As long as you write on the back you are not hiding anything. I know it’s a bit extreme but he did not have a SAFE place to park, and if all his cards for the last 27 days were ok he then should be ok.
I’ll learn how to spell one day!!
Did he not take the card out ?
Thought the TM told him to remove the card ?
if he kept the card in and did an extra 1hr 30mins i’d be tempted to ditch that card if it was a one off and do a manual entry that the card got lost. if its a one off and rest of his tachos are fine prob no hassles.
dogthehunter:
Not sure what to do was told to run bent today and went over my 41/2 hours by an hour an half (not out of choice)
Lets just stop you here. You did have a choice. No one was sat next to you with a gun at your head? Where does it say you can ignore the regs you know if your boss says…?
What do i do?walk away and try find another job or carry on and do what they say?
Go on,have a stab in the dark, just a wild guess yourself? What really do you expect people on here to say to you?
Mike_c Give the guy a break!!! It’s more than likely his first class 1 job probably a young lad, he wants advice thats all
No driver on here has ever ran bent for the boss have they, no never!!!, the vast majority have bin there done that and got the T-shirt.
Deepinvet:
Mike_c Give the guy a break!!! It’s more than likely his first class 1 job probably a young lad, he wants advice thats allNo driver on here has ever ran bent for the boss have they, no never!!!, the vast majority have bin there done that and got the T-shirt.
A break? Advice? The best break and advice is the truth. What do you want me to say to him?..its ok we’ve all done it?
The best bosses that get you to run bent tell you what to do and what to say and they don’t have drivers asking about it on a public forum. Also they don’t usually ask if they should jack in, they get paid well and do it until they’ve had enough.
From what i have read he hasn’t run bent, he’s just been treated like a mug and he’s done what they told him to even though he knows its wrong. Commercial Motor magazine has a full legal section every week as you probably know, and almost without fail every operator that gets caught blames drivers for ‘taking advantage’ and then they all get to do a tacho course or some other such noinsense.
While you’re in the mood for giving the guy a break lets see what advice you can give him hey? Fire away…
Do what i do.say “no problem”.
then phone up the managing director.
It’s his company.
He’d probably send a taxi out to you.
his business is worth more than the word of the transport manager. he is expendable. his business is’nt.
Not excusing going over your hours or driving without a tachograph.
But i think some new drivers don’t have a clue about the seriousness of doing these things. I know they prob all know its wrong to do it especially 7.5ton and class 2 drivers.
But some ive spoke to a few doing stupid things don’t think its a serious offence. Was speaking to a 7.5 driver the other week he was saying they are on 8 hours guareenteed, so a lot of the drivers get to about 4hrs 30mins driving and they are maybe 15mins from base and just pull the tachograph out, to save stoping for a break and get finished earlier.
I told him he was stupid taking such a risk, he said why he thought maybe you would get a £60 or a slap on the wrists for doing it. When i told him the fines and what could happen he was shocked.
May sound incredible that these days people don’t have a clue but a fair few people ive spoke to didnt have a clue to the seriousness of doing it.
Don’t do it.
You will get fined, not the boss. Boss will deny all knowledge, he will tell VOSA he told you not to, nobody is irreplaceable…
It’s not worth the risk for half an hour. 5-10 mins ok, you can get away with it if you don’t take the proverbial and as someone else said, write on the back of printout or tacho.
Mike-C:
Deepinvet:
Mike_c Give the guy a break!!! It’s more than likely his first class 1 job probably a young lad, he wants advice thats allNo driver on here has ever ran bent for the boss have they, no never!!!, the vast majority have bin there done that and got the T-shirt.
A break? Advice? The best break and advice is the truth. What do you want me to say to him?..its ok we’ve all done it?
The best bosses that get you to run bent tell you what to do and what to say and they don’t have drivers asking about it on a public forum. Also they don’t usually ask if they should jack in, they get paid well and do it until they’ve had enough.
From what i have read he hasn’t run bent, he’s just been treated like a mug and he’s done what they told him to even though he knows its wrong. Commercial Motor magazine has a full legal section every week as you probably know, and almost without fail every operator that gets caught blames drivers for ‘taking advantage’ and then they all get to do a tacho course or some other such noinsense.
