Truck Damage Posing a risk - Nothing can be done?

misssarahleigh

I'll try to make this short. I live next door to a bakers and they ahve an artic truck deliver flower. The entrance is on a blind corner and very narrow.

2 Days before christmas said truck hit a telegraph pole while manovering into place, got the lines tangled around his cab and ripped them from several buildings (took 2 weeks and 10 hours of phone calls to get all the damage repaid). There was also damage to my house (loose bricks as the line had been pulled with such force it dislodged them and needed re-pointing).

The truck company paid for this and I went on to ask if they had smaller vehicles on their fleet, which they replied yes. I wanted to speak with somebody about the dangers this site posed (as this is not the first incident, they hit the bakers wall all the time and he's claimed from them a number of times for damage), not only that, but when the truck is parked, the entire cab is obstructing half the road, making a tricky corner very much worse.

Despite attempts to get somebody from the truck company to speak with me about this i've heard nothing. So I contacted VOSA, who said they couldn't help and to speak with my council. Just had a reply from them saying there is nothing they can do.

I find it difficult to believe knowbody has any powers in this and they can basically do what they want. I know the company has smaller trucks and would potentially like them to send a smaller one which I feel would pose less of a risk (but I assume from the company's point of view this would lead to increased deliveries due to the smaller volume being offloaded and therefor a higher cost).

I would personally like to prevent further incidents, but I don't see who else I could speak with regarding this.

Any advice?

stef73

Could you try the HSE a risk assesment should have been done for delivering to each site.

misssarahleigh

Thats what I was asking for the company to do. Provide information about the risk assments they had undertaken for this site and other information but despite being told somebody would contact me they never did, hence I went to VOSA and the council to see if their hand could be pushed as they clearly weren't playing ball.

stef73

Looking at HSE website there is a number 03000031647 might be worth a call you have nothing to loose by calling and asking them

misssarahleigh

Just gave them a ring. Nothing to do with them and they cannot help. I did suggest that if the driver was in the vehicle when an incident took place would it be their area then and he said no, would be classified as an RTA and dealt with by the police.

Notmyrealname

The incident with the telegraph pole and the house is more to do with the lack of ability of the driver than the delivery point. If it was that bad, every driver would be doing it every delivery.

However virtually most deliveries are done where nothing happens. Therefore there is no problem with the location itself. I was a lorry driver for two decades and there is a vast range of abilities in lorry drivers when it comes to reversing and sending a smaller wagon wouldn't guarantee it wouldn't have happened. They're still the same width and height as an artic. In fact a rigid lorry can be less manouverable when reversing and may be even worse for getting into the place.

misssarahleigh

Thanks Notmyrealname.

I think whats gettinng up my nose is that the company or council don't seem bothered.

Sambucus_Nigra

Hi

Not being picky - but when you do write in - if you do again - it's flour not flower.

If I was being a pedantic recipient of your complaint I might not respond as we don't deliver flowers so she has got the wrong company...

Anyway - have you complained to the actual bakers? They are buying this stuff so they should inform the supplier that the flour needs to come in on a vehicle that can get to the shop....perhaps a campaign with the other residents on board might be the best step...esp if you get the local press involved.

misssarahleigh

Lol I never noticed the flower/flour.

I promise you I check my complaint letters a lot better than my forum posts.

The baker has repeatedly asked them to do something as they have damaged the wall at the side of the bakery a number of times (this came out after the incident) and they don't seem to listen to him.

I understand what you mean about the other residents, but don't think the press would be that interested over it (although you never know)

greyteam1959

Should they not have a 'banksman' if the delivery area is so bad ??
ie a man in a Hi Vis vest with a safety helmet, steel toecap boots,eye protection, safety gloves plus of course all the relevant safety signage in place ??

misssarahleigh

mervyn11 wrote: »

Should they not have a 'banksman' if the delivery area is so bad ??
ie a man in a Hi Vis vest with a safety helmet, steel toecap boots,eye protection, safety gloves plus of course all the relevant safety signage in place ??

Thats something I assume would be done if a risk assessment was carried out and they took action.

As it is, I can only assume the company isn't to bothered.

When I first contacted them to claim fo the damage on my house, I named the bakers and the lady knew straight away the area I was in (She was a claims handler and I assume she recognised the area by the fact they have had to pay out to the baker a number of times)