Load it yourself!

[mtx135]

As a Farmer I’d rather the Lorry driver stayed with his Lorry. As a Lorry driver I’d rather load my own. If I’m on other work as I should be what difference does it make if I’m loading, that’s what other work is for is it not? I think this is a case of you can’t please everyone.

 

[Renaultman]

As a Farmer I’d rather the Lorry driver stayed with his Lorry. As a Lorry driver I’d rather load my own. If I’m on other work as I should be what difference does it make if I’m loading, that’s what other work is for is it not? I think this is a case of you can’t please everyone.

Exactly the same here, there are very few people I would allow to drive my telehandler but do end up, and an .ore than happy to, use a lot of other people's.

 

[Frankzy]

You don't seem to understand.
The term " drivers hours" includes ALL working hours, be it driving, loading, supervising, and the maximum length of your working day, working week, and working fortnight are set in stone.

Errr no, driving hours and working hours are not the same, it's called "driving hours" for a reason and it only applies while driving something, as soon as you're not driving anything the Tacho should be set to "other work" or whatever it says on your Tacho's.

 

[S00TY]

As I understand it those on store delivery in the UK spend most of their shift either waiting or loading/unloading. There isn't that much driving as the stores are serviced by a local RDC.
There wouldn't be many load up and drive 10 hours jobs in the UK.

Oh I don’t know. In a previous life I used to deliver a lot of fresh produce from places like Southampton and Dover docks and also Paddock Wood direct to a lot of the Scottish RDC’s.

And that was often after little sleep as you spent hours running around the dock off tachograph going to various sheds to get loaded. You looked forward to your bed at the end of those shifts that’s for sure!
And this was what the haulage and suppler companies expected you to do, I certainly don’t miss those days.

Hopefully all that type of crazy practice has long since finished.

 

[kiwi pom]

Errr no, driving hours and working hours are not the same, it's called "driving hours" for a reason and it only applies while driving something, as soon as you're not driving anything the Tacho should be set to "other work" or whatever it says on your Tacho's.

I think what he's saying is, sitting in the truck getting loaded all counts towards the drivers hours, its not break time. Yes drive time and other work are separate but they are all counted as work.
We got rid of the driving bit in NZ its all just on duty time, doesn't matter whether you're driving, loading or washing your truck its all the same.
Makes life a lot easier.

 

[Courier]

The end of it for me was going to a farm with a load of hay in six stringers, having been warned that I would probably have to unload myself. However, when I got there, the farmer was there and when I had unstrapped, proceeded to unload the bales. Halfway backing across the yard with one bale on his old Massey , one boom on his loader broke in half where the bend is, dropping the bale on the front of the tractor, wrecking it pretty badly. He was lucky that it didn't go into the cab with him. But how would it all have gone if I had been driving ?

Eeek - No injuries I hope - However did you get the rest of the load off ?

 

[Lofty1984]

Something no one has mentioned is Covid not ideal for anyone random wagon drivers jumping on your machine, same goes for the wagon drivers

 

[borderterribles]

Eeek - No injuries I hope - However did you get the rest of the load off ?

He rang his neighbour, who came and unloaded the rest of the load.

 

[TheTallGuy]

If they aren't doing the same hours as a regular truck driver that is fine, but to expect people to load and unload themselves and drive the full working hours is inviting danger.

It's the same sort of thing with grab waggons, skips, readymix, building supplies, multi-drop pallet farce, milk tankers, etc. - spells of driving punctuated by periods of "other work" & provided that the minimum daily/weekly rest periods are correctly observed is considered safe.

 

[Frankzy]

I think what he's saying is, sitting in the truck getting loaded all counts towards the drivers hours, its not break time. Yes drive time and other work are separate but they are all counted as work.

Not here in the EU it doesn't, driving hours are only when driving, nothing else.
As soon as you're in park it switches to 'other work' and it does not count as driving nor resting.

We got rid of the driving bit in NZ its all just on duty time, doesn't matter whether you're driving, loading or washing your truck its all the same.
Makes life a lot easier.

Easier? All it sounds like to me is that you get penalised for every minute that isn't absolutely needed while stopped to load/unload. Doesn't sound like it's conducive to a low-stress and safe workday.
"I probably should do a walkaround check but I only have 30 minutes on the Tacho and the next leg is at least 20 minutes so it can wait, it's only 30 kilometres after all..."

 

[kiwi pom]

Not here in the EU it doesn't, driving hours are only when driving, nothing else.
As soon as you're in park it switches to 'other work' and it does not count as driving nor resting.

I don't think you are understanding what I'm saying.
When the driver is driving they are reducing their total available working or 'on duty' hours for that shift, the drivers hours are reducing.
Driving hours are often recorded separately because in many countries the hours you can drive are less than the hours you can be on duty.
Here in NZ it doesn't matter, its all just on duty, it just simplifies things.
In the UK and I think Europe, its possible to run out of on duty, work time but not have used up all your allowed drive time. I'd suggest it happens quite often.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

I think what he's saying is, sitting in the truck getting loaded all counts towards the drivers hours, its not break time. Yes drive time and other work are separate but they are all counted as work.
We got rid of the driving bit in NZ its all just on duty time, doesn't matter whether you're driving, loading or washing your truck its all the same.
Makes life a lot easier.

Out of interest how much on duty time can you have before a break? The 6 hour rule here is not too bad

 

[kiwi pom]

Out of interest how much on duty time can you have before a break? The 6 hour rule here is not too bad

5 and a half hours then you have to take a 30 minute break.
I think, its 13 hours on duty then you have to have a ten hour break. Once you have 70 hours on duty for the week, you need a 24 hour break.
Its fairly straight forward really, it means you can do a decent shift 5 or 6 days a week and get at least a day off. It makes double shifting a truck (which is very common) fairly easy for employers too.

 

[Kestrelk]

I had a tipper in the other day , watched him
Back to where I want tipped , I started to open his trailer door so he could tip without getting out cab so fat it took him ages to get out , no no don’t open trailer it’s dangerous !! I’m thinking what the Fuk ? It’s under pressure , I thinking yes well I’m standing at the side just knock the little loop up and bingo , no no this is how you do it he says , stands behind door slides loop up and the lever flys down hits him in the chest nearly kills the fat arse hole ffs lorry drivers how they keep their license when they get so fat I never know .

Health and safety gone mad

 

[Highland Mule]

Health and safety gone mad

No, that’s a lack of Health and Safety.