Hi. I’ve been offered a hgv 1 driver job that is salaried at 48 hours, (pro ratad down for me as I do 3 nights a week) 32k for those doing 5 nights a week, which is bad enough but it’s also nights, the nights are on average 12.5 hours long, 5 nights a week. This works out at about 10 quid an hour. That’s below the minimum wage. Lots of companies are doing similar, for example £170 a shift at another place sounds good but then they want 15 hour shifts.
Is there any way I can report this company to stop them doing it? They are among many and there needs to be something done. Im sure some will say “stop whining and get on with it” but no, I won’t, it’s modern slavery and must be illegal.
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If your in a union get them involved.
And I get where your coming from.
Few years. Back had a job salaried same wage every week. For a while was great over time the shifts got longer. And I worked wasn’t even earning minmum wage some weeks. Seen management told swings and roundabouts some weeks your short hours others are longer. But was never many shorter weeks. It’s the only job I’ve ever walked out on.
Just told em no I’ve had it am leaving
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Get your facts clear and documented, best to have it on paper, or at least in emails etc, rather than verbal agreements that can be denied.
Then surprisingly the number one government dealing with NMW issues is actually the HMRC which is ironic given how much they rip us off for.
If you’re not in a union you can still approach ACAS for assistance and support. I’d also say your local C.A.B but nowadays they really are so over stretched that they’d prefer to deal with people having emergencies, where as you are wanting to stick it to some greedy corrupt nasty employer who wants to get competent qualified drivers for a song and sixpence.
it is illegal.
it is against the law
it is morally and socially repugnant no matter how much the maga crowd here want us to embrace new trumpian economics.
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Oh and your night hours are very strictly regulated. Only certain professions can be ‘made’ to work 12 hour night shifts i.e. doctors, nurses, police and agricultural workers during harvest time.
Professional drivers are supposed to be strongly protected precisely because of the enhanced risk on the road of a driver nodding off. I wonder if with no union at this place you’re looking at, the management have bullied drivers into accepting rubbish working conditions over a long time until it’s become accepted practice there.
They definitely need a rocket up their jaxis.
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Like has been said many times before… for as long as some drivers are willing to do it these firms will keep on.
That is appalling though.. 12+ hour shifts, 5 nights a week for 32k. I’d sign on the rock n roll anyday over that.
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Some very sapient,sagacious and perspicacious replies to assist the OP, another issue is that some companies that haul pallets overnight and companies transporting high value cargo such as the parcel companies don’t allow drivers to pull in to the services for a comfort break to grab a quick coffee, walk around to wake up, use the loo or have a Power Nap on the bunk to prevent fatigue and falling asleep at the wheel to cause a potentially fatal RTC.
If they do the above, the night traffic planner will ring up complaining and threaten the driver that he or she will get a disciplinary when back in the yard from their manager.
Some companies say the driver must get permission for an unauthorised stop on the journey in between hubs, by doing this they are given a reference number from the planner.
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Yeah that’s why we are allowed to, (even expected to,) work 15 hour days with 9 hour rests, and total over 70 hour weeks.
‘‘Living the dream’’ …as some of you have stuck on your cabs.
…aye right
Which proves that H&S is totally irrelavant,.and disregarded when it suits, in real terms.
The subject of the thread poor pay terms, and the latter 2 quotes can all be explained in the same sentence.
If drivers had the balls and backbone to use the word ‘‘NO’’ …‘‘they’’ would not do all this type of unteasonable and unfair crap that goes on in this pi55 poor industry.
THIS …ALL DAY LONG.
Why can drivers not see this ffs.
When a group a drivers stand in the yard berating their employer, they talk as if they are going to do something they are not happy about.
When there is a staff meeting with drivers present, they don’t say anything.
Yep…
Fri night… Whats on on Mon boss?
Boss… 3am start, 6 drops London.
Ok no probs.
Then he walks into yard (among other similar ‘‘type’’ drivers…
‘‘Look what the #### has given me for Mon, I had something on this Sun night…it’s every bloody week, I’m sick of him.’’
All the time.
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Thanks for the replies guys, as I’ve not taken that job there’s not much I can do. There’s a couple like it here in Northampton. I think I will give ACAS a ring.
