madtrucker:
Every company has to ensure their employees have a safe working environment. This is why they take your keys. There are some stupid lorry drivers out there who will pull of the bay on a red light. Which is more important - the h&s of the people in the warehouse or you having your keys.
The two examples are not mutually exclusive MT. If you’ve ever been to a Norbert Dressingtable depot, you’ll see that the shunters attach a red airline lock to every trailer which only they can remove. Problem solved surely? This whole idea of handing in keys is archaic and totally counterproductive.
tc trans:
I tipped expert logistics at Radcliffe a while back, and after getting on bay handed my keys to the security guy (as instructed) 2 hours later tipped and got signed delivery notes but no keys… they lost them!!
To those who say there are no good reasons to object, I think this scenario proves the point.
Lovlyperson:
who says you cant go to your Cab? just let it unlocked
You’ve never tipped at Tesco, Daventry have you?
gardun:
Just keep two sets of keys but only one that fits then hand in the ones that don’t. They should never find out
This is what I do, except for places like for instance Tesco at DIRFT. My MAN has no radio, heater, power windows, etc with the ignition off. Also the ignition key locks the cab doors, so there is the issue of security if you need to use the loo or canteen.
are you justified in crashing the gate?
vernonbish777:
as long as you do it at “98” and shout “let them truckers roll, 10-4”
Dazza:
…If you’ve ever been to a Norbert Dressingtable depot, you’ll see that the shunters attach a red airline lock to every trailer which only they can remove. Problem solved surely? This whole idea of handing in keys is archaic and totally counterproductive.
If you go to Nobby Stranglers at Easton near Grantham, they make you drop the legs, pull the red, pull the pin & pull out from under a couple of feet, then they fit a red airline lock. They then want the keys & make you sit in a room where the cold store staff recover - it’s roasting.
It’s all very well shouting “I know my rights” at some guy in a warehouse but mostly it won’t get you anywhere. As with anyone who has a bit of authority they have a myriad of ways of getting their own back. Not least by taking twice as long as they have to. Wouldn’t you?
It seems to me that when you get sent to an RDC you know what to expect so, if you won’t play their game, then you just refuse to take the job.
These companies make you wait in a manky room because some drivers were complaining about not being able to lock their cabs. They are wise to the “handing in the car keys” device too.
One of the many skills a truck driver needs is diplomacy. I was listening to a fellow driver complaining about all the miserable, unhelpful SOB’s he met while delivering, and it seemed odd to me that those same places seemed to wheel out the happy, helpful guy when I went there. He is a great one for “I know my rights” (usually the wrong ones) so I guess that may have something to do with it.
There are times you have to stand up for yourself of course, but a wise driver will choose his moment. Ultimately the most you can do legally is to walk away.
laikin’ art:
If you go to Nobby Stranglers at Easton near Grantham, they make you drop the legs, pull the red, pull the pin & pull out from under a couple of feet, then they fit a red airline lock. They then want the keys & make you sit in a room where the cold store staff recover - it’s roasting.
Do you mean that little canteen where the Pinguin lads have their break?
I was there twice last week and nipped in for a coffee. They let me sit in my cab, although if you’re tipping, like you say, the shunters fit an airline lock and you uncouple. It’s still better than handing your vehicle keys in.
limeyphil:
There was a story in Commercial Motor last week regarding the human rights act and handing keys in.
Did anyone see it?
The reply from CM neither said yes the human rights act would apply or no it wouldn’t. I was knackered at the time of reading and i havn’t got the magazine with me now. So what did you think to CM’s reply?
