is sammym on a wind up,sounds like it to me
truckman020:
is sammym on a wind up,sounds like it to me
No I’m not.
Imagine this. I did the same test you all did. And I have learnt nothing about the things I have asked about. I have never worked as a driver before. Why would I know about curtains? When was I shown how to use a tacho?
It’s easy to take the ■■■■. And I probably deserve a lot of it. But I’m trying to not mess up tomorrow and make a ■■■ of myself. I’m sure it would be far more amusing for everyone on here (and my friends) if I did. But for me I’d actually like to learn some stuff.
Obviously, this is all ridiculously easy and obvious to you guys. But would it be to your wife/son/daughter who had never driven a truck professionally?
I’m taking the ribbing with a smile - but I’d love for someone to tell me where I’m meant to learn this stuff as an agency driver… You are all complaining that there are too many foreign drivers. But how does a UK based driver learn about curtains and this stuff? I suppose I could pay for CPC days… But I don’t want to spend more money on this before I’ve even done a days work.
Anyone who really think I’m taking the ■■■■ can PM me and I’ll send my number. I just want some ‘silly’ questions answering so I have a clue about this stuff.
Oh… and ■■■■ ups or not I’ll post my honest review of myself tomorrow. It will either cause extreme hilarity for most, or give a bit of confidence to another new pass.
123smith:
Just rock up mate and wing it you’ll be fine.Load Security? Just bring a bit of blu tack with you, stick a bit on the bottom of each pallet - job done.
This is how I secured the load for Culina last time was a limper 
sammym:
Obviously, this is all ridiculously easy and obvious to you guys. But would it be to your wife/son/daughter who had never driven a truck professionally?
I imagine most wives/daughters would be able to take a pretty shrewd guess as to where they could buy a pair of safety boots.
Harry Monk:
sammym:
Obviously, this is all ridiculously easy and obvious to you guys. But would it be to your wife/son/daughter who had never driven a truck professionally?I imagine most wives/daughters would be able to take a pretty shrewd guess as to where they could buy a pair of safety boots.
Which is why I left work early to go to sports direct to get a pair. I got cheap ones. But they have steel toe caps.
Unfortunately there is more than enough reason for us all to be suspicious of trolling on here.
Taking you at face value:
I would say you may have made an error in going on full "Walter Mitty? You may have got a day’s work but it may go belly up. If you’re a straight up guy, I hope that it doesn’t.
Be more honest when you arrive at your job: if you honestly don’t know whether or not a vehicle is safe to take on th road (load security etc) what you gonna do?
At some stage you’ve got to come clean.
YouTube etc is ok for an idea, andis a basis for question asking. It ain’t good enough to learn how to load, assess weights, pallet stability, need for straps or not etc etc.
If you haven’t contracted a serious case of the flu, and do turn up for the shift ASK.
If you do start sneezing, think before accepting a shift. Ask here again.
If you’re not sneezing but laughing at my gullibility, enjoy…
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We can’t really help because your not telling us what the work is or what company your working for so have really no idea what you are doing.
I’ll try though.
1# you need safety boots, most training companies even insist on this even when training; most drivers don’t bother with them but some sites will send you home if you don’t have them especially the larger firms. Personally, I’ve had heavy stuff fall on my feet and even a fork from a forklift and it really hurt and I learnt my lesson about not wearing safety boots.
2# Is it a rigid or artic? I’m gonna assume a rigid.
3# curtains are easy to use just watch a Youtube video.
4# straps again are easy to use. You may struggle keeping them neat and in a bundle like the other drivers but that doesn’t really matter.
5# Tail lifts - here you have to be careful there are so many different types and some are harder use then others. I must of spent 30 mins trying to work out how to use an unfamiliar tail lift before. So if you have a tail lift try and get another driver or warehouse bod to show you how to use it and make sure you have the key if it requires one.
So here is what you should do once you start your shift and on your way to the truck.
Put card in truck. It will probably ask if you want to do a manual entry select yes then choose the bed option then select yes again. It should now be all set make sure its on other work (the two hammers intercrossed) and start the engine. Also make sure you have enough adblue and diesel.
