Lorry Saftey VERY lucky escape at wkend!!!

madalicedj said:
P.s.
I knew when wheel came off too that's why I stopped god you don't think I actually drove on 3 wheels do you lol it's not a reliant robin
Laws I follow safety precautions I take but wasn't aware I was ignoring laws in safety ?? Prob as I wasn't
Oh n I checked recommended mac travel times thanku and was just within limit although there seem to be varying opinions
The point here is everyone n animal was safe in end but I want to warn people to be extra vigilant it's not about acting all high n mighty geez I know plenty well known international riders who transport their horses way longer n further on less prep than I did still they have more sponsors to pay when needed I afraid I'm just a boring girl who loves to cuddle her horse n try my best to care for them n try to learn to ride better lol no big money for me
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Good luck to you Its just one of those things , Just make sure the studs are good and everything is ok on the axle that lost the wheels and have someone remove and check the other wheels clean and oil the threads and corectly touque the nuts up and then re check it after a few miles ......as op get some indicators and or check the nuts ether with a hammer or a wheel brace...
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
i think i would know (or i hope i would!!) that my back wheels had fallen off!!! and yes i would have a contact for over night stabling and vets on route! from scotland to surrey i would expect at least 2 stops and checks but hey ho as private lorry owners you can flout all the safety laws, drive over hours regardless to the cargo on board, and all in a 25 + yr old lorry???????????????????????????
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Ok I'm going to have to say it...... I think the OP is completely barmy for travelling that distance, with the weather forecast being so bad for saturday night into Sunday morning, never mind in a 25 year old lorry and no prearranged stop off points if the weather got too bad.
The OP said she didn't set off until 3pm Saturday, hardly the best time for setting off a long distance journey with snow storms over most of the country....! I seem to remember a mercy call posted on this forum at 4am Sunday morning for someone(her) broken down on a motorway?
I'm really pleased, that her horse and her got back safely, but really WTF was she thinking off...? Look at the photos of the conditions when she was setting off, sorry but I call it just plain irresponsible.
 
Topaz tiger, I'm kind of with you. I wouldn't dream of driving that distance without checking the wagon. Then again, I have a HGV and a slightly overzealous father who has had our nuts pressure tightened. We can not loosen them, and if we have a blowout or breakdown our breakdown service will either change the tyre or take the horse to a place of safely on another box and work on our box separately.

I suppose this is a warning post for pre planning- our wagon is a HGV and as such we are restricted by the working time directive, as my dad (driver!) sometimes works five days a week, and out tacho is always in and working- he sticks rigidly to the rules re breaks and rest stops and once I pass my test, I will as well.

I'm glad you and the horse got home OK- I wouldn't blame mine if he never got back on the box after something like that, poor boy! It's hard enough for them to travel, he must have been tired and to be towed up at an angle can not have been at all comfortable for him- I'd maybe have vet/physio out to check him over.
 
Wheelnuts are a daily check and it is good policy to have a quick look whenever you stop,nothing fancy,just a walk around the truck. I am obsessive about wheelnuts,yet I got caught out ,the other day. I had checked prior to departure, and took a walk round 50 miles later. Shock horror ,two broken wheel studs and the wheels loose as anything. It turns out that a stud had fractured(metal fatigue) and loosened everything else. Glad I checked, could have been really nasty.
 
Pleased to hear you got back home safe and a timely warning to us all to check our wheel nuts. Also many thanks for the good advice from others i.e Checkpoint Wheel Nut Indicators'.
I would also be having a quiet word with my mechanic if the wheel nuts worked loose
Which recovery insurance company did you use?
 
lea840 said:
You were extremely lucky, firstly that nothing happend to you or your baby and also that no one else was injured by the wheels coming off...

There is a very simple and inexpensive way to prevent this from happening, you can use 'Checkpoint Wheel Nut Indicators' they cost around 30p each and you will need one for every wheel nut on your vehicle... so for the sake of a few pounds you can save yourself a potential accident and hours of waiting for recovery...

The photo below shows what I mean and you can clearly see on the photo which of the wheel nuts have moved... (the ones on the left)

Next time you're out and about, keep your eye out for HGV's... most of them use these on there wheel nuts.

But if your vehicle was maintained regularly then this sort of this would of been picked up on straight away, as it is and should be one of the most important parts of any inspection/maintenance which is checked.

You should always check over your vehicle even when popping out to a local show and more importantly when you are travelling the length of the country, this is your responsibility... you were very very lucky this time.

wheelpointers.jpg
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Can i ask where you can get these 'Checkpoint Wheel Nut Indicators' from??? Ive seen these before but didnt know whast they are and they seem a really good idea. I would like to get some for my lorry!
 
