we all know that smokers will smoke in cabs.
we all know that it is now illegal to smoke in a cab.
but as an agency driver i drive many vehicles over a year.
some smoke i can put up with -some are just terrible…
now i have been in one cab before were the smoke odour gives me a head ache within 2 hours of being in the vehicle.
because of this i have told the branch and the transport office that i will refuse to drive that vehicle again if i get offered it.
am i in my rights to do that—
should i be penalised for refusing to drive it-by being sent home and losing a days pay.
should i be made out as the bad guy.
davelap:
we all know that smokers will smoke in cabs.
we all know that it is now illegal to smoke in a cab.
but as an agency driver i drive many vehicles over a year.
some smoke i can put up with -some are just terrible…
now i have been in one cab before were the smoke odour gives me a head ache within 2 hours of being in the vehicle.
because of this i have told the branch and the transport office that i will refuse to drive that vehicle again if i get offered it.
am i in my rights to do that—
should i be penalised for refusing to drive it-by being sent home and losing a days pay.
should i be made out as the bad guy.
again looking forward to comments abt this.
dave
davelap:
am i in my rights to do that—
Yes of course you are.
davelap:
should i be penalised for refusing to drive it-by being sent home and losing a days pay.
No you should not be penalised for refusing to drive a vehicle with a strong bad odour but I’m afraid that doesn’t mean that you won’t be.
davelap:
should i be made out as the bad guy.
No you should not be made out to be the bad guy but again that does not necessarily mean that you won’t be.
As an agency driver I’m afraid you will often be skating on thin ice regardless of the rights and wrongs of the issue.
If you calmly explained the situation to the TM then they may be sympathetic and try not to give you that motor again but if you just went off on one at him then you’ve probably done yourself no favours
thanks guys for your comments…
i had pre-warned the branch in canterbury and the transport office in southampton abt my head ache problem…
i never lost my cool…
when i reported for duty on the wed morning(day after ).
i was given another vehicle-there were 2 other vehicles i could of been given by the branch.
i was also taken into office by the manager -he pointed out the inconvenience i had caused .
he also pointed out they asked the full time driver to clean the wagon the prev week----
what i dont get is why did they give me that vehicle when i had pointed out my concerns beforehand.
in the meeting the branch manager wasnt winning with his views-and to my amazemnet started
adding the f word to his comments----
sad man.
as for driving with windows down-
why should any driver have to do that because of offensive smells.
davelap:
as for driving with windows down-
why should any driver have to do that because of offensive smells.
no no im not meaning people who dont smoke, i mean the people who do smoke in cabs. i mean certain companies ill do it because i know the other drivers smoke, windows always open tho and a can of air freshner or something is always taken for a spray at the end of the shift. if im given a motor that i know th enormal driver is a non smoker (which has happened to me before) well i pull over and get out and have one though i tend to find i smoke alot less in this instance
davelap:
sorry if i got the wrong intention there on the message.
dave
lol its fine most folk usually take what i say the wrong way, i do try to make it not noticeable if ive been smoking in cab just incase somebody like yourself being a non smoker (i think) drives the vehicle after myself. i have been in a wagon thats smelt soo bad of smoke i refused to even drive it, never did a run that day but got my 8 hours pay to clean it after the boss said it cant smell that bad, he soon changed his tune when he got in it. lol
its my choice to smoke and this is the way i see it, its also your choice not to smoke which you have to respect so trying to remove all traces is the right thing to do if you get me.
davelap:
we all know that it is now illegal to smoke in a cab.
Is it though… there was a letter on here from a council that says differently … sorry but cannot remember which member posted it
As only councils are prosecuting for smoking offences and not the police etc and those councils can only prosecute in their own boundaries - then there are very very few that have been prosecuted for smoking in company vehicles
As an agency driver would it be an idea to inform the agency that you will not drive a vehicle that has been smoked in so the agency can assertain that fact from any potential client before sending you for the job - thay way if the agency or client fall down then it is not your fault and you have some comeback on any monies you have lost out on - just a thought…
i prewarned every one that should of been aware…
the branch.
the transport divison of the branch-
and i think my agency----not certain there…
i have driven vehicles over the years that have had smoking drivers…
but this 1 truck is by far the worst for normal cig smoke-
i did once have to drive a royal mail truck from gatwick branch that had been driven 3 days prev by a “lovely” not lady agency driver.
now she had been smoking something illegal----and that wreacked…
just think of the worst ever ■■■■ and x by 10…
I sympathise over having to drive a vehicle with a really bad smoke odour but as an agency driver I’m sure you already know that if you tell your agency that you will never drive any vehicle that’s been smoked in you will most likely have plenty of time on your hands for the foreseeable future.
I am a full time agency driver.
take with me a can of oust
but one reguler contract which is 90% of work take smoking in cab seriously and any agency driver caught is given push and regular drivers warned
but if i get a unit reeking of smoke they give me another unit if available no problems.
ps i packed in 4 years ago and even then made sure if that cab was left as i found it i.e no smoking or smoking cab, not smell or smelly lol
cant understand the rant really…i smoke and if my company want to put a driver in my cab who doesnt thats up to them…what i do object to is agency drivers who leave their rubbish in my cab…sandwich wrappers…grease over the bed and the seats…■■■ ash all over the dash board…suzies not put where they belong, number plate left on the trailer they were using, ( we have to drop trailers and park unit seperately) empty fuel tank ( we have to fill up at the end of every shift,) so at the end of the day we all have something to moan about…which is basically what this site is all about and with out something to moan about…then we`re not proper truckers are we. i get ■■■■■■ offf if i have to get in a truck which hasnt been smoked in…same as going into a pub/restaurant where you cant smoke, that gets on my nerves too…thank god for countries who dont apply the ban…although i must admit 2 drivers were sacked on Funstons for smoking in the cab, dont know if they were caught, or were seen and reported by some nosey old git.
