Vosa website has all Applications and Decisions listed as they are put forward to the TC so they cant all be wrong !!
The appeal
Hello,
i havent been in this game long but here is how i see it
I have just sat and read through all of this and from what I can make out there have been a few “accusations” of Thorburns running bent and “blame” being laid at the drivers door for it, but surely it wouldn’t have all been the drivers fault.
My point is that they (Thorburns) now seem to have got on top of all the wrong doings that led them to the TC’s office in the first place and are now operating again. Why cant people just leave them alone to run their own company as they see fit? I have no doubts now that Thorburns will be one of (if not THE) most legal companies in Britain now and that can’t be a bad thing can it? Surely it is better to be operating and keeping loyal people in a job than laying drivers off left right and centre?
A lot of people on here are always slagging the poles off for “taking our jobs” and then you have a large (ish) company like Thorburns that have survived a hic up and are employing drivers, just like you and me, and are now doing a fantastic job in the times that are getting harder and harder to earn a crust in such a difficult game. And they still get slagged off.
Congratulations on Thorburns for getting the licence back (over a year earlier than this post) and I hope that you do well, but if people ‘hear MMTM’ of companies running bent do we have to slag them off so much? If they are running bent they will get caught one day, nearly everyone does get caught in the end. As it has been pointed out on here before now the industry is getting a bad name as it is without the people in it slagging each other off. Why give the enemy ammunition to shoot us? We don’t need it as drivers, the companies don’t need it and the industry certainly doesn’t need it.
Personally I wouldn’t knowingly run bent as it isn’t worth it anymore. The more money/hours/time you would gain would not compensate for when you get caught and lose your licence and job and drag your gaffer down with you. Where would you be then■■? if you did drag the gaffer down i think you might find it hard to get another job locally for a long while…
That’s my 2p’s worth, cup of tea anyone?
Well put dieseldave - at last someone with an un-biased opinion. Fact of the matter is , as an operator, knowingly or unknowingly allowing drivers to run illegally is an offence. It also gives that company an unfair advantage over legitamately operated concerns and may have cost some of us on here jobs or business as a result.
Giblsa:
Hello,i havent been in this game long but here is how i see it
I have just sat and read through all of this and from what I can make out there have been a few “accusations” of Thorburns running bent and “blame” being laid at the drivers door for it, but surely it wouldn’t have all been the drivers fault.
My point is that they (Thorburns) now seem to have got on top of all the wrong doings that led them to the TC’s office in the first place and are now operating again. Why cant people just leave them alone to run their own company as they see fit? I have no doubts now that Thorburns will be one of (if not THE) most legal companies in Britain now and that can’t be a bad thing can it? Surely it is better to be operating and keeping loyal people in a job than laying drivers off left right and centre?
A lot of people on here are always slagging the poles off for “taking our jobs” and then you have a large (ish) company like Thorburns that have survived a hic up and are employing drivers, just like you and me, and are now doing a fantastic job in the times that are getting harder and harder to earn a crust in such a difficult game. And they still get slagged off.
Congratulations on Thorburns for getting the licence back (over a year earlier than this post) and I hope that you do well, but if people ‘hear MMTM’ of companies running bent do we have to slag them off so much? If they are running bent they will get caught one day, nearly everyone does get caught in the end. As it has been pointed out on here before now the industry is getting a bad name as it is without the people in it slagging each other off. Why give the enemy ammunition to shoot us? We don’t need it as drivers, the companies don’t need it and the industry certainly doesn’t need it.
Personally I wouldn’t knowingly run bent as it isn’t worth it anymore. The more money/hours/time you would gain would not compensate for when you get caught and lose your licence and job and drag your gaffer down with you. Where would you be then■■? if you did drag the gaffer down i think you might find it hard to get another job locally for a long while…
That’s my 2p’s worth, cup of tea anyone?
i couldnt agree more.
its now 2008 and yes i suspect thorburns were as bent as a nine bob note but they have turned that corner and now still running the european side against much tougher competition. How many of your old companies tried and failed to keep up.
dont make me dig through old posts to dig up the threads of you boasting about rome to home in one hit 
because there is plenty of those.
in those days nobody was whiter than white.
