Did I do wrong?

[constantine]

Little bit of background histroy, some know on here that I work on a Saturday for a FPF company and in these last 5 - 6 weeks, I have slightly bullsed up on a few things:

1. First time in a year, about 4 weeks ago, I forgot to get up on time and ended up being late for the shift start time by nearly two hours as my commute to the depot is a bit long even though I woke up straight away when the call came in, where are you■■? Zb

2. I didn’t deliver a pallet to a customer as I was 40 miles away from them when I found it, the loaders had split it up from the rest and I found it on the head board, when this drop was actually the second one of the day and I had 15 drops that day

3. Put an very small scratch in a car in tight country lane, crawling past them, as they wouldn’t move past me in case they damaged their car…the irony ( I was suprised as I was sure as soon as you touch a car with a lorry they tend to explode like a clown’s car )

Anyway had an uneventful fortnight and thought thank zb for that!

I digress, on the first run today, I was a driver’s mate as we had long times/distance between runs and to keep us moving (legally) we double man. They are day cabs, quite large space but no bunk and you’ll see what I mean later.

I was with one of the good old guy’s today (he’s 61 and he likes to wind me up but helps out a lot when we go out together), I’m early thirties by the way not that should make a difference. I think his fitness levels are still actually better than mine somedays

Alas we get to our fifth drop and he starts asking me to check his nearside and when pulling out of junctions as he can’t see? Alarm bells ring, as these were wide junctions as in line of sights were good.

I asked him if he was alright and he said yes, so I said ok and carried on. He was ripping the ■■■■ out of me cross checking my map reading against the sat nav for “it’s journey planning abilities as it had just come back from repair” saying I need to get out more.

But I am also trying to get my journey planning memory skills better (like my old man can run off all of these roads in one hit from A-B, just like the good old guy can too) and not rely on the gash nav!

We leave drop 5 and get to 6 and he’s complaining about his stomach hurting now. And in my head (not said out loud) I’ve not been happy with some of his driving styles, cutting up and pulling out on people late etc, completely out of nature!

So I jockingly said he was trying to get out of the second run we had waiting. Should I call an ambulance etc. Getting my own back.

Anyway I was filling out paperwork and look across and he looked as white as a ghost So I said are you alright and he said it would go he was sure. But we was now 90 minutes from base and been on the road 7 hours by then and boy had it been very hot today and there was no shade at any of our drops whilst handballing pallets - 7 tons by then.

I wasn’t happy about this, especially knowing the monster load that was waiting on the second run. He got out of the cab and was sick on the floor.

So I did something unusual and said no we’re not unloading now, ■■■■ this customer, I’m either getting an ambulance or we’re going back to depot, but they’re the only choices. He said not to fuss about the ambluance etc and it will go away! But by then his driving was getting a bit hairy for my liking.

So I swapped seats, reclined the passenger, got in, told him to get back in and left for depot. He slept nearly all the way back and I called office to let them know, which didn’t go down well! Wasn’t expecting that

Called his wife for him and got her to meet me at the depot to take him home etc. As he never skives go off sick.

Went into office to ask for another driver’s mate to help with unloading and was willing to put on second run there and then and run out with no real significant delay. Go there first unload that as it was only one drop and then finish off the other two and then go back home, reckoned I had enough driving time left to do a 10 hour driving run over the entire day and I only needed 6 to get it done reality.

I was then told no driver’s mate, not enough notice given to office (an hour at least given FFS). Also 6 crews had got back and were sent home - no more work to do, saw two crews as I pulled up, leaving for home!

Got told we can have the support van follow and help on the first run and then you are on your own…you should’ve finished before you came back with blah blah.

As I’m an “agency licence holder” (NB I didn’t say lorry driver before you jump up and down on me ) I bit my tounge and didn’t say what I thought of that. But I did say I thought it was incredulous they couldn’t keep someone on to help me and them in the long run or get an agency in to cover the passenger seat. And that I thought it was out of order to keep a sick person working.

Got loaded and left for second run first with van - 5 pallets to unload about 4 ton - It then gets better halfway through and van gets called away to help another lorry unload a job with two in that lorry! I’m on my own with about 2.5 ton to unload in a semi-building site…luckily the builders see this and 2 help me get the super heavy items in and I do the rest.

Then head off to other two drops further afield and unload one on my own and a customer helps me with the last one.

