What penalty for a stuck truck?

[trashbat]

Earlier today I encountered a chap who'd driven his (44t?) artic down this road:

https://www.google.com/maps?ll=51.000405,-1.337348...

The first clue was the number of broken trees littering the approach, blocking the lane for oncoming traffic at two points.

Now, that's a tall enough bridge for a lorry to pass down the centre of, and he did manage that.

Unfortunately if you continue down that road, you meet a small 3t MGW bridge, and then afterwards a prolonged set of country bends that I imagine might possibly be navigable, but not without a lot of assistance.

I came across him having figured out at least some of that, and reversing back through the railway bridge. That's when the police turned up and shut the road, shortly followed by Network Rail - all in all quite an impressive response time, with only one car in front of me when I arrived.

I backed up, waited whilst everyone else turned around, and the road got reopened fairly sharpish with the truck backed into a farm access. Cue a few police officers and a very glum looking driver.

So, my question: what was the likely punishment?

[Nickyboy]

As long as he hasn't breached any weight limits or other restrictions then no penalty.

As he didn't go over the weak bridge then he's committed no offence other than be a numpty

[trashbat]

There's two blue advisory signs at the junction: one about the 3T bridge and the other 'unsuitable for long vehicles'. There are no red triangle restrictions bar the 15' height limit.

[smifffymoto]

When you have a delivery to make,what do you do? Turn around,no you go as far as you can,then ring the office when you can't go any further.In the country side houses are not usually numbered but named.On many occasions I wouldn't know if the house or farm was before or after the bridge,weight restriction etc.

[Nickyboy]

That's the problem, by the time you can see you're gonna have issues. What do you do? Carry on and hope it gets better or try and reverse out. The carrying on is the usual answer

[Humper]

I find when travelling down roads marked as unsuitable I usually think, " yep, it is..... "

[karona]

trashbat said:

Earlier today I encountered a chap who'd driven his (44t?) artic down this road:

So, my question: what was the likely punishment?

His Sat-Nav confiscated and ritually crushed.
Compulsory Sat-Nav awareness course, possibly held at the nearest branch of Specsavers?

[GEARJAMMER]

Humper said:

I find when travelling down roads marked as unsuitable I usually think, " yep, it is..... "

And when you go down some roads you've been directed down with no signs you think to yourself..... theres no way a truck should be going down here. lol

[reckless st]

the trouble today is everyone will be on his case BUT a driver has all the responcibilty there fore a decent set of maps is a must an learn how to read them is essentual having encountered the warning sign a call should have beeen made to customer or office .
i had this a few years back an ind est down a country lane when i got there a low bridge stood between me and the delivery point so i walked tho and voila ind est asked for another route no route tipped in country reversed out 3/4 mile single track lane job done
should have been on a flat bed not a 44 tonner MAKE A CALL ask the question

[philmots]

Put address into Google Maps.. If no address phone the place, if no number get it from the office.. So you can get the address.

When on Google maps plan your route from destination back to best main road.

Hasn't failed me yet.

[truck71]

Last two posts are correct, if in doubt ask. This was drummed into you when taking an HGV1 back in the early nineties, not sure about now. No mobiles back then either.

[s p a c e m a n]

I would rather stick the hazards on an be a minor obstacle whilst I browse google street view than end up proper fked.Half of the problem is with idiots on the other end of the phone trying to direct you to a place from their own crap memory.

The one single thing that I do without fail when I get to a road I don't like the look of is take a look at the floor, if anything big goes down there then there will be tyre marks. No rubber on the floor then I'm not going down there.

[Rumple]

s p a c e m a n said:

I would rather stick the hazards on an be a minor obstacle whilst I browse google street view than end up proper fked.Half of the problem is with idiots on the other end of the phone trying to direct you to a place from their own crap memory.

The one single thing that I do without fail when I get to a road I don't like the look of is take a look at the floor, if anything big goes down there then there will be tyre marks. No rubber on the floor then I'm not going down there.

Spot on with the marks, if he hasn't hit the bridge and gone over the weak bridge he hasn't broken any laws, if he has crossed the weak bridge though that's a big big fine.

[Upatdawn]

Theres a regular catch for trucks at four ashes (just off the A5 near Cannock)

the station road industrial estate has a low bridge if you come in off the A449, there are warning signs....in english....

lost count how many EU trucks had to reverse at peak times - and a few brits