Harry Monk:
I’ll just add one more thing to this, as I’m sure Sam will be too busy licking his wounds to reply at the moment.
I used to pull those specialist stepframe carpet trailers which can be unloaded through doors at either end which carry three loads of carpet. One on the step. one at the back, and one on a heavy slider frame in the centre which could be moved rearwards when the rearmost delivery was off.
Loaded floor to ceiling, I used to gross around 30 tonnes on a 38 tonner. It’s almost impossible to imagine any truck being overweight with carpet.
That may be the case for carpet but its “carpet and flooring” so before you jump up on your high horse maybe you should have read the post correctly as i’m pretty ■■■■ sure you could easily over load an 18 tonner with flooring whether it be tiles or laminate, also if you read the post the wagon can carry 9.5 tonnes and when it got to where he was going the tm said it had 9 tonnes on so I would say he’s done a pretty good job at guessing the weight to only be 500kgs out.
You really do come across as a bit off a bully at times with your posts, just because he’s young doesn’t mean he cant judge what weights on a vehicle.
I may have read your posts wrong and if I have I apologise, but maybe you could be a bit more constructive next time rather than being so negative, you’ve already helped to bully one person off the forum, please try to come a cross a bit nicer before you push more out the door.
I can understand where some of you are coming from, but no I haven’t been licking my wounds I’ve just been doing other things to reply. The manager at Manchester consulted someone else within the yard who agree’d that it looked ‘quite heavy’, and pointed out where he could move some stuff.
I should also say that I did look for the control unit that has buttons to level the suspension, I had to use them a lot on the artic shifts I done, and I also used them a lot while getting in and out of premises with the bin lorries otherwise the bucket at the back would scrape along the floor. Hell the MAN hire vehicle we had in just last week had one and I had to use it then as I made the mistake of not keeping my ignition on or engine running to readjust the suspension as it was being loaded.
I’m 99% sure that I did not miss the control pad, i checked behind the seat, beside the seat and even under it to see if it got “lost” under the coiled part of the seat, and as I thought I was maybe loosing the plot, I checked the passengers side too. I was told that the suspension should readjust automatically, so I even sat for a few minutes to see if the suspension was realigning itself etc but it never did.
Also, it wasn’t just carpets that was in it, there was stillages full of big 500kg carpet rolls (the big thick industrial ■■■■■■■), there was pallets, there were packs of laminate, tiles, sealant etcetc so it’s actually very heavy.
I actually once suggested to them that everything should be stickered, like the stillages should have an unladen weight, and all the carpets should be weighed and stamped along with everything else so we have an almost accurate weight reading.
Sam Millar:
I can understand where some of you are coming from, but no I haven’t been licking my wounds I’ve just been doing other things to reply. The manager at Manchester consulted someone else within the yard who agree’d that it looked ‘quite heavy’, and pointed out where he could move some stuff.
I should also say that I did look for the control unit that has buttons to level the suspension, I had to use them a lot on the artic shifts I done, and I also used them a lot while getting in and out of premises with the bin lorries otherwise the bucket at the back would scrape along the floor. Hell the MAN hire vehicle we had in just last week had one and I had to use it then as I made the mistake of not keeping my ignition on or engine running to readjust the suspension as it was being loaded.
I’m 99% sure that I did not miss the control pad, i checked behind the seat, beside the seat and even under it to see if it got “lost” under the coiled part of the seat, and as I thought I was maybe loosing the plot, I checked the passengers side too. I was told that the suspension should readjust automatically, so I even sat for a few minutes to see if the suspension was realigning itself etc but it never did.
Also, it wasn’t just carpets that was in it, there was stillages full of big 500kg carpet rolls (the big thick industrial [zb]), there was pallets, there were packs of laminate, tiles, sealant etcetc so it’s actually very heavy.
I actually once suggested to them that everything should be stickered, like the stillages should have an unladen weight, and all the carpets should be weighed and stamped along with everything else so we have an almost accurate weight reading.
So actually the boss does sound like a bit of a [zb] then! Presumably they just wanted someone who didn’t give a ■■■■ about the weight.
bazza123:
Sam Millar:
I can understand where some of you are coming from, but no I haven’t been licking my wounds I’ve just been doing other things to reply. The manager at Manchester consulted someone else within the yard who agree’d that it looked ‘quite heavy’, and pointed out where he could move some stuff.
