We would be asked to get the deliveries done then get back. That is not night out scenario admittedly but things do happen regardless of the type of work. Work cant always be top priority and that is coming from a recovering workaholic
well I was lucky 1979 my mother said I want to go to isle of white she wadnt well but we all thought she be ok left wales multi dropper newcaslte 1st drop working backwards last drop tipped me in minutes drive phone boss you got to get ilse of white bad news shes going he had car sorted money cloths head me of midlands hovercraft sorted id get straight on got of ferry flat out cop pulls me blue lights to hospital I just made it 25 minutes later gone wat aboss he treated us all the same thank you john berliees rees regards rowly
This sort of thing tends to show what people are really made of. We all at the end of the day have things more important than anything in the world.
Most people, no matter what a ■■■■ that may me day to day, understand that and go the extra mile when it really counts thank god.
If only everyone always conducted themselves with such respect and care all the time… Some do though.
rward:
well I was lucky 1979 my mother said I want to go to isle of white she wadnt well but we all thought she be ok left wales multi dropper newcaslte 1st drop working backwards last drop tipped me in minutes drive phone boss you got to get ilse of white bad news shes going he had car sorted money cloths head me of midlands hovercraft sorted id get straight on got of ferry flat out cop pulls me blue lights to hospital I just made it 25 minutes later gone wat aboss he treated us all the same thank you john berliees rees regards rowly
At the risk of having my head bit off for being heartless. Punctuation would make that MUCH easier to read.
Back on topic.
I couldn’t give a crap what the company would do or say, if I needed to get home urgently for any reason, then that’s where I’m going the quickest way possible.
I’d ring the company and they might or might not have something that they can do, but if they said “just carry on”, then the phone would be hung up and I’d be on my way home, no further discussion required.
BUT, the above is only applicable if there’s actually any reason for me heading home so urgent, something will already be dealt with before you can drive across the country or continent and it’d just be a waste of time.
This happened to me…I was in Sicily doing a delivery last year. A lot of you know my son was suffering with cancer at this stage. I phoned him for a chat on Wednesday as he was in hospital receiving treatment. I got the ferry back to mainland Italy the next morning, when I received a call from his mother in Dublin telling me he’d gone into a coma and was given the last rights. I was en route to Rome at this point.
First thing I did was ring my partner and asked her to get me a flight to Dublin ASAP as my boy wasn’t expected to survive the day.
I then rang my boss at the time who said " You can’t leave the van, the load is valuable!" I told him I’d leave it at a Police station near the airport and that was that. My Son’s welfare was my priority at this stage. Another driver from the firm was not too far away in Italy at the time and came to where I ended up parked near the airport, to babysit the load until another driver could be flown over. (Which I offered to pay for!)
I got back to Dublin at 2340 that night and my Son passed away at 0140 in the morning.
The ■■■■■■■■ that I worked for, threatened not to pay me when I returned from the funeral and told co-workers at the time, that I was lying to avoid doing the rest of the Italian work whilst I was there! So if anything should happen to you guys. (Hopefully not)
I hope your employer is a bit more understanding! 
^^^Sorry to hear about your boy. ■■■■■■■ boss wants a lesson
bigvern1, sorry to hear about your loss.
About ten years ago just before I packed in driving buses I was in Liverpool city centre loading up passengers and had a call I was dreading from my Mrs, my stepson then aged nine had been in hospital as Alder Hey and they had confirmed he had non Hodgkins lymphoma.
My Mrs was in pieces as you can imagine.
I ordered every one off the bus and just gave them the money back and buggered off the depot at top speed, the company where fantastic they wouldn’t let me drive to the hospital and made a standby driver take me.
Keiron was in hospital for a year and needed one of us with him at all times, so between me, his mum and his grandma we did shifts.
Work again came out trumps and practically let me have my own rosta and bent over backwards to accommodate the hours I needed and time off I needed.
Thankfully it all turned out good and he is a strapping 20 year old at uni living life to the full.
I could not fault the company, in fact they have helped me no end, right up to a generous redundancy 3 years ago 
Tipper Tom:
^^^Sorry to hear about your boy. [zb] boss wants a lesson
Knob-jockey lost the contract soon after anyhow. Good! 
I too have had similar experience when my son was taken ill.
Company was excellent in assisting return home with no delays and their follow up was just as good to me.
Sadly my son passed away later but the company allowed me all the time I needed, almost six months,to help care for him and as I was then diagnosed with depression the company kept me on the books on full wages until I was able to return almost a year later.
Sad, Del, thoughts to you .
Likewise.
Thanks Drift
Last year my Mam was seriously ill for months. On a Friday morning I had a phone call from my Dad whilst I was on a bay in Leeds saying that Mam had gone downhill and wasn’t expected to last the day. I phoned the office, and was told to pull off the bay and get my ■■■ back to the yard. I was half way through having my load handballed off, so said I would wait for them to finish and be on my way - with thanks.
