Hey everybody. I just downloaded vehicle data and when I looked at it I found out that driver drove vehicle few times a month without tacho card in which signals driving without card.
Now the thing is that I want to make as much as possible from my side as I am Transport Manager so that when TC will come to visit us for cup of tea I can show them that its been “solved”.
Anyone here had experienced something like this before? We are talking about moving vehicle not in the yard, but from what I saw and from what I have talked over with driver he moved it only for couple minutes from base closer to his home. Dont ask, it just happend. What can I do about it? Print out some kind of letter that driver take full responsibility for this and then me and company is clear of it? Any other stuff? We are using Tachomaster for data analysis, do I need to add some comment on there? I hope you have experienced something like this because I have no idea which way to go now and I dont even know how I would explain this to TC so we wont be ruined.
Trust:
from what I saw and from what I have talked over with driver he moved it only for couple minutes
Depends on what you mean by couple of minutes, and the speed of the vehicle. Ten minutes at 50mph is a different situation than 2 minutes at 5mph. Even then you could find excuses - eg someone other than the driver, a fitter, drove it for reasons that weren’t “hire or reward”, like road testing after a repair.
I would imagine that it has to be some significant distance or time before it would cause a problem.
Trust:
Now the thing is that I want to make as much as possible from my side as I am Transport Manager so that when TC will come to visit us for cup of tea I can show them that its been “solved”.
And the TC doesn’t visit you, you visit him/her, with your legal representative…
You want it solved?
How seriously are you treating this?
Is the driver still employed by you? If so, what actions have you taken to impress on him the error of his ways?
Could be construed as a case of the tail wagging the dog here.
The driver works for you, you are his customer, whatever you say he does within reason but you are responsible for making sure he runs legally.
Written minuted summary of disciplinary hearing with driver concerned, put notice up informing all drivers this practice must stop immediately, notice telling drivers that serious disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal will result if this happens again, each driver to sign and date a memo=read form so they cannot say they never saw yon memo.
Keep a closer watch on tacho reports in future, also check driver timesheets or clocking in and out correspond with tacho times, ie is the driver performing manual entries to account for times off the tachograph.
We have just had a driver recently quit in the middle of his shift, because he had to sit at a customers for 6 hours, then stay overnight in their yard, as they couldn’t load him. He then drove back to our yard after pulling his card 12 minutes before his 10 was up, for a further 2.75 hours, and signing his timesheet that he did 18 hours.
A vehicle print out from the head verified his driving.
We have notified the local TC of his actions in order to protect our licence, and have all the evidence to show what he did.
Better to be pro active than reactive if they come a knockin.
Quinny:
We have just had a driver recently quit in the middle of his shift, because he had to sit at a customers for 6 hours, then stay overnight in their yard, as they couldn’t load him. He then drove back to our yard after pulling his card 12 minutes before his 10 was up, for a further 2.75 hours, and signing his timesheet that he did 18 hours.
A vehicle print out from the head verified his driving.
We have notified the local TC of his actions in order to protect our licence, and have all the evidence to show what he did.
Better to be pro active than reactive if they come a knockin.
Ken.[/quote
Ken, rather than let him quit I might have dismissed him. IMHO, it’s more about false / fail to keep records rather than driving excess hrs - they become the aggravating factor having pulled the card.
Better without him now though
We had a driver who would go home at 5pm then sneak back in around 10pm and drive to near his 1st drop with out a card in
The day the TM was going to confront him about he was told not to go out till the idiot mirror was replaced as he’d knocked it off day before , he still left early but he was going to London off duty copper stopped him and called DVSA out resulting in GV9 and the bike lock of shame as they downloaded his card as well
He was sacked even before he got back to the yard
The company fitter wasn’t happy either as he had to pay for a MAN dealer in London to replace the mirror when he had one sitting in work shop ready to fit
You need to record that you became aware of the problem only when you received the report from you analysis contractor, and that you acted on it timeously.
You must also issue a letter to the driver pointing out the error of his ways, and the fact that he has put the company’s O licence in jeopardy, and by default, his employment. (and make him acknowledge that he has received it) Also ask him to sign a document to the effect that his actions were in no way a result of instructions from the company to break the rules in order to gain business advantage. File a copy. It doesn’t sound all that serious and you should be fine. Unless DVSA download the tacho head at roadside in the next while, no one will ever be any the wiser
Acorn:
Ken, rather than let him quit I might have dismissed him. IMHO, it’s more about false / fail to keep records rather than driving excess hrs - they become the aggravating factor having pulled the card.
Better without him now though
Never got the chance. he beat us to it, then went on to commit his offences.
Probably the collective advise covers much of the things that could be done. Unless someone can explain how, the driver’s card never just pops out, its always a planned and deceptive thing to do when the driver then continues to driver without the card. Its how often it has been done (missing mileage helps) and some for of explanation from the driver as to why they did it. It could be we have only scratched the surface of their behaviour. Lots of options on how to manage it going forward. Thats what really now matters - how its dealt with into the future.
Thank you guys for all replys. We have now problem solved, kind of. Yesterday VOSA stopped my vehicle and party began with very spicy chat from officer we have been fully checked and made it only with warning, no fine, no report to TC thanks god (maybe truck in very good condition and maintenance contract with Keltruck made its role) Now I need to write some kind of letter and punish driver/mechanic and keep an record of checking them every week I guess so that when TC will request all about it I can show valuable evidence record
we have been fully checked and made it only with warning, no fine, no report to TC thanks god (maybe truck in very good condition and maintenance contract with Keltruck made its role) Now I need to write some kind of letter and punish driver/mechanic and keep an record of checking them every week I guess so that when TC will request all about it I can show valuable evidence record 