Do you vehicle checks doing the obvious things but make sure the door runners are working fine many people neglect it. Also if you have pallets make sure you have a pump up.
Set up your sat nav and make sure your fully aware what order your doing the drops in. Put your first drop in and sat nav and off you go.
Now for tacho breaks keep it simple. Take your first 16 minute break as early as possible i.e the 1st 2/3 hours and take your 2nd no later then the 6th hour of your shift. I’m assume your gonna be doing multi drop so you will not be near the 4h 30m driving but if your just doing a trunking run then you just need to keep an eye on driving time.
That’s it really. Just remember you need a 30 minute break before you do 6 hours working time. for example if you start at 7:00 am then you need a 31 minute break before you hit 1:00PM.
^ I’m sure many people can quick faults with this but I just tried to keep it as simple as possible.
Edit:
Guys he posted on the new driver forum a lot and passed recently so I doubt he is trolling.
sammym:
Harry Monk:
sammym:
Obviously, this is all ridiculously easy and obvious to you guys. But would it be to your wife/son/daughter who had never driven a truck professionally?I imagine most wives/daughters would be able to take a pretty shrewd guess as to where they could buy a pair of safety boots.
Which is why I left work early to go to sports direct to get a pair. I got cheap ones.
But they have steel toe caps.
Now we KNOW that you are on a wind up, you just have to be!!!
WTF did you think “SAFETY BOOTS” meant??
DOH
sammym:
…I can drive the wagon. I’ve passed the test…
That’s a great line. Remember that and stick to it. No matter who says what, including plod, just tell em that. All will be fine.
Thanks Adam and Franglais.
It’s only three drops. And apparently doesn’t involve any handballing. Even if I finish it in 2/3 hours I get paid for 8. But I’m going to assume they will make me work the full 8 hours. So unless it takes forever to do each drops I might have my hours to think about.
It’s delivering stuff that supermarkets would want from the manufacture directly. But I don’t want to be more specific than that. Especially as I’m basically admitting I’m a liability. I’d hate to get there and the manager read this all out to me.
I start at 3.30am. And I’m not sure what sort of places are open at that sort of ungodly hour. Tbh I’m happy about this though as it means I will probably have little traffic on the road to find my feet so to speak. Certainly smaller supermarkets won’t be open. Maybe 24 hour ones. But my suspicion is that it might be me going to their big warehouses instead.
All I know about the truck is that it’s 18t. And they have a fleet of modern volvos. I am hoping that means it’s an auto. But if it’s 6 speed I’ll be fine.
Probably be a box body so no curtains just make sure you know how to use the tail lift before you leave the yard.
adam277:
Probably be a box body so no curtains just make sure you know how to use the tail lift before you leave the yard.
It’s definitely curtains. And they are on pallets. I’ve been googling it.
They have mainly artics but I’ll be on rigid.
I shall see how it is. I’ve watched some video’s and one person has been kind enough to give me their number if I need some help as long as I call after 5am.
sammym wrote:
…I can drive the wagon. I’ve passed the test…
sammym:
I might have been a little creative with my experience and confidence with an agency. Actually, I went full on walter mitty mode. I signed up yesterday and have a job booked for tomorrow.Generally speaking - is it expected for agency drivers to be good? I have never used a tacho or open curtains so I was going to ask them to show me when I turn up. But I don’t want to get sent away. I’ll watch some youtube videos and see if I can work it out myself.
Also do any of you have any tips on how you know if the load is actually secured? When you drive to drop something off do you have to open the curtains and take any straps off? If so do you have a set of ladders to get into the truck? I don’t want to come across clueless in real life tomorrow.
Final silly question - I don’t have steel toe caps. Does anyone check? I’m planning on wearing my walking boots as I don’t have time to go and buy any.
Much depends on the client and how much of your BS the agency has fallen for.
