corij:
feel sure that warning signs were bigger/bolder/more obvious years back? im thinking they were after recently reading about a rash of folk driving wrong way down motorways. im certain that in the 80s if you tried to drive down an off slip there were BIG warning signs either side of the road a little way down ,not right at the top like now the signs are smaller now
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
northern ireland just assumes drivers are retards without the option to read with the result on the off slips they have 2 big flashing red lights on either side of the ramp to discourage the myopics from driving the wrong way onto motorways and such.
corij:
feel sure that warning signs were bigger/bolder/more obvious years back? im thinking they were after recently reading about a rash of folk driving wrong way down motorways. im certain that in the 80s if you tried to drive down an off slip there were BIG warning signs either side of the road a little way down ,not right at the top like now the signs are smaller now
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
northern ireland just assumes drivers are retards without the option to read with the result on the off slips they have 2 big flashing red lights on either side of the ramp to discourage the myopics from driving the wrong way onto motorways and such.
Here in France we have these to deter drivers from going the wrong way on a slip road.
I think that all trailers should have the height from the fifth wheel to the roof painted on them. Then all you need to do is measure from the ground to the floor after you couple up and add the two together. I have stood in a breezy yard with a steel tape trying to check the height and guessed it in the end; it’s obvious that many drivers don’t even bother trying.
Big hauliers like ES could easily have an electronic gauge at the gate to flash the height up on a big screen.
Maybe the big hauliers could make a contribution to a “bridge height” fund and then the councils could install radar height detectors at all the usual suspect bridges. If a driver still hits the bridge even with huge signs in front of them saying thier lorry is over height, then they should have their licence revoked on the spot
I thought the driver CPC was supposed to stop this sort of thing happening, maybe a drivers tax in the form of a bogus professional qualification isn’t the way to go after-all then
dreamingofoz:
Really for the life of me can’t understand why this keeps happening. Only thing I can think is drivers are picking up trailers and assuming that whatever the height set in the cab is correct without checking it.
The answer is this.
A driver at our place was telling me how it’s marked at 15’0 yet it’s actually just over 15’1” and his last company used to go under at 15’1”.
This attitude of yeah but the bridge is higher than what it’s marked at and my trailer is probably lower than what it’s marked at.
Chillidoritos:
We run with various heights on the same trailers, as we pull flat beds. Never had a bridge strike on the firm.
If you try and route yourself as if you’re 4.8 everywhere you go, no matter who you’re driving for you tend to approach anything lower with a bit more thought!
I doubt many people know their routes in advance unless it’s an area they’ve run before… transport managers and companies aren’t very helpful. Look at signs, follow the black lorries, routes for high vehicles and look after yourself!
Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk
I have my sat nav set to 16ft no matter what height I’m at. The only time I change that is if I’m going somewhere that’s got a low bridge and I’ve got a lower trailer purposely for that job, in which case I’m fully aware of the route I need to go anyway.
I saw one of Pawsons trailers yesterday heading across a bridge over the A1 at Doncaster that had been involved in some kind of incident, the ends where leaning backwards at around 45 degrees. Anyone know what happened??
Dirty_Mascot:
… i would love to know what the hell the instructor was doing?
Looks like that was this lot based on the graphics although not sure if they do training too. Doesn’t mention it on the web site although doesn’t really say that much.
Santa:
I think that all trailers should have the height from the fifth wheel to the roof painted on them. Then all you need to do is measure from the ground to the floor after you couple up and add the two together. I have stood in a breezy yard with a steel tape trying to check the height and guessed it in the end; it’s obvious that many drivers don’t even bother trying.
Big hauliers like ES could easily have an electronic gauge at the gate to flash the height up on a big screen.
It wouldn’t work. That requires all drivers to be carrying a tape measure. “Oh I’ve forgotten it” “I’m out of the truck now and can’t be arsed going into the cab for it”. Etc etc. What happens then? I’ll just guess.
At least now the marked trailer height is usually about right for most 5th wheels. If it was marked only from the deck to the ceiling there would be much more guessing going on.
Coop trailers had the height shown as something like this (figures made up):
Trl 9’ 3" + 5th wheel (see unit) = height.
Thats all very well but it means trying to addup imperial measurements which even as a born and bred 40 ish Brit isnt something i got much of any clue about.
People who are lazier really aint going to bother even trying to work it out. Think they just lucky not to get bridge hits.
corij:
feel sure that warning signs were bigger/bolder/more obvious years back? im thinking they were after recently reading about a rash of folk driving wrong way down motorways. im certain that in the 80s if you tried to drive down an off slip there were BIG warning signs either side of the road a little way down ,not right at the top like now the signs are smaller now
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
northern ireland just assumes drivers are retards without the option to read with the result on the off slips they have 2 big flashing red lights on either side of the ramp to discourage the myopics from driving the wrong way onto motorways and such.
Here in France we have these to deter drivers from going the wrong way on a slip road.
Norfolkinclue1:
The driver in the OP gets reported for a DC offence, surely a new code for a bridge strike might help a little. I know lots of companies are obviously hot for dangerous driving and drink driving codes but some are less fussed by due care, a bridge strike should rule the muppets out of any future job, if it doesn’t then the potential employer deserves the possible consequences of employing such talent…
Don’t want sound stupid here. But I haven’t seen this before.
But Other day the lad at our yard was loading an ee trailer going to Germany. Was tight for space. Couldt get last few pallets stacked due to height. Driver pointed said something in foreign language and he raised his roof up a good 3 inches or so using hydraulics.
peirre:
I saw one of Pawsons trailers yesterday heading across a bridge over the A1 at Doncaster that had been involved in some kind of incident, the ends where leaning backwards at around 45 degrees. Anyone know what happened??
peirre:
I saw one of Pawsons trailers yesterday heading across a bridge over the A1 at Doncaster that had been involved in some kind of incident, the ends where leaning backwards at around 45 degrees. Anyone know what happened??
Probably hit a bridge.
Don’t be silly! It’s one of the new aerodynamic models. Pawsons are trialing it.
peirre:
I saw one of Pawsons trailers yesterday heading across a bridge over the A1 at Doncaster that had been involved in some kind of incident, the ends where leaning backwards at around 45 degrees. Anyone know what happened??
Probably hit a bridge.
Don’t be silly! It’s one of the new aerodynamic models. Pawsons are trialing it.
Taken a hint from the Aerospace industry with ‘Swept Back’ trailers and bodywork
