Driver Who Shed 8 Tonne Load Dealt with by Formal Warning at Driver Conduct Hearing

This driver, represented by barrister Harry Bowyer at the driver conduct hearing, was asked to pick up a piece of plant which came off the trailer as the truck negotiated a roundabout. The load was of a type that neither he nor the operator had dealt with before and neither the trailer nor the straps were suitable to restrain the load. The Traffic Commissioner was of the view that whilst the truck, trailer and load are ultimately the driver’s responsibility the operator had effectively “set him up to fail” as they had failed to conduct a proper risk assessment and had sent him out to collect the load with the wrong trailer, restraints and insufficient training. After considering the driver’s unblemished driving record up to that point the Traffic Commissioner dealt with the matter by way of a formal warning.