Stinkbomb said:
Can i ask where you can get these 'Checkpoint Wheel Nut Indicators' from??? Ive seen these before but didnt know whast they are and they seem a really good idea. I would like to get some for my lorry!
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I know of this place - http://www.digraph.co.uk/truck_parts_hgv_commercial_transport_supplies/leicester/
38p each and you would need 40 for a full sized 2 axle LGV C
BUT
They come in slightly varying sizes so measure the nuts first

This company generally keep them in stock so perhaps taking a 'NUT' with you might help - take that anyway you want - LOL
 
Would just like to thank the Op for the warning (you are not the 1st and doubt you will be the last to be caught out this way - Hell my brother nearly had his head taken off by a wheel that came off a mini!).

Glad you, bump and horse are all safe and well, and hope he settles quickly in his new home.

For all those being harsh, just remember accidents do happen and the Op HAD to move their horse at fairly short notice by the sounds of it! Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but we aren't all fortune tellers. ;)
 
piebaldsparkle said:
Would just like to thank the Op for the warning (you are not the 1st and doubt you will be the last to be caught out this way - Hell my brother nearly had his head taken off by a wheel that came off a mini!).

Glad you, bump and horse are all safe and well, and hope he settles quickly in his new home.

For all those being harsh, just remember accidents do happen and the Op HAD to move their horse at fairly short notice by the sounds of it! Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but we aren't all fortune tellers. ;)
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Agree - so pleased you are all ok. This sounds like my worse nightmare. I cant even think about taking my lorry on long journeys ATM as my pregnancy seems to have robbed me of calm logical thinking. Have told my OH I want some of those wheel nut indicators for my valentine present, much more sensible than roses and suchlike!
 
A further point. If any of you have those chrome wheel trims on your truck, take them off and throw them away. There is no way you can check your wheel nuts with those fitted. The damn things should be banned.!
 
Mike007 said:
A further point. If any of you have those chrome wheel trims on your truck, take them off and throw them away. There is no way you can check your wheel nuts with those fitted. The damn things should be banned.!
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You mean Euro Liners... you need a special tool to put them on and take them off, but they do have locking safety nuts on them, although I'm not sure that all of the makes out there have them, but I know Euro Liners do because I have them fitted to 9 vehicles.

As for the 'Checkpoint Wheel Nut Indicators' you can get them from any HGV/Truck place on the internet.... such as http://www.hgvdirect.co.uk/catalog/checkpoint-wheel-nut-indicator-32mm-p-500607.html

Hope this helps :o)
 
We're with NFU, and whilst thankfully I haven't ever had to have a new horsebox to pick us up at the roadside, I've no doubt they'd send one. They have been very good with flat tyres on the motorway in the past, and rang every half to to check to see how the horse was, and if we needed a recoveru horsebox to move him off the road, at no point was a tow mentioned :)
 
I was with the organisation set up for Horsebox and Trailer owners and they wanted to tow me and my horses home at an angle like that too (on a swinging tow hitch with no electrics, no less).

I'm now with ERS who told me that they would never ever rescue a rig with a live load in that manner - they promised me that they would always send out a separate rig for the horse. I've luckily never needed to call them out so I don't know whether they will stay true to their word. I certainly hope so as I never want to go through a horrendous breakdown like the 8 hours of hell we had with the aforementioned company again.
 
I know it is no help now/maybe you tried all the Scottish transporters but a pro lorry company could have moved your horse from Dumfries to Surrey for the same as it would have cost you in diesel to go up & back & stay over night. They can be flexible about taking the horse to their own yards/lairage at short notice and then taking them on down South.
 
OP, thanks for being brave enough to post the warning. very glad to hear you're both home safe and sound, that's all that matters now.
fwiw you are the fourth person i know 'first hand' (as it were) who has had this happen.
I have the plastic indicator arrow thingies on my lorry, all round.
when i used my rescue (a few years back, ramp fell clean off lorry when i took two to the vets, in spite of having been checked and adjudged 'fine' the month before by my garage), SEIB sent a replacement lorry out immediately, fantastic service.
 
AM absolutely horrified you allowed your own horse to be recovered like that!

but anyway!

Cancel that STUPID and ILLEGAL so called horse box recovery and get one that will actually NOT leave you stood on the motor way for 4 hours 4 months pregnant in this weather!

We only use www.equinerescue.co.uk They have ALWAYS sent out a separate horse transporter to collect your beloved horse!

Suggest you change now! And that goes for anyone else too!!!!!!
 
foraday said:
AM absolutely horrified you allowed your own horse to be recovered like that!

but anyway!

Cancel that STUPID and ILLEGAL so called horse box recovery and get one that will actually NOT leave you stood on the motor way for 4 hours 4 months pregnant in this weather!

We only use www.equinerescue.co.uk They have ALWAYS sent out a separate horse transporter to collect your beloved horse!

Suggest you change now! And that goes for anyone else too!!!!!!
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I guess if your in a sticky situation any help is better than non !!! but yes far from ideal , Hopefully people will look at the cover they have and shop round for better if it falls short .....
 
Glad you are all OK after that! Must of been horrible!

