After my last drop today my seat belt became faulty and didn’t stay fastened. I reported it to the depot and was told that I’ve got 5 drops tomorrow and afterwards run it into the MAN truck centre for them to have a look at it.
My head says I should tell them to go ■■■■ themselves as I am not keen on driving what essentially is without a seatbelt.
Only been with them 10 months and don’t want to be compromised in this way.
What would you do in this situation?
Pretty sure you’d be well and truely rinsed if you got stopped by either the police or VOSA with a faulty seatbelt. I’m sure its a legal requirement to have a functioning seatbelt.
How close is the centre to your yard because even driving to the centre with out a seat belt working is a no no.
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Centre is no more than 3 miles from the depot but much further if going there from my last drop.
Yeah my thinking was if I got stopped I’d be ■■■■■■!
MOT failure = prohibition! Plus, we all know seat belts save lives (except the minority when wearing one would have killed them). Fix it first then do the 5 drops. Although you still run the risk of points for not wearing seat belt/or inoperative/defective!
Look on the dark side in the event of an accident - which is more important?
Tin hat prepared for the heroes responses 
dri-diddly-iver:
MOT failure = prohibition! Plus, we all know seat belts save lives (except the minority when wearing one would have killed them). Fix it first then do the 5 drops. Although you still run the risk of points for not wearing seat belt/or inoperative/defective!Look on the dark side in the event of an accident - which is more important?
Tin hat prepared for the heroes responses
+1
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Yep. Forget the rest of the drops - go get it fixed.
I got a funny look from our traffic office once for putting a vehicle off the road as the seatbelt didn’t properly retract. If you lean forward and then move back and the belt is slack then it’s not going to work as it is designed if you were to have an accident.
Maybe your depot has got mixed up between metres and miles? Maybe they saw the “m” after 50 and thought its ok to crack on
Every other driver was killed or seriously injured in the pre seat belt days with trucks without speed limiters and I was one of the few lucky ones who survived, I have to laugh at the so called professionals of today … total tarts ! 
raymundo:
Every other driver was killed or seriously injured in the pre seat belt days with trucks without speed limiters and I was one of the few lucky ones who survived, I have to laugh at the so called professionals of today … total tarts !
I’m quite happy to be a ‘so called professional tart’ if there’s a chance it saves me in an accident
m1cks:
raymundo:
Every other driver was killed or seriously injured in the pre seat belt days with trucks without speed limiters and I was one of the few lucky ones who survived, I have to laugh at the so called professionals of today … total tarts !I’m quite happy to be a ‘so called professional tart’ if there’s a chance it saves me in an accident
Providing the box you run into don’t squash you into the back of the cab you will be fine while wearing your seat belt …
I sat in a dealership for two days solid when I refused to take out a vehicle with faulty air gauges (they kept dropping to zero) I was told by our fitters that the gauges were faulty but the air pressure was there so I told them to replace the faulty gauges so VOSA could see that too. Two days later I had a different truck job done.
Make sure your Company books it into MAN during your working day,IF you get stopped you can say it broke after leaving the yard and the Company are aware and have it booked in for repair when you get back
Powerlifter:
After my last drop today my seat belt became faulty and didn’t stay fastened. I reported it to the depot and was told that I’ve got 5 drops tomorrow and afterwards run it into the MAN truck centre for them to have a look at it.
My head says I should tell them to go [zb] themselves as I am not keen on driving what essentially is without a seatbelt.
Only been with them 10 months and don’t want to be compromised in this way.What would you do in this situation?
So did you just say ‘‘Yeh ok’’ or express a reluctance.
They could well have just thought you were ok with it and willing, especially if you went ahead without questioning them.
■■■■ the legality aspect , what if you end up going through the windscreen on the only day you have no belt on…ie. Sod’s Law.
Would they have paid you in full during your long time in hospital and/or compensation for permanent injuries, due to you being a ''co.operative driver?
If you felt as you did you should have insisted, especially when the law was on your side.
Get real mate, it does not matter a ■■■■ if you have been there 10 months or 10 minutes.
robroy:
Powerlifter:
After my last drop today my seat belt became faulty and didn’t stay fastened. I reported it to the depot and was told that I’ve got 5 drops tomorrow and afterwards run it into the MAN truck centre for them to have a look at it.
My head says I should tell them to go [zb] themselves as I am not keen on driving what essentially is without a seatbelt.
Only been with them 10 months and don’t want to be compromised in this way.What would you do in this situation?
So did you just say ‘‘Yeh ok’’ or express a reluctance.
They could well have just thought you were ok with it and willing, especially if you went ahead without questioning them.[zb] the legality aspect
Would they have paid you in full during your long time in hospital and/or compensation for permanent injuries, due to you being a ''co.operative driver?
If you felt as you did you should have insisted, especially when the law was on your side.
