Staggered anyone would even consider for one second not taking this out. It is clearly just about the most trivial and non-critical road safety defect imaginable.
What would any of the twerps who’d throw their toys out the pram if it wasn’t fixed immediately do if they were asked to pull a box on a skelly?
I have to agree with most other people here, unless you’re worried about low flying aircraft a N/S top marker isn’t a safety issue and no reason to refuse to take the trailer out.
Though personally I wouldn’t write a defect until the end of the shift.
The strangest reason I’ve seen for a vehicle being defected was at HNDL Worcester a few years back, a bloke defected a unit because the front N/S tyre had been rubbed up against a kerb or something, leaving a black ring round the outside, no damage whatsoever just a mark where the tyre had been rubbed up against something, so he defected it and refused to take it out 
Strangely, even though he was an agency driver he was still working there the following night 
It was working when I left (and did my checks) chief inspector 
in my opinion there seems to be a trend with drivers now a days for finding a reason not to take a vehicle/trailer out, now I totally agree if what ever is in a dangerous state that it shouldn’t be on the road then yes don’t take it, but for gods sake a top marker light, what would you do if you were out all week and it went 300 miles from home■■? I’ve had to tie off blow airbags on trailers because no one had a replacement and get the load home and that was earlier this year not decades ago,
that missing bulb and lens in no way endangered yourself or other road users just get on and do the job you are being paid for, vosa wouldn’t even be interested, and in my eyes certainly wouldn’t of tug you just for that.
I know plenty of bosses who would of thought you were seriously taking the ■■■■ over that, and you would be lucky to still have a job
There must thousands of trailers throughout the country with N/S markers out, all those tree branches battering it.
Containers don’t have top market lights.
I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to take a trailer out with out top marker lights out.
If I was an operator I wouldn’t want a driver working for me that causes hassle over something so trivial like a top marker light. Just my opinion.
How sad! All you people that are do gooding, cap doffing so and so’s don’t realise now that you are damned if you do (we never send our vehicles out with defects present your honour it was done without our knowledge or permission and the offender will be dealt with most severely) and damned if you don’t it’s only a bulb for gods sake.
If it goes pear shaped you are wrong and if you’re not happy to take it you’re wrong. Which will it be?
Common sense says take it because its not critical but some a*** licker who doesn’t like you or whatever says you breached this or that so your sacked. And why should anyone want to pay a fixed penalty if the VOSA man is having a bad day?
Please, the reality is we’re all up the creak without a paddle so who cares anyway.
I would defect it and take it, or repair it myself if there was a forklift cage and parts available.
I would definitely not be stood on the forks 10 or 12 feet off the ground trying to repair it.
I’d take it out, and i’d fix it when i’m tipping.
If i worked for a firm that didn’t allow drivers to fix minor faults, i’d just ignore them. I’ll do the job how it should be done.
fredthered:
How sad! All you people that are do gooding, cap doffing so and so’s don’t realise now that you are damned if you do (we never send our vehicles out with defects present your honour it was done without our knowledge or permission and the offender will be dealt with most severely) and damned if you don’t it’s only a bulb for gods sake.If it goes pear shaped you are wrong and if you’re not happy to take it you’re wrong. Which will it be?
Common sense says take it because its not critical but some a*** licker who doesn’t like you or whatever says you breached this or that so your sacked. And why should anyone want to pay a fixed penalty if the VOSA man is having a bad day?
Please, the reality is we’re all up the creak without a paddle so who cares anyway.
That’s because you obviously work for a big corporate entity, granted this can strange the water a bit. I’ve only ever worked for/run small firms where it’s in everyone’s interest to get the job done so am viewing this thread from that angle.
Really this is a little bit amusing, i drove a trl home last week with no side lights at all i just put the fog on at night, i have driven trucks home from spain after i have took the shoes of one axle because they had seized on and butnt out, i have driven a transcon too and back from spain with no means to disable the clutch as the release has broken away, and i would do it all again tomorrow, i shall put my head down now whilst i wait for the tirade…
and my boast is, about 35 yrs ago, driving a loaded A Series ERF from Exeter to Carlisle without a clutch.
