Rolling on from another thread(apologies).
I have been into many sites as a fairly experienced agency bod and recently I have been having more of an issue with working out a vehicles height. There seems to be more and more trailers with only the box height stated, and NOT the height from the ground.
You may get a sign about variance due to fifth wheel height which I can never find stated either.
I always ask the relevant transport office what the height of the fifth wheel is, and the combined height of the truck so I can cross check and, every time, get a vacant stare in response. When I ask for a tape to measure the height manually I often get looked at like I’ve asked to shag their dead grandmother!!
For such a simple and essential bit of information why oh why do companies make it so difficult for unfamiliar drivers??!
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
Im not as fastidious as that. I sort my own kit/ppe and expect the company to sort out their own vehicles kit, ever since a job refused to supply gloves to me and I broke a finger because of it.
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
This when doing agency work and my own gloves. Hate relying on others, as they nearly always screw me over in a round about way.
And I pretty much carry one for about 10 hours a days in the full time job too. Never more than an arms length away from a tape 
Jesus its like being in the army 
C
coreysboys:
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
Im not as fastidious as that. I sort my own kit/ppe and expect the company to sort out their own vehicles kit, ever since a job refused to supply gloves to me and I broke a finger because of it.
So you don’t take a tape ?the height of the box is marked,you say,so all you have to do is measure from the ground to the bottom of the ■■■■■■ box,add the 2 figures and there is the running height.
At the end of the day it is your resposibility to know the running height. Why would an office bod know the height of a random trailer on a random unit?
Wanna be sure? Measure it with the tape rule in your driver bag!
Wanna be sure? Measure it with the tape rule in your driver bag!
Proof of the old saying about measuring twice… 
I’d expect a TM or Supervisor to make a point of knowing the height of the 5th wheel and the overall height particularly if only the box height is marked on the trailer. As a former DHL FLM having been promoted from the road I made it my point of having this information to hand after I was asked the question the first time, recognising the importance.
Now if nobody knows I just use 1500mm as the 5th wheel height(usually 1250) to allow some leeway. Then set to working out 1500mm + 8’9" on the back of a ■■■ packet or something. And that’s another pet hate. Either use metric OR imperial but don’t ■■■■■■■ give me a mix of the two!! As many other threads remind us…we’re truck drivers, not scientists/mathematicians/English Literature experts etc. ad nauseum.
coreysboys:
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
Im not as fastidious as that. I sort my own kit/ppe and expect the company to sort out their own vehicles kit, ever since a job refused to supply gloves to me and I broke a finger because of it.
personally, when working on agency i’d want to be as hassle free as possible and for the sake of a couple of quid tape measure, no one would then, rightly or wrongly form the opinion i’m hassle or hard work.
coreysboys:
I’d expect a TM or Supervisor to make a point of knowing the height of the 5th wheel and the overall height particularly if only the box height is marked on the trailer. As a former DHL FLM having been promoted from the road I made it my point of having this information to hand after I was asked the question the first time, recognising the importance.
Now if nobody knows I just use 1500mm as the 5th wheel height(usually 1250) to allow some leeway. Then set to working out 1500mm + 8’9" on the back of a ■■■ packet or something. And that’s another pet hate. Either use metric OR imperial but don’t [zb] give me a mix of the two!! As many other threads remind us…we’re truck drivers, not scientists/mathematicians/English Literature experts etc. ad nauseum.
See how stressed you’re getting by not being prepared?
Its YOUR responsibility to know and adjust the cab height gauge, Go buy a tape measure and be a professional Please.
I cant understand why drivers do not carry a tape measure, not only for the height, but I wish I had a quid for the times I have been asked how much room I have left when collecting groupage or whilst on a milk round.
I have a tailors cloth tape and a 10m steel measure under my computer as we speak.
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coreysboys… ever since a job refused to supply gloves to me and I broke a finger because of it.
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I’m not starting a big argument or having a pop at you; it’s a serious question… how did you break your finger, and how would a glove have stopped that happening…?
coreysboys:
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
Im not as fastidious as that. I sort my own kit/ppe and expect the company to sort out their own vehicles kit, ever since a job refused to supply gloves to me and I broke a finger because of it.
You cant be that experienced if you think your going to be supplied gloves when you turn up, do you really think that if a company is paying an agency what 15quid an hour to hire a driver they should on top provide said driver with a tape measure and ppe…
206doorman:
I carry a 7 meter tape measure as a part of my kit. Job done.
2nd that.
Simple. Just buy one idiot.
I drive a 13"6 rigid box and I still carry one.
Dumb question time sorry.is the 5th wheel height meassured from ground to to the 5th wheel plate
Yes mate, ground to plate face, the bit the trailer sits on.
Cheers.everything ive pulled has been same height as cab or smaller except a handful of times on a dd but was double manned by regular driver