LORRY and coach firms who risk causing “catastrophic” crashes by phoning their drivers at the wheel will be investigated, the industry’s regulator has told The Scotsman.
Joan Aitken, the traffic commissioner for Scotland, vowed to look into such companies’ operating licences if their drivers were found to have received such calls.
You could be saving there o licence by ignoring them 
EH!! - surely the driver has the choice of answering it or not 
If the firms have trackers or onboard computers (the type that gives you your jobs) then there is absolutely no reason or excuse to phone the driver for “an update” or a “where are you now”
This is (imo) a classic stall tactic by the traffic planner trying to shift pressure from the customer or the Boss to the driver, I’m surprised they don’t start playing “hurry up” music down the phone to you (sorry oldies its a gaming reference, when playing a video game if you are running out of time you usually get urgent sounding music start playing to encourage you to get to the finish)
But ROG is right if the phone rings when you’re driving, ignore it, pull up in next lay-by and phone them back (one firm I worked for didn’t supply company phones so we used to ring and then hang up, then the Traffic Planner would see who rang and call you straight back, (so no “I’m not using my bloody credit to phone the numpties back” excuses please) Of course if its a company phone then no problem anyway.
One place I worked the planner was always bugging you for a ETA (we were on tracker but he’d still bloody ask “how far off are you”) So I’d ring back and say “Look I’m pulling over and stopping every time you call which is inevitably delaying me further” he apparently had words with the Boss about me and the Boss said to him “stop [zb]ing phoning him then!” 
was told in a dcpc course (titled ‘Introduction to stress management’) it’s illegal to phone someone if you know they’re driving!
daffyd:
was told in a dcpc course (titled ‘Introduction to stress management’) it’s illegal to phone someone if you know they’re driving!
I don’t think that is quite correct as the wording of the law goes.
rospa.com/roadsafety/info/workmobiles.pdf
Hand-held Phones
It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone
while driving.
It is also an offence to “cause or permit” a
driver to use a hand-held mobile phone while
driving. Therefore, employers can be held
liable as well as the individual driver if they
require employees to use a hand-held phone
while driving.
Hands-free Phones
It can be illegal to use a hands-free phone
while driving. Depending upon the individual
circumstances, drivers could be charged with
‘failing to have proper control of their vehicle’.
In more serious cases, the use of any type of
mobile phone could result in prosecution for
careless or dangerous drivingThe Police may check phone records when
investigating fatal and serious crashes to
determine if use of a phone contributed to the
crash. Employers who require staff
to use any mobile phone while driving for work could be
prosecuted if an investigation determined that
such use of the phone contributed to a crash.
Claims in the civil courts could also result
So employers who don’t supply hands free phones and still expect their employees to answer them are risking heavy fines, just by calling them. and even if they supply a hands free kit they’re still risking prosecution.
But in reality does anybody know an employer who’s been done?
Reef:
If the firms have trackers or onboard computers (the type that gives you your jobs) then there is absolutely no reason or excuse to phone the driver for “an update” or a “where are you now”This is (imo) a classic stall tactic by the traffic planner trying to shift pressure from the customer or the Boss to the driver, I’m surprised they don’t start playing “hurry up” music down the phone to you (sorry oldies its a gaming reference, when playing a video game if you are running out of time you usually get urgent sounding music start playing to encourage you to get to the finish)
But ROG is right if the phone rings when you’re driving, ignore it, pull up in next lay-by and phone them back (one firm I worked for didn’t supply company phones so we used to ring and then hang up, then the Traffic Planner would see who rang and call you straight back, (so no “I’m not using my bloody credit to phone the numpties back” excuses please) Of course if its a company phone then no problem anyway.
One place I worked the planner was always bugging you for a ETA (we were on tracker but he’d still bloody ask “how far off are you”) So I’d ring back and say “Look I’m pulling over and stopping every time you call which is inevitably delaying me further” he apparently had words with the Boss about me and the Boss said to him “stop [zb]ing phoning him then!”
I never answer company phone while driving. handsfree or not(they don`t provide handsfree anyway) they should not ring you while your driving!!!
They dont have my personnel moblie or house phone number. Work phone not on they cant contact me!!! simple.
Seems excessive not having the work phone on. Let it ring and pull in the next services or something. I don’t think my boss would like it if he rang to tell me a load was cancelled and I drove a few hours down the road to find out at the customers location.
Interesting scenario - if on agency work say, doubt they provide a phone at each job you go out on so if I don’t want to give my personal number out, they can’t annoy me!
Back to Risk Assessments though for lone worker( which is what mobile workers ie drivers are) they should provide a means of contact in emergency so can I ask for a phone each time 
Reef:
If the firms have trackers or onboard computers (the type that gives you your jobs) then there is absolutely no reason or excuse to phone the driver for “an update” or a “where are you now”
I’ve definitely had that type of phone call. The last one I had was “I know you’re just about to finish your break I’ve got your trailer number for you” as I was sat in Charnock Richard services.
