ooook i have been known to help out in the garage or cobble something together to get a vehicle goinng or back to the yard or dealer 
the kaiser:
Makes no odds what it is, if itâs fitted, it must be in good working order.
Where do you draw the line with that though?
For a days money,i wouldnt refuse a truck cos it smelled of smoke, or indeed if the indicator stalk was broken, so long as it worked, that in my opinion would not make the vehicle unroadworthy, obviously do the walk round checks, and make sure the vehicle was legal to be driven on the road first, Brakes, Tyres, Lights, bits hanging off the outside at least report the faults before leaving the yard, and gain a days money in the process. At the end of the day, its a drivers choice whether to drive it or not, whether he wants food in the cupboard and the rent paid, but he does not have to break the law, i would ask the agency for part of a days wages at least in your predicament.
truckyboy:
For a days money,i wouldnt refuse a truck cos it smelled of smoke,
As a vehement non smoker, I disagree. Itâs my health at the end of the day. And correct me if Iâm wrong, isnât illegal to smoke in a vehicle, especially one where there are multi users?
Ken.
with you truckyboy money is why people go to work⌠op said he did 70 mile round trip now that aint on in my book as i said earlier should have just played at it for a while outside workshopâŚ
which firm is this somebody give us a clue ? ?
1asp:
which firm is this somebody give us a clue ? ?
the firm that Gonzo works for
the kaiser:
Makes no odds what it is, if itâs fitted, it must be in good working order.
do you include the radio in that?
or the night heater?
what about the electric sunroof (if fitted)?
if you refused to drive a vehicle with any of those listed, you certainly donât deserve to be paid
admittedly, an indicator stalk missing (if indeed it was an indicator stalk) is a different matter
I see you have edited your op. you have removed the âclueâ to the company,you now say it was a broken stalk ( no mention of indicators ), and you have removed the part about the gearstick held together with duct tape.
I only ask because as everyone on here knows,each persons opinion of what is a âshedâ differs, some happy to drive a tired old motor,and to some it is a âshedâ if there is no microwave !!!
I was amazed to hear that any company would ask a driver to use a motor with no indicators on todays roads.
You mention âbits and pieces hanging offâ,can I ask what these bits were?
Please dont think I am judging ( I am " old school " with nearly 50 years in the job ),but I am just trying to get a picture of the state of this motor
And no I would not drive a motor that was either illegal or unsafe !!!..dont mind a bit of smoke though,if you didnt smoke in my day you didnt get a start!!!
RegardsâŚJohn
old 67:
I see you have edited your op. you have removed the âclueâ to the company,you now say it was a broken stalk ( no mention of indicators ), and you have removed the part about the gearstick held together with duct tape.
I only ask because as everyone on here knows,each persons opinion of what is a âshedâ differs, some happy to drive a tired old motor,and to some it is a âshedâ if there is no microwave !!!
I was amazed to hear that any company would ask a driver to use a motor with no indicators on todays roads.
You mention âbits and pieces hanging offâ,can I ask what these bits were?
Please dont think I am judging ( I am " old school " with nearly 50 years in the job ),but I am just trying to get a picture of the state of this motor
And no I would not drive a motor that was either illegal or unsafe !!!..dont mind a bit of smoke though,if you didnt smoke in my day you didnt get a start!!!
RegardsâŚJohn
I removed a few things because as you said some peopleâs idea of a shed is different to others, plus I donât think letting everyone know the company was the best idea as people who work there seem to of took offence at my opinion. Yes I am a newbie and Iâve still got a lot to learn, but If I think something isnât up to scratch in my eyes weather people disagree with me or not then I will not use it. The first factor that made me not want to use it was the state of the cab, it was filthy, gave of a horrible smell and looked like it had just been used and abused and no one really give a â â â â . The second was the stalk that was unfunctionable, weather it was engine brake, wipers, indicators and so on it was still something that I found needed to be in working order for it to be road usable, how do I explain to a VOSA officer that âit was like that when I left the yardâ I canât see them taking a liking to that, nor would I lie either. The duct tape all round the gear gator etc was something else that made me query weather to use it or not, then the transport fella rushing me to just âget on with the jobâ made my decision on what I should do, if peopleâs opinions is that I was in the wrong then fair enough, but I done what I thought was right for myself.
