Or bringing a load back to the yard and refused to tip it or refused to pick a back load up and run back empty. Has anyone on here ever done any of these things? You here from other drivers now and again that they have done one of the above.
If you have done any of the above what was the circumstances that made you do it and what happend? Did the company sack you?, make it hard for you(giving you ■■■■ runs and earning no money) so you had to leave or even took money out of your wages due to not picking a back load up/refusing to tip a load and bringing it back? I guess there’s a fair few on here who have some interesting stories to tell 
At one company I’ve worked for one driver ended up missing out on his 4 day break in France which was all paid for and the holidays granted by the company all because they gave him a 2 day run with his las drop being down south at 17:00 the night before he flew out. He said he couldn’t do it as he had a plane to catch the morning after his last drop and he wouldn’t get back the night before.
The planners gave it the usuall, “just get off with it and see how you get on” and, “We’ll get someone to swap trailers with you so you will be back” yeah the did that! He rolled in about an hour before his flight left Manchester airport that morning! 
Id have refused point blank to take it or if I was down the road and I knew they were trying it on then I wouldn’t hesitate in parking the truck up and getting someone to pick me up then handing the keys over to the office saying, " The trucks in a lay by on the A14, I’m off on mi hols,see you when I get back" 
Your employer is legally entitled to postpone your holiday. He only has to give the same notice as the length of your holiday ie 7 days for a week off.He doesn’t have to compensate you.
Wise to see if this eventuality is covered in your travel insurance.
But if I wanted the holiday more than I wanted the job, I’d do it.
You could always just put the keys in the post…but there would probably be a P45 waiting when you got home
No i haven’t dumped the lorry and walked, despite working for people who deserved such and far worse, your reputation in this industry is paramount to getting the better jobs, and lost in a moment of spite.
Similarly when people leave a job and then call in VOSA, can’t think a more guaranteed way of making yourself unemployable.
The circs in your example would be a job i would only be doing as a temp measure at best, the company should have planned the drivers work better to get him home, but in their defence we don’t know if he cried ‘‘wolf’’ every week with some excuse or other, and the planners thought this was just the latest lie to get finished early for the weekend.
Very often the company and their staff deserve each other, that goes both ways good and poor, neither employers nor employees have one word summaries of their disposition stamped on their foreheads, if only life was that simple.
not that long ago i left a lorry around the dartford and got a lift back home to ireland…the load out was a bit of a ball breaker but i knew the run well.long story cut short.when i was an hour from where i was to tip i phoned about my back load details…i was told that u will have to ring back in the morning at 9am…not a hope says i.i’ll have 9 hours of tonight at midnight and i am breaking my balls of here to get this load to kent in time so in return for me doing this i want loaded tonight or early morning and straight back up that road…i was to that i would just have to wait and breaking my balls of was just another part of the job.well i tipped the load in kent and a buddy of mind was loading at the dartford so i went back up to him.phoned the fella i was driving for and told him i wasnt waiting about and told him where his lorry was and where the keys would be…30 mins later he phoned and said that to sit tight and he would TRY and get me a load early in the morning but he wouldnt know until 9pm.too late says i,i dont trust u and i’m taking the lift now when i still can…off i went home
I have (& a few other drivers) left the motor in a layby about a mile from the depot several times when we’ve run out of driving/working time then walked back, left the keys somewhere & gone straight home, when quizzed the following day we say why & that’s the end of it…
I’ve done the bringing it back when the place I’ve delivered to have been an arse. I’ve done refusing to pick up backloads. I’ve also not turned up when I told the agency I was on holiday and they decided to book me into a place anyway.
With the first one I phoned up the traffic office and they actually gave me their blessing because they knew the bloke was an arse.
The second one I turned the radio off. When I finally turned it on I said I wasn’t doing it as the M6 north was jammed chocka with friday holiday traffic and I’d be pushing it for time and the reply was “you lot will be moaning when you don’t have any jobs any more” and that was all. Again related to the second one I used to do a drop in Bilsthorpe in a radio/mobile phone black hole that used to take 3-4hrs to get tipped. I knew that the next job would be picking up fish in Grimsby or Hull, drop off at Boroughbridge and go home turning a 12hr shift into a 13-14hr one so knowing I’d disappeared off radar whilst being sat at Bilsthorpe I’d just go home after doing that drop. I remember doing this one day and stupidly turning the phone on 15 miles from home. Phone call from traffic asking where I was and asked if I could do a Hull. Said I’d have to go over my hours as I was doing 12hr shifts and was 10hrs into it to which the response was “well you can do it in a 15 and we don’t need the wagon” which wasn’t wrong at all and I could easily do it. My reply was “just because I can doesn’t mean I want to” to be met with “OK, see you in the morning” and that was that.
Third one resulted in nothing happening.
My experience is that as long as you graft, don’t toss time off in layby’s and generally get the job done and put yourself out doing them favours" from time to time then on the odd occassion you do any of the above then whilst they chunter and moan like an old woman that is usually the end all of it. The ones who tend to get sacked are the ones who regularly do the above.
If he was tipping down south at 1700 the day before, i would have realised I was not going to make it and drove the truck over to France to meet up with my family and then left it there, honest to god I would have.
I once turned round and came back. It looked like id be getting stuck in the snow on my 6th card and would meant weekend away. Had a couple of near misses so told TM i was coming back. Did my best to get there but it was madness to continue.
Didn’t even bother going back. Their attitude told me all i needed to know.
