I had a phone call from the agency. they’ve offered me work for next week. I’ve got a feeling that nobody else would touch it
its driving a 7.5 tonner (not sure where, waiting for them to phone me back with the details) nights out all week.
£6.50 per hr flat rate, £20 a night allowance. trouble is that it has no sleeper cab, so that means kipping across the seats or finding cheap digs (if anyone has any tips on finding cheap b&b’s I would be eternally grateful )
at least its work, if only for one week few more pennies toward CE!
I’ve just brought mind driving off amazon, has anyone got any recommendations for other useful driving books?
has anyone on here done any work for a place called KTS near measham?
does anyone know of or can recommend a decent agency in Leicester?
Be careful, sleeping across the seats is a no no ! You are supposed to have access to a proper bunk, £20 per night is tight unless you are getting the £20 plus they are paying for your digs. No wonder no one will touch it !
personally i wouldnt do it unless they were providing a b&b for me. it is illegal for you to spend a 9/11hr rest accross the seats so be careful about that
If it’s a 7.5 tonner then chances are it will also have no curtains, but the chances of it having no curtains if it has no sleeper are huge, just stay well away.
you will not sleep well on the seats and will not be safe to drive the next day, if you get a copy of the free mag called Truck stop news it lists truck stops that have motels for drivers, one of which is the Hollies on the A5 at Cannock, they have a hotel for drivers and it is cheap, for contractors to use too.
I know what you mean (its not the first time I’ve bedded down in a puddle jumper with no bunk and cardboard for curtains, but that was 20 years ago and I was a lot younger, lol) every ounce of my common sense and self esteem is telling me not to do it, I can cope with roughing it, after all it is only for a week. its the pay that’s an insult and I’m guessing I was at the end of the list to get asked. but work around here for class 2 is extinct at the minute, and work is work, maybe it’ll lead to a better offer afterwards?
[quote="maybe it’ll lead to a better offer afterwards?[/quote]
Or maybe you’ll be known by the agency as the guy they can throw any crap at and he’ll do it. Turn the other cheek mate and make them pre-book b&b’s for you otherwise the wagon stays where it is. You could bet your life on it that no mongrel from an agency would do it under these circumstances.
Vosa pull they will want to see receipts for sleeping in a B+B or hotel etc who pays the fine you out your wages because I can promise you the company or the agency will and the reason the agency are not forth coming with the details is for a reason , they already no the details but don’t want to tell you for another reason .
If this is the first job they have offered you I would tell them now that under no circumstances will you be doing it without pre booked accommodation , no one else wants the job for a reason and your bottom of there pile and there is no loyalty’s with agency’s don’t think you will get good work after .
My advice is give them as much notice as you can to arrange someone else or sort digs out oh and also find another agency as the one you seem to be with are not to clever by sounds of things .
Am firm believer you have to work your way up and I have slept across front seats of a van for around 4hrs on long haul trip and I can be sure I wont be in no hurry to do it again , digs money was paid but I wanted to crack on swings and roundabouts as a employees its always good to stick in the odd favor now and again if helping decent boss out as never no when may need a hand or you may want a early finish Friday but for a agency I wouldn’t even consider it
ARC in Leicester are pretty good!!! Based out by the M1/69… I’ve not used them personally but had good feed back as a new pass and have heard other good things about them.
As for sleeping across the cab seats… Illegal is illegal!!!
Ok, I’ve been driving Class 1 for 8 years since I was 26. I’ve never found a Law that relates to needing a sleeper cab for a night out.
Could someone post a link please as it’d come in handy for people.
MikeCunn:
Ok, I’ve been driving Class 1 for 8 years since I was 26. I’ve never found a Law that relates to needing a sleeper cab for a night out.
Could someone post a link please as it’d come in handy for people.
Your daily rest is only legal in a sleeper cab. Sleeping across seats is not allowed as daily rest. And if you don’t have your daily rest then it is illegal to drive.
