Lorry driver's good deed turns to disaster

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

I feel for the driver here as I have done similar. A country lane with nothing coming for miles I have and still will ease her over to let traffic behind past. Now the trick is not to pull to far over as often a softened/weak edge can be our undoing.

In this case there was probably only inches in it (thats what she said), but this poor bugger in typical ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ fashion has fell foul of sods law.

Course theres no need to pull over just crack on and bollox to em but this is not how I go through life and if a passing place is available I will use it. However one has to be aware of the risk of looking like a complete muppet but hey hoo lifes very boring without the odd self inflicted ■■■■ up and just maybe a few drivers felt sorry for this chap who in an attempt to help others ran out of luck.

22

Lost count of the number of times I’ve pulled in to let a small queue of traffic past only to find myself stuck behind a queue of cars that then travels at either the same speed or slower than I was going.

It feels like Pacman

23

albion1971:
You can’t say that on here.

Well it’s either me or V4OLLY, take your pick.

24

I have done farms since I started driving in 2009…No way in this world that I would venture onto any grass verge on a single track period. I am now usually 44 tons and anyone who does go off the tarmac is asking for it, even if you do have a diff-lock.
I have had to sit it out with people who will not move, but I enjoy it, it brings me great mirth and entertainment, yet it is still easier and time sensitive than having to be recovered by another lorry that costs a lot of money…People are mostly pig - headed, but I find this an endearing quality and hugely entertaining…I am having a good time, I have yet to find a member of the public that shares my enthusiasm, they are mostly in a hurry/downtrodden/enslaved/pressured to get to where they are going and this is the source of the entertainment :sunglasses:

Love it.

25

bald bloke:
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but would you pull onto a grass verge on a minor road like that ? A lot of the roads around that area have ditches next to them.

+1

Finlands

26

robinhood_1984:
What he’s done is rather silly and naive, and border line idiotic with a loaded trailer on. Oh well, at least the people in the cars behind were “really good about it”, helping him out of his predicament he landed himself in on their behalf and making sure he wasn’t trapped/dying because of the stunt he’d pulled off so they could get to Tesco’s a bit quicker, that’s all that matters really. They’re now at home telling their family and mates about it and he’s stuck in soft ground and his company will have a multiple thousand pound bill for recovery.

What on earth must firms think when the phone rings and its the driver or the police telling them that something like this has happened? At least it didn’t go right over, spewing the load out in to the neighbouring field, small graces and all that.

And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

27

Dieseldog66:

robinhood_1984:
What he’s done is rather silly and naive, and border line idiotic with a loaded trailer on. Oh well, at least the people in the cars behind were “really good about it”, helping him out of his predicament he landed himself in on their behalf and making sure he wasn’t trapped/dying because of the stunt he’d pulled off so they could get to Tesco’s a bit quicker, that’s all that matters really. They’re now at home telling their family and mates about it and he’s stuck in soft ground and his company will have a multiple thousand pound bill for recovery.

What on earth must firms think when the phone rings and its the driver or the police telling them that something like this has happened? At least it didn’t go right over, spewing the load out in to the neighbouring field, small graces and all that.

And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

Probably cut them a bit of slack if they’re a newbie but it is a rookie mistake and an expensive one.

Is Peter Sutcliffe still writing back to you?

28

One of our 6 wheelers pulled onto a nice flat grass verge the other day & got stuck (durrrr ! I Wonder why ?)
Apparently he had a brake chamber go on him & it obviously just came to a halt, the fitters went out & disconnected the offending chamber, leaving him 5 working brakes & told him to pull off the road, so they could replace it, the guy was a Polish Agency Driver & there was a breakdown in communication, he pulled off the road completely & got bogged down, so our ‘Super’ Management sent another rigid to try &
pull him out, he ended up snapping a few straps (probably tried to pull him off, Ice Road Trucker Style, with a huge Tug) I offered to try & get him off the Grass (using my crawler gear, like we used to do on Landfills) but they’d already called Cowans Recovery out [emoji857]
Many, many pounds & about 2 hours later they got him off the verge.
Hey ho, at least it’s not my Money.

29

Dieseldog66:
And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

Its a crap job because we have idiots doing things like driving loaded trucks on to grass verges because they haven’t got the common sense to appreciate that the weight of their vehicle spread over the very small area of their tyres is going to sink in to the ground. Its not rocket science, its not even basic primary school science, its blatantly bloody obvious.

30

Come on we all make F ups you would be lying if you said you don’t make them.

I for one have gone onto soft grass in the past by mistake. I for one have also in the past been told by companies I am a very good driver and one of the best they have had. BUT I once went on soft grass so I must be a idiot ? Come on we are all humen.

The point being is I’m sure he never did it again just like I haven’t since.

People need to stop slagging off other people and look at themselves sometimes.

