HGV has hit a JCB on the A1 south of Alnwick this happened at 3.50pm on Wednesday
9th December, the driver of the jcb was thrown out of the machine and killed
The machine then went on fire, it was reported in the northern echo
A sad loss, especially this close to Christmas. RIP.
Surely a JCB would have a safety belt fitted?
Aye very sad indeed really feel for the lads family ■■■■■■■ road A1 past Alnwick hate that drive north
I always wonder why, considering they go so slow, JCB and similar vehicles don’t have to use more than a single flashing beacon on the top? If I was doing 30 along a 60 limit road in something as vulnerable as a JCB type vehicle, I’d want something akin to Blackpool illuminations on the back to make sure people saw me or at least several flashing strobe lights! Same with tractors.
A beacon on the cab roof can’t always be seen that well from behind ,there used to be an L shaped steel bracket on top of the dipper arm for the magnetic beacon to go on .
Is it really worth the risk,of putting the accident waiting to happen of slow plant like tractors and JCB’s etc on relatively fast major roads,when they can be taken on a truck. 
Carryfast:
Is it really worth the risk,of putting the accident waiting to happen of slow plant like tractors and JCB’s etc on relatively fast major roads,when they can be taken on a truck.
does not always work like that though 
i have 2 strobe beacons on the front and two led bar type on the back of the cab in the top corners , still does not stop people who are not concentrating having to break hard at the last minute
d4c24a:
Carryfast:
Is it really worth the risk,of putting the accident waiting to happen of slow plant like tractors and JCB’s etc on relatively fast major roads,when they can be taken on a truck.does not always work like that though
i have 2 strobe beacons on the front and two led bar type on the back of the cab in the top corners , still does not stop people who are not concentrating having to break hard at the last minute
It can only be a case of putting saving a few bob ahead of the potential dangers of those types of speed differential combined with dodgy driving standards. 
It was that type of thinking,among plant operators and the guvnors,which at least kept me employed hauling plant around the County for the local council even in the early 1980’s. 
Not really i operate a 3cx working for a contractor to the water board , we do 24hr call , this morning i was called out at 3.30 am , have the digger at home , does nearly 30 mph and we have an hours response time , It would just not be practical to have a plant lorry sat somewhere waiting
and besides it’s not like lorries don’t run into each other either , statistically there would probably be more chance in the lorry 
or having an accident loading or unloading
Carryfast:
It was that type of thinking,among plant operators and the guvnors,which at least kept me employed hauling plant around the County for the local council even in the early 1980’s.
CF, genuine question how can you get a tracked digger on the back of a low loader with out any ramps or any form of dock ?
raymundo:
Carryfast:
It was that type of thinking,among plant operators and the guvnors,which at least kept me employed hauling plant around the County for the local council even in the early 1980’s.CF, genuine question how can you get a tracked digger on the back of a low loader with out any ramps or any form of dock ?
By putting the bucket down on the other side of the trailer to lift the undercarriage whilst tracking over the trailer side ,the slew round completely bucket down again track on some more then track round on trailer ,I used to move a Hymac with the levers that had no servos for the tracks they were either in or out no inbetween .edit we even used old car tyres to protect damaged to the road .
raymundo:
Carryfast:
It was that type of thinking,among plant operators and the guvnors,which at least kept me employed hauling plant around the County for the local council even in the early 1980’s.CF, genuine question how can you get a tracked digger on the back of a low loader with out any ramps or any form of dock ?
Where do you get the idea there’s no ramps on a wagon built for plant haulage. Although some say they use bleedin great heavy timbers to make it climb onto the deck if not.Luckily in my case the old multi lift flat was no problem in that regard although the ramps did look as though they’d seen better days from the few occasions it was used to move Drotts instead of the usual wheeled Brays and Muir Hills.
When I did the JCB stuff from Uttoxeter for Richard Long a driver who was after a wheeled 360 needed to borrow mine which was OK with me as I was after a tracked one (26 ton) but I got it on at the back, not the side. easier as well as they were bloody heavy.
To see the bods at JCB do it in about 1/10 of the time as me though …
Answering a few points here…
They do have seatbelts or at least the modern ones do, obviously an old 3C with the “garden shed cab” wouldn’t.
Moving on low loaders etc. A JCB or any backhoe loaders’ main benefit is being a self propelled mukti use machine. If you don’t want such a mobile machine you either buy a Drott (tracked loader) or an excavator. As D4 said many 3CXs are on a spur of the moment, quick hire basis. He does the emergency utility stuff, we go out and clear a job with ours and a tipper if one of the grab firms let a builder down etc, although ours primarily earns its’ keep as our yard shovel.
Flashing lights. If you can’t see a bright yellow digger with a flashing beacon on its’ roof then best you bin your licence and do us all a favour.
bestbooties:
A sad loss, especially this close to Christmas. RIP.
Surely a JCB would have a safety belt fitted?
yeah it definitely would have had a seatbelt fitted, but if he was thrown out, clearly he was not wearing it. sad loss
Plod, if they could be arsed would find many many easy pickings, fines, points etc if they did a few spot seatbelt checks on all plant and farm vehicles, but for some reason they don’t do it… 
easy cash for the xmas kitty.