Agency driver here working for a very well known company.
Last Monday I pulled out of the depot and headed off down the road, as I was getting close to the M1 an engine malfunction warning light and buzzers go off and the exhaust is chucking out smoke.
Being the considerate soul that I am I get the lorry to the services which were only 2-3 miles down the road and park up. I eventually manage to get through to someone at our depot to tell them what’s happened and they give me the number of the company’s main helpline which I had to add credit to my phone to ring as my plan doesn’t cover 0845 numbers.
So I call the number and explain the issue, they ask the usual where are you parked, what’s the problem etc etc and then they tell me they’ll call out the local DAF agents to come and see what’s wrong. The agents call me and tell me 90 minutes to 2 hours.
So I wait and after about 90 minutes a lad in a van turns up and plugs in his laptop and after 15-20 minutes tells me that the EBV ( ? ) is faulty and tips the cab and shows me the problem. Get it back to base and defect it and let them sort it he says.
I phone our transport up and they tell me to bring it back to the depot so I do that and defect it.
Job done or so I thought ! Anyone care to guess what’s not long happened ?
They want you to pay the fine for exceeding 2 hours at the services and refuse to reimburse you for your phone calls. Remind Agency them that HATOs will arrange compulsory recovery off the hard shoulder and it would have cost a LOT more than £200. If you get any further grief tell them that you didn’t have cash on you and that you weren’t going to pay for overdrawn charges to your bank for the benefit of a multimillion pound company’s benefit.
Engine was seized when they tried to re start it ? and/or blamed you for the whole series of events from the point of leaving the yard ?.
Oh for the days when I was told to get an overheating F7 back to the yard at all costs the delivery failures will cost more than the piece of junk unit is worth.
It didn’t make it back but I still got a thanks from the guvnors for trying.
cav551:
They want you to pay the fine for exceeding 2 hours at the services and refuse to reimburse you for your phone calls. Remind Agency them that HATOs will arrange compulsory recovery off the hard shoulder and it would have cost a LOT more than £200.
First answer and spot on ! The agency are saying as I’m employed by them it’s my job to pay the fine. No if’s no buts and they’ll take it out of my wages. So I’m going to be 60 quid light as they said it’s reduced from 100 quid for quick payment.
Nowhere in all the waffle and induction paperwork was it written or have I ever read what I’ve been told today.
Seriously now if I ever break down like that again it will be parked like you say on the hard shoulder or in one of those refuge things and then the police or whoever can close off lanes for safety at rush hour.
Mate, if they deduct monies from your wages without the due process, then tell them it’ll be the Money Claim Online which you can find on the .Gov website.
I’d be leaving the agency too but, it might well be the only job for miles around so that’s your decision.
Mate, if they deduct monies from your wages without the due process, then tell them it’ll be the Money Claim Online which you can find on the .Gov website.
I’d be leaving the agency too but, it might well be the only job for miles around so that’s your decision.
Bunch of shysters.
I thought that about driver shortage too, we’re obviously still very low down on the food chain according to the bosses.
Plenty of work around here and I could walk into somewhere else tomorrow if I wanted but this job is well paid and generally an absolute piece of p*ss. I’ll get the 60 quid back, 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there soon builds up.
Whenever I’ve had an issue like a tyre or a breakdown I take the paperwork into whsmith or whatever as proof and I’ve never had an issue getting the charges wiped?
Lack of gumption perhaps?
But yeah regardless if that its not on to expect you to foot the bill for it.
toonsy:
Whenever I’ve had an issue like a tyre or a breakdown I take the paperwork into whsmith or whatever as proof and I’ve never had an issue getting the charges wiped?
Lack of gumption perhaps?
But yeah regardless if that its not on to expect you to foot the bill for it.
Honestly I’ve never broken down in or near a service area before and I never even gave it a thought about the 2 hour thing. My agency are saying I should have known it would be over 2 hours and I should have paid the parking charge and claimed it back ■■?
I’ve worked for a few big name companies and small ones and never has it been mentioned in the procedures for a break down.
I’ll be finding a manager tomorrow and having a word with him about this as to me it seems crazy that I’m getting no backing from anyone.
toonsy:
Whenever I’ve had an issue like a tyre or a breakdown I take the paperwork into whsmith or whatever as proof and I’ve never had an issue getting the charges wiped?
Lack of gumption perhaps?
But yeah regardless if that its not on to expect you to foot the bill for it.
^^^^^ this
I had a fridge problem and pulled into Toddington services,
called it in then got a call from the service engineer, 2 hours !
went to WHSmiths to advise them, no problem they said,
took details: reg number, my name , name of company
As for the OP’s comment Being the considerate soul that I am I get the lorry to the services which were only 2-3 miles down the road and park up.
Definately not this, however nice and considerate you want to be
Hard sholder or parking area ALL THE TIME and call it in,
you were’nt even actually on the M1
as I was getting close to the M1 an engine malfunction warning light and buzzers go off and the exhaust is chucking out smoke.
could’ve been a serious fault where you finally break down in a live lane !
Why should the agency or the company pay your fine?
There are signs everywhere you look in services telling you parking is free for two hours but you have to pay if you’re going to be there any longer than that.
When you rang, you were told the mechanics would be 90 mins to 2 hours to get to you, add time for them to actually look at the vehicle, diagnose the issue and potentially fix it, it was obvious you would be there more than 2 hours.