While you’re in the mood for giving the guy a break lets see what advice you can give him hey? Fire away…
Re read the posts you will see he has had advice from me and other drivers to!!
Typical public forum answer ‘Flame him for asking a silly question’…
Kenny1975:
Not excusing going over your hours or driving without a tachograph.But i think some new drivers don’t have a clue about the seriousness of doing these things. I know they prob all know its wrong to do it especially 7.5ton and class 2 drivers.
But some ive spoke to a few doing stupid things don’t think its a serious offence. Was speaking to a 7.5 driver the other week he was saying they are on 8 hours guareenteed, so a lot of the drivers get to about 4hrs 30mins driving and they are maybe 15mins from base and just pull the tachograph out, to save stoping for a break and get finished earlier.
i agree with what you say here Kenny, maybe new drivers dont realise the scale of the offence they are comitting, the possible penalty, or just regard pulling the card/going over/tipping on bed etc as acceptable. If this is what they are told by their first employer as a hgv driver for example it is sort-of understandable, although not to be condoned.
as for pulling the card and running the last 15 mins to get finished early, more fool them. there is a company not far from me (and not a ‘two-rigids and an artic’ type small outfit) who are an a job-and-knock basis with guaranteed hours. the scale of this kind of stuff, and tipping on break, going over, etc has become apparent to vosa and the company are in the process of being hammered for it.
Hi dogthehunter,
As you posted a lot earlier in other threads you are a new driver and have at last got the chance to drive a HGV and I’m sure that you have paid a lot of money to obtain that elusive HGV Licence to allow you to do it.
You asked for advice, even though you knew what you where being asked to do was illegal, you have had responses that have confirmed your own fears. DON’T DO IT!! Sack the job and find another job!! Easier said than done, especially for somebody new to the game.
It sounds like this TM is a real t****r and in reality probably only has 1 or 2 other drivers doing the same thing for similar reasons, you have now compromised yourself because this TM will always say to ‘well you had no problem doing it last week so whats the problem now?’ If you refuse to break the law again you will end up always get the crappiest truck to use, the worst runs and will always be messed about especially when it comes to holidays or time off.
What seems to be the problem with the some of the responses to your question is memory loss!
No experience - No Job, No Job - No Income.
If there is anyone responding to this thread that can say, absolutely honestly, that at the beginning of their driving career they where never pressurised or persuaded to do something similar because somebody who appeared much more experienced & knowlegdable than theirself then they were incredibly lucky!
It takes time to gain experience and confidence in your own abilities to drive and do the job professionally and completely legally and seeking advice and support from others who have that experience should be supported and not ridiculed. We all had to start somewhere and not all of us have the confidence and benefit of 20yrs or more on the road to fall back on.
If I was you I would make sure you have made a copy of the Tacho chart and also print out a short note describing the situation and detailing the course of action your TM instructed you to take. You should still have the Tacho charts in your possession and your company will want them handed in so when you go to do that just point out that the TM needs to sign your short description of the time he told you ‘take the chart out and carry on, they all do it’ if the TM refuses to do this you then refuse to hand in the offending chart and that you will be informing VOSA about it straight away. You could even pretend to be ringing them on your mobile, the confidential contact no; has been posted on this thread. This course of action might give you some time to find another job before the proverbial hits the fan but whatever decision you make you need to get out of there and also make sure they know you are not a pushover and will throw them in. It sounds like this is just a ‘tip of the iceberg’ thing with this company and I feel sure drivers before you have been put in the same position but haven’t known what to do.
If you do take this course of action, and haven’t been able to find a new job, try to keep calm and don’t throw the job in there and then. They cannott sack you for refusing to break the law or for getting confirmation that you were being asked to do that, if you are still on with them remember that if you do this again and get caught, it isn’t just the one ‘driving over time offence’ that happens it becomes ■■■■■■■■■■ and one offence becomes three and so on. If it went to court you would be facing fines per offence and that soon adds up to a couple of thousand pounds and possible jail time and revocation of YOUR driving icence. 
