Nezza:
Sorry not had a chance to get back to this. Bit of back story:
Yes I’m a noob! Was given this puddle jumper yesterday as I only had a small load & it didn’t warrant taking out my usual drive (Scania P280 26t reefer)
I spotted the tyre doing my walk around & queried it. I was told by the garage that it was fine as it was only cosmetic (bleed from the overmould or summat), other much more experienced drivers had been driving it all week, so it must be alright…right■■?
So (like a gullibler arse) I took it out, but it gnawed at me all day, so as soon as I got back to the depot I reported it, raised the paper work & dropped it off at the garage.
I had my usual drive today, but when I got back this eve I noticed the other truck was back in its’ bay. I went over to have a look a look & tyre was still the same!
Went to see my supervisor to ask why… apparantly, the garage sold him the same story. I’ve told him not to allocate that truck to me again until it’s changed as I wont take it out. He agreed & was on the phone to the garage as I walked out the door
I wonder if it’ll still be there on Monday…
Anyway, lesson learned. I’ll stick to my gut feeling next time & not take any notice of the grease monkeys!! As has been said, it’s my licence at risk, not theirs!!!
Thanks for the education
Nezza
You mean, you did take the bloody thing on the road like that?
Your boss wants shafting too, but he probably will be bent over if VOSA get a sniff of this. I wouldn’t take a pushbike on the road with a tyre like that
Well to be fare to Nezza he/she hasn’t been driving very long and has said that the garage bods had said it was good and he/she did tell the manager about it who backed up the garage bods and more experience drivers had taken the vehicle out with the tyre in that condition, so for a new driver a little understanding may not be amiss
On the other hand Nezza you really shouldn’t have taken a vehicle on public roads with a tyre in that condition, but as you said a “lesson learned” and luckily you got away with it
tachograph:
Well to be fare to Nezza he/she hasn’t been driving very long and has said that the garage bods had said it was good and he/she did tell the manager about it who backed up the garage bods and more experience drivers had taken the vehicle out with the tyre in that condition, so for a new driver a little understanding may not be amiss
Thanks Tachograph
Anyway, an update. I think the original photo does make the tyre look worse than it is. As I said originally, the sidewall beneath the retread looked fine.
So, the trucks still being used (though I’ve not been given it since), and still has the same tyre on it. The loose flaps where the retread was coming away have been cut off & trimmed, revealing the (apparantly) sound sidewall beneath.
I would still have reservations about driving it, but if I am, what are my options?
Assume that the garage bods & other more experienced drivers know what they’re doing and it really is ok to take out
or…
Refuse to take it and (if it really is ok) ■■■■ off the TM & get larfed at by the other drivers
or
Refuse, kick up a fuss, get it changed and then have TM ask why the others took out a truck with an unsafe tyre (queue…lots of new driver buddies…not!)
Scuff it up some big kerbs so it gets the wires hanging out! Maybe get some more pictures of it, it does seem odd that everyone else is happy to use it but then again some drivers are more relaxed about things and just cant be arsed to kick up a fuss or get things sorted.
that tyre would be weakened by the side wall rubber being missing as it adds a bit of sidewall protection…plus if vosa had stopped you that would be pg9 and then firm would have to send out tyre company to change it which will cost more money plus the fine and points on your licence not theres…looks like you can see the cords in that pic but a photo doesnt always show how bad a tyre really is…but even so massive risk of a blow out there…
btw am a mobile tyre fitter so should know what i am on about…
The cord deff isn’t showing, it’s the poor q of the pic. As I said in original post, the sidewall looks fine under the overlaid rubber that’s come away. I’ve no idea how tyres are retreaded, but I assume from looking at this tyre that the whole outside of the tyre gets a new layer of rubber bonded to it and not just the tread. So if the doner tyre construction was sound (which I assume it must be to get retreaded anyway), then wouldn’t the sidewall still be ok even after the overmoulded (bonded or whatever) rubber was rubbed/scuffed away?
If the original construction of the tyre was still sound, and the retread still good over the rolling circumference of the tyre, would the fact that the added rubber on the sidewall having been scuffed (and later trimmed) make the tyre illegal?
My belief is that the whole tyre would be compromised by the missing part of the side-wall making it more likely for the tread to become detached from the original tyre, clearly this would make it unsafe regardless of whether it’s legal or not … and I’m pretty sure it’s not
If you feel that this tyre is safe and legal the solution is simple, drive it into a VOSA checkpoint and see if you are allowed to drive it out again in the same condition.
Better still get your manager or the garage bods to drive it into a VOSA checkpoint, I bet they won’t do it though
