Harry Monk:
on a serious not though its not fair on some one who works hard all week then ends up with a fine because the do gooders feel that we have to keep them once they are here … … …as has been proved you can do all the checks you want but if they are determined they still get in …
Nothing is fair in life, but without this thread plummeting with slurs and anti foreigner comments like some others recently, let us look at how we can protect ourselves as drivers.
If you do the checks listed on my sheet, (others are available), you have done your best, if you cannot fit, or cannot be arsed to fit a TIR cord or put a seal on, the BA will not be very helpful if the immigrants are found inside. You cannot check the roof properly, but the inspection sheds have mirrors and cameras for this.
The OP asked what would happen to the other half, well without any documented check, it can be up to 2k per chinese takeaway. When you fill out the CMR, fill out a check list and use the same company stamp as on the CMR, write the seal number on all the copies of the CMR before you hand over the top copy and fit the seal before leaving their premises. Some customers will automatically photocopy the check sheet and keep it with the top copy of the CMR
One other thing is if you use the tunnel, pull into the CO2 monitor bays, they will also stamp the check sheet and CMR after inserting their monitor probes.
If any clandestine is found, don’t attack them, they are more desperate than you, and life is cheap where they come from.
Airline pilots and train drivers are exempt from these rules,an immigrant fell to his death,while hanging on to a jumbo jets under carriage,on a long distance flight,his brother survived the freezing conditions of high altitude.
The eurostar train has illegals on it daily,the driver does not get fined,and the same for the freight driver for the euro tunnel.
in 1999 oct (the rugby world cup was on) I’d collecteda load of christmas trees(artificial) in germany,parked for the night in the last but 1 services on the A411 Lux to Brussells.Up in the morning and coffee etc and off to Zeebee for the late morning ferry to Dover.
As i drove down the linkspan into dover dock a hand was waving at me from the rear ogf my trailer,not knowing what to do i went into the coach exchange lane and explained to custom officer about the passenger,anyway turns out 6 indian gentlemen all in red shirts ready to go to work in an Indian restraunt somewhere.
Luckly for me it was before fines were imposed but had to give a statment my wallet and truck cab were searched I joked that i couldnt hide anyone else in my wallet! gave a statment given a cuppa tea and allowed to watch the Wales game in said world cup,and the officer was quite please that Wales were loosing
So now im a bit of a stickler for checking my trailer,seals, locks, underneith on top or anywhere else these rotters can think of to hide,have found many since trying,but not brought any thro @ £2000 a head i could not afford the fine
Wheel Nut:
This is a suitable checklist which I modified, it has saved my skin in the past.
If you cant print it, send me a PM with your personal email and I may be able to send it as a PDF
Thanks for that Mal, hadn’t seen that before but have printed half a dozen out.
I parked at that layby in between Jabbeke and Veurne last week and stowaways got into the back of my trailer, but since it was -20 inside they decided not to take a ride, instead they just stole two boxes of frozen hamburger buns from my load.
I don’t have a problem with giving bread to a fellow human being in distress. And I have said to my boss yet again that I must have a trailer lock, but they are £200 and things are so tight atm.
I have bought 100 numbered trailer seals on ebay out of my own money.
If there was no incentive for clandestines to come here, then they wouldn’t. They are not fleeing danger, because France is a safe country, as are the other six or seven countries they have travelled through to get here. They simply come here because the UK will give them money, whereas France won’t.
As lorry drivers, it is not a situation of our making and we shouldn’t be personally punished for the failures of Government.
Harry Monk:
If there was no incentive for clandestines to come here, then they wouldn’t. They are not fleeing danger, because France is a safe country, as are the other six or seven countries they have travelled through to get here. They simply come here because the UK will give them money, whereas France won’t.
As lorry drivers, it is not a situation of our making and we shouldn’t be personally punished for the failures of Government.
I am being very careful here, not to derail the thread about the driver who was caught with clandestines. But here is my view.
These illegals are supposedly traveling thousands of miles across deserts or mountains to get to Britain because they are fleeing from danger. What sort of people are they who leave their families, wives, children in these danger zones. Their excuse when they are threatened with expulsion or return is that they will be killed. As you said, they have already traveled through several safe countries.
