Should EE's have to speak reasonable English?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
41

the nodding donkey:

Andrejs:
This Polish guy may by not best but main British driver responsibity was absolutely low.He sleep when another new drive.He not explain where need to go and where this person want to go.And i think in the end of shift he not report who this person not good drivers .People moaning and mooning but when need report that all avoid .

Andrejs needs not only learn to write English properly, but also needs to be explained the fine art of irony…

I find that if I read his posts with a bond villain accent, I understand what he means. Try it. Let me know if it helps.

42

I find that if I read his posts with a bond villain accent, I understand what he means. Try it. Let me know if it helps.

i tried that but couldnt quite grasp it,thoughi found it easier whilst stroking a ■■■■■ at the same time. :open_mouth:

could the o/p not just have been a bit better prepared for the trip by firstly combing his hair after dipping sad comb into the diesel tank,then donning a manky wife beater vest with some old swan and carp stains down the front,ripped a few holes in his socks,and dangled them up on the windscreen and then followed up opened a tin of sardines and dropped them down the heater vent? that way you would know what the run would be like if as and when willi betz buys the company over. :open_mouth:

43

Having had the pleasure of staying at 2 of her majesty’s finest all inclusive establishments I can assure you from my experiences that the pretty boy thing is a myth, no one cares. They do however care if you’re a bit of an idiot, that will earn you no end of attention…
[/quote]
I too have that same experience, being a pretty boy means nothing.

44

kyk:
Did he get paid for that day?
(intimate interest)

Yes. He will have been paid exactly same as me for his “performance”!

45

Andrejs:
This Polish guy may by not best but main British driver responsibity was absolutely low.He sleep when another new drive.He not explain where need to go and where this person want to go.And i think in the end of shift he not report who this person not good drivers .People moaning and mooning but when need report that all avoid .

I don’t completely understand everything in your post, but I can just about work out parts of it!

I did write some comments on the debrief sheet, when we returned to the depot. I wrote that “Papise barely spoke a word of English”,
and that we had had serious problems communicating during the shift.

He is still with our Firm, but I understand that they have put him on trunking to Lesmahagow every night…where you don’t even need a Sat-nav to find the place (Jctn 10 of the M74)…and all you have to do is drop a trailer, pick up an empty one and return to the depot…minimal paperwork and virtually no conversational skills needed. He will not be doing store deliveries!

46

robroy:

Olog Hai:
A 13-hour shift starting at midnight… :open_mouth:

I’m not surprised that they have to turn to the Eastern Euros.

That was my thoughts, [zb] that for a game of soldiers.
13 hours, drive home, tea shower, bed, drive back to re.start within 11 hours…and away again ?. :open_mouth:
And you day/night men knock trampers for our lifestyle?? :unamused:

I’ve never been one to knock what another bloke does for a living because nobody knows his circumstances or how desperate he is to put food on the table. That’s why the all-too-frequent ‘I don’t do this’ and ‘I don’t do that’ steering wheel attendant threads on here (assuming that there is a grain of truth to them) become tiresome.

But max hours on a shift that starts at midnight? No. That’s an employer taking the ■■■■ with no concern for the guy who actually has to do the work, and it’s the reason why we are seeing so many of these accidents that occur in the early hours for no obvious reason.

47

Olog Hai:

robroy:

Olog Hai:
A 13-hour shift starting at midnight… :open_mouth:

I’m not surprised that they have to turn to the Eastern Euros.

That was my thoughts, [zb] that for a game of soldiers.
13 hours, drive home, tea shower, bed, drive back to re.start within 11 hours…and away again ?. :open_mouth:
And you day/night men knock trampers for our lifestyle?? :unamused:

I’ve never been one to knock what another bloke does for a living because nobody knows his circumstances or how desperate he is to put food on the table. That’s why the all-too-frequent ‘I don’t do this’ and ‘I don’t do that’ steering wheel attendant threads on here (assuming that there is a grain of truth to them) become tiresome.

