Hi all just a wee quick question to see what view you 's have on this matter. I work as a double manned trunk driver and today the new start ( only second week ) went and said to the gaffer that he was absolutely shattered and fatigued so he said rather than put his own life in danger that he was going home as he wasn’t fit enough for the shift tonight and the company paid him off straight away. In my opinion he was well within his rights to say he need to go home. Due to the fact he could cause a accident or even death ourselves as well as other road users.
long hours and 9 rest periods 5 days a week is a ball buster. Im here 4/5 month and starting to feel effects of fatigue and tiredness alot. Is it not that the driver’s have a duty of due care and attention to make these decisions rather than company only thinking of earn the £££££
Don’t i know it mate. Their moto is drivers are ten a penny. What a way to reward your work force for dedicating there entire life doing 15hr shifts then ■■■■ them over. Not good lol do you know any decent company’s in Scotland to work for?
Long duties and only 9hrs off, and you’re travelling home during those 9hrs off, you need your bumps feeling mate.
It’s possible for very short terms, but long term, back at base = 11hrs off.
You could both try sleeping whilst the other is driving, but I know that’s difficult to get into a position of trust, and for the other to shut the ■■■■ up
There is no easy answer, the body requires a certain amount of sleep - deep sleep not hours in bed - and there is no alternative, when too tired it will just shut itself down.
Happened to me quite a few years ago, was burning the candle at both ends, and sometimes in the middle too, and I was on the desk (luckily) one morning, talking to 1 of our drivers and I fell asleep mid word, literally mouth open and everything. It was a wake up call for me and I’ll never put myself into a position like that again.
Under double manned rules your daily rest period is 9hrs and not deemed as reduced break. I can under stand why my second man decided to go home as he was liable to be at high risk of a danger to him self and myself and i totally respect this from the guy. But getting paid off for being shattered is a joke. Desk jockeys that hold a hgv are tossers as they usual the people that cant find there way out the yard without turn round sayin im lost lol
poorly under paid , over worked = slavery
thought that was abolished.
yeh i know where your coming from waynedl . Good few times iv got home and felt bit shakey and nod off for one millisecond. Not a great feeling.
Davy85:
Under double manned rules your daily rest period is 9hrs and not deemed as reduced break. I can under stand why my second man decided to go home as he was liable to be at high risk of a danger to him self and myself and i totally respect this from the guy. But getting paid off for being shattered is a joke. Desk jockeys that hold a hgv are tossers as they usual the people that cant find there way out the yard without turn round sayin im lost lol
poorly under paid , over worked = slavery
thought that was abolished.
yeh i know where your coming from waynedl . Good few times iv got home and felt bit shakey and nod off for one millisecond. Not a great feeling.
Poor treatment but that’s how it is at a lot of places now, especially the big logistics places. Imho he’s better off out of it and more drivers should do the same. Maybe then they’d start to wake up (pardon the pun) and realise that forcing those hours on drivers every shift are unacceptable, irrespective of what the driver hours rule book may say.
Regardless of how much sleep I’ve had the previous 24 hours, I find myself at “lowest ebb” around morning rush hour when I’ve been on all night.
It doesn’t seem to make any difference as to me starting at say, 6pm and driving still around 8am, or starting at 11pm and only been on 9 hours by “the wall” point.
The only way I can handle it is to avoid jobs where I’m still out after 6am with a passion… and I’ve been doing this for near on quarter of a century already! I don’t think you ever do get used to it.
The only advantage I glean from doing 15 hour shifts is that it means I can get my whole working week done in 3 shifts instead of 5 or 6.
A couple of yards have attempted to get me to work 5x15 to which I walked out on thursday morning at each, saying I was done for the week. “Don’t come back” is of course the response, but I’m not getting killed just so some small yard can compete better in the market place.
Has this been tested legally for wrongful dismissal? The driver is under a legal obligation not to drive if he is tired. How do you prove you are tired? Yawn?