You went into the services to buy credit for your phone, you could have paid for parking then, and claimed that cost back from either the company or the agency.
Or, failing that, you could have told the staff at the services that your vehicle had broken down and you were waiting for a mechanic to come out to you. Do that and you can stay for free, they just watch you on the cameras to make sure you’re not lying and then you don’t have to pay or get a fine.
Terry Cooksey:
Why should the agency or the company pay your fine?
There are signs everywhere you look in services telling you parking is free for two hours but you have to pay if you’re going to be there any longer than that.
When you rang, you were told the mechanics would be 90 mins to 2 hours to get to you, add time for them to actually look at the vehicle, diagnose the issue and potentially fix it, it was obvious you would be there more than 2 hours.
You went into the services to buy credit for your phone, you could have paid for parking then, and claimed that cost back from either the company or the agency.
Or, failing that, you could have told the staff at the services that your vehicle had broken down and you were waiting for a mechanic to come out to you. Do that and you can stay for free, they just watch you on the cameras to make sure you’re not lying and then you don’t have to pay or get a fine.
applecomson:
Well it seems I was wrong so tomorrow when I have a word with a manager there I’ll suggest that it’s put on an induction paper for new starters.
Sorry mate, this may sting a bit and I mean it in the nicest possible way and no malice, but maybe get them to instruct people to breathe in and out too?
It’s a bit common sensey, no?
The bit I’m completely with you on is the getting you to pay part. Someone should take a hit for that and it shouldn’t be you for trying to do the right thing.
toonsy:
Whenever I’ve had an issue like a tyre or a breakdown I take the paperwork into whsmith or whatever as proof and I’ve never had an issue getting the charges wiped?
Not even showed paperwork before, park up to get tyre done and straight to WH Smiths “Hi, I just parked up for a tyre change, might be over two hours before I leave, can you put my plate on the the tablet in front of you, cheers, bye”.
applecomson:
Agency driver here working for a very well known company.
Last Monday I pulled out of the depot and headed off down the road, as I was getting close to the M1 an engine malfunction warning light and buzzers go off and the exhaust is chucking out smoke.
Being the considerate soul that I am I get the lorry to the services which were only 2-3 miles down the road and park up. I eventually manage to get through to someone at our depot to tell them what’s happened and they give me the number of the company’s main helpline which I had to add credit to my phone to ring as my plan doesn’t cover 0845 numbers.
So I call the number and explain the issue, they ask the usual where are you parked, what’s the problem etc etc and then they tell me they’ll call out the local DAF agents to come and see what’s wrong. The agents call me and tell me 90 minutes to 2 hours.
So I wait and after about 90 minutes a lad in a van turns up and plugs in his laptop and after 15-20 minutes tells me that the EBV ( ? ) is faulty and tips the cab and shows me the problem. Get it back to base and defect it and let them sort it he says.
I phone our transport up and they tell me to bring it back to the depot so I do that and defect it.
Job done or so I thought ! Anyone care to guess what’s not long happened ?
Why did you not get the Agency to organise things instead of settling for them giving you the number.
Or at least why did you not tell them you were unable to make any calls as your phone credit would not cover it.
If it was me, I’d have reported the fault, rang them to sort things,.and got in the bunk…on full pay,.waiting for DAF to ring me.
toonsy:
Whenever I’ve had an issue like a tyre or a breakdown I take the paperwork into whsmith or whatever as proof and I’ve never had an issue getting the charges wiped?
Not even showed paperwork before, park up to get tyre done and straight to WH Smiths “Hi, I just parked up for a tyre change, might be over two hours before I leave, can you put my plate on the the tablet in front of you, cheers, bye”.
Also please get a cheap monthly plan.
Yeah yeah same, never an issue. But I do always try and take some proof in case I get asked but yeah never got that far.
applecomson:
Agency driver here working for a very well known company.
Last Monday I pulled out of the depot and headed off down the road, as I was getting close to the M1 an engine malfunction warning light and buzzers go off and the exhaust is chucking out smoke.
Being the considerate soul that I am I get the lorry to the services which were only 2-3 miles down the road and park up. I eventually manage to get through to someone at our depot to tell them what’s happened and they give me the number of the company’s main helpline which I had to add credit to my phone to ring as my plan doesn’t cover 0845 numbers.
So I call the number and explain the issue, they ask the usual where are you parked, what’s the problem etc etc and then they tell me they’ll call out the local DAF agents to come and see what’s wrong. The agents call me and tell me 90 minutes to 2 hours.
So I wait and after about 90 minutes a lad in a van turns up and plugs in his laptop and after 15-20 minutes tells me that the EBV ( ? ) is faulty and tips the cab and shows me the problem. Get it back to base and defect it and let them sort it he says.
I phone our transport up and they tell me to bring it back to the depot so I do that and defect it.
Job done or so I thought ! Anyone care to guess what’s not long happened ?
Why did you not get the Agency to organise things instead of settling for them giving you the number.
Or at least why did you not tell them you were unable to make any calls as your phone credit would not cover it.
If it was me, I’d have reported the fault, rang them to sort things,.and got in the bunk…on full pay,.waiting for DAF to ring me.
Crossed lines, the agency weren’t involved at all, the only phone calls made were the the haulage company, they organised the call out.