Hope this helps you make the right decision
Regards
Dave Penn;
well said 
a queerie regarding the previous post though -
I usually deliver steelwork to building sites, most of which are in london. now, let’s say it takes me about 3.5 hours to get to the site, I’m not allowed on the back of the wagon because of the site rules (must have a harness and I’m not qualified to use one). All I can do is remove the straps and put them away amd leave the guys to it. I usually put the tacho on “other work” while I sort the straps out and find the fitters to unload me, then put it on break as there’s nothing I can do - I used to take a 45 before I went into london but I find this way works better for me - am I doing anything wrong and am I right in thinking what I’m doing probably looks suspicious?
darkseeker:
well saida queerie regarding the previous post though -
I usually deliver steelwork to building sites, most of which are in london. now, let’s say it takes me about 3.5 hours to get to the site, I’m not allowed on the back of the wagon because of the site rules (must have a harness and I’m not qualified to use one). All I can do is remove the straps and put them away amd leave the guys to it. I usually put the tacho on “other work” while I sort the straps out and find the fitters to unload me, then put it on break as there’s nothing I can do - I used to take a 45 before I went into london but I find this way works better for me - am I doing anything wrong and am I right in thinking what I’m doing probably looks suspicious?
from what you said above you are perfectly legal to do this as in effect you are not doing any other work or driving. you are just waiting to be unloaded, it is just the same as putting it on break while you are on a bay. as long as you put it back to other work when you get out to sort the sides out or restrap the rest of the load (if there is any) then there shouldnt be a problem!
Deepinvet:
Mike-C:
Deepinvet:
Mike_c Give the guy a break!!! It’s more than likely his first class 1 job probably a young lad, he wants advice thats allNo driver on here has ever ran bent for the boss have they, no never!!!, the vast majority have bin there done that and got the T-shirt.
A break? Advice? The best break and advice is the truth. What do you want me to say to him?..its ok we’ve all done it?
The best bosses that get you to run bent tell you what to do and what to say and they don’t have drivers asking about it on a public forum. Also they don’t usually ask if they should jack in, they get paid well and do it until they’ve had enough.
From what i have read he hasn’t run bent, he’s just been treated like a mug and he’s done what they told him to even though he knows its wrong. Commercial Motor magazine has a full legal section every week as you probably know, and almost without fail every operator that gets caught blames drivers for ‘taking advantage’ and then they all get to do a tacho course or some other such noinsense.
While you’re in the mood for giving the guy a break lets see what advice you can give him hey? Fire away…Re read the posts you will see he has had advice from me and other drivers to!!
Typical public forum answer ‘Flame him for asking a silly question’…
Flame him? Right, he ‘thinks’ he’s running bent. He isn’t. Running bent is when you ‘bend’ or missappropriate the rules for gain. He’s gaining nothing, he’s being treated like a mug. He’s being told to break the law and as we all know if he gets caught he’ll be hung out to dry. If everyone who was pressured to do certain stuff in the haulage industry, well specifically drivers, follows the ‘change jobs’ route every time the pressure is put on no one would be in a job. What sort of advice is that, gaffa asks to to go over your hours and without a bye or leave you just leave after doing what he has just asked you to do? The correct advice to the guy is for him to tell his boss…no i won’t do that, you get your runs planned out better so i aint being put in this predicament, don’t do that to me again. He may be young and maybe a new driver, but as he has shown he does know what is right and wrong and at a guess he’s in his 20’s? He’s a working man not a nursery child. While some of you would give out the 'just leave ’ advice i would say grow a pair of balls and tell the boss to get lost.
Maybe we could all jump on the Jesus bus and target lorrys parks and ferries and target all those who we know run bent and give out leaflets telling them they don’t have to put up with it , there is another way, follow the light of the WTD and have a happy and fullfilled life !!
Oh and by the way, what if he can’t get another job and he needs his wage every week, what then? Oh, hang on that’ll be take the advice i just gave !!
Being a moderator you really should read the posts…bored with this thread now.
Deepinvet:
Being a moderator you really should read the posts…
Oh i do , i’m still laughing from the advice …write on the back had to get to safe parking…by and hour and a half !!
Deepinvet:
…bored with this thread now.
Yeah, lets give the guy a break, hang on, you said that before !!