For your 2nd week driving you did we’ll to get as far as you did tbh,As for office chimps their map is a different scale to a proper drivers map,If the office say you should be further on than where you finished then its tough your in charge not them and as already said your license and card you have paid for it.
Stuff takes as long as it takes we don’t get paid anymore for running round all day just to do “what the planners say is possible” 9 times out of 10 they know its impossible aswell they are moaning to justify their own self importance.
Just ignore them…and carry on doing ya thang.
In fact…stop at Hastings next time.
Over excitable planning boys,need pointing in the right direction.
As I recall the road to Hastings hasn’t improved much since the days of Harold and William having their Battle round there.
You can only progress as far as all the different circumstances permit. Traffic, weather, delivery points and anything else you can think of.
As a driver with a few years experience I had a night out running from Fakenham to Dartford and back, got a far as Brandon and had to park up.
Don’t let the planners dictate what you can do in a given time, you do what you can and that’s it.
Good luck in your career.
toby1234abc:
I know what happened, your planning muppet lied to his customer, promising a miracle that couldn’t be done so now turns it around to blame you .
Stop when you want .You have the keys in charge of the wagon .
Drivers welfare is more important than some pallets with useless tat from Taiwan.
Shower,decent food, secure parking is the order of the day.
The big boss won’t worry if you are in a urine soaked layby with a hedge for number two,s .
2 weeks in and this is my favourite reply of the year so far. Truck driving in a nutshell. The REALY thick traffic planners work the times out using Google or similar, being too thick to know it’s based on 70mph and agg you for not being further than you are. Every day is a challenge by the challenged.
Politely enquire where they thought you’d be and ask why. But don’t let them BS you. Firm but fair is always the order of the day 
The-Snowman:
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Sorry Rob, wasnt meaning you.
Your advice was constructive in a firm but fair sense.
I was meaning the usual “id have pulled him over the desk and told him to stick his job” merchants who’d in reality give it “yes sir, no sir, sorry sir” in the bosses office.
Sorry for the confusion if you thought I was having a pop at you
Nah you’re ok mate. 
Anyway if I thought you were I would have had you pulled over your desk by now. 
yourhavingalarf:
First of all…Don’t stress it.
Little Billybullsetters in traffic offices are exactly that. They’re usually first out of the taxi and last to the bar kind of people, in short, tossers.
Ask him where you were supposed to be. If you’ve run straight and done all you can then, that’s all you can do. This is a pressure tactic to ensure you slog yer backside off for them every single second of the day. Don’t fall for it. If your cards are clean and you’ve observed the rules then they can go bollox mate and tell 'em they can go bollox too.Do NOT be afraid to speak your mind, being meak and subservient will only get you more work and more pretend bollockings.
You haven’t been doing this long have you.
This ^^^^^ is nail on head time. Spot on advice and soooo true.
When you get back to the depot, ask him " If you think your comment was justified, please explain"… usually works as they normally can’t…
tell him u sent me into smithfield market london so i lost a good 3 hrs driving so no wonder i never got so far back.if u want me further dont send me into london then
All good advice!
I also wonder if the office monkeys are playing a silly game of seeing how far they can push the Newbie…
There may even be a sweepstake!
Sent via TPN, so it’s either lost, damaged or late…
mdourish:
So I had a run from Telford to Smithfield market then hastings now run out of driving time in seven oaks and get told I should have made it further than I am.
Welcome to the world of road transport. 
You’re still learning mate, try not to let it get to you. We have all been the new boy, we have all been eager to please, time will toughen you up but you need to set your stall out early on. You are not a hero so don’t try to be one - just do your job the best you can making sure you get a good place to park up for your free time. If that means stopping an hour earlier, then that’s where you stop.
Us old hands are old hands because we learned the job, some the easy way some the hard way. My advice is find what works best for you, slave or master? There is only you that it affects.
After gaining experience, you can work out the roads and motorways that cause delays on a daily basis .
For example the average speed camera narrow lane road works that take seven years to finish due a sighting a rare crested newt or a badger nest to hamper Bob the builder and his You have been Tangoed bright orange clean boiler suit work men .
For example set off before the Nissan Micra causes gridlock blocking two lanes.
The knock on effect can delay you by hours.
I get past the known trouble areas, then chill out at Costa lotta or Stirbuckets, if I am hour early for a delivery or collection, so be it .
My latest boss never moans , he just keeps piling the zb work on 
When a planner turns round to me and says
“The computer says or Google says it can be done in so and so time”
then my stock answer is
“Well give the keys to the computer and let it get on with it then”
Been driving far too long to worry about it any more. I think you have done alright. Telford to Hastings via Smithfield and back to Sevenoaks isn’t a bad days run
dozy:
My latest boss never moans , he just keeps piling the zb work on
He’s got to pay for those MSA parking fees somehow…
He’ll say it to all the guys - probably just a stupid habit. We’ve got one, comes out with “oh, thought you’d have been on your way back by now” and “so and so did it in half the time last week”.
He just can’t help it - it’s like Tourettes syndrome.
We say, yeah yeah whatever and hang up.
Have a chat to a friendly fellow driver and suss things out - they might have done the exact same run or tell you that the planner is a …
Ha this is common in the driving world. Don’t sweat it. Mostly happens due to poor planning or poor comms
1/ poor planning - they think Newcastle is a stones throw from York
2/ poor comms. You didn’t tell them you were stuck in stationary traffic for 3 hours.
Usually 1 if a decent enough driver. I’d certainly stand up for myself, don’t say nothing. That’s the road to no town. Get back to yard and discuss it directly. People can be amazingly dismissive on the phone. Establish the details and put your bit across. Be firm without being a nob (it’s called professionally assertive ) and do best to end on a positive having sorted out the chaff (only if you want to keep the job).
Can’t really argue with anything that’s been said except to say, when you get back, ■■■■ all over the inside of the cab and then march in and drag the turd across his desk.
peterm:
Can’t really argue with anything that’s been said except to say, when you get back, ■■■■ all over the inside of the cab and then march in and drag the turd across his desk.
…then he apologises and you end up driving a ■■■■ stained truck the next day… the only redeeming factor its your own p1ss and not someone elses…
It’s been a couple of days now mcd…
How did things turn out?