But max hours on a shift that starts at midnight? No. That’s an employer taking the ■■■■ with no concern for the guy who actually has to do the work, and it’s the reason why we are seeing so many of these accidents that occur in the early hours for no obvious reason.

Exactly !

48

robroy:

Olog Hai:

robroy:

Olog Hai:
A 13-hour shift starting at midnight… :open_mouth:

I’m not surprised that they have to turn to the Eastern Euros.

That was my thoughts, [zb] that for a game of soldiers.
13 hours, drive home, tea shower, bed, drive back to re.start within 11 hours…and away again ?. :open_mouth:
And you day/night men knock trampers for our lifestyle?? :unamused:

I’ve never been one to knock what another bloke does for a living because nobody knows his circumstances or how desperate he is to put food on the table. That’s why the all-too-frequent ‘I don’t do this’ and ‘I don’t do that’ steering wheel attendant threads on here (assuming that there is a grain of truth to them) become tiresome.

But max hours on a shift that starts at midnight? No. That’s an employer taking the ■■■■ with no concern for the guy who actually has to do the work, and it’s the reason why we are seeing so many of these accidents that occur in the early hours for no obvious reason.

Exactly !

I sadly have to agree with you.

I’m off now until midnight on Saturday night…when it all starts again! I often get very tired on these shifts, and have come very
close to falling asleep at the wheel, on several occasions. Other driver’s at our depot have said the same thing.

On another thread that I started …a few weeks back, I said that our Firm is very short of night drivers. The reason I’m sure, is the
start times (22.00, 23.00, 00.00 or 01.00), and the 12-15 hr shifts. We have very few permanent night men…at least 75% of those on
nights are agency guys, and they are nearly all EE’s.

The problem at our Firm is, if you’re new…you automatically get put on nights…which is where they’re short of drivers. If you
stick it out for a year or two, you can then get moved onto the dayshift when a vacancy on days comes up.

Our day men are nearly all guys who have been with the Firm for 2 years or more. They started on nights, and then applied for days
when a vacancy on days came up. The longest serving guys on days get the easiest runs, and the best start times.

I know a few drivers who’ve been with the Firm 5years+, and they are starting at 06.00 or 07.00, delivering to a couple of stores in Manchester, then back to the depot and finished for 14.00 or 15.00. They are the shifts that everyone wants. The longer you’ve worked there, the easier the runs, and shifts you get.

I’ve only worked there for 3 months, so I’m getting the runs, and start-times that no-one else really wants to do.

I have a choice. Stick it out for a year or two…then get onto days…or look for another job.

49

robroy:

Olog Hai:

robroy:

Olog Hai:
A 13-hour shift starting at midnight… :open_mouth:

I’m not surprised that they have to turn to the Eastern Euros.

That was my thoughts, [zb] that for a game of soldiers.
13 hours, drive home, tea shower, bed, drive back to re.start within 11 hours…and away again ?. :open_mouth:
And you day/night men knock trampers for our lifestyle?? :unamused:

I’ve never been one to knock what another bloke does for a living because nobody knows his circumstances or how desperate he is to put food on the table. That’s why the all-too-frequent ‘I don’t do this’ and ‘I don’t do that’ steering wheel attendant threads on here (assuming that there is a grain of truth to them) become tiresome.

But max hours on a shift that starts at midnight? No. That’s an employer taking the ■■■■ with no concern for the guy who actually has to do the work, and it’s the reason why we are seeing so many of these accidents that occur in the early hours for no obvious reason.

Exactly !

I sadly have to agree with you.

I’m off now until midnight on Saturday night…when it all starts again! I often get very tired on these shifts, and have come very
close to falling asleep at the wheel, on several occasions. Other driver’s at our depot have said the same thing.

On another thread that I started …a few weeks back, I said that our Firm is very short of night drivers. The reason I’m sure, is the
start times (22.00, 23.00, 00.00 or 01.00), and the 12-15 hr shifts. We have very few permanent night men…at least 75% of those on
nights are agency guys, and they are nearly all EE’s.