I Really feel I was punished for helping a sick person get home, even though I did tell the office what I was doing as I left the job and explained to customer who we left that I would be back today. They were even understanding - yes a member of the public!

Got back threw my paperwork on the desk, answered my de-briefing questions with a jaded attitude and gave my tacho card out for downloading too. Clocked out and went home.

Feel absolutely livid how the old boy had been treated and we didn’t take the ■■■■, never do. Yet compared to some of the other jokers there, I was the equivalent of monster and done the worst deed to man.

Really really annoyed by how the office behaved and they have never been like that either when I’ve had a problem on the road, usually really supportive.

So my ramblings to all was what did I do wrong there or did the initial things I did a while back count against me in reality today

C

[m1cks]

Just sounds like a bunch of dicks to work for

[3_wheeler]

No…health of anyone comes first…you are not a doctor and did what was best on the grounds of safety. If that was a mild heart attack, and the description of the symptoms nearly fits one , I would have called the ambulance, ( with my knowledge now thats a certainty) .
I have been there with the heart attack and threw up on the M40 hard shoulder and thought i had a bad bug or the flu , the boys in blue stopped and breathalized me !!!..Then let me drive on a bit later , my heart consultant says how the hell i drove 44t home without a major accident was a miracle.
Write to the company H&S person and ask their opinion on what should be done , it must be on a policy somewhere surely.

We all deserve to go home fit and well at the end of a shift, and if not be looked after.

[constantine]

I hope it weren’t 3 wheeler,

That was my very first thought, a heart attack, but he didn’t have any of the other symptoms I asked for. I’ve done my 5 day construction site first aid and he kept saying no to lots of prompting of my queries, even though I was struggling to remember all the prompts to ask!

But if he had of had the arms/neck/tingling/headaches etc he would have had no choice in that ambulance, it would have been screamed for and forced upon him!

I tell you this for free that was one of the most scariest 90 minutes driving I’ve ever had getting him back. You’re only “2 m” away from him but you may as well be 2000 Km away. As you can’t truly keep an eye on them as you’ve got to concentrate on getting back in one piece.

He wants to be on the road only another 4 years then giving up for good.

He’s one cool guy. The only sad thing is me being on agency and him being a full time permanent, you don’t have these guy’s numbers so you can’t check on them to see if they are alright. You are right I am no doctor and we could’ve made a mistake in our DIY diagnosis before driving back to base, which maybe in hindsight was not the cleverist thing I’ve done in a long while!

I’m just glad we got back to his wife.

As for m1cks said, I never would have thought that of them in the office until today. But I was definitely made to feel like I had done the wrong thing. Even though I knew in my heart I had done the second best thing of taking him back to base. Number 1 should have been the ambulance dwelling on it.

Perhaps thinking back now I should have forced the ambulance issue more!

Until today it was a non-eventful, easy, alright paying little run around number, this last year. Never signed up for this excitment. I leave that to the mundane weekdayish job kack job to disturb my life instead!

Oh well, shouldn’t dwell on what they thought. Just hope he’s ok and I see him next week in the transport office back to normal and it was just the sun that had upset his body!

C

[3_wheeler]

Constantine:
I hope it weren’t 3 wheeler,

That was my very first thought, a heart attack, but he didn’t have any of the other symptoms I asked for. I’ve done my 5 day construction site first aid and he kept saying no to lots of prompting of my queries, even though I was struggling to remember all the prompts to ask!

But if he had of had the arms/neck/tingling/headaches etc he would have had no choice in that ambulance, it would have been screamed for and forced upon him!

I tell you this for free that was one of the most scariest 90 minutes driving I’ve ever had getting him back. You’re only “2 m” away from him but you may as well be 2000 Km away. As you can’t truly keep an eye on them as you’ve got to concentrate on getting back in one piece.

He wants to be on the road only another 4 years then giving up for good.

He’s one cool guy. The only sad thing is me being on agency and him being a full time permanent, you don’t have these guy’s numbers so you can’t check on them to see if they are alright. You are right I am no doctor and we could’ve made a mistake in our DIY diagnosis before driving back to base, which maybe in hindsight was not the cleverist thing I’ve done in a long while!

I’m just glad we got back to his wife.

As for m1cks said, I never would have thought that of them in the office until today. But I was definitely made to feel like I had done the wrong thing. Even though I knew in my heart I had done the second best thing of taking him back to base. Number 1 should have been the ambulance dwelling on it.

