ex rechy mech and Wheelnut! Put in that context! How could anyone argue about long hours in transport! 
Itās a state of mind! 
Some people like the longer hours, for whatever reason, and are quite happy to do them, and can do them legally. Others donāt like or want to do them and they can use the regulations to their advantage so they donāt have to do them.
Everyone can sort out their hours to suit the way they want to live. However, as is normal in these type of threads the people who donāt want to do long hours wonāt take responsibility for themselves, want others to sort it out for them and in the process deprive people who are happy doing longer hours of that opportunity.
If you donāt want to do the long hours donāt do them, Iāve never seen a report of people having a gun held to their head and ordered to do long hours, but do it for yourself and leave people the choice to do more hours if they wish. The regulations we have to work under are very flexible and very much weighted toward the drivers benefit and you can use them to your advantage whether you want a long or a short shift.
Coffeeholic:
Some people like the longer hours, for whatever reason, and are quite happy to do them, and can do them legally. Others donāt like or want to do them and they can use the regulations to their advantage so they donāt have to do them.Everyone can sort out their hours to suit the way they want to live. However, as is normal in these type of threads the people who donāt want to do long hours wonāt take responsibility for themselves, want others to sort it out for them and in the process deprive people who are happy doing longer hours of that opportunity.
If you donāt want to do the long hours donāt do them, Iāve never seen a report of people having a gun held to their head and ordered to do long hours, but do it for yourself and leave people the choice to do more hours if they wish. The regulations we have to work under are very flexible and very much weighted toward the drivers benefit and you can use them to your advantage whether you want a long or a short shift.
I agree and āFriday Rulesā have changed, it now means that you save one reduced rest for Friday night to ensure you are in the pub on Saturday 2 hours earlier 
ex_reme_mech:
Where I work a lot of the drivers regularly work 3 x 15 each week. If they didnāt they would spit their dummies out and clear off elsewhere - Iāve seen it happen. Telling these lads to come back to the yard and go home after a 10 hour day would cause uproar.I like my 15 hours days just for the money. i donāt work 15 hours - Iām at work but spend a lot of time relaxing in the cab or various canteens etc. if I had to work a 15 hour day I would be upset
I can see what some on here are saying about wanting to work less hours and comparing life to that of a shop worker. I agree drivers arenāt usually paid much more per hour than a shop worker but those shop workers generally canāt boost their wage in any way and will be stuck with something like a 4 to 8 hour shift that limits their earnings. They also tend to work for all of their working hours - unlike me
My wife earns far more per hour than I do - but only gets a 6 hour day.
I do think the rules are wrong. WHy on the longest day of work are we allowed the shortest period of rest? I hate having a 9 when Iām home. I lose 2 hours in travel, get āchatted toā for another 3 hours whilst trying to relax and finally get 3 or 4 hours sleep. I avoid this whenever possible and my boss is fine with that - unless there is a specific job/reason in which case he asks if I can do it. Most likely Iād sleep in the yard and heād do me a deal of somekind to compensate me.
I agree that 10 -12 hours is enough for anyone, but while the law lets me do more I will.
I know my boss has said before, if the drivers donāt want to do the hours they donāt have to - he will just employ more to do less which gives the same result. Although it isnāt quite that easy I see what he means.
I also donāt really get the lads who stretch the day out on purpose to get 15 in. They go round bragging about it then moan when they get pulled into the office
I think ultimately the thing to remember is that for me in my job, although I am at work a lot of hours each week I do get to sleep a lot of those away in my cab. Our warehouse lads work from arrival to leaving 10 hours later and are paid just above minimum wage. I know its not the same for everyone butn it suits me.
In answer to the original question - no the long hours donāt bother me
This is the best post Iāve read in a good while. Many good points.
Mainly Iāve always thought a shorter rest for a longer day is nuts. It should obviously be the other way round. And also your perfectly correct about the comparisons with completely different jobs.
We are just quoting what that great union Unite said .
No you are not Bald bloke.
Your posting is not what the union released, see wheelnuts post and read the highlighted part, your post has been edited (by you or someone else ) to read different. Only one word but it makes a considerable difference.