Drivers ■■?
Trukkertone:
and my boast is, about 35 yrs ago, driving a loaded A Series ERF from Exeter to Carlisle without a clutch.
Drivers ■■?
Good on yer, I wouldn’t want to go further than the end of the road without me handbag.
You mean that one officer must of just blown
drivers and steering wheel attendants that are ■■■■ frightened of h&s rubbish
Calling out a fitter or someone to chanfge a bulb no wonder companys go ■■■■ up but then again there is oporators out there ■■■■ frightened of the autoritys . i learnt the old school way and work with old school drivers and i wouldnt change it for the world , worked for some numptys and i no for a fact i wouldnt last 2mins at a place like tesco
go to work get job done go home no one likes a moaner
psv8:
You mean that one officer must of just blowndrivers and steering wheel attendants that are [zb] frightened of h&s rubbish
Calling out a fitter or someone to chanfge a bulb no wonder companys go ■■■■ up but then again there is oporators out there [zb] frightened of the autoritys . i learnt the old school way and work with old school drivers and i wouldnt change it for the world , worked for some numptys and i no for a fact i wouldnt last 2mins at a place like tesco
go to work get job done go home no one likes a moaner
Well said, reckon I’d be un employable if I had to pack up and work for someone. Can’t do with all this H&S crap that is choking the life out of this country. It boils my ■■■■ listening to whinging jobsworths who will do anything except work
philberg182:
psv8:
You mean that one officer must of just blowndrivers and steering wheel attendants that are [zb] frightened of h&s rubbish
Calling out a fitter or someone to chanfge a bulb no wonder companys go ■■■■ up but then again there is oporators out there [zb] frightened of the autoritys . i learnt the old school way and work with old school drivers and i wouldnt change it for the world , worked for some numptys and i no for a fact i wouldnt last 2mins at a place like tesco
go to work get job done go home no one likes a moaner
Well said, reckon I’d be un employable if I had to pack up and work for someone. Can’t do with all this H&S crap that is choking the life out of this country. It boils my ■■■■ listening to whinging jobsworths who will do anything except work
We no your not employable sounds like you have only just come around to realizing this 
Dhl, would have torn me a new 1, if i’d taken out said trailer, i suppose if its down as company policy yer bolloxed, yes its a minor fault unless the wires touch & blows your fuse & a small problem becomes a BIG problem, back in the day yes i ran with the odd light out, but now i find myself an agency driver, i remember my 1st lesson @ Baylis “■■■■ rolls down hill & stops @ you” 
Just read the OP again…
Refused to take a trailer with an upper marker out because it’s a defect and unsafe.
Went up to the height of a double decked trailer on the tangs of a stacker truck to make the above defect ‘safe’.
Impressive logic there driver, ever thought of a career in Transport Management…?
W
No way on this earth would I take it out. Remember when the double deck trailer turned over on top of the 3 million orphaned children because its top marker light was broken? It’s a critical defect that makes the whole outfit unsafe.
If you mentioned this to me as your transport manager, I wouldn’t want you to take it out either. I would ask you to go home and ask your wife for your balls back. No wonder wages are low.
kitbuilder123:
No way on this earth would I take it out. Remember when the double deck trailer turned over on top of the 3 million orphaned children because its top marker light was broken? It’s a critical defect that makes the whole outfit unsafe.
You’re quite right!
Not a day goes by without another tragic story of some young scamp innocently hanging off a motorway bridge and being crushed to death by the roof of a double decked trailer with a defective marker light…
How would you feel if this was your child…?
Something must be done! At least one member is prepared to say NO and make a stand.
(nowt to do with stringing a good job out or trying to get turning up money from the agency while refusing to drive an allegedly unroadworthy wagon…)
W
psv8:
philberg182:
psv8:
Well said, reckon I’d be un employable if I had to pack up and work for someone. Can’t do with all this H&S crap that is choking the life out of this country. It boils my ■■■■ listening to whinging jobsworths who will do anything except workWe no your not employable sounds like you have only just come around to realizing this
Lol it crept up on me 