You knew that I lived in Africa for a couple of years, there were people fleeing from Malawi, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, but they got safe passage to Senegal or Gambia and were made welcome. I made several friends of them and we had some great discussions. I had to show them that the streets of London are not paved with Gold and that really my money went much further in Africa.
Thankfully the ones I spent time with believed me and didn’t want me to sponsor them. However things have now changed for the worse politically in The Gambia and some of the people I knew will be trying to get out. I hope they find somewhere in Africa.
LOL I should think you would be ok with them if you can stay awake all night or you sleep one eye open and your hand on your wallet Dogtanian … other wise i think they would be very expencive
Wheel Nut:
This is a suitable checklist which I modified, it has saved my skin in the past.
If you cant print it, send me a PM with your personal email and I may be able to send it as a PDF
May I suggest a couple of other areas for your checksheet.
Serial Number Recorded Yes/No. But there is no where to record the serial number on your checksheet. I realise it will go elsewhere but also on the sheet could be a help too.
Also, bit further down when you recheck the lock, serial number could be recorded here too.
Wheel Nut:
This is a suitable checklist which I modified, it has saved my skin in the past.
If you cant print it, send me a PM with your personal email and I may be able to send it as a PDF
May I suggest a couple of other areas for your checksheet.
Serial Number Recorded Yes/No. But there is no where to record the serial number on your checksheet. I realise it will go elsewhere but also on the sheet could be a help too.
Also, bit further down when you recheck the lock, serial number could be recorded here too.
point taken, but I used to write them next to the question, (blue marks) or even in the comments box and obviously on the CMR and any supporting documents. If the mud hits the ventilator, the BA will be on to the consignor anyway. They will have the top copy and the seal number will be on that.
It is a cover your arse exercise, the more you can do to protect yourself, the easier it will be when there are a dozen Afghans jumping out of the trailer in Calais or Dover.
Wheel Nut:
This is a suitable checklist which I modified, it has saved my skin in the past.
If you cant print it, send me a PM with your personal email and I may be able to send it as a PDF
May I suggest a couple of other areas for your checksheet.
Serial Number Recorded Yes/No. But there is no where to record the serial number on your checksheet. I realise it will go elsewhere but also on the sheet could be a help too.
Also, bit further down when you recheck the lock, serial number could be recorded here too.
point taken, but I used to write them next to the question, (blue marks) or even in the comments box and obviously on the CMR and any supporting documents. If the mud hits the ventilator, the BA will be on to the consignor anyway. They will have the top copy and the seal number will be on that.
It is a cover your arse exercise, the more you can do to protect yourself, the easier it will be when there are a dozen Afghans jumping out of the trailer in Calais or Dover.
I think it’s worth pointing out.
DON’T bin your check sheets at the end of a trouble free trip. Keep them with all the other paperwork to do with that trip. That way you have documentary evidence that this trips check sheets were not done ‘on the spot’, to try and cover your exposed arse after finding illegals in your trailer.
As for what might happen to jimb0j40’s hubby?
The worst case is a fine of £2,000 per illegal. His boss could also get the same fine I believe.
However, there are lots of drivers apparently getting a ‘telling off’ and told to be more careful in the future. Or it could be anything between those two ends of the scale. I suppose it depends on all the usual things that these things go by. Attitude test, how bad the hangover was, whether they’d already got their quota of fines that day etc. Expect the worst, hope for the best
There was a letter in the Truckstop News, a while ago. A driver had been found with several illegals in the back of his trailer. He got fined the full whack.
His complaint was that they had let him off the last three times he’d been caught, so they should let him off this time too. He hadn’t started doing check sheets, in fact he admitted to not even bothering to check his trailer at all, in his letter. It seems he didn’t need to, because Immigration would just tell him off and let him away with it again
Simon:
I think it’s worth pointing out.
DON’T bin your check sheets at the end of a trouble free trip. Keep them with all the other paperwork to do with that trip. That way you have documentary evidence that this trips check sheets were not done ‘on the spot’, to try and cover your exposed arse after finding illegals in your trailer.
Good point Simon, our check sheets went back with the CMR to the office, then they had an idea who was doing their checks and who wasn’t. As I said, it is a “cover your arse” procedure
…as has been proved you can do all the checks you want but if they are determined they still get in …
other wise i think they would be very expencive 