What about the one’s that sleep in the cab on a Sunday night in the yard with no pay to start early Monday morning?
Why so many don’t like going to London is beyond me, the criteria is to take a tachograph break before getting there as there’s no opportunity to get one in once being tipped, as the depot/RDC or factory will want you off their premises as soon as possible due to limited parking space available?
According to one of the guys that works in the particular job I’m talking about, they expect to to tip your first 15 mins on break too
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There is free advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau but unfortunately they have closed many branches nationwide and it’s all online enquiries now with a long waiting time for them to reply to an email, they don’t accept phone calls too.
The only advantage of night work is the ability to see the dentist or a doctor Monday to Friday but saying that many dentists are open Saturday mornings.
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Yep we have those clowns also.
For me London is 300+ miles away, these idiots come in the yard at 5pm Sun, straight into the bunk…(no night out money paid btw .)
Then they set off about midnight…(picking trailer up and fuelling up etc all done Sun pm off card and again unpaid)
Kin Stress heads.
(Just to add …one of em had a stroke a couple of years ago, …kinda says it all.)
I don’t know about you, but if I had to be somewhere 300+ miles away at a specific time Mon AM, I would be having a leisurely drive down Sunday on premium rate, parking up somewhere near, getting paid a night out, time off and arrive on time feeling fresh.
It makes for a much easier job/life.
But you can not educate pork!
Edit…Speaking of stress head clowns…
Just arrived at a sh hole of an rdc.
Sat here in the ‘‘holding pen’’ (after being refused my request to sit in my cab btw by some child)
Me and one more driver…I am sat here (as relaxed as I possiblly can in this place), with a (bloody awful) machine ‘‘coffee’’ in a chair stretched out playing on my phone.
This guy is pacing around like a captive lion in a cage getting aereated, and constantly trying to see his trailer …
Coming to a heart attack ward at a hospital near you anytime soon.
Oh look he is tipped, and sprinting out to his truck.
I can not see his ‘‘Living the dream’’ stickers yet.
Drivers man
Are they suggesting putting the tachograph on break mode when being tipped?
I know the drivers you are on about, the company should be paying them the Sunday rate when they arrive at the yard, and the night out money for Sunday night too, then up early with enough time to get to the destination on Monday morning.
Another annoyance is on a Friday night I set up the loaded trailer ready for an early morning Monday start, so put the pump truck inside the trailer and strap it down and use an old tyre to put the chassis of it inside, strap the load with ratchet straps, fuel up the tractor unit and park it in a spot so I can get out the yard without getting blocked in as the guys in the garage have a habit of dumping units and trailers in front of my lorry or move my lorry.
If the paperwork is ready, put it inside the cab, if it’s not ready I have to hope that someone in the office is available on Monday morning to get the remaining paperwork.
I arrive to the yard Monday morning, the garage have put my unit in the garage and the garage is locked and they don’t come in until later which will make me late for the first delivery of many, or the shunter has dumped my trailer and buried so I have to move several trailers and tractor units to get my trailer out or some Muppets has taken my pump truck and there’s none available, if there is a pump truck it’s locked up inside the garage.
I aint the most tolerant of guys, and I have absolute ZERO tolerance towards f/wits & d/heads…but I reckon that would tip me over the edge.
Speaking of such types,… when I get back tonight I am on hols.
I will take most of my stuff out of the truck, and will make an effort to leave my cab interior in pristine condition…as always.
I fully accept the truck has to work when I am off, but I just know that Tom, D1ck AND Harry will be on it, and I also know that D1ck especially will leave it for my return in a kin mess…
Now that DOES make me want to inflict serious GBH.
Wrong. No need to ask for permission,.. I stop, have coffee, break, whatever, never had a problem, as long as i send a message i am stopping, not asking , but tell transport.
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We used to have to get the planners to take a photo of the inside of the cab so when the regular driver came back from a holiday and agency or the company drivers used the lorry there was proof that the regular driver left his cab clean inside for his allocated lorry.
Then the one’s that move the kit around to be nosey, and kit goes missing, the radio settings get messed about with, dirty boots that have been on the bunk, oil and grease left in the cab, crumbs and left over food and the wrappers left in the cab.