A Triple Threat of Enforcement

One of the biggest challenges faced across the RMX sector is providing the correct information and consistent training to drivers and the rest of the supply chain.

There's so much misinformation around road safety, driver distraction and load security across this sector, with most of the information provided either outdated or done to meet the industry's commercial needs.

This news report highlights the industry's accepted load security issue.

Working with a driver who spent a year or two with a national supplier, I was reminded of his training and the amount of misinformation they provided, especially around drum speed when transporting the load.

While it's always been accepted and drilled into drivers about the need to spin the drum faster to stop the load from spilling out, it's worth remembering that's not something the mixer manufacturers advise, as the increase in drum speed alters the vehicle stability - a vehicle that already has a high centre of gravity.

A look at the information provided in the driver's previous training further demonstrates the need for consistent training, given the 28 mixer rollovers in 2023 and the £7 million cost; at worst, at least provide the correct information and allow the driver to make an informed decision.

"A basic fundamental of driving and delivering concrete type products is to ensure that as the driver you clearly understand the direction that the drum should spin to load and to discharge."

So far, so good.

"The speed that the drum should spin is also key to making a successful delivery. It is very dependent on the type of the product you are carrying."

Why is the drum speed "key" to making a successful delivery? Is a successful delivery measured by the least amount of concrete, mortar or screed split on route to the site?

"There is a risk that if a drum is rotating too slowly, then wet concrete may spill from the back of the truck."

So there's a "risk" in carrying wet concrete, so to mitigate one risk, we create two further risks? Load security and driver distraction.

"As a general rule, a spinning drum assists in keeping the material within the drum."

As a general rule, it sometimes does.

Manufacturers suggest reducing the amount being carried, not because it suits them, but because the faster the drum spins when it's loaded, the greater the chance of a mixer rolling over. Altering the vehicle's stability for a "successful" delivery creates a road safety risk.

RMX suppliers even stipulate that loads of a fluid nature should have the volume reduced to a metre below the capacity of the drum, yet it's still accepted that a drum should be in warp speed 8 to keep a load in that has yet to be reduced.

A load security risk and driver distraction can now be added to the successful delivery criteria and the potential weight issue for those that carry a full eight cubic metres.

"When driving with a wet mix, the drum should rotate at approximately 6 to 8 revolutions per minute."

It shouldn't.

No UK or European manufacturer insist that, in any situation, the drum speed should be that high when travelling, especially when loaded, to keep the concrete from spilling.

For context, it differs slightly for each manufacturer, but between 1 and 3 RPM - Maximum 3.

Most manufacturers are between 1 and 2 RPM or "agitating", with 6 and 8 RPMs just dangerous but an accepted practice in pursuit of that successful delivery.

It's not just the companies; training providers consistently informing drivers to "spin the drum faster" going uphill only makes things worse - where's their experience in their specialist sector?

"Failure to support a spillage could lead to action by the DVSA and the Traffic Commissioner."

It most certainly could, and it should be worth noting that since the updates in the load security guidance from last July, it won't just be the driver facing action.

The vehicle operators and companies loading the vehicles (consignors) have the same responsibility when it comes to ensuring that the load is "safely loaded", "secure during transport", and "safely unloaded".

Where companies used to threaten hauliers with recovering any clean-up costs, driver liability is not as clear-cut as it was once believed, and their own role in the spillage incident must be scrutinised.

Drivers face a real possibility of a 6-month driving ban for load security offences, so you may need to think twice about how much concrete you load on trucks, regardless of whether you employ the driver or not.

"You must support drivers who raise concerns about the way goods are loaded or secured. You must not pressure them to take out a vehicle or trailer if they think it's unsafe."

A Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency statement outlining what is now expected should make it more straightforward to everyone that load security, mixer rollovers and driver distraction are linked and something our sector needs to get right.

Remember, the use of 'must' makes it a legal requirement, not a request.

This sector doesn't work with a one-size-fits-all approach, and we need to ensure that drivers are supported and provided with the correct information.... "qualified, trained and competent" is the other legal requirement we seem to ignore.