I deliver bread for a well known bakery in Northern Ireland, I have found myself now and again arriving at superstores when a lorry is already on the main loading bay, now some stores have a second bay which is a hi lift so you would have to lower it off your lorry onto the ground then push it up and raise it up etc.
so to get to the point I obviously want use the main bay as its quicker.
My question is this, when a lorry has finished unloading and loading should they not then move off the bay to allow others on? only today have I had a member of staff in a well known Superstore say to me he can stay on that bay as long as he wants because I told him he can, crazy talk I know but it’s very frustrating when your doing multi drop to have to keep using the tail lift and especially when you know the lorry on the bay you want access to has finished but they couldn’t care less about you.
Anyone ever experienced this and if so any ideas on how to politely go about fixing it.
I agree with Stu that speaking to the driver is the way to.go, if only to be clear of the situation.
If we are talking about an own account waggon at the location and he’s 10min away from clearing down a 30 or 45 then you can see a case for working around him if there is space to do so.
Made me think of Asda Roehampton. With space in the yard for 1 only, the two bread deliveries each morning would work the approach lane as best they could each morning as required, in peak it wouldn’t be out of the question to have 2 asda food artics and a clothing delivery trying to get through.
Don’t most bakery drivers park close by, drop the required stacks down the tail lift and then nip them into the back shop on the wheeled trolleys you all carry?
Don’t expect cooperation from other drivers any more, those days are gone, assume the rest of the industry are imbeciles unless they prove otherwise and work around them when on mutil drop, if the shop staff are plonkers (it sounds like it) try and reorganise your delivery route so unhelpful drops get theirs last.
Personally when back on Kwik Save i’d have been making tea for the back shop staff and myself whilst the bread and milk lads made their deliveries, kerching, excuse for being behind laughable schedule on the delivery sheet = bread and milk in the way
To give a little more detail, the bread is on omega wheels (Tesco) so its quite high and can topple easily when pushed around so doing on the main bay is both the safest and easiest.
As for talking to my boss well lets just say that’s a waste of time, they only care that the bread is delivered nothing more and if your out for longer its your problem.
The issue with talking with the driver is that he isn’t there, he had gone to the canteen to have a nice coffee break on the grounds that the member of staff had told him he could.
We do multi drop and its very busy, our company wants you to deliver it on time the stores want it on time but then they mess you about once you arrive, its a joke it really is.
I have said to my boss that if it continues ill put in a complaint in writing as that’s the only way it gets looked at.
Dan if you consider that a tail lift delivery to be in any way unsafe when there is a safer option (the bay) available then simply wait for the bay to become available. The consequences are that you’ll be late for subsequent deliveries. That’s not your problem, it is however your boss’s problem. We are drowning in a sea of H&S regulations (mostly aimed at the driver) so use their own stick to beat them with.
You’re paid to deliver goods in good condition without problems, not to take risks.
Edit to add; depending entirely on how my company treats me I’d relish being disciplined for refusing to carry out something I was convinced was intrinsically unsafe. That’s got constructive dismissal written all over it.
You will just have to do what the other bakery drivers do@ big stores when another truck is on the bay:
Use your tail-lift and buck it off that way!!!
Any Breadmen that come in behind me@ a Tesco store that opens for deliveries@ 0500 are tipped and gone out gate via TL in under 5mins!!!
I deliver bread for a well known bakery in Northern Ireland, I have found myself now and again arriving at superstores when a lorry is already on the main loading bay, now some stores have a second bay which is a hi lift so you would have to lower it off your lorry onto the ground then push it up and raise it up etc.
so to get to the point I obviously want use the main bay as its quicker.
My question is this, when a lorry has finished unloading and loading should they not then move off the bay to allow others on? only today have I had a member of staff in a well known Superstore say to me he can stay on that bay as long as he wants because I told him he can, crazy talk I know but it’s very frustrating when your doing multi drop to have to keep using the tail lift and especially when you know the lorry on the bay you want access to has finished but they couldn’t care less about you.
Anyone ever experienced this and if so any ideas on how to politely go about fixing it.
Your doing one of the most physical jobs in truck driving and there’s nothing wrong with that but most of them boys have it down to a tee but they are always on the go
How much of a delay does it put on your whole day your just hitting the store at the wrong time and the other driver is probably doing what he does a long time and won’t be inclined to change
Is there enough room for him to pull off after tipping and you getting on the bay if so he could still have his break
Your working as a outsider so you have to be extra nice to make things easier for yourself
Can you have your break there
Can you change the run
Can you help him to unload, being a nice guy
A Complaint will make it worse
Juddian:
Personally when back on Kwik Save i’d have been making tea for the back shop staff and myself whilst the bread and milk lads made their deliveries, kerching, excuse for being behind laughable schedule on the delivery sheet = bread and milk in the way
Done tesco work for years & never heard of a breadman moaning about not being able to get o the bay, they just tail lift it off & even carry it up some steps if needs be.
stu675:
Most RDC (or similar) have rules that prohibit taking any break on site so that should not be an excuse.
I do trunking for a parcel firm. Due to the nature of our loads, we have the opposite rule.
Breaks must Always be taken at the Depo/Hub or client RDC, Usually in a quite corner of the yard. Only take a break on the bay if your being “live Tipped” which can an hour or so.
