Can you deliver onto grass?

Our delivery trucks can often weight circa 20-tonnes without a container on their backs, drivers will be understandably nervous if there is any risk to getting their truck stuck.

As we work with a range of smaller local hauliers a lot of these delivery companies will have slightly different approaches to each other. In any event if you need us to run over or operate on any ground that isn’t clearly hard-standing and very firm (eg tarmac or concrete) then please flag this with us well in advance.

The driver will always reserve the right to refuse to undertake a delivery if he or she feels there is a risk to the truck getting damaged or stuck. In most cases our haulier will ask you to sign a disclaimer which in essence will say ‘I will drive onto soft ground under your instructions but if I get stuck you are responsible for any costs incurred to recover the truck’ – this can also include vehicle waiting time at approx £60 per hour as well as a truck recovery vehicle.

In many cases if our truck can remain on hard ground (eg an access road) we can lift onto soft ground next to this road as long as our truck stays on firm ground.

If driving over grass or soft ground is unavoidable, with good advice from the customer, so we know what to expect, and with planning many customers can reduce the risks of problems associated with delivering a container onto soft ground. For example, some customers may be able to have a tractor or similar off-road capable vehicle that can help pull the truck out if it were to get stuck, or you may have access to machinery that can take the container across a field or similar (eg a tractor with large forks). Alternatively, a plan B location for your container might be workable if it’s apparent the ground conditions are not suitable to position the container in your first choice location.

 

 

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