Another benefit of reducing the working day would be to make RDCs buck their ideas up. They leave drivers sitting on bays for hours on end just to unload a few pallets because they know we have the spare time. It’s high time drivers were allowed into these places to unload themselves and get on their way. It would be cheaper for everyone involved and the driver spends more time with his family, just like the RDC ■■■■■■■■■ do.
I went to a place in Leicester recently. They said back on the loading bay then enter the warehouse and wait at the back of your truck. There was a pellet truck waiting there and as they brought the pallets to me I pushed them on myself. I loaded a total of 12 pallets and when I checked my digi unit before pulling off I was stationary for a total of 19 minutes.
Why can’t Amazon do that. Even checking my cab for a few minutes if they think I’m a thief would be better than sitting on a dock for 5 hours.
It’s only the same amount of hours worked by the average sweatshop worker in India. Or the same hours as women had to work in the munitions factories during world war 1. Could be worse.
if u boys think u got things tough move to Canada go on long haul usa u will dream of ur life running a whole 6 days working f…k me u aint gotta clue boys
I think it’s all on the money apart from weekly rest, 24 hours minimum every weekend, who needs more than 24 hours kip FFS? The weekly rest rules make me more tired not less.
Everybody has their own take on how many hours they want to work for whatever reason. The current regulations are very flexible and allow those who want to do longer hours or enable them to get home instead of being parked up somewhere to do so. No one is being forced to work long hours, everybody has a choice but it seems some would rather restrict everybody rather than sort their own situation out. When it suited me I worked long hours, when I didn’t want to do that any more I changed what I was doing and changed to work doing shorter hours. Went from longer haul European work to short haul then to night trunking where I only did about 8 hours a night, still earned enough money for my needs. Then changed career completely when I didn’t want to drive any more. No one has a gun to your head, you can make your own changes and leave those who want to work differently to you free to do so.
It really comes to something when our job is compared to the third world or a war were millions of people died. No wonder some people settle for any old ■■■■ with that atitude.
Coffeeholic:
Everybody has their own take on how many hours they want to work for whatever reason. The current regulations are very flexible and allow those who want to do longer hours or enable them to get home instead of being parked up somewhere to do so. No one is being forced to work long hours, everybody has a choice but it seems some would rather restrict everybody rather than sort their own situation out. When it suited me I worked long hours, when I didn’t want to do that any more I changed what I was doing and changed to work doing shorter hours. Went from longer haul European work to short haul then to night trunking where I only did about 8 hours a night, still earned enough money for my needs. Then changed career completely when I didn’t want to drive any more. No one has a gun to your head, you can make your own changes and leave those who want to work differently to you free to do so.
You clearly have your head screwed on right, but most drivers are thick as ■■■■ and won’t use the brain they were born with to better their lot so they simply continue sleeping in a ton box all week doing 84hrs for £500 and then moan about it to anyone who will listen about how bad the pay and hours are. By way of comparison the contract I do sees me starting at 1930 Sun-Thu and I’m usually finished and on my way home for 0530-0600, driving an 18 tonner round ■■■■■■■ on deserted roads and guaranteed 2 hrs kip waiting to load every night. Home in my own bed every day and my invoice for the week (incl VAT) is usually around a grand give or take £30. I’m not seeing a problem with the hours or rates, personally. What I am seeing is a lot of monkeys happy to work ridiculous amounts of hours for peanuts.
I do think that reduced rests should only apply to night-outers. I personally don’t like being asked or told to take a reduced rest at home as I feel 9 hours off is not enough once you factor in travelling time and ‘winding down’ time. I will do them if the job requires it just to keep the peace with the client but I try to avoid them whenever possible.
thank’s to all of you who seem to back me up, now does anybody know how we go about getin it changed we already know that a lot of driver’s are not prepared to join union’s for whatever reason so that wont work so how could we get our thought’s to those that can change thing’s?
samsgrandad:
thank’s to all of you who seem to back me up, now does anybody know how we go about getin it changed we already know that a lot of driver’s are not prepared to join union’s for whatever reason so that wont work so how could we get our thought’s to those that can change thing’s?
You can’t. The industry is too diverse. On the hand you have drivers like myself that are happy driving any old (roadworthy) nail if the right amount of cash is waved under my nose and then at the other end of the spectrum you have drivers that are completely happy to drive and live in something that looks like a poofs boudoir for minimum wage so long as it has a V8, side pipes, frilly curtains and 300 kelsa lamps bolted to the front.
Sadly it’s the latter camp that are largely holding pay rates where they are and the bosses know this hence why more and more companies are buying high spec trucks instead of giving pay rises.
yes left hand down have to agree with the ive got a big shiny truck and am prepared to drive it for peanut’s I thought it was just a tool to do my job in, oh and by the way it belong’s to the company and they don’t really care if you polish it or not because when it goes back they get more for it so more big holiday’s for the boss and his bit of fluff
The only way change will come is when not enough young blood comes into the industry…and finally the penny will drop with the chinless wonders.
Make the hours family friendly, good Ts and Cs and a proper hourly rate so that the long hours mob can see that they dont need to work 80hrs/week just to earn an average wage.
By way of comparison the contract I do sees me starting at 1930 Sun-Thu and I’m usually finished and on my way home for 0530-0600, driving an 18 tonner round ■■■■■■■ on deserted roads and guaranteed 2 hrs kip waiting to load every night. Home in my own bed every day and my invoice for the week (incl VAT) is usually around a grand give or take £30. I’m not seeing a problem with the hours or rates, personally. What I am seeing is a lot of monkeys happy to work ridiculous amounts of hours for peanuts.
