Ive been on both side of the fence here. Back in the late 80’s, early 90’s, I was a truck fitter, worked on everything and anything and Ive done more 6 weekly inspections than ive had hot dinners. Ive seen the results of wheel bearing failure on trucks and trailers a fair few times. Anyway, i digress. Vern was put into a very difficult situation here, an almost impossible situation.
How the hell can anyone who’s been without work for a while say to a TM on their first day that your not taking out that motor with an ABS light on? Sure, after the event its now obvious that the ecessive play in the hub bearring wiped out the sensor but as far as everyone was concerned at the time, it was just a warning light! Sure, i myself and maybe some others may have stopped when the brakes started binding on one side as it can (not always) be a good indicator of impending bearring failure, but not everyones very mechanicly minded or and ex fitter behind the wheel!
Time to move on. 
The brake binding started about 2 minutes before the wheel fell off.
A young lad i know was was killed in the isle of man a few years back and his dad ended up with a broken leg when a truck wheel came off. two mechanics have since been jailed over the incident.
So it was potentialy a very serious occurance
The point I was trying to make was the TM obviously ■■■■■■■■■■■ you as to the roadworthiness of the vehicle.
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.
“On the nod” don’t cut it, as has been pointed out, the guy could deny everything if a serious accident had occured by just declaring “you didn’t check it had recently had an inspection”! 
As for asking for stuff in writing, - that’s usually the time when straight-laced types like me get shown the door. 
Whatever happened to Swift transport by the way? 
Winseer:
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.
No it doesn’t. In fact even in 5 years of agency driving I don’t think I ever drove for a single firm who had stickers on their trucks saying when they were last inspected. There is certainly no legal requirement to do so.
Paul
Looks like the hub nut is still attached and the whole bloody lot has come off over it. Ive seen them where the stub axle has completely sheard. Good job you were only going slow as that wheel and hub would have ended up anywhere if it came off at speed.
repton:
Winseer:
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.No it doesn’t. In fact even in 5 years of agency driving I don’t think I ever drove for a single firm who had stickers on their trucks saying when they were last inspected. There is certainly no legal requirement to do so.
Paul
No, there certainly isnt. In anycase the fault may not have shown itself at the 6 weekly inspection. Its like taking your car for an MOT, there are no gaurantees that something wont fall off the next day you drive it even though it just passed its MOT.
Lucky you weren’t at speed Vern, from experience looking at the rusty shade of what should be a shiny brake disc, I would say a siezed caliper brought this on 
And I’ll say that IF anyone looked at this at the weekend, he’s a knob that wants repeatedly kicking in the groin until all thoughts of ever picking spanners up again becomes a distant memory. I’ve seen too well, the results of what imbeciles who want to be called mechanics can do. I agree that the collapsed bearing may not have shown up at a six weekly inspection, but it was giving clues when the ABS started acting up and anything like a cursory glance underneath should have shown any reasonable mechanic that something don’t look right here. Too many of today’s ‘fitters’ reach for the pc first and don’t look for themselves.
bigvern1:
.
I phoned him and told him this, and at this point…The front nearside wheel fell off!
“What was that noise ?” He asked. So I told him one of Michelins finest tyres was on it’s way somewhere without me.
1 Hour later. ERF recovery truck turns up, tows me back to Exeter. Result? Wheel bearing shattered and destroyed everything connected anywhere near the hub.
NOT ONWARD!!!
That is soooo funny, you just cant make that sort off stuff up, priceless. 
repton:
Winseer:
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.No it doesn’t. In fact even in 5 years of agency driving I don’t think I ever drove for a single firm who had stickers on their trucks saying when they were last inspected. There is certainly no legal requirement to do so.
Paul
Everywhere I go see to have the MOT/INSPECTION DATE/TYRE SERVICE/TAIL LIFT SERVICE on the walkaround checklist they hand out when you get your keys. Maybe operators are more safety conscious in this part of the world?
The only legal requirement is for the MOT inspection itself. Many firms however do extra inspections throughout the year , for example every 10,000km which can be easily every month if a fleet motor gets used for 500-1000 clicks a day! 
