Someone found the blog on that search term – presumably they found my recent post on wheel clamping near the Colwick MPTC.
I was told that some lorries had been clamped at the Colwick test centre when I suggested that it was only driving instructors being targeted.
I also did a quick search and found the photo (above) showing a lorry that had been clamped – obviously not using a proper clamp – when the driver had nipped to the loo (according to the forum the story is on).
Although the thread on that forum seems to have become an excuse for people to talk about urinating (those guys should become ADIs – they’d fit right in), one of the other posters gave a photo that shows he has also been clamped with what appears to be a chain attached to a steel rope (I haven’t a clue what the rope is anchored to, though). These are not on the Colwick Industrial Estate (to the best of my knowledge).
It seems that all they really need to do is put a big chain through the lorry’s wheel holes and padlock it. The first photo is just the front plate of a car clamp padlocked to the wheel. Let’s face it, most lorries could probably rip a wheel clamp to pieces if the driver tried to drive off with one on – but it would also damage the lorry and if he then got stopped by the police he’d quite possibly lose his job. So I can’t imagine many lorry drivers trying that with their livelihoods.
Also by searching, some companies supply ‘MEGA’ or ‘HGV’ clamps (they cost around £100 each), so it is obviously something that can be done.
So yes, you can clamp a lorry.
EDIT 10/11/2010: I was down near the Colwick Test Centre today and I saw a lorry which had a standard wheel clamp fitted to its front offside wheel. It looked almost identical to the one in the first picture, above.