Get real mate, it does not matter a [zb] if you have been there 10 months or 10 minutes.
What I think Pop’s is trying to say in his caring, loving and compassionate manner, is that if you don’t think it’s right then question it there and then! Don’t think about it later, just have a bit more confidence and believe in your gut instinct! Possibly one of the best way to do this, is to always ask the boss to put their dodgy sounding instruction in writing, as the second they won’t go down that route, you know your gut was right! 
I’m not sure how you do your defects pal, but I’d have go the boss/office to sign and date the defect in my book that evening, and wait and see if they still wanted me to take the truck in the morning before getting it fixed 
Companies hate paper trails that show they are the ones at fault, so use it to your advantage!
P.S. A text msg is pretty much just as good!
I’ve heard in the grapevine that HGV repair outfits are going to launch a completely new concept,never seen before in the world…it’s called a call out services where you ring them and they come out and repair your issue without you having to drive to them and risk your life,hopefully this crazy new concept will catch on and you can tell your boss about it and he can give it a whirl.
Evil8Beezle:
robroy:
Powerlifter:
After my last drop today my seat belt became faulty and didn’t stay fastened. I reported it to the depot and was told that I’ve got 5 drops tomorrow and afterwards run it into the MAN truck centre for them to have a look at it.
My head says I should tell them to go [zb] themselves as I am not keen on driving what essentially is without a seatbelt.
Only been with them 10 months and don’t want to be compromised in this way.What would you do in this situation?
So did you just say ‘‘Yeh ok’’ or express a reluctance.
They could well have just thought you were ok with it and willing, especially if you went ahead without questioning them.[zb] the legality aspect
Would they have paid you in full during your long time in hospital and/or compensation for permanent injuries, due to you being a ''co.operative driver?
If you felt as you did you should have insisted, especially when the law was on your side.
Get real mate, it does not matter a [zb] if you have been there 10 months or 10 minutes.What I think Pop’s is trying to say in his caring, loving and compassionate manner, is that if you don’t think it’s right then question it there and then! Don’t think about it later, just have a bit more confidence and believe in your gut instinct! Possibly one of the best way to do this, is to always ask the boss to put their dodgy sounding instruction in writing, as the second they won’t go down that route, you know your gut was right!
I’m not sure how you do your defects pal, but I’d have go the boss/office to sign and date the defect in my book that evening, and wait and see if they still wanted me to take the truck in the morning before getting it fixed
Companies hate paper trails that show they are the ones at fault, so use it to your advantage!
P.S. A text msg is pretty much just as good!
That’s what I meant yeh, but you are much more subtle and tactful than me.
I just get ■■■■■■ with a lot of drivers today that ■■■■■ foot about rather than just speak up…you are allowed to answer back you know we aint at school, you don’t get 100 lines in this job !
They get instructions that they don’t like, say absolutely ■■■■■■■■ to whoever told them, and come out moaning to the likes of me, to their mates, or on a forum or any ■■■■ where except where they should be moaning.
That was my point, I will endeavour from now on to be more tolerant, and tactful like…ma boy.
Just drive into Halfords and get a baby seat you big girl .
Less seriously treat it as a VOR, if you can’t rig something temporary up (like swapping the passenger clip over), get a call out or at worst head straight back to yard or repair centre.
The law of sod will guarantee a near miss or two whilst not wearing one.
Look after yourself.
robroy:
I just get ■■■■■■ with a lot of drivers today that ■■■■■ foot about rather than just speak up…you are allowed to answer back you know we aint at school, you don’t get 100 lines in this job !They get instructions that they don’t like, say absolutely ■■■■■■■■ to whoever told them, and come out moaning to the likes of me, to their mates, or on a forum or any [zb] where except where they should be moaning.
That was my point, I will endeavour from now on to be more tolerant, and tactful like…ma boy.
I’ll let you off, as senility may well be becoming a mitigating factor these days!
As well as a bit/lot of bitterness for you making me a bar steward! 
What I think a lot of “old hands” may forget is that Newbies don’t have the experience, confidence and securing that they do. Old hands are also less likely to be at dodgy firms where Newbies get a chance of a start, so may not have to put up with so much of the dodgy behaviour of bosses. In my so far short career, I’ve been put in a couple of spots where I’ve been pressured to take out a trailers I’m not happy with, and when I’ve pushed back, that trailer has just been moved on to another limper!
Limpers (especially Newbies) also have the problem that they can be hired and fired at will, so it’s a fine line to tread as they don’t have the security of FTW’s. This is why I’ve just always gone down the “put it in writing” route and have my own little defect book for it. It seems to work for me as I’ve never been binned off from a gig and also never taken out a vehicle that I’m not happy with…
It’s not an option unfortunately. The office dont care because its your licence not theirs. Truck shouldn’t move after you noticed as its an MOT failure. You cant do 5 drops in a vehicle thats not road legal. And thats what you tell the office.