Not that much of a different angle, your “proper drivers” are within the same remit of what I described as “happy to employ”.
People need to have it as a legal requirement, and the ones who most need it are the ones that resist it most. I still see people saying “slap a magnet on it…” or “I don’t do walkaround checks” or “Ah divvent stap nowt down me, ah just drive to the load”. All utterly clueless and not members of the “happy to employ” or “proper driver’s” group at all (IMO).
I suggest at least two reasons for that:
(i) the rubbish, cowboy operators don’t care, they just want some mug who’ll push the envelope, and as Maoster described very well, think they’re on £1000 a week when its really 2x £500 for two weeks work in one
(ii) for the others who might care, it’s probably extreme “driver fatigue”: After dealing with a succession of the ones I described as inelligible members of the HTE group, operators might tend to become disheartened by the range of new employees available.
But to be balanced, I do believe that most operators carry at least half of the blame: They don’t do proper interviews, so don’t take a measure of the applicant, don’t look at the last 28 days worth of driving, and consequently many of them then end up with the poor quality drivers they deserve because they haven’t made any effort or put any thought into who they’re employing. They just look at the financial bottom line and take it from there.
I get the DCPC thing, but does a dcpc qyalification after a course change their attitudes?
I have kicked off big style in our office a few times lately after I’ve repeatedly picked up trailers unstrapped, and worse having to do them myself instead, because some ■■■■ can not be arsed, because he has no spare time to even stop for a pi55 in his self induced stress laden life…and in the pi55ing rain, (the bit which really tipped me over the edge, being not the most tolerant guy)
Done each time by a ‘Qualified professionally competent driver’ supposedlly.
That was my point, it aint working, it’s yet another box ticking excercise.
This is where your operator should be listening to the genuine grievances of you as an experienced driver and taking the opportunity to straighten out Mr CBA-to-do-my-job-properly. I’d be asking you operator “What if Mr CBA does that and the rest of us aren’t picking up after him? How do you like the idea of him bringing back an Immediate PG9? What will that do to your OCRS scores? What if he effs up and you end up with DVSA rocking up to the premises to start digging for more dirt?”
It’s possible that your gaffer might be oblivious to the increased sanctions for load security offences. If you have a good rapport with him, you’d be doing him a favour to point this stuff out him.
One prick left a trailer for me, a load of miscellaneous parts for farm buildings, galv steel sections, roofing sheets, flashings etc, you need to ‘back strap’ them to stop them collapsing inwards, as there is a full length gap right down the centre of the trailer, then you strap each pile over the top.
He had came 20 miles from the manufacturer with 6 straps chucked over the top only, miraculously they had not moved.
He actually left me a note in back of trailer , saying essentially that it was not strapped properly, but it was ok when he left it…I kid you not.
Another one dropped a load of double pallet empty beer kegs, when I tackled him about it he looked at me as if I was stupid and said…‘Wey ya divvent strap kegs man’.
‘Not if you are going all the way with it yourself, but if I’m taking it up you kin do’ I said.
In the end I told him to just f.off while I sorted it.
Told the boss, did not mention the names…(not that he asked) , and when I said ‘What is wrong with these f. ers,.why do you even employ them’ all I got was a tut and a shake of his head, presumably to agree with me.
And this is what you are up against.
This is this guy’s take on it.
‘Drivers who can not get back for their tea’
A bit insulting a bit flippant, deriding guys who do not want to join this industry, or no longer want to be there, because in essence they would rather spend time with their families…
Is there something wrong with that?
Working 15 hour days and taking 9 off in some sh.hole, after starting at some ungodly hour for basically poor pay, whilst at the same time puttting up with all the crap on the roads, plus all the unnecessary box ticking excercises from employers,… is hardly a good inviting proposition or incentive is it?
Or am I missing summet ?
Sort the kin job out, sort the hours out, sort the pay out, and sort employers like him out who sneer at his drivers.
