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No, but in my experience Scania main dealers are awful.

Yes tyre threads are one week 10 mm 6 weeks later 12. God knows how much money they siffoned out of us for no reason. But the poor poster is stuck due to the RM.

The occasional overspeed on a hill is not an issue. What is an issue is a truck that overspeeds every step of the journey because the calibration is wrong or the tachograph has been tampered with.

If you get chance take your group to The Isle of Wight Bus Museum free to go in, lots of local interest to see, plenty of parking, we'll look after the coach driver. Open 10 til 3 Thursday and Sunday. Hope to welcoming you soon.

I bear it in mind thank you.

The museum is in Ryde, disabled friendly and welcoming.

The group I believe as a free couple hours on Sunday so I will mention it.

Yes, you need to reply with photographic evidence of your vehicle and the drivers seat showing that it has a lap belt only but on most vehicles built after 1986 they're not legal although some are permitted depending on manufacturing rules at the time but either way definitely appeal it.

Why are drivers so gullible? It sounds to me like your company want you to use the system (which they are entitled to), insurance companies would never insist you follow a sat nav! A set route perhaps but not a sat nav. The fact that half of Wales has road signs instructing you not to follow your sat nav kind of proves that point.

Who is gulliable, but whilst talking guliable if you say it slowly it sounds like your saying oranges.

If you’ve held the licence for 3 years become a trainer.
New trainer £25 ph.
Over 80% pass rate trainer £30ph.
Harder job than you imagine but no nights out. 😂

He shouldn’t walk that many times as you don’t throw the hook. Therefore they are on the right sides.

I’ve never actually tried to hold on to the hook and throw the strap when they are rolled up like this, but gonna give it a try. I usually just unroll them and roll them back up the correct way before throwing them.

I think some people are missing the point here. Yes he answered willingly because he doesn't mind helping however once he found out that the office was purposefully telling people to ring him that's when the situation changed and I'd be the same because they should be dealing with it not panning it off to someone who's supposed to be taking time off. So yeah completly in the right to restart your rest once you realised the office was literally sending calls your way. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm expecting a bit of stick for this, but I'm really confused. So here goes, I'm a new driver, 5 months and today I got an infringement. It stated I took 2 15 min breaks in 6 hours. I can't see anything wrong with this, unless I'd driven more than 4 and a half hours which I hadn't. Any explanation for this please.

Just a quick thought. Although you said you took 2x 15 minutes breaks, what did the tacho say when you started working again? Because I always leave my break to over run by 2 minutes every time. So your tacho display should say you had 17 minutes break rather than 15. The reason being is the tacho doesn't show you seconds on the clock and all the ones I've used have never rounded up to the next minute.
They've always cancelled out the seconds.
So in theory you could be on break for 15 minutes and 30 seconds but if you start working again, the tacho will just say you had 15 minutes. So I change from rest to other work only after 17 minutes or 32 minutes on a split...

Just send her on. 🚛💨💨
Provided that road safety is not jeopardised, in exceptional circumstances, it is permitted to depart from the EU daily and weekly driving time limits and the requirement to start a weekly rest period no later than 6 x 24 hour periods from the end of the previous weekly rest, in order to reach the employer’s operational centre or the driver’s home:
by up to one hour, in order to take either a regular or a reduced weekly rest period, or
by up to 2 hours, in order to take a regular weekly rest period, provided that an uninterrupted break of 30 minutes is taken immediately prior to the additional driving.

Poor planning is not an “exceptional circumstance” though...

He has a farm shop next to his pub now to ease pressure at Diddly Squat. I'd imagine that's a better visit, as they could have a drink. Given its his new project more likely to see him there too.

If you damage their property without consent then they should deduct your wages without consent if you ask me. Your job is to drive without crashing. So either they bill you for the damage or they deduct the amount you get paid for not doing your job properly.

You aren’t being realistic, if you meet another truck on your side of the road and either have a head on or stuff it towards a hedge and damage a mirror why should I be penalised for a spiffing a serious crash?

If there's another truck on your side of the road then I'd say you haven't caused the damage. The truck on the wrong side of the road has.

I have done 3 years on the CX with I’d say 95% work coming from it. Couple of key points I think have made some good contacts plus I think location isn’t to bad as not that many Couriers around me up the valleys compared to those living in the city. Plus everyone’s situation is different rent/mortgage etc my mortgage is £250 the average rent around me is 700-800 so everybody’s outgoings and priorities are different.

Would be nice if drivers would then there would be all on a sensible rate not these micky mouse rates £14-£16hr takes the p**s.