The problem at our Firm is, if you’re new…you automatically get put on nights…which is where they’re short of drivers. If you
stick it out for a year or two, you can then get moved onto the dayshift when a vacancy on days comes up.

Our day men are nearly all guys who have been with the Firm for 2 years or more. They started on nights, and then applied for days
when a vacancy on days came up. The longest serving guys on days get the easiest runs, and the best start times.

I know a few drivers who’ve been with the Firm 5years+, and they are starting at 06.00 or 07.00, delivering to a couple of stores in Manchester, then back to the depot and finished for 14.00 or 15.00. They are the shifts that everyone wants. The longer you’ve worked there, the easier the runs, and shifts you get.

I’ve only worked there for 3 months, so I’m getting the runs, and start-times that no-one else really wants to do.

I have a choice. Stick it out for a year or two…then get onto days…or look for another job.

50

I heard you the first time. :laughing:

There is no way in hell I would…(or more importantly could :bulb:), do that mate, but each to his own and all that.
I would hope you are being adequately paid, or more like compensated :smiley: for it.

I’m not one bit surprised you are tired, but maybe admitting that on a public forum aint the best thing to do, just in case you have a severe ■■■■ up occasion in the future. :bulb:

Surely there is room and scope to cut these shifts down somehow, but no doubt the ‘‘I only need 6 hours kip/I love long shifts’’ heroes will thrive on them. :unamused:

These firms simply do not give a ■■■■ in real terms, it just goes to show how all this H&S is just a load of ■■■■■■■■ just like other things in this industry, such as wtd poa and all the rest of the ‘‘Being seen to do the right thing with no substance’’ type of crap.

51

“I wrote that “Papise barely spoke a word of English”,
and that we had had serious problems communicating during the shift.”
maybe Papise believes that silence is golden. Look ,it’s not his fault he was hired for the job.
Certainly, there are many little,smelly papises among any people . Blame the ■■■■ company
that lets them in :bulb:
By the way,I’m Polish

52

franksg:
“I wrote that “Papise barely spoke a word of English”,
and that we had had serious problems communicating during the shift.”
maybe Papise believes that silence is golden. Look ,it’s not his fault he was hired for the job.
Certainly, there are many little,smelly papises among any people . Blame the ■■■■ company
that lets them in :bulb:
By the way,I’m Polish

I agree with you that “it’s not his fault he was hired for the job”.

However, after speaking to a couple of other Polish agency drivers who have got to know him, they told me that
he has been living and working in the UK for 8 months.

Surely after 8 months of living and working in the UK, he should have made more of an effort to learn some basic English? …
…and is it not reasonable to expect a Class 1 driver to own a Truckers Sat-Nav…instead of a car sat-nav?

My original point “Should EE’s have to speak reasonable English?” stands. If Papise had spoken reasonable English, had a Trucking
Sat-nav, and been able to read basic instructions in English…the problems that we had on that shift would not have happened.

Is it not his responsibility to make an effort to learn, at least some basic English?

There are plenty of other Polish guys at our Firm who speak reasonable, or very good English…and consequently they are able to
do the job properly, without the kind of issues that Papise had. As I said earlier in this thread, I have nothing against Polish drivers, or Polish people…some of them I am quite friendly with, and have a laugh and a bit of banter with.

On a human level, I’m glad that he has kept his job…and doing the trunking is probably the best thing for him and the Firm.

53

Can I ask a silly question ■■ when or have you ever signed up to be a driver trainer ■■ if not why is this put on you and other drivers to train these temps surely they should have a trainer on hand to teach this ,or is it as its been pointed out a cheap way of doing it , and what would have happened if he had banged a car or caused a ruck at a del point would you have got the flack, and to spend your 9 hours of wondering about a service station for ■■■■ sake if your doubled manned you should have got home ,not my idea of fun spending it with a smelly ■■■■ opposite

54

If I’m taking them out or any driver I won’t let them use a sat nav till I know they know what their doing

