Don’t think anyone posted this yesterday but the lady who stopped to help has a broken back and is critical. One of our agency drivers was first on the scene and called the emergency services. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-24562854
I didn’t hear of that one but a car transporter went though the central reservation north of chieverly on a34
Angus25:
I didn’t hear of that one
Shut M4 Eastbound (i think) yesterday morning for several hours, unconfirmed reports said passenger of the transit died later.
What’s with all these car transporter accidents recently? Have training/recruitment processes been dumbed down?
No excuse for hitting vehicles on the hard shoulder.
I probably was in bed or running around my cab trying to stay sane but sad news
Just looking at the pic of the transporter being recovered. How do they manage to give a transporter a suspended tow and yet keep the height low enough for bridge clearance?
damoq:
Just looking at the pic of the transporter being recovered. How do they manage to give a transporter a suspended tow and yet keep the height low enough for bridge clearance?
Recovery drivers worst nightmare! You cannot pick it up too much because the height and also the decks touch the cars!
We used to take the front wheels off if going any distance. You can then run with the under lift at a lower height.
Mark22_2:
damoq:
Just looking at the pic of the transporter being recovered. How do they manage to give a transporter a suspended tow and yet keep the height low enough for bridge clearance?Recovery drivers worst nightmare! You cannot pick it up too much because the height and also the decks touch the cars!
We used to take the front wheels off if going any distance. You can then run with the under lift at a lower height.
sounds like too much hard work,i was thinking about doing recovery work a few years back,glad i did not do it,my stress levels would have gone skyhigh
Mark22_2:
damoq:
Just looking at the pic of the transporter being recovered. How do they manage to give a transporter a suspended tow and yet keep the height low enough for bridge clearance?Recovery drivers worst nightmare! You cannot pick it up too much because the height and also the decks touch the cars!
We used to take the front wheels off if going any distance. You can then run with the under lift at a lower height.
Do you sleep in the truck doing recovery work and on call 24 hours like say someone from the local Merc dealer in the Sprinter van? Do you just cover a certain area or do you do anywhere in the UK and even Europe?
Muckaway:
What’s with all these car transporter accidents recently? Have training/recruitment processes been dumbed down?
No excuse for hitting vehicles on the hard shoulder.
the transit could of been in the main carriageway, if it was on its side with no lights on I would of thought it would be quite difficult to see on an unlit section of road, and it didn’t say the vehicles were on the hard shoulder 
wildfire:
Muckaway:
What’s with all these car transporter accidents recently? Have training/recruitment processes been dumbed down?
No excuse for hitting vehicles on the hard shoulder.the transit could of been in the main carriageway, if it was on its side with no lights on I would of thought it would be quite difficult to see on an unlit section of road, and it didn’t say the vehicles were on the hard shoulder
It says side of carriageway so that could mean hard shoulder plus why else would they arrest him if he’s done nothing wrong.
bald bloke:
wildfire:
Muckaway:
What’s with all these car transporter accidents recently? Have training/recruitment processes been dumbed down?
No excuse for hitting vehicles on the hard shoulder.plus why else would they arrest him if he’s done nothing wrong.
you’re joking right?
bald bloke:
wildfire:
Muckaway:
What’s with all these car transporter accidents recently? Have training/recruitment processes been dumbed down?
No excuse for hitting vehicles on the hard shoulder.the transit could of been in the main carriageway, if it was on its side with no lights on I would of thought it would be quite difficult to see on an unlit section of road, and it didn’t say the vehicles were on the hard shoulder
It says side of carriageway so that could mean hard shoulder plus why else would they arrest him if he’s done nothing wrong.
it states that “they were standing at the side of the carriageway” when the transport hit both vehicles, so the vehicles could still of been unlit in the live lanes, and the impact pushed the vehicles into them,
and as I have said in the past any driver can be arrested to obtain evidence that can be used in court, if the cps thinks there is a case to answer. if they decide there is no case to answer after the investigations, the driver will just as quickly be de-arrested.
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Do you sleep in the truck doing recovery work and on call 24 hours like say someone from the local Merc dealer in the Sprinter van? Do you just cover a certain area or do you do anywhere in the UK and even Europe?
[/quote]
I used to run from home in a works van to depot when called. If on a long distance tacho job then yes I would sleep in the truck, or if I rolled back in the yard at 4am I would prob stay in truck until the depot opened at 8am then carry on working. Also you will go anywhere if the money is right for the boss / your pocket!
Every company has different ways of doing things and shifts. We did mon - fri 8-5 along side 7days on 7 days off call if that makes sense? It’s long hard hours / work but was good fun at times. Nightmare at others! You will prob be single by the end of it and if you cannot stay awake for 36hrs straight then you may struggle at big incidents! lol.
But I did enjoy myself, but don’t miss the phone ringing at all hours, or waking up thinking I’ve missed a phone call. Probably why I’ve packed the driving in all together and just started machine driving on the railways! ( hoping for a easier life!lol)
If you fancy it then give it a go. You will never no what it’s like until you try, and I’m describing the extremes to you. Any heavy recovery operator worth his salt won’t send you out on your own for weeks before he’s happy with you.