My firm don’t require us to do it, there’s only a handful that do. I do for peace of mind if anything. Even if you did sign to say it had been torqued, you can’t be held responsible once the vehicles been moved. A mechanical failure is just that, a mechanical failure. Torquing the nuts won’t stop it. It just says you checked it prior to the journey. You wouldn’t get done if a brake chamber fell off, even though you signed your check sheet to say it was there. As long as you don’t remove and replace the nuts, I really can’t see how you can be held responsible if they come loose
Juddian:
OVLOV JAY:
I use my companies torque wrench, once a week, as it’s cheaper than buying my own. I don’t carry oil or brake pads, as oil changes and brake relines aren’t included on my check sheetThats fine and if we had a torque wrench at my place i would do the same, however i wouldn’t be signing specifically as the OP’s gaffer is asking, that IMO implicates the driver in at least part mechanical responsibility if a wheel comes loose or off, studs break and the bloody wheel comes off the driver is implicated where a mechanical failure would not normally do so.
The daily walk around check is a visual check, we have pointers and our wheels when refitted have to be retorqued again and again the following day, i’ve not had a single nut loosen in the time i’ve been here.
Can I suggest you go onto the DVSA website and look up the drivers daily checks. I think you’ll find it’s not just a visual check at all.
Juddian:
OVLOV JAY:
I use my companies torque wrench, once a week, as it’s cheaper than buying my own. I don’t carry oil or brake pads, as oil changes and brake relines aren’t included on my check sheetThats fine and if we had a torque wrench at my place i would do the same, however i wouldn’t be signing specifically as the OP’s gaffer is asking, that IMO implicates the driver in at least part mechanical responsibility if a wheel comes loose or off, studs break and the bloody wheel comes off the driver is implicated where a mechanical failure would not normally do so.
The daily walk around check is a visual check, we have pointers and our wheels when refitted have to be retorqued again and again the following day, i’ve not had a single nut loosen in the time i’ve been here.
Exactly, we do are daily checks and INSPECT the vehicle, why would I want start accepting managements responsibilities, as that’s why they want you to sign! 
Besides if the company was serious about this activity, they should have one or two people that perform at job as when a truck is shared or swapped around, who knows when the nuts were last retorqued?
Next week you can sign to say you’ve load tested the curtains! 
There is a lot of torque on here. And most of it is RDC ■■■■■■■■.
If limpers started asking for the torque wrench before commencing every shift, they probably wouldn’t get much repeat work…
I’ll try it tomorrow, oh hang on, my car wheel nuts haven’t even been torqued, I might not make it! 
Truck wheels are obviously a lot heavier and can do more damage, so to retorque after 24 hours and then again in maybe a week, beyond that (considering we have nut indicators) is to me job done! And I can recall quite clearly “visual checks” with my trainer and then examiner, and I can assure you that nipping off to the garage to grab the wrench wasn’t part of it! 
Carryfast:
Evil8Beezle:
I wouldn’t want to be signing to say I effectively take responsibly for anything that could go wrong with a truck, as it could, or more likely would be held against youYou’re under that responsibility every time you drive it on the road as part of the road traffic act.Wheel security is all part of a drivers responsibility and assuming you lose one the question is whether it’s reasonable for the law to expect the wheel nut torque to be checked as part of a driver’s checks routine.Bearing in mind the answer to that question as a jury or magistrate sees it could be the difference between a prison sentence regards dangerous driving.
This
^
Checking wheel nuts/ oil/water levels/screenwash/tyre tread depth/ changing blown bulbs ect is part of being a driver no matter who you work for.
Why would anyone NOT want to do it? Its peace of mind ffs. Probably bone idle laziness culture to blame here, always expecting someone else to do it for you…
Carryfast:
Evil8Beezle:
I wouldn’t want to be signing to say I effectively take responsibly for anything that could go wrong with a truck, as it could, or more likely would be held against youYou’re under that responsibility every time you drive it on the road as part of the road traffic act.Wheel security is all part of a drivers responsibility and assuming you lose one the question is whether it’s reasonable for the law to expect the wheel nut torque to be checked as part of a driver’s checks routine.Bearing in mind the answer to that question as a jury or magistrate sees it could be the difference between a prison sentence regards dangerous driving.
This
^
Checking wheel nuts/ oil/water levels/screenwash/tyre tread depth/ changing blown bulbs ect is part of being a driver no matter who you work for.
Why would anyone NOT want to do it? Its peace of mind ffs. Probably bone idle laziness culture to blame here, always expecting someone else to do it for you…
AndrewG:
Carryfast:
Evil8Beezle:
I wouldn’t want to be signing to say I effectively take responsibly for anything that could go wrong with a truck, as it could, or more likely would be held against youYou’re under that responsibility every time you drive it on the road as part of the road traffic act.Wheel security is all part of a drivers responsibility and assuming you lose one the question is whether it’s reasonable for the law to expect the wheel nut torque to be checked as part of a driver’s checks routine.Bearing in mind the answer to that question as a jury or magistrate sees it could be the difference between a prison sentence regards dangerous driving.
This
^
Checking wheel nuts/ oil/water levels/screenwash/tyre tread depth/ changing blown bulbs ect is part of being a driver no matter who you work for.
Why would anyone NOT want to do it? Its peace of mind ffs. Probably bone idle laziness culture to blame here, always expecting someone else to do it for you…
I checked the wheel nut indicators your honour, they were all present and aligned correctly…
Remind me again, what are those things for?
