Saying "no" to the traffic office

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

Switched from the agency to full time employee recently and am in general enjoying it. I have my own round now, which makes life much easier as I’m familiar with all the sites and manoeuvres, and pay is actually better as I now get all the productivity bonuses.

However, the one issue I now have is how to get a balance between keeping my employer reasonably happy whilst not being mugged off. I didn’t care on the agency as had work coming out my ears, but I like this job and it’s the perfect location/pay etc for me.

Will try and explain but might be a bit long winded!

Basic issue is that there just aren’t enough drivers and so our workloads are unmanageable (I’ve looked at the other drivers debrief sheets and literally over 90% of them don’t finish their rounds).

Previously, the attitude of the traffic office was ‘do what you can’, but the new manager (started last week) seems intent on ‘getting it all done’. He’s talked a lot about moving jobs onto other shifts to make our rounds manageable, but every night I still get the call asking me to stop out…just this one time. I’m not sure whether to give him the benefit of the doubt for now or just put my foot down and risk starting off on a bad note.

Thing is, my shift is only 9.5 hours, so it’s short compared to gen haulage etc, but every minute is busy as I’m doing 60-85 DMR collections around the city centre in the afternoon/evening traffic doing fairly physical work.

It takes me 10.5 hours to do the work if I’m fully focused and utilise every minute. As I used to do a 10 hour shift at the other depot, I thought I was only doing 30 mins overtime but it’s actually an hour as our shifts are shorter at this depot. I’m stuck atm between feeling that 10.5 hours isn’t actually a particularly long day, and between alternatively feeling that I shouldn’t have to do an extra hour each day to complete my round if I don’t need the money. I’m trying to lose the two stone I’ve put on since Oct and every evening I say I’ll go back to the gym in the morning, but then find I’m just 45 mins short of time due to stopping out for an hour the night before. It’s really hacking me off as powerlifting is a big love of mine and is my main form of stress relief. I’m defo getting angrier in general without being able to blow off some steam.

Today was a real crap shift. I agreed to stop out an extra 30 mins, after already doing an hour. However, the new jobs I was trying to do were in a pedestrian area and I just couldn’t work out how to get there. The one way system (ringroad-esque) takes almost ten mins to drive around, and I kept having to go around again. It looked easy on the map, but many of the streets were one-way or bus/taxi only so I ended up not being able to get to where I wanted without repeatedly going around again and trying another side street.

After almost 30 mins I’d not even done a single job of the ten, and I was ready to call it quits for the day. Problem is I’d said I’d finish the work and there was nobody left in the office to reschedule it onto the morning shift (who get in hours before office staff) so the jobs would’ve been left unserviced and would’ve been on my head.

So I carried on bumbling around the streets for another hour and got most of them done, before suddenly realising I needed to take a break (don’t usually need two). I was in an absolutely foul mood at this point and managed to lose my concentration momentarily and reverse into a lamp post - first bump in almost 18 months on the dustcarts and really annoying as I do tight manoeuvres all day and this was the stupidest mistake.

Defo my fault, but I’m 100% convinced that it wouldn’t have happened had I not been so incredibly ■■■■■■ off and tired, so I need to avoid getting myself into this situation again. Problem is that I find it hard to be diplomatic and I’m not sure I can tell my new boss to go and ■■■■ himself. Need to put this across firmly but diplomatically. The transport office are also undoubtedly overwhelmed right now but the solution isn’t overstretching all the existing drivers in my opinion.

One of my colleagues did the same thing the other night. Hadn’t had a bump in two years and hit a bollard while going into the third hour of overtime. Said he was rushing to get it all done, so seems to not just be me. Some of the other drivers are ok as their unfinished work is able to be picked up by another driver in the area the next day, but sadly my jobs will be left for a week if not done (or two if fortnightly jobs). Some sites haven’t been cleared in 30+ days now!

2

Awkward.
And since you are clearly someone who cares about doing the job correctly and sees how the customers are being badly served, this won’t be easy to hear…
Your responsibility doesn’t include the duty rostas etc. If someone doesn’t get serviced it is NOT your fault. You can foresee that overtime is gonna be necessary, but the office can’t?
I count myself as someone who will cooperate with competent management, but it’s not up to us to routinely get them out the doo-doo. Carry on doing that and there will never be improvement.
Stress does lead to incidents and accidents.

3

Just skimmed through all that mate, it was a bit long winded and I’ve got a low boredom threshold. :laughing:
…but think I got the theme of it.
Sounds as if some prick in an office is trying to make a name for himself at the expense of the drivers.
Just do the job legally and safely at a sensible pace and there is Jeff all they can do.
If his planning is impossible, don’t even attempt to achieve it, as you will be given it continuously thereafter if you do :bulb:
Just do what you can in the way I said, and if you are all left with drops on…his problem not yours, he’s paid to put up with that.

You can just imagine him after watching a you drivers been ran ragged, saying to his boss…“Well I soon sorted out that problem, where’s my pay raise”.
Nip it in the bud mate,.and here’s a ridiculous idea for you…all you drivers should stick together to do so.

4

It won’t be long before you hate the job if you keep letting yourself be pushed and it will get worse if you don’t put a stop to it
That’s how it works they will push and push
If something puts you under stress or pressure stop doing it and stick to the basics of what’s needed to do
It’s the drivers code, look after number one only and nobody else

5

Bigtruck3:
It’s the drivers code, look after number one only and nobody else

Yep, that’s the way it’s got in this job over the last 10 yrs or so, sadly, because nobody is going to back you up.
Those that do this have a far better quality of job (and life) than those that don’t…fact.

