Today the agency sent me into a company, where I was has to hitch up to a curtainsider. As I walked round it I noticed that all the wheel hubs were covered in rust, some of the wheel nuts were nearly level with the bolt/stud. The tyres while legal were worn, indicating that the wheels hadn’t been off for ages. When I asked the company driver who I was taking over from, he said there okay! I still was happy so asked the TM, he told me to take another trailer and that his one was a rental and he would call them out to look at it.
Without seeing the trailer, have I done the right thing. In 18 years I’ve never had to refuse a vehicle before, it just didn’t seem right.
Should add, that the thing looked in proper clip as well. Little rips in the curtains. Mud wings held on together with cable ties. I was quite surprised it was a rental.
Maybe, I didn’t kick off I just asked the TM and he said take another. Clearly he thought it needed looking at also. I know what your saying about ties and rips, but (and without wanting to sound soft) it looked uncared for!
Shabby but (possibly only just on things like tyres) legal trailers also aren’t uncommon with things like baled waste where they get left in a customer’s yard and filled over a period of months.
Brucewillis:
Today the agency sent me into a company, where I was has to hitch up to a curtainsider. As I walked round it I noticed that all the wheel hubs were covered in rust, some of the wheel nuts were nearly level with the bolt/stud. The tyres while legal were worn,indicating that the wheels hadn’t been off for ages. When I asked the company driver who I was taking over from, he said there okay! I still was happy so asked the TM, he told me to take another trailer and that his one was a rental and he would call them out to look at it.
Without seeing the trailer, have I done the right thing. In 18 years I’ve never had to refuse a vehicle before, it just didn’t seem right.
You don’t have to take the wheels off to change the tyres… I’d say you did the right thing if you weren’t happy. Each to his own, it’s how you feel at the time that matters.
I defected a rental unit the other night as it only had a tiny treadplate across the chassis and a fixed fifth wheel set back for pulling long pin trailers. I was supposed to pull short pin tanks where all the couplings are set in the front centre of the tank. To do so I would have to go out along the Chassis main rails which were slippery in the wet. As I was dropping and swapping in dark isolated locations I wasn’t prepared to take the risk.
zzarbean:
I defected a rental unit the other night as it only had a tiny treadplate across the chassis and a fixed fifth wheel set back for pulling long pin trailers. I was supposed to pull short pin tanks where all the couplings are set in the front centre of the tank. To do so I would have to go out along the Chassis main rails which were slippery in the wet. As I was dropping and swapping in dark isolated locations I wasn’t prepared to take the risk.
Tipper Tom:
This post illustrates nicely what is wrong with haulage as a whole.
The OP posts a perfectly reasonable post asking a question about something which is clearly bothering him.
A trailer that could well be dangerous and he rightly refused to take it out.
Cue a load of people moaning about him and firing [zb] into him.
We moan there’s no solidarity between drivers and that affecting wages can you perhaps see why there will never be if this is the attitude of so many
It’s a growing issue with drivers seeing problems, where there aren’t any, and will worsen with DCPC. For every thread started on here with genuine prohibition/VOR level defects there’s at least ten that are cruise control stalk, heated seat etc.
zzarbean:
I defected a rental unit the other night as it only had a tiny treadplate across the chassis and a fixed fifth wheel set back for pulling long pin trailers. I was supposed to pull short pin tanks where all the couplings are set in the front centre of the tank. To do so I would have to go out along the Chassis main rails which were slippery in the wet. As I was dropping and swapping in dark isolated locations I wasn’t prepared to take the risk.
If you’re not happy, don’t do it.
Split couple?
Will that not make his issue worse ( if it really was an issue)
zzarbean:
I defected a rental unit the other night as it only had a tiny treadplate across the chassis and a fixed fifth wheel set back for pulling long pin trailers. I was supposed to pull short pin tanks where all the couplings are set in the front centre of the tank. To do so I would have to go out along the Chassis main rails which were slippery in the wet. As I was dropping and swapping in dark isolated locations I wasn’t prepared to take the risk.
Brucewillis:
Without seeing the trailer, have I done the right thing. In 18 years I’ve never had to refuse a vehicle before, it just didn’t seem right.
Without question you did the right thing, its not like you have just passed your test and its first time out.
I’ve pulled some right dogs in my day (sorry ladies) and sometimes its a culmination of many factors that point to a potential trailer problem or safety issue. Or even just a gut feeling is enough.
This trailer sounds like it screams ‘danger’ which is enough in my book, sure wheel studs can be varying lengths but the company should have no problems getting the torque checked on the wheel nuts and an inspection and ask the hire company to invest in those pointy things that go on each nut. They are paying to hire it after all.
Ripped curtains will catch VOSA’s eye and lead to a pull and a closer inspection, chances are if you are worried they will find something for you to be worried about.
Perhaps the old war horse could go round the planet a few times without an issue but theres a chance it won’t and you are aware of that possibility and have to act on it. We are the captains of our ships and the responsibility is ours and if ■■■■■■■ start pointing skyward the buck stops with us.
I would of approached the TM and asked for a torque wrench before VOR…ing the trl because of wheel studs. You could then satisfy yourself of their security. If he didn’t have one and u was still unhappy of the security of the nuts/studs then I would of sought a replacement.
A couple of supportive posts thank Å·ou. I should have worded the title better. Someone suggested a torque wrench before I VOR the trailer. I didn’t VOR it, I asked for the TM opinion as I wasn’t happy with it, he looked at it and said take another. Apologies for any confusion.
The point about MOT was a good one, and I didn’t think about that, Doh!
As for DCPC causing more defects, I am doing checks the way I have always done them. In this instance I was concerned, I very seen wheels come off (not with my vehicle) and know what they can do with a bit of momentum.
Thanks again for all your posts, wish this forum had been available when I started.
Brucewillis:
Without seeing the trailer, have I done the right thing. In 18 years I’ve never had to refuse a vehicle before, it just didn’t seem right.
I see no reason to have refused to take it. The rust is irrelevant. The wheel nuts being nearly level with the end of the bolt/stud is irrelevant - I assume you checked them with a torque wrench? As long as they’re tightened up it doesn’t matter how much stud is showing as long as some is. A mudguard secured by cable ties is still secure. A worn tyre as long as its legal is still legal. Why would you change one just because its been used? Do you change them on your car just because they’re half worn? No.