Coolrider:
windrush:
I had a front tyre blow-out at Trafford Park back in 1998 and ATS came and fitted a fresh tyre and torqued the nuts up, on the Chapel by-pass 40 minutes later the wheel came loose. ATS’s response was that I should have rechecked the nuts after half an hours running with a brace so refused to accept responsibility for it.Pete.
Had a tyre changed only last week with ATS. After they fitted it the made me sign a sheet to say I was aware it needed to be re torqued after 50 ks. They also gave me a yellow tag to keep in the cab that proved I signed to say I was aware .
So, did you have the nuts re-torqued after 50kms?
We should all be like Conor, and carry our own torque wrench. And appropriate tyre pressure gauge. …
the nodding donkey:
Coolrider:
windrush:
I had a front tyre blow-out at Trafford Park back in 1998 and ATS came and fitted a fresh tyre and torqued the nuts up, on the Chapel by-pass 40 minutes later the wheel came loose. ATS’s response was that I should have rechecked the nuts after half an hours running with a brace so refused to accept responsibility for it.Pete.
Had a tyre changed only last week with ATS. After they fitted it the made me sign a sheet to say I was aware it needed to be re torqued after 50 ks. They also gave me a yellow tag to keep in the cab that proved I signed to say I was aware .
So, did you have the nuts re-torqued after 50kms?
We should all be like Conor, and carry our own torque wrench. And appropriate tyre pressure gauge. …
Yes I did. I did them myself. It’s my responsibility. I’m in charge of the truck whilst out on the road no body else. It’s not just law it’s plain common sense. Sadly very much lacking by the sounds of it this topic. I can’t believe some of the total and utter cr#p that some of you are spouting on here, I really can’t.
So let’s say you are driving down the road a tyre comes off and either kills or seriously injures someone. Do you honestly think you could stand up in court and say to the judge and the victims family , well your honour I had a look and they looked tight to me! Do you honestly think you would get away with that explanation■■?
Just to clarify…
I only retorque when presented with a tag,not as part of my daily checks
commonrail2:
Just to clarify…
I only retorque when presented with a tag,not as part of my daily checks
If that’s meant for me then I was answering a question that was asked off me to which I replied yes I did do them after 50kms. Do I do them at other times? Yes I do always have done for 20 plus years. Why? Because I’m in charge of the truck and its safety while out on the road. Called me old fashioned but I would prefer to have all wheels stay on the truck like they are supposed too!
No,it was’nt meant for you
We haven’t even got a torque wrench, I do a combination of visual checks at the start of every day and during the day. I’ll tap the nuts every few days and if I suspect any may be loose then I set up the wheel brace and the obligatory bit of scaffold bar. Yes, scaffold bar.
I don’t stand on said bar and brace by the way.
On quiet days I will check all nuts with the bar, in between getting the kettle going and lighting the yard bonfire.
To complete the picture, our yard “office” is a shipping container with ancient sofa, numerous truck tyres, dirty tea cups and a grease gun. 
So the company is also going to supply tools to remove the super-shiny go-faster chrome wheel trims first? An accurate tyre pressure guage? a valve core tool and boxes of new valve cores and dust caps for when the valve core sticks in and starts to let the tyre down? and the dust cap falls down a storm drain?
So when the ratchet in the torque wrench slips and the driver goes flat on his back, or nuts the side of the vehicle; or the socket slips of a slightly rounded wheel nut, or comes off because the wheel nut indicators weren’t removed first, with the same result; that’s when the suits’ blue sky thinking or rainbow moment, or whatever rubbish they like to call it on a Monday, doesn’t look quite so clever.
cav551:
So the company is also going to supply tools to remove the super-shiny go-faster chrome wheel trims first? An accurate tyre pressure guage? a valve core tool and boxes of new valve cores and dust caps for when the valve core sticks in and starts to let the tyre down? and the dust cap falls down a storm drain?So when the ratchet in the torque wrench slips and the driver goes flat on his back, or nuts the side of the vehicle; or the socket slips of a slightly rounded wheel nut, or comes off because the wheel nut indicators weren’t removed first, with the same result; that’s when the suits’ blue sky thinking or rainbow moment, or whatever rubbish they like to call it on a Monday, doesn’t look quite so clever.
I’d rather explain that than explain to a court why I’ve killed someone because I was a total, useless lazy pri#k who simply couldn’t be bothered to spend a some time checking that my vehicle is as safe as I can possibly make it to be on the road!
please could you rope and sheet my trailer? 
How many trucks on the Uk’s road on a daily basis ?
How many wheels fall off on a daily basis ?
How many accidents and deaths are caused by wheels falling off on a daily basis ?
How many wheels are torqued on a daily basis ?
If indicators are fitted and in the correct position that was good enough for me, and I’ve never (to the best of my knowledge) caused carnage on the road by having a wheel fall off every five minutes
Swinging on the end of an eight foot bar always did it for me.
So dont do it .When the wheels fall offand your driving the truck your at fault, end of.
And when plod says did you check the wheel nuts were tight just say you couldnt be bothered as you have not been “trained”.Thats bound to impress the magistrate.
The “driver” is responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle and any reasonable requirements to keep the vehicle roadworthy.I think using a torque wrench would be classed as reasonable dont you?
Go to jail ,do not pass go,do not collect 200 pounds.