I have just been let go from a company based in Birmingham for no reason other than the operations Directer who i will not name did not not like me. I had not been with this firm very long and was always looking for some thing better. Now i know this is quite a difficult one as the company concerned mainly run sprinter vans into Europe mainly Germany. If i am not wrong vans still have to run to driving hours 10 hours a day 11 hours on duty okay it is hard to enforce this rule as there is no tacos fitted but the fact this company have trackers fitted would help to prove these rules our being broken. What makes me angry is the operations directer is a bully and when a van driver comes back from a run say 15 hours driving he will put the driver in a 7 1/2 tonne as he sees it as if the driver is in that lorry for a hour the DSVA will not know he just got out of a sprinter after 15 hours driving.
What would you do knowing what i know and the fact i hate the fat [zb]. and how do you feel that the guy in the 7 1/2 tonne lorry behind you and family may of been driving for over 20 hours without a break. Do you say nothing or do you report him and if so who to.
Are you employed or self employed and whats the money like?[/quo
This is a job you only do to get European experience not for the money as it is BAD paid a basic salary £1000 a month and £600 for nights out but this company will make sure you are doing your nights out so you do spend on toilets and showers and food E.T.C
I used to work for a company that did a similar thing, out for most of the day on sameday, then a ‘quick’ job in a 7.5.
Used to be based in MK, then moved, to Birmingham area!
If you have refused to break any laws despite him putting pressure on him then it is fair enough that you feel a sense of grievance if he’s sacked you for that. But if you have been breaking the law and engaged in this 20-hour day nonsense then reporting him is not really cricket, unless you plan to report yourself as well. Can’t have it both ways.
All of the OP’s words are FACT. (I used to work there! ) But I jacked, You’d be in the yard all day, then a job would arrive meaning you’d be out all night until the delivery was done, being in the UK or over the water. You would get some sleep if you were lucky, until a backload was found. The guy In charge wants to be a bully, not to me he wasn’t. A walkover I ain’t.
funny reading this as this afternoon I was in a petrol garage getting a coffee ect, there was a lad in front of me who was telling lass behind the counter that he needed his coffee as he had been driving since just after dinner yesterday, was driving a transit on refrigeration, this was about 3:30 this afternoon, and tbh looking at him I would believe him, lad looked absolutely [zb]. said he was on his way to Hull docks to collect for a London delivery tonight■■? must be mental… i understand food on the table ect but its no good if you cant get to the table cos your dead…
dle1uk:
funny reading this as this afternoon I was in a petrol garage getting a coffee ect, there was a lad in front of me who was telling lass behind the counter that he needed his coffee as he had been driving since just after dinner yesterday, was driving a transit on refrigeration, this was about 3:30 this afternoon, and tbh looking at him I would believe him, lad looked absolutely f*****d… said he was on his way to Hull docks to collect for a London delivery tonight■■? must be mental… i understand food on the table ect but its no good if you cant get to the table cos your dead…
Olog Hai:
If you have refused to break any laws despite him putting pressure on him then it is fair enough that you feel a sense of grievance if he’s sacked you for that. But if you have been breaking the law and engaged in this 20-hour day nonsense then reporting him is not really cricket, unless you plan to report yourself as well. Can’t have it both ways.
i had complained to the owner about him i also refused to do weekends i needed to pay my bills mortgage and knew i had to get out of this job as was breaking the rules and it was madness. I have a new job now doing UK work only with what feels like a good firm running straight but i needed a week to attend interviews so im happy i got pushed as it gave me the time to sort things. the question is doing i let DVSA know the score to what these cowboys are doing even though i run the risk of being dragged in as well. I get on with the drivers there and have told them what i might do and not to do any thing that may drop them in it so i have warned them so fell i have been fair to them. I dont think i would like to hear that a family where wiped out a month down the road and i said nothing
dle1uk:
funny reading this as this afternoon I was in a petrol garage getting a coffee ect, there was a lad in front of me who was telling lass behind the counter that he needed his coffee as he had been driving since just after dinner yesterday, was driving a transit on refrigeration, this was about 3:30 this afternoon, and tbh looking at him I would believe him, lad looked absolutely [zb]. said he was on his way to Hull docks to collect for a London delivery tonight■■? must be mental… i understand food on the table ect but its no good if you cant get to the table cos your dead…
Yep that’s standard procedure for van work. Usually come back from Italy is usually only 24 allowed for express work
bigvern1:
All of the OP’s words are FACT. (I used to work there! ) But I jacked, You’d be in the yard all day, then a job would arrive meaning you’d be out all night until the delivery was done, being in the UK or over the water. You would get some sleep if you were lucky, until a backload was found. The guy In charge wants to be a bully, not to me he wasn’t. A walkover I ain’t.