Are the Agency going to pay you for your shift??
You are entitled to be paid; you were booked, you turned up for work - therefore you are entitled to a minimum payment - I would say 8 hours at least. Its not your fault the vehicle you were given was sub-standard and unroadworthy. The company should have given you another unit to use.
I would demand payment.
And you stick to it as weâll! 
the more drivers that do it 
theyâll have to think again! 
BRATZ! 
I wonât be expecting any pay off them, as I havenât done the job I went to do, I wouldnât mind but it wasnât like I couldnât be assed to do the job, I travelled 35 miles there and 35 miles back, just for the sake of getting some more hours under my belt, I actually enjoy going out on the road but Iâm not prepared to â â â â ÂŁ2000 down the drain that I paid for my licence just to keep everybody happy
Herongate:
Are the Agency going to pay you for your shift??You are entitled to be paid; you were booked, you turned up for work - therefore you are entitled to a minimum payment - I would say 8 hours at least. Its not your fault the vehicle you were given was sub-standard and unroadworthy. The company should have given you another unit to use.
I would demand payment.
But surely it depends on whether the vehicle WAS unroadworthy? If it was an engine brake stalk and not an indicator, then whilst it needs attention it doesnât make it unroadworthy. OK there was duct tape round the gator, again, it needs attention but would a company send a vehicle out on the road knowing the gearbox was knackered? Roadside repair or recovery would far outweigh anything they delivered on your run. That kind of leaves the smellâŚnot the greatest reason to turn a shift down!
I donât know the company, nor the facts but playing devils advocate can put a different light on things 
god when i started we never had gators remember all the rags wrapped around gearstick an catching fire on the bloody manifold âŚ
Thanks for your reply KEVWALL, I really do feel for you new lads.No âRose tinted glassesâ from me.
Its great we now have good tackle to work with,but the job itself seems to be a lot less appealing
The one good thing about driving a lorry was you had a bit of freedom,reading the posts on here,its like a factory production line,only on wheels.
I sincerely wish you the best for the future,and hope you dont come up against any more " difficult decisions ".
Regards John
old 67:
Thanks for your reply KEVWALL, I really do feel for you new lads.No âRose tinted glassesâ from me.
Its great we now have good tackle to work with,but the job itself seems to be a lot less appealing
The one good thing about driving a lorry was you had a bit of freedom,reading the posts on here,its like a factory production line,only on wheels.
I sincerely wish you the best for the future,and hope you dont come up against any more " difficult decisions ".
Regards John
Itâs all part of the learning I guess, Iâm hoping its the first and last time it happens, someone else might well of just said sod it and taken it, each to there own but I donât fancy starting my driving career with bad habits, as they will only get worse!
Kevwall:
The first factor that made me not want to use it was the state of the cab, it was filthy, gave of a horrible smell and looked like it had just been used and abused and no one really give a [zb]. The second was the stalk that was unfunctionable, weather it was engine brake, wipers, indicators and so on it was still something that I found needed to be in working order for it to be road usable, how do I explain to a VOSA officer that âit was like that when I left the yardâ I canât see them taking a liking to that, nor would I lie either. The duct tape all round the gear gator
Which was it then, the indicator, wiper, or exhaust brake?
If it was one of the first 2 then, yes I agree with you, the latter then no.
Something not smelling right to me, and not just the inside of the cab, your story seems to be changing a bit, especially now an employee of the said company has questioned you 
waiting for the inevitable reply from the aforementioned driver with interest
My âstoryâ hasnât changed, I came on to ask advice and that was that. Like I said the indicator stork was broken off, but weather it had of been exhaust , indicator or wiper wouldnât of made a difference in what action I would of took, so if you think taking it out the road with a broken exhaust brake stork or wiper stork is fine then thatâs your decision, my decision was that I personally didnât think it was worth the risk taking it out and thatâs upto myself and my own judgment , weather it be different to anyone elseâs or not, I couldnât care