1st post and I Think I might make some waves: saw what happened to placidcasual, anyway, here goes…
I’m a Brit who lives in Holland, drives for a Dutch Company, pays Dutch taxes etc., legit in every way -except I have to run bent almost every day on their instructions-and I hate it.
Got stopped by the plod a few months back and produced the previous 7 days cards. Result?
3 x charges insufficient daily rest & 1 charge insufficient weekly rest.
Could have been a lot worse, most weeks it would have been 5 x insufficient daily rest.
But hey don’t worry, we’ll pay the fine, just make the deadline they insist.
■■■■■■■■!! Will You do my prison time if I hurt , or God forbid , kill someone?
I really want to bin this company but I don’t know how I can do this and still keep myself straight with the Dutch Govt. as regards benefits etc. in case I can’t find another job straight away.
I’m on my 3rd consecutive 6 Month contract with this bunch of cowboys, though I was led to believe that after 2 consecutive contracts they had to make you permanent. Are they taking the ■■■■?
Additionally, I still have in my possesion every bent tacho card from my previous 12 Months employment with them.
, can I use that to take the ■■■■ out of them?
Your advice and flaming appreciated in equal measure.
Thanks, TvR.
Welcome to TrucknetUK, I hope you stick around, we are not all self righteous goody two shoes truckers on here, we just have a few too many people that live in glass house’s! 
Sorry to hear about your brush with Dutch Plod, thats tough mate, hope you get it sorted and don’t get ‘hit’ too hard, I am one who will not give a self-righteous opinion of your transgression/s, we are all guilty at one time or another, and if anyone says they are not, then I’ll call them a Bloody Liar!.
I have been getting myself into trouble lately with our safety dept over my Log Book Violations, luckily Plod ain’t found 'em yet. 
Although I have been caught in the past by the DOT, both times I was given the opportunity to ‘make them look good and legal’ right there in front of a DOT Officer, both times when I got finished they checked 'em again, saw that they ‘looked’ legal, then told me off about not being current and said don’t get caught again! (or words to that effect!), but the best bit is, that the first time I got caught red-handed with a log book that was’nt current, it was actually three and half days behind! and he still let me catch it up!..beats the hell out of Tachos!
PS Try not to swear too much on these forums, not having a go at you, just a friendly introductory reminder, I know it can be hard not to swear sometimes, I used to be guilty of swearing like a trooper on here before they made me a moderator (I think thats why they made me one, to bribe me into being more refrained & moderate with my language:shock: ) but having said that, there are times when even as a Mod I can’t quite control the expletives, but we have to remember there are a lot of kids that look at these forums, so we have to careful what we say, OK? And like I said at the begining…Welcome to TrucknetUK 
Thanks for Your supportive reply Cliff !
But to clarify my original post:
Was stopped by British plod; our company run almost exclusively from Holland to the U.K.
I still hold a U.K. licence
Implications anyone?
Thanks, TvR,
Whoops 
I assumed it was Dutch Plod…sorry.
Actually Dutch Plod, British Plod or Yank Plod there all bloody Plod!!!
To be honest mate, As we are almost exclusively ex-pats on this forum I don’t think any of us could give you the advice you are looking for, I would sugest you post this on the PDF, although I would strongly advise you get yer Tin 'at ready!, as you have already seen what happens to those of us honest enough and brave enough to announce that we have transgressed, you saw what happened to placidcasual!
i worked for a dutch company for a while it was just the same run bent all the time or no pay/work,then we stared to run out of cornwall to the north of england i told them to sling there hook,so i am now out of pocket to the tune of £1400 but i still have my licence and im not one of the 47 odd drivers that have been stopped and reported to the old bill…As cliffe said watch them,its not worth the hassle mate,not in the uk,im sure if you got banned for 12 months they would pay your wages? like chuffing ell would.There attitude is theres plenty more fish in the sea,
Welcome TvR
I too worked for a Dutch company,albeit 12 years ago,but when I drove to the UK we were told to keep it legal.
