I cannot see the difference between sauntering off for a crap and a plastic cup of vended coffee or dropping your keys in reception. Unless you book a crap as other work 
Why does it have to be a group of small companies to do it? why doesn’t one of us write to VOSA asking for an answer, and then write to the companies with RDCs asking for their procedures to be clarified with regards to the enclosed VOSA blurb?
Don’t write to the transport or RDC ops people but to their H&S director, those jobsworths have more power than we all like to admit and it wouldn’t surprise me if we got a result at even a few sites.
Alex
Wheel Nut:
I cannot see the difference between sauntering off for a crap and a plastic cup of vended coffee or dropping your keys in reception. Unless you book a crap as other work
If crap was other work, then surely every driver would be breaking the maximum of a 15 hour shift rule? lol
I’m just happy that I don’t usually have to go into RDC’s. They all sound like little Hitlers, in thier own little bunker behind that window.
Not to be picky, but I think…
Adam_Mc:
…especially that Morrisons RDC that say you cant park for a break within 3 miles or something of their depot.
…was Aldi at Neston.
Basically, from what I could gather, they have a nobber going around and logging peeps Reg numbers. If any of those Reg numbers appear at the gatehouse, they ban them!! It wouldnt matter if you weren’t delivering to Aldi.
The world of ■■■■ is certain upon us.
Wheel Nut:
Adam_Mc:
Do you know what would be the easiest answer?..if lots of the small haulage firms wrote to VOSA and asked for a final and written answer to the question “If tipping at an RDC and the driver is not allowed back in their cab, but must wait in a drivers waiting room, then can it actually be counted as rest?”…depending on the answer from VOSA it may force RDC’s to change a few things and be more friendly, especially that Morrisons RDC that say you cant park for a break within 3 miles or something of their depot.But this is where the UK haulage industry fails…they never stand up for anything, and then only ■■■■■ at the lack of respect.
But of course you are on break, if anyone is so much of an old woman to worry about walking back to goods in reception with the keys, then take your card with you and draw pretty lines on it in the canteen every 15 minutes or do a manual entry when you get your keys back.
I have taken a 15 minute break in a ministry control if it is looking tight to get a ferry
I tried this at Pease Pottage Checkpoint, and got royally ■■■■■■ by the VOSA idiot who was intent on finding fault with my cards… An hour later he handed them back to and off i went on my way… And yes i was late for a boat, and yes it was his fault!!
Wheel Nut:
‘… take your card with you and draw pretty lines on it in the canteen every 15 minutes …’
But surely that’s ‘work’ - as well as one not being able to take the card out without the keys?
I shall do what suits me if I ever have to tip at one of these places…If they dont like it they can ban me..I am a human being and as such I have certain rights to comfort, safety as others do, but not at the expense of my own.....I cant wait to have it ‘large’ at one of these places, the Police will be called 
And I shall win.
Adam_Mc:
I understand your point, and to be honest I’ll take my break as well, as I’ve said, my truck won’t leave their dock until I’ve had enough ‘rest’. But the point is, rest is defined as a period where a driver isn’t working and is able to freely dispose of their time. If you’re being forced to go and wait somewhere then surely you’re not freely disposing of your time, therefore it’s not legally a break?
You’re confusing break with rest. For a legal break on a bay you must only meet the criteria that;
You may not carry out any form of work and must use the period only for recuperation. It’s only your daily rest period where you have to be freely disposing of your time. So if you are out of hours at Tesco then not only must they cone off 5/10/12/20 bays either side but they have to give you your keys back.
What amazes me is the words SAINSBURY’S and tipped in 1 HOUR together, Get your arrse down to Sainsbury’s stoke. You know it’s crap when you see drivers turning up with a pillow , a good thick book or a DVD player. That place truly is a ■■■■ hole.
Ark-Angel:
What amazes me is the words SAINSBURY’S and tipped in 1 HOUR together, Get your arrse down to Sainsbury’s stoke. You know it’s crap when you see drivers turning up with a pillow , a good thick book or a DVD player. That place truly is a [zb] hole.
You probably won’t believe this but I was in Sainsburys Stoke this morning for an hour. 16 pallets mixed suppliers. Yes, I’m still in shock 
Scarab:
Why does it have to be a group of small companies to do it? why doesn’t one of us write to VOSA asking for an answer, and then write to the companies with RDCs asking for their procedures to be clarified with regards to the enclosed VOSA blurb?Don’t write to the transport or RDC ops people but to their H&S director, those jobsworths have more power than we all like to admit and it wouldn’t surprise me if we got a result at even a few sites.
Alex
I emailed VOSA yesterday asking about this.
They have replied saying that they do not deal with Driver Hours queries at the “Contact Centre” and suggested i speak to a Traffic Examiner at the local Office. Just checked and there is no email address so i guess it would have to be either verbal or snail mail.
