I suspect most strikes are done by EE’s clueless the lot of em
Well, everyone makes misjudgements. This happened in Ramsgate while I was living there because the shunter was reversing an 8 car train into a siding when he thought it was a 4 car train. If you can’t notice four extra railway carriages then you can’t blame a truck driver for being a few inches out with his trailer height.
Network Rail, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. 
To be honest most of the frequently hit bridges and tunnels, had been bashed before sat navs were invented. The Blackwall tunnel had the low chains when I first started back in the eighties.
It’s more a case of the driver being unaware of their overall running height.
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AndrewG:
yourhavingalarf:
Perhaps…It’s time to look at banning drivers for 3 months or so.
What happens to drivers who cause all this mess? Are they fined, points on their licence or no action taken?
This still has me baffled as to why it keeps happening.
^
This
A ban would certainly make the bridge demolition crew think again…oh hang on though, maybe not…
Nobody does it on purpose.
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…
Problem is there are people who never adjust them. I have mine set at 14ft but I normally pull 13’11" but on occasion my unit gas been used at night and I’ll come in the next say and find it under a DD with a 16ft running height but the height marker hasn’t changed.
Fair enough the driver is most likely aware of the height but still…
Another situation where the insurance companies could sort this out pdq.
These idiots aint mr or mrs (though have any women drivers hit a bridge i wonder?) anonymous, they have names and addresses and unique licence numbers, why is there not a requirement on company policies to inform the insurer of the driver’s identity prior to employing them?, it’s all instantaneous these days so the agency bridge bashers won’t slip through the net.
Whilst companies continue to employ half wits, and agencies employ other half wits, and more amazingly the insurers prepared to cover these people without knowing who they are (they might hit a bridge three times a year and just flit from job to job, £9 an hour no bugger’s bothering to check, he’s cheap he’ll do 
), then the bridge bashing and other assorted carnage they cause will continue.
Just another consequence of a dumbed down industry and the one size fits all mentality.
Bums on seats, literally and in a lot of cases figuratively too.
I’m not going to rant like I did before …(maybe).
BUT and a very BIG BUT
You are all on here making excuses, excuses for idiots who haven’t got a scooby!!
Bridge has height limit, sign on bridge and more than likely on the approach. Those that get hit most have great big yellow and black chevrons on them! Arched bridges will have a sign advising on the limit, at the bridge it will have nice BIG white lines on it to advise the best route to take under it! All this BS about this bridge is 14"2 or that bridge is 13"9 and is maybe 4m0, really?!
FFS, it’s not the fault of the bridge constructor, not the fault of any railway network, not the fault of the highways agency that looks after the road that passes underneath, not the fault of the transport company that owns the lorry!!!
It’s the ■■■■ NUMPTY DRIVER that is in charge of the lorry that:
HASN’T GOT A CLUE what the height of his trailer is !
Can’t be arsed to open his eyes whilst driving said lorry!
END OF!!!
pierrot 14:
I’m not going to rant like I did before …(maybe).BUT and a very BIG BUT
You are all on here making excuses, excuses for idiots who haven’t got a scooby!!
Bridge has height limit, sign on bridge and more than likely on the approach. Those that get hit most have great big yellow and black chevrons on them! Arched bridges will have a sign advising on the limit, at the bridge it will have nice BIG white lines on it to advise the best route to take under it! All this BS about this bridge is 14"2 or that bridge is 13"9 and is maybe 4m0, really?!FFS, it’s not the fault of the bridge constructor, not the fault of any railway network, not the fault of the highways agency that looks after the road that passes underneath, not the fault of the transport company that owns the lorry!!!
It’s the [zb] NUMPTY DRIVER that is in charge of the lorry that:
HASN’T GOT A CLUE what the height of his trailer is !
Can’t be arsed to open his eyes whilst driving said lorry!END OF!!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This, all the way.
A d/head is a d/head, a pro driver is a pro driver.
One hits bridges because he’s terminally incompetent at the job he is trying to do, the other one does not because he knows what he is doing. 
No excuses whatsoever, a low bridge is something that a driver should always be aware of, and always be looking out for…end of…
If you hit a one, take another driving course/test…sorted.
toonsy:
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…Problem is there are people who never adjust them. I have mine set at 14ft but I normally pull 13’11" but on occasion my unit gas been used at night and I’ll come in the next say and find it under a DD with a 16ft running height but the height marker hasn’t changed.
Fair enough the driver is most likely aware of the height but still…
Never change mine.
I don’t need a sign to tell me how high I am
commonrail:
toonsy:
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…Problem is there are people who never adjust them. I have mine set at 14ft but I normally pull 13’11" but on occasion my unit gas been used at night and I’ll come in the next say and find it under a DD with a 16ft running height but the height marker hasn’t changed.
Fair enough the driver is most likely aware of the height but still…
Never change mine.
I don’t need a sign to tell me how high I am
I suppose I can see the point of them if you are pulling different height trailers.
I pull the same height all the time on my present job,.and occasionally a flat, but like you it would not be something I would solely rely on, if I was on different height trailers,… nor a truck designed sat nav.
Instead I would make it my business to be sure as hell fully aware of the specific height trailer, and not just rely on an indicator,.I aint perfect by any means…but neither am I an idiot when driving an artic.
