Rob K:
A better standard for who exactly ? You ? It isn’t a better standard for me, that’s for sure. To a degree I enjoy “working” in excess of 60hrs per week as much of it isn’t “work”, it’s sitting about chatting with other people and generally having a good time. As I get paid for this time then even more so.
As has been discussed plenty in the past on these forums, as far as I’m concerned it’s a human rights issue and we should NOT be dictated to about how many hours we can and can’t work in a given period - that should be MY choice, not some EU beareaucrat’s.
On the flip side, you show me a company that has increased their wages proportionally to the amount of hours/money their drivers are losing excluding the Trolley companies where you are required to work weekends, nights, days, evenings etc. The fact of the matter is that there aren’t any and I will not be one to lose out.
Meanwhile, I shall continue to leave my mode switch on the box, just as before and carry on as normal.
amen to that Rob
it should be down to personal choice just like any other job. if we want to earn a bit more by working longer, why cant we? there are people in factories doing double shifts, working 16 hours solid with machinery and they earn a fortune. why are we skilled workers forced to be embaressed by what we earn? or dont as the case may be
Simple…when I’m not working I put mine on break.
I’m on break untill someone needs me to shift. I don’t do POA unless I’m being asked to come in and sit in the drivers room for 4 hours waiting for a unit or something like that. I either work, drive or have a rest. End of story.
we cant do that Jo. we dont get paid when the switch is on break. POA is a godsend in that respect but others will see it as a bad thing. its all down to the different sectors and management practices/pay structures again. no wonder truckers wont unite. we are all doing the same job but in different ways with different pressures
So true Scanny.
For me it just means that I could spend hours weekly on figuring all the paperwork out, when in reality it all shows on my tacho anyway. I dunno, perhaps I should ask if they could supply me with a good looking in-cab secretary to do all my paperwork ?!
I’ve never understood what the trick is when getting paid pr. hour. Seems awfully complicated to me. Does that mean you’re not paid when on break or on POA ? If not, I suppose it means they don’t expect you to be responsible for truck and load during that unpaid time ■■?
i checked this today. we do get paid for POA but not breaks. i only switch to break for the 45 minutes necessary then back to crossed hammers. we have to work it as much to our own advantage as possible or we stand to lose quite a bit of money. at the moment, i am looking at working some saturdays too so i can make up some of my losses. i dont trust anyone to watchmy hours so i keep a very strict eye on my own to make sure i stay legal. breaking the rules could end up a lot more costly so i refuse to do it.
if i wanted an easy life, i wouldnt be driving a bloody truck
Lostpup:
I know technically you shouldn’t but if you get back to yard from a run at 3 in the afternoon and you hang around til 5 cleaning your cab out, changing bulbs or washing your truck or daft wee things like that, would you put down 2 hours of PoA or class it as working time?
For me it would be a case of whether I was Required/Expected to do it or whether I Chose to do it.
There is only so much time that can be spent talking to mate/reading/listening to the radio, before the boredom theshold kicks in and I need to start doing something.
A few weeks ago I was so bored I even started reading the Vehicle Handbook. How sad is that.
I know technically you shouldn’t but if you get back to yard from a run at 3 in the afternoon and you hang around til 5 cleaning your cab out, changing bulbs or washing your truck or daft wee things like that, would you put down 2 hours of PoA or class it as working time?
I’m looking for honest answers here guys - not the politically correct, “I would never” answers you often get on here.
my answer would have been different if i had not received my pay statement. i need to keep the working time down any way i can without sacrificing pay. only two ways to do that.
the alternative is a cash in ■■■■■■■■ doing doing non tacho stuff. i dont fancy getting a paper round on saturdays
i have to hang aroung for 2 to 4 hours a couple of days a week always goes on poa…im on agency and get paid for them and it also keeps my average down as scanny says it comes in handy for the odd sat or sun working
A certain crisp manufacturur keep you sat in their canteen for up to 4 hours and try to get you to put it down as a POA, then moan like [zb] because your not following the letter of the law .When you ask how long it’s going to be before you go out, they can’t tell you (if they turn round and have a guess at 3-4 hours, the POA it is. Personally, it’s half the reason I no longer work for them. I don’t wish to be sat for 4 hours a day on working time waiting for a job. I also don’t wish to be bending the rules for them, when they don’t want to hazard a guess and cover your rear .
Sorry, I’ve gone off on one . I’d put it down as working time. VOSA arn’t stupid and I wonder how long it is efore they start making examples of people .
Liberace:
Sorry, I’ve gone off on one . I’d put it down as working time. VOSA arn’t stupid and I wonder how long it is efore they start making examples of people .
but how is the vosa ect going to prove either way that you were not on a poa unless they sit and watch you…i just cant work this bit out esp for people working for multiple agencies
I can just see it, some time in 2006 VOSA pop into a company and say; ‘On the 15th of April 2005, while they were loading/unloading here, did you tell in advance how long the delay was going to be, thus enabling him/her to class it as a POA or is he/she pulling a fast one?’
Coffeeholic:
I can just see it, some time in 2006 VOSA pop into a company and say; ‘On the 15th of April 2005, while they were loading/unloading here, did you tell in advance how long the delay was going to be, thus enabling him/her to class it as a POA or is he/she pulling a fast one?’
Not going to happen is it.
Hmmmm, maybe not, but I still wouldn’t put it past 'em .
Coffeeholic:
I can just see it, some time in 2006 VOSA pop into a company and say; ‘On the 15th of April 2005, while they were loading/unloading here, did you tell in advance how long the delay was going to be, thus enabling him/her to class it as a POA or is he/she pulling a fast one?’
Not going to happen is it.
Hmmmm, maybe not, but I still wouldn’t put it past 'em .
Maybe, but do you really think the company you were delivering to would remember, or even care?
