Just to give you a bit of background information, i work for a large firm, depots all over the UK. On the contract i work there are about 20 of us & we’re tramping Mon-Fri, so come Friday everyone’s looking to get away as early as possible, & i’ve noticed it’s always the same guys who get away earlier than the rest, they’ve usually got a Doctors or Dentist appointment for 2pm-ish nearly every Friday.
Anyway, as my missus works nights on Fridays i’m not really all that bothered about an early finish, so on a Friday i’m usually 1 of the last drivers back, as i’ve said, i’m not too bothered about it, but, i’ve always been a believer that if you’re away early on a Friday then you should expect to get an early start on Monday, & vice versa, finish late should mean a late start on Monday.
Most of our work is timed deliveries, so Monday morning from 2-6am about half the fleet is on the move with the rest of the drivers turning in about 6am.
So, when i get back to the yard last Friday i enquire if there are any drivers still out, ‘3 still out’ replies my planner, ‘rightio’ says i, ‘what you got for me on Monday?’, ‘London for 0630’ says he, meaning a 3am start for me, so, i threw my toys out the pram & told him i wasn’t happy with his planning & wouldn’t be putting in an appearance til 6am.
My question is, do you think i was being unreasonable? Should i just knuckle down & take it on the chin, or, was i justified in lobbing my toys?
A few drivers have enquired about running down on a Sunday so we don’t have ridiculously early Monday starts but its a no-go as they’re not willing to pay the extra.
I’m sure a few on here have silly o’clock starts on Mondays, but the last thing i’m ready for at 6pm on a Sunday evening is bed, having only gotten up about 8 hours previously, & i’ve got kids, so not much chance of peace & quiet.
Betty Swallox:
Just to give you a bit of background information, i work for a large firm, depots all over the UK. On the contract i work there are about 20 of us & we’re tramping Mon-Fri, so come Friday everyone’s looking to get away as early as possible, & i’ve noticed it’s always the same guys who get away earlier than the rest, they’ve usually got a Doctors or Dentist appointment for 2pm-ish nearly every Friday.
Anyway, as my missus works nights on Fridays i’m not really all that bothered about an early finish, so on a Friday i’m usually 1 of the last drivers back, as i’ve said, i’m not too bothered about it, but, i’ve always been a believer that if you’re away early on a Friday then you should expect to get an early start on Monday, & vice versa, finish late should mean a late start on Monday.
Most of our work is timed deliveries, so Monday morning from 2-6am about half the fleet is on the move with the rest of the drivers turning in about 6am.
So, when i get back to the yard last Friday i enquire if there are any drivers still out, ‘3 still out’ replies my planner, ‘rightio’ says i, ‘what you got for me on Monday?’, ‘London for 0630’ says he, meaning a 3am start for me, so, i threw my toys out the pram & told him i wasn’t happy with his planning & wouldn’t be putting in an appearance til 6am.
My question is, do you think i was being unreasonable? Should i just knuckle down & take it on the chin, or, was i justified in lobbing my toys?
A few drivers have enquired about running down on a Sunday so we don’t have ridiculously early Monday starts but its a no-go as they’re not willing to pay the extra.
I’m sure a few on here have silly o’clock starts on Mondays, but the last thing i’m ready for at 6pm on a Sunday evening is bed, having only gotten up about 8 hours previously, & i’ve got kids, so not much chance of peace & quiet.
Sounds like they try it on because they know they can and until now you’ve said nothing. There will be drivers there who throw their toys out of the pram at much less than that and as a result are probably the ones who finish at 2pm on Friday and start at 6am on Monday because the planners and office staff dont like confrontation. While there are other drivers who do whatever they are told, they can have an easy life and give the blue eyed boys whatever they want to keep them quiet.
I see wher you’re coming from, but throwing teddies around never achieves much 
Far better to ask for a sit down with the TM and get your point across in a civilised manner 
Things should be shared out, so those who finish early should get the early starts and vice versa, maybe that needs pointing out, the TM may not be aware that it’s causing a problem until you bring it to their attention, Then you may get what you want. Or it could be a case of the blue eyed boys getting everything their way and the rest of you doing as you’re told, in that case you are faced with a choice, accept the status quo, or get outa Dodge 
Sometimes it does get on your ■■■■ when the same old faces, usually the wingers or those who go drinky poohs with the office bod, get the easy life all the time and the willing donkey gets all the bloody heavy stuff…its always been like that unfortunately.
You can understand why the office do it…up to a point…they give you driver A a heavy day and you go and do it, they can forget you and the job…they give winger B the same heavy day and not only does he moan buggery about it to all and sundry, the chances are he’ll have a delay/breakdown/problem/something that will mean his second run doesn’t get done, so office have to get someone else in…we’ve got 'em at our place too, if they get a double they jump up and down and spend 2 hours (seriously) going round the yard griping about it to any bugger who will listen, Christ knows why cos one particular bloke has never done the second run yet, he always gets out of it, and the company know he will, but they’ve technically given him a double, so the box has been ticked…GAARRHH.
However, as a day driver, presumably doing over 11 hour shifts, you shouldn’t be starting before 4am anyway.
