Rest breaks

[robroy]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
Those sort of twunts who run and plan drivers only do this type of crap such as unfair or unreasonable treatment, pushing to the limit, continuous hassling on the phone, and shafting their drivers on a daily basis etc etc, for one reason and one reason only…Because the drivers allow them to do so and comply to it with little or no reistance.

Somebody on here accused me of having militant tendencies last week… I have not.
I just have an aversion to being metaphorically ■■■■ ed up the arse by some jumped up little ■■■■■■ (as this guy sounds) in a Transport office, so I generally (and very politely ) speak up if I think I am being attempted to be shafted.
If that makes me militant to some, ok so be it, but it is a much better option than the alternative.

[cav551]

Is this man issuing those instructions a qualified transport manager? because if he is, then he is no longer of good repute. Personally I would be endeavouring to go about fixing him: instruction in writing or voice recording then sent to Traffic Commissioner. The man deserves to be removed from the industry.

[eagerbeaver]

There are a few on here though Rob who see strength of character as militancy. Rest breaks are there to protect the truck driver and all other road users.

Sadly we have all seen the consequences of driving tired.

[carryfast-yeti]

ffs there’s some crap jobs out there i can stop for a rest,go and buy a paper… do whatever…as long as you get to the drops in your ‘window’ and get back back to the yard with no infringements or damage they’re happy,and so am i.

[the_nodding_donkey]

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

Ahh, Next. Planned to the minute. My first trunk from Bristol to Elmsall. I stopped on my way back, I think some twenty minutes. Next day the desk jockey called me over, and made a great show of looking up my tacho on the screen, and with a mixture of condescension and disgust, queried if I had a problem last night? I answered ‘no, why?’. He then started to lecture me that I was not allowed to take breaks enroute. After I stopped laughing I told him, that as I’m driving the truck, I decide when and where I stop, within reason, just as the company can ask me to go to certain places, at certain times, within reason.

End of discussion. Funnily enough, I was one of only two agency drivers asked to stay on after the Christmas period. No thanks…

[sand_fisher]

cav551:
Is this man issuing those instructions a qualified transport manager? because if he is, then he is no longer of good repute. Personally I would be endeavouring to go about fixing him: instruction in writing or voice recording then sent to Traffic Commissioner. The man deserves to be removed from the industry.

You’ve read my mind

[robroy]

the nodding donkey:

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

Ahh, Next. Planned to the minute. My first trunk from Bristol to Elmsall. I stopped on my way back, I think some twenty minutes. Next day the desk jockey called me over, and made a great show of looking up my tacho on the screen, and with a mixture of condescension and disgust, queried if I had a problem last night? I answered ‘no, why?’. He then started to lecture me that I was not allowed to take breaks enroute. After I stopped laughing I told him, that as I’m driving the truck, I decide when and where I stop, within reason, just as the company can ask me to go to certain places, at certain times, within reason.

End of discussion. Funnily enough, I was one of only two agency drivers asked to stay on after the Christmas period. No thanks…

Ever though of becoming a militant shop steward ND?
…yessssssss! (high 5)

[sand_fisher]

the nodding donkey:

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

Ahh, Next. Planned to the minute. My first trunk from Bristol to Elmsall. I stopped on my way back, I think some twenty minutes. Next day the desk jockey called me over, and made a great show of looking up my tacho on the screen, and with a mixture of condescension and disgust, queried if I had a problem last night? I answered ‘no, why?’. He then started to lecture me that I was not allowed to take breaks enroute. After I stopped laughing I told him, that as I’m driving the truck, I decide when and where I stop, within reason, just as the company can ask me to go to certain places, at certain times, within reason.

End of discussion. Funnily enough, I was one of only two agency drivers asked to stay on after the Christmas period. No thanks…

Agreed. As a returnee to the industry, with parcels I know where they are coming from, but to me a planned 4h 15min journey should allow for an overt 15min break in the schedule and also hidden should probably be an hour’s grace so that the incoming trailer’s parcels get there in the ‘window’ before triggering an issue to do with connectivity with other trunks etc. Crap planning imho. Thus if trunk is to leave by 19:00, journey time 4h 15m + 15m drivers break = 23:30 + 01:00 late running allowance = 00:30 before consequential knock ons to other schedules. Scheduled eta should be 23:30 and if the driver were running late he advises (they know anyway as everything is tracked).

The motors are fine, and the dosh ok which probably prevented me from going to Defcon 5! but I thought it showed them up for what others on here (in a different thread) had highlighted about the Alpine carriers.

[the_nodding_donkey]

robroy:

the nodding donkey:

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

Ahh, Next. Planned to the minute. My first trunk from Bristol to Elmsall. I stopped on my way back, I think some twenty minutes. Next day the desk jockey called me over, and made a great show of looking up my tacho on the screen, and with a mixture of condescension and disgust, queried if I had a problem last night? I answered ‘no, why?’. He then started to lecture me that I was not allowed to take breaks enroute. After I stopped laughing I told him, that as I’m driving the truck, I decide when and where I stop, within reason, just as the company can ask me to go to certain places, at certain times, within reason.