Shortly after I got the dreaded call from my wife, that Mam had gone. I had a bit of a weep in the cab, went for a walk around the yard, then phoned the office to say that I would pick up the backload, but I would be over my hours by the time I got back to South Wales. I was given a 15 minute reload 10 minutes off the M1, and told to get back as far as I felt able and however late it was they would either get someone out to me, or just to park up when I was tired and they would sort the wagon out.
I wouldn’t have bothered about the load if the office hadn’t been so eager to let me get home - I would have simply done what I did without the backload - 10:15 driving (no biggie) and a 17:30 shift (don’t care).
If you need to get home - get home however works best.
aye Sarge that phone call is a kick in the guts 
When i was on the distance on a multi drop run (canada 10-20 drops out 8ish home).
Well long story short i was off work for 4mnths after a work accident ,then a month in the yard .
Time came round i was given a new truck and off i went started at 10am ,loaded at noon on my way up to Saskatoon (9hrs away short shift),i was happy happy happy to be back at the wheel THEN at 7pm (1am uk) i got the call from my mum back in UK…my dad was on the way to the hospital he was taken unwell…then 10minutes later …phone rung and i just knew yup my dad died in the ambulance!
so i pulled over phoned my wife and daughter up and told them 
THEN i phoned up my boss and to my amazment he said ok just turn her around and come home dont worry about it take mytime take it back home and someone would bring my car to my house and continue wi my run(i live an hr and a half away from the yard).
I told him i cant do anything and im only a couple o hrs away from the drop ,strange as i never usualy hauled one droppers .
well i arrived at the drop was told to get on the bay ,bypass the other trucks in line,my boss had phoned up and told then what had happened…the dock staff told the drivers in the line up and they all agreed to let my into drop…
unloaded went tae bed and the 9hr run back was the longest i have ever done.
home wife had booked the flights back to uk 13hr drive to airport …phoned boss up before we left and he said see ya when we see ya.
jimmy/…sorry for the lenght o the post.
limeyphil:
If my wife was in labour. She would be ordered to wait.
Sounds like my lot then. When my boss’s brothers wife went in to labour with there first who’s now 18 he radios up says she’s in labour, my boss turns round said she won’t be having it yet shell labour could lasts hours crack on. He finished his shift lol. I don’t hold much hope of getting of when I have any I’m not even bloody family ill be made to do overtime.
Ill add though there’s no tacho machine rule or reg in the world my boss’s rules and regs inc that if something serious happened would stop me getting to wherever I needed to be. If the person I was working for at the time didnt like it his lorry would be left where ever it was locked up keys on chassis and I’d ■■■■■ walk.
Hi guys
I have seen this from both sides.
When I ran a small company, if anyone wanted time off for family matters, I told them to get their ■■■■ home and sort it out, family is FAR more important than the job. And I was their boss. I took the flak from the bigger bosses and would support my team regardless.
If I had “THE” call, then wherever I am, it’s down tools and get back as quick as possible. (I work in Europe for the majority of the time). Regardless. If my current boss doesn’t like it then they are not working for.
Great thread, and Happy New Year everyone.
Paul
bigvern1:
Tipper Tom:
^^^Sorry to hear about your boy. [zb] boss wants a lessonKnob-jockey lost the contract soon after anyhow. Good!
Karma is a ■■■■■ and it stung him.
I had it in November … I work for stobarts tramping out of Daventry …it was a sunday extra shift…im a tramper and I was collecting a load out of dav grocery for tesco livingston scotland…id only just started and was coupling upto the trailer at dav g when cab phone rang it was a ward sister from wallsgrave hospital saying my mum had been rushed in and she wasn’t gona make it through the day …lucky I just took the unit back over the road and went …I done 35 mins work …stobart paid me 10 hrs and a meal allowance …my mum passed away the following afternoon…I asked work what would of happened if I was up Livingston …the answer was …WE WOULD OF GOT YA BACK DOWN THERE AND THEN
^^^
Firstly and most importantly my condolences on the loss of your mother.
Secondly and you won’t hear this often from me. Well done Stobarts
can honestly say this year we have had a battle with our sons school because he as got adhd …I had to have some time off to sort things out and I also had to get back with a days notice to have a meeting with the school governer with a complaint against the head master…we have now got my boy in a specialist adhd school …stobarts and my line manager were brilliant not once did they moan and always said whet ever I needed to sort it out time off wise wouldn’t be a problem …I always showed them letters and emails but after a bit they said no need to show them …and no im not a blue eyed boy who bleeds stobarts lol …there are things that well ■■■■ me off with them …but on the family side of things I cant fault them …I must say though through my OWN EXPIRENCE