A police officer told me today that any business that employs 5 or more people, and only one of which, is required to drive as part of their duties, must have a company mobile phone policy.
Which should include:
A clear statement that employees should not use a mobile phone, even on hands free, whilst driving.
The rules for professional drivers are different to the public and we are not expected to take or make calls, even hands free, whilst driving. Any calls made or received must only be made whilst stationery and the engine switched off.
As employees we are entitled to ask for a copy of the company policy.
Anyone got experience of this ?
If this is the case then my mobile will be switched off between my last drop and the depot…no …‘can you just swing by and pick up a pallet on your back.’ bollllox
Sorry but I think that policemen is a bit over the top.
Maybe big companies like Maritime, Stobarts, Wincarton etc. got policies like this, just for QM resaons.
I can’t imagine it’s a necessary rule by the goverment for transport buisnesses.
I’ll wait for someone to say I’m wrong but I think he was talking nonsense about not being able to use a phone hands free.
Don’t turn the phone off just yet 
I’m with tachograph on this, written company policies are only in place to achieve some kind of accreditation like FOR’s, ISO, Investors in People and other such things, I think this plod was talking out of his arse and maybe, especially if in London, he has just been on a FOR’s training course and has let fantasy impinge on reality and relished the opportunity to show how much cleverer and knowledgeable he is than you NOT 
Regards
Dave Penn;
Heisenberrg:
A police officer told me today that any business that employs 5 or more people, and only one of which, is required to drive as part of their duties, must have a company mobile phone policy.
Which should include:
A clear statement that employees should not use a mobile phone, even on hands free, whilst driving.
The rules for professional drivers are different to the public and we are not expected to take or make calls, even hands free, whilst driving. Any calls made or received must only be made whilst stationery and the engine switched off.
As employees we are entitled to ask for a copy of the company policy.
Anyone got experience of this ?
If this is the case then my mobile will be switched off between my last drop and the depot…no …‘can you just swing by and pick up a pallet on your back.’ bollllox
Well, the company I was driving for today (and drive for regularly) doesn’t seem to have any such policy. They know I use a hands-free and if I call them on it they answer and don’t tell me not to. So does my agency; I couldn’t get work if I just refused to talk on the phone while driving (if it involves more than just talking I’ll tell them I’ll have to pull over and call them back, but that’s from me, not them).
It does seem to be the bigger companies that have the ‘policies’ and often do so for appearances’ sake or for efficiency rather than safety, though the company I was with today (a metal distributor) has many more than five drivers, let alone employees.
I notice that there are more and more motorists these days that think it’s fine and dandy to pull up onto the hard shoulder of motorways - to answer the bloody phone, having switched their engines off, and not even put their hazards on some times. 
The continuing daft behaviour of the road-using public - seems to be on a “Whack a Mole” basis nowadays.
Heisenberrg:
A police officer told me today that any business that employs 5 or more people, and only one of which, is required to drive as part of their duties, must have a company mobile phone policy.
Which should include:
A clear statement that employees should not use a mobile phone, even on hands free, whilst driving.
The rules for professional drivers are different to the public and we are not expected to take or make calls, even hands free, whilst driving. Any calls made or received must only be made whilst stationery and the engine switched off.
As employees we are entitled to ask for a copy of the company policy.
Anyone got experience of this ?
If this is the case then my mobile will be switched off between my last drop and the depot…no …‘can you just swing by and pick up a pallet on your back.’ bollllox
The benefit of such a policy is so that the non-drivers in the company know that the driver should not be harassed with phone calls at the wheel, and that the driver has a written policy to refer to when he refuses to take calls on the move.
It is not explicitly unlawful to use a hands-free kit whilst driving, but it is a bad practice for a company to make a habit of calling drivers when they are on the move. I never routinely answer the phone on the move - if it rings, I pull over at a suitable place and call them back. It is different if the driver initiates the call, because he is more likely to do so only when appropriate to the traffic conditions and the expected depth of discussion.
I don’t know what enforcement avenues would be available to a police officer in respect of whether an employer has a written mobile phone policy (or whether they abide by it), but if a driver were to have a serious accident caused by the distraction of a call and mentions in response to a police officer’s questions that the employer regularly called him on the move, then woe betide the employer trying to argue that it was not illegal per se.
The copper was talking RDC gossip. They suggest you don’t use a phone at all whilst driving even hands free these days, or if you have to keeping it as short as possible and only necessary calls.
I don’t doubt in time they will make it illegal in the future to use a phone at all while driving after all it will be another easy enforcement option that makes money.
That said a lot of people should not be allowed out on a pedal powered kids go cart let alone a car or anything bigger.
Oh and if the copper wishes to, he can have you for driving without proper control of your vehicle if he wants to be pedantic, for example one hand on the wheel and gesticulating with that other hand or both of the wheel and gesticulating. That’s where you have to be careful as they will find something if they think your not in control of the vehicle.
properly fitted hands free kits are legal, so this copper didnt know what he was talking about…i think blue tooth is the same…correct me if i`m wrong…if the phone rings i ignore it anyway, and stop wherever i can and call them back…company or no company.
truckyboy:
properly fitted hands free kits are legal.
Doesn’t mean that using them is legal.
On the speed awareness course I did we were informed that anything you do behind the wheel if it’s not directly connected to driving, you can be done for especially if you have an accident. That includes eating, drinking, using a hands free etc
Heisenberrg:
A police officer told me today that any business that employs 5 or more people, and only one of which, is required to drive as part of their duties, must have a company mobile phone policy.
Which should include:
A clear statement that employees should not use a mobile phone, even on hands free, whilst driving.
The rules for professional drivers are different to the public and we are not expected to take or make calls, even hands free, whilst driving. Any calls made or received must only be made whilst stationery and the engine switched off.
As employees we are entitled to ask for a copy of the company policy.
Anyone got experience of this ?
If this is the case then my mobile will be switched off between my last drop and the depot…no …‘can you just swing by and pick up a pallet on your back.’ bollllox
I have experience of it, and the police officer was spouting sphericals (assuming we are talking about UK legislation here).