I had to park up out of time near to their Haydock distribution centre last night.
If you are one of their ‘professional’ night drivers who were the subject matter for my letter of complaint (see below) then I would like you to know that it’s supposed ‘drivers’ like you that make me ashamed to be a truck driver sometimes. Not just 1 idiot, but several of you.
First time I’ve ever written a complaint in my life but I had to do it as these idiots disgust me.
"FAO of Tuffnels Head Office
CC : Tuffnels Haydock Traffic Management.
I am writing to you to point out what I consider to be unprofessionalism from several of your drivers either leaving or entering the Haydock depot last night. I am a truck driver myself and work all kinds of unsociable shifts such as days, early mornings and nights as my shift patterns change with the work. After delivering to Haydock Cross and running out of hours I parked up at the dead end of Kilbuck lane near to your depot. I have worked for several companies around there and know that although not the best place to park for amenities, several trucks park up there (as was the case last night).
One of your Scania trucks pulled out of your depot and parked up for a break a bit further up from me. I wouldn’t have known he was there as as you might expect I was asleep. Now, I’m a heavy sleeper. I sleep with refrigerated trailers and they don’t wake me up. However it became apparant to me that somebody was beeping their horns around 2.20am this morning. It was then I noticed this guy parked up (probably having his break which is all well and good and what he is entitled to do). It turned out that the horns were being blasted between trucks leaving the depot as they drove past this truck who was parked up having a break. The first couple of times it happened it woke me but I didn’t take too much notice apart from to think of expletives for this activity to myself (don’t forget I’m not the only sleeping driver parked up there either), but when it became apparant that some of the beeping was from this parked up truck I decided to get up. I decided to get dressed to go and find out what this guy’s morality was to be using air horns when there are 1) other drivers asleep around him, 2) between 11pm and 7pm and 3) several residential houses nearby. I also wanted to see if anyone more of his colleagues used their horn to acknoweldge him and vice versa. Unfortunately for me the guy started up and drove off and I was unable to speak with him or get his registration number. Obviously you will know through tracking systems who was parked up for 45 minutes at Kilbuck lane 200 metres up from the depot around 2.00am and 2.30 and I hope a word might be in order as to his conduct along with maybe a driver notice as to being a ‘professional’ driver. I certainly wouldn’t comprehend beeping my horn in the night unless it was to avoid a collision, especially not to acknowledge my mate(s) as I leave the depot.
I probably wont ever park up there again but that is not the point. It wasn’t the conduct of this 1 idiot that is the point either, but for several ‘drivers’ to be doing it (more so with the houses near by) is to be completely out of order. I know the houses are not immediately next to the depot, but in the dead of night I can hear ASDA’s fridge motors running at their RDC in Skelmersdale and I live over a mile away. Please bring this matter to the attention of your night drivers and ask them to be a bit more professional in the future, if not for the sake of the ‘professional’ drivers who have no alternative but to sleep where they can, but to people nearby to your distribution centre."
because he nods off at three in the afternoon.
