Are there any other industries full of workers so readily willing to break the law for no benefit by tipping on break. Actually less than no benefit as you’re effectively working for nothing.
To benefit yourself I can understand at least but to benefit a greedy boss 
I think the reason the rest of the lads put up with it is because we go home at 7pm every evening more or less and we don’t work Saturday and sunday which im told is very hard to find in this industry and they all have wifes and kids so I can see why they put up with it but unlike them I don’t have any ties at the minute and would have no problem spending most of my time living in a lorry so I have nothing to lose.
so on Monday evening I asked the boss could I have a few hours off on Thursday afternoon to go and see the doctor and he said that was alright. then yesterday morning when I went in I told the bosses right hand men that I had to be back in the yard at 2pm at the latest and they said Id have no problem getting the load they were giving me done and back in time. they handed me a stack of paperwork with most of them pallets and the rest were boxes and parcels and i knew i hadn’t a hope of getting them all done.
i got them loaded by 9.00am and went out and tried to get as many done as i could, didn’t stop once the whole day and had a fairly good run at them.
Then about 1.30pm i had about 5 or 6 left and rang the boss and told him i done as much as i possibly could and i needed to start making my way back to the yard. He told me to reschedule the appointment to Monday or Tuesday and get the rest of the stuff delivered as he was planning on telling me that i was gone on Friday evening anyway. i said to him i asked you on Monday could i have the time off and you said i could and i told the ones in the office about it aswell so i don’t see why i should have to cancel it now. he then said right well ill tell you what you do, bring the lorry back to the yard, ■■■■ off out the gate and don’t come back and hung up the phone. i felt like driving it into a ditch and leaving it there but i had to go back for my car anyway so there was no point.
im glad i don’t have to work there anymore but i could have done with another few months experience and a good reference but now it looks like im back to square one.
i would have taken the lorry back collected my car and accidentally dropped the lorry keys down a drain or reversed into something as i seen done a number of times over the years with other drivers
I’d leave…less stressful!
Seem’s like the best thing they did
Find a decent company which stick by the rules and try them
Seem’s to be a lot of rule dodging for when it benefits drivers (bonus etc) but idc about that, rather not chase my tail around and cause accidents + get infringements etc.
jay0:
i could have done with another few months experience and a good reference but now it looks like im back to square one.
A few more months would have been better, how long have you been there ?
You ain’t back to square one, you’ve got some experience, not a lot but every bit helps.
fist face moment
From reading your post, I expect, like myself, you are working for a pallet network.
They are squeezed so hard on pallet prices that they then have to get as much freight through the system as possible.
The turnover of drivers is very high because of hard work, poor wages and knackererd trucks.
If you look at any pallet networks rigid trucks they are normally beat up, but there should be no excuse for poor servicing or being legal.
Don’t break the law for them, it is you that will get the fine, or worse case have an accident through rushing.
Been on trucks for 24 years and the last 6 I have been on mainly multidrop in a Class 1, and it is still bloody hard to get the drops and collections done even now.
Take your proper breaks, and make sure your truck is legal, you are the professional. Stuff the old skool morons.
By reading your post I suggest you look around, this company sounds like a particularly bad one.
This is just my opinion. The only reason I stay is because it is day work and I get home every night.
There’s stuff going thru the networks which is really tough to deal with - bulk bags full of stone chips, for example - pallet trucks don’t like tarmac, never mind gravel drives. At least with paving slabs you can hand ball them off but then you are taking up too much time on the drop - it ain’t easy work sometimes.
To the OP, I’d say this - you’re better off out of it.
You’ve seen the worst it can be and done you’re very best at it - lifting cabs and whacking starter motors isn’t all in a days work (unless it’s your own truck).
You’ll find another firm and it’ll be a lot better and then you can look back one day and have a good old laugh about it all 
I done an assessment drive yesterday evening with one of the big companies over here in Ireland and they seemed happy enough with me. ive never driven an artic with a 45ft trailer before and the last time i drove an artic was nearly 2 years ago when i done my test with a 40ft trailer so i was a bit nervous at first but i had no problem with it and the driver trainer was sound, it went a lot better than i thought it would so hopefully they’ll call me back and offer me a job.
Hope it works out for you.
Doing a few week on Palletline at the minute. No maintenance issues and it’s a doddle when you know where you’re going but as has already been said, some of the drops are a nightmare. Company rules state “no hand-ball” and they 1 ton pallets of hamster food (yes, ■■■■■■■ hamster food!) can be interesting with just a tail-lift and pump-truck.
Back on the gas mini-bulkers in a fortnight, so I can go home at night with my clothes still smelling of washing powder! 