What’s everyone’s view on sitting in a waiting room while being loaded/unloaded? More and more places seem to be enforcing this rule! Ok , not so bad if you’ve only got a couple of pallets, but when you got a full load, or a 40ft container with nearly 1000 boxes that have to be individually scanned and checked and can take anything from 3-7hours, it can be pretty strenuous. Not to mention the lack of food, comfortable seating or smoking shelters… surely if the office have the keys, then no problem?
steveyboi:
What’s everyone’s view on sitting in a waiting room while being loaded/unloaded? More and more places seem to be enforcing this rule! Ok , not so bad if you’ve only got a couple of pallets, but when you got a full load, or a 40ft container with nearly 1000 boxes that have to be individually scanned and checked and can take anything from 3-7hours, it can be pretty strenuous. Not to mention the lack of food, comfortable seating or smoking shelters… surely if the office have the keys, then no problem?
steveyboi:
it can be pretty strenuous.
For who?
Surely not the driver, who will probably be sat drinking coffee and watching Jeremy Kyle for the duration while someone else handballs the load
0/10 for trolling
peirre:
steveyboi:
it can be pretty strenuous.For who?
Surely not the driver, who will probably be sat drinking coffee and watching Jeremy Kyle for the duration while someone else handballs the load
Ok strenuous probably not the right wording, but I’d much prefer having a kip on the bed or being able to have something to eat, than sitting in a drivers room for 3-7 hours just watching tv and drinking coffee [emoji23]
It depends on the RDC, some allow you to use their canteen, have sufficient smoking sheds, or its not far from the gatehouse, but a news paper, comes in handy, a book, or even watching tv…and great fun listening to all the usual bull as well. 
peirre:
steveyboi:
it can be pretty strenuous.For who?
Surely not the driver, who will probably be sat drinking coffee and watching Jeremy Kyle for the duration while someone else handballs the load0/10 for trolling
Ive not been in that particular situation. Do some RDCs etc insist that you go into a room with a TV tuned into some sort of "reality show"? That sounds EXTREMELY stressful to me. Surely thats a form of mental torture?
truckyboy:
It depends on the RDC, some allow you to use their canteen, have sufficient smoking sheds, or its not far from the gatehouse, but a news paper, comes in handy, a book, or even watching tv…and great fun listening to all the usual bull as well.
I’m normally either at Tesco’s, or John Lewis, John Lewis usually ain’t too bad, but Tesco’s are rediculous, no smoking facilities, vending machines usually broke, and takes them 2-3hours on a normal palletised load, on a good day [emoji23]
You could always leave your truck unlocked and go back to it, or when you hand them your keys take the ignition key off.
You’ll then hear them on and off your trailer. When it stops just go back to the waiting room then. I know plenty of drivers who do that.
Apparently at Iceland Warrington they go round checking units for anyone doing this and if they find you they supposedly will the throw you off site. Joke eh? They provide a box room with 5 plastic chairs, take 2 hours to tip you, but will throw you off site if you go for a kip on your bunk.
Hand in a set of keys. I have used car keys and they didn’t say they are not lorry keys.
Some places insist you sign a declaration that you do not have a spare set of keys .
I think a driver should have access to the cab for a sleep.
It is not safe to be sat in a room then drive tired.
Worst case scenario for long tips , drop the trailer on the bay then tractor unit to town for facilities .
Or drop in their yard, shunter can move it on bay and take it off when empty, then call you to say come back .
Rowley010:
You could always leave your truck unlocked and go back to it, or when you hand them your keys take the ignition key off.You’ll then hear them on and off your trailer. When it stops just go back to the waiting room then. I know plenty of drivers who do that.
Apparently at Iceland Warrington they go round checking units for anyone doing this and if they find you they supposedly will the throw you off site. Joke eh? They provide a box room with 5 plastic chairs, take 2 hours to tip you, but will throw you off site if you go for a kip on your bunk.
Come out of the jail cell and go around the other side of the building.
Nice canteen 
Only ever had this happen once…I was told to sit in the waiting room even though they had my keys.
I explained that I wanted to wait in the cab…they said ‘I had no choice’…red rag to a bull so I told them that I would be spending the time taking photos and passing them to the H &a S executive.
