On a couple of threads I have read about drivers having their keys taken from them and sent to a drivers room at distribution centres etc, often for several hours??
Can anyone enlighten me as to what this is about and why you would give anyone the keys of the rig you are responsible for, which no doubt contains your personal stuff inside?
Just purely curiosity… 
Never been asked, but I carry an old set just incase.
Muckaway:
Never been asked, but I carry an old set just incase.
Especially an old set to another truck … did I say that !!
I just give them the keys minus the central locking remote, then go back to the cab, only been “told off” once at a ND site!
Amazon rugeley take your keys and the office nob said we lock your cab so you cant go back to it you have to sit in the “rest room”.
Only said that once never been asked to go back funnily enough lol but amazon hemel have your keys but can sit in your cab.
If anyone has your keys and insists you stay in the drivers room while they lock the truck they are in the wrong, when you do get back to the cab have a mooch about and then back to the office to report that twenty quid note on the dash that is missing… If you follow my meaning. Some places are just trying it on while they leave you sitting in a cess pit.
brados:
If anyone has your keys and insists you stay in the drivers room while they lock the truck they are in the wrong, when you do get back to the cab have a mooch about and then back to the office to report that twenty quid note on the dash that is missing… If you follow my meaning. Some places are just trying it on while they leave you sitting in a cess pit.
What happens when they call plod and check the CCTV?
I’ve only been to one place where they want the keys (and it didn’t last long) but I just gave them the bunch, minus the door/ignition key. Told them I’d left it unlocked and was going to sit there until they were ready, as the waiting area was draughty as hell.
WHY do they take keys off the driver in the first place. 
Is it to prevent you ‘doing a bunk’ when you decide you have waited long enough?
It all sounds a bit too controlling to try to take someone’s keys from them and I am failing to see its true purpose?
I’ve known many DC’s do this. It’s all part of their risk assessments because they have to be seen to be improving the safety and constantly lowering the risk of accidents of every operational procedure. No one will ever dare say “Actually I think this working practice is already as safe as it can possibly be, no need to implement a ridiculous measure just so we are seen to be doing a good job”
That said, I suppose if drivers were allowed to sit in their cab with their own keys it would be likely to accidently slip and somehow start the truck, followed by another slip and accidently knock it into gear, followed by another slip and accidently release the parking brake, then somehow drive away from the loading bay so Mr Forkie nearly topples off the dock leveller!
I’m all for safe working practices, but I think common sense should be acknowledged from time to time.
LIBERTY_GUY:
WHY do they take keys off the driver in the first place.It all sounds a bit too controlling to try to take someone’s keys from them and I am failing to see its true purpose?
Because they think we’ll start the motor up and drive off with the dock plate still in the trailer and their poor fork lift driver will come tumbling out the back to his death. They think we’re all idiots and most drivers also think we’re all idiots and accept this sort of patronising controlling behaviour for their/our own good. Like all the other H&S nonsense and totally over the top regulation we have in this industry, a large percentage of drivers feel a warm sense of security knowing that all of this control is keeping them from being the stumbling, drooling fool that they are and from harming others by actions that they would otherwise be committing if all of the above mentioned control was not put upon them in their daily work.
They take the keys to stop people pulling lorries of bays while the warehouse staff are working in the vehicle.
More than one FLT driver has come close to injury because some idiot pulled off a bay while the light was on red, my only problem with handing keys in is that there are better ways to disable a vehicle than taking the keys, for instance Amazon Swansea goods out make you put an airline lock on the trailer, problem is they still take the keys
Artics at our place must drop the trailer that’s for everyone. Ridges keys go in the box on the wall and are locked
I was asked to do this when I dropped a load at Tesco DC in Antrim In NI. I found the woman on the intercom quite rude too
At our ndc and 2 rdc’s we hand keys in but are free to sit in the cab, it dont bother me that much as we stand chatting near the trucks, we never used to have to till some agency worker drove off wrecking the plate and the poor warehouse lad came flying out the back of a trailer on a ppt
LIBERTY_GUY:
WHY do they take keys off the driver in the first place.It all sounds a bit too controlling to try to take someone’s keys from them and I am failing to see its true purpose?
to stop you driving away while it is being loaded/unloaded,not that any driver would anyway,but the part about doing a bunk could be true as well
Standard British response.
Lowest Common Denominator.
Cos they’ve cheapened the job down to peanut pay standards, and surpisingly enough found some monkeys on the payroll, everyone then has to be assumed to be as thick, useless and as dangerous to life and limb as the dumbest twonk they’ve ever seen.
Its the same in all things, dumbed down to the lowest capability.
Its high time drivers got together, yes unionised themselves properly and started to say NO, you can’t beat these places as individuals but by Christ when you stand together and say NO they’ll take some notice.
RDC’s that treat you like this and herd you into a pig sty waiting room, black the bloody places, collectively say NO WE ARE NOT going there any more.
They could mitigate the issue by offering each driver a swipe card, allowing them access to the proper RDC canteen as used by the sites staff, actually treat visiting drivers with some respect, let them get a proper cup of tea or coffee and some proper food, just normal courtesy.
Whilst drivers meekly carry on being treated like livestock, gratefully doffing their caps to jumped up little hitlers behind the counters in these dumps, they’ll keep dishing this crap out.
For petes sakes lads grow a collective set.
Form a union at your depots, elect sensible shop stewards who are not in the bosses pockets, take the first step to stopping the slide to the bottom before its too late.
vysie:
At our ndc and 2 rdc’s we hand keys in but are free to sit in the cab, it dont bother me that much as we stand chatting near the trucks, we never used to have to till some agency worker drove off wrecking the plate and the poor warehouse lad came flying out the back of a trailer on a ppt
If it was a case of taking the keys off you whilst you staying with the truck, then I could see the reasoning behind it, but forcing you to go in a room for heavens knows how long I don’t? I am presuming these drivers’ rooms don’t generally have comfortable chairs, televisions and tea making facilities?
LIBERTY_GUY:
vysie:
At our ndc and 2 rdc’s we hand keys in but are free to sit in the cab, it dont bother me that much as we stand chatting near the trucks, we never used to have to till some agency worker drove off wrecking the plate and the poor warehouse lad came flying out the back of a trailer on a pptIf it was a case of taking the keys off you whilst you staying with the truck, then I could see the reasoning behind it, but forcing you to go in a room for heavens knows how long I don’t? I am presuming these drivers’ rooms don’t generally have comfortable chairs, televisions and tea making facilities?
I have only ever been in one and ■■■■■ tip describes it nicely, no toilets either.
Most of the RDCs I’ve delivered to follow the handing in of keys practice. Morrisons Bellshill, Iceland Livingston, Asda Falkirk, etc.
At least the more ‘enlightened’ companies are gracious enough to allow the driver to sit in the cab. 