A few weeks ago, I was tip and turning at London Gateway. Arrived at about 0330 hrs, was dead chuffed usualy a quick T&T at Gateway, was looking for a tidy Saturday morning finish. Got the export off went to location for Import and got that on sharpish within 25 minutes I was heading to the out gate “result” .
The Port speed is 20 mph, and as I approached the camera tunnel I eased of the throttle to slow as I went through, I felt a lump on the trailer, I eased onto throttle to move onto the first check point, and felt the lump again, this time pulling backwards, bearing in mind I’m varying between 10-20 mph. As I approached the first check point I used the brakes, gently, but it was enough to make what ever was inside the Container hit the front, with some force, I pulled up at the terminal, instead of swiping My card, I phoned the night planner, and asked what the hell was in the container, I knew it was 27 ton, but not what the cargo was, He told me aluminium, but he knew no more than that, I told him that it wasn’t leaving the port, and he said he’d make some enquiries. So I pressed the intercom and told the port what was going on ,and if there was anywhere I could park, to which I was told, either leave the port or return the container to stack, to which I says its returning to stack then. so the container was left at the Out of Gauge yard and I had to go to the truck park and await further instructions.
Any way further to this, I have since found out, what was in the Container. It was loaded with Aluminium tube, which was totally unsecured, with room to slide forwards and backwards. In the event of an emergency stop, I reckon that lot would have come through the front of the Container, in the unlikely event that the 450 Scania found Ferrari acceleration, it would have been out the back door.
That’s the first time in about 8 years on Container work, that I’ve refused a Box, but I’m bloody glad I did, and went with gut instinct