I visited a site in Sheffield the other day with a 40ft container for an export collection…yes really. When I arrived they asked me to go on to the weighbridge. Fine up to a point; the weighbridge was not long enough for unit and trailer.
As the site had numerous signs plastered all over the walls regarding Health and Safety issues, I asked the planned weight of the load.
30,000kgs. 
I suggested that with that amount in the container I would not be happy at dropping the trailer on the weighbridge on the way out and could I talk to their Health and Safety officer. No chance and things got heated. In the end the Area Production Manager came and told me I was being offensive to his staff.
No problem, into cab and waived him goodbye.
My question is; Do we have the right to question working practices at the sites that we visit, as in many cases I find that the rules in place favour the sites employees at our expense
cause we do… and you done right in my book… to many of these eedjits are sprouting these rules… but when it contradicts what you think is right they dont want to know… well done i say 
I have always been told the first rule of H & S is yoiu are resposable for your own H & S. & yes we do have a right to question others H & S & I think you will find the company broke H & S rules in refusing to allow you access to a designated H & S officer upon request.
Aa I understand H & S law, all site are responsible for the H & S of everyone upon that site & if its rules places anyone at extra risk then they are responsible if or when things go wrong for these rules.
I think you were wrong! you might just have finished the last company exporting anything in the UK.
Muckles, yes I agree with you, it may well be the case that that haulier will no longer move illegal loads for that company.
But, H&S is there for everybody, not just for the firm doing the loading, at the end of the day, that load becomes the Drivers responsibility, and if he or she is not happy with the projected outcome of the load, the he or she MUST question the H&S of carrying on.
The problem is, a lot of companies are now, and have been doing so for a long time, using (or abusing) H&S to bully people, not just drivers, do it or we won’t use your company again.
One example I have come across, you’re not allowed on the un/loading dock, but you’re ordered to sign to say the load is correct 
, that is ILLEGAL, but they abuse H&S to carry this out.
Just look at John Vasey, he wasn’t allowed to see what was in his load, but he was totally responsible, look where he is now.
no company can refuse you to speak to the h&s officer, if your not happy with something in your depot or anyone elses depot then you are duty bound to bring it to the attention of there h&s officer. if the report is not carried out by the next time you visit that depot then you must take the next step report it to higher authorities.as for loads if i turn up and the warehouse guy hands me a load of paperwork and says sign all them driver 
i will say no thanks mate give me one bit of paperwork stateing full load sealed trailer and then i’ll sign it as i did not supervise the trailer being loaded and can’t confirm that the load is ok.if they refuse then i put the ball in the hands of my depot and let them sort it out.i done it with compaq and ibm on a regular bases and boy did it upset the apple cart, and i loved it
dwjinuk:
:?
As the site had numerous signs plastered all over the walls regarding Health and Safety issues, I asked the planned weight of the load.
30,000kgs.
I suggested that with that amount in the container I would not be happy at dropping the trailer on the weighbridge on the way out and could I talk to their Health and Safety officer. No chance and things got heated. In the end the Area Production Manager came and told me I was being offensive to his staff.
No problem, into cab and waived him goodbye.
My question is; Do we have the right to question working practices at the sites that we visit, as in many cases I find that the rules in place favour the sites employees at our expense
wrong sorry,what was your problem with split weighing ? it would have confermed that your load was illegal or not to be on the road ? what was/is the designed capacity of the container ? tippers often have to split weight as a lot of mills are out of date tight and far to small for modern trucks
I suggested that with that amount in the container I would not be happy at dropping the trailer on the weighbridge
oddsodz… i don’t think dwjinuk was bothered about splitting unit and trl for seperate weighing. i think it was the fact that he had 30,000 on the trailer and if it tipped forward he’s in the brown stuff. and as for mills being out of date and far to small then i think thats up to the mill bosses to get up to date with the modern truck.
thats some going getting 30000kg in a 40 ft box!
what were you in? a day cab ford cargo!
regards
paul
I visited a site in Sheffield the other day with a 40ft container for an export collection…
i read that as collection ? not delivery?,
what difference does that make wether its a delivery or collection. its still 30,000kg
kitkat:
what difference does that make wether its a delivery or collection. its still 30,000kg
makes one hell of a difference if you ask me if hes run in with it he could have been over weight when he set off ?..and another the dutch often run at 60t in 40ft boxes !!!..and one other thing its not against h&s to drop loaded trailers onto the bridge…
muckles:
I think you were wrong! you might just have finished the last company exporting anything in the UK.
