I am a day driver but always carry a bag with kit for a night out. You never know.
Honked:
Pull the card out. Wait 30 mins while you have a ■■■, call the wife to tell her you will be late, have a leak up the tyre, then drive home.If you are still on old paper tacho, then just pull it out and burn it (noting the mileage) then write out a manual chart.
This should be covered in the DCPC instead of the tripe they come out with now.
fully agree, except for the ■■■ bit,
When I used to point a wagon, I always carried a 2nd digi card just to make sure I got back to base… sometimes I got a few quizzical
looks from the planners (how the hell did he get back?..ah, who cares, get that wagon back out !!)
weather or accident problems I don’t care, I always got back home to MY bed, 
oh dear not another thread where the op doesn’t get the reply expected and goes off on one.
to me no its not unreasonable unless it becomes a regular thing then you are not a day driver. we never knighted out at asda but I had a couple due to accidents, hold ups etc. ■■■■ happens just deal with it as most modern trucks have night heaters etc.
scoobyears:
When I used to point a wagon, I always carried a 2nd digi card just to make sure I got back to base… sometimes I got a few quizzical
looks from the planners (how the hell did he get back?..ah, who cares, get that wagon back out !!)
weather or accident problems I don’t care, I always got back home to MY bed,
Your compliance people must be really crap at their job 
I’d bet money that if you got stopped and checked by DVSA the first question would be “why are you using an invalid driver card” 
I imagine the company could then expect a visit from the DVSA.
tachograph:
scoobyears:
When I used to point a wagon, I always carried a 2nd digi card just to make sure I got back to base… sometimes I got a few quizzical
looks from the planners (how the hell did he get back?..ah, who cares, get that wagon back out !!)
weather or accident problems I don’t care, I always got back home to MY bed,Your compliance people must be really crap at their job
I’d bet money that if you got stopped and checked by DVSA the first question would be “why are you using an invalid driver card”
I imagine the company could then expect a visit from the DVSA.
Anyone who pulled that stunt or anything remotely illegal where i work, their feet wouldn’t touch the floor till they were dumped unceremoniously into the arms of VOSA or whatever they call themselves this week.
Key aspect of this is keeping company informed .
Its no good ringing up saying ’ im out of time come and pick me up ’
Ring up 2 hours before and warn them , ring up an hour before and tell them its definately going to happen and make sure u agree a plan .
If they havent got the manpower to get u then ask for taxi number they have account with
Of course u need to be sure you are in the right , have you been making extra stops , did you get lost , did u start late etc etc as these could all be excuses to hang you
On the wider question of duty of care the transport industry seems to be exempt :
Providing toilet facilities ,
Providing washing facilities ,
Providing security ,
Providing food or cooking facilities ,
AND on more general point providing things like alternative employment if u have been suffering from illness ,
Providing accident insurance for what can be a dangerous job ,
Providing medical monitoring and lifestyle help .
I would like the Goverment/EU to crack down on this industry .
They more worried about illegal imms picking cockles !!
This isnt an industry with some rogue employers
Its A ROGUE INDUSTRY
If a driver has no legal option but to have a night out then that is what they do and the company picks up the tab for it
It would be deemed unreasonable if the driver booked into a 5 star hotel when a nice cheap B&B was also available and the company would be in its right not to pay the difference between the two
ROG:
If a driver has no legal option but to have a night out then that is what they do and the company picks up the tab for itIt would be deemed unreasonable if the driver booked into a 5 star hotel when a nice cheap B&B was also available and the company would be in its right not to pay the difference between the two
i worked with a lad at asda who had to night out at scotch corner, so and fair play to him. he books into the hotel, has a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine. get back to the yard and hands in the bill, never given a long run again, and they paid it.
I think a few of you may be mistaken on the legality of what the driver can, and can’t do, and how many people fetch him, and in what vehicle.
Mattwoodtransport:
I think a few of you may be mistaken on the legality of what the driver can, and can’t do, and how many people fetch him, and in what vehicle.
In what way do you mean mistaken, as we have differing opinions on here and we can’t tell which side of the fence you fall on?
