Death trap anybody?

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

M.A.N sitting on a 2022 plate.

Immaculate inside and out, ok so the gearbox leaves a lot to be desired but it looks roadworth though right ?

Got in, put my card in and started with my safety checks, all seemed fine, some time later, turned the key, low air pressure, thought fine, no big problem, I’ll just build up the air.

9 minutes of extra, other work on tacho to build up the air, fridge to the left of me running at full chat and a fridge on the right of me running at full chat making it very hard to listen for air leaks.

Pull out and swing round to reverse it onto the loading dock, brakes locked on leaving me stranded in the middle of the yard, it was at 10 bar ( 140 psi ) lost all that air in under 2 minutes.

Went in the transport office and told them about it and asked to be given another tractor unit only to be told it’s perfectly fine and it just has small air tanks.

Told the guy as nicely as possible, that i didn’t just start out in this industry yesterday, it’s an unroadworthy vehicle and am not taking it anyway.

Was told if I didn’t take it out they’d find somebody who would, 4 other tractor units parked up there doing nothing.

I wasn’t planning on chilling out tonight at home watching the T.V enjoying myself but that’s just how life goes sometime.

Going to order a pizza now and put my feet up.

Company perfectly happy for somebody to be killed out there tonight if it means the goods still leave the warehouse.
.

2

Well-Jell:
Was told if I didn’t take it out they’d find somebody who would, 4 other tractor units parked up there doing nothing.

This is…

The bit that rattles my cage. There’s 4 other units parked up, why not give you one of them? Then once you’re out of the yard, Team Pointy Shoes can do what they want after that. Nothing grinds my gears louder than some half-wit who’s never driven a lorry in their life, telling me what’s right and what’s wrong with a motor.

Enjoy your pizza.

3

My first question to the office bod would have been to ask if they have an hgv licence. If they don’t, then I would be asking what makes them qualified to know what is wrong. If they do, then ask them to do what you have done and see that you are not lying.

Next, I would have put a written defect in to cover your arse. If you haven’t, then it will be their word against yours.

You need to escalate this.

4

Defect it, then they have to get a mechanic to look at it.

Also remind them of the tipper that crashed in bath with faulty brakes, killing some pedestrians…

I think both the manager and mechanic got prison sentences!!!

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38774080.amp

5

Yep enjoy your pizza and chill. You’ve done your bit.

6

So are you being paid for sitting at home or are you sacked?

7

Agency work, I’ll still get my 8 hours pay.

Less than 10 minutes after walking out I got a phone call from the agency saying he had a phone call from the company and that I had refused to drive a vehicle that was issued to me, the guy at the agency is an ex driver himself so I told him what happened, his exact words were ‘’ Good god, I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have drove it either so I don’t blame you ‘’.

The guy has other work for me tomorrow night else where so he’s not bothered about the way I handled it.

Also, I’ll probably not go on to name and shame said company, but it is one of the big fridge companies. ( not Culina or part of their group ).

8

.

9

This is the time to drop 'em in it with the ministry or whoever it is over there nowadays.

10

Well-Jell:
Agency work, I’ll still get my 8 hours pay.

Less than 10 minutes after walking out I got a phone call from the agency saying he had a phone call from the company and that I had refused to drive a vehicle that was issued to me, the guy at the agency is an ex driver himself so I told him what happened, his exact words were ‘’ Good god, I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have drove it either so I don’t blame you ‘’.

The guy has other work for me tomorrow night else where so he’s not bothered about the way I handled it.

Also, I’ll probably not go on to name and shame said company, but it is one of the big fridge companies. ( not Culina or part of their group ).

Sounds like our place. Wouldn’t surprise me lol. We have an abundance of pointy shoe know it all’s. Who in reality know jack ■■■■ about a truck & trailer.

11

.
I must admit, sometimes it can be a very small world.

And there is definitely plenty of the pointy shoe clan in there that’s for sure.
.

12

Yikes.Can we assume you did a defect report in big letters. :smiley:

13

Well-Jell:
Agency work, I’ll still get my 8 hours pay.