I remember when I was desperate for experience didn’t even really need money, just wanted to “get the feeling” . If you need the money badly then needs must, if it’s just to break your duck DON’T. Never do any favours for agencies or employers and think you will get a better deal in return, once you let the ■■■■ be taken the ■■■■ is all you get. Trust me ■■■■ was all I used to be worth.
MikeCunn:
Ok, I’ve been driving Class 1 for 8 years since I was 26. I’ve never found a Law that relates to needing a sleeper cab for a night out.
Could someone post a link please as it’d come in handy for people.
> When a daily rest is taken, this may be taken in a vehicle, as long as it has suitable sleeping facilities and is stationary.
also
Journeys involving ferry or train transport
Where a driver accompanies a vehicle that is being transported by ferry or train, the daily rest requirements are more flexible.
A regular daily rest period may be interrupted no more than twice, but the total interruption must not exceed 1 hour in total. This allows for a vehicle to be driven on to a ferry and off again at the end of the crossing. Where the rest period is interrupted in this way, the total accumulated rest period must still be 11 hours. A bunk or couchette must be available during the rest periods.
thanks ailsa, i know the place you mean, i’ll give them a try i don’t know if its the time of year, the recession, cheaper foreign labour or what but work around here is thinner on the ground than i’ve ever known.
i rang the agency this morning planning to tell them that i wasn’t happy (i don’t really have a choice though $$$ are badly needed) but the ■■■■■■■ the phone beat me to it. the same job is on, but has been changed. it’s now in an 18 tonner (guess the load got to heavy!! ) with the optional extra of a SLEEPER CAB :) and instead of starting monday morning they want me to go sunday afternoon.
it’s still £6.50 per hour flat rate!!! i tried to push her up a bit but it’s a take it or leave it deal. can’t complain though, 6 nights gets me £120 tax free paid for sleeping.
Alan16ac:
Your daily rest is only legal in a sleeper cab. Sleeping across seats is not allowed as daily rest. And if you don’t have your daily rest then it is illegal to drive.
That’s what I’ve heard and believe to be true. However, I want to see it in writing from an official source and I never have.
This is a link to PCV rules. I’m a HGV Driver. I’m not being facetious, but I want to see it in writing from an official source stating that if Daily Rest is taken in a cab, it must have a bed and night heater etc.
Alan16ac:
Your daily rest is only legal in a sleeper cab. Sleeping across seats is not allowed as daily rest. And if you don’t have your daily rest then it is illegal to drive.
That’s what I’ve heard and believe to be true. However, I want to see it in writing from an official source and I never have.
This is a link to PCV rules. I’m a HGV Driver. I’m not being facetious, but I want to see it in writing from an official source stating that if Daily Rest is taken in a cab, it must have a bed and night heater etc.
I remember reading a few years ago about this on line, there are no requirements for a heater, a fridge or anything like that. The law simply states you must have access to a level surface with a minimum width of bunk. This is to prevent you using a day cab, or rest cab with a very thin bunk as a sleeper. I am quite confident that if you got a blow up air bed from Argos and put it in the load area it wouldn’t be anyplace near ideal, but would satisfy the requirements of the law in being flat and of sufficient width.
The minimum width restriction was designed to stop operators sacrificing your quality of rest and therefor safety for increased pay load.
I’ve never seen it written down anywhere that I can’t bump off my ex partner, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal!
Alan16ac:
This is a link to PCV rules. I’m a HGV Driver. I’m not being facetious, but I want to see it in writing from an official source stating that if Daily Rest is taken in a cab, it must have a bed and night heater etc.
Apologies for posting the wrong link, but the wording is the same in the HGV PDF. Google “vosa daily rest sleeping” and you will see.
Can’t link to the Dept of Transport PDF directly now cos I’m on my phone, but here’s another couple of sites quoting the same wording
)
. If you need the money badly then needs must, if it’s just to break your duck DON’T. Never do any favours for agencies or employers and think you will get a better deal in return, once you let the ■■■■ be taken the ■■■■ is all you get. Trust me ■■■■ was all I used to be worth. 