55

Lancsdriver70
“There are plenty of other Polish guys at our Firm who speak reasonable, or very good English…and consequently they are able to
do the job properly, without the kind of issues that Papise had. As I said earlier in this thread, I have nothing against Polish drivers, or Polish people…some of them I am quite friendly with, and have a laugh and a bit of banter with.”
Understood,You are right,of course.
BIG AM has a good point
“surely they should have a trainer on hand to teach this ,or is it as its been pointed out a cheap way of doing it , and what would have happened if he had banged a car or caused a ruck at a del point”
how is it even possible that there are companies willing to take such risk as to put a foreigner with
8 month long experience behind the wheel

56

what’s the differences of starting at 00:00 and finish After 13 and starting at 2 and doing a 13 …if the driver gets proper rest it’s no different

57

franksg:
Lancsdriver70
“There are plenty of other Polish guys at our Firm who speak reasonable, or very good English…and consequently they are able to
do the job properly, without the kind of issues that Papise had. As I said earlier in this thread, I have nothing against Polish drivers, or Polish people…some of them I am quite friendly with, and have a laugh and a bit of banter with.”
Understood,You are right,of course.
BIG AM has a good point
“surely they should have a trainer on hand to teach this ,or is it as its been pointed out a cheap way of doing it , and what would have happened if he had banged a car or caused a ruck at a del point”
how is it even possible that there are companies willing to take such risk as to put a foreigner with
8 month long experience behind the wheel

I guess the Firm are just very short of nightshift drivers. As I said earlier in the thread, there are very few permanent drivers on
nights (around 75% of those on nights are agency)…so the few permanent night drivers that we do have…are all being asked to
go out with the new agency recruits…to show them the job in time for the busy Christmas rush.

We do have several driver trainers at the depot…but they all work on the day shift!! …the new agency recruits are all on nights!

58

discoman:
what’s the differences of starting at 00:00 and finish After 13 and starting at 2 and doing a 13 …if the driver gets proper rest it’s no different

Anybody can say wtf they like the hours in this job are too long. Don’t give me the ‘’ Nature of the job’’ and ‘‘That’s the way the job works’’ ■■■■■■■■, that is only so because it has been purposlely regulated and geared up that way.
I reckon there should be a 10 hour limit on nights.
Nobody is at their best or fully alert working through the night, let alone driving through the night.
More so, 15 on 9 off is not conducive with road safety…end of. :bulb:
And to those heroes who love all that crap who are just about to break their necks to come on here to tell me… ‘I’m in the wrong job’’ :unamused: …Yeh maybe I am, but when I started it, it was a 12.5 hour spreadover,.and things worked ok enough then as far as I recall. :bulb:

59

Lancsdriver70:

Andrejs:
This Polish guy may by not best but main British driver responsibity was absolutely low.He sleep when another new drive.He not explain where need to go and where this person want to go.And i think in the end of shift he not report who this person not good drivers .People moaning and mooning but when need report that all avoid .

I don’t completely understand everything in your post, but I can just about work out parts of it!

I did write some comments on the debrief sheet, when we returned to the depot. I wrote that “Papise barely spoke a word of English”,
and that we had had serious problems communicating during the shift.

He is still with our Firm, but I understand that they have put him on trunking to Lesmahagow every night…where you don’t even need a Sat-nav to find the place (Jctn 10 of the M74)…and all you have to do is drop a trailer, pick up an empty one and return to the depot…minimal paperwork and virtually no conversational skills needed. He will not be doing store deliveries!

If you worry about what car sat nav or truck sat nav he use.That thousand drivers with any nationality use car sat nav.And to many driver go to some new place where they not been.If drivers have common sence and IQ that he can drive with any sat nav without problem.But in something wrong with common sence,planning,reading road sign that truck sat nav not help so much.And to many truck sat nav anyway give way via road where low bridge or some restriction.

60

My friend buy Snoopers for 300 pound and he was driving in London.Sat nav show road where low bridge.Snooper ,Tom tom just pump money but nobody give 100 percent quality.I in last 3 years use Cheap sat nav XGODY with truck function and this model work more perfect that another for 400 quid.