carlston49:
As a new driver, you shouldn’t be doing 14 hour shifts. You could get tired and have an accident.When I first started, I insisted that the agency gave me a driver’s mate. I just drove the truck and at every drop my driver’s mate did all the work. I also insisted on no more than 8 hours work.
On the second day, the company that the agency had sent me to tried to pull a fast one by telling me I was going out on my own that day. A quick phone call to the agency to let them know that I wasn’t going to do the rest of the week unless I had a driver’s mate soon put paid to that idea.
Admittedly it did help that the agency were really short of drivers that week as it was the summer holidays, but the moral of the story is that if you let an agency walk all over you they will.
The agency have absolutely nothing to do with supplying drivers mates or shift lengths.
I’ve also walked because I wasn’t given a mate. However, that was different. The client told me I’d have one the day before. I didn’t get one so said goodbye. The agency might be able to exert some pressure - but it’s not up to them if a mate is provided.
As for max of 8 hours. That is delusional. If you hit traffic, or have other problems times go to hell. You can’t know or garantee a shift end time - unless you are a grumpy git sat in a tug. It’s just how it is.
If he starts making those sort of demands he will look a fool and have no work. I actually prefer long shifts. I’d rather to 4 15 hours shifts a week than 6 10 hour ones. But that’s just me. As far as all the multidrop goes - as others have said, he is doing it becasue more established blokes say no. It will get better for him - and the learning he will do now on those horrible runs will set him up nicely for a decent career.