limeyphil:
no bloody wonder this country is on it’s arse.it’s just as well we have the east europeans. at least they have a work ethic.
Indeed. Work for peanuts and run bent, thats the ‘blitz’ spirit the country needs 
Ragnarok:
limeyphil:
no bloody wonder this country is on it’s arse.it’s just as well we have the east europeans. at least they have a work ethic.
Indeed. Work for peanuts and run bent, thats the ‘blitz’ spirit the country needs
i know plenty of east europeans, who earn similar money to me, they don’t run bent. but they don’t look for any excuse to do no work.
bugcos:
Do you think this guy could be id’d off his container number, if he commited an offence?
many years ago when i lived in wales was working on the boxes and had lost my no. plate as i drove up the A14 one day i committed an offence and the photo was eventually sent to my boss via Evergreen who traced the box no, and the date of its movement 
limeyphil:
Ragnarok:
limeyphil:
no bloody wonder this country is on it’s arse.it’s just as well we have the east europeans. at least they have a work ethic.
Indeed. Work for peanuts and run bent, thats the ‘blitz’ spirit the country needs
i know plenty of east europeans, who earn similar money to me, they don’t run bent. but they don’t look for any excuse to do no work.
I just about remember the time when a company would treat an employee with a bit of basic respect, and the employee would also give the boss a bit of respect too. However, at this point in time when many employers treat their staff with arrogant contempt, it is little wonder that an employee will not put themselves out?
As an ex-soldier I know what initiative is and how to apply it, but at the same time I also know what is legal and what isn’t. The new VOSA fines regime that came into play during April, will most likely mean that a number plate offence will now result in a fine as a first resort. The government need money, so each infringement, no matter how trivial is going to cost.
Ragnarok:
I just about remember the time when a company would treat an employee with a bit of basic respect, and the employee would also give the boss a bit of respect too. However, at this point in time when many employers treat their staff with arrogant contempt, it is little wonder that an employee will not put themselves out?
I also remember such a time, it’s just that the golden era of trucking that we warmly refer to in order to win our arguments wouldn’t have been much of a comfort zone for the kind of drivers who refused to drive a truck with a makeshift numberplate.
Said driver would have been laughed out of the yard and would find it hard to get future work in the industry.
Ragnarok:
The new VOSA fines regime that came into play during April, will most likely mean that a number plate offence will now result in a fine as a first resort. The government need money, so each infringement, no matter how trivial is going to cost.
This is complete rubbish. What are you basing your evidence on? VOSA are not driving by the government’s need for money. This is just tabloid-style conspiracy theory, gone a bit mad.
I once worked alongside VOSA, and I have seen the kind of discretion that you talk about applied on a number of occasions. They didn’t know I was a truck driver so there was no attempt at currying favour with the industry by going easy on truckers.
If they fine someone for running with a cardboard number plate, then it is simply a case of an over-zealous Traffic Examiner applying the letter of the law.
To suggest that the government is going to crack down on trivial offences because “they need money” is naïve to say the least.
In my experience, people who see VOSA as the devil incarnate fall into one of two categories.
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They form their opinion on the basis of tittle-tattle and they themselves have never had any dealings with the authorities.
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They have been convicted of a serious offence — far more serious than running with a cardboard number plate.
vosa are mostly interested in catching people who break the rules to a serious degree, not those who make an oversight on driver hours regs.
They don’t want to prosecute anyone for having a cardboard numberplate. They want the dodgy operators/drivers, who couldn’t give a toss about vehicle condition.
if someone was unlucky enough to get an over zealous vosa man, and he wanted to make an issue, then that is up to him to persuade the cps that he has got a case. i think i know what the cps would tell him to do.
every vosa man i’ve come accross has used his own mind, instead of what some of you think. “they are not robots”.
limeyphil:
vosa are mostly interested in catching people who break the rules to a serious degree, not those who make an oversight on driver hours regs.
They don’t want to prosecute anyone for having a cardboard numberplate. They want the dodgy operators/drivers, who couldn’t give a toss about vehicle condition.
if someone was unlucky enough to get an over zealous vosa man, and he wanted to make an issue, then that is up to him to persuade the cps that he has got a case. i think i know what the cps would tell him to do.
every vosa man i’ve come accross has used his own mind, instead of what some of you think. “they are not robots”.
Hang on i think someone has hacked into Phils account here. I’m off to just check !! 
Mike-C:
Hang on i think someone has hacked into Phils account here. I’m off to just check !!
I was just thinking that. I totally agree with him though.
Next he’ll be prasing ol’ Bev. 
I saw a car yesterday with a cardboard numberplate on the back - must be a retired truck driver missing the job…
we had a driver last week who’s headlight bulb was blown… he refused to driver to the dealers in case the other blew as well and made f/liner call out dafaid. 
limeyphil:
Ragnarok:
limeyphil:
no bloody wonder this country is on it’s arse.it’s just as well we have the east europeans. at least they have a work ethic.
Indeed. Work for peanuts and run bent, thats the ‘blitz’ spirit the country needs
i know plenty of east europeans, who earn similar money to me, they don’t run bent. but they don’t look for any excuse to do no work.
For your information i wasn’t looking for an excuse to get out of work as i work hard everyday & take offence to such comments. Just because i won’t drive a truck that isn’t 100% legal does not mean i am lazy!! I was out for longer then i usually am on that day so if i’m lazy i would of just made a cardboard plate & got on with it.