Here here.
I know Thorburns run legal 'cos my mate Jeff drives for them and he says they’re some of the best people he’s ever worked for!.
Hi Jeanette 
Have you got any vacancies come up yet. 
The trouble Thorburns had was not entirely to do with running bent either. Like many companies a cash flow crisis can get you in trouble - and when in trouble through no fault of your own officials like piranhas come around sniffing for a bite and before you know they’ve all had a small piece of you - infringements, Article 12 investigations, liquidity ratios and all that bollox. I don’t claim to know the full story but my mate told me they’ve always been a respectable company better than most. Even the great Eddie S amongst others have got into difficulty in this ‘cash hungry’ game. When I worked for EST I know for a fact William was being investigated for permitting tacho offenses (whether he was found guilty is a different matter). Me; - I think the WTD and drivers hours are all bollox anyway. But the law is the law. 
jessicas dad:
dont make me dig through old posts to dig up the threads of you boasting about rome to home in one hitin those days nobody was whiter than white.
I’ll second that mate.
I was there in Europe during the whole of the 80’s, and I’d agree that very few of us ran quite the way we should. My own memory of Thorburn’s in the 80’s was that they ran a nicely distinctive clean and tidy fleet, although I didn’t see them at a standstill very often.
As I wrote though, it seemed that Thorburn’s former management might possibly have thought that keeping their heads down was a good idea. It might just be that this continued for a tad too long.
The publicly available records seem to support my theory…
I think that only a very few people know the full facts, but as has been noted, it has taken a huge effort and change of culture to get the firm to where it is now, so I acknowledge that and wish them good luck. 
i never brought this topic up to make any hassle for the thorburns.
apologies to the thorburn family.
i heard things about this company over the years.
so if they did have to push sometimes to get a load delivered.
what about it.
we all did it in the past.
#as far as i am concerned
every vosa member of staff should be hung drawn and quartered.
they are overpowered [zb].
beverly whatever her name is, is a person who only wants to know the likes of the super legal club.stobarts irlams etc.
i know irlams is stobart now.
she has too much power.
i wonder what her an eddie stobart do in their spare time.
she a dangerous person with too much power in her hands and has an ever so perfect attitude.
i have had my own truck in the past and know the problems that go with it.
i dont like to exceed my driving time and try to keep as right as possible.
the thorburn family were only doing the job as best they could.
i wonder how many late deliveries they have now due to some of the silly rules that go with the tacho rules.
i wont condone driving all night and day,i have done it in the past.
but would not do it nowadays
but sometimes another hour or two wouldnt make us kill the population off.
bottom line is.
the tacho rules are too strict.
theres little or no flexibility except for the odd emergency.
i would be on thorburns side here.
we have a job to do and minutes or an odd hour here or there should not matter so much.
If it needs stars it’s not allowed.L.
as a little extra.
i live in liverpool myself in a rough and ready council estate.
if the estate was policed as well as the motorways are.
this could be a nice estate.
which is the worst.
the hoodies at 3 am when i look out of the bedroom window
with no police to bother them,
or a trailer on the main road without a numberplate going on the nearest main road to get caught in ministry check.
ireland is no better and my daughter is a cop over there.
the system is crap.
and all wrong
greg50:
i never brought this topic up to make any hassle for the thorburns.
apologies to the thorburn family.i heard things about this company over the years.
so if they did have to push sometimes to get a load delivered.
what about it.
we all did it in the past.
#as far as i am concerned
every vosa member of staff should be hung drawn and quartered.
they are overpowered [zb].
beverly whatever her name is, is a person who only wants to know the likes of the super legal club.stobarts irlams etc.
i know irlams is stobart now.
she has too much power.
i wonder what her an eddie stobart do in their spare time.she a dangerous person with too much power in her hands and has an ever so perfect attitude.
i have had my own truck in the past and know the problems that go with it.
i dont like to exceed my driving time and try to keep as right as possible.
the thorburn family were only doing the job as best they could.
i wonder how many late deliveries they have now due to some of the silly rules that go with the tacho rules.
i wont condone driving all night and day,i have done it in the past.
but would not do it nowadays
but sometimes another hour or two wouldnt make us kill the population off.
bottom line is.
the tacho rules are too strict.
theres little or no flexibility except for the odd emergency.
i would be on thorburns side here.we have a job to do and minutes or an odd hour here or there should not matter so much.
