Declared myself unfit to drive after catching a cold over the weekend. Informed agency this morning about it. They started panicking about getting a replacement driver to cover for me on my regular assignment (four nights out per week).
This is the latest part of a chain of events that’s happened over the last week. First of all, on last Tuesday, whilst changing over a COSHH bin at West Hampstead Overground station in London, one of the already full bins started to gush paint quite badly all over the street outside. Deployed my spill kit to contain the spill, but the big wigs for contractor working on the station (Buckingham Group) started to threaten me and my company with the Environment Agency, etc. Luckily, the paint didn’t go down any drains and into any watercourses.
On the following Thursday, the clutch went on my wagon on the A14 near Huntingdon and had to be dragged to a Scania dealer in Ely. They mentioned that they could not start work on it until the following Monday, so the agency decided for me to abandon the truck travel back to base by train and taxi (claiming fares back the following week).
Then last night, I caught a cold which knocked me out for six this morning. Still feeling crap this afternoon.
Are any of you drivers still work, even though you are feeling under the weather?
Garbo2018:
Declared myself unfit to drive after catching a cold over the weekend. Informed agency this morning about it. They started panicking about getting a replacement driver to cover for me on my regular assignment (four nights out per week).
This is the latest part of a chain of events that’s happened over the last week. First of all, on last Tuesday, whilst changing over a COSHH bin at West Hampstead Overground station in London, one of the already full bins started to gush paint quite badly all over the street outside. Deployed my spill kit to contain the spill, but the big wigs for contractor working on the station (Buckingham Group) started to threaten me and my company with the Environment Agency, etc. Luckily, the paint didn’t go down any drains and into any watercourses.
On the following Thursday, the clutch went on my wagon on the A14 near Huntingdon and had to be dragged to a Scania dealer in Ely. They mentioned that they could not start work on it until the following Monday, so the agency decided for me to abandon the truck travel back to base by train and taxi (claiming fares back the following week).
Then last night, I caught a cold which knocked me out for six this morning. Still feeling crap this afternoon.
Are any of you drivers still work, even though you are feeling under the weather?
Question of degree isn’t it?
A few sniffles, then crack-on.
Serious sneezing fits, running eyes meaning you can’t see properly, and so out of energy you can hardly stay awake, let alone alert, clearly no driving.
In between is negotiable.
Location matters too: if you go down with summat Monday morn at home, it’s different than taking bad on Thurs eve 9 hours drive from your own bed on the route back.
Last year I come down with, what turned out to be tonsillitis & felt guilty for having mon-wed off the following week. Think I’d be sacked if I rung off with a cold, not got the most sympathetic boss though! He sacked one driver last year who called in saying he was unavailable to work because of grief… his cat got hit by a car & had to be put down.
Juddian:
It’s probably best if the old school don’t comment on this.
I think it might be best if anyone over 30 doesn’t either regardless of whether they’ve driven for years.
But since its Monday and I feel under 30 for once, I doubt you’ll get very far with a proper job taking days off for a cold. Only had 6 days off in last 25 years and plenty of colds in that although crossing fingers no real doses of flu.
If its flu then you’ll know as you won’t be able to get out of bed physically so if you can do that then go earn a crust and keep your work ethic rep.
Lemsip calsules work well although be careful how many you take (contain paracetamol) and be very careful with other cold meds. Drink works even better along with Vicks and tissues.
Together we can hop along - you with a runny nose and feeling crap (I do have sympathy with anyone there), and me with a knee thats decided 30 years after injury now is a good time to packup (thank god for autos).
Oh I ain’t double manning as I don’t want your stinking cold!
Ps: wait for old school to come along and describe how they did 3 days from Barnsley to Aberdeen in the middle of 1969 Winter with a leg going brown from frostbite and didnt even take a paracetamol.
You need a dose of self employment. That’ll keep ya working.
Oh and Sudafed. Can only get a bottle at a time so get round all the local chemists and get the stock in, a bottle in a day normally kills all known germs dead so I’ve been told.
DadsRetired:
You need a dose of self employment. That’ll keep ya working.
Oh and Sudafed. Can only get a bottle at a time so get round all the local chemists and get the stock in, a bottle in a day normally kills all known germs dead so I’ve been told.
All those saying he needs a dose of self employment… As he’s an agency driver I’d be utterly amazed if he is getting anything other than SSP. Which a self employed driver, who is employed by their ltd company could also claim…
Either way - what’s it got to do with any of you? If he doesn’t feel fit to work then he is entitled as a grown adult to make his own mind up.
I sacked off some work after feeling it was making me unsafe once. Long shifts. Constant pressure on nights. I ended up falling asleep for a very short amount of time whilst driving. Many of the internet hero’s on here would say I binned it because I was a bit tired. But I personally made the call as it wasn’t safe in my opinion. Perhaps he has done the same…
