What would you do? Minimum pay levels, maximum hours, maximum work days, regulations etc? What about bringing back 7.5t entitlement to B licence holders?
I’m a new driver still, just about to complete my first year so would be interested in what the long time drivers would do.
Should be a maximum working of 48 hours a week from clock on to clock off.non of this poa and break doesn’t count rubbish.
If you wish to work longer then the choice is yours.
No employer should make there drivers work over 48 hours unless they want to
M65Chris:
What would you do? Minimum pay levels, maximum hours, maximum work days, regulations etc? What about bringing back 7.5t entitlement to B licence holders?I’m a new driver still, just about to complete my first year so would be interested in what the long time drivers would do.
As soon as you start trying to lay down rules, it gets complicated.
Minimum Pay: Why? If you want to work for minimum wage, why shouldn’t you?
Maximum hours: There has to be a law to prevent the stupid/greedy drivers from working day and night until they fall asleep at the wheel and kill themselves. On the other hand, there needs to be some flexibility, especially for jobs where a lot of time is spent waiting.
There will always be a conflict between drivers who want a sensible work/life balance, stupid/greedy drivers, decent employers who pay a fair wage and try to look after their workforce and stupid/greedy employers.
Yes, the current rules are too complicated, but it will take a better person than me to sort them out. IMHO, the first target should be the CPC. It is a good idea that has been corrupted. It is surely not beyond us to come up with something that is more useful.
As above…
Max 48 hours.
OT at drivers discretion.
12 on 12 off end of.
No pointless compensations 3 weeks later bollox.
Ditch Dcpc.
More parking with better facilities.
Demurage charged after an hour at all drop/collections. Keep us waiting, you pay.
I understand people saying about RDC hold ups and I fully agree with demurrage making a return (thanks to Stobbies etc is why it disappeared)
But they’re also struggling with staff so is now the right time?
For me it’s a sensible limit on hours, ie not 15 followed by 9 off. In fact a 9 off should onky be allowed away from base in my opinion. And also only at drivers discretion.
Get rid of flat rate overtime too.
I forgot…
Up the speed limiter to 62.
yourhavingalarf:
I forgot…Up the speed limiter to 62.
Why?
.
Seriously, why?
Franglais:
yourhavingalarf:
I forgot…Up the speed limiter to 62.
Why?
.
Seriously, why?
It’s off…
Topic but, I’ll run with it.
The limit is 60. When we could do 60 (all those years ago) we were on drum brakes, no ABS, no CC, no air suspension and certainly no collision avoidance systems. Everyone got to where they wanted to go and no one seemed too bothered. 56 bores me to tears, it’s a nowhere speed that encourages boredom and then inattention. Ok, 60 isn’t warp factor but I remember being more focused than I am now. Yes, there will be a small loss in fuel economy, the amount I can’t say. Running faster will compensate for the shorter hour working week that I hope one day will become the norm.
yourhavingalarf:
Franglais:
yourhavingalarf:
I forgot…Up the speed limiter to 62.
Why?
.
Seriously, why?It’s off…
Topic but, I’ll run with it.
The limit is 60. When we could do 60 (all those years ago) we were on drum brakes, no ABS, no CC, no air suspension and certainly no collision avoidance systems. Everyone got to where they wanted to go and no one seemed too bothered. 56 bores me to tears, it’s a nowhere speed that encourages boredom and then inattention. Ok, 60 isn’t warp factor but I remember being more focused than I am now. Yes, there will be a small loss in fuel economy, the amount I can’t say. Running faster will compensate for the shorter hour working week that I hope one day will become the norm.
Was that extra involvement due to 4 or 6 extra emms? Or due to smaller engines, manual boxes, weaker brakes?
.
If we had any extra speed that would, after a few weeks (days) become the new norm, and we’d just be after a coupla more emms, again and again.
.
Now if my (And yours maybe) truck had 60emms while all others were still limited to 56mph…might be persuaded. But as soon it was apparent who would be getting the long Friday runs? The slow majority? Nah…
.
Not convinced at all, mate.
Way too much variation between different jobs for a one size fits all set of terms.
I’d prefer to see operators handed all fines, for example tacho infringements, because at the end of the day who is planning the work and benefiting from said infringements? I think it would force operators into taking a sensible look at planning, and when infringements do occur they might be a bit more involved with explaining what the driver has done wrong and how to avoid, rather than the standard sign a bit of paper and forget about it.
I’m sure a better way of setting limits would be set mileage rather than time limits. Pretty black and white if you have 300 miles to cover but have to have a break before 250 miles as an example.
Like I said one size doesn’t fit all and low mileage multi drop drivers would get shafted on that one
12/12 if working from base, have to commute each day.
15/9 only allowed if sleeping in the truck or nearby accommodation, and 9hr rest entirely at driver’s discretion.
Scrap compensations.
Scrap POA.
Scrap DCPC.
Time 1.5 after 8 hours, Saturdays and double Sundays.
Scrap speed limiters same as much of the USA. Would put an end to all the elephant racing that everyone cries about.
Ban Mercedes from making trucks.
Ban DAF from using automatic gearboxes.
No point adding anything about facilities, parking etc as most drivers are neanderthal apes and would trash them within a week. 
Funny you mwntion facilities. There’s a sign in the thunderbox at Amazon Tilbury that suggests not flushing face masks down the toilet.
Which then begs the question of have they been used as bog roll?
yourhavingalarf:
Yes, there will be a small loss in fuel economy, the amount I can’t say.
Many moons ago I tested this on a run from Park Royal back to Birmingham. Same load, same journey. One at 50mph and the other 56mph.