We’re not allowed to start before 4am unless we’re on nights which is restricted hours.
Will somebody think of the teddy’s
No doubt some of those getting finished early Friday and late start Monday
will be moaning that you are getting 6 hours a week more than them.
newmercman:
I see wher you’re coming from, but throwing teddies around never achieves muchFar better to ask for a sit down with the TM and get your point across in a civilised manner
I agree with what you’re saying, i was in to see the TM & his 2ic last Tuesday & was told it would be ‘looked into’. Nothing seems to have changed though.
Anyway, turned up to work at 6am this morning to be told an agency driver was doing my run, sent home for a day off unpaid. Tbh, i wasn’t too bothered, got lots to do around the house today & i need to start work on a new kitchen. Thankfully i’m in a position where the loss of a days pay isn’t that big a deal.
Juddian:
Sometimes it does get on your ■■■■ when the same old faces, usually the wingers or those who go drinky poohs with the office bod, get the easy life all the time and the willing donkey gets all the bloody heavy stuff…its always been like that unfortunately.You can understand why the office do it…up to a point…they give you driver A a heavy day and you go and do it, they can forget you and the job…they give winger B the same heavy day and not only does he moan buggery about it to all and sundry, the chances are he’ll have a delay/breakdown/problem/something that will mean his second run doesn’t get done, so office have to get someone else in…we’ve got 'em at our place too, if they get a double they jump up and down and spend 2 hours (seriously) going round the yard griping about it to any bugger who will listen, Christ knows why cos one particular bloke has never done the second run yet, he always gets out of it, and the company know he will, but they’ve technically given him a double, so the box has been ticked…GAARRHH.
However, as a day driver, presumably doing over 11 hour shifts, you shouldn’t be starting before 4am anyway.
We’re not allowed to start before 4am unless we’re on nights which is restricted hours.
Unfortunately we’ve ‘opted out’ of the 4am night workers rule, nothing to do with me, something that was done before i started there, so the benefit of an early finish is taken away.
You should of told them that you’d like to finish earlier or start later abit more often first, then after a few weeks if it hasnt changed then kick up, it mite seem like their taking the ■■■■ but they wont want to lose you, theres not many drivers that do as their told and dont moan about doing long days.
mention that you dont mind the late finishes on the Friday, but would appreciate later starts on the Monday. Fair’s fair and all that. Same principle with rental trucks at our place. One manager will always swap the complainers so they don’t have to take them out but if someone who usually just gets on with it dares to grumble then they get both barrels.
every now an then you have to spit the dummy out,otherwise they take the wee wee
mezzzz1211:
every now an then you have to spit the dummy out,otherwise they take the wee wee
+1
To many people take the pee out of someones good will. Now they know not to take the ■■■■ out off you
just get in your lorry on sunday, go to london and have a good nights kip.
don’t ask them, just do it.
the planner tells you where and when you need to be somewhere.
it’s your job to get there on time, safely, and with the load intact. and how you do this has got [zb] all to do with the planner.
if i was a planner, i’d just say you’ve got london for 6.30 monday. and that’s it. why would i be interested in the bit in between?
limeyphil:
just get in your lorry on sunday, go to london and have a good nights kip.
don’t ask them, just do it.
the planner tells you where and when you need to be somewhere.
it’s your job to get there on time, safely, and with the load intact. and how you do this has got [zb] all to do with the planner.if i was a planner, i’d just say you’ve got london for 6.30 monday. and that’s it. why would i be interested in the bit in between?
+1
You got to speak your mind I have learnt this from my previous job. I am now a big whinger and have already been told I’m the favourite (by other workers)
It was never like that when I used to keep quite, I got crap after crap and then I just lost it one day. My teddy went right across the room. My father always said keep quite and keep the peace but unfortunately it never got him anywhere neither did it me.
Times have changed and this is the world we live in, although there are jobs where the boss will even it out, but there rare these days as everyone who got them jobs tend to keep them.
My boss in my current job tends to help me out and I help him out his actually a cracking guy we have a understanding it’s how it should be.
Thanks for the replies guys. I’ve had a very productive day off & tomorrow i’ve an 8am London, so there’s a slight improvement. As i’ve been up since 4am i’m nearly ready for bed, when i get up i’ll be fully rested & ready to go.
Betty Swallox:
We’re not allowed to start before 4am unless we’re on nights which is restricted hours.
Unfortunately we’ve ‘opted out’ of the 4am night workers rule, nothing to do with me, something that was done before i started there, so the benefit of an early finish is taken away.
[/quote]
Tickles me that one! did your bosses consult every driver and get a 51% majority to opt out? 
Trafford park stobart drivers 
homing pidgeons on Friday! GOTTA GET HOME, GOTTA GET HOME! Dentists appointments " TOOTH-HURTY " all excuses fly outta their mouths on Fridays! wacky races got to beat the traffic on Barton bridge at 12:34 hrs Friday afternoon, aka " RUSH HOUR "
All joking aside, EARLY START, EARLY DART! take no BULLCARP and do your 71 hours! I don’t have any dummies to throw out of my pram but my teddies are called RICK O’ SHEA!