Panic ye not, theres still some companies exporting, I collect from several in the course of a week. It never ceases to amaze me how large companies like Caterpillar buy their parts from a tiny company in Birmingham for example. Glad they do though.
btw how do you get 30000 kg in a container legally?
Calv
thats my point its the planned weight,30.000 of lead is not a lot in volume but 30.000 of balsa wood is??..still think he was wrong to pull out
thats some going getting 30000kg in a 40 ft box!
how do you get 30000 kg in a container legally?
It’s actually quite normally practice to have “30t boxes”…my unit (Scania P-cab) weighs 8.5t…a modern 45ft compatible sliding skeletal weighs about 5t, with some weighing as little as 4t…which gives easily enough for the 30t load, although that is actually something of a euphemism…
…bear in mind that this does actually include the weight of the box…which is 3.8t for a 40ft standard.
LucyR:
thats some going getting 30000kg in a 40 ft box!
how do you get 30000 kg in a container legally?
It’s actually quite normally practice to have “30t boxes”…my unit (Scania P-cab) weighs 8.5t…a modern 45ft compatible sliding skeletal weighs about 5t, with some weighing as little as 4t…which gives easily enough for the 30t load, although that is actually something of a euphemism…
…bear in mind that this does actually include the weight of the box…which is 3.8t for a 40ft standard.
but there still was no harm in dropping the trailer on the bridge,which was the Q?
calv wrote
btw how do you get 30000 kg in a container legally?
threw the back doors■■?
oddsodz:
LucyR:
thats some going getting 30000kg in a 40 ft box!
how do you get 30000 kg in a container legally?
It’s actually quite normally practice to have “30t boxes”…my unit (Scania P-cab) weighs 8.5t…a modern 45ft compatible sliding skeletal weighs about 5t, with some weighing as little as 4t…which gives easily enough for the 30t load, although that is actually something of a euphemism…
…bear in mind that this does actually include the weight of the box…which is 3.8t for a 40ft standard.
but there still was no harm in dropping the trailer on the bridge,which was the Q?
this is what is puzzling me regarding this post is what is the reason for not wantting to drop trailer on bridge
makes one hell of a difference if you ask me if hes run in with it he could have been over weight when he set off ?..and another the dutch often run at 60t in 40ft boxes !!!..and one other thing its not against h&s to drop loaded trailers onto the bridge…
i would like to think that the sender would have weight the box b4 it left the yard, as for dropping trl on bridge, what if the heaviest part of the load was at the bulk head and he drops the trl and the weight puts it on the nose what then who would be blamed the driver. as most of the containers arrive sealed and you as a driver don’t see the load then how the hell does he know how its loaded and why should the driver have to drop a trl every time they get weighted just because some company can’t get the proper equipment to do the job right how much time wasteing does that cause, especially if they are busy it’s bad enough having to deliver to these sort of places without having to drop trls because they are to dam tight to spend a few bob on the equipment
dwjinuk, were you worried that the legs would break on the trailer when you pulled from under?
I think theyd have probably been OK, but, 30000 in a 40ft, so, thats 34000 with the box, that leaves 10000 tare for the rig at 44t, I drive a 5 axle atki thats light, and even thats over 10 ton with a slider, then + fuel! I think id have told them about 25000 in the box and thats your whack. But, I really think dropping the trailer should have been OK, but if it wernt they would have been stuffed without a weigh bridge too!
Mal.