I have a run starting 20:00 scheduled to leave 20:30 (always on time) planned arrival time at first depot 00:30 however it’s only a 3 hour drive so I assume my break is planned into this time as subsequent stops don’t allow for it (time/schedule wise according to my run sheet)
Therefor I’ve been arriving at 1st stop around 23:30 for a long time (chosing to postpone my break) but one day every week (same day each week) I’ve asked my TM to let me start 21:30 which he agreed so for the last month I’ve been getting at 1st stop around 00:40 once a week (same day every time so the receiving depot know beforehand)
Apparently though someone over there didn’t like this sort of preferential treatment a mere driver gets so they complained and main TM said to my depot, no more. My TM was kind enough to put me on a different run that one day of the week when I want to start late so it’s all good however I’ll have my revenge on the snitches at 1st drop by simply taking my 45 break shortly before I get there to prove my point - now they’ll be receiving me at 00:20-00:30 4 nights a week and once a week they’ll be getting the other driver who I presume will not rest and get tehre 23:30
Hence I wanted to know before hand if any issues might arise like legally mostly…I’ve no idea why the arrival time matters as it doesn’t hence it’s planned for 00:30 originally but no one complained when I was showing up 23:30 however now I show up 00:40 once a week and all of a sudden it’s a problem?
So your company are doing you a favour by letting you start a little bit later one day a week and they have changed your run on that day to accommodate you because it’s ■■■■■■■ off their customer that you are getting there later than usual.
So rather than take the favour and run with it you are going to ■■■■ off both your employer and their customer by being an awkward ■■■■ for no other reason than your employers customer has asked you to be there for a specific time?
rob22888:
I’ve had jobs where you get a run sheet with breaks planned in, I never really took a great deal of notice. The way I look at it, so long as you have the truck where is needs to be at the right times, it doesn’t make a jot of difference to the office when you are taking a break so just have it when you want.
The only exception would be if you are carrying high value goods, in which case they might want you to stop in designated places and/or when empty which is fair enough.
Some firms want you to take your break while being unloaded/reloaded on a bay.
If you an employee (not self employed or limited) then strictly speaking your employer can tell you when to take your break just like any other job. Most don’t as you would need to take a break after 4.5/6 hours regardless but by being employed they can if they want to.
Jimmy McNulty:
So your company are doing you a favour by letting you start a little bit later one day a week and they have changed your run on that day to accommodate you because it’s ■■■■■■■ off their customer that you are getting there later than usual.
So rather than take the favour and run with it you are going to ■■■■ off both your employer and their customer by being an awkward [zb] for no other reason than your employers customer has asked you to be there for a specific time?
Not a customer, own depot. They’re open all night and I only bring them about 10 pallets. The only reason they complain is their own convenience
Blackadda1:
If you an employee (not self employed or limited) then strictly speaking your employer can tell you when to take your break just like any other job. Most don’t as you would need to take a break after 4.5/6 hours regardless but by being employed they can if they want to.
Nobody is telling me when I can have my breaks, from a safety point of view I am in a better position to judge when I NEED a break, whether that be after 2 hours or after 4 hours 29 minutes, than some tool sat behind a desk.
The OP has been at home, off duty before starting work. If anyone lacks the stamina to work for four hours, under those circumstances, it might be time to seek medical intervention.
An owner/driver wouldn’t be needing a rest before four hours.
With attitudes like that, is it any wonder bosses lack respect for drivers. Maybe if both parties worked together, everyone could be happier.
shullbit:
Nobody is telling me when I can have my breaks, from a safety point of view I am in a better position to judge when I NEED a break, whether that be after 2 hours or after 4 hours 29 minutes, than some tool sat behind a desk.
But you are missing the point, this thread topic is “can my office/tm tell me when to take my break” and the answer to that question is yes they can.