I’m gobsmacked !! i don’t know whether its because you said you had your own truck, the tacho rules are too strict, Stobarts are in the legal club or Beverley Bell is the anti christ.!! I’ll bet you don’t run your own now though, hey? !!!
greg50 wrote:
i never brought this topic up to make any hassle for the thorburns.
apologies to the thorburn family.
i heard things about this company over the years.
so if they did have to push sometimes to get a load delivered.
what about it.
we all did it in the past.
#as far as i am concerned
every vosa member of staff should be hung drawn and quartered.
they are overpowered [zb].
beverly whatever her name is, is a person who only wants to know the likes of the super legal club.stobarts irlams etc.
i know irlams is stobart now.
she has too much power.
i wonder what her an eddie stobart do in their spare time.
she a dangerous person with too much power in her hands and has an ever so perfect attitude.
i have had my own truck in the past and know the problems that go with it.
i dont like to exceed my driving time and try to keep as right as possible.
the thorburn family were only doing the job as best they could.
i wonder how many late deliveries they have now due to some of the silly rules that go with the tacho rules.
i wont condone driving all night and day,i have done it in the past.
but would not do it nowadays
but sometimes another hour or two wouldnt make us kill the population off.
bottom line is.
the tacho rules are too strict.
theres little or no flexibility except for the odd emergency.
i would be on thorburns side here.
we have a job to do and minutes or an odd hour here or there should not matter so much.
I have just read all this topic and we all moan about the rules but thats life deal with it.
The best Sentance you wrote Quote " but would not do it nowadays"
The worst sentance you wrote Quote " i would be on thorburns side here "
They were basically wrong and they paid the price if they are now all legal good for them.
If a company does not control their drivers hours along with the rules it’s their problem.
Just taking a 45 Min Break 
Best make it a 46 Min break to be sure. 
Mike-C:
greg50:
i never brought this topic up to make any hassle for the thorburns.
apologies to the thorburn family.i heard things about this company over the years.
so if they did have to push sometimes to get a load delivered.
what about it.
we all did it in the past.
#as far as i am concerned
every vosa member of staff should be hung drawn and quartered.
they are overpowered [zb].
beverly whatever her name is, is a person who only wants to know the likes of the super legal club.stobarts irlams etc.
i know irlams is stobart now.
she has too much power.
i wonder what her an eddie stobart do in their spare time.she a dangerous person with too much power in her hands and has an ever so perfect attitude.
i have had my own truck in the past and know the problems that go with it.
i dont like to exceed my driving time and try to keep as right as possible.
the thorburn family were only doing the job as best they could.
i wonder how many late deliveries they have now due to some of the silly rules that go with the tacho rules.
i wont condone driving all night and day,i have done it in the past.
but would not do it nowadays
but sometimes another hour or two wouldnt make us kill the population off.
bottom line is.
the tacho rules are too strict.
theres little or no flexibility except for the odd emergency.
i would be on thorburns side here.we have a job to do and minutes or an odd hour here or there should not matter so much.
I’m gobsmacked !! i don’t know whether its because you said you had your own truck, the tacho rules are too strict, Stobarts are in the legal club or Beverley Bell is the anti christ.!! I’ll bet you don’t run your own now though, hey? !!!
why are you gobsmacked?
its not rocket science.
i had my own truck and its imposible to operate as an owner driver unless you have good work.
your own work direct from a company without 10 percenters taking their share
no point in working as a subby for a big haulier.
they use and abuse.
pay crap rate and work you when it suits them
been there and done that.
i
my father had his own trucks and i followed on in that biz,but got out or was pushed out by the big boys.
i wont run my own again.
i have cpc and good repute and all the crap that goes with it except the money,but im not interested.