Guy I work for is a small agency. He texts me because he knows I won’t answer the phone when I’m driving.
dcgpx:
Interesting scenario - if on agency work say, doubt they provide a phone at each job you go out on so if I don’t want to give my personal number out, they can’t annoy me!
yes agency is abit different but do you claim for the calls you make during the course of the job??
muckles:
daffyd:
was told in a dcpc course (titled ‘Introduction to stress management’) it’s illegal to phone someone if you know they’re driving!I don’t think that is quite correct as the wording of the law goes.
rospa.com/roadsafety/info/workmobiles.pdf
Hand-held Phones
It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone
while driving.
It is also an offence to “cause or permit” a
driver to use a hand-held mobile phone while
driving. Therefore, employers can be held
liable as well as the individual driver if they
require employees to use a hand-held phone
while driving.Hands-free Phones
It can be illegal to use a hands-free phone
while driving. Depending upon the individual
circumstances, drivers could be charged with
‘failing to have proper control of their vehicle’.
In more serious cases, the use of any type of
mobile phone could result in prosecution for
careless or dangerous drivingThe Police may check phone records when
investigating fatal and serious crashes to
determine if use of a phone contributed to the
crash. Employers who require staff
to use any mobile phone while driving for work could be
prosecuted if an investigation determined that
such use of the phone contributed to a crash.
Claims in the civil courts could also resultSo employers who don’t supply hands free phones and still expect their employees to answer them are risking heavy fines, just by calling them. and even if they supply a hands free kit they’re still risking prosecution.
But in reality does anybody know an employer who’s been done?
I agree.
No, I’m not aware of any employer who’s been prosecuted for this(but I’m sure there are), but if there’s a revenue to be made from penalising drivers and/or companies, the law will always pursue the opportunity. Drivers get it in the neck first, so we have to be ahead of the game, hence the CPC and the Drivers Rules on Hours and Tachographs, which I agree with.
As far as mobile phones in the cab is concerned, I think a text by the company is enough, even if the sound of that text is repeated once every minute, it would be enough to alert the driver to find a safe place to stop to call the boss back. Safety is paramount, answering a mobile is not.
In effect, drivers are ground-based pilots and their CRM (Crew Resource Management) are all largely handled by one driver, so this is plenty of multi-tasking in busy areas drivers are unfamiliar with, let alone having to answer a phone, watch/listen to sat nav (if you use one) and keep your eyes peeled and be conscious of your load. There should be a new device(phone app) developed for employers to contact the drivers by the use of the app which has a special tone repeating once every minute, but not enough to distract the driver.
OK who’s going to invent one?
I just bought this in anticipation of going back to work…
mymemory.co.uk/Bluetooth-Car … it—Black
I used to have a hands free bluetooth Borg implant (thing that stuck on your ear and made you look like a right ■■■) but I could never get on with them, half the time the person had rung off before I got the thing attached to my ear properly, and I swear putting that on was more dangerous than answering the bloody phone in the first place, and no I couldn’t wear it all the time it annoyed me too much.
So anyway I’ll give that new thing a go and see how I get on with that instead.
Reef:
I just bought this in anticipation of going back to work…mymemory.co.uk/Bluetooth-Car … it—Black
I used to have a hands free bluetooth Borg implant (thing that stuck on your ear and made you look like a right ■■■) but I could never get on with them, half the time the person had rung off before I got the thing attached to my ear properly, and I swear putting that on was more dangerous than answering the bloody phone in the first place, and no I couldn’t wear it all the time it annoyed me too much.
So anyway I’ll give that new thing a go and see how I get on with that instead.
I’m not a big fan of the borg implant things either, so wouldn’t buy one. There has to be a simpler way than having to add more electronic gadgetry to the cab. The more there is, the more there is to think about. Hope the new item works for you though, but why should you have to buy it yourself, after all it is a safety issue, which is their responsibility too!
did you read the bit "OUT OF STOCK "?
Yes, you mean it’s popular…people like to buy the latest gadgetry anyway.
They have good reviews on AMAZON
Hilz:
but why should you have to buy it yourself, after all it is a safety issue, which is their responsibility too!
Who are they? I don’t work for anyone atm! Also I’m quite posh, I have my own car, so it gets used in that too 
TROTSKY3:
did you read the bit "OUT OF STOCK "?
I wasn’t trying to sell you one I was showing you what I bought and I happened to still have the saved link from where I bought it, if its out of stock now then its obviously proving popular
P.S. Also available at other stockist/suppliers 
Do you have one?
no i use earpiece
Does it work? Doesn’t it affect your ability to hear what you should be hearing…potential vehicle problems, the external environment etc?