The bottom line is that these things are implemented under health and safety reasons, using the alternatives I outlined above gives you justification to not comply with their demeaning and degraded options.
Getting the backing from your employer will take some persuasive discussion but if you want things to change then you need to discuss it. Obliging will only serve to keep the status quo or even worse!
There has been major swings in the political world due to ordinary people wanting change, we are leaving the EU because of change, if you want to change the way you are treated at these places then you need to let them know.
Say NO. All together. On the same day. They will listen.
Honked:
Say NO. All together. On the same day. They will listen.
Thats the way, but…not everyone will say no, you will always get those who wont speak up for themselves and sit in one of these pens just for an easy life while getting tipped. Personally id say no, dump the trailer on the bay and leave it there, they could either unload it or have it blocking the bay…the shunter wouldnt move it either…we all carry these…
To be fair it doesn’t really need everyone to do it. With just in time stock control, booking in slots and an inabilty for these companies to think outside of the rule book, I would say if only 30-40% of drivers take it up, by lunch time there will be bedlam.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome each time is the sign of madness.
Yet another example of how we are looked upon.
It’s like when you ask to use their toilets, they point to one of those ■■■■ portaloos 
. I usally ask the guy if he uses it, when he says no, I’ll tell him well neither am I.
If it escalates I have said on one occasion to …stop tipping me while I drive out to the nearest garage, and it worked.
Mind you, I would have looked a bit of a ■■■ if he had called my bluff as their was still half a load down one side, so no chance of me pulling out 
. 
But it does pay sometimes to show them you are not the perceived ■■■■ on their shoes.
Not sure if I would agree to sitting in there either tbh, well not without putting up a lot of resistance anyway.
It is amazing how drivers are treated at major supermarket RDC,s, with poor facilities .
Do they not realise that the drivers delivering to supermarket RDC,s may also shop in the high street stores.
If poorly treated, they boycot that shop for life.
As for the Unilver photo, that is atrocious, you wouldn’t put your dog in that cattle pen .
On the flip side, I arrived at Sheehans recycling plant today at the start of their morning break. I went to use their toilet and was then asked if I wanted to sit in their mess room, use the kettle etc.
Their rival down the road however, wont allow their own tipper drivers into the quarry workers mess room.
They put them there because they know the drivers will not refuse.
One day they will give out free tshirts with “I survived the drivers room” and some will wear it with pride.
Why doesn’t T and D do a feature on these places? Maybe Lucy could take comments from here and ask the powers that be for their responses?
Set a date when all drivers visiting these dumps refuse to give in keys and wont sit in these stupid pig pens.
This is just one of the reasons why we need a proper transport only union, we as drivers would have been far better to have negotiated our own subsection of RMT, a union that looks after its loyal members…remember RMT and ASLEF were the only unions far as i know to recommend their members to vote leave, their top tables not bothered about knighthoods or other accolades either.
URTU is toothless, UNITE is now too big and is no longer anything like the TGWU and has become too political, and i say that as along term member, transport workers are in a completely different boat to those in other industries, combined we have massive clout, alone we have no power at all.
Muckaway:
Why doesn’t T and D do a feature on these places? Maybe Lucy could take comments from here and ask the powers that be for their responses?
Set a date when all drivers visiting these dumps refuse to give in keys and wont sit in these stupid pig pens.
Good idea that,but for every driver who would stand and say no you have a yes man that will say yes cos he needs to get his job done so will take all this crap day in day out and not say a word apart from moan about it to fellow drivers…
I think the media is the way to go to get stuff done about this,handing my keys in I can cope with if I can sit in the cab but been isolated like that is not on…
Health and safety,what’s healthy about been made to sit in the cold 
So why not name and shame these outfits? Tag them in social media, I am thinking of creating a facebook page dedicated to showing these barbaric practises.
It really needs to stop.
The only reason it happens is that this is their cheapest option. They could invest in wheel locks or airline locks but a bit of a cage to keep the animals safe is better in their opinion. Makes my pee boil. Won’t do these places for the reason I’m human.
Even if we discount the open air cattle pen and it’s ridiculous excuses for chairs, look at where that flt is parked! Obviously flts move around in close proximity, it wouldn’t feel very bloody healthy or safe to me to be sitting one ■■■■-up away from having a pallet dumped in my lap instead of safe, warm and dry in a cab that’s designed to protect the driver from getting hurt ffs.
The sad thing is though, I know if I was presented with that cattle pen, in all honesty… I’d end up sitting in it.
I’d try to find an alternative - drop the trailer, hand in the keys, but ultimately as a newbie I’d wave the white flag before getting banned from site / failing delivery. 
The company’s will just bleat on about health and safety when in reality it’s more arse covering and liability shifting.
Enough’s enough though I wouldn’t wait in that pig pen.
There will always those who tolerate it but not me.
I agree it’s time a feature was done on some of the crap drivers have to put up with.
Just get a shunter to witness an airline lock being attached then forget about the driver and use the now defunct waiting room space as a more profitable/useful room. (Always good to mention profit).
Then there’s the ‘you must walk in the designated walkway’ brigade, when said walkways are so close to the trucks that unless the driver checks his Wally mirror your invisible to them when they are about to pull off (although to be fair my curtains are usually closed for this activity, oh alright I leave a peekaboo bit open in case someone wants to watch).
Currently at a place with a very similar setup (recticel stoke) seen a few set ups like this.
red7jase:
Currently at a place with a very similar setup (recticel stoke) seen a few set ups like this.
“Recticel Stoke” do they make enemas? 
It all looks new have they had something happen to a driver and that’s why its been done.
Dipper_Dave:
The company’s will just bleat on about health and safety when in reality it’s more arse covering and liability shifting.Enough’s enough though I wouldn’t wait in that pig pen.
There will always those who tolerate it but not me.
I agree it’s time a feature was done on some of the crap drivers have to put up with.
Great idea, maybe something Lucy could look into ■■ Got to be better than looking into the crack of your curtains [emoji12]
Can’t make any promises 'cos I’m not the gaffer, guys, but I have passed the suggestion on…
Nice one, thanks.