On the other hand when I drove Italy for almost two and a half years for the same company we had to put ourselves out a bit due to the nature of the loads.
There are companies in Holland that run by the book,you just have to speak to a few drivers and find out which ones they are.It always has seemed that the firms running to the UK are among the worst for running night and day,I remember a certain firm whose drivers would come off the boat in Harwich with 25 odd deliveries of cut flowers and not stop until they were getting back on the boat to go home,3 days later
It’s difficult to give advice on this sort of matter,have you tried agency work while you look around for something better?
You should also think about joining a union,at least they should supply you with legal advice.
Truck Van Rental 
I like that.
Unfortunately the problem you may have is that because you are using a british licence, you are still under the jurisdiction of the stuffy ex army types, the traffic commisionars in UK. The dutch dont trealy understand our system, or at least are willing to turn a blind eye to it.
For them to say “just meet the deadlines, we will pay the fine” is ok in the rest of Europe. Again unfortunately we have the best justice system in the world We spend thousands on minor offences like speeding and drivers hours regulations but let thieves and burglars off with warnings!
They have even derestricted the offence of driving without insurance because many “poor” people cannot afford to have it.!
I dont think you have any claim on benefits anyway, You have a UK licence, caught in England. You may pay Dutch tax but that is because they cant pay the inland revenue, unless they go to trouble of setting up a company office here.
I would just take the fine, look for another job and move.
I would be careful about holding 12 months bent tacho card too, it seems a plod with the bit between his teeth would like to have a look at them too.
As Cliff said, about the glass house dwellers, ignore them. I worked for a German company and they were as bad, but I just refused to run bent in the UK, and they wouldnt let me run bent in Germany. Sorted
perhaps you should consider this route
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=292
it won’t help you find a new job but it may help get the company to run legal, these days vosa are pretty much prepared to report companies from abroad that are failing to run within the legal boundaries to the traffic area of the country that they are from.
you will also find that if you live in holland the fine that has been given to you cannot be pursued by the uk courts or debt collectors provided you do not have a uk residence that they can chase.
sorry to hear about your brush with the law tvr,i would leave the company and try and find someone that is legal and honest.i know that will be hard to find a company in holland that runs legal and is honest.but there’s got to be one.i’d bin the 12months tacho’s for your own sake.report the company to vosa and see if they can sort this company out through the legal system.take your fine and put it down to experiance,once bitten, twice shy.good luck and i hope it works out for you.and welcome to trucknet
Truck Van Rental
I like that.
Nearly as good as that Dutch hire company,Hertz van Rental.
Ken.
Thanks for all the support and advice folks, much appreciated
I honestly expected some serious abuse, early days though…
Anyway, heading back out soon for another couple of weeks of driver abuse, so might not be in touch for a while. 
thanks, TvR.
Sounds like the Dutch [**zb] when they come to Britain. Typically they leave Rotterdam and drive none stop to Scotland via the South, they get stopped all the time but the company payes the fine and because they’re on foreign driving licences theres nothing they can do. Also cant a driver who’s been in France and driven his hours out and then comes to Britain put in another tacho because Britain and France have no treaty in force to prosecute such actions?
Naming a company and infering that they are indulging in illegal activities could prove very expensive for you and us… please e-mail or PM me PROOF that this company is doing that and I will reinstate the name I have edited --RIKKI
Also cant a driver who’s been in France and driven his hours out and then comes to Britain put in another tacho because Britain and France have no treaty in force to prosecute such actions?
If you cant show a card from your previous shift. Thats the reason for carrying your cards for the current week plus the last one of the previous week. I think you will find out that the ministry would be interested in you. I have been stopped several times in France by UK enforcment officers, as far away as Lyon.
ado tvr the firm wouldnt happen to be H.urry S.top F.or nothing would it your not alone mate i work outta felixstowe everyday and know a few english guys on with dutch firms and a couple of dutch guys i know only stop if there trailer isnt in .hope you find another job soon mate oh and welcome to trucknet.cliffe av ya found one of them volvo light boards yet mate