Perhaps thinking back now I should have forced the ambulance issue more!

Until today it was a non-eventful, easy, alright paying little run around number, this last year. Never signed up for this excitment. I leave that to the mundane weekdayish job kack job to disturb my life instead!

Oh well, shouldn’t dwell on what they thought. Just hope he’s ok and I see him next week in the transport office back to normal and it was just the sun that had upset his body!

C

As I said i have had a heart attack whilst driving, yet it my crazy mind I did what 99% of us would want to do …I wanted to get home…WITH the truck and the boy and girl in blue did not recognize the symptoms either !!!
Next time (god forbid it never happens ) ignore what he says and look at your and everyone elses safety , make them stop immediately and call 999 . Let a professional make a decision like that , if wrong so what ! If right you may have saved a life or two because collapsing at speed would not be good for anyone.
And as part of your crazy 35 hrs training do some firstaid training , especially CPR, I think it should be a compulsory part.
And I do hope he is OK .i

[scanner]

Constantine:
Little bit of background histroy, some know on here that I work on a Saturday for a flat pack furniture company and in these last 5 - 6 weeks, I have slightly bullsed up on a few things:

1. First time in a year, about 4 weeks ago, I forgot to get up on time and ended up being late for the shift start time by nearly two hours as my commute to the depot is a bit long even though I woke up straight away when the call came in, where are you■■? Zb

2. I didn’t deliver a pallet to a customer as I was 40 miles away from them when I found it, the loaders had split it up from the rest and I found it on the head board, when this drop was actually the second one of the day and I had 15 drops that day

3. Put an very small scratch in a car in tight country lane, crawling past them, as they wouldn’t move past me in case they damaged their car…the irony ( I was suprised as I was sure as soon as you touch a car with a lorry they tend to explode like a clown’s car )

Anyway had an uneventful fortnight and thought thank zb for that!

I digress, on the first run today, I was a driver’s mate as we had long times/distance between runs and to keep us moving (legally) we double man. They are day cabs, quite large space but no bunk and you’ll see what I mean later.

I was with one of the good old guy’s today (he’s 61 and he likes to wind me up but helps out a lot when we go out together), I’m early thirties by the way not that should make a difference. I think his fitness levels are still actually better than mine somedays

Alas we get to our fifth drop and he starts asking me to check his nearside and when pulling out of junctions as he can’t see? Alarm bells ring, as these were wide junctions as in line of sights were good.

I asked him if he was alright and he said yes, so I said ok and carried on. He was ripping the ■■■■ out of me cross checking my map reading against the sat nav for “it’s journey planning abilities as it had just come back from repair” saying I need to get out more.

But I am also trying to get my journey planning memory skills better (like my old man can run off all of these roads in one hit from A-B, just like the good old guy can too) and not rely on the gash nav!

We leave drop 5 and get to 6 and he’s complaining about his stomach hurting now. And in my head (not said out loud) I’ve not been happy with some of his driving styles, cutting up and pulling out on people late etc, completely out of nature!

So I jockingly said he was trying to get out of the second run we had waiting. Should I call an ambulance etc. Getting my own back.

Anyway I was filling out paperwork and look across and he looked as white as a ghost So I said are you alright and he said it would go he was sure. But we was now 90 minutes from base and been on the road 7 hours by then and boy had it been very hot today and there was no shade at any of our drops whilst handballing pallets - 7 tons by then.

I wasn’t happy about this, especially knowing the monster load that was waiting on the second run. He got out of the cab and was sick on the floor.

So I did something unusual and said no we’re not unloading now, [zb] this customer, I’m either getting an ambulance or we’re going back to depot, but they’re the only choices. He said not to fuss about the ambluance etc and it will go away! But by then his driving was getting a bit hairy for my liking.

So I swapped seats, reclined the passenger, got in, told him to get back in and left for depot. He slept nearly all the way back and I called office to let them know, which didn’t go down well! Wasn’t expecting that

Called his wife for him and got her to meet me at the depot to take him home etc. As he never skives go off sick.

Went into office to ask for another driver’s mate to help with unloading and was willing to put on second run there and then and run out with no real significant delay. Go there first unload that as it was only one drop and then finish off the other two and then go back home, reckoned I had enough driving time left to do a 10 hour driving run over the entire day and I only needed 6 to get it done reality.

