I am currently on with a big firm, they always assume you can do 15hrs, this week I have reduced rest 3 times, twice for going over 13hrs and once to come in before having 11hrs off. I don’t mind doing them I come to work expecting to max my hrs as I’m on day rate they want to get as much out of you as possible. My question is can they make you work over 13hrs by putting an extra collection on you or should they only put you on a 12-13hr and the reduced is for traffic issues and just to get you home.
Take today as an example, I have been on collections all day, spent hours with my finger up my arse waiting at places to collect and at base waiting for more work. I need to be done for 20:00 as that’s 13hrs, I phone up at 1800 expecting back to base which is a good half hour then diesel up, paperwork, put trailer on bay and de-brief usually takes half hour at base so that would take me to 1900hrs a 12hr day. They give me 2 more collections, I’m new here so just take them and trot off there only 5 miles each apart, got to the first one its a 30 min wait to be loaded. I ring the planners and explain again that I only have till 20:00 as I have no 15s left (which they can see on screen) they say oh right and take the last collection off me and so after this it is back to base. Can they make me do a 15 by working me up knowingly over 13hrs?
Also I know this has been done to death before but if I put reduced rest in the search I’ll be hear till next year looking through them all.
Any reduction in daily rest should be at the drivers discretion in an ideal world!!!
However most firms will utilise you as much as possible…some drivers will be ok with this.
Trouble is, if they factor in 10 hour drive’s & 9 hours daily rest into scheduling it leaves zero ‘wriggle room’ when things go belly up…almost daily!!!
I sympathise, it’s not funny when you’re shift is extended at short notice on a Friday.
Having said that, assuming that there’s nothing in your contract to stop them, there’s no legal reason why the company cannot plan you a day of over 13 hours … sorry
I stopped feeling the need to ask permission to go to the toilet shortly after leaving skool.
Grow some, or hand your ‘Man Card’ in at the counter when you start your next shift.
The employer/employee relationship should be based upon a mutual understanding & have firm foundations in mutual respect. I wouldn’t want to work for any employer where either of those was a little bit one sided.
Last year i was working general haulage and at the start i told them i would,nt work my 10th hour driving unless it was to my benefit to get back home. after continuously trying to plan me around 10 hours driving week in week out and my taking nights out they called me into the office and i told them it was the drivers choice to drive the extra hour or park up. basically they told me either do it or go and do one.
fortunately i took the latter offer and done one
tachograph:
I sympathise, it’s not funny when you’re shift is extended at short notice on a Friday.
Having said that, assuming that there’s nothing in your contract to stop them, there’s no legal reason why the company cannot plan you a day of over 13 hours … sorry
Yes but not if he’s already done 3 15 hour shifts already?? They are encouraging him to break the law.
New lad, you have to cover your arse mate, you can explain to them nicely without being difficult but laws are laws, max your hours, stop and park up.
All the while drivers constantly go over their time then that’s how they will plan for you for the future because they know you will always “make it back”.
Contraflow:
You can’t be forced to do anything; you are a free man living in the free world.
Far from it, in this country anyway…
We are all free man, the world is our oyster and we choose to do what we want with our lives. It’s just most people are institutionalised and brainwashed with social barriers and the false meaning of life.
tachograph:
I sympathise, it’s not funny when you’re shift is extended at short notice on a Friday.
Having said that, assuming that there’s nothing in your contract to stop them, there’s no legal reason why the company cannot plan you a day of over 13 hours … sorry
Yes but not if he’s already done 3 15 hour shifts already?? They are encouraging him to break the law.
My apologies, having read the OPs post again I see he’s already done 3 reduced daily rest periods.
In that case I agree he should refuse, plain and simple.
tachograph:
there’s no legal reason why the company cannot plan you a day of over 13 hours … sorry
i thought the RULES state " A DRIVER MAY REDUCE 3 times a week? " sorry doesn’t cut IT! firms are taking the schmeichel and we’re letting them get away with it! WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO IS YOU’RE ALL SCARED OF LOOSING YOUR JOBS! I’ve a mortgage, four kids and a juice guzzler outside and you think your gaffers doing you a favour by paying you £500 a week! well no it’s a out time DRIVERS turned the tables and said NO! 13 hour days and REGULAR REST PERIODS! ZOMBIE NATION = early GRAVE LADS
When they “realised” I only had 13’s left they took it off, so fair play to them they took it off without a question. What did get me is the fact that they were willing to knowingly take me over 13 hours and I just wondered if they can make you or if they should ask. If they did ask I would do it if I could legally I just hate being taken for granted. Its the assuming that I will go over 13 when I’m near my time already.
I am not knocking them as they been really good with me being a new class one and a new starter there.
firms are taking the schmeichel 
and we’re letting them get away with it! WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO IS YOU’RE ALL SCARED OF LOOSING YOUR JOBS! 
well no it’s a out time DRIVERS turned the tables and said NO! 
ZOMBIE NATION = early GRAVE LADS 