Fair enough call me all the names under the sun because you don’t agree with my decision but don’t ever call me lazy because lazy i am not!!!
& to add to this after about 10 months of asking i finally have spare bulbs, electric lines & red & yellow airlines to replace myself if the need arises. Like i said i would rather do this then wait around for dafaid to come out.
Rant over
tyler4164:
& to add to this after about 10 months of asking i finally have spare bulbs, electric lines & red & yellow airlines to replace myself if the need arises. Like i said i would rather do this then wait around for dafaid to come out.Rant over
Did you get a spare number plate too…?
DAF95XF:
I saw a car yesterday with a cardboard numberplate on the back - must be a retired truck driver missing the job…
HAHAHAHA 
Breaker One-Nine:
tyler4164:
& to add to this after about 10 months of asking i finally have spare bulbs, electric lines & red & yellow airlines to replace myself if the need arises. Like i said i would rather do this then wait around for dafaid to come out.Rant over
Did you get a spare number plate too…?
Not yet but i’m living in hope 
Why oh why oh why did you not get two plates made up when you were getting ONE made up■■?
Would that not have made sense and possibly aleviated this problem occuring in the future…?
switchlogic:
Drivers don’t stick togther and if I’d have to stick togther with a load of ‘I’m not doing that’ jobsworths then I’ll carry on as I am thanks. Also, there is no need to get so uppity, I’m only giving my view.Having always worked for smaller companies (apart from a stint on agency) I’ve become very self reliant, as smaller employers can’t afford drivers who behave like this. You may say they shouldn’t be in business and your getting your way, it’s why UK transport scence if becoming exclusivley big compaines doing bland boring work and the reason I have to go to Ireland to find a fun job!
All I’m saying is drivers need to be a bit flexible. Please don’t respond with another angry rant!
Here here.
Going back to the original post,“Was I Wrong Or Right■■?”,you did what you thought was best and that’s fine.
However,i was taught to use initiative and inginuity to get the job done.
By the letter of the law,you shouldn’t take a lorry out without a number plate but if you do,you’re not causing any danger to yourself or other roadusers,it’s not in the same league as leaving the yard with faulty brakes,dodgy steering or illegal tyres.
I’ve also been in a situation where i had no lights(rear) in the early hours.
Five minutes under the wagon,on the hard shoulder of the M4,with a torch and some foil out of my crib box,meant the job was done on time and my boss didn’t have a hefty callout charge to pay.
There’s plenty of posts on this forum where drivers are moaning about having to adhere to petty rules,regulations and beaurocracy,unyet,‘driving on’ without a headlight or trailer numberplate,seems enough to bring them to a standstill.
I’ve only been driving since 1989 and i know there’s plenty of people with a wealth more driving experience than me,but,i learnt with old school drivers who would always find a way to get the job done or get home.
Breaker One-Nine:
Why oh why oh why did you not get two plates made up when you were getting ONE made up■■?Would that not have made sense and possibly aleviated this problem occuring in the future…?
Because my company rang the shop to pay for the plate & they would only pay for one plate, I know its only cheap but there you go. At the end of the day im working for the money only & this company don’t do me any favours so i wouldn’t spend my own money on their trucks.
well heres a tip.
once you get a new number plate, write your reg on the back of it. then if you lose it, you can use the other side.
ps. tyler.
i’ve just read the bit about spare bulbs and suzies, i won’t refer to as a lazy git in future,
but how about just, “git”?
you shouldn’t need to keep asking for standard bits of kit though. it’s their lorry you’re trying to look after.
Carrying a spare airline (you only need one), a mirror glass, & a couple of adjustables… how much is that going to save in time & call out fees? LOTS! Should be standard practise.
I wonder how many drivers who cry “I can’t/wont change that bulb, its not my job,” would quickly be in the warehouse stripping a pallet down if told, on a Friday afternoon, they couldn’t be tipped otherwise?
Number place depends who i was working for, worked for small Nothern Irish places before, picking the unit and trailer outta Cairnryan 6am, don’t think i’d be popular if i refused to take the truck out till someone came and deliveried a number plate but then again it wouldn’t be an issue because had spare number plate and other spares if something needed fixed on the road.
Other big places worked as an agency driver i maybe not be as willing to to take a truck out the yard with no number plate because in those places you ain’t really doing yourself any favors, you get caught you will be paying the fine and chances are espec if your agency you won’t be allowed back on site because you broke the rules, even if the TM had told you to take it out without a number plate. Rather do as Mike-C says take another unit.
Remember working at a large company full time years ago, used to mostly drive a van from midday to about 4pm doing delivering the leftovers and bulk stuff, used to do a short trunk at 5pm only 70mile round trip in an 18tonner. One night came back noticed it had blown a bulb, so asked about replacing it was told to fill in the defect book, one of the managers took care of fixing stuff like that, so was told to also tell him the next day so it would be fixed by the time i left at 5pm.
Next day told the manager at midday about the bulb offered to replace it, if he could give me a screw driver and spare bulb, was told do not go near the bulb not my job i ain’t trainned, was his job he would replace it. The manager seemed to spend most of his day sitting about drinking coffee with the other managers not a stressfull job. But even so come 5pm when i was ready to go the bulb hadn’t been replace.
I refused to take it out, not so much being a jobsworth more being arsey because the lazy manager hadn’t bothered his backside to replace it. When i said wouldnt be taking it out till it was fixed, he hit the roof, complaining i would be late, told me to just go, i refused. Eventually he threw a screwdriver at me and i changed the bulb