My VOSA complaint

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Just though I’d share with you gentlemen the complaint I have just emailed to VOSA. I’m very wound up and it will help calm me down!

Dear Sir/Madam,
I work for a company that will be well known to yourselves, have a look on your systems and you’ll see who it is. I get stopped a lot. Fair enough has always been my view, but that is changing. I was stopped this morning in Dover. They checked everything and all was in order apart from my laptop being open, which attracted a prohibition. I had not left the port and entered public roads but this is not the complaint, I can see your point, although a prohibition could be considered a bit heavy handed.
My complaint regards comments made about the centre table in my Scania. He said that in future I would probably have to remove it as its in the wiper sweep. This I find amazingly petty and very much the work of a jobsworth. Until now I have always had a certain amount of respect for VOSA staff but it seems now I am running legally they need to get me on something. This is really starting to annoy me and my respect for yourselves has almost evaporated and this is the view of many other drivers. I have been stopped by Police as well as VOSA 7 times in about 4 months. Each time I have been legal. The Police have some common sense and I have no problem with them. VOSA tried to stop me again today, less than 12 hours after last time, in Newport Pagnell but I decided some bloke in a VOSA hi-viz waving his hand at me is not good enough reason to stop so I carried on my journey.
On the ferry with me last night and queuing next to me in Calais were a Hungarian Renault Premium pulling a fridge and a Turkish Axor also with a fridge. To say I had never seen trucks in such bad condition would not be an overstatement. Both steps were missing from the Axor and the bumper held togther with cable ties, bits were hanging off all over the place and several lights did not work. The Premium did not look much better, with big gouges out the side of the fridge and the underrun bar held on with a strap. Both looked like they had been dragged through a hedge backwards. You let these trucks go. You pulled me, in a clean 3 year old R500 Topline with a brand new fridge and tell me that my table is unsafe.
Has anybody at your organisation ever driven a truck in a professional capacity? Would you know for instance, like I do, that my Scania with its centre table still has as much as if not more visibility that an XF Daf? Do any of you have any real world experience of this industry?
You should be working with the industry and drivers, not against us. Your staff are just antagonising drivers.
My respect for your organisation, and your staff has gone and I know this to be the case with many drivers. Just go and have a look at the truck drivers forums.
Thank you for taking the time to read this but I expect to get some dull automated reply and a hard time next time I get stopped, which, lets face it, will probably be later today. Rest assured I will never abuse your staff in any way but gone are the days of being nice to them.

2

Is this the wee tables that sit on the dash.

3

Yes. I have one of the wooden purpose made ones.

4

very good email

5

sounds like wheel tappers now get a £50 tax free bonus with their next pay packet per truck pulled, regardless if its the same truck :exclamation: :unamused: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

6

They are just turning out Robots now who will be told never to use their common sense and then the power goes to head in uniform Robot comes along leaving you laughing hysterically or punching your steering wheel.

Pretty sure these are fixed down in Mans and some others so if your an Agency driver you better take a screwdriver to work in case you get papped off the road for not knowing the Vehicle has one.

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trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41991

wonder if he’ll get the same treatment :confused:

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Good email and good on you. It does sound like they don’t live in the real world and time they woke up, to real problems :question:

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Sorry to hear you’re not happy with the service!

In regards to the laptop…if its open its a fair cop because it does restrict the view and a lot of drivers do have them on whilst driving. Most drivers know this to be the case.

In regards to failing to stop…Im sure you know the possible penalty for that one!!!

I cant comment on the table as I have no idea how big it is or where it was placed.

In regards to Ports. Most of them are open to the public so therefore are public roads even though the local authority may not pay for the upkeep. Just because you are on a dock does not mean they are private roads.

In regards to getting bonuses for wheel tapping…doesnt happen despite what people think!

In regards to Foreign ‘sheds’ The HRTI teams will be targeting those vehicles.

