How to explain a driving assessment when I download my card

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi all,

I’ve got a few days off next week, and I’m having a driving assessment for a new job. However, I don’t want my current employer to know about this for a few reasons. So when I go back to work and download my digi-card prior to my shift (we have to download before and after every shift) I think Tachomaster will flag up driving time in a non-company HGV.

I’m 99% sure I will be questioned about this, and I’m not too sure what to say - in fact, it’s really obvious what it is. I’ve thought about telling them it’s none of their business, but they won’t accept this because we’re strictly forbidden to ‘work’ elsewhere on our 4 off without company permission, which I don’t have.

It may not matter because I could be offered the job before I go back to work, in which case all they’ll get is my week’s notice, but in case I’m not offered it, and I have to remain in my current job, do the good people of Trucknet have any feasible and ingenious ideas as to what I can say?

The reg will show, so perhaps it can be traced as a tractor unit. This means I may not be able to claim it was a hired 7.5 tonner for moving some furniture. I’ve thought about “I moved a lorry across town for a mate”, but I’m not sure that’s any good either.

Thanks in advance.

2

I would stick with the truth mate. How long will you be actually driving for? Enough for a full shift or under an hour? Distance driven under 100k wouldn’t be out of context.

You could always explain the situation to the assessor and do double printouts to cover your assesment period that way there would be nothing to see on your card. :exclamation: :exclamation:

3

Make sure your rest periods before and after are legal, use your card. It’s your card, not company property.

4

ezydriver:
Hi all,

I’ve got a few days off next week, and I’m having a driving assessment for a new job. However, I don’t want my current employer to know about this for a few reasons. So when I go back to work and download my digi-card prior to my shift (we have to download before and after every shift) I think Tachomaster will flag up driving time in a non-company HGV.

I’m 99% sure I will be questioned about this, and I’m not too sure what to say - in fact, it’s really obvious what it is. I’ve thought about telling them it’s none of their business, but they won’t accept this because we’re strictly forbidden to ‘work’ elsewhere on our 4 off without company permission, which I don’t have.

It may not matter because I could be offered the job before I go back to work, in which case all they’ll get is my week’s notice, but in case I’m not offered it, and I have to remain in my current job, do the good people of Trucknet have any feasible and ingenious ideas as to what I can say?

The reg will show, so perhaps it can be traced as a tractor unit. This means I may not be able to claim it was a hired 7.5 tonner for moving some furniture. I’ve thought about “I moved a lorry across town for a mate”, but I’m not sure that’s any good either.

Normally tell the truth,but if your that concerned,say you drove a hired vehicle for a mate as he was unable to get a vehicle he could drive,capable of doing the work he needed doing

Thanks in advance.

5

Just tell them, your not a Slave & are free to apply any where you like.

6

Tachomaster will only flag up infringements. Yes the reg will show up but who has the time to look through every print out to check the vehicles? The office bods will only be interested in the ones that flag up needing your signature and ignore the rest.

On the flip side, it has nothing to do with them, if anything is said just tell them the truth. It ain’t illegal to find another job.

Not aimed at the OP but are we really heading down the road of total subservience?

7

The digital tachograph card is the property of the Government.
But in theory , it is your card not your employers .

8

If questioned , say you were moving your friend whom is a owner driver ,tractor unit for him ,

9

If you are smart, you can use it to try and improve your working conditions or to your advantage.

10

eagerbeaver:
If you are smart, you can use it to try and improve your working conditions or to your advantage.

And what do you do instead? :open_mouth:

11

Cheeky [zb]! When the Beaver has an assessment drive mate, he is like the postman.

Always delivers.

12

Well that explains why I’m always having to pop to the next street to exchange post with them! :smiley:

13

At one of my previous appointments, the TM DID notice that I had driven for someone else. When he asked me if I had done an assessment drive, I told him that I had and was hopefully going to start for them soon.

Shortly after I noticed said TM wearing a paper party hat leading the office staff around the car park doing ‘The Conga’.

I always felt that this meant something…

14

Thanks all. For reasons I don’t want to explain here I really don’t want them to see this on my card if I can help it.

Wiretwister:
I would stick with the truth mate. How long will you be actually driving for? Enough for a full shift or under an hour? Distance driven under 100k wouldn’t be out of context.

You could always explain the situation to the assessor and do double printouts to cover your assesment period that way there would be nothing to see on your card. :exclamation: :exclamation:

Hi Wiretwister,

Probably about 45 minutes. Please can you explain what you mean about double printouts, and how that relates to nothing being seen on my card? Thanks.