Even the best make mistakes at some point. Driving lorries ain’t Rocket science but we all get distracted at times or have other things on our mind that won’t budge from time to time that distract us. Try looking in the mirror instead of slagging off everyone who makes an honest mistake

31

Dieseldog66:

robinhood_1984:
What he’s done is rather silly and naive, and border line idiotic with a loaded trailer on. Oh well, at least the people in the cars behind were “really good about it”, helping him out of his predicament he landed himself in on their behalf and making sure he wasn’t trapped/dying because of the stunt he’d pulled off so they could get to Tesco’s a bit quicker, that’s all that matters really. They’re now at home telling their family and mates about it and he’s stuck in soft ground and his company will have a multiple thousand pound bill for recovery.

What on earth must firms think when the phone rings and its the driver or the police telling them that something like this has happened? At least it didn’t go right over, spewing the load out in to the neighbouring field, small graces and all that.

And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

+1

Some people think they are perfect or are the all mighty high above others that’s the problem we have

32

Had once a Scania in Front of me the A1/M down. Just after Welwyn Garden City North up the Hill he stopped on the Hard Shoulda. To be safe he went with his left Front Wheel on the gravel and was immediately down to the axle. Wouldnt have expected,nor he,i rekon

33

Immigrant:
Had once a Scania in Front of me the A1/M down. Just after Welwyn Garden City North up the Hill he stopped on the Hard Shoulda. To be safe he went with his left Front Wheel on the gravel and was immediately down to the axle. Wouldnt have expected,nor he,i rekon

Yes because a French Drain is clearly going to suppress the weight of a truck■■?

:unamused:

34

robinhood_1984:

Dieseldog66:
And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

Its a crap job because we have idiots doing things like driving loaded trucks on to grass verges because they haven’t got the common sense to appreciate that the weight of their vehicle spread over the very small area of their tyres is going to sink in to the ground. Its not rocket science, its not even basic primary school science, its blatantly bloody obvious.

and how the F@@@ does that make it a crap job,?

35

keebs26uk:
Come on we all make F ups you would be lying if you said you don’t make them.

I for one have gone onto soft grass in the past by mistake. I for one have also in the past been told by companies I am a very good driver and one of the best they have had. BUT I once went on soft grass so I must be a idiot ? Come on we are all humen.

The point being is I’m sure he never did it again just like I haven’t since.

People need to stop slagging off other people and look at themselves sometimes.

Even the best make mistakes at some point. Driving lorries ain’t Rocket science but we all get distracted at times or have other things on our mind that won’t budge from time to time that distract us. Try looking in the mirror instead of slagging off everyone who makes an honest mistake

He didn’t do it by mistake though did he, he deliberately drove on to the grass verge with a fully loaded truck. He didn’t swerve to avoid something, he wasn’t shunting in to a yard in the dark where he couldn’t see, he consciously drove a very heavy truck on to a grass verge. Some things are innocent mistakes and some things are just cloud cuckoo land.

I’m not perfect, I’ve done stupid things in my time as I’m sure we all have at some point. However if my actions were recorded and broadcast in a public forum for people to offer an opinion, especially people who do the same job as myself, so people who know what they’re talking about, I’m sure I’d be in for some criticism too.
In fact I am normally one to give benefit of doubt, I’m as far removed from a jobsworth as you can possibly get and I’d always rather help another driver rather than stand by and watch, or God forbid, record it on my phone. But come on, grass verges are only so lush with grass because the ground is soft, moist and fertile, which means its not hard and solid. Any one deliberately driving a heavily loaded truck on to it, especially far enough over to allow enough room for cars to pass on a single track lane needs to give their head a shake and I’m not going to pretend that I think their judgement or lack of, is worth anything less than contempt. Its not really any better than driving a truck around a corner at 56mph, it falling over and then making light of it with banter with passing motorists. Or how about hitting a low bridge because you can’t be bothered to check your height or look at signs etc. Some things are basic, this is one of them.

I don’t know, perhaps most truck drivers these days live in concrete jungles and have never grown up around mud and grass and have no idea that downward weight on to a soft surface will result in the ground giving way and the truck becoming stuck.

36

robinhood_1984:

Dieseldog66:
And there you have it, why lorry driving is such a crap job , because our own just like to stick the knife in, never hear any other profession do this.

Its a crap job because we have idiots doing things like driving loaded trucks on to grass verges because they haven’t got the common sense to appreciate that the weight of their vehicle spread over the very small area of their tyres is going to sink in to the ground. Its not rocket science, its not even basic primary school science, its blatantly bloody obvious.