End of discussion. Funnily enough, I was one of only two agency drivers asked to stay on after the Christmas period. No thanks…

Ever though of becoming a militant shop steward ND?
…yessssssss! (high 5)

I can’t. I’m not Scottish.

[robroy]

the nodding donkey:

robroy:

the nodding donkey:

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

Ahh, Next. Planned to the minute. My first trunk from Bristol to Elmsall. I stopped on my way back, I think some twenty minutes. Next day the desk jockey called me over, and made a great show of looking up my tacho on the screen, and with a mixture of condescension and disgust, queried if I had a problem last night? I answered ‘no, why?’. He then started to lecture me that I was not allowed to take breaks enroute. After I stopped laughing I told him, that as I’m driving the truck, I decide when and where I stop, within reason, just as the company can ask me to go to certain places, at certain times, within reason.

End of discussion. Funnily enough, I was one of only two agency drivers asked to stay on after the Christmas period. No thanks…

Ever though of becoming a militant shop steward ND?
…yessssssss! (high 5)

I can’t. I’m not Scottish.

There you go again with THAT insult.

[schofield]

That explains why I see Yodel trailers pulled by subbies overtaking 3 abreast down the M1 at night.
[/quote]
To be a Nodel subby you need to answer yes to these 3 questions

Are you a monkey ?
Do you like peanuts ?
Do you like driving pimped up old tat with generous limiters ?

[indigojo]

Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.

Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.

Views?

It’s nonsense. Legally your time spent sitting in traffic queues counts as driving, not work, even though the tacho records it as work. So, you should take your break well before 4.5hrs of driving are recorded if you’ve been held up in traffic at all.

In addition, you have to take a 30min break after 6hrs of work, driving or not. So if you’ve done 4hrs of driving and 2hrs of other work, say, it might be a better idea to take 45mins then.

Bottom line, the employer is talking out of his backside.

[blue_estate]

I’ve planned my breaks for tomorrow already as I’m just driving to Lockerbie no other work

[indigojo]

the nodding donkey:
All the big parcel/pallet carriers are the same. They have planned their trailer movements like a railway time table. One trailer not showing up on time upsets all onward movements (like passengers missing a connection )… Not my/your problem though. They promised they would deliver it tomorrow, not me/you.

It tends to be the parcel companies, not the pallet companies – the pallet companies are all small operators who are part of networks, while the parcel people (TNT, UKMail, DX/■■■■■■■■■■■■ etc) run both the hubs and the spokes. Never been told off for taking a loo/coffee break on the way to Minworth or Burton (as the loos at Warwick services are much nicer than at the hubs) but the parcel people all seem to think their cargo is ultra-valuable when it’s really just a case of having fitted trackers and wanting to time things to the last minute so as not to have to pay anyone more than they absolutely have to, and regarding drivers as untrustworthy nobodies.

[blue_estate]

IndigoJo:

the nodding donkey:
All the big parcel/pallet carriers are the same. They have planned their trailer movements like a railway time table. One trailer not showing up on time upsets all onward movements (like passengers missing a connection )… Not my/your problem though. They promised they would deliver it tomorrow, not me/you.

It tends to be the parcel companies, not the pallet companies – the pallet companies are all small operators who are part of networks, while the parcel people (TNT, UKMail, DX/[zb] etc) run both the hubs and the spokes. Never been told off for taking a loo/coffee break on the way to Minworth or Burton (as the loos at Warwick services are much nicer than at the hubs) but the parcel people all seem to think their cargo is ultra-valuable when it’s really just a case of having fitted trackers and wanting to time things to the last minute so as not to have to pay anyone more than they absolutely have to, and regarding drivers as untrustworthy nobodies.

Your right All my firms Pallet night trunks are employed or limpers in company’s own trucks and trailers

[whirlwind]

yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…

Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.

Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.

ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…

‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’

‘I don’t want to have my break there.’

‘That’s where it’s planned for.’

‘Well un-plan it then.’

‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’

‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’

NEXT … high value cargo ? really ?

[heraultais]

IndigoJo:
In addition, you have to take a 30min break after 6hrs of work, driving or not.

Just to correct this point should anyone unfamiliar with the actual rules be reading this, you only have to take 15 mins of break after 6hrs.

[trooper2290]

beefy4605:
One bunch of clowns we pull trailers for told me once " Straight there mate - no stopping " (about 3 hours down the road ) . I asked if they supplied new seats and when he said no I told him that if I needed a toilet stop I’d be stopping and that was all that would be about it .

Sounds like Hermes…no stopping allowed, even Warrington to Southampton!!! All stops at places other than a Hermes depot classed as illegal…and breaks must be taken at Hermes site whilst the trailer is being tipped!