Javiatrix:
If you’re in a day cab, the onus is on them for bad planning, and they either need to collect you or put you in a hotel for the night. If they are unable to do either, you’re well within your rights to call a taxi on their dollar. It’s in the drivers hours regs; you can only take your daily rest in a vehicle “fitted with suitable sleeping facilities”.If it’s a sleeper and you’ve no night out kit, it’s a bit of a grey area. On the one hand, you can legally take your daily rest in the vehicle, but on the other hand, due to the company’s poor planning, it is unlikely you will get a good night’s sleep and thus your ability to drive the next day could be compromised. I ended up in exactly this position a few weeks ago (only 20 miles from base too!). I ended up taking it on the chin as it was only a one off. Thought about pulling my card but could do with the money to be honest
Could be absolutely nothing to do with “bad planning”, Planners cant plan for unexpected delays when a vehicle is out on the road,especially if its a bad RTA and the road is blocked,or even a breakdown its up to the Driver to be prepared for the unexpected.If its a non sleeper then its a B&B or a Motel If you know time is getting to get a bit short,ring your Depot and let them know the situation and ask them what they want you do, put the ball in their court. In the early days of my 40+ plus years of driving I learned very quickly always be prepared for the unexpected,have the basics in the motor enough to get you by. Never assume that because you are a day driver nothing unexpected is going to happen so that you cant get home.
My contract now doesnt mention doing ’ unexpected’ or ’ nights out’
If i had to do 1 would this be breach of contract ?
It just says’ reasonable flexibility to meet needs of business ’
Compo ■■
i had an inflatable pillow for emergencies.
and in the winter took a blanket or sleeping bag even when agency just in case (they are hardly big the new ones when compressed down).
I’m a day man but with a regular vehicle, i keep a minimal set of kit tucked out of harms way in the vehicle for the time it all goes wrong.
If i was driving a different vehicle every day, i’d keep the set of emergency kit in my locker and take it with me on trips that had potential for things to go badly wrong, most days in the winter.
A lorry driver has a duty of taking some care of him/herself, we aint schoolkids or civil service pen pushers than need to be spoon fed, take some responsibility for being a grown up in a grown ups job.
Juddian:
I’m a day man but with a regular vehicle, i keep a minimal set of kit tucked out of harms way in the vehicle for the time it all goes wrong.
If i was driving a different vehicle every day, i’d keep the set of emergency kit in my locker and take it with me on trips that had potential for things to go badly wrong, most days in the winter.A lorry driver has a duty of taking some care of him/herself, we aint schoolkids or civil service pen pushers than need to be spoon fed, take some responsibility for being a grown up in a grown ups job.
Agreed.
tmcassett:
Is this the long awaited sequel to last years epic blockbuster "unplanned night out "■■?
Just possibly, if I remember that legendary thread correctly the consensus of opinion was that if you have never slept in a truck you aint a proper trucker although me grandpappy used to say if ive never slept on a horsedrawn cart I aint never going to be a real trucker, closest I got was spending the night in a pony and trap.
If theres even the faintest possibility of a night out a bit of common sense kit is required, dont mean take your favourite nightie and blankey just a rolled up sleeping bag will do.
muckles:
Mattwoodtransport:
I think a few of you may be mistaken on the legality of what the driver can, and can’t do, and how many people fetch him, and in what vehicle.In what way do you mean mistaken, as we have differing opinions on here and we can’t tell which side of the fence you fall on?
Just that this sounds like the beginning of an rdc tale, “can’t fetch them with two people” “can’t be fetched” ,“fitter fetched me with a van” etc etc.
Might be worth a debate so as not to confuse whilst we all may learn a bit.
Had this a few times on agency. First company sent two drivers, one to drive me back in the 4x4 and another to drive the truck back. Another time, it was just a driver and I drove his van back.
Who’s going to be the first trainer/instructor to advise people to just jump in the collecting vehicle and go back to the depot after max duty time?
Yes lots have done it, and will continue to do it, but if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident on the way back to the depot and DVSA get involved it’ll never happen again.