Been working for a firm for two weeks driving utility vehicles up to 28 tonnes. Big attraction being they are tacho exempt due to type of work they do. Been driving relatively tidy 56 and 58 plate vehicles which were a bit ropey, but tidy. Today they asked me to take out a V reg tanker. When I got to it, there were big rust holes in the side lockers, the rear locker had its door missing off it and a hole in its floor where the rust had eaten away at it and many of the outside fittings were well rusty too. Got in the cab and both window winders had been bodge repaired with bolts and garden hose, the gear lever gaiter was missing, half the instrument lights weren’t working, neither was the rev counter, it was at this stage I stopped looking and decided there was no way I was taking that heap of junk out on the road, as VOSA would have a field day. Didn’t even enter into dialogue with the company, just got into my car and left.
Just surprised in this day and age that hauliers have such questionable vehicles they are expecting others to drive. There is no shortage of driving jobs, but I only have one license.
vehicle has no electric windows, driver walks off the job.
The virtually bald front tyres, the multitude of oil leaks everywhere and external fittings held on by bits of wire made me think it was one of the many scrap trucks that litter the yard. I put the key in the ignition expecting there to be no engine in it and all the other drivers to suddenly emerge with big grins on their faces.
I don’t particularly want trucks with things like cruise control, electric windows, auto boxes or electronic dash boards, but by the same token I don’t want to drive something that really shouldn’t be on the road either. My license - my choice.
vehicle has no electric windows, driver walks off the job.
The virtually bald front tyres, the multitude of oil leaks everywhere and external fittings held on by bits of wire made me think it was one of the many scrap trucks that litter the yard. I put the key in the ignition expecting there to be no engine in it and all the other drivers to suddenly emerge with big grins on their faces.
I don’t particularly want trucks with things like cruise control, electric windows, auto boxes or electronic dash boards, but by the same token I don’t want to drive something that really shouldn’t be on the road either. My license - my choice.
I don’t blame you tbh mate. I would have walked out as well. So many cowboys out there. I started for a dairy in wrexham in April. I lasted two weeks due to their vehicles bein abysmal. They gave me an R reg 26 tonne rigid that was due for scrap. I used it, came back and the tacho had stopped working. TM says ‘just see how it goes with the tacho from now on’…erm no.
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
You are correct. I’ve been in that position before. What you should do if you don’t get any joy after talking to the transport office is ring the agency, tell them, give them chance to call the client and then leave if the client doesn’t offer you a legal half reasonable vehicle or the agency tell you to.
Do what he did and just walk off the job without phoning the agency and you’re likely to find the agency not ringing you much. The last guy I worked for you’d just find your P45 arriving in the post with your wage slip.
His experience isn’t common. Since doing agency for over 20 years I’ve only had to phone the agency because of the quality of vehicle maybe 2/3 times. Recently I did work at a parcel network where the night trunk wagons were piles of crap but they were legal, just tatty and absolutely filthy inside.
During my thankfully short stints of agency, and please God never again, the few times i’ve been given sub standard vehicles nine times out of ten they just needed a bit of TLC (bulbs water oil, bit of general sorting), clean window mirrors inside and out) and a general clean up to make them useable, most yards have got some sort of vehicle washing facilities.
Hourly paid so no problem to me if it takes 2 hours before the vehicle is up to standard.
Just because a chimp has been using it in such condition doesn’t mean you have to come down to their level.
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
The main thing is to to make sure you comply with the requirements of vosa, adr etc.
Once the vehicle is out on the public highway its the driver who is responsible for the road condition of the vehicle.
Good companies will enforce daily/weekly checks are carrying out.
I have been banned from a site when on agency cos I would not drive a wagon & Drag, told the T/M hadn’t had any training on wagon & drag and the drops required me to drop the drag!! Agency stood by me don’t know if it would happen now.
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
The main thing is to to make sure you comply with the requirements of vosa, adr etc.
Once the vehicle is out on the public highway its the driver who is responsible for the road condition of the vehicle.
Good companies will enforce daily/weekly checks are carrying out.
I have been banned from a site when on agency cos I would not drive a wagon & Drag, told the T/M hadn’t had any training on wagon & drag and the drops required me to drop the drag!! Agency stood by me don’t know if it would happen now.
What sort of firm " bans a driver from their site " when his agency has supplied a driver who was obviously not suitable (through no fault of his own) for the job in hand ? The firms gripe is surely with the agency and not you ? I don’t know about your agency " standing by you ", it sounds to me like they put you in a bad situation in the first place, by not ensuring they found out the customers exact requirements.
Regards. John.
