An opinion please;

[darkseeker]

Breaker One-Nine:
To me it sounds like they don’t want you back. You were sent on a days work and that run has probably been done a hundred times over by many other drivers and possibly never had any trouble.

You had trouble finding your last drop. Instead of carrying on and finding it you headed for home. I know you were running out of time but really you dont need to stop at exactly nine hours. There is a bit of lee way in the occasion that you may be stopped.

In the eyes of the agency it probably appeared that you were using the tachograph as an excuse for a finish bang on six o’clock. Maybe they don’t but if I am hired to do a job, I get the job done. That’s what pays the bills. Tachograph breaks don’t.

Talk about holier than f’in thou!

If you read the op properly, it had nothing to do with 9hours. I stopped for my first break an hour and a half early (I’d made good time) but when the following 4.5 hours were up I didn’t have time to find the place.

What was I supposed to do!? I had no contact number (well, not one that was answered), I couldn’t find the place and would need to stop for a break in less than 15mins. The depot I was working from was about 10 mins away. So what - I should have carried on looking until 6 when the shop shut!? then gone back having not found the shop and gone 40mins over 4.5hrs - sorry but as far as I know this is illeagal and could result in me and currys getting fined - I’m sure he’d’ve loved that one.

Yes, I cocked up and it’s cost me, fair enough. but ffs, get off your soap-box or preach to someone who’s listening.

[breaker_one-nine]

Don’t get on my case about it lad. You asked for opinions and you have got mine. You may not like it or agree but that is the way I see it. It is most likely the way the agency sees it too. They will want people who are able to deliver the goods, not excuses.

If I was running out of driving time I would pull over and got in contact with someone who could tell me exactly where the store is. Then drive straight there. Then take the break after the drop.

[kenny1975]

Waste of time calling them, drivers are disposable at the moment.

You go do a job, gotta get it done right, even if it means you are run ragged because if you can’t do it someone else can.

Ive been getting enough work to get by on, a few shifts a week luckly the shifts i get typically are 13-15 hours so even a few days suits me.

Was working the other night, was speaking with another agency driver, i got a decent run store delivery good 2hrs 30mins drive away, good first run of the night 5hrs driving, 1hr 30mins to tip, plus 45min break nearly 8 hours by the time i get back to the depot ready for another run to get my OT. When things were busier maybe have dragged that out to 10 hours called it a day, a lot would but its not worth the risk these days.

Other agency driver got hit with a local shop only 10min drive away said no worries i’ll run this out to 6 hours i’m thinking smart move in this economic climate, be the last shift you do.

[steverospa]

darkseeker:
I’ve been working for various agencies for several months now and haven’t been doing too bad. I’m with 5 agencies and only ever got work from two of them - until recently When one stopped giving me work all of a sudden.
Did you not know angency driver should know evey thing evey route evey shop evey truck. Yes that’s it supper man. 99% angencs are all ■■■■. No work from jan to march and they expect you to sit all daywaiting for the phone to ring

I think I know why;

Towards the end of november, I did a day through said agency at currys, about 6 drops to various stores.

About 13:00, I decided because I was getting done nice and quick that I’d have my dinner. I’d done about 3hrs driving and had done three drops and a collection, having had a 45 I carried on.

I only had one drop left, near base. The girl in the office rang me to say I needed to be there by 18:00. I’d worked out I’d be there about 17:30 - but I wasn’t 100% sure where the store was

So, I got to the general area and started looking for the place - no sign By now it was 17:45, and the tacho started flashing (15 mins left):oops: So, I came to the conclusion that I’d have one last look and if I couldn’t find it I’d just head back to the depot and appologise - which is what I did, if I’d stopped for a 45 (to get the 10th hour’s driving) the shop would’ve shut anyway.

Anyway, the guy wasn’t impressed, he didn’t say much but it was more than clear. So, I left him to it, finished the paperwork etc and went home.

I know I cocked up by having that break early - I accept that. I didn’t have a number so I couldn’t have asked them to get someone to hang on for me or ask where it was, there wasn’t really any way around it.

Anyway, I got paid for it - £6.50/hr on a saturday So I got that sorted, but have heard nothing since The worst thing is I got most work from them and most of it was class 2 (as opposed to 7.5t or a van).

Should I ring them to try to sort it out, or is it a lost cause?