Not left the truck but I don’t work nights but agency asked me one afternoon if I could do a Stobart trailer swap got to place to be told no trailer ready so would have to do Tesco run round Manchester first, never happened just drove unit back empty never heard anything back. Another one also at stobarts unloading at asda after working 13 hours and got told to bring load of coke back went back empty walked into office gave them the keys so they could go for it.
Slightly different but, when on agency at Co-op Alfreton once, a panicky ‘APB’ went out to all drivers… “collect as many empty cages from as many shops that you come by on the way back to the yard”… (must have been running short in the warehouse).
This led to 2 rather predictable levels of response; those hanging it out (like me) had a look in here or there, others turned a deaf 'un.
When I saw a mate of mine who had straight come back, I asked if he had got the message (knowing he had, and also knowing he would ignore it) his response was unarguable… " I looked all up and down the M1, but didn’t see one Co-op!" 
still makes me chuckle now!!
In 50 years I’ve only done it once. although I’ve considered it a few times.
The one time in question was when the diff seized on the outward journey about two-and-a-half hours from home. When I eventually got the boss on the other end of the phone he said, You’re a hundred miles away, what do you want me to do about it?"
I got a lift back to the yard and as I put the keys on his desk I told him EXACTLY what I wanted him to do about it.
I got a phone call next day with an apology and a pay rise.
RESULT!!!
GasGas:
Your employer is legally entitled to postpone your holiday. He only has to give the same notice as the length of your holiday ie 7 days for a week off.He doesn’t have to compensate you.Wise to see if this eventuality is covered in your travel insurance.
But if I wanted the holiday more than I wanted the job, I’d do it.
You could always just put the keys in the post…but there would probably be a P45 waiting when you got home
An employer could postpone my holidays all they want. Would be fairly academic though as its the last they’d hear from me. Any company that treats its drivers like that isn’t worth working for.
FarnboroughBoy11:
If he was tipping down south at 1700 the day before, i would have realised I was not going to make it and drove the truck over to France to meet up with my family and then left it there, honest to god I would have.
That would cost you a few quid on the ferry. Easier to drive it to the airport I’d say!
switchlogic:
GasGas:
Your employer is legally entitled to postpone your holiday. He only has to give the same notice as the length of your holiday ie 7 days for a week off.He doesn’t have to compensate you.Wise to see if this eventuality is covered in your travel insurance.
But if I wanted the holiday more than I wanted the job, I’d do it.
You could always just put the keys in the post…but there would probably be a P45 waiting when you got home
An employer could postpone my holidays all they want. Would be fairly academic though as its the last they’d hear from me. Any company that treats its drivers like that isn’t worth working for.
Yes that’s my thoughts exactly if I’ve a holiday booked then no one takes it away from me…my boss is very good at holiday allowance and early finishes etc…
The only drivers I hear say they have left the truck and had there Holliday cancelled are the ones that have seem to come and go through firms and are ■■■■ right awkward
Ive dumped a customers slider with a container on it at a company in Derby on a Friday afternoon and bobtailed it back to Newmarket.
I was due to load Derby Saturday morning for Felixstowe then back to Newmarket.
I found out the bloke I was driving for was voluntary wrapping up the company and would not be trading after today.
I didnt believe the boss when he said “wait and get the box loaded in the morning and I will make sure you get paid”
Guess what, none of the thirty drivers got paid.
It wouldnt have been so bad but for 3 of us it was our first week working for the [zb].
Only ever refused to drop or reload when been out of hrs. Refused a run over to Vancouver vancouver to edmonton edmonton to calgary calgary to the yard because would have be back late for a week off that I had booked but never left a truck anywhere but felt like it a few times.
Got told bout a driver that whilst down in LA had enough so he parked up turned the reefer off ( it was summer time and full of beef in the height of summer) cashed an EFS check and caught a flight back to the uk. Was 4 days before the company had a phone call to come n sort out their truck lol
I had one last week and it’s not even that bad last card and only 13’s available.
Started at 0030 at Leigh Delamere Services, collect trays Aldi Swindon, deliver trays to Logtek Tamworth, collect Chep Rugby, then they wanted me to deliver to Cornerways Wissington, only had 13 and would need another driving break, I’d told the office at Tamworth when they gave me the Chep collection and delivery that I couldn’t do it in the 5 hours I had left, anyway after collecting at Chep, I explained again and was told back to the yard, done in 11 hours.
Another time I’d asked for an early finish (13hr day max lol) did about 9 got back to the yard, was asked if I would take a puddle jumper to Costco Lutterworth. I said no, I’m supposed to be done by 3pm as I need to be at my daughters prospective school, to have a look around talk to the head teacher etc. I said there is a room full of local delivery lads they can do it and I’ll do what they was going to do. Ended up with a trailer change and was done 2hours later.
But my place know I don’t normally complain.
The day I retire I will be leaving my vehicle at the furthest point from the yard as I can and coming home on the bus/train. That’ll be 45 years of hurt repaid!
Bring it on!
NewLad:
But my place know I don’t normally complain.
That’s the trick. My experience has been that if you’re generally cheerful and are willing to help out with a smile on your face where you can, they’ll make more of an effort to accommodate you when you need an early finish for whatever reason. I’ve had extra paid holiday days nodded through with a wink before now when I’d used all my statutory holiday up. It’s amazing the number of drivers who do nothing but ■■■■■ and moan and argue with the TM all the time, usually about nothing more than being asked to do what they’re paid for, who then expect the company to bend over backwards to let them finish early.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
At one company I’ve worked for one driver ended up missing out on his 4 day break in France which was all paid for……He rolled in about an hour before his flight left Manchester airport that morning!
So did he miss out on his four day break in France which was all paid for or not?