Last night I broke down on the M40, southbound just before J11 for Banbury. '66 plate DAF and the waterpump blew up. Dashboard lit up like Blackpool lights and said STOP!
To you drivers who pulled over a lane, thank you.
I don’t scare easy but sitting in an artic on a hard shoulder in the dark is not my idea of a fun night out. The recovery lad was fantastic and I never appreciated before what a dangerous situation these lads (and others like them) work in.
I was driving through an agency so my hypothetical question is this. If I ran out of hours, which I did, who is responsible for getting me home? What if the company didn’t give a toss and send someone out to get me? I am ■■■■ sure the typical agency wouldn’t raise a finger. Mine made a couple of phone calls but that was about it. Just interested in people’s opinions of likely outcome.
I’m lucky enough to have never driven under the stupid rules you’ve got over there, but I just think I’d be saying ■■■■ happens. You are where you are. There’s no Scotty to beam you up.
Remove card do print out & write on that the problem of breakdown keep a diary so would put in there to cover myself
Have broke down a couple times & needed recovery mainly in the daytime so not so bad but still some on single carriageway ( piston blew out on A1 across the border had police there to warn other drivers )
The agency made a couple of phone calls, sounds about right, only goes to prove what you are really worth to them.
However, the client company in this instance was your temporary employer, and they come out of this as even worse than the poxy agency, as they had a duty of care which they betrayed, though that’s hardly surprising…was the client one of the usual suspect logistics mobs?
Likely outcome…my guess ‘‘we can’t pay you beyond the normal 15 hour maximum working day’’ ‘‘expenses for train/taxi/bus/B&B no that doesn’t feature on our debrief sheet’’.
As Animal above, print out and explanation and you won’t have any bother with the DVSA VOSA, whatever they are called this week, who in my experience are understanding fair and reasonable when things go genuinely wrong out of your control.
If it was a sleeper cab, as long as you’ve been towed to a suitable place the company you were working for or the agency however it gets paid, would surely at least sort you night out money? If a day cab as long as you keep receipts for taxi’s or train fares they should refund you as ultimately it was an unforeseen expense you’ve had while working for them?
Way I see it if.you did your daily check was no warning lights on dash then it’s the company’s problem.
I agree once get to 15 hours remove card do print out.
If your recovered back to there yard problem solved . Make clear you want paying until you got back to the yard.
If recovered to a garage then company needs make arrangements ie accomadation. Or somone to.collect you take you back to base.
Again you want paying untilll you actually finish.
Ring agency keep.them informed. Personally it’s not the agency’s fault you broke down they don’t own the truck. It keep.them.informed.
And hope you got sorted out ok.
If agency / company were ever to tell me you won’t be paid after 15 hours my response would be fine. 15 hours is up wagon can stay where it is im.going home leave the wagon unattended
To be fair - the company did send 2 drivers out but I was just thinking what would happen if… etc etc
Having said that, company in Andover and truck in Warwick so it took hours and hours. By the time I got back to my car I had done 18.75 hours and was worn out
I did a print out like suggested, I have an interview for a ‘proper job’ on the 1st Feb though and they have already said that they want to download my card. That will be interesting…
RB84:
If it was a sleeper cab, as long as you’ve been towed to a suitable place the company you were working for or the agency however it gets paid, would surely at least sort you night out money? If a day cab as long as you keep receipts for taxi’s or train fares they should refund you as ultimately it was an unforeseen expense you’ve had while working for them?
Taking that as a start point:.
So long as you have a sleeper cab with a night heater, you are normally OK. An unexpected night out when you havent packed a clean pair of socks, is down to you and lack of planning, Id suggest. Been there, done that.
If the vehicle is on a hard shoulder however, or in a workshop then that would mean it isnt a safe place to sleep. When it arrives at the workshop, distant from base, you wont be sleeping in it.
Going home or staying in an hotel is a pragmatic choice dependent on time to make repairs distance etc. AND what YOU want to do.
Dont hire a car to drive home if youre stressed out and exhausted.
The company youre working for should IMHO pay ordinarily an agreed night out allowance. That would be dependent on having a sleeper cab normally. If you go into an hotel, and that bill is more than your night out money, the difference should be made up on production of receipts. Night out money isnt to make a profit (although we often treat it so) but an allowance to make expenses easier to administer. Equally you shouldnt loose out because of a breakdown. Truck not going home soon? The company should pay your time and expenses to return to base. They want you to wait for a lift rather than pay for a Lear Jet? Fine, but they should pay for your waiting time. You shouldnt loose any money, nor turn a profit from this incident.
Hope you`re fed and watered, rested, home, and safe now!
I doubt if much has changed since I was on both late and night shifts in main dealers’ workshops. Back then if a vehicle was towed in it was assessed whether it would be possible to get it going again in a few hours or not. Much of this time was naturally consumed with making sure that someone was going to pay for the work needed. This and physical space dictated whether it came inside or stayed in the yard. After pointing him to the mess room and coffee machine, more frequently than not the driver would be taken up to the chippy or the pub and the vehicle left outside for him to sleep in. If necessary he would be advanced cash and taken to the station at a suitable time or run up to the services the next morning in one of the parts delivery vans.
The only occasion I recall which differed was once when the conversation with his company, the failure to get a financial guarantee from his local dealer and a tip off from the recovery operator, made clear that there was going to be a dispute over payment. A pit was very soon cleared and the vehicle backed straight in, the shutter came down and a vehicle was parked outside blocking the shutter.
sheet’’.