Hello people I thought id share my experience of last Tuesday.
I normally drive home shopping vans and do the odd bit of agency work as and when I can.
I had a few days off work and I got a phone call asking If I minded working for P&H.
I didnt want to do it but any experience is good experience in my book.
Got to the depot and got told id have 14 drops with a full truck.
I did the first couple of drops then had a military base(took an hour to get an ■■■■■■)
I then did a drop and the owner said are you doing so and so delivery.
I said yes and he just shook his head and apologized.
I had 12 cages full of milk, alcohol and other items. Nowhere to stop but on a steep hill.
I did that drop and had 2 left when I get a phonecall from an irate planner saying how his drivers would be back by midday
In the end I was thinking is trucking for me. After the lst couple drops the drive back was lovely and then I thought trucking is for me but not P&H.
I was fuming when the man was bollocking me in the yard and vowed that Id never go back.
I told my agency when I handed in my hours and they all said that I am not the first one and I wont be the last.
Sorry for this rant but I have never been so angry with someone trying to belittle me
Most planners havent got a clue, they have never done the driving.
If you did the job within the legal driving time, no damage, injury’s and the job completed. Ignore the mindless idiot. There are better jobs out there.
SteveWalsh:
Most planners havent got a clue, they have never done the driving.
If you did the job within the legal driving time, no damage, injury’s and the job completed. Ignore the mindless idiot. There are better jobs out there.
Thankyou Yes all was back safe and sound. I will ignore him yes.
Thanks again Thomas
I did some P&H for about 2 months on agency always with second man, days lasted up to 12 hours.
Regular lads would get there runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday and lucky dips Tuesday and Thursday. They would all be finished between 12 and 2.
Just use it as a stepping stone to getting some miles under your belt, learning where you can/can’t park, reversing into small areas and dealing with bell ends
I did P&H a lot from Aylesford when I was agency, and while was hard work with the occasional call from planners. The manager at the yard when I got back never ever moaned if I was late back. Was always understanding about the delays that can happen when you’re out on the road.
Where I work there are planners that don’t even hold a driving licence.
I don’t know if it was on this forum but I remember a driver moaning that he only got given 20 mins to get from Southend to Rochester. And his truck was not aquatic.
A lot of planners have never driven professionally. So just don’t let it get to you.
montytom:
Hello people I thought id share my experience of last Tuesday.
I normally drive home shopping vans and do the odd bit of agency work as and when I can.
I had a few days off work and I got a phone call asking If I minded working for P&H.
I didnt want to do it but any experience is good experience in my book.
Got to the depot and got told id have 14 drops with a full truck.
I did the first couple of drops then had a military base(took an hour to get an ■■■■■■)
I then did a drop and the owner said are you doing so and so delivery.
I said yes and he just shook his head and apologized.
I had 12 cages full of milk, alcohol and other items. Nowhere to stop but on a steep hill.
I did that drop and had 2 left when I get a phonecall from an irate planner saying how his drivers would be back by midday
In the end I was thinking is trucking for me. After the lst couple drops the drive back was lovely and then I thought trucking is for me but not P&H.
I was fuming when the man was bollocking me in the yard and vowed that Id never go back.
I told my agency when I handed in my hours and they all said that I am not the first one and I wont be the last.
Sorry for this rant but I have never been so angry with someone trying to belittle me
To be fair the guys in Fareham didn’t seem that bad to me, but I could be wrong…
I only ever did 2 days before I developed an allergic reaction to that type of work!
You got through it pal, and you didn’t deck him (I hope) so no harm done and a lesson learnt!
Crack on drive…
Hope you were still on the clock when small brain was doing his ranting in the yard…
You don’t have to go to the zoo to see monkeys, sounds like you found one that should still be swinging through the bloody trees, hope P&H read these pages cos they like some other outfits are getting a seriously bad name.
Honestly how thick can you get, a driver who’s never been there before multi drop and he can’t get round like billy whizz or whoever does the poxy job normally, who’da ever imagined it…
Juddian:
Hope you were still on the clock when small brain was doing his ranting in the yard…
You don’t have to go to the zoo to see monkeys, sounds like you found one that should still be swinging through the bloody trees, hope P&H read these pages cos they like some other outfits are getting a seriously bad name.
Honestly how thick can you get, a driver who’s never been there before multi drop and he can’t get round like billy whizz or whoever does the poxy job normally, who’da ever imagined it…
Had the same at a few of my first agency gigs. Had one who had a good at me for “not taking the prescribed route”… I missed the Lincoln turn off on the M180 so had to drive to the Humber Bridge turnoff to come back around. I didn’t mention the employed person was fast asleep at the time… Some people really get off on belittling people so they pick on the easiest target… You, the new guy,
From My personal experience, which is quite a number of years, 2 of the worst planners I had the misfortune to work for, were ex driver .
I know its frustrating when some spotty little twerp tries to dress you down, but as you get older, and more experienced, you just hear them in the distance as you make your way to your car to Fox Trot Oscar home, that makes them more frustrated, because they know there is nothing they can say to you, so its a win win situation, you’re on your way home, and the planner is even more peed off .
