Whilst delivering a DCPC course on drivers hours and digi tachos yesterday I was asked a question that virtually made me speechless (which doesn’t happen often)
We had reached the part in the course that covers analogue tachos. At this point I try to judge who knows what in the room and whether we can ‘skip’ through this bit. No point in teaching granny to ■■■■ eggs eh?
So … someone asked a quick question about filling in the start and end dates at the beginning of the shift. I answered with “Don’t fill the end date in until the end of the shift”. At this point a youngish lad at the back said … wait for it …
“Hang on - do I have to use a chart every day? I put one in on Monday and take it out Friday” I was stunned and fell silent just looking at the lad. Everyone in the room turned round to look at him. After what felt like minutes all I could say was “You are kidding aren’t you?”
He had gone rather red and clearly wasn’t kidding. After a few questions it seems the lad left the Army 6 months ago and has worked at this one company since. He has been using 1 chart per week. I asked if anyone had ever said anything after he handed his charts in. Turns out he hasn’t handed any in because another driver told him to wait until he has 28 charts … which he still hasn’t got after just 6 months
His company is on a restricted ops licence - therefore doesn’t need a qualified transport manager and apparently ‘Mary’ in the admin office looks after the tachos
I was going to speak to the boss on Monday to sell my services looking after their tacho’s and compliance - but I don’t want to drop the lad in the ■■■■. So we agreed I would not contact the company and as from Monday he now knows what to do.
Does make me wonder how many other such companies exist out there
On the other end of the scale, a lad i knew did agency for bargain booze, and put a new chart in at every shop he did, handed about 4 discs in at the end of his first day. This was 7 years ago, I dont remind him of it, much
Above post proof again that a “good DCPC” has defiantly added value.
I’m a big fan of well executed driver training and the DCPC could if well executed play an important role in this.
Many other European countries have a much higher level of education for their proffesional drivers than UK.
And above post proof again the nessecity for this.
I think the trouble is that people come into the job blind when i took my CLASS ONE (dont know why its called a ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ now ) the driving school where i worked gave you pointers and such like plus i was doing a apprenticeship before being in and around the job learning how to shunt reverse rope and sheet and so on so i had a better idea of what the job involved and dont get me wrong i was very very lucky to have that under my belt before i went driving , but on the test day they never once asked any questions about tachos the driving instucters said that was down to the driver to learn the laws himself which is fair enough and other drivers would put me right on the ins and out of the law.
This was the mid 90s when the aygency drivers were kicking in big time and some of the things that came out of there mouths was scary, looks like its not changed much.
Ifeel a bit sorry for these new lads with all this HnS rubbish must be a pain glad iam not just starting out
BIG AW
On my very first agency run after passing my Class 2 test, I put the chart in upside down. Of course I knew nothing about this until I pulled the chart at the end of the shift. Embarrassing, yes - but an easy enough mistake to make for a novice. But then I compounded my own error by doing exactly the same thing the next time
Shep!! All that proves is that the “Initial” Dcpc is a great idea,after all,I would like to think that this newbie was as qualified as a “seasoned” driver who is required to have the granddad rights version!
So this ex-soldier has not had a workplace induction! Again we are all lumped in with the uninformed and has an equal qualification as a 20+year veteran driver!
The law should have been applied exclusively for the employers to train their workforce and not this stupid certificate or “professional” competence rubbish!
As things stand the Periodic Dcpc is just a TAX!! Nothing more and defitely not TRAINING!!
I can remember a guy starting at my old firm and coming across to ask me how to hook up a trailer,when i quetioned him further he to was from the army, the royal logistic corps, he said that his sargent had always hooked up his trailer for him as his job was to just driver the tank transporter or what ever it was at the time,so showed him how to do it,felt really sorry for him as it wasn’t his fault,but did make me wonder wot else he didn’t know.
dessy:
So this ex-soldier has not had a workplace induction! Again we are all lumped in with the uninformed and has an equal qualification as a 20+year veteran driver!
The law should have been applied exclusively for the employers to train their workforce and not this stupid certificate or “professional” competence rubbish!
As things stand the Periodic Dcpc is just a TAX!! Nothing more and defitely not TRAINING!!
That’s stretching it a bit Dessy. The guy was doing it wrong, very wrong, and now knows how to do it right. Is that not training? There seem to be plenty of time served, seasoned drivers who are not entirely up to date with current practice and regulations so there plainly is a need for training. If you were to argue that this current format is not fit for purpose I’d agree with you but if it is this or nothing and nothing hasn’t worked…
Why should drivers who do know their ■■■■ have to be dumbed down to the lowest common denominator? i.e the ignorant of the regs! Most who work day in day out or night made the effort to get the knowledge required! Your not allowed to do this with any other group of people in our society!
Tachographs was the one thing that the forces never taught as they were exempt using them. Pointless teaching them to a new recruit as he will have forgotten everything about them by the time he came to use one.
The lad sounds like he has bad admin though as he should have researched tachos when he knew he was going into civvy street.
