The place I did trunks from Glasgow to Runcorn had a guy come in one night and head off. He started at 1630. The TM finished at 1900 and went out to his car and noticed the trailer he had allocated still sitting in the yard. He went back in and called him. He hadnt taken the wrong trailer. He was down past the border with NO trailer. It was his first night trunking and because the TM said “your bringing trailer number X back up” he didn’t know he was to take an empty one down there!
I once hooked up to a trailer for Panasonic in Northampton, and took it all the way to Castleford, only to find a stack of blue pallets on the headboard when I opened the door. I double checked the trailer number and it matched the paperwork. Everybody was confused. On my return I realised what the mix up was. Unbelievably, there were two trailers with the same number on them. What I’d failed to do, however, was to physically open the door and check the inside before applying the seal. You live and learn. Luckily there was no comeback on that one.
This doesn’t happen at Denby Transport 
Hi,
A few years ago I picked a tilt up at Immingham for delivery to Bacup. On arrival I asked the customer to break the seal and stared to undo the cord and pull one side of the curtain up so the forklift could get in.
Whilst doing this I heard some one say " This isn’t for us". All the paperwork said this trailer had 23t of chipboard on but when the sheet was pulled up it was Hardboard on it.
Panic —had i picked the wrong trailer up? Thankfully the trailer no. on paperwork matches the one on the trailer so I’m in the clear.
Sat there for 5 hours whilst the phone is busy between shippers and Germany and despite protestations that they don’t use Hardboard so couldn’t possibly take delivery I think they must have struck a deal and I was tipped. I think the next part could go on the “unexpected nights out” thread!
Bassman
the maoster:
I’ve never picked up the wrong trailer but a few weeks ago I tried to take the wrong truck! I’d been using the canteen at a customers site and walked back across the yard to climb back in my motor and spent 10 minutes bending my key in both door locks until it dawned on me that another one of ours had pulled in two bays along and it was his I was trying to break into!
where I do a few shifts they have a load of new FMs
Some of the keys fit other units - you can unlock the doors & turn on the ignitions, but won’t start as there is an immobiliser & you get a message on the dash
years ago whilst shunting at Safeway a few trailers with very similar trailer number ie 3388 3838 8383 etc had been put on adjoining bays you know that’s not a good thing at night 
that was soon spotted and stopped
A few week ago doing a job take a trailer down to another depot have break then bring another trailer back this was late night so had break guy came over with paper work ok had a look in yard checked trailer not there spoke to shunter he said down in the other yard on left so off to collect it looked yep that was mine so I thought was given T112 collected T121 part of the T was missing
I was part way back when the phone goes they said so turned round back down the road to swap no harm done ( they may have got away with it but for 4 pallets ) just meant a longer shift for me
Hi
It’s not so much taking the wrong trailer but going to the wrong place, I was supposed to go to a certain place called ADlington but there are 2 one in Cheshire one in Lancashire whoops before Sat nav
Ive done this once.delivering a container of sofas to one of those famous stores that always has a sale on.we would do drop and swaps and the shunter would move the containers as they took forever to unload.so on this friday i got to the yard told drop trailer at back and pick up an empty from the front.i saw the trailer i wanted quick look to see no seal.hooked up and drove of.error one was made here. Get a phone call just after crossing dartford bridge on way back to grain.um drive what container you got gave him the number and he says ohh can you go back.why i ask.well its still not been unloaded.opps didnt think about opening the back doors to check it was friday been away all week and was running out of hours.me reply was sorry no chance my hours are nearly up ill take it back up monday.but they need it planner was yelling.to which i replied no they dont they are closed now and will be open again monday morning and it was left at that. Turned out the shunter had also been cutting the seals before the trailer was even ready to be unloaded and my balls up for not opening the doors.
posted twice no idea why phone going mental
Toddy2:
the maoster:
I’ve never picked up the wrong trailer but a few weeks ago I tried to take the wrong truck! I’d been using the canteen at a customers site and walked back across the yard to climb back in my motor and spent 10 minutes bending my key in both door locks until it dawned on me that another one of ours had pulled in two bays along and it was his I was trying to break into!where I do a few shifts they have a load of new FMs
Some of the keys fit other units - you can unlock the doors & turn on the ignitions, but won’t start as there is an immobiliser & you get a message on the dash
When on agency at Deben, I got keys to the truck I was using, went out to it, opened the door, turned on the ignition but it wouldn’t start, tried a few times, locking and unlocking the doors etc, nothing seemed to cure it, was just about to climb out of the truck to go see the boss when another driver opened the door and asked what I was doing in his truck