Change the record moan moan moan you should have studied harder at school, it's driving a truck not flying a plane.

We all no rates are sh** it's never going to change theres no money in haulage that's what bosses say riding round in there new posh motors in one way. I'm glad of being out of the industry.

Clouds and silver linings? Drivers wages are dictated predominantly by supply and demand. Less drivers, higher wage rates. Union membership may be useful if you can't take the cheapest option and plead guilty. Mixed and part time driving is becoming a bit of a pain but the money driving out of scope work is not much different. No point taking risks if it isn't necessary! 😉

If an operator wants to take on your limited Co and you are its driver, then by all means do. However, unless specifically included, you would not be covered by the various insurances if things go wrong - and an ‘any driver’ insurance won’t normally cover the veh being driven by another company (you).
The operator also gets in the poo over their O licence.
As above it’s nothing to do with IR35 but the O licence’s as per the Quick Transport case
It’s fronting pure and simple

You can actually phone your main Union offices the number should be on your membership details ask to speak with your local Union officer. These have a lot more knowledge and a lot more weight behind them. As far as the company telling you what rep you can have it’s nothing to do with them they don’t pay your Union dues for you.

Yes there still parking on park lane, however I’d park around natural history museum which is not far away where you want to be.

That was my second choice if I couldn’t get on Park Lane.

There also parking on opposite side. And also next to VA museum.

All good mate cheers.

Generally it's better to leave your midlift or tag axle up when running empty, I love how everyone is just throwing answers in without any explanation.
If you go on an average unit weight of 8 ton and a trailer of 7 ton spread over 5 axles is maybe putting around 2.5 to 3 ton of pressure on the drive axle, if you drop your lift axle down you are effectively only putting half of that weight or pressure on your drive axle so decreasing the grip, the same applies to the more brakes' answers because if you have less weight or pressure on your available braking surfaces then you actually decrease braking efficiency. If you also think logically about your midlift when it's in the up position it's dead weight to help with extra weight bearing on the drive axle, also apply the principle of leverage with a tag axle, if it's up then again it's dead weight but hanging behind the drive axle so using the contact patch of the drive as a fulcrum and the chassis as a lever then it increases the dead...

It’s too simple a picture your painting by saying day rate and divide by the week (however I do get where you are coming from) the real picture is actually what you earn in a year (if you are on a day rate) that takes into account 1. A day rate 2. A night rate 3. Any bonuses etc once you have a rate for the year then you divide it by the hours. At the point you get a real idea of your hourly rate, which if you’re working for a good company, will be a lot higher than NMW.

And you are entitled to your opinion. I respect that, even if it differs from mine. If you have already done a year at a place before you work out what your pay is, it’s a bit late. You could be 10-15k short of what you could have earned elsewhere.

Not late at all. You can use your method in the initial stage (which would be glaring obvious if it was a bad company and they were taking the p**s out of you) as a base line measure. But the true hourly rate is measured when you have a full years salary under your...

Why did the lorry try pulling out in front of a car, knowing full well he was traveling slower than the car? Did you also note that the lorry was only indicating for less than 2 seconds before pulling out? Indicating is for telling people what you want to do, before you do it, not what you are doing.

As an ETM, what do you actually do?
- Make sure trucks are downloaded
- drivers cards downloaded
- input the reason for any missing mileage (though there shouldn’t ever be any)
- make sure trucks/trailers make their PMI’s
- get infringements signed off?
As for charges, charge whatever you want and works for you, if it doesn’t work for the operator, it might encourage him to get the TM CPC or go elsewhere.

Obviously there is more to it than that, but we get the idea

I know I was happy with my pay in 1978, and i'm still happy with my pay in 2024, and i've never been pissed off over my pay. I don't understand why someone feels the need to whinge about a job they chose to do. Why do it, if your going to complain about it?

probably because they have no passion and it's just a job to them and thinking it's a get rich quick way of life if it wasn't for having a license most would be in a warehouse or doing some other sh**ty job 😉😉

Lorry driving is the best job I've ever had in terms of satisfaction, the only reason I quit in the late 90s is the fact I had zero quality in terms of work/family life balance. I could earn as much doing an IT role for 35 hrs a week and the overtime was time and a half on Sat and double on Sun. 22 quid an hour (44 hr x 8 on a Sun literally reading the papers and taking several phone calls throughout the shift) But I had zero passion for the job and it was soul destroying working in an office. First job I'd ever had...

That’s where I used last two visits to Edinburgh, also some stalls not far from drop off point on market street.

