msgyorkie:
I dunno why some people dont have the balls to say NO.
You guys where working 15+ hours and youse were deducted 2 hours pay for breaks…then why on earth havent you parked up in services for 2 hours then having your breaks that you are LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE■■?
Dont give me the bollox about not then being able to meet your planned targets…thats the planners tough luck its HIS/HER PROBLEM!
Also Grogzy you stated that you started at 5.30 am well by my simple maths that ment that you had to be parked up by 8.30pm. So when you arrive at plant at 7.30pm with 1 hour left on the card, knowing it may take 3 hours to unload then why the hell did you go in to load■■? You know you will NOT be paid those 2 hours “off card” so friggen well park up and tell planner you will be in there to load when you have completed your daily rest.
Remember YOU have the LAW behind you for YOUR benifit!
Most Dutch companies have a slightly more liberal view on this and it is their risk under Dutch law not the drivers.
Basically the company has to pay the fine the driver does not neither does he gets points on his licence for doing the companies bidding.
Depending on the way you are paid it can sometimes be to your advantage to load as it may mean that you can get a few thousand more kilometers in before your 90 hours in 2 weeks are up or maybe the trip is interesting enough and offers a weekend in Venice or Cadiz or somewhere else interesting.
It maybe that by not loading that someone else goes in and loads it and you end up having to load 3 or 4 trailers the next day rather than doing some decent driving.
Remeber when working abroad you have to adapt to what THEY normally do, not what would do back home where the regime is a lot stricter.
Maybe so but if ya aint getting paid then you are mug for working.
I wouldnt care the next day if it was 3/4 trailers instead of driving…still getting a wage. Just the freebie for the company is a no no.
that is you, maybe not the guys out there spending 3 weeks and more away from home who want to make as much as they can to make it worth their while
Vascoingles:
Most Dutch companies have a slightly more liberal view on this and it is their risk under Dutch law not the drivers.
Basically the company has to pay the fine the driver does not neither does he gets points on his licence for doing the companies bidding.
Depending on the way you are paid it can sometimes be to your advantage to load as it may mean that you can get a few thousand more kilometers in before your 90 hours in 2 weeks are up or maybe the trip is interesting enough and offers a weekend in Venice or Cadiz or somewhere else interesting.
It maybe that by not loading that someone else goes in and loads it and you end up having to load 3 or 4 trailers the next day rather than doing some decent driving.
Remeber when working abroad you have to adapt to what THEY normally do, not what would do back home where the regime is a lot stricter.
That’s how I see it too, you may work a little that you don’t get paid for, but by doing that you may get better work so that you’re not working so hard for your money, if that makes sense? By that I mean that if you load off the card you get a run from say Antwerp down to Lisbon or wherever, whereas if you stick rigidly to the rules you get to load 4 trailers in Antwerp three days running, you may work less hours, but the run to Lisbon will be a lot easier, sometimes it’s not always about the pound per hour, but about the value you get from working that hour
I think fault lies on both sides here. On the British drivers going over there expecting it to be like working in the UK but also VdB for not making it very very clear what was expected in the interview. They should have understood these drivers are from a different culture. I after all spent 3 years on and off working for HSF, and they made it explicitly clear what was expected, which was a hell of a lot more that most expect these days. I fully understand why some drivers don’t want to break the law but as Vas has implied if that’s you then working for the Dutch is not for you.
When I went to Holland I started with Jan De RIJK when they only had about 30 vehicles it was go, go and go not all the hours were paid for when waiting etc, etc but the money at the end of the month was more than satisfactory for what was done, then i went to Van Overvled when they had 5 motors more of the same hard work but some excellent money, eventually going to Van heur which is now part of VdB fumnnily enough where life was quieter but money was considerably less. A 2 year stint then for a Spanish company funnily enough owned by a Dutchman taught me another way of doing things, every country is different not only in their way of doing things but also in their interpretations of EU law so as I say when in Rome etc, etc.
What a load of bollox , you go to work to earn money, not for the scenery. And IF you are asked to run bent, and you agree, you should be paid top dollar
msgyorkie:
I dunno why some people dont have the balls to say NO.
You guys where working 15+ hours and youse were deducted 2 hours pay for breaks…then why on earth havent you parked up in services for 2 hours then having your breaks that you are LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE■■?
Dont give me the bollox about not then being able to meet your planned targets…thats the planners tough luck its HIS/HER PROBLEM!
Also Grogzy you stated that you started at 5.30 am well by my simple maths that ment that you had to be parked up by 8.30pm. So when you arrive at plant at 7.30pm with 1 hour left on the card, knowing it may take 3 hours to unload then why the hell did you go in to load■■? You know you will NOT be paid those 2 hours “off card” so friggen well park up and tell planner you will be in there to load when you have completed your daily rest.
Remember YOU have the LAW behind you for YOUR benifit!