beverly bell is an anti christ,
totally intolerant to anyone that does whatever they have to do to get the job finished.
whats wrong with going 10 minutes or an hour over.
how many times have you felt tired after driving for 2 hours.
the rules are too strict.
when the tacho was introduced and i am old enough to remember it.
it was called the drivers friend.
now we see drivers worried about losing their licenses over it.
drivers friend my boll*x
i have an irish license beacause of this.
i am irish anyway.
beverly wont touch mine.
if any of the english drivers want to change their licenses to irish ones and keep this antichrist at bay.
pm me.
addresses can be organised in ireland.
mke.
i dont agree with driving all night and day,no more than you.its just the law has become so silly.
i have no desire to get the wrong side of the laws,
but.these beaurocrats in brussells who wear collars and ties and never drove a truck in their lives are making rules up every day like moving goalposts
we are paying the price and the muppet vosa gang and beverly are sitting pretty laughing at us and making a big wage out of giving us problems we dont need.
yep VOSA a.k.a. The Gestapo
im 55 now and have worked in transport all my life.
i know nothing else.
i agree we shouldnt drive night and day,but the law has gone to far.
big fines in europe and parking up in the uk.
i am talking about driving irish reg trucks here.
thers a vosa checkpoint in liverpool at the end of the m58/57.
they park irish trucks up there all the time and with no security or light in the compound…
ok with an irish license you get away with no points etc.
if you are an englishman driving the irish truck.
you are in the ■■■■.
i admire the french drivers.
park the lot up and get it sorted.
the police and vosa and beverly operate like they are a gestapo in england.
a few days of parking would sort that out.
just parking,no strike or motorway blockades.
dump motors and leave them.
no deliveries basically/
something needs to be done to get these power crazed hitlers off our backs.
theres more drivers than police and vosa/bag[germany]/
we could have them eating out of our hands if we stuck together.
mick.
you
would win as well.
we stop until the police leave us alone and we dont work until the pay is right.
greg50:
as a little extra.
i live in liverpool myself in a rough and ready council estate.
if the estate was policed as well as the motorways are.
this could be a nice estate.
which is the worst.
the hoodies at 3 am when i look out of the bedroom window
with no police to bother them,
or a trailer on the main road without a numberplate going on the nearest main road to get caught in ministry check.
ireland is no better and my daughter is a cop over there.
the system is crap.
and all wrong
It seems hard to imagine now, but i know guys who operated 3 trucks (and parked them there) from a council house in Belle Vale. Another guy who ran his truck from his house on Utting Avenue. The ministry man from the office at the Fiveways used to chase them about trying to catch them for this and that. It all seems a lifetime away now. Times have just changed, its not just Beverley Bell, Stobarts and tachos that have changed it. I’ve also never seen a vegetable grown between here and Widnes, you used to see alsorts years ago. We’re in a Global Market now and you either keep up or you don’t. Thats just how it is. You’re naieve if you think any different !!!
im not interested in cars and for years did the home shopping using the truck.
i had no car and didnt want one.
i have a car now but would be just as happy to use the unit.
this is another liberty taken away
For anyone with rose tinted glasses who thinks the tacho is not our friend i suggest reading this and see a real insight into working for someone in the 60’s/70s. A real eye opener !!!
greg50:
when the tacho was introduced and i am old enough to remember it.
it was called the drivers friend.
I’m old enough to remember it too greg50.
I worked on Merseyside back then, and I can assure you that the tachograph was called lots of things except the driver’s friend.
Most people called it “the spy in the cab.”
It was such a ‘problem’ that there were no keys to open them for the first year, because of the threat of strike action by the union. We continued on log books until the last possible date, which meant a daily kilometer restriction. 
At the union meeting, I tried to say that this ‘new’ bit of kit would be good for drivers, but the old hands shouted me down, saying that I was too young and inexperienced to know what I was talking about.
So whereabouts did they call it the driver’s friend then?
i use a logbook, pain the arse but its easier to fiddle
hey, im irish!
Karl.:
yep VOSA a.k.a. The Gestapo
Left school yet, Karl? 