Also for those of you that don't understand why they didn't move the horse, its because to move a horse on a motorway they HAVE to close off all lanes going both ways before they can unload a horse from a box for safety reasons. This happened to my friend who had 3 horses on board when her wheel came off, thankfully all were OK and they managed to get them all home safely! :)
 
I never normally post on here, but can I just say that after reading your thread and looking at your pictures, I think you acted very irresponsibly and put yourself and your horse in a dangerous situation that could have and should have been avoided. You should never have planned to travel that distance in those conditions, absolutely shocking. You are very lucky that it turned out ok in the end for you both. Your poor horse.
 
lomond24 said:
I never normally post on here, but can I just say that after reading your thread and looking at your pictures, I think you acted very irresponsibly and put yourself and your horse in a dangerous situation that could have and should have been avoided. You should never have planned to travel that distance in those conditions, absolutely shocking. You are very lucky that it turned out ok in the end for you both. Your poor horse.
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I'm realy glad the world isnt full of people like you !!! we would still be living in caves and never explored the world or improved ourselves by taking risks! you must be a dull person, and another thing why does the fact 2 inches of snow only seize up this country????, Anyway if the lorry handnt failed the trip would have been unaventfull The lesson to take from this is be prepared and make sure the lorry is properly maintained and your breakdown insurance will send someome quickly and deal with any incident in a profesional and timely
manner if something goes wrong.....
 
I agree with perfect11s - the original timing for the drive was ok and it was only an unexpected incident which caused problems

OK, the unexpected incident could have been avoided with better pre drive checks but that was nothing to do with the original timings
 
perfect11s said:
I'm realy glad the world isnt full of people like you !!! we would still be living in caves and never explored the world or improved ourselves by taking risks! you must be a dull person, and another thing why does the fact 2 inches of snow only seize up this country????, Anyway if the lorry handnt failed the trip would have been unaventfull The lesson to take from this is be prepared and make sure the lorry is properly maintained and your breakdown insurance will send someome quickly and deal with any incident in a profesional and timely
manner if something goes wrong.....
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Actually I agree with Lomond, I also think it was irresponsible to attempt the journey under the circumstances.
The weather was indeed a factor, as it then complicated things when the lorry did break down. The OP said herself that the police couldnt stay with her because of the level of accidents occuring elsewhere and that the rescue services couldnt get to her because the motorway was closed behind her because of 2 fatal accidents that had occured (hopefully not from loose lorry tyres flying through the air... :eek:).
I hardly think you can tell people they are dull because they dont think it is necessary to 'improve' themselves and show their pioneering spirit by traveling a horse the length of the country when serious snowstorms are forecast over the whole country!
As for the whole country seizing up when we have 2 inches of snow, most places had a lot more than that, plus we are not set up for coping in these conditions, maybe we should be on the strength of the last 2 winters we've had, but thats another subject.
 
Actually I am grateful that the OP risked the flack and posted the warnings. I have a trailer and don't have cover now as go locally and have agreed back up with others at the yard. Car is covered, trailer is only insured. However, could anyone tell me if the issue with the wheels would apply to trailers? I am anal about the tyre pressures and yes trailer is serviced annually by our lorry man...but wheels falling off?

If I do however, get eventing this season I will get cover though! but currently journeys are no more than 15 mins away for training...
 
Wheels could fall off anything if the wheel nuts are not secured properly - you could into getting indicators for the tyres - although I have no idea if the same would fit on trailers, or if they make trailer ones :)
 
Cancel this cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe Anthony Evans still get away with providing this 'service'.

I looked at their cover years ago, and was tempted as it was very cheap. Fortunately, I listened to friends who had heard how they operate. When my vehicle did break down on the motorway my breakdown company discussed recovery options with me - and there were only 2 - they would either straight bar (flat) tow me off the motorway to a place safe enough to unload my horses onto the horse transport they provided, or if I was unhappy with the vehicle being moved with horses on they would get the motorway closed and transfer my horses there. I chose to have the lorry moved off, then transfer the horses at services - my lorry remained flat and a man from the recovery company steered it for me. They drove very carefully and my horses were fine. When we got to the services a horse transport company was waiting for us and they took me and the horses home. I was so grateful for the cover, and it was an extra bonus that I didn't have to drive home after a long day!!!

My cover is with OHTO - well worth every penny.
 
Stencilface said:
Wheels could fall off anything if the wheel nuts are not secured properly - you could into getting indicators for the tyres - although I have no idea if the same would fit on trailers, or if they make trailer ones :)
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Apparently wheel nut pointers are made for a variety of wheel nut sizes according to Digraph LTD
 
Regarding trailer tyres make sure that you have dedicated trailer tyres fitted and not car tyres as they are not deigned for the weight/moving weight of a horse. Trailer tyres require about 60 p.s.i tyre pressure. If wheel nuts are not tightened correctly or work loose then the same applies to a trailer.
You are always best to have breakdown insurance in place as one may need to use the lorry/trailer in an emergency to take the horse to vet hospital etc.
 
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