On a walk around check this morning I noticed a marker light out - nothing major I know but what is then the correct procedure?
Write out a defect notice and leave the yard as normal with the light out?
If you have a minor defect do you write it down in the book and then carry on? Then once finished the run hand in the defect note?
I informed the boss who said to carry on but was told not to write anything in the defect book and if stopped then pretend its just happened. I wasnt happy with that so I refused to take it and ended up swapping the trucks with another driver who was willing. I am agency while he is permanent.
Am i making a mountain out of a mole hill?
I am so concerned about protecting my licence sometimes 1 am overthinking some minor issues to the point that its making me seem like I am just a difficult person.
I am a class 2 agency driver and this position will shortly come to an end so all experience gained from there will be taken to a future job. If I am being oversensitive to some minor issues then I will need to learn from it.
Time and time again on this forum we are told that its our licence and its down to us but what should I have done?
i think the relevant clue in the o/p is as follows…
[ I am agency while he is permanent. /quote]…theres your sign… 
You: Boss the marker light is out, here’s the defect I’ve written out for it.
Boss: Don’t be a ■■■■■, crack on…
You: Sorry boss, a defect means I can’t drive the truck until it’s signed off, that’s proper procedure.
Boss: Hmmm, can’t blag this one. I’ll have to rearrange for today, and maybe bin him off later, or appreciate his professionalism and responsibility.
I don’t care what the outcome is, but if I write a defect, it isn’t moving.
However, I’d have asked where the spare bulbs were, before I wrote the defect! 
hey dieseldog
what would you have done?
hi evil8
I couldnt reach the marker as it was the rear top marker. i think its like a 4 led light either side.
He said it could be a loose wire but thats as far as it went. He just went over to another driver and said to him to swap with me.
have attached a pic from off the internet so you know what its similar to.
You’re not going to lose your licence because a marker light blows, if the company was al-right with me I’d have cracked on and put in a defect when I got back, if the company wasn’t being al-right with me my reaction would be dependant on what suited me best.
I know it’s hard when you’re new and trying to gain experience, but in-spite of some of the stuff you’ll read on this board you have to be a little bit flexible.
Sometimes during your start of shift check, certain item’s may be ’ intermittently ’ working…
And sometimes things are fine initially, but then halfway through a shift a bulb blows for example 
(Obviously being a pro driver, you will mention this at the end of your shift so that the next driver can ’ rectify ’ any outstanding defect’s…)
FFS, a corporate operator! 
If we’re talking just bulbs, then there is the option to blag it, something you can’t do when it comes to tyres…
But if big firms can’t get this crap sorted, do I really want to be driving for them?
I can’t see TNT floating my boat, and if you’re not a fresh Newbie or a F wit, work isn’t hard to find…
billythewhizz:
hey dieseldog
what would you have done?
ignore it completely and crack on regardless…( unless i was in a tosco regimental beancounter job) which thankfully im not. 
tachograph:
You’re not going to lose your licence because a marker light blows, if the company was al-right with me I’d have cracked on and put in a defect when I got back, if the company wasn’t being al-right with me my reaction would be dependant on what suited me best.
I know it’s hard when you’re new and trying to gain experience, but in-spite of some of the stuff you’ll read on this board you have to be a little bit flexible.
+1.theres the correct common sense answer (albeit a bit more diplomaticly put)…
What would I do you ask.
As a driver I would mention that one of the top markers wasn’t working and if time permitted I would attempt to get it fixed, if not, hey ho, it’s only a marker light.
As a boss it would be a similar story, if time permitted it would get fixed, if not it would be done upon its return to the yard. If the driver made a song and dance about it, then there would be a parting of the ways in the ear future.
I know the law states that all lights must work blah blah blah, but at the end of the day there’s a job to be done, it’s a marker light, not brake lights or indicators or a headlight, there are plenty of lorries without them, so it isn’t a safety issue.
Am I the only one wanting it registered and signed off then?
I’m not saying I won’t run with it, just that if I’m going to swallow their delegation of legal responsibility to me in the form of 10 bits of paper saying I’ve had instruction on how to place one foot in front of the other, then why can’t I join in the game? 
newmercman:
What would I do you ask.
As a driver I would mention that one of the top markers wasn’t working and if time permitted I would attempt to get it fixed, if not, hey ho, it’s only a marker light.
As a boss it would be a similar story, if time permitted it would get fixed, if not it would be done upon its return to the yard. If the driver made a song and dance about it, then there would be a parting of the ways in the ear future.
I know the law states that all lights must work blah blah blah, but at the end of the day there’s a job to be done, it’s a marker light, not brake lights or indicators or a headlight, there are plenty of lorries without them, so it isn’t a safety issue.
