Need to get this off my chest.
Monday I got a different truck (possible change of job onto a different contract).
Walked up to it and thought “Windows are filthy”
Opened the door and there it is. The door pocket is full to overflowing with crisp packets, old plastic coffee cups and banana skins. The floor has enough muck to grow spuds, if you could find enough space to plant them between the old delivery notes and newspapers. The dash is just about unreadable because of the dirt and the steering wheel is sticky with spilt coffee/coke/tea. Then the crowning glory…behind the drivers seat is a 2 pint plastic milk bottle with some of that cheese and water mixture in it !!!
How on earth can anyone work in such conditions ■■?
Anyway, after 45 minutes of sweeping, dusting and polishing it’s clean enough to work in.
Then I started it…
First the oil warning light…3.5 ltrs of oil
Then the Rad warning light… 4 pints of water
Then the screen wash light…the bottle was empty
And every time I turned left the cab tilt warning light came on !!!
Sheesh…
Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t expect a working truck to be in concours condition but it doesn’t take much to run a duster over the dash once a day, sweep the floor quickly and put your rubbish in an old carrier bag.
There…rant over.
Oh, did I mention the duff headlight and the electrically adjustable mirrors that didn’t adjust 
Does this sort of thing wind anyone else up or am I just becoming a fussy old git !!!
Hi Gary
It would certainly wind me up to find the cab in such a condition and then the trucks oil and water low. I like to keep my truck tidy, I’m lucky as it is the only one we have and I’m the driver 99% of the time, so it is up to me.
You certainly see some messes on the roads though, usually builders vans!
Calv
The truck I’ve just taken over wasn’t a lot better. Not too much rubbish just very dirty, low on oil, cab mount shafted, N/S front tyre wearing badly (due to an accident a few Weeks earlier) all not reported, O/S heated mirror not working. At least after two weeks I’ve managed to persuade them to get decent drive axle tyres as we do alot of farm work and road tyres weren’t up to the job. (using Bridgestone retreads as supplied to Ryder Truck Rental) Used to use with my old firm and after 10 years never had a problem with them.
Dave
The funniest thing is having found the cab like that, the fact that it needed oil and water didn’t surprise me in the slightest.
An old boss of mine used to regularly check the fleet. The drivers who looked after the motors got the good ones and the others got the rubbish. That always seemed to be a good idea I thought. I know what you mean about builders vans though. But then I suppose they just look at them as a means to get there and back as opposed to us, who basically have to work in them all day.
I work part time (only 55hours per week) never had my own wagon. So drive lots, worst was the one they called the “gas chamber”. Had a smell all of it’s own, would make you wretch within 2 minutes. I refused to drive it, boss understood but was already loaded (rigid) and nothing else available. He gave me £20 and told me to go and buy what ever I needed… air freshener, disanfectant, face mask etc. The main smell came from the seat, I swear it moved, and it wasn’t a suspender!. I drove from York to Leeds, windows open in -2C. Tipped and brought it back. The bunk had wild life Bill Oddie hadn’t seen!. Following day (Monday) driver was sacked and the motor was sold on, probably to Africa. Drove an Actross last week that was 2 tonne over weight just because of ■■■ ash.
take your time
Merlin 
I remember working for a company with a juggler on the side at a sub depot in Daventry in 94, we all got brand new ERF’s on august 1st. We had 5 very clean drivers and 1 total slob, I kept mine immaculate and one day I came after working there only 2 months and the transport manager / hitler had given my immaculate truck to the slob and given me his sty, both cabs were in the yard so there was no reason other than to annoy me>, I made the slob wait as I took all my stuff out then walked out. The pay was rubbish, so were the hours. After a week the area manager came to my house asking me to come back and giving me full pay while I was away. I came back but walked otu again 4 days later when the same transport manager asked for my tacho disc because it took me 30 minutes longer than sone other guy to do a 500 mile round trip. I have never and will never be told what to do by anyone, being asked politely is a different matter and when i am given a truck and told the cleanliness is my responsibility I react ok to that so long as I am paid when I clean it. 
Its discusting, some people dont take pride in there job or truck. I expect somewhere to sit & drop my bag & not get wielz disease. To actually see out the windows & see the reflections in the mirrors & if at all possible clean lights. Obviously this is too much to ask of some people & Im not a cleaning service so I only do the bare minimum & not clean any truck up to how Id like it.
I just wonder what there bosses think of these drivers.
- some do go to far the other way, paintbrushing every surface lino on the floor etc…
when on agy you tend to get about a bit and drive a hell of a lot of different motors.
i have seen them immaculate and on the other scale like the local recycling center on wheels 
i tend to leave a cab in the same condition as i find it, but having to clean a cab before you get in it just isnt on 
i used to drive on a regular contract for a small firm delivering accademic gowns for graduation ceremonies, the tm couldnt beleave it when i went in to the boot of my car and pulled out window cleaner and rags to clean windows and mirrors before i pulled out for the day, to say he was impressed is an understatement, and at the end of the day i used to take my rubbish home with me.
on the strength of it he always used to ask the agy for me, and if told i was on another contract he would tell them to take me of it or he would go else where!!
chris
Hi caveman,ditto but some trans managers couldnt give a damm,when I was on the agency if the cab werent clean I would not take it out and if the trans ■■■■■■■■ made an issuse out of it they had a choice clean it or send me home with 8hours pay,boy did they get them cleaned,one job I did was an adr jobs needed all the kit trans said no you dont o yes I do,we dont have any ok good bye and 8hours pay (so I thought)we just found one 
