Everyone says that Maritime are bad if you damage trucks and are likely to get the boot, but has anyone had first hand experience of this? Do you think this is fair and is there anything in employment law which this contravenes?
These questions are for something im working on so id appreciate, as always, you input good or bad!
AaronR
I think one of the lads on here got the gooner for breaking a mirror on a roundabout 
Yer, but wasn’t the cab laying on that as well ■■? 
Basically, Maritime will get rid of a driver on the flimsiest pretext when he has been working there for nearly long enough to be covered by employment protection laws.
Phantom Mark:
Yer, but wasn’t the cab laying on that as well ■■?
That’s a technicality
While I think breaking a mirror is not a valid reason do u think a driver should be punished for causing damage if it was due to carelessness? And not paying proper attention?
newmercman:
Phantom Mark:
Yer, but wasn’t the cab laying on that as well ■■?That’s a technicality
You know, we all have blonde moments, especially when you start out in the job, experience is exactly that, you been there, probably made those silly mistakes and hope you learn from them and try not to do it again !!
I personally don’t believe a mirror or a small scuff on the unit or trailer warrants any disciplinary from an employer, ■■■■ happens and it’s part of the job, you can go years without putting a scratch on anything and then bam two little scuffs or a mirror in a week, the bosses should know if it’s driver who never damages anything vs someone who is constantly smashing and breaking things, your reputation precedes you in this industry with that kind of stuff doesn’t it ■■
The only people who deserve a talking to or something are those who just won’t or don’t learn or show they couldn’t give a stuff IMHO.
I saw a driver in tilbury with 18 years service get a verbal warning for damage a few weeks back, although he has had a few over the years. But I also know a driver in felixstowe who hit a car and nothing was said, so I think it’s down to the management from depot to depot. Just like tachos, if you are persistently getting infringements you could get a warning for leaving the card in over night. I’ve done it twice and nothing has been said as they are 2 of only 3 I’ve had in 14 months
newmercman:
Phantom Mark:
Yer, but wasn’t the cab laying on that as well ■■?That’s a technicality
And that’s just got to be the understatement of the year
What do you think, as drivers, is appropriate action if you do have an own fault accident or cause accident damage due to not paying attention ie backing into another truck in the yard because you didn’t concentrate properly?
Regards
Aaron
AaronR:
What do you think, as drivers, is appropriate action if you do have an own fault accident or cause accident damage due to not paying attention ie backing into another truck in the yard because you didn’t concentrate properly?Regards
Aaron
Three strikes and you’re out, simples. You don’t want Mr Magoo getting you in the local papers for all the wrong reasons. And I’m only talking about purely blameworthy accidents. I wouldn’t touch his money, unless strike 3 was a mirror or a wing etc. As I deem that more fair than the tin tac
AaronR:
While I think breaking a mirror is not a valid reason do u think a driver should be punished for causing damage if it was due to carelessness? And not paying proper attention?
YES i do,the state of our units,tri is beyond belief,its at a stage now most just write damage everywhere,gaffa tape,cable ties holding bits together,yes accidents do happen but some seem to have them weekly,as theres no deterent there not bothered,they carry the damage/defect sheet with them and fill it in as day passes and they damage things,so the previous driver gets the blame,ive had one accident in 5 years of driving for them,my fault, i clipped a post and took top pff indicator lense,replaced with new indicator lense,even though boss said forget it,i was gutted,■■■■■■ with myself,played on my mind for ages,wheras alot of ours find it funny 
,ive smashed the front bumper ,ive ripped a mirror off ,first one to bang one of the new tris ,makes me really 
,accident do happen but you shouldnt find it funny,you should be gutted if its your fault.
its at a stage i feel embarresed parking the trucks at rdc,folks think its your truck and youve smashed it up,asses should be kicked,make some think a bit,be carefull.
i remember when the first batch of 380 when in too be decommisioned,they theyd never seen damage like it,unpresedented,alarm bells should of rung then,higher managment should of kicked some ■■■ and asked serious questions why it was happening,why it was being allowed to happen,but it just seems to be as long as the job gets done there not bothered.
would disiplinarys work,knowing some of ours i doubt it,theyd find it funny like smashing a truck is funny, 
Not often I say this, but I totally agree with ady1
The Post Office van fleet are like that, totally battered, and the drivers just don’t seem bothered.
I seen one a while ago in the workshops yard, was about 6 months old, totally battered.
It looked like it’d been rolled down Ben Nevis.
Roof bent, sill paggered in, side door bent, back door bashed in that much at the bottom it was sticking out at the top, corner bumper missing, wing mirror smashed, back light smashed, front bumper bashed in, bonnet creased.
I asked one of the fitters “Why has recovery delivered it here and not the bodyshop, are you repairing it yourselves”?
He answered “It’s in for a new clutch, not body work”.
A lot of companies would have written the van off/scrapped it, it had that much panel damage.
i dont know about the post office fleet, but ours doesnt make any sense to me,we used to have drivers based at carlisle,one sunday i went to change tris there,i noticed the one i was picking up had a scratch on one side,noticable,about a foot long,so i went in and reported it,t.o bod said hed have a look,took one look at it and said thats off the road,WILLIAM STOBART will not have his trucks/tri out on the road with damage on them,you see the green fleet,tauts and unless im missing something you very rarely,if at all see any damage on there trucks or tris,then there our rag tag trucks out on the roads,i really cant understand it,they play merry hell if you go out on road wearing the old type shirt,jacket,but couldnt seem to carless theyve got trucks running round with gaffa tape holding the front bumpers together,tri with damage everywhere,i mean its meant to have come to our depot a few times,is he blind ,or were all the trucks out in middle of the day,its not what i expected when stobarts took over,i thought the trucks would be kept A1,but in all honesty,ive never seen such a rough fleet,well there are a few worse,but when you think there 11 regs,a couple of months old tris damaged,you do wonder what there thinking is.
didnt one of those shows show w.s showing some scania buyer round some trucks,they had to be spot on,the blokes face would be a picture if he looked round ours
I thought City Link had MAN lorries and Sprinter vans 
newmercman:
I thought City Link had MAN lorries and Sprinter vans
did i say that 
,things are still a bit blurred
ady1:
newmercman:
I thought City Link had MAN lorries and Sprinter vansdid i say that
You should go back and read it through, it was quality entertainment
newmercman:
ady1:
newmercman:
I thought City Link had MAN lorries and Sprinter vansdid i say that
You should go back and read it through, it was quality entertainment
noooooooooooooo 
,some things are best left in the past [i just wish theyd stop bumping it up the board ,best to let it disappear with out trace],not one of my finer moments
I reckon that thread had more views in the shortest timeframe than any other on this forum
You put a smile on a lot of faces that weekend, for that you should be proud