Heres a question !, as we all know using a hand held mobile is illegal in this country whilst you are driving, BUT my truck has the phone built in to the dash and a mic boom and speaker built in to the seat with buttons on the steering wheel for controlling it, so no need to use my “hands” to hold it.
I know i am withing my rights to have it turned off when im on break but what about when im driving or on other work?.
So what exactly are you asking?
No it wouldnt be illegal to use it while driving.
There isnt really a ‘right’ to switch it off on break as such either.
have mine on all times other than when sleeping , but check the number before answering, boss, mrs , no, little girl yes. as i tell them both i cant answer it when im in the services having a leak ,.
dennisw1:
There isnt really a ‘right’ to switch it off on break as such either.
There is if your employer does not pay you for breaks taken!
I have a cab phone in my truck, and also a company supplied Nokia mobile, and I do not answer either when on a break.
I’m usually asleep. 
Just thinking about it, I have the two company ones and my own personal one - that’s three lines in total. They should really supply me with a secretary. 
dennisw1:
So what exactly are you asking?No it wouldnt be illegal to use it while driving.
There isnt really a ‘right’ to switch it off on break as such either.
The definition of a break is that the driver is free to dispose of his time as he wishes, BUT having to be within the area of a phone ringing is NOT disposing if his time freely is it?.
So its ok for your boss to say yes by all means have a break but sit beside the phone just in case i need to contact you BUT if you dont answer it and have to face a disciplinary for not answering it thats ok is it?.
You can freely dispose of your time as long as you answer the phone where does it say that?.
There is if your employer does not pay you for breaks taken!
It’s still not a right to switch it off, it just means the boss doesnt have a right to make you answer it.
At the end of the day if the boss said you’re not allowed to switch it off, then you have no real ‘right’ to refuse to have it on. You just dont have to answer it. 
dennisw1:
There is if your employer does not pay you for breaks taken!
It’s still not a right to switch it off, it just means the boss doesnt have a right to make you answer it.
At the end of the day if the boss said you’re not allowed to switch it off, then you have no real ‘right’ to refuse to have it on. You just dont have to answer it.
I do see your point dennisw1. Turning it off might wind the office up.
However, in my case, when I am trying to sleep - the phones get turned off whether Chaos Control like it or not!!!
put mine to “silent” as soon as I’m sitting.
Answer it when I “feel” I can.
END OF …
never answer mine at weekends or after 6 pm
I have on all Phones the Ringtone “OFF”,and phone missed Calls back when i park safe!
But Txt may be answered faster,as it is cheaper 
Just work nights instead, then you don’t have to worry about phones ringing at all, unless it’s one of your mates in another wagon. All the places I work on nights there’s no-one in the office so you’re just left to get on with your run and come back when you’ve finished. I am provided with an emergency mobile number usually, but it’s got to be a life and death situation for me to use it.
I can’t be doing with these companies that are phoning you up every 30 minutes asking where you are and what time you’ll be at x and when doing days I do have a nasty habit of ignoring them and using the excuse that I was out of the cab unloading or using the toilet / whatever.
Most places the agency have sent me to give me a mobile…most of the time i dont answer it… i am busy unloading & didnt hear is what they get told when i get back at the office.
when i 1st started driving I use to answer it when i could but it they always want to know where you are & how long your going to be.
Since I started on the agency work four months ago I have had less than ten work related phone calls, it’s great.
Asda don’t bother ringing even when they have sent you for a back-haul that has been cancelled. A few Saturdays ago I delivered to the Southgate store and went up to March to load potatoes. Got there at 11:00 and was told all the loads had been cancelled at 07:30. Called the transport office to inform them. They said, “Yes, we know, just come back.” Exact same thing happened two weeks ago as well. They have my mobile number, they just don’t use it. The agency just text through start times and hardly ever ring either.
I’m with Rob on this one. Really annoys me when they are constantly on the phone. My last lot had a tendancy to do it when you were on multidrop in London.
“Where are you now?”
“just leaving X drop”
20 minutes later…
“Where are you?”
“half a mile from where I was last time you rang, pillock” !!!
All I get from my current boss is a call in the morning to check I’m OK and a call in the evening to say goodnight, heaven.
I haven’t talked to dispatch in a couple of weeks. All my work is sent via this contraption.
Scania are offering a full PC system built into the dashes on the R series.
Do you ever have trouble finding the parking brake?
Reminds me of a ZX81 keyboard 
.
Being quite honest it might well use the same processor.
dennisw1:
Scania are offering a full PC system built into the dashes on the R series.Do you ever have trouble finding the parking brake?
The keyboard normally lives somewhere else. The system is pretty good,has e mail and all that…even sends me directions and tells me where the big traffic delays/roadworks/accidents are. 
Do you ever have trouble finding the parking brake?
I was being sarcastic. Owing to it being a huge bright yellow button. (most of our trucks are small black levers)