In regards to experience of the haulage world. I gained my track licence in the Army. I then slogged my guts out for 6 months working as a draymans mate for an agency so theyd pay for me to get my LGV1 which I had a clear pass on in 1994. I spent a few years hauling for Norfolk Line all over the country then moved into management after taking my CPC. I also hold ADR, Forklift. Ive spent time working as an agency driver and other small companies. Ive also worked as a Recruitment Consultant for a large company. Everything that has been talked about on here, Ive done or been through.

Most of my colleagues do have a good background in haulage, traffic enforcement etc etc. I have not met one ‘jobsworth’ in my area and indeed most go out of their way to inform and warn rather than prohibit at the drop of a hardhat.

Our training is extensive and humanistic and they dont churn out robots. The usual quip about power and uniforms is often used but has little bearing as most of us have worn uniform before in other capacities…certainly smarter than the VOSA uniform!! Im quite happy with who I am and what I do, I dont need a uniform to feel good.

I take no pleasure whatsoever in mucking someones day up. Im not employed to make drivers lifes hell. I am employed to keep the roads safe. If you cant abide by the rules then expect to be looked at…its really that simple. Rules are there for safety not to make life difficult. I am always aware that people are trying to earn a living…the same as me…theyve got families relying on them etc etc. If you dont want to be sat for a 45 hour break follow the regs.

If you work for a company thats ‘popular’ with VOSA then you are perhaps going to get stopped more often than the green operators. However getting stopped 7 times in 4 months is not a great deal.

SL…I sincerely hope you get a reply to your complaint. However it would be a great shame if you were to see VOSA as an enemy!

I

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Anybody who demands one of those wee tables is removed has some kind of problem which may not be Gestapo or Robotic related but its a problem none the less.

My post is about my experience with anyone considered to be in authority nowadays not only vosa, but I accept that the majority are decent individuals who do a good job and accept my post is tarring everyone with the same brush for which I apologise.

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aranger:
Anybody who demands one of those wee tables is removed has some kind of problem which may not be Gestapo or Robotic related but its a problem none the less.

My post is about my experience with anyone considered to be in authority nowadays not only vosa, but I accept that the majority are decent individuals who do a good job and accept my post is tarring everyone with the same brush for which I apologise.

I lied…Im an absolute ■■■■■■■■■■ :smiley: :smiley:

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MacDoog:

aranger:
Anybody who demands one of those wee tables is removed has some kind of problem which may not be Gestapo or Robotic related but its a problem none the less.

My post is about my experience with anyone considered to be in authority nowadays not only vosa, but I accept that the majority are decent individuals who do a good job and accept my post is tarring everyone with the same brush for which I apologise.

I lied…Im an absolute [zb]!!! :smiley: :smiley:

Probably would be myself cause the wife will no let me open my mouth in the house. :cry: :laughing:

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:smiley: :smiley:

My job is a lot easier if Im actually nice. Its a very old saying but I try and treat others as I would like to be treated.

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MacDoog thats an intresting post.

First of all maybe you should read my email a bit better. I did indeed say I could see the issue re the laptop but thought a prohibition a bit heavy handed.

If I remember rightly some time back a driver went to court after being prosecuted for a driving offence whilst in the port of Holyhead. It was decided in court to be private land. If I took a car to a track day could I be prosecuted for dangerous driving or speeding because ‘the public have access’? VOSA were after all chucked out of the port in Birkenhead by Norfolk Line. Private land maybe?

I did not stop. His directions were not clear and I did not have enough time to sit around while they faff around for an hour with bits of paper for the second time in half a day.

I have no problem with being stopped for serious reasons. VOSA staff are jobworths. I define a jobsworth who follows the letter of the law and leaves no room for common sense. In my large experiance of VOSA staff this is more often the case than not.

VOSA staff do antagonise drivers. You are a member on this site, so you should be able to see that. How many posts are there on here about companies having problems with VOSA because of satnavs in screens? Now anybody with any common sense would tell you the blindspot created by a satnav is minimal, maybe enough to obscure a rabbit. No common sense there then.

I work for a company that has had a bad record, I accept that and expect to be stopped. I brought up the fact I had been checked 7 times in 4 months to point out I had been found on all occasions to be legal. If VOSA used their intelligence they are often prattling on about why when I’m stopped again does it still take them up to an hour to process me. 2 hours delays in one day due to VOSA checks is just unacceptable, full stop. I’m running legal.