What about paying?

Free to drop off and pick up.

I haven't seen it written down. I spoke to a traffic warden who was putting a third ticket on a car in a coach bay and he told me.

Can you remeber what this traffic warden looked like facially and hair.

No the car hadn't been there more than 2 days because I used the coach bay the day before. I can barely remember what my pax look like after 5 days never mind a traffic warden I only saw once, but don't recall a beard.

They should be.

Is the app not working as l can’t log in, keeps on throwing me out?

As most have said, as long as your’e in the yard then no problem- no need for any licence. The company should review it with their insurers and that’s it.
No need for your tacho card as it’s totally outside of the regs.
Presumably the depot TM would have said that and been part of the discussion with the bosses. There are some good/best practises but that’s not what you asked

Too many opinions. Amazed how many drivers have not got a clue and they say cpc is a waste of time. I’m sure if the authorities were to read some of these posts they would double it.

Then it would be twice the waste of time for some drivers as they switch off in the CPC. Maybe the reforms coming in will help.

With some of the questions and more so the answers given maybe they should not treat it as a b*ll ache but listen. It’s obvious some drivers would learn something.

They would, but quite a few just switch off when forced into a class room. They may have had a bad experience at school and they feel trapped back in.

Sorry mate but you’ve been thought how to pass your test only, you don’t have the ability of a person with thirty years experience, all passing your test means is your safe to go on the road and start learning the concept of professional driving. If you want work you will have to start pumping your CV with a supporting letter selling yourself, and bear in mind because you have no experience don’t think your in the same league as a driver who’s been on the road 30 years, don’t sit back and think a job in come walking to you, you have got to do the leg work. One guy who I recently spoke to said he applied for 100 jobs before he got a offer, so expect the fact your new into the industry and don’t set your sights to high to start with.
And I wish you good luck. 👋👋

That’s why I won’t do assessments, waste of time and just allows people to play god with other peoples income. If you pass your test you are judged to be safe on the road. Any new drivers should have an experienced buddy in their first few weeks (companies like Evri have plenty drivers) and learn from experience. Plenty of places don’t require these so called assessments which I believe open people up for abuse, negativity and don’t help either employee or employer! I had a similar experience 3yrs ago when new at DHL by a right muppet who wanted to fail me. He finally managed it when I rolled the daf back literally an inch at the gates on the way in as I wasn’t used to the daf auto change and still had it in neutral. Don’t worry about it mate, most people are fine, just a few trumped up hitlers with power gone to head. I bet they don’t drive perfect!

Just internal strap it as you go, no effort to do as loaded and saves worrying bot sh** and shows you made an effort end day to secure load if your not sure. The back of done just a lt different as one other member showed on here. Common sense and your be fine.

'Common sense' does not always meet minimum requirements. I suggest you read safety of loads on Gov.

Also depends what you’re doing while your out there. Is there driving to/from slopes or around the resort? Or are you parked up for the duration?
Different day rates for different trips.

Ltd is the way forward

Absolutely. When you total the truck, the operators insurers will refuse to pay, the cost them goes to you / your Ltd Co.
But yeah, go for it in ignorance of the reality and risks you’re taking 😀

If you find someone with an o license that you can pay to be on there o license. There still a few owner drivers in the concrete game. Hansons love an owner driver.

In a 24h period, you can either W13/R11 or W15/R9h. If you go over 13h work you’ve automatically reduced your rest for that day. I c**ked up quite a lot like that too until someone explained it like this.

It makes sense like that, and the whole 15/9 I already understood it was just the fact I didn't realize you can only do 3 15 hour shifts. But I guess that's me being silly and getting confused with when I worked with TPN, their shifts were all 15 hour shifts, 5 nights a week. But, the exception was the 3 hour rest rule.

The problem with nights
That's when the diversions start when they close motorways
And the traffic management guys
Don't care about the diverted traffic especially the HGV
So will need something come unstuck a few times myself

Was hurst lane everytime I've been.you pass the coach parking as you turn in its on the left. Drive round to the drop off point then round the car park back to the coach parking. Got entry and a food voucher.

Christmas decorations are great untill you have a rest day and they put your coach on a school run.

Our school runs are OK the kids respect the coaches, we must be in the minority front the stories we hear.

