Been looking into employment with a company who has a policy that if any drivers cause ANY damage that they are deemed at fault, the first £1000 of the cost of the infringement will be deducted from their wages.
This could be damage/loss of equipment from the vehicle or damage to the vehicle through anything deemed as neglect etc… is this common practice for companies?
Becoming increasingly common. The best thing you can do is tell them to stuff it.
cav551:
Becoming increasingly common. The best thing you can do is tell them to stuff it.
+1. #lubethatdriverup
No, its not normal, but there is no simple answer here.
Some companies operate a damage free bonus system, some smaller car transporter operators do, chap i know gives his lads £1000 bonus annually on top of the wages which are very good, a percentage of any damage gets subtracted but if they are clear (they usually are) they get a cool £1000 extra at Christmas.
Its worth finding out exactly what’s involved here, what the normal earnings are, real not a pie in the sky top line and not including night out pay or expenses.
When you know what the real pay is you can work out whether this £1000 is a bonus or a penalty, if its a £1000 risk off a very high wage for 5 normal day’s work then it might be worth considering.
It would certainly concentrate the mind and help prevent neglectful damage.
The devil is in the detail.
coaster:
Been looking into employment with a company who has a policy that if any drivers cause ANY damage that they are deemed at fault, the first £1000 of the cost of the infringement will be deducted from their wages.This could be damage/loss of equipment from the vehicle or damage to the vehicle through anything deemed as neglect etc… is this common practice for companies?
Usually around £500 for vehicle damage, though legally the employers cannot just take it from your wages, but they do this and seem to get away with it, though there are still some companies who pay their own insurance excess in the event of a own driver fault accident, as said best avoid those who will charge you, what next will they want you to pay their insurance and pay for the Diesel too?
And to think there are still some poor wooden-headed saps who think there is a driver shortage.
tell them to do one after laughing in their face.or alternatively,take the job on condition that whatever damage you dont cause,you get the 1000 minus the damage done at the end of every year…tax paid,in cash.whats good for the goose…end of.
Unless I went owner driver, they can do one imo.
tommy t:
Usually around £500 for vehicle damage, though legally the employers cannot just take it from your wages, but they do this and seem to get away with it, though there are still some companies who pay their own insurance excess in the event of a own driver fault accident, as said best avoid those who will charge you, what next will they want you to pay their insurance and pay for the Diesel too?
That’s been done, I knew a couple of old time hauliers who’s drivers had to pay for extra fuel if they needed more than what was allocated to them and they didn’t get it back either. Back to topic, we had a safe/damage free driving bonus on Tilcon, around £25 each Christmas and taxed, very rare that we got all of it but we were never charged for damage which, being on tippers, was just as well! 
Seems the job is slowly falling apart these days? 
Pete.
tommy t:
coaster:
Been looking into employment with a company who has a policy that if any drivers cause ANY damage that they are deemed at fault, the first £1000 of the cost of the infringement will be deducted from their wages.This could be damage/loss of equipment from the vehicle or damage to the vehicle through anything deemed as neglect etc… is this common practice for companies?
Usually around £500 for vehicle damage, though legally the employers cannot just take it from your wages, but they do this and seem to get away with it, though there are still some companies who pay their own insurance excess in the event of a own driver fault accident, as said best avoid those who will charge you, what next will they want you to pay their insurance and pay for the Diesel too?
I’m not sure it’s as open and shut as that, but if their deductions take you below minimum wage, they’re committing an offence. Sports direct (I think) were done recently because the charge for the minibus taking them to work took them below minimum wage.
Juddian:
No, its not normal, but there is no simple answer here.Some companies operate a damage free bonus system, some smaller car transporter operators do, chap i know gives his lads £1000 bonus annually on top of the wages which are very good, a percentage of any damage gets subtracted but if they are clear (they usually are) they get a cool £1000 extra at Christmas.
Its worth finding out exactly what’s involved here, what the normal earnings are, real not a pie in the sky top line and not including night out pay or expenses.
When you know what the real pay is you can work out whether this £1000 is a bonus or a penalty, if its a £1000 risk off a very high wage for 5 normal day’s work then it might be worth considering.
It would certainly concentrate the mind and help prevent neglectful damage.The devil is in the detail.