I should also say that I did look for the control unit that has buttons to level the suspension, I had to use them a lot on the artic shifts I done, and I also used them a lot while getting in and out of premises with the bin lorries otherwise the bucket at the back would scrape along the floor. Hell the MAN hire vehicle we had in just last week had one and I had to use it then as I made the mistake of not keeping my ignition on or engine running to readjust the suspension as it was being loaded.
I’m 99% sure that I did not miss the control pad, i checked behind the seat, beside the seat and even under it to see if it got “lost” under the coiled part of the seat, and as I thought I was maybe loosing the plot, I checked the passengers side too. I was told that the suspension should readjust automatically, so I even sat for a few minutes to see if the suspension was realigning itself etc but it never did.
Also, it wasn’t just carpets that was in it, there was stillages full of big 500kg carpet rolls (the big thick industrial [zb]), there was pallets, there were packs of laminate, tiles, sealant etcetc so it’s actually very heavy.
I actually once suggested to them that everything should be stickered, like the stillages should have an unladen weight, and all the carpets should be weighed and stamped along with everything else so we have an almost accurate weight reading.
So actually the boss does sound like a bit of a [zb] then! Presumably they just wanted someone who didn’t give a ■■■■ about the weight.
Well if it means anything his own staff told me that “he’s fallen out with just about every agency” and that he “goes through a lot of drivers.” When my agency phoned me back today he told me that the gaffer from Carpet & Flooring put the phone down on him.
What does that say really?
one carpet shop owner wanted me to handball 4 pallets of carpet tiles into his van , not a beeping chance, funny how he then managed to find a couple of lads to do it, and they did, just short of 4 tonnes in a VW Caddy
from viewtopic.php?f=2&t=89947 Throw in the other stuff listed and he could well of been overweight.
That said perhaps this post, in hindsight, was not such a good idea Sam without definitive proof ■■
Fair play to you for having a set on you and standing your corner though 
orys:
Sam Millar:
I’m owed two weeks wages, around £1200 from this company (before tax) and he said he is not willing to sign off my time sheets at face value for the hours I claimed and so wants to download my digi card.
I’ll send you a PM.
He is the vehicle operator, he needs to keep records for a year so I don’t see that as an unreasonable request.
I wont be as harsh as the others, go back in, tell him you made a mistake and ask him how you can help him next week.
Oh and maybe remove the company and transport managers name from this forum
Surely we’re all missing the point. I said to him: “I’m not prepared to take a vehicle out on the road that is or if I believe it to be overweight” to which he replied “then you can go home”. Also, when the other more experienced driver came in on Friday who also refused to move as it was… surely we’re seeing a recurring pattern here.
I mean obviously a lorry is a different animal loaded but you know you’re reaching the limit when the brakes start, let’s say, not working. 
Why should I be sorry? I’m not interested in going back anyway, been defecting a vehicle since day 1 and 5 weeks down the line it’s still waiting on repairs. Sorry, I’ll just be known as the guy who would rather be comfortable knowing that I was within limits that not knowing and being possibly overweight.
8 legger:
Harry Monk:
I’ll just add one more thing to this, as I’m sure Sam will be too busy licking his wounds to reply at the moment.
I used to pull those specialist stepframe carpet trailers which can be unloaded through doors at either end which carry three loads of carpet. One on the step. one at the back, and one on a heavy slider frame in the centre which could be moved rearwards when the rearmost delivery was off.
Loaded floor to ceiling, I used to gross around 30 tonnes on a 38 tonner. It’s almost impossible to imagine any truck being overweight with carpet.
That may be the case for carpet but its “carpet and flooring” so before you jump up on your high horse maybe you should have read the post correctly as i’m pretty ■■■■ sure you could easily over load an 18 tonner with flooring whether it be tiles or laminate, also if you read the post the wagon can carry 9.5 tonnes and when it got to where he was going the tm said it had 9 tonnes on so I would say he’s done a pretty good job at guessing the weight to only be 500kgs out.
You really do come across as a bit off a bully at times with your posts, just because he’s young doesn’t mean he cant judge what weights on a vehicle.
I may have read your posts wrong and if I have I apologise, but maybe you could be a bit more constructive next time rather than being so negative, you’ve already helped to bully one person off the forum, please try to come a cross a bit nicer before you push more out the door.
