Is this unreasonable

[stanley_mitchell]

lefkasman:
Never knew waiting for the weighbridge was classed as a break . Ya learn summat on here every day dont ya!

FFS, If the bloody thing is closed, and a BIG sign says “OPEN @ 06.00”, and the usual proceedure is first on the bridge, is first to be loaded AND your allowed to use their canteen / toilets, I consider it as a break, MY choice.

If your a right awkward so and so, fair enough, but, I am not, unless someone ruffles my feathers, that is

I knew what I had to do, booking wise after being loaded, as I had been pre warned, but, if I was not aware of my next move, it could have been another story.

[lefkasman]

was only askin . touchy these sheep aint they?

[stanley_mitchell]

lefkasman:
was only askin . touchy these sheep aint they?

Too right, SHEEP SHAG ARMY

[mr_vain]

Smee:
I am employed as a day driver and paid 11 hours a day. Never in my life have I had a problem getting up in the morning to be at work for 5 or 6 .
Saturday I was told my job Monday would be 6am tip in Carlisle, for which I would need to be up at 1am to be at work for 2, it being a four hour drive from our depot to Carlisle.
Sunday is my day off and we often go out on Sunday evenings getting home about 10pm.
What would you say to this…

Well this is a touchy subject for some it would seem

Smee, in the present climate, we all have to be grateful for a job of any description, i agree that i wouldn’t be keen on starting at that time, but, would it really hurt just this once? As for yr social life on a sunday evening, well to be fair thats yr problem not yr employers.

I had an employee once, he refused a 4am start on his first day back from holiday, A) because he only got off the plane at 4pm on the sunday and B) because he lived 30mins away from my yard and he would had to of been up at 3am. How was any of this my fault, if he dint want to work the monday he should of booked it off. The monday was my last day as an employer.

[rob_k]

Well my 2p worth on it is that it is unreasonable. However, the level of unreasonability would depend of whether I was asked if I’d do it or whether I was told that’s what I’d be doing.

If it was the former then I would have a grumble about it and then do it, after making sure of a guaranteed lunchtime finish on the coming Friday and an 8am start on the following Monday .

If it was the latter then I’d be politely telling him to foxtrot oscar and come in at your normal start time.

I’ll help anyone out if I can, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to get me to do whatever it is.

Judging by the majority of the replies in this thread it’s clear the country has turned into one full of “yes men” gofers who would anything including sucking their gaffers’ [zb] if told to do it. I just wonder where exactly they would draw the line at the start time? 1am? Midnight? 10pm? 8pm? 6pm the night before?

[lefkasman]

Your right Rob I know guys given a 5 o clock start , in for quarter too , away for 5 then knock it on break while they tip . the bosses love em ,I would. Anyone wanna come and do some decorating round my house for nowt?

[newmercman]

lefkasman:
Your right Rob I know guys given a 5 o clock start , in for quarter too , away for 5 then knock it on break while they tip . the bosses love em ,I would. Anyone wanna come and do some decorating round my house for nowt?

I pretty much always used to leave my tacho on rest whilst being unloaded, I used to leave it on other work while I booked in, but then if I was not involved with getting the stuff off the trailer I’d pop it on rest, not for my boss, but so that I didn’t have to spend 45mins at the side of the road when I could be back at the yard, in my car & on the way home.

I’ve never sucked any male appendages either Rob, I did it to suit ME, I have also, on the other hand, stopped for food when I knew it would make me late for a booking, the lorry won’t go far without fuel & neither will the driver, being my argument here, I wasn’t being militant, but it’s got to be a 2 way street in any job, the only time it’s a 1way street is if I’m going MY way

[del949]

Judging by the majority of the replies in this thread it’s clear the country has turned into one full of “yes men” gofers

I don’t see that Rob.
What I do see is a lot of guys who can see the real world as it is.
There is a time for standing your ground and being argumentative about things that you don’t see as part of your job, but sadly todays economic climate is not one of those times.
I don’t include breaking the law etc in this capitulation.
As it stands nowadays it is a time to grin and bear it, but our time will come!

[englishtrucker]

I’ve been all over the place time wise this week with the agency. Wednesday I got in at midday, waited 3 hrs for a run and was then sent to Spalding from Thatcham. Been trunking all week. I’ve been getting home at 23:45 most nights, and have not really spoke to the Mrs as she is asleep in bed when I get home. Today I’ve got a 13:45 start for a provisional Kings Road

You have to take the rough with the smooth in this day and age.