Co. i sub for give their employed drivers a 100eur bonus pm for damage/claim free. Not much but it seems to work as all their trucks are mostly mint and its not uncommon to see a driver paying for a light lense ect to keep his bonus intact.
The £1000 penalty being talked of here is probably the insurance excess and at the risk of a flaming i dont think is a bad idea, drivers would think twice before damaging kit…
TBH it comes as no surprise that more and more companies are doing this as there appear to be more and more drivers like my mate who are quite happy to damage trucks in ways that can easily be avoided and just shrug it off as one of those things whilst their boss is left with yet another £200/£300 repair bill for whatever bit of the truck they’ve ripped off that day.
Its so bad at the firm my lad works with the local multidrop boys at that despite having only been driving 4 months since passing his test they gave him the newest rigid on the fleet because he did the least damage.
AndrewG:
The £1000 penalty being talked of here is probably the insurance excess and at the risk of a flaming i dont think is a bad idea, drivers would think twice before damaging kit…
Good idea. Perhaps the office staff could also have the costs deducted from their wages when they send us to the wrong address, or to the right address but on the wrong day, or send us somewhere with the wrong type of trailer…
Harry Monk:
AndrewG:
The £1000 penalty being talked of here is probably the insurance excess and at the risk of a flaming i dont think is a bad idea, drivers would think twice before damaging kit…Good idea. Perhaps the office staff could also have the costs deducted from their wages when they send us to the wrong address, or to the right address but on the wrong day, or send us somewhere with the wrong type of trailer…
Good idea, perhaps some damage limitation to a companies finances could be implemented across the whole board by introducing deductions for office staff as well as drivers who cause monetary loss due to carelessness…
Harry Monk:
AndrewG:
The £1000 penalty being talked of here is probably the insurance excess and at the risk of a flaming i dont think is a bad idea, drivers would think twice before damaging kit…Good idea. Perhaps the office staff could also have the costs deducted from their wages when they send us to the wrong address, or to the right address but on the wrong day, or send us somewhere with the wrong type of trailer…
Plus some of the time, they employers often contribute to drivers having accidents be that directly or indirectly,
tommy t:
Harry Monk:
AndrewG:
The £1000 penalty being talked of here is probably the insurance excess and at the risk of a flaming i dont think is a bad idea, drivers would think twice before damaging kit…Good idea. Perhaps the office staff could also have the costs deducted from their wages when they send us to the wrong address, or to the right address but on the wrong day, or send us somewhere with the wrong type of trailer…
Plus some of the time, they employers often contribute to drivers having accidents be that directly or indirectly,
Exactly. If the haulage industry expects drivers to work 15 hour shifts, then they can’t complain when drivers behave as though they were drink-driving at the end of the shift.
cav551:
Becoming increasingly common. The best thing you can do is tell them to stuff it.
My sentiments entirely, you don’t have to take the job and I am suprised anyone would 
This might be worth considering for a spotless accident driver IF the pay was a £1000 per week basic. 
How are they going to extract the first £1000 out of you otherwise?
“Monthly Pay” is NOT the answer I’m looking for here. If this job is monthly pay - then you keep on walking by. 
Pat Hasler:
cav551:
Becoming increasingly common. The best thing you can do is tell them to stuff it.My sentiments entirely, you don’t have to take the job and I am suprised anyone would
The only ones telling a co. to stuff it in a case like this will be the cr@p ones who cant drive for fear of not earning any money, this is a way to weed out those useless ones…
AndrewG:
Pat Hasler:
cav551:
Becoming increasingly common. The best thing you can do is tell them to stuff it.My sentiments entirely, you don’t have to take the job and I am suprised anyone would
The only ones telling a co. to stuff it in a case like this will be the cr@p ones who cant drive for fear of not earning any money, this is a way to weed out those useless ones…
Exactly, though the job would have to be very well paid and the right sort of work for me to consider it.
I wouldn’t rule out putting that £1000 on the line if the job was one of the top 5% of jobs in terms conditions but also job pleasure/satisfaction, if the job’s paying £15k more for sensible hours then well worth the risk for the competent.
However i wouldn’t consider it if the job paid £8 an hour for the first (basic) 50 hours plus multi drop stress hassle ignorant planners and/or RDC hell.