As we all know, there’s lots to consider when maneuvering a heavy vehicle into and through tight spots, the dreaded trailer swing being just one area where things can go wrong.
And it was this phenomenon that has caused some headaches for a Woolworths driver and a car owner in Victoria recently.
The video, which you can watch here, comes from a dashcam from a trailing vehicle.
The video shows the truck negotiating a narrow lane with parked cars on the truck’s left when the truck starts to make a turn the rear of the trailer swings out just enough for the Mansfield bar to attach to the parked car, spinning it 90 degrees.
Naturally, the close proximity with which the truck was travelling to the legally parked cars contributed to the incident, though sometimes heavy vehicle drivers have no choice but to use every available inch of the bitumen available.
News.com.au reports the dashcam footage was used in a successful insurance claim and Woolworths has apologised saying it was “deeply sorry”.
The supermarket giants reportedly ensuring that the car owners repair costs are going to be fully covered.
While it’s believed no charges were laid over the incident by authorities.
The incident shows just a couple of the stresses and headaches that heavy commercial vehicle drivers have to contend with on a day-to-day basis.
And while the truck driver may have been more cautious around the parked vehicles, perhaps taking a path a little further to the right (if safe) road and access ramp designers should also be more mindful that we often need a little more than just enough space.
What are your throughts on the footage? Has trailer swing caught you out? What should the truck driver have done differently? Let us know in the comments section below.