I was then told no driver’s mate, not enough notice given to office (an hour at least given FFS). Also 6 crews had got back and were sent home - no more work to do, saw two crews as I pulled up, leaving for home!

Got told we can have the support van follow and help on the first run and then you are on your own…you should’ve finished before you came back with blah blah.

As I’m an “agency licence holder” (NB I didn’t say lorry driver before you jump up and down on me ) I bit my tounge and didn’t say what I thought of that. But I did say I thought it was incredulous they couldn’t keep someone on to help me and them in the long run or get an agency in to cover the passenger seat. And that I thought it was out of order to keep a sick person working.

Got loaded and left for second run first with van - 5 pallets to unload about 4 ton - It then gets better halfway through and van gets called away to help another lorry unload a job with two in that lorry! I’m on my own with about 2.5 ton to unload in a semi-building site…luckily the builders see this and 2 help me get the super heavy items in and I do the rest.

Then head off to other two drops further afield and unload one on my own and a customer helps me with the last one.

I Really feel I was punished for helping a sick person get home, even though I did tell the office what I was doing as I left the job and explained to customer who we left that I would be back today. They were even understanding - yes a member of the public!

Got back threw my paperwork on the desk, answered my de-briefing questions with a jaded attitude and gave my tacho card out for downloading too. Clocked out and went home.

Feel absolutely livid how the old boy had been treated and we didn’t take the ■■■■, never do. Yet compared to some of the other jokers there, I was the equivalent of monster and done the worst deed to man.

Really really annoyed by how the office behaved and they have never been like that either when I’ve had a problem on the road, usually really supportive.

So my ramblings to all was what did I do wrong there or did the initial things I did a while back count against me in reality today

C

Disgusted that you and others have to put up with crap like this

You need to get away from this firm, life’s too short to waste time with these scumbags.

[chester]

Constantine - you did exactly the right thing, I would have done exactly the same. Ie when does a average run of the mill haulage load become more valuable than a life.

Iam so glad I work for a firm who would have backed me 100% in this case.

Hate the fact they are still Muppet Road Shows out there!

[driveroneuk]

I think you should print off your opening post here and send it, along with a brief covering letter, to the managing director of the company concerned. I bet he has no idea what’s gone on.

[10-08]

You work for dicks. You did the right thing it’s only a load it’s not that important in the grand scheme of things.
Btw next time you meet a car on a narrow road, stop and put your handbrake on. (That way at the time of the accident you were stationery with the handbrake applied.) After a few minutes the car driver will be beeping, swearing, crying, calling your boss but eventually they’ll get fed up and fit down the gap with room to spare or back up into a passing place. Make sure to smile the whole time and thank them afterwards

[yorkysays]

10-08:
You work for dicks. You did the right thing it’s only a load it’s not that important in the grand scheme of things.
Btw next time you meet a car on a narrow road, stop and put your handbrake on. (That way at the time of the accident you were stationery with the handbrake applied.) After a few minutes the car driver will be beeping, swearing, crying, calling your boss but eventually they’ll get fed up and fit down the gap with room to spare or back up into a passing place. Make sure to smile the whole time and thank them afterwards

Agree 100%

[martyh]

Constantine:
Little bit of background histroy, some know on here that I work on a Saturday for a flat pack furniture company and in these last 5 - 6 weeks, I have slightly bullsed up on a few things:…snippety snip snip.

C

You did exactly the right thing ,make no mistake that if you had allowed the sick driver to continue and he had crashed the vehicle and damaged the load the company would have been all over you ,if he had crashed the vehicle and killed someone (maybe you),well , that doesn’t even bare thinking about

[ramon123]

As has been said,you did the right thing.Now do the right thing and ditch the job and work your Saturdays for somebody who values you.

[8wheels]

Con,

You know that you did the right thing in the end no question, in the end being as you ummed and arred but were told not to by the driver. Health and Safety is a double edged thing, they’ll prevent you from doing something for your own safety but often the health part of that gets conveniently overlooked. Yes they’ll go on about H&S if it makes them look good, but missing a customer delivery at the expense of employee welfare is just not on.

I’d get on to the agency and report back to them, tell them that you expect to be asked to work there next week as usual, unless they can offer something where you are treated better. I’d also speak to the drivers wife if you have her number still to see how he is and tell her how his employers were uninterested in his welfare.

Must have been scary if that beat sitting alongside me!