Vern he is a bully but a coward as well thinks he is special and he is but in a good way
You can only break the law, if YOU want to. No one can force you to do it. If every driver stuck to the rules there wouldn’t be any of these bullies in the industry. There’s more operating bent than there is straight from what I can see. That goes for both.
Honestscott76:
You can only break the law, if YOU want to. No one can force you to do it. If every driver stuck to the rules there wouldn’t be any of these bullies in the industry. There’s more operating bent than there is straight from what I can see. That goes for both.
There’s not as much running bent now as there was in years gone by as detection has got easier and there’s more day runners than trampers now which makes it easier for firms too keep track on hours
I have just been let go from a company based in Birmingham for no reason other than the operations Directer who i will not name did not not like me. I had not been with this firm very long and was always looking for some thing better. Now i know this is quite a difficult one as the company concerned mainly run sprinter vans into Europe mainly Germany. If i am not wrong vans still have to run to driving hours 10 hours a day 11 hours on duty okay it is hard to enforce this rule as there is no tacos fitted but the fact this company have trackers fitted would help to prove these rules our being broken. What makes me angry is the operations directer is a bully and when a van driver comes back from a run say 15 hours driving he will put the driver in a 7 1/2 tonne as he sees it as if the driver is in that lorry for a hour the DSVA will not know he just got out of a sprinter after 15 hours driving.
What would you do knowing what i know and the fact i hate the fat [zb]. and how do you feel that the guy in the 7 1/2 tonne lorry behind you and family may of been driving for over 20 hours without a break. Do you say nothing or do you report him and if so who to.
open a new account from an internet caffe
Post openly on here whatever you know, name the operator and the guys name
Report them to VOSA and ask not to reveal to anyone your name and where they got the information from
Best write to VOSA an extensive email (from a new email account opened in some internet caffe and only used in internet caffes to send replies)
For an extra protection wait for a few months, maybe a year, I bet you are not the only one very unhappy with how you and other drivers are being pushed to break the law, (as that’s usually the case with these types of cowboy operators), and than report them to VOSA describing in an email exactly what was happening and offering to provide detailed information if needed via email.
The sooner transport industry gets rid of these types of cowboys the better.
We can’t as drivers be always held to ransom by them, hoping you and would be too scared to report them.
What would I do? I’d move on and forget all about him. I’ve worked for several places where I’d not got on well and soon came to the conclusion that walking away and resisting it from your mind is the best way.
Juddian:
If you go down the whistle blower route you’d better be sure you don’t need to work in transport again, these things have a habit of coming out via the grapevine, indeed it wouldn’t be too difficult for anyone who works there or the gaffer himself to work out who you are from what you’ve already said, even if you grass them up anonymously.
Known as a whistleblower or whatever the term is no operator would give you a second glance, many years in the future some bugger will remember and drop your name into the frame.
Do whatever you want, but be aware they might well be job repercussions years ahead for you.
As for bullying and terms and conditions, this is why working people need unions.
I’ve heard all the responses to that before, if you join a union i’ll shut the company etc etc, oddly enough though they don’t.
This is very true. I’ve read lots of stories from whistleblowers in many different sorts of business and there’s always one thing common to them all- being a whistleblower is really hard and usually means the end of a career
Im with dipper_dave on this one. You stayed with said Company for 4 months and the law breaking didnt bother you enough. But when they let you go,you suddenly develop a need to report them. Very very snidey in my opinion. The time to report (if thats what you want to do) was the first instance you realised it was going on.
Did you take part in any driving hours breaking? Because if you did,and they put 2 and 2 together,then you can bet your arse your name will be at the top of the pile when they hand over drivers hours documents to the authorities
I’d keep your trap shut and not say anything, unless you were squeaky clean. You’ll be digging your own grave.
I worked very briefly for a firm years ago (I ran legally thank goodness) who had a driver tip off DVSA about this that or the other that apparently was going on, as an act of revenge. He bargained with them that they wouldn’t touch him. Ha ha, foolish man. He was one of the hardest hit. So much for his bargain.
