Truck driver dismissed after melting $100k+ ice cream due to temperature error
Consensus Summary
A truck driver for ERH Refrigerated Transport was dismissed after failing to set the correct temperature in a trailer carrying ice cream, causing over $100,000 in losses. The driver, who had completed hundreds of similar trips since 2022, set the trailer to -1C instead of the required -22 degrees Celsius during a trip from Melbourne to Wagga Wagga late last year. The error went unnoticed for 15 hours, leading to the entire load melting and requiring disposal. The Fair Work Commission ruled the dismissal was valid, noting the driver had multiple opportunities to check the temperature but failed to do so. While the driver claimed he set the temperature correctly, he could not explain why it did not hold. The company argued the mistake was a one-off but still justified termination due to the significant financial loss.
ā Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- $73,000 worth of ice cream was lost due to incorrect trailer temperature
- $30,000 was the cost of disposing the melted ice cream
- The trailer temperature was set to -1C instead of -22 degrees Celsius
- The driver had six opportunities to check the trailer temperature during the trip
- The incident occurred during a trip from Melbourne to Wagga Wagga
- The driver was dismissed five days after the incident
- The driver claimed he set the temperature correctly but couldnāt explain why it ādidnāt takeā
- The driver had completed about 600 similar trips since 2022
- The incident happened late last year (December 2025)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- $70,000 was the initial reported value of the melted ice cream before ERH provided a more precise figure
- The driver was given a payment in lieu of notice
- The driver had previously received a warning in 2025 for driving a truck with an incorrect load
- The error was only corrected remotely by ERHās night manager at 1am the next day, 15 hours after collection
- The driver claimed the rear trailer doors would not shut properly and required maintenance at Truganina
- The driverās name is Jeremiah Manly
- The incident occurred on December 3
- The driver argued that the cold storage company and a secondary driver shared responsibility for the loss
- The temperature was described as 20 degrees too warm (from -22C to -1C)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- SMH says the incident occurred 'late last year' without specifying a date, while ABC says it happened on December 3
- SMH states the driver had 'about 600 similar trips since 2022,' but ABC does not mention this figure
- SMH reports the driver was dismissed 'five days after the incident,' while ABC says he was fired 'later that week' (no exact days provided)
Source Articles
Truck driver who melted $70,000 of ice-cream fails to win back job
A truck driver who accidentally melted a truck load of ice-cream has failed to have his dismissal overturned.
Truck driver's sacking for $100k ice cream bungle was fair, finds commission
The Fair Work Commission rules a trucking company was within its rights to fire a driver after he set the temperature of his trailer full of ice cream more than 20 degrees too warm.