Winseer:
repton:
Winseer:
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.No it doesn’t. In fact even in 5 years of agency driving I don’t think I ever drove for a single firm who had stickers on their trucks saying when they were last inspected. There is certainly no legal requirement to do so.
Paul
Everywhere I go see to have the MOT/INSPECTION DATE/TYRE SERVICE/TAIL LIFT SERVICE on the walkaround checklist they hand out when you get your keys. Maybe operators are more safety conscious in this part of the world?
The only legal requirement is for the MOT inspection itself. Many firms however do extra inspections throughout the year , for example every 10,000km which can be easily every month if a fleet motor gets used for 500-1000 clicks a day!
Sometimes I wonder why the DCPC is needed, then I read posts like yours. I would hope that every firm does extra inspections throughout the year, seeing as it’s a legal requirement to do these as a condition of having an O licence.
scottie0011:
Sometimes I wonder why the DCPC is needed, then I read posts like yours. I would hope that every firm does extra inspections throughout the year, seeing as it’s a legal requirement to do these as a condition of having an O licence.
Agree with that. though I’m not certain the DCPC will alter that, its a state of mind not a state off training
eddie snax:
scottie0011:
Sometimes I wonder why the DCPC is needed, then I read posts like yours. I would hope that every firm does extra inspections throughout the year, seeing as it’s a legal requirement to do these as a condition of having an O licence.Agree with that. though I’m not certain the DCPC will alter that, its a state of mind not a state off training
The maintenance of the vehicle is to do with CPC not DCPC and you don’t need a DCPC to be a TM. Regular, mostly 6 week inspections are a condition of holding an Operators Licence.
Anyways…I got my wages tonight, got asked what do I think after my 3 days?
I just said…NAH…Not for me Good luck. And I came home. 
I’m a london bus driver.
We get this all the time at my place.
You call in a fault via the radio and get told ‘thats ok to drive driver, carry on’. 
A few months back, i’m comming up to a bus stop and an alarm starts going off in the cab, ABS light comes on, and the lcd display is flashing ‘stop’.
I isolate the battery, but its still happening, so I call the radio room and they say, ‘its ok driver, run the bus back to the depot empty’.
Cobblers!!!, I say, ‘i’m not driving this bus any further’.
Remember, it’s YOUR licence, not thiers.
Before you all start hanging the Grease Monkey, did the vehicle REALLY have an inspection, sounds like this TM has a box containing a selection of appropriate answers to give worried drivers. True, if an ABS sensor problem was highlighted then a good inspection not only of the brakes and sensor but of the wheel bearing should have been routine especially if the vehicle was on one of its periodic services. I’m tending to doubt that, the light had probably come on and the decision made to have a look at it once the vehicle became available, in other words once it had finished running about all week. Anyway I doubt Vern will ever find the real facts out.
As for wheels coming off either from lost wheel nuts or collapsed bearings at speed, the results can and have been tragic, other motorists have been killed or injured. My mates Transcon lost its nearside front on the 62 because of a failed bearing and fortunately with it being the nearside he was pulled into the hardshoulder albeit with very little control before coming to a stop, however the wheel carried on down the embankment, through a fence, a further hundred yards into a field before falling over and setting the grass on fire because it was so hot. I happened to get this motor a couple of years later when he moved onto a new Scania, I tried not to think about it! One last thing, remember your vehicle only comes under inspection every three months or equivalent miles and can do a hell of a lot of work between services. Take care out there!
repton:
Winseer:
“Inspection last week” needs to be demonstrated by some appropriate stickers around the vehicle to that effect.No it doesn’t. In fact even in 5 years of agency driving I don’t think I ever drove for a single firm who had stickers on their trucks saying when they were last inspected. There is certainly no legal requirement to do so.
Paul
In over thirty five years I have never seen an inspection sticker, pray tell what are they?
A 6 week inspection is a good walk round check with a tick sheet, Britain is the only place that requires them and they are basically a 30 minute look around and asked for by the TC and VOSA.
As it turns out, I do know the outcome. The Boss was all apologetic the other day. NOT the TM.
He said “Don’t tell the other lads,they’ll be paranoid.”
I did as i was told (YEAH RIGHT) And told everyone. As I was leaving I spoke to one driver who said.
“I told 'em about that yesterday, and nothing was done!”
There you go. So anyway…That is history.