Hi guy,
A buddy of mine has started with a new company and they are carrying bulk bags of fertilizer inside curtainsiders.
Last night he was running out of hours to get back to the yard so his boss told him to run over his hours as he was allowed due to the load that they carry. We all hear/heard of this stuff being used for what its not intended.
The question I ask is this, is his boss talking out of his ■■■■ or are they allowed to do just that to get the load to a secure place?
The excuse of reaching secure parking can be used very occasionaly to go a bit over say your 9, trying to use it to go over 10 wouldn’t go down very well. Proving you were carrying a high value load would help your defence, carrying a load of fertilizer wouldn’t really help your case as it’s not thievable. He would need to do a printout when he finished his shift and write the reason on the back of the chart. Depends on the mood of the inspector & by how much he was over on what happens next if he were to get stopped.
vosa have always told me, “you’re better off with a bad card, and an explanation, than running with the fuse out”.
i have done similar things to your mate on many occasions, and i get pulled on a very regular basis. it’s nothing to worry about, unless you’re at it day in day out. tell vosa what you’ve done as soon as they stop you. (the rules are interpreted very differently on the continent).
and you’re right. fertilizer can be used to make some nasty [zb] in the wrong hands.
Even with a “high consequences” load, running bent and going over your hours is still out of order. If it was so imperitive to get the load back to the yard and to safe parking, why didn`t the boss arrange for the driver to pull over somewhere, meet him and swop over and bring the truck back for him ■■ Tbh I suspect it was because the driver wanted to get home at the end of the week, instead of having an extra night out
peirre:
Even with a “high consequences” load, running bent and going over your hours is still out of order. If it was so imperitive to get the load back to the yard and to safe parking, why didn`t the boss arrange for the driver to pull over somewhere, meet him and swop over and bring the truck back for him ■■ Tbh I suspect it was because the driver wanted to get home at the end of the week, instead of having an extra night out
You don’t know the guy I’m talking about so you have no right to assume anything regarding him. Your out of order TO BE HONEST!!!
Its very rare I rant about something but people that assume the worse of others just boils my ■■■■!!! My buddy is in a new role,with a new company to him and he’s been driving for over 20yrs for the same firm and has had to change due to redundancy. He asked me a very honest question and I thought I would turn to Truck net for an answer and you turn around and start putting words into my mouth. If you can’t keep it to an answer then I suggest you don’t hit the reply button fella. 
For those of you that replied with an answer, thank you. I’ll tell him to tell his boss to do one in future.
Paul Gloria Meadows:
For those of you that replied with an answer, thank you. I’ll tell him to tell his boss to do one in future.
it’s not always the bosses fault. your mate could have loaded, and set off straight into rush hour traffic, rather than waiting it out, therefore giving himself enough hours to get back legally.
The boss is not talking out of his but if the nearest secure parking was the yard, do you know if it was?
Also, was your friend running under ADR? We use fert all the time and 99% of the time its under if it’s in that sort of quantity.
Regards Francis
limeyphil:
Paul Gloria Meadows:
For those of you that replied with an answer, thank you. I’ll tell him to tell his boss to do one in future.it’s not always the bosses fault. your mate could have loaded, and set off straight into rush hour traffic, rather than waiting it out, therefore giving himself enough hours to get back legally.
Thats a fair point and I’ll ask him later when i see him. Thanks for the reply.
If the driver was gonna be only 10 mins over when he got back to the yard, and done a print out with an explanation, wouldnt be seen as running bent.
Being asked to eject his card 10 mins from the yard would be.
Also on about VOSA/ministry, one told me he likes to see lots of breaks on a card, if he sees that he wouldnt be to bothered about a card with a 20 min over run, with an explanation.
peirre:
I suspect
You are correct that I don`t know the guy, I was working from the information you submitted when you posted the thread, but I did use the phrase “I suspect” to give him the benefit of the doubt, but because he chose to accept the advice of his boss and run over his hours rather than arrange to swop drivers to get the load back to safe parking, my suspicion is doubtful.
As for giving an honest opinion before hitting the submit button, maybe you should have thought of the possible variety of replies, inc those that you may not want before hitting the submit button when you posted the thread titled “running bent carrying fertilizer” as you seem to emply that maybe he was running bent. If the thread was entitled “going over your hours carry Fertilizer” maybe you`d have got an alternative answer
The bloke has been in job 20 YEARS … and didnt no if he should run bent outrageous … no excuse for running bent knowing your over hours … stuckin 5 hour motorway jam is different , but driving 20 years he should of planned his route … dont care how new in job he is he should of stopped and said over driving hours get someone out any decent company would … should be reported to VOSA
discoman:
The bloke has been in job 20 YEARS … and didnt no if he should run bent outrageous … no excuse for running bent knowing your over hours … stuckin 5 hour motorway jam is different , but driving 20 years he should of planned his route … dont care how new in job he is he should of stopped and said over driving hours get someone out any decent company would …
Ha, ha! You beat me to it!
He’s been driving 20 years and he needs his mate to come on here and ask a question about the type of load he’s carrying and how it equates to Drivers Hours! And then his mate, Paul Gloria M, gets his knickers in a twist when Peirre suspects (quite rightly) a likely scenario.
In my orginal post I could have jumped to the conclusion and implied that the guy was trying to get home on a friday night, to see his wifey & the family, go down the pub to see his mates for a few beers and sleep in his bed that night without being stuck out on a friday night with a high consequence load and have to run in on the saturday morning. But i didn`t…
As far as danger is concerned, not all fertilizers are dangerous in the same way.
I’d be most worried about Ammonium Nitrate, and least worried about Bone Meal for example.
Some of the most serious incidents in history started out with “I didn’t know” or “I can assure you” so it doesn’t hurt to be careful. 
20-30 mins over hardly a big deal.
just do a printout, and write on the back.
“friday, going home, don’t give a [zb]”
peirre:
peirre:
I suspectYou are correct that I don`t know the guy, I was working from the information you submitted when you posted the thread, but I did use the phrase “I suspect” to give him the benefit of the doubt, but because he chose to accept the advice of his boss and run over his hours rather than arrange to swop drivers to get the load back to safe parking, my suspicion is doubtful.
As for giving an honest opinion before hitting the submit button, maybe you should have thought of the possible variety of replies, inc those that you may not want before hitting the submit button when you posted the thread titled “running bent carrying fertilizer” as you seem to emply that maybe he was running bent. If the thread was entitled “going over your hours carry Fertilizer” maybe you`d have got an alternative answer
Just what I was thinking, he asked for an opinion and didn’t like it when he got one that he didn’t agree with 
maybe it was gloria that answered when paul was out ?
limeyphil:
just do a printout, and write on the back.
“friday, going home, don’t give a [zb]”
thats what i put on mine if i get caught out on the A303 in the summer running home, just say it as it is, vosa don’t worry about it as long as they see an explanation even for over 30 mins extra 