rowley010:
The only occasion I can think of where it wouldn’t the drivers fault is if the bridge was measured and it turn out to be a different height to what is marked. Not sure if that has ever happened? Maybe if a road has been resurfaced and they’ve remeasured and changed the sign. But I can’t think of any other occasion where it’s not the drivers fault, or even any occasion where you can actually blame your sat nav for that matter.
There was a Euro-spec motor hit a 4.1m signed bridge not that long ago, there was a thread on here about it. Think it was in Wales.
A.
Oh yes I remember. And the conversion from metric to imperial didn’t add up did it.
AndrewG:
Absolutely nothing to do with what type of nav you have whether for truck or car, purely common sense…and of course the ridiculous trailer heights allowed on UK roads, 4m and under and you’ll get under 90% of bridges without a problem…
Yawn. I’ve driven anything upto 16’2" , and still have to hit a bridge. Even in London, I have not come close to hitting a bridge. I have had to reverse. Yes. And once, in rush hour, I needed to call the police because I turned onto the embankment in London, and realised to late that I would not fit under the bridge. But I didn’t hit the bridge, nor did I drive right up to it, blocking the road. And whilst the copper was not happy with me, and read me the riot act (and rightly so), he did comment me on stopping in time where I did, not causing g a major nuisance earlier, and calling them for assistance. I could have been done for driving without due care, instead we parted with a handshake
You may not ever have hit a bridge but 4m and under and your scenario above wouldnt have happened and as i mentioned 4m would (bar some very low ones on backwaters) go under just about every bridge in the UK…
nomiS36:
I don’t miss pulling 16 footers! I pull one trailer only now and I run at 12’10" which is brilliant, hardly any bridge issues for me [emoji4]
Far better height to run at, no having to divert around bridges either.
With a very low set fifth wheel i can get down to 3.85M with our usual old VanHool tilts. No tops on the rear arches and gap between tyres and bottom of trailer only 5cm. Air deflector as low as it will go easily clears the trailer equalling lower fuel consumption as well…
AndrewG:
Absolutely nothing to do with what type of nav you have whether for truck or car, purely common sense…and of course the ridiculous trailer heights allowed on UK roads, 4m and under and you’ll get under 90% of bridges without a problem…
Rowley010:
The only occasion I can think of where it wouldn’t the drivers fault is if the bridge was measured and it turn out to be a different height to what is marked. Not sure if that has ever happened? Maybe if a road has been resurfaced and they’ve remeasured and changed the sign. But I can’t think of any other occasion where it’s not the drivers fault, or even any occasion where you can actually blame your sat nav for that matter.
Yes that’s happened! And I’m aware of one instance when there was a problem with the suspension on the outfit that resulted in a bridge strike.
Where I live you can blame the zb councillors for the bridge strikes on barrowby rd , harlaxton rd , Springfield rd etc , them zb for years have let the rich zb stop a ring road built for as long as I can remember ( finally started ) .