You may as well be saying that YOU have never ever made a mistake or done something silly, which we both know wouldn’t be true…
I’ve done a few things in my time and thought afterwards, that was rather stupid! :laughing:
It’s life and we all screw up from time to time…

Yes it appears that driver made a silly mistake, but I can assure you that warnings about not parking on soft verges isn’t in the HGV driver training! Yes it’s common sense, and I’d reserve judgment on that driver until the phone rings and he tells his boss he’s done it again! :laughing:

A driver at a place I’ve worked made a drop to a horse riding stables, and to get out, decided to reverse onto the riding arena area. let’s just say it didn’t go well and his truck had to be recovered! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Now that driver (a full timer) didn’t appear stupid to me & had done the job for 4 years, plus his old man drove for the firm as well.
But he still made the mistake, which I’d suggest was down to complacency!

37

Evil8Beezle:
You may as well be saying that YOU have never ever made a mistake or done something silly, which we both know wouldn’t be true…
I’ve done a few things in my time and thought afterwards, that was rather stupid! :laughing:
It’s life and we all screw up from time to time…

Yes it appears that driver made a silly mistake, but I can assure you that warnings about not parking on soft verges isn’t in the HGV driver training! Yes it’s common sense, and I’d reserve judgment on that driver until the phone rings and he tells his boss he’s done it again! :laughing:

A driver at a place I’ve worked made a drop to a horse riding stables, and to get out, decided to reverse onto the riding arena area. let’s just say it didn’t go well and his truck had to be recovered! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Now that driver (a full timer) didn’t appear stupid to me & had done the job for 4 years, plus his old man drove for the firm as well.
But he still made the mistake, which I’d suggest was down to complacency!

I’ve made plenty of mistakes, some of them quite embarrassing looking back at them now but I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. Also I’m not suggesting he should have the book thrown at him or lose his licence. I merely offered my opinion on what he’d done and question why something so incredibly basic as a soft grass verge is being excused away as if anyone could or would do it, when that’s just not true.

I personally see a big difference between a lad in a farm yard, trying to turn around or maneuver to where they want him to tip, clipping a fence, wall or sinking in to some soft ground, compared to a driver who for no good reason decides to leave the safety of a solid road and take it upon himself to drive on to a soft verge, lose control, get his truck bogged down and end up costing his company several thousand in recovery and no doubt the local council will claim for verge/ditch damage repair as well, all for what? This was just so pointless in the first place, there was no sane reason for him to have done what he did. All he had to do was drive down a road and stay on the tarmac, but no. If your mate was already at a riding stables then the situation is a bit different, he’s supposed to be there and he’s going to have to turn around somewhere. Had your mate not supposed to be there and just fancied turning in because he thought it would be a good idea to do something a bit maverick and then got stuck in a complete strangers paddock, then yes, foolish person. But that’s not what happened.

What the Jenkinson driver did wasn’t unlucky or unlikely, it wasn’t a gamble with a good chance of going the other way. With a truck as heavily loaded as a walking floor bulker, it was always going to be exceptionally lucky if he didn’t get stuck by pulling off the road in such a manner in such a place. Its no more of an innocent mistake than hitting a low bridge, having a load of steel come off a trailer because you’ve only put two straps on it or rolling a truck on a tight corner at 50mph purely because thats the speed limit and assuming that its therefore safe to travel on any section of the road at that speed (I know a person who actually believes that if the speed limit is 60, all corners are designed to be gone around at 60).

My original post said he’d made a silly and naive mistake and the fact of his fully loaded condition elevated that to idiotic. I stand by that. We all have to act in at least a moderately responsible way in our daily lives and jobs. This man didn’t. It was a silly mistake, he probably won’t do it again, but that doesn’t make it any less silly this time and lets not forget that I’m only offering my irrelevant thoughts, I’m not the local traffic commissioner so my opinions don’t actually matter at all.

38

I’m not having a pop at your opinion robinhood, I’m just trying to give a bit of much needed support to the driver, just in case he’s on here! :laughing: Besides, it could be me one day! :grimacing:

I’d like to think the driver had a “blonde moment” and just took his eye off the ball. Plus we don’t know what else was going on, and his planner may well have been driving him nuts and affecting his concentration. We just don’t know…

We’ve had loads of trucks at that firm get stuck making rural deliveries, and I’ve come very close a few times. Those near misses have taught me to very extra vigilant, but I’d be a fool if I said it will never happen to me. The first thing I do now is check to see if there is appropriate machinery to pull me out before I venture onto anything iffy, and if there isn’t, I won’t take any risks…

Anyway, let’s just hope that driver has learnt a very valuable lesson…

39

I remember putting a casual driver on one of my motors on a run down to South Wales years ago… He took a wrong turning and decided to try and turn back around by backing into …wait for it…A field through a gate…38 tonne gross full load of steel, guess the outcome :neutral_face: :unamused:

40

that driver is a danger on the road, he must of thought he was driving a car no one in their right mind would pull over on a road that size.