[matt_f_1]

i dont think his boss took the job on just to ■■■■ his day man off when will people realise that there are other factors involved and inevitably transport is flexible i.e stuff from factory a will be finished ready to load 11 pm but needs to be in factory b by 7 am or a factory has dozens of people sat on the arses all day it only takes 1 man to take that load and keep lots of people gainfully employed so its a no brainer its got to go at stupid oclock whether the driver likes it or not
people need to be more flexible in this economic climate because there are lots of people waiting in the wings if you dont want to do it

[thebear]

Kate:

kjw21:
I drive for the same firm as Smee (on nights) and TBH I dont know why they didnt get his or any other nightman in to do it by reducing the nightman’s rest and letting him finish Thurs/Fri night instead of Fri/Sat. It would make more sense to me and would cause the least disruption to sleep patterns etc.

Maybe I’m thick but If Smee has a night man he would normally be finished as Smee starts, around 5 or 6 am?
Well if thats the case, why is it ok to expect the nightman to work until lunchtime, ie a very late finish, but not ok to ask a day man to start early?
Have I missed something?

You know, Kate, I posted on this thread Monday and then went away for the rest of the week. But I have had this thread at the back of my mind all week cos I wondered which direction it went in.
Your point was the thing that has bugged me all week. Smee and his buddy (I forget who) who works at the same place think it is quite alright for the night man to work during the day but not for the day men to start early. Surely an early start means an early finish■■? I pulled out of Goole this morning at 0110 for a 0600 tip at Frimley. I was back in the yard, washed unit and trailer down and home by 0900!!! I never moan about early starts. Personally, I think the pair of them are steering wheel attendants, not drivers

[smee]

I thank you all for your kind and helpful answers to my original post…

[kjw21]

TheBear:

Kate:

kjw21:
I drive for the same firm as Smee (on nights) and TBH I dont know why they didnt get his or any other nightman in to do it by reducing the nightman’s rest and letting him finish Thurs/Fri night instead of Fri/Sat. It would make more sense to me and would cause the least disruption to sleep patterns etc.

Maybe I’m thick but If Smee has a night man he would normally be finished as Smee starts, around 5 or 6 am?
Well if thats the case, why is it ok to expect the nightman to work until lunchtime, ie a very late finish, but not ok to ask a day man to start early?
Have I missed something?

You know, Kate, I posted on this thread Monday and then went away for the rest of the week. But I have had this thread at the back of my mind all week cos I wondered which direction it went in.
Your point was the thing that has bugged me all week. Smee and his buddy (I forget who) who works at the same place think it is quite alright for the night man to work during the day but not for the day men to start early. Surely an early start means an early finish■■? I pulled out of Goole this morning at 0110 for a 0600 tip at Frimley. I was back in the yard, washed unit and trailer down and home by 0900!!! I never moan about early starts. Personally, I think the pair of them are steering wheel attendants, not drivers

That would be me then (the buddy!) - I cant speak for the “day” men because I have never done days for this firm - on nights (it is a night shift in name only) we tend to move our start times with a lot more variance depending on the time required at the tip or at the dock. Most days I will start around 17.00 and be finished from anything between 20.00 to 06.00, and on an odd occasion due to being quiet 17.15, (still paid for 11 hrs, thank god) I have also started at 01.00 for a tip in Nottingham at 03.00, and been back at 09.00. I have also started at 13.00 for a tip out at 18.00, and finished at 22.00.
If I have to do similar again and finish earlier/later then so be it. They pay, I drive, I dont see a problem with it. On nights it seems to get shared out so one person doesnt get shafted so it seems to work pretty well.

I think Smee will agree that the day drivers tend not to need to do this. They will usually start 6,7,8am and finish 3,4,5pm etc. Its just the way it works here. It has its good and bad points and I get paid more to be more flexible and to work unsociable hours, the day men get paid less but know with more certainty when they will leave the yard and when they will be back. Swings and roundabouts.

I only offered it as an option for the nightman to do it as it seems to fall more within our start times than his. I never stated it was more “alright” for one or the other to do the bloody run.

How does that make me a “steering wheel attendant”■■, or are you clutching at straws for an insult that doesnt really make sense as this has nothing to do with my ability or performance in my job, and TBH if thats what I am, then so be it. I dont earn any less (thats why I work afterall), and I wont be crying myself to sleep.

By posting what I did it shows that I can think a bit more about the bigger picture and see other options not just - start early/finish early.

By the way I’m flattered/disturbed (in equal measures) that you thought of me all week whilst on your own

p.s I dont know Smee - I could walk past him in the yard and not have a clue who he is, (Im Pent 38/OGP by the way, Smee) so he might disagree with erything I’ve written but its the way I see it.