If it’s a firm that requires a digi-card download before you get anywhere near the lorry and somebody actually checks it and spots that it’s never been used then it could well be ‘bye-bye’ there and then. Better to ask a driver rather than management how to use the tacho, hoping to avoid those that will run straight into the office rather than help you. But basically put the card in the slot, if it chucks it back out put it back in the other way up! Make sure you have at least 15 mins break recorded (usually the button on bottom left of the unit with a one or head on it- press it twice to show the bed symbol) within 6 hours duty and 45 minutes break (either as a whole 45 or a 15+ and a 30+) before 4 and a half hours driving is reached. You may need to take further breaks if you are approaching 6 hours working and/or 4 and a half hours driving following your earlier breaks. (another 15 for WTD is enough for the day, but 45 for driving to be reset - and if you need that then watch out for your 10 hours - got your night out gear■■?)
You are expected to be competent, or nearly competent in most cases, although some firms seem to expect you to know all of their procedures and stock regardless of the fact that you’ve never seen it before.
Some firms will give you the oldest ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ in the yard, some will give you the run no-one wants, others will give you a half decent motor and an easy/ reasonable run, depends on what they think of their customers.
Curtainsiders - chances are you’ll get your vehicle with at least one side open and possibly not strapped. If it is shut then work out how to open the sides and check that the load is secure. You’ll probably have internal straps along with loose straps as back up. Might be worth asking whoever your point of contact is before seeing the vehicle ’ what is company policy regarding securing the load?', forkies can also be quite helpful (sometimes) in gaining insight as to how it is done there.
Fairly straightforward, to open and close, can be a bit of a fight getting the pole in the right place, especially in the dark, but it does fit, really! Spending a bit of time mucking about with the catches and ratchets works for you as you are simply checking that it is all functioning properly.
Unloading, you open the curtains, you remove the straps, you stand out of the way so as not to get killed by the maniac on the forklift, restrap and close curtains.
Some vehicles will indeed have ladders, some sites may well have their own wheeled ladders that you should/ must use, climbing up precariously is the normal method though, but beware, some sites will not allow you onto the bed of your own truck regardless of the need for it.
You might get out of the yard without proper safety boots but you may not get past the H&S concious at any site you visit, some might even require hard hat and safety glasses, in which case you might not be delivering much or required again in future.
If you click on Pierrot’s link and cry, you’re screwed. If you laugh you may survive and become a driver.!
Passing the test is the start. Get through the first shift. Ask questions of other people there, and BE HONEST tell them you’re a new start and the vast majority will help. Sure, some will roll their eyes, but most will be on your side. Even if you don’t fegss up to any managers talk to other drivers.
If you’re getting grief here it’s because we don’t like bullcrap. (I’m not a spokesman though).
Pierrot’s link had me in stitches, maybe I’ll be a trucker one day?
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It’s easier now for newbies, what with auto boxes and all. Back in the day, the advice used to be “find a gear it will move in, and don’t change gear until you get out of the yard”. 
Good luck tomorrow and above all ASK even if it makes you late out at least ou have asked,
Tacho’s are covered in the cpc or should be,to give you a starting insight into it at least.
P.s the Umbrella company rang you because they saw on the TV it was going to rain tomorrow and didn’t want you getting wet on your first day they have 1 you can borrow 
Harry Monk:
It’s easier now for newbies, what with auto boxes and all. Back in the day, the advice used to be “find a gear it will move in, and don’t change gear until you get out of the yard”.
I’m genuinely impressed how helpful so many members have been. I’ve got two offers of blokes willing to help me on the phone. One after 5am and one who starts his shift at midnight. Top top blokes. I won’t mention them - but I think it’s great that someone is willing to help a new pass.
One final question.
Tomorrow I’m going to have to broach this umbrella company thing. It’s just not in my interests. My ‘main job’ is a PhD student - and my ‘salary’ is tax free. So I have the full tax allowance to use for part-time hours. I’m unlikely to earn more than £10k a year driving a couple of days a week.
So should I just straight up call them tomorrow and say NO to the umbrella. Or take it for this shift and pay the £11 fee for paying me my wages. They did give me a start - and I’m grateful for that. Most on the phones wouldn’t even let me register. And I genuinely don’t mind them earning a crisp. But the umbrella fee is £11/hour. I’d rather earn £8/hour PAYE. So how should I approach this?