6

It’s not your responsibility to keep your employer happy it’s your responsibility to do your job correctly and legally. That’s enough to keep you happy and that’s the most important thing.
And if you keep saying yes to these impossible tasks they will keep asking you to do them and will never make alternative arrangements for the long run. They clearly don’t care about you or their customers which is quite clear by the fact you said they asked you to stay out an extra couple of hours while everyone in the office went home!!
I would go in, do what I’m contracted for and nothing else.

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7

I also agree with Bigtruck & Robroy look after number one and let the rest look after themselves. It certainly makes for an easier and happier working life. I am all for drivers sticking together and getting better pay, conditions etc. but it will never happen and since I’ve only been in the industry a few years I don’t know if it ever has happened.

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8

If your contract has a set working time. Or says you only work.for 10.hours a day.
Just do what your contract says.
If not just take your time do what you can.
If you can’t do it.you can’t do.it not your problem

9

I guess you could look at this two ways.

  1. if you get paid a decent overtime rate, collect the cash and enjoy a nice holiday in the summer.

  2. if you’re salaried, do what you’re paid to do for the amount of time you’re paid to do it. I do know salaried drivers who’ll do an extra hour now and then, but they get that time back with an early finish now and then.

Run the job to suit YOU.

10

robroy:
If his planning is impossible, don’t even attempt to achieve it, as you will be given it continuously thereafter if you do :bulb:
Just do what you can in the way I said, and if you are all left with drops on…his problem not yours, he’s paid to put up with that.

You can just imagine him after watching a you drivers been ran ragged, saying to his boss…“Well I soon sorted out that problem, where’s my pay raise”.
Nip it in the bud mate,.and here’s a ridiculous idea for you…all you drivers should stick together to do so.

^This.
Also if you attempt to achieve it other employers follow.Also new starts get told you’re expected to do all this other drivers are all achieving it.

Title would be better 'saying no to multi drop/collection work.It’s anyone’s guess how that can be your perfect job.It’s just someone saying it’s only a 9 hour shift so long as you can get 12 + hours worth of zb multi drop/collection work done in the time. :wink:

11

Keep going on at this rate and you’ll burn yourself out, eventually you’re going to say enough is enough and blow a gasket towards the traffic office; Learn to say no or you will end up hating the job.

12

I tend to avoid confrontation, so I would just do what seems reasonable and bring the rest back. If an extended shift (paid at OT rates) was now and then, that’s no problem, but not if its every day.

13

We rarely say no to our traffic office.

Over time we have learned that it’s far more effective to say “nie” or "niet ", s’funny but they seem to understand that better.

14

Tell em to ■■■■ off mate.

And collar your new transport bloke when he’s alone, and either give him a clump or put the frighteners on him.

I tell you, he won’t be doing it again

15

If the company doesn’t have enough drivers/vehicles and that problem isn’t being resolved and they are simply relying on drivers to pick up management’s problem. Then that’s basically a plaster over a gunshot wound in effect. It will only last so long before the drivers are burnt out, stressed and have more and more accidents. Which will probably then be let go due to that fact and any reference wont be great due to the accidents…

As hard as it might be to hear. Your role should be to drive the vehicle in a safe manner and carry out the work you can in a reasonable way. Your role isn’t to help the company when it, itself wont invest/spend more for additional drivers.

If it is affecting your out-of-work life, then I would begin to consider how you can improve things.

If companies are paying for a service they don’t receive, they will change companies so they do receive what they pay for - That isn’t your problem as a driver though.

16

When i was a newly passed driver the first company I worked for took the ■■■■ and expected the impossible to be done because they kept taking on new contracts even though there wasn’t enough drivers to cover it. It made me hate and regret being a truck driver. Now I work for a company who gives me a perfectly reasonable work load and gives me plenty of time and support to get it done. Listen to what the other guys have said, don’t make yourself miserable or a danger on the road just to make them happy when they wouldn’t do the same for you

17

Fairly consistent replies here, if you keep doing extra then they have no incentive to pay an extra wage for another driver. Just tell them that you have worked extra to help them out but you won’t keep doing it. Just work your contracted hours to the best of your ability and bring back what’s left. You aren’t paid enough to worry about customers not being tipped for 30+ days.

It’s clear this new bod is trying to make you all graft harder so he doesn’t have to hire someone else and can go to his boss and say look how much money I’ve saved you, I want a raise.

18

Cheers guys, good advice all round.

My company are actually trying to employ 15 new drivers (well, maybe a few less now as there are a few new starters). Rest of week has been much better and to give credit to this guy he’s had some of my jobs moved onto the morning shift so I’m not rushing anymore - his predecessor had been promising this for a couple months so I’m pleased this guy’s done it within a fortnight. As he seems to be making good on his word I’m prepared to put in a bit extra whilst things get turned around.

I’ve decided I’ll stop out for 30 mins (or an hour at most) and will be bringing the rest back.

19

Tailschwing:
Cheers guys, good advice all round.

My company are actually trying to employ 15 new drivers (well, maybe a few less now as there are a few new starters). Rest of week has been much better and to give credit to this guy he’s had some of my jobs moved onto the morning shift so I’m not rushing anymore - his predecessor had been promising this for a couple months so I’m pleased this guy’s done it within a fortnight. As he seems to be making good on his word I’m prepared to put in a bit extra whilst things get turned around.

I’ve decided I’ll stop out for 30 mins (or an hour at most) and will be bringing the rest back.

Good for you now stick to it

20

Have to say that lots of us have been there, done that, and recognize a burn out coming from a mile off. Your priorities should be 1- do the job safely. 2-do the job legally 3 - only after 1 & 2 do you think about actually delivering whatever crap you carry.

Believe me, life becomes a lot less stressed when you stop giving a crap about 3.

And the money? There are no pockets in funeral shrouds.