[rob_k]

matt f:
i dont think his boss took the job on just to ■■■■ his day man off when will people realise that there are other factors involved and inevitably transport is flexible i.e stuff from factory a will be finished ready to load 11 pm but needs to be in factory b by 7 am or a factory has dozens of people sat on the arses all day it only takes 1 man to take that load and keep lots of people gainfully employed so its a no brainer its got to go at stupid oclock whether the driver likes it or not
people need to be more flexible in this economic climate because there are lots of people waiting in the wings if you dont want to do it

Being flexible means starting up to an hour earlier or later than your normal start time, not being expected to work a night shift as a day man.

[rob_k]

TheBear:
I never moan about early starts. Personally, I think the pair of them are steering wheel attendants, not drivers

It’s no secret that you run bent as you’ve posted enough evidence on the various trucking forums over the years . You are probably the biggest “yes” man on this entire forum so your comments come as no surprise.

[thebear]

Rob K:

TheBear:
I never moan about early starts. Personally, I think the pair of them are steering wheel attendants, not drivers

It’s no secret that you run bent as you’ve posted enough evidence on the various trucking forums over the years . You are probably the biggest “yes” man on this entire forum so your comments come as no surprise.

Yes Man■■? Me■■? PMSL … my Boss would like to hear that cos he thinks I am an awkward sod!!!
As for your quote " It’s no secret that you run bent " … might I say that should be changed to "It’s no secret that you’ve run bent ". I am a HGV driver of 26 years standing and I defy anyone who has done more than 15 years plus to say they have never done something hookey. We all have and even now, I will tip off the card or load off the card if it suits me.
By the way, as I came through Dover last Wednesday night, VOSA were then and I was pulled for a ‘Full Inspection’. Unit and trailer and 4 weeks worth of cards. Obviously cos of my Dutch plates and name of the side of the unit. It took an hour but at the end I got a lovely sheet of paper stating I had passed all with flying colours … including 31 days worth of tachoes.
Sorry Rob but your attack has failed once again … keep trying

[rob_k]

TheBear:

Rob K:

TheBear:
I never moan about early starts. Personally, I think the pair of them are steering wheel attendants, not drivers

It’s no secret that you run bent as you’ve posted enough evidence on the various trucking forums over the years . You are probably the biggest “yes” man on this entire forum so your comments come as no surprise.

Yes Man■■? Me■■? PMSL … my Boss would like to hear that cos he thinks I am an awkward sod!!!
As for your quote " It’s no secret that you run bent " … might I say that should be changed to "It’s no secret that you’ve run bent ". I am a HGV driver of 26 years standing and I defy anyone who has done more than 15 years plus to say they have never done something hookey. We all have and even now, I will tip off the card or load off the card if it suits me.
By the way, as I came through Dover last Wednesday night, VOSA were then and I was pulled for a ‘Full Inspection’. Unit and trailer and 4 weeks worth of cards. Obviously cos of my Dutch plates and name of the side of the unit. It took an hour but at the end I got a lovely sheet of paper stating I had passed all with flying colours … including 31 days worth of tachoes.
Sorry Rob but your attack has failed once again … keep trying

I’m not going to bother replying to this as your PM has just given me a good chuckle, especially the bit about the “accounting” loooooooooooooool . Just saving that and printing out a hard copy for future reference should this “topic” come up again… which I’m sure it will!

[thebear]

Aren’t you the same guy that has ranted in the past about PM’s being made public?? Nothing in that PM that would get me hung, old chap.
I am shocked at you, actually, Rob

[thebear]

Tell you what !!!

Just to steal your thunder, I am going to cut and paste it to here.

What drugs you on now?? You know I am no yes man lolol … and I do wish you wouldn’t keep on about my ‘creative accounting’ with tachoes. I don’t mind a laugh but some of the tossers on here take these things very seriously as you well know. Our firm get enough [zb] without [zb] off here getting onto the authorities.
Very rare I do anything hookey these days cos our firm are under the hammer again from VOSA despite them constantly pulling us and finding nothing wrong. Not that it is deserved this time but you know what they say about reputations. It all gets very tiresome.

Catch you on the flip Austin

There… now everyone can see what I said to you

[rob_k]

TheBear:
Aren’t you the same guy that has ranted in the past about PM’s being made public?? Nothing in that PM that would get me hung, old chap.
I am shocked at you, actually, Rob

I think once again you have suffered a SOHF.