If you would read it properly I arrived to LOAD and I arrived not knowing it was a 3 hour wait to get the product, it’s past 4 hours now and still waiting. Trust me I’ve tried saying no Yo my planners but they do not take no for and answer and I can’t be arsed arguing with my planner for an hour over that blooming board computer while trying to drive,
Trust me I’ve tried saying no Yo my planners but they do not take no
I have always found that saying…"I am out of time I am off to bed, talk tomorrow " works
Planners will push, its how far you let them push makes the difference… we all have stretched the limits, me included, i am no angel, but I do know if you dont say NO, then your screwed. the more you give in, the more they will expect, set your limits early and you will get a few weeks crap work while they vent their frustration then they will work with you … trust me, Murfitts tried it with me and for a few weeks I had crap UK work… but then when they realised I was reliable and not a flake I got good runs that could be done easily, ask any ex Murfitts to get on the Southern Germany Denso run was a little goldmine, 2- 3 tips and reload empties and back to telford lots of miles and had to be run legal… guess who got them runs? the guys who refused to run over because the customer demanded legal runnning.
When your given three and a half days to run from Amsterdam to Rome you know your planner has got the message … its still tight but doable
I’ve tried rikki. But I think the word no means yes to my planner, I don’t think driving down the motorway typing messages to your planner whilst steering with your elbows very safe, I’m no angel either and sometimes I don’t mund doing an extra hour but I did 14 hours today with taking a proper break and even when I told him I wouldn’t make his loading time it’s like why not etc etc. Anyway will be round about 1am I finish so 12 hours off for me and a 10 hour shift 2moro. Tho gotta cook dinner as I can’t use gas in the factory premesis
gogzy:
I’ve tried rikki. But I think the word no means yes to my planner, I don’t think driving down the motorway typing messages to your planner whilst steering with your elbows very safe, I’m no angel either and sometimes I don’t mund doing an extra hour but I did 14 hours today with taking a proper break and even when I told him I wouldn’t make his loading time it’s like why not etc etc. Anyway will be round about 1am I finish so 12 hours off for me and a 10 hour shift 2moro. Tho gotta cook dinner as I can’t use gas in the factory premesis
Pass them the ball and ask them what they want you to do, if they tell you to tip off the card, ask them to put it on the BC. As Frans mentioned, Dutch law requires them to keep the BC messages for two years.
I do know of two planners who have lost their jobs for bullying drivers beyond the call of duty, although neither worked for VDB
An earlier post in these threads suggested I was sticking up for the company and blindly posting. In reality I wouldn’t tell anyone how good or bad the job is at Wincanton, Eddie Stobart or Hoyer, because I don’t know. However if the companies I have worked for are mentioned, then I am entitled to proffer my opinion
Vascoingles:
that is you, maybe not the guys out there spending 3 weeks and more away from home who want to make as much as they can to make it worth their while
Please explain how the DRIVER is making money when they don`t get paid for tipping off the card.
Please,no more of your crap about how well you have done,just how do you earn money working unpaid.
Vascoingles:
that is you, maybe not the guys out there spending 3 weeks and more away from home who want to make as much as they can to make it worth their while
Please explain how the DRIVER is making money when they don`t get paid for tipping off the card.
Please,no more of your crap about how well you have done,just how do you earn money working unpaid.
Mark.
The BC is your time sheet, you’ve got to learn how to use it to your advantage. I think I’ve got it, I keep as near to within the law as I can and don’t tip load off the card. granted with circumstances in the day things get delayed and to help the company and help yourself you do have to occaisionally.
I do make money, for 3 weeks work I don’t think is too bad, in fact I think it’s quite good.
VdB expect you to be flexible, it’s in the job advert and if you learn to comunicate with your planner both in person and on the bc, they start to be flexible with you.
You go nover there thinking your going to the land of milk and honey, it’s not quite like that, they expect you to work, if you get your head down and do the work and learn quickly the work gets easier and the money is more than adequate.
If you moan and groan, make it out your being shafted, you tend to let it get on top of you and evrything starts to be a chore and you get more and more ■■■■■■ off with it.
Gridley51:
Please explain how the DRIVER is making money when they don`t get paid for tipping off the card.
Please,no more of your crap about how well you have done,just how do you earn money working unpaid.
Mark.
Okey-Didley-Dokely:
The BC is your time sheet, you’ve got to learn how to use it to your advantage. I think I’ve got it, I keep as near to within the law as I can and don’t tip load off the card. granted with circumstances in the day things get delayed and to help the company and help yourself you do have to occaisionally.
I do make money, for 3 weeks work I don’t think is too bad, in fact I think it’s quite good.
VdB expect you to be flexible, it’s in the job advert and if you learn to comunicate with your planner both in person and on the bc, they start to be flexible with you.
You go nover there thinking your going to the land of milk and honey, it’s not quite like that, they expect you to work, if you get your head down and do the work and learn quickly the work gets easier and the money is more than adequate.
If you moan and groan, make it out your being shafted, you tend to let it get on top of you and evrything starts to be a chore and you get more and more ■■■■■■ off with it.
I agree with this post wholeheartedly, and it was the same when I worked for a German company, a French company and even a Belgium company. My circumstances changed and family issues caused a change of direction, otherwise I would still be working on the continent
, you go to work to earn money, not for the scenery. And IF you are asked to run bent, and you agree, you should be paid top dollar 