On the invoice you create and send insert a paragraph in bold writing at the bottom and in a highlighted colour stating that this is the only reminder they will be given relating to payment and that any payments not received by the contracted date as agreed by their payment terms will attract and admin fee which covers any court or recovery costs. Straight to small claims no need to wait. If the get shirty block em and proceed with recovery.
No one ever wants a car against them unless they're going down the pan.
Any agreed payment terms implied or otherwise are LEGALLY binding.
You're not someone else's bank. 😎😎

I could train somebody to drive a truck in 1 week. Then they can walk into a job paying the same as myself who has been doing the job 33 years a trainee nurse gets around £13.76. How much training has she done to get to £22 per hour.

A out 35 years of work.

What does a out 35 years of work mean that isn't English.

It was clear from the whole of the sentence a out was meant to be about .

As for your own English, it isn't any great shakes. Let me correct it for you;

What does a out 35 years of work mean? That isn't English.

Guys, I'm driver/planner. We can plan for a 10, in my company we plan generally nothing more than an 8.5 drive. Day work. Every now and then sh** happens, and drivers have to go over that and into the 10th. If we think its tight, we might double man, a decent planning team know to keep hours down. But remember, you can give 2 drivers same routes, stops, weight etc and 1 might do it 2 hours faster. We are all different, and it's not at drivers discretion, its there as part of the hours if needed, hence its called an extension, same as the reduction in rest.

The only exception to what you say is it's not the same as the reduced rest. Any driver can refuse to reduce and no planner/company can tell them that they WILL reduce.

Never ever ask mine, they finish late, they get the 11 regardless of potential start time, unless they tell me they won't an early start.

Perfect, I've only had one tell me and they got told where the short pier was. They never told me again. Wouldn't be so...

what has how many duty hours you did last week got to do with anything?

you refused the challege, so, chill mate 😎let's see what the professor has for us...

how many hours driving can you do in a 24hr period?
A nice easy one to start off with.

Allowing 15 mins before and end of duty to do daily checks and taking minimum breaks required by law and the lorry is loaded to go and you can park up on the dot.
So
15 mins
4.5 hours drive
45 mins break
4.5 hours drive
15 mins other work
9 hour reduced rest
15 mins other work
4.5 hours drive

24 hours up...
Start your break.

So legally, a possible 13.5 hours in a 24 hour period but I wouldn't recommend it.

I started doing reach in 1988 where health and safety had common sense and they allowed reach truck drivers to also operate a counter balance, so I did both until 1994, when I had to do a 1 day refresher, got my driving license in 1996 and got into 7.5 t within 3 mths of that, got my class II in 2006, and tried for my class 1 about 5 year ago. Yet, despite being able to drive my back as proved to be, a no go for employers. Despite all the lifting aids possible these days I am gob smacked that it proves such a hurdle for employers. I am willing to live out of the truck if the money is right, so in this case anywhere is good. I am looking at no less than £17 an hour for days, more for night runs.

Surely if you were on hourly with say 40 contracted hours you'll know the minimum that'll hit your bank every week but some weeks they'd be more!

Where you could but then it would be constantly changing and you would have to budget off the lowest possible amount. Just say for example you have a good couple years loads of ot you hit 50-60 most weeks your wages are now 42k each year you buy a house based on this income then hours drop to 40-45 now your struggling yet can change job but you love the job work mates it suits family life etc. Day rate the money in bank don't change and you still ain't struggling and have your nice house and job that suits. A lot of drivers chase the money I know a few can't settle in a job happy change coz a company pays tenner more. To me life ain't about big money it's about enjoying life going work because I enjoy it with my work mates. Don't get me wrong I still want to be paid well but life ain't about money you need the balance right....

I worked agency for 6 years, better money and was more freedom as could pick and choose the cream and worked when I wanted if needed a day off for anything no problem then, but I was in such demand never out of work for all them years, guaranteed 10hrs day n quite a few jobs got too and they didn't no what's what so went back home to bed and got payed lol.

Likely to be concerns over the new operator as much as being a recently qualified TM
I can’t see why a new tM /owner operator is fine, but a new ETM isn’t. There are more than a few seasoned internal/ETMs going before the PI so experience isn’t a defacto of being competent.
But as they say, if you want to join their club, it’s playing by their rules

Is the disc pending or Lic is pending? As long as it is on VOL, and waiting for disc, then yes.

Doesn't need to be on VOL or pending disc they can utilise the vehicle for up to 28 days without adding to the licence.

Yeah, just thought of that.

Not true even if you haven’t specified on licence you can add within 28 days.

In 2012 i was earning 12 per hour.
But strange enough, the company that i work for now, cut the rates in the last month with £2 per hour. I have seen there advertising.
We are heading to minimum wage?
I’ll gladly go and work on Europe than on minimum wage.