Now, whether you would want to work for a company who does that and operates that way is another matter. I’ve certainly never worked anywhere in 10 years where that has been the case (including my current job) and i wouldn’t want to either but the fact remains they can whether you like that or not.
Millions of people work in jobs up and down the country where they are told when and how long their breaks are and aren’t given a choice. I’ve never understood why lorry drivers think it’s a god given right to be different just because your job involves driving a lorry around. You are still an employee working for a company/boss and employed on their terms and they can dictate those to you should they so wish.
The reality is most of us don’t have this issue to deal and are left to plan our breaks accordingly, also by the very nature of the job and not being able to accurately know exactly what time you will be where and when. In my current job a break is planned in at a certain part of the day on the runsheet but that doesn’t mean we have to take it there and then, simply that’s the system doing its bit as far as the rules and regs go.
My response probably won’t prove very popular but that’s my take on it.
How can an office tell you when to take a break when driving.
Say they plan for your break and say stop at lymn services for your break you might encounter problems before then meaning you can’t reach there
Same.if tell you take your break at 12 00 you could be somere miles away from any safe place to park.
Way I see it your the driver you take your break when you want. The office can factor in you need a break during your shift and as long as job gets done during your shift can’t see a problem. unless you can’t plan Breaks and end up taking 2 a day because you can’t roughly calculate how much driving it will take and need stop again
shullbit:
Nobody is telling me when I can have my breaks, from a safety point of view I am in a better position to judge when I NEED a break, whether that be after 2 hours or after 4 hours 29 minutes, than some tool sat behind a desk.
But you are missing the point, this thread topic is “can my office/tm tell me when to take my break” and the answer to that question is yes they can.
Now, whether you would want to work for a company who does that and operates that way is another matter. I’ve certainly never worked anywhere in 10 years where that has been the case (including my current job) and i wouldn’t want to either but the fact remains they can whether you like that or not.
Millions of people work in jobs up and down the country where they are told when and how long their breaks are and aren’t given a choice. I’ve never understood why lorry drivers think it’s a god given right to be different just because your job involves driving a lorry around. You are still an employee working for a company/boss and employed on their terms and they can dictate those to you should they so wish.
The reality is most of us don’t have this issue to deal and are left to plan our breaks accordingly, also by the very nature of the job and not being able to accurately know exactly what time you will be where and when. In my current job a break is planned in at a certain part of the day on the runsheet but that doesn’t mean we have to take it there and then, simply that’s the system doing its bit as far as the rules and regs go.
My response probably won’t prove very popular but that’s my take on it.
Ok they can tell you, but then you can tell them to jog on. I have had my breaks in the past when it appears I may hit traffic and I have even had a 45 on the motorway while it was shut due to an incident, does this not help the company out and save them money, not to mention saving them thousands in fuel by reorganizing stupid multi drop routes that I used to get when on subbie duty on a regular basis it works both ways, so I will continue to have my breaks when it suits. They can tell me, and i can tell them how it works from a SAFETY point of view and if they MAKE me i will point out to them that they could be on a manslaughter charge by FORCING me to drive when fatigued if it all goes ■■■■ up.
So I am not missing the point at all.
The supermarkets tend to want you to take your break at the RDC or at the Store. Those doing high street shops and filling stations where you cannot park are not normally out long enough, but not always. There are stores which don’t have canteen facilities however.
shullbit:
Nobody is telling me when I can have my breaks, from a safety point of view I am in a better position to judge when I NEED a break, whether that be after 2 hours or after 4 hours 29 minutes, than some tool sat behind a desk.
But you are missing the point, this thread topic is “can my office/tm tell me when to take my break” and the answer to that question is yes they can.
Now, whether you would want to work for a company who does that and operates that way is another matter. I’ve certainly never worked anywhere in 10 years where that has been the case (including my current job) and i wouldn’t want to either but the fact remains they can whether you like that or not.