[constantine]

Hey all,

Thanks for taking the time to read all of that and try and allay my fears I did wrong!

I phoned office today, but wasn’t told anything…this new guy I’ve interacted with twice (Saturday afternoon was the first), is going to taste how acidic my tongue can get very soon!

Shame we have to behave like that, as when that comes the job will be over as I doubt the agency will back me up. Waiting for the decent guy to be in tomorrow when he starts his shift, he’ll fill me in then, maybe not the private details, but at least put my mind at rest.

3 wheeler and martyh - Yes thinking back as in hindsight, I would have done it a lot different. But like most old timers, he didn’t want any fuss and I should have forced it and just accepted the ■■■■ being taken out of me for it potentially raising in a false alarm! I only sat the SMSTS 5 day course 3 years ago that does first aid, perhaps I need the longer appointed persons one then to jog my memory. I agree it should be compulsory for all, not just us on the road though.

Scanner and Ramon123 - Until this weekend, I wouldn’t have said this about them. Now my whole outlook and opinion has changed!
However I can’t find anyone who’s willing to let a “licence holder” come and play on a Saturday out my way yet. Especially as I can only drive rigids, if I drove bendies, I think it would be different. But in essence I am two a penny to employers at the moment!
So its being used to get my experience back up. As I’ve been out of the seat for a little while and I need to get myself back up to speed to become more competent in driving lorries again! Otherwise I’ll never make headway and become a lorry driver, which is the bigger picture for me.
If I was confident that I could get another role with someone else then I would. But being off the road for a while, means that everyone doesn’t want to know you and that you may as well be a newb in their eyes when it comes down to it.
However be rest assured when I get a Class 1 licence and someone is willing to give me a try I’ll be out of there before you can say “who’d have thought”.

Chester - Thanks bud, the boxes have never been worth a billionth of a human life. I’d make the same decision tomorrow if I had too, however this time like 3 wheeler said I’d like a paramedic to make the final decision before I drive anyone home, as they may need to be diverted in all seriousness!

Driveroneuk - If I don’t get invited back Sat then I will do this or if the old boy wants me too then I’ll back him up all the way and stir some up for them!

10-08 and Yorkysays - Seems that everyone in the depot does doesn’t it! Thanks for the tip, never had to go down very tight lanes nearly “unsuitable for HGV’s” until recently and I dropped a bollock panicking to get out of the way of the public. Even though the road was never labelled as being too narrow, it should have been labelled up as such for me!
8wheels told me to do that, so that will be happening next time I need to get past someone on a tight lane. I’ll hold my line rather than worrying about what everyone else is thinking. I’ll just wait, paid by the hour, so no point busting a gut and getting sacked for causing wilful damage by rushing! I thank them even when I get the coffee bean shake, that always throws them! I just learn the hard way unfortunately!

8 wheels - We know I am big boy now and I could’ve called in the boys in green and got him checked out. So hopefully it’ll never happen again, but I won’t hesitate next time!

Yes, I better speak to my agent about it too and see if I can be moved on. Might not be any room for me elsewhere though in reality (remember I have no special skills or great experience), so I may cut my nose off to spite my face and ■■■■ all of my plans up However sometimes, someone has to suffer somewhere!

Haven’t got the driver’s wife’s name as I called her on his phone…Only got one reliable source to come in tomorrow and get the low down.

Hahahaha your driving is good bud, nothing to fear in your skill and you know it! You need me to sit in the cockpit and I’ll show you some scary driving, when I am allowed permission to take the whee of any lorryl! Then you’ll understand why we drive around in beat up motors and the reason I work there

Thanks gents for confirming that I made the best decision out of the worst circumstances that I’d been dealt.

Here’s to a better weekend with no dramas this week!

C

[eddie_snax]

Constntine, you’d have been well justified to have called an Ambulance, and that would have given them a whole shed load off papaerwork on top of a small matter of re-planning another guy to go with you. The truth is that had some of the earlier finnishing crews been made aware of the situation, then there wouldve been guys there who’d have made themselves available to to help out.