I wont expect a reply, but I will be emailing my complaint daily. I don’t see VOSA as the enemy, after all I’m not running bent anymore, just a highly irritating bunch of jobsworths.

However I’m sure they will use the ‘intelligence’ to give me an even harder time next time.

By the way, who is the Chief Executive of VOSA now?

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i can’t see a problem with this

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fez:
Photobucket

table in a scania window
i can’t see a problem with this

Neither can I but VOSA can. I must say mine is much better made than that one!

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Glad you are talking to me!! Track days are a completely different issue. I assume you mean something like Donington etc? That is private land and they will have very large insurance policies if you decide to go straight when you should of turned left! :smiley:

We wont agree over the laptop Im afraid…most if not all drivers are aware that that habit will be punished!!

My understanding of port roads is that if they are open to the public.ie. office workers, dock workers travelling to their particular place of work then those roads are public. They are or can be owned and kept in repair by the dock operator.

VOSA getting thrown off site is something more than a problem with what a road is… :smiley:

There are ‘jobsworths’ in all walks of life and you seem to be having a problem with a particular area that I cannot comment on.

Most of the drivers I have met have been most pleasant and professional with me, but like you Ive met a few who are not the most helpful of chaps.

We are supposed to be IMPARTIAL and HONEST and I think the majority of VOSA personnel are. Im there for road safety not chasing points by issuing daft prohibitions.

The new CEO…who knows■■? :unamused: :smiley:

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MacDoog:
Glad you are talking to me!! Track days are a completely different issue. I assume you mean something like Donington etc? That is private land and they will have very large insurance policies if you decide to go straight when you should of turned left! :smiley:

We wont agree over the laptop Im afraid…most if not all drivers are aware that that habit will be punished!!

My understanding of port roads is that if they are open to the public.ie. office workers, dock workers travelling to their particular place of work then those roads are public. They are or can be owned and kept in repair by the dock operator.

VOSA getting thrown off site is something more than a problem with what a road is… :smiley:

There are ‘jobsworths’ in all walks of life and you seem to be having a problem with a particular area that I cannot comment on.

Most of the drivers I have met have been most pleasant and professional with me, but like you Ive met a few who are not the most helpful of chaps.

We are supposed to be IMPARTIAL and HONEST and I think the majority of VOSA personnel are. Im there for road safety not chasing points by issuing daft prohibitions.

The new CEO…who knows■■? :unamused: :smiley:

Im always up for a debate.

Please listen to me! I agree with you on the laptop issue. It shouldn’t been open. I was just grabbing my emails whilst queuing to get out of port as its too expensive to use abroad. Punishment accepted.

As for ports they are very very clearly segrigated when it comes to traffic. I was in a freight only area when pulled for instance. But again thats by the by as I did say, twice, I can see VOSA’s point re the laptop. Its the table issue that annoys me.

I just think VOSA should give me some credit for managing to keep things legal against the odds, bearing in mind I work for an Irish co, instead of trying to get me on something else.

I do accept that you cant all be jobsworths but a small dose of common sense in the organisation would go a long way. Would be much easier to keep drivers on side. Why not sit in the drivers seat and make a judgment about vision?

Lastly, like i say, I try to be nice but its getting harder and harder.

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Laptop issue done and dusted then!! :smiley: I believe its a lot easier to talk to people if you are pleasant with them even when you are telling them they arent going anywhere for 45 hours…so Im all for staying onside.

Common sense can sometimes take a backseat Im afraid…and thats down to personal attitude.

We can follow;

  1. the letter of the law ( your Jobsworth )
  2. the spirit of the law ( most VOSA personnel )

Im afraid its only me, a humble TE, that congratulates you on driving legally despite working for a well known firm. You should take pride in that fact!!

The day I actually start taking pleasure in ruining a drivers day is the day I will quit.

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port roads are private land,

unless you have no business being there you aint allowed on to it.i know because i always get stopped and asked where im oging if im delivering to the ports around me, eg rosyth dockytard/leith docks etc