Self-funding insanity

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Wednesday, I’m heading back to the depot. Hauling a quad axle flat-bed with one piece of plant loaded as a back-load to drop off on my way past.

About 40 miles from where I collected the plant, I’m pulled in by VOSA on a random check.

The womble goes through all the usual stuff and found both the wagon and my tacho to be “squeaky clean driver” (naturally :smiley: ). ………… then he hits me with a violation for………

VOSA. “Unsafe load driver.”

Me. “Eh?”

VOSA. “I said, I’m going to give you a violation for an unsafe load.”

Me. “I heard what you said, I’m just struggling to understand what you said!”

VOSA. “I’m saying that your load is unsafe, and I’m going to give you …… “

Me. (interrupting) “I got that bit – I’m not stupid or deaf – I’m just struggling to understand how you think that that is an unsafe load!?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant should be secured by chains. Those are straps.”

Me. “When did that law come in?”

VOSA. “Which law?”

Me. “That plant had to be secured by chains.”

VOSA. “It’s not the law, it’s security and safety.”

Me. “So you’re saying that it’s unsafe?”

VOSA. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Me. “How is it unsafe?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant gets secured with chains. You’re getting a violation.”

Me. “Hold on here — that’s only a little 3 ton excavator [like I said – back load] and it’s fastened down with what are obviously new straps. Those straps are rated at 6 ton each, and there are 4 of them holding the thing. How can you possibly reason that it’s unsafe?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant gets secured with chains.”

Me. “Well, I’m telling you now that you can stick your violation where the sun doesn’t shine [I might not have been quite that polite]. I’m not accepting it, and I’ll see you in front of the TC!”

Boss has left a message with the TC’s secretary. Roll on next week

!

2

Besides the weight the straps are rated at, one has to take into account the friction coefficient between the cargo and the trailer.

Or so I was told at the CPC :unamused:

3

milodon:
Besides the weight the straps are rated at, one has to take into account the friction coefficient between the cargo and the trailer.

Or so I was told at the CPC :unamused:

Is perfectly correct…a digger on steel tracks on a steel loadbed will slide where a digger on rubber tyres and a wooden bed would not.

But I’m baffled as to why the op would need chains for a piece of plant…presumably each end of each strap was properly attached to load or truck?

Chains for something sharp,I get that.

4

Win-Stone:
Wednesday, I’m heading back to the depot. Hauling a quad axle flat-bed with one piece of plant loaded as a back-load to drop off on my way past.

About 40 miles from where I collected the plant, I’m pulled in by VOSA on a random check.

The womble goes through all the usual stuff and found both the wagon and my tacho to be “squeaky clean driver” (naturally :smiley: ). ………… then he hits me with a violation for………

VOSA. “Unsafe load driver.”

Me. “Eh?”

VOSA. “I said, I’m going to give you a violation for an unsafe load.”

Me. “I heard what you said, I’m just struggling to understand what you said!”

VOSA. “I’m saying that your load is unsafe, and I’m going to give you …… “

Me. (interrupting) “I got that bit – I’m not stupid or deaf – I’m just struggling to understand how you think that that is an unsafe load!?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant should be secured by chains. Those are straps.”

Me. “When did that law come in?”

VOSA. “Which law?”

Me. “That plant had to be secured by chains.”

VOSA. “It’s not the law, it’s security and safety.”

Me. “So you’re saying that it’s unsafe?”

VOSA. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Me. “How is it unsafe?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant gets secured with chains. You’re getting a violation.”

Me. “Hold on here — that’s only a little 3 ton excavator [like I said – back load] and it’s fastened down with what are obviously new straps. Those straps are rated at 6 ton each, and there are 4 of them holding the thing. How can you possibly reason that it’s unsafe?”

VOSA. “It’s plant. Plant gets secured with chains.”

Me. “Well, I’m telling you now that you can stick your violation where the sun doesn’t shine [I might not have been quite that polite]. I’m not accepting it, and I’ll see you in front of the TC!”

Boss has left a message with the TC’s secretary. Roll on next week

!

Good for you mate, too many people just roll over and take it from these ■■■■■■■■■.

5

You appear to be the architect of your own downfall, if he’d found something to nick you for in the cab he probably wouldn’t have bothered with the load. We all have to be doing something wrong or they would be out of a job.

Good luck.

6

waddy640:
You appear to be the architect of your own downfall, if he’d found something to nick you for in the cab he probably wouldn’t have bothered with the load. We all have to be doing something wrong or they would be out of a job.

Good luck.

Don’t give these clowns the kudos of “nicking” people. I know it’s petty, but they thrive on the little bit of “power” they have. Calling it a nick just feeds their pathetic hunger.

7

GasGas:

milodon:
Besides the weight the straps are rated at, one has to take into account the friction coefficient between the cargo and the trailer.

Or so I was told at the CPC :unamused:

Is perfectly correct…a digger on steel tracks on a steel loadbed will slide where a digger on rubber tyres and a wooden bed would not.

But I’m baffled as to why the op would need chains for a piece of plant…presumably each end of each strap was properly attached to load or truck?

Chains for something sharp,I get that.

Yeah, rubber tracks on a steel bed. But 4 6 ton straps (one in each lifting eye, 1 across the tracks and one over the bucket) is more than enough.
Chains for the bigger stuff is the norm. Theoretically, you can get away with straps (straps, as you know got up to 10 ton) but a). chains don’t wear. b) Chains don’t fray. (You’d be amazed at how fast a strap will lose it’s structural integrity from what looks like a simple fray) and, c) once you get over the 10 ton mark for plant you can’t use anything but chains.

The problem with the womble was that he was working on the “Plant = Chains” thing… without applying any common sense; as I said to him, with a small 3 ton excavator, if I put chains on (and I’d still need 4!), a) it’s massive overkill (the chains I carry are rated at 20 tons each)… , b) the ■■■■ chains are almost bigger than the bucket! and, c) if I tighten the chains enough, I could probably rip the machine in half! (and, I’d certainly cause damage if they were too tight.)

8

Out of interest, did he get you to chain up before you carried on? If not he’s letting you (in his eyes) continue with an unsafe load.

9

Many of them have had a series of operations to remove their common sense, sense of humour and charisma .
Add in a target led managment style alongside staff that are closer to script reading call centre drones than qualified examiners .

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

10

Casper68:
Out of interest, did he get you to chain up before you carried on? If not he’s letting you (in his eyes) continue with an unsafe load.

He wanted me to. I simply pointed out that I’d been moving plant since before he was born… then got in the cab and drove off.
[zb] him.

Interestingly, the police made absolutely no effort to either stop me up the road, assist him in any way, or interfere in the proceedings in any way shape or form. Personally think that that said it all!