Many years ago I started to fell unwell whilst driving, I pulled into a bus stop got out the truck thought I’d try and get some air, but I found it to painful to stand upright, thought I was having a heart attack, I crawled back in the lorry and called an Ambulance. They duly arrived along with a copper, and I was taken into Hospital. It turned out that I had a partially colasped lung, mustve somehow over reached or strained myself whilst stripping the tilt I was pulling, Christ I was only in my 20’s, but a night in hospital and a couple off weeks had me right as rain. when I spoke to my gaffer a couple off days later he was good as gold , normaly he was an arrogant git , but he said when I was feeling up to it drop down to see me as he had a load off forms for H & S/insurance to fill out, partly due to me calling an Ambulance whilst at work. He ran a small fleet of about 10 motors not a big logistics group, so could really ill afford all that extra hassle, but then again somtimes you more a person than a number in that sort of company .

You just cant mess about, them planners need a kick up the backside , thought I’d write something printable.

3 wheeler:
No…health of anyone comes first…you are not a doctor and did what was best on the grounds of safety. If that was a mild heart attack, and the description of the symptoms nearly fits one , I would have called the ambulance, ( with my knowledge now thats a certainty) .
I have been there with the heart attack and threw up on the M40 hard shoulder and thought i had a bad bug or the flu , the boys in blue stopped and breathalized me !!!..Then let me drive on a bit later , my heart consultant says how the hell i drove 44t home without a major accident was a miracle.
Write to the company H&S person and ask their opinion on what should be done , it must be on a policy somewhere surely.

We all deserve to go home fit and well at the end of a shift, and if not be looked after.

Bloody hell, the Cops really want their bloody head examined, if you threw up and your not ■■■■■■■ then it dont make you fit to drive what were they thinking

Glad you got home and sorted out mate

[limeyphil]

It has already been suggested that you let the MD know what you did and why. He dosn’t want one of his lorries in a ditch.
You did the right thing. I hope the other guy thanks you and backs you up.

[3_wheeler]

eddie snax:
Constntine, you’d have been well justified to have called an Ambulance, and that would have given them a whole shed load off papaerwork on top of a small matter of re-planning another guy to go with you. The truth is that had some of the earlier finnishing crews been made aware of the situation, then there wouldve been guys there who’d have made themselves available to to help out.

Many years ago I started to fell unwell whilst driving, I pulled into a bus stop got out the truck thought I’d try and get some air, but I found it to painful to stand upright, thought I was having a heart attack, I crawled back in the lorry and called an Ambulance. They duly arrived along with a copper, and I was taken into Hospital. It turned out that I had a partially colasped lung, mustve somehow over reached or strained myself whilst stripping the tilt I was pulling, Christ I was only in my 20’s, but a night in hospital and a couple off weeks had me right as rain. when I spoke to my gaffer a couple off days later he was good as gold , normaly he was an arrogant git , but he said when I was feeling up to it drop down to see me as he had a load off forms for H & S/insurance to fill out, partly due to me calling an Ambulance whilst at work. He ran a small fleet of about 10 motors not a big logistics group, so could really ill afford all that extra hassle, but then again somtimes you more a person than a number in that sort of company .

You just cant mess about, them planners need a kick up the backside , thought I’d write something printable.

3 wheeler:
No…health of anyone comes first…you are not a doctor and did what was best on the grounds of safety. If that was a mild heart attack, and the description of the symptoms nearly fits one , I would have called the ambulance, ( with my knowledge now thats a certainty) .
I have been there with the heart attack and threw up on the M40 hard shoulder and thought i had a bad bug or the flu , the boys in blue stopped and breathalized me !!!..Then let me drive on a bit later , my heart consultant says how the hell i drove 44t home without a major accident was a miracle.
Write to the company H&S person and ask their opinion on what should be done , it must be on a policy somewhere surely.

We all deserve to go home fit and well at the end of a shift, and if not be looked after.

Bloody hell, the Cops really want their bloody head examined, if you threw up and your not ■■■■■■■ then it dont make you fit to drive what were they thinking

Glad you got home and sorted out mate

[3_wheeler]

eddie snax:
Constntine, you’d have been well justified to have called an Ambulance, and that would have given them a whole shed load off papaerwork on top of a small matter of re-planning another guy to go with you. The truth is that had some of the earlier finnishing crews been made aware of the situation, then there wouldve been guys there who’d have made themselves available to to help out.

