Wincanton : partners Network Rail for 'Lorries can't limbo' campaign

Wincanton, the largest British logistics company, has announced its involvement as a partner of Network Rail at the launch of a new campaign to educate lorry drivers about the dangers of low bridges.

Lorries Can't Limbo, is aimed at professional HGV drivers and others who drive high-sided vehicles. The campaign encourages drivers to 'wise up and size up' their vehicle and plan their route before they head out on their journey.

Last year the number of bridge strikes across the rail network went up, making it the worst year for bridge strikes for five years. Each year there are about 2000 railway bridge strikes, with each costing more than £10,000 for repairs and compensation to train operators for delays caused. Compensation costs Network Rail up to £13m a year, but the true annual cost is estimated to be up to £23m, once the value of undelivered goods, lost productivity from train delays and road congestion are taken into account.

The campaign focuses on 'the four E's': education of drivers and employers, engineering and signage, enablement technology in HGV cabs, and the enforcement of penalties, and has been developed together with partners across the haulage industry. As one such partner, Wincanton will help the rail company to educate drivers on how to wise up and size up their lorry by using a toolkit provided by Network Rail, which offers advice on educating drivers around the impact of strikes.

Garry Spicer, HSE Manager, UK & Ireland at Wincanton, said:

'We are using a number of tools to get the message out to our drivers in the business; from window stickers and travel cups carrying the slogan through to in-vehicle height conversion charts, on site meetings, quizzes and articles in our in-house magazine.

'This is an important issue, which we are committed to addressing with Network Rail'

Mark Wheel, senior engineer at Network Rail added:

'Day to day, HGV drivers and decision-makers have to address different demands or distractions. We know that bridge strikes are a pertinent issue for a majority of drivers and decision-makers. However, there are many other challenges which often appear more immediate. Bridge strikes are not always 'front and centre' and drivers often need to be challenged to consider them, especially outside the confines of their regular depots or destinations.

'We have worked across the industry to develop a campaign together with our partners, using their knowledge and expertise about their audience. Rather than alienate drivers the campaign aims to be collaborative. We want to work with drivers and support them to help them be as prepared when they are out on the road and we wanted to develop something that the industry could continue to use and will be of benefit to them. We hope this collaborative approach will help to drive down the number of strikes we see across the rail network.'

To learn more about the 'wise up, size up' campaign visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/safety-in-the-community/safety-campaigns/wiseupsizeup

Wincanton is currently recruiting for responsible drivers. For further information, please visit www.wincanton.co.uk/careers