If an RDC have a policy of taking your keys whilst on their bay, do they have to provide you with a rest room or are you,expected to sit in your unheated cab for hours at a time?
Cheers, Nez
I know many drivers who have a ‘spare’ set of keys which they hand in and keep the originals
Nezza:
If an RDC have a policy of taking your keys whilst on their bay, do they have to provide you with a rest room or are you,expected to sit in your unheated cab for hours at a time?Cheers, Nez
Most RDCs will have a room for you to wait in but often it’s a grotty little hole with basic amenities so sometimes you’re better off waiting in your cab if you’re allowed to.
Thanks for the replies, but what I’d like to know is do they HAVE to provide you with somewhere by law if they insist on taking your keys?
Cheers
Nezza:
Thanks for the replies, but what I’d like to know is do they HAVE to provide you with somewhere by law if they insist on taking your keys?Cheers
Whatever the legal answer, your banging your head against a brick wall. If you dare complain to RDC, RDC complains to supplier, supplier complains to haulage co (there are lots of haulage co’s wanting work 
), haulage co complains to driver (there are lots of drivers wanting work). you see where I’m going? What this means is that they can almost do what they want with lowly visiting drivers 
.
do they HAVE to provide you with somewhere by law if they insist on taking your keys?
I don’t know the answer but my guess is NO. You’re not an employee of that company so you dont fall under those rules. Common sense dictates that there should be half reasonable facilities and access to toilets and a coffee machine as a minimum. I know this is far from the case in many RDC’s and common sense can be a rare thing.
I suppose, taken to the furthest extent, that your employer may have a responsibility to make sure you have basic human needs catered for.
I repeat, I am not an expert in this field - just suggesting a line of thought.
Pete 
Nezza:
…sit in your unheated cab for hours at a time?
Put your night heater on if you have one, if not then yes you are expected to sit there cold. If you are not allowed in your cab then there will be some kind of waiting room for you, how good it is then that’s questionable.
Those drivers who have spare keys… it’s obvious you’re going to have them if you need the engine running to have a heat without a nightheater?
Sam Millar:
Those drivers who have spare keys… it’s obvious you’re going to have them if you need the engine running to have a heat without a nightheater?
If I was caught with my engine ticking over when I’ve supposedly handed my keys in, I’d just say it’s a very noisy night heater and then make them feel stupid by reminding them that they’ve got my keys. 
& then get banned from the site for trying to circumvent the safety proceedures…
triple-tango:
& then get banned from the site for trying to circumvent the safety proceedures…
Precisely some companies will take a very dim view of this, if you have spare keys just use them discreetly for windows or radio perhaps but certainly not to start engine up. And if you have to stay out your cab then stay out.
Remember that you have to hand your keys in for the safety of the people working in the back of the vehicle, I know some people will say that you’re not going to pull off a bay while the light is on red, but the fact is that people do and people get hurt for that very reason.
Admittedly that doesn’t excuse the RDC operators for the sometimes appalling conditions they expect people to wait in but that’s another story.
Peter Smythe:
do they HAVE to provide you with somewhere by law if they insist on taking your keys?
I don’t know the answer but my guess is NO. You’re not an employee of that company so you dont fall under those rules. Common sense dictates that there should be half reasonable facilities and access to toilets and a coffee machine as a minimum. I know this is far from the case in many RDC’s and common sense can be a rare thing.
I suppose, taken to the furthest extent, that your employer may have a responsibility to make sure you have basic human needs catered for.
I repeat, I am not an expert in this field - just suggesting a line of thought.
Pete
not quite Pete ,Elf and stupidity see you as an employee in the respect your delivering to them an they have a duty of care for you hence they must by LAW provide wash room facility’s
Not all waiting rooms are heated!