My advise is, this is just the learning curve, weather the storm, it will get better, and don’t give spotty twerps, or cynical ex drivers the satisfaction. Do your job smile and sod off home, they’ll call again, they need you, more than you need them
Radar19:
:
Had the same at a few of my first agency gigs. Had one who had a good at me for “not taking the prescribed route”… I missed the Lincoln turn off on the M180 so had to drive to the Humber Bridge turnoff to come back around.
I rang My planner up one day, and says “you’ll notice I’m on the A11 heading towards Norfolk, that’s because I was thinking of home and kinda drifted that way, I’ll hook it right at Barton Mills, and then drop back on the 14 at Bury” , he was some what dumb struck, but I never got any grief over it. I was in theory heading to Felixstowe, home seemed much more favourable prospect, still work pays the bills.
I could list a catalogue of wrong directions, but that’s the experienced driver for you , and we always get away with it
Radar19:
:
Had the same at a few of my first agency gigs. Had one who had a good at me for “not taking the prescribed route”… I missed the Lincoln turn off on the M180 so had to drive to the Humber Bridge turnoff to come back around.
I rang My planner up one day, and says “you’ll notice I’m on the A11 heading towards Norfolk, that’s because I was thinking of home and kinda drifted that way, I’ll hook it right at Barton Mills, and then drop back on the 14 at Bury” , he was some what dumb struck, but I never got any grief over it. I was in theory heading to Felixstowe, home seemed much more favourable prospect, still work pays the bills.
I could list a catalogue of wrong directions, but that’s the experienced driver for you , and we always get away with it
The place I’m at now questioned my routes, asking if I’m following the Sat-nav to which I replied “yes, why?” I think they fail to grasp that multidrop work doesn’t always allow time to plan your route. You might get to plan the first two but after that there’s not much point. I had an argument with the TM about which route to take to Kendal, he wanted me to go across the M62 to Bradford then follow up to Skipton and use the A65. I did it once, in the dark fully loaded. Never again. Next time I went over the 62, round Manchester then grabbed the M6. Much easier route.
Radar19:
:
Had the same at a few of my first agency gigs. Had one who had a good at me for “not taking the prescribed route”… I missed the Lincoln turn off on the M180 so had to drive to the Humber Bridge turnoff to come back around.
I rang My planner up one day, and says “you’ll notice I’m on the A11 heading towards Norfolk, that’s because I was thinking of home and kinda drifted that way, I’ll hook it right at Barton Mills, and then drop back on the 14 at Bury” , he was some what dumb struck, but I never got any grief over it. I was in theory heading to Felixstowe, home seemed much more favourable prospect, still work pays the bills.
I could list a catalogue of wrong directions, but that’s the experienced driver for you , and we always get away with it
The place I’m at now questioned my routes, asking if I’m following the Sat-nav to which I replied “yes, why?” I think they fail to grasp that multidrop work doesn’t always allow time to plan your route. You might get to plan the first two but after that there’s not much point. I had an argument with the TM about which route to take to Kendal, he wanted me to go across the M62 to Bradford then follow up to Skipton and use the A65. I did it once, in the dark fully loaded. Never again. Next time I went over the 62, round Manchester then grabbed the M6. Much easier route.
Sometimes the shortest route is not always the quickest or most fuel efficient. I had a similar discussion about returning to Felixstowe after loading Hull. Got a phone call to ask why I wasn’t using the Bridge(use it on the way up empty), I pointed out that with the cost of the toll £12, and the fact that there is about 12 roundabouts or giveway junctions using the A15-A46 to Newark, and that the M62-M18-A1 route is only about 20 or so miles further, means its the better option loaded especially at 44t
Similar, Eddie, one local run for us is either a single carriage A road involving several climbs with no run up and 4 roundabouts at the bottom of longish climbs or a longer journey easy dual carriageway and one long motorway junction involving only one easy climb away from a junction where almost the whole journey is in top gear.
I’ve done both trips at several loaded weights, 18 to 28 ton loads, despite being some 12 miles longer the easier route uses between 1 and 3 litres of fuel less each single time (using the OBC), i return the direct route though cos empty.
Juddian:
Similar, Eddie, one local run for us is either a single carriage A road involving several climbs with no run up and 4 roundabouts at the bottom of longish climbs or a longer journey easy dual carriageway and one long motorway junction involving only one easy climb away from a junction where almost the whole journey is in top gear.
I’ve done both trips at several loaded weights, 18 to 28 ton loads, despite being some 12 miles longer the easier route uses between 1 and 3 litres of fuel less each single time (using the OBC), i return the direct route though cos empty.
I think the moral of your, and Eddie’s post is; software has a way to go yet!
Never had anyone have a go at me directly, but I did have one Saturday shift (for a company I won’t name) who questioned my hours when the timesheet was submitted to the agency, claiming that I’d been dragging the day out. I sent them back an annotated copy of my tacho pointing out various things, including the drop where my run sheet had me arriving at 07:00 and leaving at 07:15, along with the note “No deliveries before 9am”.
I did feel particularly peeved, as I’d worked my backside off all day, including a number of drops where I arrived to find the building deserted and pretty much had to get the pub landlord to get out of bed to receive the delivery…
Probably the only (albeit illegal) way they could have claimed I was “dragging it out” was that I had a proper 45-minute break, rather than tipping on break (which would have been unpaid anyway). If they want to complain about that, they can have a chat with Mr DVSA…
, and we always get away with it