Cant remember the exact figures but it worked out that the money saved on fuel was pretty much wasted on the over time they had to pay me. And then there was the added trip time. This is what I don’t get abut companies who push their drivers to stick to times but ■■■■■■■ their trucks
Taxes will be going up, so the optimum earnings in the future will be just below the higher rate threshold.
The trick then - is to earn as close to that as possible, whilst performing as few shifts to earn it, thus saving on commute costs as well.
The ones that such a concept will appeal to most - are the ones who currently commute long distances to work each shift, run gas guzzler private vehicles to do that commute, and of course (around North Kent like moi) - have to pay tolls of any kind to get to that next shift…
DCPCFML:
12/12 if working from base, have to commute each day.
15/9 only allowed if sleeping in the truck or nearby accommodation, and 9hr rest entirely at driver’s discretion.
Scrap compensations.
Scrap POA.
Scrap DCPC.
Time 1.5 after 8 hours, Saturdays and double Sundays.
Scrap speed limiters same as much of the USA. Would put an end to all the elephant racing that everyone cries about.
Ban Mercedes from making trucks.
Ban DAF from using automatic gearboxes.No point adding anything about facilities, parking etc as most drivers are neanderthal apes and would trash them within a week.
…All in all, uplifting the current "job-‘n’-knock fiasco that one sees around our roads, whilst supressing Union-delivered rights that are there for Public safety as well as the Driver - don’t forget.
Most of the above - would be of more benefit to the average firm, rather than any drivers trying to scrape a living whilst ducking and diving stupid company rules as they stand…
If we see compulsory time-and-a-half payable by firms after 8 hours, we will then have drivers planned and working 6x8 hours patterns everywhere, acting managers moaning that drivers are hanging out the job to get that now-otherwise out-of-reach overtime, acting managers wasting all their office time on looking at where each driver is every minute of the day on the tracker, rather than doing work that actually earns their firm money, and wasting the rest of their manager shift chasing up disciplining people like me for falling foul of a system that strangely, never reduced their own pay and conditions, but is a great excuse to get rid of spotless licence drivers, leaving the firm to lose money hand-over-fist trying to employ the “six points OK” dross that is left after the payslip-efficient drivers have been purged…
That six day week of 8 hour shifts - would also mean, having to commute extra at driver’s own expense, have extra number of hours taken off for meal breaks, with shortly no work taking place over the weekends whatsoever, like on the continent…
Be careful what you wish for, Remainers!
If you scrap POA then some firms will say "Any extra breaks taken, legal requirement or not - will be deducted in addition to the 1hr we already take off!
Scrapping speed limits will just mean that tippers, TNT, Stobarts, and RM drivers will be undertaking me on roundabouts a bit more quickly and smoothly. It’s still unsafe and illegal though - “No one was saved”. 
Winseer:
That six day week of 8 hour shifts - would also mean, having to commute extra at driver’s own expense, have extra number of hours taken off for meal breaks, with shortly no work taking place over the weekends whatsoever, like on the continent…
So move closer to work then, or do tramping if you want no commute and 15 hours every day . As much as people try to get the industry down to sensible hours and decent pay, there’s people like you wanting to do 84 hours a week because you’ve nothing else going on in your life . You seem to find fault with absolutely everything .
Terry T:
yourhavingalarf:
Yes, there will be a small loss in fuel economy, the amount I can’t say.Many moons ago I tested this on a run from Park Royal back to Birmingham. Same load, same journey. One at 50mph and the other 56mph.
Cant remember the exact figures but it worked out that the money saved on fuel was pretty much wasted on the over time they had to pay me. And then there was the added trip time. This is what I don’t get abut companies who push their drivers to stick to times but ■■■■■■■ their trucks
As said before by me and others: no bother being pushed to stick to times; it gets there when it gets there.
DCPCFML:
Winseer:
That six day week of 8 hour shifts - would also mean, having to commute extra at driver’s own expense, have extra number of hours taken off for meal breaks, with shortly no work taking place over the weekends whatsoever, like on the continent…So move closer to work then, or do tramping if you want no commute and 15 hours every day
Once again, you’ve managed to re-write everything I’ve said to say something completely different…
Are you Hard-of English or something?
Moving - not easy to do in this housing market.
“Sensible Hours” - is no good if you need the freedom to work and keep more wages from one’s own efforts, rather than lose it all again in tax, and commute expenses.
The cost of moving home right now is into five figures, solititers fees, estate agents, having to drop one’s sell price to get a sale through in time to exchange contracts, and of course the more important fact that Homes near Industrial estates - are at a premium to homes in run-down parts of town, where there IS no “work” locally there.
If you’re well-heeled enough to afford THAT kind of upheaval/change - then you’ve clearly got enough behind you to leave the world of work outright, and retire comfortably, without moving at all… Maybe that is another underlying cause of the current “Driver Shortage” - People choosing to “not come back” once Furlough pay is over…?
Winseer:
Taxes will be going up, so the optimum earnings in the future will be just below the higher rate threshold.
The trick then - is to earn as close to that as possible, whilst performing as few shifts to earn it, thus saving on commute costs as well.The ones that such a concept will appeal to most - are the ones who currently commute long distances to work each shift, run gas guzzler private vehicles to do that commute, and of course (around North Kent like moi) - have to pay tolls of any kind to get to that next shift…
Maybe Conor will pop along to give a more reliable answer but from what I understand you are taxed at the higher rate on what you earn above the current higher rate threshold which is like 50,270.
So if you earn 50k a year your on £3,136.67 p/m
If you are on 51k a year your on £3,185.00 p/m.
If you are on 53k a year your on £3,281.67 p/m
So unless I am missing something you dont really need to aim to earn just under the higher rate. I may well be wrong though.,