Millions of people work in jobs up and down the country where they are told when and how long their breaks are and aren’t given a choice. I’ve never understood why lorry drivers think it’s a god given right to be different just because your job involves driving a lorry around. You are still an employee working for a company/boss and employed on their terms and they can dictate those to you should they so wish.
The reality is most of us don’t have this issue to deal and are left to plan our breaks accordingly, also by the very nature of the job and not being able to accurately know exactly what time you will be where and when. In my current job a break is planned in at a certain part of the day on the runsheet but that doesn’t mean we have to take it there and then, simply that’s the system doing its bit as far as the rules and regs go.
My response probably won’t prove very popular but that’s my take on it.
Ok they can tell you, but then you can tell them to jog on. I have had my breaks in the past when it appears I may hit traffic and I have even had a 45 on the motorway while it was shut due to an incident, does this not help the company out and save them money, not to mention saving them thousands in fuel by reorganizing stupid multi drop routes that I used to get when on subbie duty on a regular basis it works both ways, so I will continue to have my breaks when it suits. They can tell me, and i can tell them how it works from a SAFETY point of view and if they MAKE me i will point out to them that they could be on a manslaughter charge by FORCING me to drive when fatigued if it all goes ■■■■ up.
So I am not missing the point at all.
I’d suggest if a driver cannot drive for ~4hrs from the start of a shift, said driver was not fit enough to start the shift.
Blackadda1:
If you an employee (not self employed or limited) then strictly speaking your employer can tell you when to take your break just like any other job. Most don’t as you would need to take a break after 4.5/6 hours regardless but by being employed they can if they want to.
Nobody is telling me when I can have my breaks, from a safety point of view I am in a better position to judge when I NEED a break, whether that be after 2 hours or after 4 hours 29 minutes, than some tool sat behind a desk.
The topic question was “CAN your office/tm tell you when to take your break”. If your an employee then yes they can. I’m not saying if I agree or disagree with the principle of this but every employer in the UK has the right to tell every employee when, where and how long to take their break. As I said above most don’t when it come to HGV driving as your restricted by the tacho to 4.5/6 hours anyway but the answer to the question is yes. They can if they want too.
Star down under.:
I’d suggest if a driver cannot drive for ~4hrs from the start of a shift, said driver was not fit enough to start the shift.
Oh really, what if it’s a night shift and the driver couldn’t get enough sleep for whatever reason during the day preceding the start of the shift or woke up too early? What about the fact it’s widely recommended to take at least a short break after 2 hrs of driving, some trucks (Merc comes to mind) will even pop up a flashing reminder on the dashboard after 2 hours of continuous driving (as will most cars too btw)
Do you think office staff spend every single minute at their desk and only take their designated 30/45/60 min break once a day and that’s it the rest of the time they work work work?
Star down under.:
I’d suggest if a driver cannot drive for ~4hrs from the start of a shift, said driver was not fit enough to start the shift.
Oh really, what if it’s a night shift and the driver couldn’t get enough sleep for whatever reason during the day preceding the start of the shift or woke up too early? What about the fact it’s widely recommended to take at least a short break after 2 hrs of driving, some trucks (Merc comes to mind) will even pop up a flashing reminder on the dashboard after 2 hours of continuous driving (as will most cars too btw)
Do you think office staff spend every single minute at their desk and only take their designated 30/45/60 min break once a day and that’s it the rest of the time they work work work?
Star down under.:
It’s not unreasonable to expect four hours continuous duty, particularly from the start of a shift. It enables schedules to be created, enabling higher productivity.
If you work in a more structured environment, i.e. warehouse, office, factory or bus driving, break times are designated.
All government and health and safety advice is to not drive for more than 2 hours and take a 15 minute break to have a walk and stretch or a drink , so yes it is unreasonable to ask any one to drive for 4 hours without a break
Star down under.:
It’s not unreasonable to expect four hours continuous duty, particularly from the start of a shift. It enables schedules to be created, enabling higher productivity.
If you work in a more structured environment, i.e. warehouse, office, factory or bus driving, break times are designated.
All government and health and safety advice is to not drive for more than 2 hours and take a 15 minute break to have a walk and stretch or a drink , so yes it is unreasonable to ask any one to drive for 4 hours without a break
That might be applicable to the lowest denominator, but not to a professional or experienced driver. It’s also totally impractical in situations where an anticipated 1,ooo~1,200 kilometers expected.
Star down under.:
It’s not unreasonable to expect four hours continuous duty, particularly from the start of a shift. It enables schedules to be created, enabling higher productivity.
If you work in a more structured environment, i.e. warehouse, office, factory or bus driving, break times are designated.
All government and health and safety advice is to not drive for more than 2 hours and take a 15 minute break to have a walk and stretch or a drink , so yes it is unreasonable to ask any one to drive for 4 hours without a break
a professional or experienced driver. It’s also totally impractical in situations where an anticipated 1,ooo~1,200 kilometers expected.
A professional or experienced driver will know that he should take a break if he is feeling tired, my case is rested too!!!
Any way, what’s the difference between taking 15 minutes after 2 hours because your tired and then a 30 at 4.5 hours on a journey where a 45 is needed …you still arrive at the same time!!!
And seeing as your in OZ maybe you should have a read of this when you have your next break on your 1200km journey abc.net.au/news/2020-05-20/ … y/12266902
ETS:
Say you have a regular run 4hr or so drive then break after arrival but you feel like taking the break before/earlier (you dont have 4hr drive back but less cause you’re taking a shorter way back)
Can they??
oh for the days of family run haulage company’s
my old boss was a fair but firm guy, As a driver he knew what the score was and left us to do the job which we all did,
he always backed us up if we had a problem ,And likewise we always ran that extra mile for him…it was the same with the office guys they knew what was doable and when times where quiet left us alone knowing that in busy periods we would work our socks of .Swings and roundabouts that worked both ways
Yep. That’s one of the main reasons I now work for such an outfit, instead of the corporate which produced a plan of when I should have my break but failed to factor in enough time for said break to happen without tipping off the card.
My current boss’s attitude is, that within reason you take a break if you are feeling tired, and arrive late rather than having an accident and not arriving at all. That having been said, if anyone starts to make a habit of it, questions are asked as to why that driver is tired, and he’d better have a bloody good reason!
As to whether or not four hours of continuous driving is “reasonable”; I have seen government advice to car drivers that it is good practice to stop every two hours; something that’s endorsed by the AA. Whilst it is true that we, as HGV drivers, are probably more used to driving for longer periods, it doesn’t mean that this is a good thing. As you get older, your bladder tends to be the arbiter of when you stop for a break anyway!
I used to like to take 15 minutes through out the the day I liked it when 30 minutes could be taken first…I thought it was better that 45 together finished up twiddling thumbs
rob22888:
I’ve had jobs where you get a run sheet with breaks planned in, I never really took a great deal of notice. The way I look at it, so long as you have the truck where is needs to be at the right times, it doesn’t make a jot of difference to the office when you are taking a break so just have it when you want.
The only exception would be if you are carrying high value goods, in which case they might want you to stop in designated places and/or when empty which is fair enough.
Some firms want you to take your break while being unloaded/reloaded on a bay.
If you are not doing anything whilst on the bay, I have never considered that as an unreasonable request.
In fact i’d suggest it’s unreasonable for a driver to sit about for however long chilling out waiting, then expect to want to park up and do nothing for a further 45 mins afterwards. Only exception would be if you were condemned to an RDC waiting room, but then i’d still book a break and just stop afterwards long enough to eat my dinner in peace.
on the snitches at 1st drop by simply taking my 45 break shortly before I get there to prove my point - now they’ll be receiving me at 00:20-00:30 4 nights a week and once a week they’ll be getting the other driver who I presume will not rest and get tehre 23:30