15

Mate, They don’t own you ffs. :unamused:
Tell them the truth :bulb: , that you are not as happy there as you were, and explain you may be moving on…, and why.
They can do nothing about it, and if they try constuctive dismissal you have the law on your side.
Who knows, they may address the problem if they value you, and sort things out for you.
As for working for other co.s whilst off…you aint, they did not pay you I would guess.

Think about it, If we all thought like the way you are thinking, and all co.s had the same policy as yours, we would all only have one job for one firn in our entire carreer, even if we did not like it… :bulb:

16

Tachomaster will show the registration but I’m not 100% sure if it will actually “flag up” Might be it would take someone to notice it. We use tachomaster aswell so it would be good to get a answer on this for furture reference.

This is going to sound a bit extreme but after you do your assessment you could damage your card. Stick it in a microwave or summit. Summit that isn’t obvious so you don’t have to pay a replacement cost. You get a free card if it malfunctions but if it’s damaged you need to pay 19 pound. (Extreme I know)

Another option would be if you go to the company for an assement explain you’ve lost it and ask to do a double printout. If you say you don’t want to use your card they can’t let you drive by law without one if they know you have one in your possession. You need to say you’ve lost it.

17

robroy:
Think about it,

I’m thinking…

robroy:
If we all thought like the way you are thinking,

Which is, to get another job…

robroy:
we would all only have one job for one firn in our entire carreer,

No we wouldn’t, because we’re going for other jobs.

Is this a a trick question? :laughing: :question:

18

The obvious answer is not to use your card. They may have a workshop card that could be used, or just don’t bother.
Weigh up the possibility of your employer noticing against the possibility of being stopped on your 30 min assessment by a random DVSA inspector. It’s not the “right” way obviously, but people drive without them every day.

19

Tachomaster will show the information it would normally show, the reg and driving time etc.

The company shouldn’t even ask you about it, unless it was for a full shift or a full week or it flags up an infringement for it.

As for what you tell them, you say I went to an interview and driving assessment in my personal time, as that is what you did. It is none of the companies business if you wish to go for an interview for somewhere else, they by law can’t refuse you time off for an interview, they also can’t sack you for it.

You are over thinking the situation unless there is something you are not telling us, as in it wasn’t an assessment drive but a full shift on a days trial etc.

As long as you have had the correct rest periods and driving times and breaks etc there is nothing to worry about.

Just because you go for another job does not mean you will necessarily leave the job you have. And as said if the employer values you they may offer incentives to keep you.

20

ezydriver:
I’m 99% sure I will be questioned about this, and I’m not too sure what to say - in fact, it’s really obvious what it is. I’ve thought about telling them it’s none of their business, but they won’t accept this because we’re strictly forbidden to ‘work’ elsewhere on our 4 off without company permission, which I don’t have.

I think I’d be inclined to tell the truth, if you are asked. There is well-established employment law that they cannot take absolute steps to prevent you seeking work elsewhere, and they wouldn’t get very far kicking up a fuss over what you’ve done here (i.e. so long as drivers’ hours rules won’t be breached, and so long as they know about it, which they will because they download your card).

But if you tell a ■■■■ and bull story, then not only have you breached a company rule for which you have no justifiable reason, but if you’re then forced to backtrack then now you’ve blatantly lied as well - and regardless of whether they seem to accept your story, they may still have their suspicions about the truth anyway (if they care enough about finding out about your possible departure).

Also, attending a driving assessment doesn’t mean that you have a settled intention to leave your current employment - if a person sees a job on the market offering £2 an hour more than their current wage, they may apply for it even if they’re quite happy where they are, and they may proceed to an interview just to find out more details and see if it’s worth moving for (which it may not be).

Your employer won’t know your motivation, except what you tell them of it - and there is more room here to be diplomatic without being untruthful. For example, even if you are working for such a ■■■■-hole that you can’t wait to leave at the first opportunity, you don’t have to express such a strong view on the matter - you can gently mention that you’re looking at a position with the same wage but where the wagons seem in much better order, but that you’re not sure you want to leave the guys you know behind.

A lot of people fear that an employer will respond vindictively to looking for other work, by launching a first strike and ‘letting them go’ before they want to go (with or without another candidate available to replace the departing worker), but I haven’t heard of even an anecdotal example of this ever happening. Most employers are looking to keep hold of you for as long as possible, and normally want to leave the door open for you to return - they also want to protect their own reputations and retrain trust with their remaining workforce and future candidates.