Well this is weird I distinctly remember that article, but I haven’t had a CM since April - and it isn’t in any recent T&D or Trucking that I can see. Maybe I should go and see a shrink, but then they’ll take away my licence . Someone please find out which issue it was in for me, or I’ll never get any sleep! Anyway, I had a situation like this a while back (not going to name the location). They didn’t take my keys since my own crew was doing the tip, but they had a pass-card system for the automatic barrier. My card didn’t work, and when I spoke to security, they refused to help and then started being abusive. Late for a very lucrative job, I tried to tailgate another driver, misjudged the distance, and took the barrier with me. Nothing was ever done, and last time I worked there, some months later, they still hadn’t replaced the barrier As for the law, I’m pretty sure that the theft argument is a load of cow pat on the grounds of ‘dishonestly’ and ‘intent to permanently deprive.’ I’m also pretty sure that, on the driver’s side, unlawful detention would get you nowhere since they’re not detaining you, only preventing you from moving your vehicle - and of course, unless you’re an owner-driver (which I am), it isn’t even your vehicle. I’m gonna have a chat with my lawyer tomorrow though and hopefully get a definitive answer on this one. Will let y’all know the results…
I used to work nights for Salvesens and i would hand my keys in and go back to my lorry for a sleep i even puilled off a bay at Iceland chester on a red light with there permission and the forklift ended up on the floor and no ban and back to sleep.Days may be worse but i found as long as your atittude was ok then no problem, BUT then there was Sainburys at Stone
My Guv’nr gave me a spare key for the truck specially for when we are at Tesco NDC and can be there for 4-5 hours at a time, they dont like you in the cab at all if the truth be known as the handbrake can be released and roll off the dock, but tough, I need my bueaty sleep.
If you dont want to hand over your keys then dont bother coming onto site. period.
We take the keys for a reason and that is to prevent people driving off of bays on reds…
Here we demand you uncouple before you are loaded/tipped… if you dont like it then someone else will be happy for the work I am sure.
good post a very bullyish one
now ive no arguement about handing keys but whats is the point of dropping the trailer shunter putting red airline lock on then the driver having to sit in a stinky room
surely dropping the trailer then parking opposite it is enough. how about dropping the trailer parking opposite and then handing your keys is more than fair, i think you would find that point people most object to is sitting in a smelly dirty room for hours on end when they have only bought 5 pallets of mixed or 26 pallets of exactly the same stuff.
Yes, I object to sitting in a boring, dirty and unfriendly room.
What I object to more is it being assumed that I’m entirely incapable of understanding what a red light means, and that there are people moving around the back of my vehicle.
Having to hand your keys in is nothing more than a way of saying “Sorry drive, but we don’t think you are intelligent enough to not move your vehicle until its safe to do so”
Yeah, that is your company don’t provide trailer securing devices, you tar all drivers with the same brush. You don’t understand the full picture of health and safety, which includes, like it or not, drivers.
How many times have you had someone drive off and did they ban that person ?
Far too easy isn’t it ? to get drivers to hand in keys instead of sorting any so called risk out properly.
Get off your ■■■ and put some chocks under the trailer wheels for a start. Why should I leave my cab for you ?
Not so long ago, any driver of any machine was told when leaving said machine to take keys out and keep them on their person so no unauthorised person can get hold of them and also, of course not to give them to any unauthorised person - that’ll be you then.
I have got a simple idea for these muppets in the RDC. They could buy an old crooklock for about 2.75 off Ebay and put it on the handbrake to the clutch pedal.
Im joking because some over zealous H&S muppet will implement that idea.
Yeah well we dont take keys anyway we demand drivers uncouple from the trailer…
Also we use salvo but of course no method short of clamping the trailer to the bay will prevent it being taken off if the person wanting to really wants to…
Even with salvo and keys on dock doors you could have a spare, use the shunt button or just plain drag it off the bay.
Taking keys and the like is to prevent accidentally pulling off the bay or a lapse in concentration… it is not saying we assume everyone is stupid or dangerous but I believe it makes an accidental drive away much less likely.
Like I say… our policy of uncoupling first seems to be better and rarely gets complaints. Also we have good, large 24/7 canteen facilities here.
. Someone please find out which issue it was in for me, or I’ll never get any sleep!