Sidevalve:
It doesn’t help either when you get an advance warning sign which suggests that you can pass safely under a bridge, only to find that when you get there, and inevitably with nowhere to turn round, the sign on the bridge indicates that it’s three or even six inches lower than you were expecting.There’s a couple of these local to me in West Wales, I’m sure there must be others.
yeah i think there should be bigger and more prominent signs at the entry points to these roads with low bridges and more signs for alternative routes , yes i know the prats should see the signs as they approach the bridge and stop , but when they get to the point of no return i presume that because of nowhere to pull in or turn round and traffic behind they think maybe i’ll just squeeze under and hope for the best. Better signage would have stopped them going down that road in fhe first place.
Take the A5127 towards lichfield from wall island and the sign informing you of a low bridge ahead that gets struck regularly has been lying on the floor face down on the road for about 3 years
robroy:
commonrail:
toonsy:
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…Problem is there are people who never adjust them. I have mine set at 14ft but I normally pull 13’11" but on occasion my unit gas been used at night and I’ll come in the next say and find it under a DD with a 16ft running height but the height marker hasn’t changed.
Fair enough the driver is most likely aware of the height but still…
Never change mine.
I don’t need a sign to tell me how high I amI suppose I can see the point of them if you are pulling different height trailers.
I pull the same height all the time on my present job,.and occasionally a flat, but like you it would not be something I would solely rely on, if I was on different height trailers,… nor a truck designed sat nav.
Instead I would make it my business to be sure as hell fully aware of the specific height trailer, and not just rely on an indicator,.I aint perfect by any means.…but neither am I an idiot when driving an artic.
I’m not greedy, I’ll leave this tap-in for someone else…
Ok, fair enough, I have been known to be an idiot at times in the past, when NOT driving. 
villa:
[when they get to the point of no return i presume that because of nowhere to pull in or turn round and traffic behind they think maybe i’ll just squeeze under and hope for the best. Better signage would have stopped them going down that road in fhe first place.
I think it’s clear from the amount of damage to the trailers etc that the drivers concerned are not “thinking they’ll squeeze under” - they are simply driving under the bridge at a normal speed with no regard to the restricted headroom at all. Advance warning signs simply won’t make a blind bit of difference to these cretins. A big, flashing “OVERHEIGHT VEHICLE - TURN BACK” might help them, but I suspect a set of low-hanging chunks of heavy metal (so they can get the experience of hitting the bridge without actually hitting it) would be the most effective solution.
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…
Yeah like an automatic load height sensor married to a forward looking bridge height sensor.
Then according to your sensitivities it can flash up on a screen in front of you. " STOP you idiot, you are about to strike the bridge." Of course collision avoidance could be activated too if you didn’t brake.
Roymondo:
villa:
[when they get to the point of no return i presume that because of nowhere to pull in or turn round and traffic behind they think maybe i’ll just squeeze under and hope for the best. Better signage would have stopped them going down that road in fhe first place.I think it’s clear from the amount of damage to the trailers etc that the drivers concerned are not “thinking they’ll squeeze under” - they are simply driving under the bridge at a normal speed with no regard to the restricted headroom at all. Advance warning signs simply won’t make a blind bit of difference to these cretins. A big, flashing “OVERHEIGHT VEHICLE - TURN BACK” might help them, but I suspect a set of low-hanging chunks of heavy metal (so they can get the experience of hitting the bridge without actually hitting it) would be the most effective solution.
Correct, normal speed collisions. Hitting them so hard that they peel the trailer apart or turn the wagon over.
Which then also begs the question, how many are actually trying to squeeze under and then reversing back and [zb]ing off sharpish & getting away with it?
Our lot parked under six last year, own drivers and contractor/agency.
The issue for hauliers now is passengers can claim for delayed journeys, network fail or the train operators pay out on the claims through their insurers, the same insurers then pursue the haulier.
In the case of very large hauliers or own account operators who very often cover their own third party liabilities they could be facing bills running into the millions, perhaps a audible alarm similar to the handbrake warning could be fitted the technology exists, the job has been dumbed down to the point where the imbecile at the helm would require such a device, driving standards are likely to decline not improve, automatic headlights/wipers/lane assist/brake assist where will it all end.
We even have a 4 page “risk assessment” for deliveries doesn’t stop club plant pot from destroying barriers/gates/fences/bollards/cars.
My suggestion on a previous post where a large oversize comedy boxing glove on the end of a spring that pops out of the dash and strikes the half wit in the face, whenever such behaviour is about to take place is the only thing thats likely to work.
robroy:
commonrail:
toonsy:
Steve-o:
If only there was something in the cab that could remind you what height the truck and trailer is…Problem is there are people who never adjust them. I have mine set at 14ft but I normally pull 13’11" but on occasion my unit gas been used at night and I’ll come in the next say and find it under a DD with a 16ft running height but the height marker hasn’t changed.
Fair enough the driver is most likely aware of the height but still…
Never change mine.
I don’t need a sign to tell me how high I amI suppose I can see the point of them if you are pulling different height trailers.
I pull the same height all the time on my present job,.and occasionally a flat, but like you it would not be something I would solely rely on, if I was on different height trailers,… nor a truck designed sat nav.
Instead I would make it my business to be sure as hell fully aware of the specific height trailer, and not just rely on an indicator,
Not a 100% sure on this without checking online but I’m sure I heard/read it somewhere, cant you can get done if your tugged by VOSA/DVSA and your in cab height marker doesn’t match your current trailer?