+1…It’s really no big deal.And as said.Defect it when you return the trailer…Job done.
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Evil8Beezle:
Am I the only one wanting it registered and signed off then?
I’m not saying I won’t run with it, just that if I’m going to swallow their delegation of legal responsibility to me in the form of 10 bits of paper saying I’ve had instruction on how to place one foot in front of the other, then why can’t I join in the game?
I agree with you. I was only refusing to take it due to them not wanting me to write it in the defect book and then potentially lying about it if i was stopped.
billythewhizz:
Evil8Beezle:
Am I the only one wanting it registered and signed off then?
I’m not saying I won’t run with it, just that if I’m going to swallow their delegation of legal responsibility to me in the form of 10 bits of paper saying I’ve had instruction on how to place one foot in front of the other, then why can’t I join in the game?
I agree with you. I was only refusing to take it due to them not wanting me to write it in the defect book and then potentially lying about it if i was stopped.
Good, these are supposedly large scale professional operators that do everything in their power to cover their own arses, so I say do the same. And as I’ll tell them my reasoning straight off, that it’s my responsibility the second it hits the road, and I’m not being unreasonable for them to confirm they have been made aware. At that point the ball is in their court of whether they VOR it…
Think I’m a pain in the arse, but I’m happy knowing I won’t be on the list of those they’ll palm crap off to…
But don’t get me wrong, if it suits me and isn’t dangerous, I’ll consider it.
Did some lucrative ‘Out of Scope’ low speed work in a private area, and ran with a defective tyre that wasn’t signed off.
However I did take a pic of the defect and have texts to confirm it was noted…
I’ve taken a few vehicles out on the road with the odd marker out, but always mentioned it when I’ve returned to depot. Wouldn’t with a more safety critical bulb but that’s just me [emoji846]
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Evil8Beezle:
billythewhizz:
Evil8Beezle:
Am I the only one wanting it registered and signed off then?
I’m not saying I won’t run with it, just that if I’m going to swallow their delegation of legal responsibility to me in the form of 10 bits of paper saying I’ve had instruction on how to place one foot in front of the other, then why can’t I join in the game?
I agree with you. I was only refusing to take it due to them not wanting me to write it in the defect book and then potentially lying about it if i was stopped.
Good, these are supposedly large scale professional operators that do everything in their power to cover their own arses, so I say do the same. And as I’ll tell them my reasoning straight off, that it’s my responsibility the second it hits the road, and I’m not being unreasonable for them to confirm they have been made aware. At that point the ball is in their court of whether they VOR it…
Think I’m a pain in the arse, but I’m happy knowing I won’t be on the list of those they’ll palm crap off to…
But don’t get me wrong, if it suits me and isn’t dangerous, I’ll consider it.
Did some lucrative ‘Out of Scope’ low speed work in a private area, and ran with a defective tyre that wasn’t signed off.
However I did take a pic of the defect and have texts to confirm it was noted…
A defective tyre would stay in the yard, no way would I take it out, it’s points on your license and a big fine. It’s also a very black mark against the operator.
I don’t know the specifics of the actual defect so I can’t comment further on that aspect. However kudos for spotting it and a swift kick to the gonads of the driver that missed it on the post trip inspection.
If there’s one thing that annoys me a little bit more than all the other things that annoy me, it’s picking up a trailer that has a bald tyre. It never went bald while it was parked now did it ffs!
Last trailer I had the tail cluster out. The indicator worked but no tail light or brake light. The other side worked, tried to replace the bulbs but since its a ferry trailer it was zb’ed! I had both out riggers working so I cracked on.
If there’s an option to minor defect it I would do that, in this world of arse covering it’s essential to do something.
Just pop in the office ask if they want it fixed now (company policy and all that), say your happy to crack on and sort it later.
It would prolly fix itself after a few bumps.
Either that or smash the one the otherside so it don’t look so obvious.
Arse covering + flexibility = Employability
Handily at a DVSA seminar yesterday a vehicle examiner used this as an example of where to draw the line regarding defects.
Note his example made the assumption you weren’t starting from base, but from an overnight stop. He said; The marker light should be noted as defective and reported to the office for permission to drive. It then relies on someone in the office being conversant with the ‘categorisation of defects’. They could then authorise you to drive it and make arrangements for it to be repaired, you should record this. In the event you are stopped by enforcement they would except this, possibly contacting the Operator to confirm they had made the arrangements for it’s repair. If however it was for something such as an indicator then the Operator should not give permission to drive as according to the categorisation of defects he would know that this is subject to a Prohibition.
So ‘officially’ if it’s not a prohibition item and it, cough,cough ‘happened away from base’, crack on!