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
Nope this was direct employment rather than agency. If it was agency I still wouldn’t have taken it out on the road as it wasn’t just a question of it being untidy, but being in a thoroughly unroadworthy condition. If VOSA find enough faults on a vehicle you can find yourself referred to the traffic commissioner as well as getting points on your license and some hefty fines. Just remember it is your license that is put on the line, not the employers or the agencies. No license means no job anywhere.
If people want to drive rogue trucks for questionable operators that is their choice, but I’d rather stay legal and stay safe.
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
The main thing is to to make sure you comply with the requirements of vosa, adr etc.
Once the vehicle is out on the public highway its the driver who is responsible for the road condition of the vehicle.
Good companies will enforce daily/weekly checks are carrying out.
I have been banned from a site when on agency cos I would not drive a wagon & Drag, told the T/M hadn’t had any training on wagon & drag and the drops required me to drop the drag!! Agency stood by me don’t know if it would happen now.
What sort of firm " bans a driver from their site " when his agency has supplied a driver who was obviously not suitable (through no fault of his own) for the job in hand ? The firms gripe is surely with the agency and not you ? I don’t know about your agency " standing by you ", it sounds to me like they put you in a bad situation in the first place, by not ensuring they found out the customers exact requirements.
Regards. John.
Hi John,
The agreement was on Class 2 all week local to home, was new to the industry at the time so didn’t ask a lot of questions on Monday then on Friday was told to remember to connect the drag Informed T/M that I have Class ! but all my training and work had been on tractor units & trailers, at which point he started ranting about class 1 being class 1 so and so…
So when I informed the agency asap they were adamant that they had been told it was class 2 only work all work, I think cause they took a copy of my licence on Monday, they thought heck lets have him on wagon & drag.
Hi Hank. The T.M. is a total [zb] . Any decent one would have thanked you for your honesty about your experience and for the fact you didn’t try to bluff your way through. You should have told him don’t bother to ban me, I’ve just banned myself.
Regards John.
Evil8Beezle:
LIBERTY_GUY (And others) as a newbie, may I ask a question?
I’m going to make the assumption this is agency work, so would like to know how what happens next with regard to speaking to the agency?
My assumption would be that the agency wouldn’t be best pleased with the driver, as they have just let the client down. But on the other hand, the agency has to accept it’s the driver’s licence and safety at stake. So I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences…
Hopefully I’ll never find myself in that position, but then again as a newbie, I don’t really know how common LIBERTY_GUY’S experience today is…
Nope this was direct employment rather than agency. If it was agency I still wouldn’t have taken it out on the road as it wasn’t just a question of it being untidy, but being in a thoroughly unroadworthy condition. If VOSA find enough faults on a vehicle you can find yourself referred to the traffic commissioner as well as getting points on your license and some hefty fines. Just remember it is your license that is put on the line, not the employers or the agencies. No license means no job anywhere.
If people want to drive rogue trucks for questionable operators that is their choice, but I’d rather stay legal and stay safe.
Couldn’t agree more a lot of blood sweat and tears went in to getting my licence, ain’t gonna lose for some rogue operator, got dodgy haulage firms on my doorstep I would never dream of driving for. sooner driver 20 miles up the M1 and work for someone who’s legal.
LIBERTY_GUY:
Been working for a firm for two weeks driving utility vehicles up to 28 tonnes. Big attraction being they are tacho exempt due to type of work they do. Been driving relatively tidy 56 and 58 plate vehicles which were a bit ropey, but tidy. Today they asked me to take out a V reg tanker. When I got to it, there were big rust holes in the side lockers, the rear locker had its door missing off it and a hole in its floor where the rust had eaten away at it and many of the outside fittings were well rusty too. Got in the cab and both window winders had been bodge repaired with bolts and garden hose, the gear lever gaiter was missing, half the instrument lights weren’t working, neither was the rev counter, it was at this stage I stopped looking and decided there was no way I was taking that heap of junk out on the road, as VOSA would have a field day. Didn’t even enter into dialogue with the company, just got into my car and left.
Just surprised in this day and age that hauliers have such questionable vehicles they are expecting others to drive. There is no shortage of driving jobs, but I only have one license.
so in full time employment at a company you wanted to work for, decide to just walk out? maybe just going in saying sorry not taking it out what else is there? unless the company are totally ■■■■ in the first place?
It is something that concerns me, as trying to stand up for yourself (your licence & safety) is something I’d dread having to do as a newbie. i.e The person you’re going to end up talking to, knows more than you, and may try to bamboozle you with all sorts of technical flannel. And as a newbie you just want to work, you really don’t want to be labelled as a trouble maker, just a conscientious driver, but the result for both could be blacklisting by the company and the agency. Hopefully I’ll never be in that situation, as I’m quite capable of a bit of spit and polish, bulb changing, and giving things a bit of gentle persuasion when needed. Now where did I put that 14lb’er…