After 10 hours work I returned to Tesco/ESL, Widnes and was given another run. I said I was too tired and that I was not safe to drive. Much laughter and, “,just get on with it!” Like the wimp I am, and to my shame, I did the second run.
As an Agency driver this is always a potential problem, because you can lose the next shift so easily if a day runs into longer hours than expected. However I have been lucky that the supermarkets and a couple of the larger companies I have worked for have never done this to me. Instead of getting someone else in for the following day, they have just moved my start time on a few hours. It has even worked via the Agency who when told, have come back to me very quickly to say that the next company will move the time on. On the other side of the coin, I have also many times been rung by the Agency to ask if I can cover someone else’s slightly earlier start time so that he does not lose a shift.
Respect to the guy. He wasn’t fit for his shift, He had the balls to admit this. He put the safety of himself, his driving partner and other road users (Other road users being your wife, your kids, your parents, your brothers/sister, your friends etc) before making money!!!
mac12:
If the driver took the job on knowing it was long night shifts and then could not do them he should have left before company got rid.
Nobody can do that amount of work week in week out SAFELY. I know its legal to do it, but it shouldn’t be.
NOTHING will change until transport managers start getting locked up for endangering public safety when drivers fall asleep and right off other road users.
Davy85:
Hi all just a wee quick question to see what view you 's have on this matter. I work as a double manned trunk driver and today the new start ( only second week ) went and said to the gaffer that he was absolutely shattered and fatigued so he said rather than put his own life in danger that he was going home as he wasn’t fit enough for the shift tonight and the company paid him off straight away. In my opinion he was well within his rights to say he need to go home. Due to the fact he could cause a accident or even death ourselves as well as other road users.
long hours and 9 rest periods 5 days a week is a ball buster. Im here 4/5 month and starting to feel effects of fatigue and tiredness alot. Is it not that the driver’s have a duty of due care and attention to make these decisions rather than company only thinking of earn the £££££
what do you’s think on this matter.
What I don’t understand is why the bloke went into work in the first place, he must have known beforehand that he was shattered, and unless the long shift was sprung on him when he got to work he would have known about it beforehand, so why not phone in and give the company a short time to organise another driver
You don’t usually turn up for work then decide that you’re too tired to do the shift.
Tarmac duck:
I am in the business of running a successfully road haulage company not teaching english therefore I comment was over the top Truckulent (driver)
Well as long as your drivers keep making you money,what’s a few dead ones matter ey!
It’s just someone’s son/daughter/father ect…people have the right to protect themselves and others and should not be subjected to comments like yours,driving tired kills,FACT!
Tarmac duck:
If you don’t like it go and find a different carreer.
And there we are, the exact reason why this kind of thing happens and will always happen unless it’s outlawed. Just bend over and let your boss take advantage of you as much as he wants.
G6Bob:
Respect to the guy. He wasn’t fit for his shift, He had the balls to admit this. He put the safety of himself, his driving partner and other road users (Other road users being your wife, your kids, your parents, your brothers/sister, your friends etc) before making money!!!
Name and shame the company please
i think cause he was only in the job the second week he didn’t want to call in sick but make the effort to try shake it off without success.
i respect the guy for not putting my life in danger because he was shattered and fatigue. Did i not read about the guy on the a30 down Cornwall that killed those cyclist. Was fatigued and tired when that accident happened. Jail term for killing people if you drive tired and make mistakes’ but if you go home technically sick as unfit for shift. You get you books.
something’s wrong with this in the trucking world.
too many yes men and no enough guys with ballz.
i can see it from company view but still think its harsh treatment.
people who own there successful company’s but forget what its like to do graft constantly, most whom don’t possess a hgv licence so how can they be judgement on it.
regarding naming and shaming the company that i cant do.
clearly tarmac has lost his memory as he would have been an average Joe trying to earn a crust to earn for his family