DonutUK:
Scarab:
Why does it have to be a group of small companies to do it? why doesn’t one of us write to VOSA asking for an answer, and then write to the companies with RDCs asking for their procedures to be clarified with regards to the enclosed VOSA blurb?Don’t write to the transport or RDC ops people but to their H&S director, those jobsworths have more power than we all like to admit and it wouldn’t surprise me if we got a result at even a few sites.
Alex
I emailed VOSA yesterday asking about this.
They have replied saying that they do not deal with Driver Hours queries at the “Contact Centre” and suggested i speak to a Traffic Examiner at the local Office. Just checked and there is no email address so i guess it would have to be either verbal or snail mail.
I don’t think you need an email address for the local office. Due to the power of TruckNet UK . I bet VOSA are well aware of this and many other threads, including Limeyphil’s penchant for stealing Bev’s pants 
DonutUK:
They have replied saying that they do not deal with Driver Hours queries at the “Contact Centre” and suggested i speak to a Traffic Examiner at the local Office. Just checked and there is no email address so i guess it would have to be either verbal or snail mail.
Tell me your nearest VOSA station and I’ll put their e-mail address on here for you
ROG:
DonutUK:
They have replied saying that they do not deal with Driver Hours queries at the “Contact Centre” and suggested i speak to a Traffic Examiner at the local Office. Just checked and there is no email address so i guess it would have to be either verbal or snail mail.Tell me your nearest VOSA station and I’ll put their e-mail address on here for you
My nearest one is Kidderminster.
DonutUK:
My nearest one is Kidderminster.
would you credit it !!
That one is not on the VOSA area office list, HOWEVER, Stone is and covers Staffs -
Area07mail@VOSA.gov.uk - yes, it does use uppercase as part of the address 
The tel numbr is 01785 760152
The reason I was given for a lot of the Tesco RDC,s not letting you use the canteen any more is because they are fed up trying to get drivers back when they are tipped. Not got a tannoy system then?
With regard to sainsburys rdcs, first and foremost they are the owners of the land, secondly, they make the rules, thirdly, a driver is not allowed to go back to his cab , after handing in his keys (or hanging them on a hook) and failure to adhere to this request will lead to a total ban on all of Sainsburys sites. These regulations/rules came into force because of an accident at Feltham whereby a driver went back to his cab, knocked off the handbrake whillst rummaging around and allowing the vehicle to roll forward whilst the forkie was in the back. My company supplies fruit to sainsburys, and we supply all their depots from the South to the North and all their sites operate the same procedure..except one...(that i know of ) and thats Charlton (where i live) home to the once famous football team ( i made that last bit up )..At this depot, a driver is required to stand at the rear of the trailer, and will not get tipped unless obeying this rule. There is a canteen, but you cannot go there if you want to get tipped, but you are allowed to use it, its a long walk, but it is there. there is a sattelite mess room, where tea/coffee/jelly babies are available, but you cannot go there either, whilst being tipped. One other aspect of charlton is..you are required to break down any pallets deemed too high, or of mixed produce, of course the golden rule is the word assistbut you would have to wait for the goods to be unloaded before any assistance is given. MY golden rule at charlton is to put my tacho onother work`
Why not try asking the haulage firms insurance company what their policy is on the driver handing the truck keys and therefore the responsilbility of the truck to a third party (the RDC)?
I remember seeing this question in the legal section of a truck mag a few years ago, I can’t remember the exact wording of the reply but it should put the cat amongst the pigeons
Gavin
Wheel chocks ?
Red airline lock ?
Cost ?
DonutUK:
Scarab:
Why does it have to be a group of small companies to do it? why doesn’t one of us write to VOSA asking for an answer, and then write to the companies with RDCs asking for their procedures to be clarified with regards to the enclosed VOSA blurb?Don’t write to the transport or RDC ops people but to their H&S director, those jobsworths have more power than we all like to admit and it wouldn’t surprise me if we got a result at even a few sites.
Alex
I emailed VOSA yesterday asking about this.
They have replied saying that they do not deal with Driver Hours queries at the “Contact Centre” and suggested i speak to a Traffic Examiner at the local Office. Just checked and there is no email address so i guess it would have to be either verbal or snail mail.
You don’t need to email them just read the regulations, it couldn’t be more clear.
Article 4 (d)
‘break’ means any period during which a driver may not
carry out any driving or any other work and which is
used exclusively for recuperation;
Simple and clear definition with nothing about being free to dispose of your time. Sitting anywhere not doing any work whether it is in the cab, in a canteen, in a driver’s waiting room or on the grass and it can be a break. If anybody is that worried about the minute or two it takes to carry the keys back in just have a couple of minutes more break than you need and then make a manual entry to correct the mode, personally I wouldn’t bother with making manual entries and would just take an extra couple of minutes.