OK, well if that’s how it came across then I’ll apologise. I’ve supported Sam all the way in what he’s done but on this occasion I think he’s been rash to make the conclusion that the vehicle is overweight on little more than a hunch.
Not sure who I’ve helped to bully off the forum, perhaps you could PM me with that info?
I think the OP deserves a pat on the back for sticking to his guns about what he thought was safe and the right thing to do.
W
stagedriver:
I’d be surprised if an 18t could be overloaded with carpet…A 40ft container full of it didn’t weigh that much.
This company is just around the corner from me, if you ever go there again and you have any issues or want an independant second opinion just ask it’s literatly round the corner.
It depends I did 2 years traction for Verhoek europe and if you are talking flooring it could be Polyfloor or Amtico not carpet but safety flooring and a truck full of it would easily put you over they have a clever manifest system which avoids it
KiLty:
Well played Sam you done the right thing imo
I’d agree, too many ■■■■ bosses who just pile everything onto the wagon and expect you to drive it, happened to me years ago whilst doing some agency work in university holidays, 7.5t loaded with textile rags and nearly sat on the floor,■■■■■■■■ company owner nearly had a heart attack when I refused to drive it.
Still got paid by the agency, your licence, your choice.
If you want a job blind eye’s are what you need. That’s coming from a pedant, needs must and times are ard. Could be worse it could have been over weighed and a “timed” deadline.
Maybe there was a fault with the truck suspension sensors. The ride height should set automatically or manually even if the vehicle is a little (in comparison to the gross design mass) over. Otherwwise out on the road the suspension would “bottom” on every undulation.
Anyway, at the end of the day it’s up to the driver in any circumstance - if he/she has concerns about the truck or the load, it’s their right to speak up.
Managers wanting to overload trucks is as old as the hills as everybody knows but respect is due at the end of the day to the driver (sadly lacking sometimes).
I went to a builders merchant once on agency, they expected me to handball off 7 packs of bricks - they’ll try anything on if they think they can get away with it!
oh kcuf em sey who shall we start with 
c…w… i…n…l 
ltd, there you go give them a very very wide berth
I think this site seems to encourage mithering amongst some, particularly younger drivers, where their over-cautious approach is either reinforced by other similarly minded young drivers or other drivers who claim to be constantly telling TMs where to go, flouncing out of jobs or throwing a strop if any small thing isn’t to their liking and seem to be looking for excuses not to take a vehicle or hang the job out.
If it’s not ‘suspected’ overloading, trivial defects, bridge height anxiety then it’s wanting to mummify every load with straps based on a VOSA press release they’d probably never have come across if it wasn’t discussed on here.
I think some folk just need to crack on and get on with it or they’ll never fit in anywhere.
stagedriver:
I’d be surprised if an 18t could be overloaded with carpet…A 40ft container full of it didn’t weigh that much.
This company is just around the corner from me, if you ever go there again and you have any issues or want an independant second opinion just ask it’s literatly round the corner.
1x 25, roll of carpet can weigh in at 90kg (cord) to over 440kg each. (specialist stuff)
Average rolls I death with we’re 255kg each
Another thing with flooring products is vinyl… A 20x2 meter roll looks tiny… Weighs from 110 to 190kg per roll…
I see where the OP is coming from, a few times I refused to take stuff out… Or pointed out to the other lads the looked overloaded, when it was double checked they were…
Glad I’m out of the flooring business!
Socketset:
Maybe there was a fault with the truck suspension sensors. The ride height should set automatically or manually even if the vehicle is a little (in comparison to the gross design mass) over. Otherwwise out on the road the suspension would “bottom” on every undulation.
Most of the headlam motors have springs on the back end… Even the 18t 6 speed dafs…
Only ones that had air / auto levelling were the 18t prime movers used as drawbar outfits at night and rigid multi dropping during the day…
Nextdrop:
stagedriver:
I’d be surprised if an 18t could be overloaded with carpet…A 40ft container full of it didn’t weigh that much.
This company is just around the corner from me, if you ever go there again and you have any issues or want an independant second opinion just ask it’s literatly round the corner.
It depends I did 2 years traction for Verhoek europe and if you are talking flooring it could be Polyfloor or Amtico not carpet but safety flooring and a truck full of it would easily put you over they have a clever manifest system which avoids it
Verhoek…bet you loved tipping at Alton towers… (merc Leeds)
then it`s safe to say the total load would have been overweight 