Their warehouse manager demanded to know what the h and s problems were so I told him would find out when they contacted him…asked for his name and his line managers. name.
…
Then I was told not to go in the waiting room and to go and wait in my cab…
Rowley010:
Apparently at Iceland Warrington they go round checking units for anyone doing this and if they find you they supposedly will the throw you off site. Joke eh? They provide a box room with 5 plastic chairs, take 2 hours to tip you, but will throw you off site if you go for a kip on your bunk.
Must be different to Warrington Iceland we go to,
Sit in canteen in the sofa, watch TV, or even get something to eat.
eagerbeaver:
Rowley010:
You could always leave your truck unlocked and go back to it, or when you hand them your keys take the ignition key off.You’ll then hear them on and off your trailer. When it stops just go back to the waiting room then. I know plenty of drivers who do that.
Apparently at Iceland Warrington they go round checking units for anyone doing this and if they find you they supposedly will the throw you off site. Joke eh? They provide a box room with 5 plastic chairs, take 2 hours to tip you, but will throw you off site if you go for a kip on your bunk.
Come out of the jail cell and go around the other side of the building.
Nice canteen
I got told to go in the canteen, not a waiting room, wasn’t bad to be fair. I assumed everyone would be sent there.
The wee dark haired bird working in there certainly meant there was a nicer view there than in the truck.
A.
Perhaps the driver failed the attitude test, and was sent to the holding pen?
I rarely spend more than an hour or hour and half in these places. Maybe that’s because I smile when I come in, and don’t display that passive aggressive attitude that so many if the neanderthals that seem to deliver to these place display.
The only one that realy ■■■■■■ me off, is Sainsbury’s in Bristol, where you must be out of the cab, the doors must be locked, you must stamd away in a square by the roof support, AND you have to give your keys to the chimp on the forklift…
Mind you, I had great fun walking away from my trailer, when moving the curtains, everytime he came back round into view. The look on his face when I explained that that was because of 'safe working practice ’ was priceless.
the nodding donkey:
Perhaps the driver failed the attitude test, and was sent to the holding pen?I rarely spend more than an hour or hour and half in these places. Maybe that’s because I smile when I come in, and don’t display that passive aggressive attitude that so many if the neanderthals that seem to deliver to these place display.
The only one that realy ■■■■■■ me off, is Sainsbury’s in Bristol, where you must be out of the cab, the doors must be locked, you must stamd away in a square by the roof support, AND you have to give your keys to the chimp on the forklift…
Mind you, I had great fun walking away from my trailer, when moving the curtains, everytime he came back round into view. The look on his face when I explained that that was because of 'safe working practice ’ was priceless.
Sainsbury’s, Bristol - Have you seen that portacabin they use for a drivers room by the chilled bays? It seriously has two knackered chairs and a crappy tv and absolutely nowt else. Thinking back - I’m not even sure it’s got a door!
Think it’s probably the worst one I regularly go to and by coincidence is the only one where I’ve ever seen them check the cabs locked and empty.
the nodding donkey:
Perhaps the driver failed the attitude test, and was sent to the holding pen?I rarely spend more than an hour or hour and half in these places. Maybe that’s because I smile when I come in, and don’t display that passive aggressive attitude that so many if the neanderthals that seem to deliver to these place display.
The only one that realy ■■■■■■ me off, is Sainsbury’s in Bristol, where you must be out of the cab, the doors must be locked, you must stamd away in a square by the roof support, AND you have to give your keys to the chimp on the forklift…
Mind you, I had great fun walking away from my trailer, when moving the curtains, everytime he came back round into view. The look on his face when I explained that that was because of 'safe working practice ’ was priceless.
I’m pretty sure it was a B&Q I did similar, made a point of walking as slowly as possible and moving my curtains as little as possible each time, only moved the pillars one pallet along and walked back to the square any time the goon appeared at my side of the trailer.
Much satisfaction as he got angrier and angrier and I kept smiling. Just like you, my response was always “just being safe like you want me to be”.
A.
Sitting in a waiting room on a hard plastic chair after handing them your keys?? WTF? I’d hand them a duff set, no one would have the keys to my truck. Whatever is it with these UK RDC’s, its like treating drivers like children…