Many years ago I started to fell unwell whilst driving, I pulled into a bus stop got out the truck thought I’d try and get some air, but I found it to painful to stand upright, thought I was having a heart attack, I crawled back in the lorry and called an Ambulance. They duly arrived along with a copper, and I was taken into Hospital. It turned out that I had a partially colasped lung, mustve somehow over reached or strained myself whilst stripping the tilt I was pulling, Christ I was only in my 20’s, but a night in hospital and a couple off weeks had me right as rain. when I spoke to my gaffer a couple off days later he was good as gold , normaly he was an arrogant git , but he said when I was feeling up to it drop down to see me as he had a load off forms for H & S/insurance to fill out, partly due to me calling an Ambulance whilst at work. He ran a small fleet of about 10 motors not a big logistics group, so could really ill afford all that extra hassle, but then again somtimes you more a person than a number in that sort of company .

You just cant mess about, them planners need a kick up the backside , thought I’d write something printable.

3 wheeler:
No…health of anyone comes first…you are not a doctor and did what was best on the grounds of safety. If that was a mild heart attack, and the description of the symptoms nearly fits one , I would have called the ambulance, ( with my knowledge now thats a certainty) .
I have been there with the heart attack and threw up on the M40 hard shoulder and thought i had a bad bug or the flu , the boys in blue stopped and breathalized me !!!..Then let me drive on a bit later , my heart consultant says how the hell i drove 44t home without a major accident was a miracle.
Write to the company H&S person and ask their opinion on what should be done , it must be on a policy somewhere surely.

We all deserve to go home fit and well at the end of a shift, and if not be looked after.

Bloody hell, the Cops really want their bloody head examined, if you threw up and your not ■■■■■■■ then it dont make you fit to drive what were they thinking

Glad you got home and sorted out mate

Its my fault to some extent, i persuaded them I had got a bug ( i thought I had) , the pains had subsided within 20 mins to a lower level and my sight was back to normal, I felt like absolute ■■■■ and had no energy at all and it was hard work to get back in the cab !, but I wanted to get home So I lied to them about feeling a lot better, after drink a glass or two of water and taking some asprin they decided that as the yard/ home that was on the next junction 4 miles away it was Ok for me to drive to. I drove back and left the truck badly parked / abandoned in the yard and went to bed still none the wiser as to my condition. When the missus arrived home ( She is a hospital spinal doctor) she looked at me asleep in bed and let me sleep not knowing I was ill. when I awoke Still not feeling good at all she examined me, realising instantly something was wrong she took me to hospital with me moaning about her being stupid …and that was the last time I drove anything bigger than a car. Before this episode I was a fit 49 yr old who used a gym three times a week , my heart condition now with a heap of drugs has improved but I will never get my licence back , I have put on weight…due to the drugs and not exercising and cannot climb a flight of stairs without needing a rest!
Never did I think I had a heart attack when it happened or a heart problem before that day , i thought it was a bad case of food poisoning !
With my knowledge now I realise I was ■■■■ lucky to get home, the moral of the story I suppose is none of us is invincible and accept help when offered and go learn some first aid .

[martinviking]

The only thing different that I would have done was that I would have rung the office, the minute I realised that there was a problem (as long as it wasn’t life or death !) & let them make the decision what to do. When you rang them & told them that you was returning to the depot with drops still on, they might’ve been able to have sorted something, by just returning then informing them on the way- it didn’t give them a lot of time to re-organise the rest of the runs.

Their attitude since the incident seems a bit harsh, but if you let them know your ‘feelings’ on the day, maybe they’re a bit pee’d off as well. I know if a driver has a go at me- he gets crossed off my Xmas card list for the next year ! Lol !

[constantine]

Hey martinviking,

Yes I didn’t tell you that debacle at the beginning, as that may have come “across racist on here” what went wrong on the phone to the office initially.

So you are right I did make an “executive decision” as I had no-one to consult with who could help or discuss with. Until they were back from where ever they were at the time of my very first call at the customer’s address. Also I think speaking to the customer and them agreeing that I could come back was being professional it’s not like I said zb the drop to their face etc.

I’m going to have to get used to not having so much free decision making once I get in a seat aren’t I. As currently I have too much free reign normally to do what I feel is right and then deal with the aftermath afterwards if it turns out to be wrong.

Ooooppps better get used to my place

And yes its the very first time I’ve been arsey and had an attitude there, so it most probably upset them a lot, as normally in whatever I do, I don’t get like that unless you severly annoy me. Then you’ll know about it loud and clear, because I do try to be laid back about most things.

If I miss the list I’ll know why then. 2013 was always going to be a bad year in my eyes with my transition plans, so I’m not suprised at the least that i may miss the list this year too then.

C