Less than 10 minutes after walking out I got a phone call from the agency saying he had a phone call from the company and that I had refused to drive a vehicle that was issued to me, the guy at the agency is an ex driver himself so I told him what happened, his exact words were ‘’ Good god, I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have drove it either so I don’t blame you ‘’.

I’m glad you…

Got paid. Be careful of agency double speak though. Despite your gaffer being an ex-driver, he’s also a business man. There’s no way he’ll be losing a large client like this by dissing them. What your agency say’s to the company concerned may well be very different to what they’re telling you.

Hope the pizza was tasty and pineapple free.

14

A sudden kink in the emergency suzie will stop you dead if turning tight but shouldn’t necessarily mean that there is then a total loss of air. Under certain conditions a service suzie line which suddenly kinks can do a similar thing - which can be very puzzling.

15

yourhavingalarf:
Nothing grinds my gears louder than some half-wit who’s never driven a lorry in their life, telling me what’s right and what’s wrong.

I had a bit of a ding dong yesterday with a young 20 something spotty oik who has become a shift manager. First off the load had been transhipped overnight, but no one had changed the trailer number on the delivery notes, so when I found the trailer it was empty, ok so back to the office and said oik was asked to verify the trailer number, but he spent all of 10 seconds looking at the computer screen, before going back to what he was originally doing, basically blanking me so just stood there waiting until someone else intervened as I was already an hour late. Once sorted I hooked up and was away, destination Gainsborough 30 miles away, only problem was that no one had bothered to mention that due to flooding the only viable A road was closed and I didn’t find out until I got there and found the road closed. So over the phone I was told by said oik that the previous 2 loads had failed because of the closed road.
Over the phone the kid tried to tell me that I could cut through a couple of little villages and get around the closure, but he didn’t know about a couple of low bridges and a few weight limits, plus the potential for parked cars blocking the road, and wouldn’t accept that the only realistic options where either go north to Scunthorpe and then south, or go down to Newark > A46 Lincoln > A15 and back down the A631 to Gainsborough, a mere 70 miles extra, then retrace the route up to Worksop and across to Chesterfield for the 2nd drop

16

Quinny:
My first question to the office bod would have been to ask if they have an hgv licence. If they don’t, then I would be asking what makes them qualified to know what is wrong. If they do, then ask them to do what you have done and see that you are not lying.

Next, I would have put a written defect in to cover your arse. If you haven’t, then it will be their word against yours.

You need to escalate this.

Forget about arguing about it.
Just go straight to number 2.Tell the ‘mamager’ it’s not up for discussion it’s been defected and it needs to be checked and signed off by the qualified person.Who may or may not be available not your problem.

17

Sounds quite normal for a MAN, new model presumably still using a compressor suitable for a 3 tonner.

Its one make you really should make use of hill hold, if you use park brake and/or heavy use of brakes (ie steep awkward reverse) when maneuvering or even stop/start traffic the compressor sometimes won’t keep up, as you found out on tickover it takes around 10 minutes to inflate an MAN artic.

18

Juddian:
Sounds quite normal for a MAN, new model presumably still using a compressor suitable for a 3 tonner.
the compressor sometimes won’t keep up, as you found out on tickover it takes around 10 minutes to inflate an MAN artic.

Weird.If it won’t fill from empty to around 90 -100 psi in 2 or 3 minutes that should be a problem ?.
While if it won’t hold a reasonable amount of pressure during a daily rest period that’s also a red flag that should at least be reported for a check.
How do they get the thing past type approval when it’s doubtful if it would even pass DVSA standards by that build time figure.

19

Defect sheet was submitted and handed in along with the paper work and keys just before i walked out, whether it finds it’self somehow in the bin, magically, is anybody’s guess.

They were still telling me it just has small air tanks.

New gen M.A.N, I’ve drove 21 plate new gen M.A.N’s before and never had any problem with them other than the crap gear box that isn’t fit for purpose.
.

20

Don’t think I’ve ever drove one so can’t comment on their air holding capabilities. We have 22/23 plates (probably one of the ones that left you stuck in yard :laughing: ). Thankfully haven’t been asked to drive one yet as I believe they’re all locked in eco.
Apparently they do about 19mph at one point going over Woodhead :laughing: