My company about 8 months ago said drivers need to cut expenses down parking expenses staying at services and truckstops. We hand receipts in and get money back for parking only say a services is £23 WITH FOOD voucher or £21 without so we get £21 back.so me and a few others have nt stayed at services or truckstops we park in industrial estates and laybys so I said where’s our incentive to park rough with no toilet facility’s I think we that’s parking in laybys and industrial estates should get at least an extra £5 a night at least. What do you guys think company’s make a lot of money but moan a lot. And we get a salary £23000 that’s out all week tramping.
…SO with the drop in fuel prices - what’s the firm’s excuse for the latest “race to the bottom” exercise then?
“You’d have no work at all if it were not for us”
- Not true. There’s plenty of crappy jobs that are well paid, or poorly paid cushy numbers out there. There’s plenty of room on agencies. There are more trucks out there than ever before, but now include a lot of the smaller outfits.
It might be well nigh impossible to get the panacea of driving that is a highly paid cushy number job - but that doesn’t mean you need to bend over and let yourself be nudged about by some fast-talking transport boss who’s had it pretty cushy of late, what with the falling overheads and higher demand these days.
Talk to some local rivals about “Can you offer me something better? - I’m disillusioned with Bloggs & Sons yard.” 
It may sound blunt, but a company paying that for tramping and which expects drivers to park in lay-bys or industrial estates, and goes to the effort of deducting that £2 difference when it will pay your parking, isn’t worth working for. If I was in your position I’d be putting in some serious effort to find something else.
Keep parking at services it’s costing them money when your in a layby they pay nothing and at least you have toilets
Olog Hai:
If I was in your position I’d be putting in some serious effort to find something else.
+1
23k tramping?!?!?!■■ 
thats crackers lad
You and a few others have stopped using services etc. This infers others still do. So why bother trying the help out. Carry on using them so long as the company pays.
maga:
23k tramping?!?!?!■■thats crackers lad
Does sound rather poor. I assume that’s Class C ?
Winseer:
…SO with the drop in fuel prices - what’s the firm’s excuse for the latest “race to the bottom” exercise then
Re fuel price drop, some or maybe most firms doing traction or containers, rates rise and fall alongside the price fuel, its called a fuel surcharge, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing applies to contract work, so the excuse would be, we aren’t making any more money!
23k for for tramping out all week that’s a job for real men and also a insult. Lets say you start monday morning at 6am and Finnish on Friday at 3pm you are technically always at work so that’s 105 hrs in the same work place 23.000 divided into 52 weeks = £442 per week divided into 105 = £4.21 why oh why would anyone work for that ?
maga:
23k tramping?!?!?!■■thats crackers lad
+1, I’m sure OP can find days/nights paying more & sleep in his/her own bed daily 
Hang on … Why should you want to be parked up in an industrial estate having to crap in a bag in the cab? … With no where to wash your hands…
Think about it, you take over a truck driven by another driver who has been ■■■■■■■■ and ■■■■■■■ in bags in the cab… Hmmm that will smell nice… Not sure I would want to be handling that steering wheel and having sandwiches for lunch.
Many drivers will be ■■■■■■■ and deficating on the estate roads at night and then there will be a bylaw banning lorries from parking up. You will also run the risk of getting the blame for other drivers actions… I see it now… You walk into your office on a Monday morning or on your return from spending the week on the road to find your boss fuming and ranting ’ I have just had X customer ring up stating the you was parked up on their industrial estate leaving behind your body functions and has formally complained to the police… Your fired’.
Why put your self in that position… You are supposed to be a Professional Driver… Yes that is Professional… You should be treated with some respect… Why put yourself in that position?
Why shouldn’t they pay for parking and toilet facilities and the extra £2 for the meal?
It means that the expensive truck you are driving is better protected. You are at less personal risk of being attacked for your load. If you become unwell there are others around you to get assistance. If you don’t eat correctly and have a decent meal your health is at risk and your employer has a duty of due care. If you spend the whole week in your truck it is very very bad for your health and wellbeing. At least your out of the truck, walking around (which helps to prevent strokes, ect), having a good meal, chating to others.
I bet that when the boss is away on business he has a hotel room…
Why is it alway a race to the lowest common denominator? Next he will cut your wages. If they make cuts it is not for your benefit. Even if you get that extra £ 5 it will be the perfect reason not to give you a wage rise…
Stand up for what you have and stop being trod on…
I knew of a driver who used his night out money to pay for cheap rooms in pubs in not so nice areas of cities he visited on a regular route… One night his lorry got turned over and a load of stock disappeared. His boss said where the hell was you when this happened. His reply was tucked up in bed in a local pub… His boss had a fit stating that he would be sacked… His response was sorry, but no where in my contract does it state that I have to remain with the truck, you have not paid wages covering security, I don’t have a usable mattress in the truck because the last drive left it in bogging order and you have not changed it, you don’t pay for truck stop parking up facilities and my night out money is towards being being out, that is why it is tax free… Legally there was nothing the boss could do. There was an uneasy stand off for a while but the driver toughed it out…
I think let them moan, park were ever you see fit as you did before they started moaning.
Should have added that if I was a boss I would be laughing if my staff was that gullible to fall for that one…
You and your other drivers should be taking the other drivers to task for being so daft and putting the rest of the staff at greater risk
Just don’t stop using the services. If they stop paying your expenses then just sack the job off.
There are plenty of ways for transport companies to cut costs. Your lot have just picked the easiest/least inventive. Let’s face it, if they are only paying you 23k, they aren’t exactly overspending on wages are they?? I’m not knocking you for working for it mind you, I’m just calling it like I see it.
If they put a blanket “no parking in services” policy in force then fair enough. Your job circumstances have changed permanently, and you know where you stand. But to leave it as a wishy washy, “we really would rather you didn’t park in services” is taking the ■■■■ out of the more inexperienced drivers on their books.
I fear the days of " tramping " are probably numbered in this country , as a driver with more years of experience under my belt than I would admit to , I notice drivers hourly pay rates climbing to dizzy heights , drivers demanding top of the range vehicles fitted with every thing including the kitchen sink etc etc . Then there are the companies who have depots and parking arrangements with sister companies , which in turn allows change-overs using fleet type vehicles and drivers are home after every shift , I like every one else notice the almost weekly closure of even old established hauliers , survival of the fittest and the very but very efficient companies are the only hauliers who will survive .
Your company clearly isn’t a big fan of the thinking in this article
Thruxton:
Hang on … Why should you want to be parked up in an industrial estate having to crap in a bag in the cab? … With no where to wash your hands…Think about it, you take over a truck driven by another driver who has been ■■■■■■■■ and ■■■■■■■ in bags in the cab… Hmmm that will smell nice… Not sure I would want to be handling that steering wheel and having sandwiches for lunch.
Many drivers will be ■■■■■■■ and deficating on the estate roads at night and then there will be a bylaw banning lorries from parking up. You will also run the risk of getting the blame for other drivers actions… I see it now… You walk into your office on a Monday morning or on your return from spending the week on the road to find your boss fuming and ranting ’ I have just had X customer ring up stating the you was parked up on their industrial estate leaving behind your body functions and has formally complained to the police… Your fired’.
Why put your self in that position… You are supposed to be a Professional Driver… Yes that is Professional… You should be treated with some respect… Why put yourself in that position?
Why shouldn’t they pay for parking and toilet facilities and the extra £2 for the meal?
It means that the expensive truck you are driving is better protected. You are at less personal risk of being attacked for your load. If you become unwell there are others around you to get assistance. If you don’t eat correctly and have a decent meal your health is at risk and your employer has a duty of due care. If you spend the whole week in your truck it is very very bad for your health and wellbeing. At least your out of the truck, walking around (which helps to prevent strokes, ect), having a good meal, chating to others.
I bet that when the boss is away on business he has a hotel room…
Why is it alway a race to the lowest common denominator? Next he will cut your wages. If they make cuts it is not for your benefit. Even if you get that extra £ 5 it will be the perfect reason not to give you a wage rise…
Stand up for what you have and stop being trod on…
I knew of a driver who used his night out money to pay for cheap rooms in pubs in not so nice areas of cities he visited on a regular route… One night his lorry got turned over and a load of stock disappeared. His boss said where the hell was you when this happened. His reply was tucked up in bed in a local pub… His boss had a fit stating that he would be sacked… His response was sorry, but no where in my contract does it state that I have to remain with the truck, you have not paid wages covering security, I don’t have a usable mattress in the truck because the last drive left it in bogging order and you have not changed it, you don’t pay for truck stop parking up facilities and my night out money is towards being being out, that is why it is tax free… Legally there was nothing the boss could do. There was an uneasy stand off for a while but the driver toughed it out…
If you’ve been working there less than two years - there’s plenty the boss can do, like sack you on the spot, and refuse to give references.
Bosses do have the power to pretty much sack whomever they don’t like the look of for any reason they see fit, and not give that as a reason to the driver even.
What comeback do you have if you’ve not been there long, get sacked on any old excuse, and want to take it further?
We’d have people suing for failing interviews next… Not very realistic is it?
Any boss can cut pay, sack staff, or change T&Cs subject to any flexibilities in the original contract. I’ve yet to see a contract that says “Your pay can never be cut” or “you can never be sacked for something unfair” etc etc.
Anyone who doesn’t like that arrangement always has the option of voting for real reform in the business world. We know the “too many rights for staff” system doesn’t work - from what goes on in France for example.
As for where the boss would sleep on a night out… Simples: If he can charge it to company expenses - he’d get a fancy room. If he’s paying for it out of his own net pay, and this is not off-settable - he’d sleep in his car. There’s plenty I known who’d go to rep meetings at the other end of the country, and pull up in a layby still wearing their suits on the way back for an overnighter… Not sure if they are still doing it in these days of layby shenannigans though.
Winseer:
As for where the boss would sleep on a night out… Simples: If he can charge it to company expenses - he’d get a fancy room. If he’s paying for it out of his own net pay, and this is not off-settable - he’d sleep in his car. There’s plenty I known who’d go to rep meetings at the other end of the country, and pull up in a layby still wearing their suits on the way back for an overnighter… Not sure if they are still doing it in these days of layby shenannigans though.
My brother used to have a highly paid job that took him all over the continent and he always stayed in five star hotels. When he took his wife on holiday, three stars was good enough. She divorced him before long.
Winseer:
If you’ve been working there less than two years - there’s plenty the boss can do, like sack you on the spot, and refuse to give references.
Nope. They still have to give you notice unless what you do falls within a very very small range of things such as theft or assaulting staff.
What comeback do you have if you’ve not been there long, get sacked on any old excuse, and want to take it further?
The Traffic Commissioner. If they’re cutting back on £2 a day then they’re going to be scrimping on maintenance and other “inconvenient expenses.” They’re also required to have continuous access to a set amount of funding per vehicle which they may no longer have.