A14 Theft Hotspot Again

[Pat Nicholson]

One of our drivers parked in the big layby west bound on the A14 opposite the garage at Raunds on Thursday night, and woke up to find 3 huge section cut from his curtains and 8 pallets of goods missing

What were these lucrative goods?

Rawhide Dogs Bones

The thing is we get our parking paid on receipt of the parking ticket so understandably patience is running short 'up top' and we have all now been banned from parking on the A14 anywhere

Last week another driver had all his deisel stolen parked on a layby on the A1 close to Ferrybridge ( not for the first time) and so we've also been banned from parking on the A1 within 20 miles of Ferrybridge

I've thought about this one overnight and still have mixed feelings about it so I will post my 'mixed feelings' and you give me yours please


Why do drivers park in laybys when their parking is re-imbursed?
Where do we park if we end up banned from more roads when there is nowhere secure to park?
Would drivers be more diligent if the insurance premiums to cover the load came out of there pocket?
Why don't drivers realise that it's extra costs like these that prevent us all from getting decent rises?
I suspect the reason could have been that on a Thursday night the driver had run out of money to pay parking?
..............is that a valid excuse?
What more can a Boss do other than reimburse parking charges?

Thoughts please because at the moment I'm angry with the driver and angry at the action taken and feel that there should have been a lot more 'joined up thinking' put into this from both sides

Pat
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You're not finished when you're defeated. You're finished when You Quit.

[TrickyRicky]

I don't do a lot of nights out but it strikes me their could be a "cash flow" issue for some drivers, if you are out 3 or 4 nights a week and stay at motorway services or similar you are looking at an outlay of £60 to £80. For many people on a drivers wage that is a lot of money. Maybe the answer is a "float", but of course that has to be administered and knowing people it would no doubt get dipped into!

The solution has to be in the hands of the employers, through the various trade bodies, they should organise a network of overnight sites throughout the country and through those organisations have an account system. But of course I am in the land of the fairies!

T.R.

[seasideguy]

The answer is simple for those employers that want to pay for parking, make it a condition of employment in the contract that the driver parks in a truckstop/msa and that he/she should carry sufficient money to enable him/her to do this. It's not hard with a little planning is it?

however, I'm yet to work for a firm that will pay for parking.

[squarepeg]

It's in the blood. There are drivers who prefer a lay-by no matter what incentive they may have to park elsewhere. You can tell who they are on most companies by the number of cut trailers they bring back: or you could if they reported them, it's usually the next driver to pick the trailer up that finds the damage.
Yes I have had curtains cut in proper parking places, Lymm for instance, but at least I do bring some trailers back uncut.

AS for being Banned from parking in certain areas then it's up to the drivers to park up before they reach these areas, but of course that would impact on those paid hour, mileage, & tip money

For myself I would often park at Ashford if I didn't have at least 3 hours running time left, or it was after 5.00pm, as I knew that otherwise I would very likely get stuck somewhere without proper parking facilities.

Regarding the Euro report: Does this mean that Bretts are now banned from parking at Fleet Services as well
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Squarepeg ([])


Can you just ....?

[Pat Nicholson]

The way I've always worked my expenses is that in a normal week I average claiming £90 to £120 inclusive of parking and night out money for 4 nights out.
So I have always kept myself a float of £100 which I top up at the end of each week with whats been used

Now I know it's easy to use this if you're hard up and have a bill to pay but surely it's in everyone's interest to ensure that you can stay safe at night?

Pat
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You're not finished when you're defeated. You're finished when You Quit.

[john (smiffy)]

[Pat Nicholson]

That £100 is out of my pocket but having said that it started life as £30 some 27 yrs ago and has gradually increased as prices have.
But it has never ever been part of MY money since then, it's something I'll get back when I finally pack in driving.

Brett's will give any driver their Night Out Money and toll money in advance of a trip if they ask for it out of petty cash but I just prefer to work it this way.

A lot of this problem stems from drivers counting expenses as part of their weekly wage when it isn't

I often get told how much a driver has earned and when I ask if that's with or without expenses they say amazed ''with it, of course''

You don't earn expenses, they are not taxed and as such are NOT part of anyone's wages so why do we all allow a wage to be subsidised by expenses

Pat
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You're not finished when you're defeated. You're finished when You Quit.

[john (smiffy)]

do you get it back at the end of that week or the following week??

i had a float but at the end of the week i put expences chit in and got it back

but one week all the petty cash was nicked so he paid that week in cash but from then on it went into bank with wages

so i worked week spent his float and had to wait till next pay day for it to go in bank so i was then spending my money the following week

one week i had 11 seven crossings 5 nights out and 3 parking worked out getting on for £240 was even worse if you were going on 2 weeks holiday as you were paid 1 weeks wage and exp from the week before plus 2 weeks hol pay on the pay day
the week you had just worked went in bank on the pay day when you came back to work so you were spending you money again till the payday and the £240 exp + wages went in

one year when i was going away i went to wages office and said i want my expence's gave them all the bits and bobs and collected it in cash after a row with the guvnors son about it he had to cover my job for the fortnight and when i came back he apoligized as he saw it from my veiw when he had to wait till the follwing week

what he never new was i got the planners at the brewery to just give him bristols and avonmouths so he was getting 3 seven crossings a day
he ended up with £320 expenece's in 1 week
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cheers
john

[Ally Bongo]

A lot of drivers ,it is just greed , And there is still a few companies out there that will not pay for parking , they deserve all they get because thier drivers are being put at risk for not being re-imbursed with the parking payments.
I still think if most companies gave drivers running money of a £100.00 per week and the drivers provided the reciepts , I dont think there would be much hassle from the bosses ,

[Pat Nicholson]

[vbmonkey]

IMHO, if you're sending out a driver who will have to pay for toll crossings for a week's tramping, there should be a tag or a cash float. I had a massive argument years ago with Spalding Haulage over paying to get in to Nine Elms. Apparently "everyone else pays it, it's what the job involves". Not me matey: if your customers want the fruit and veg enough they'll come and get me in. Which they did.
I had a DART tag run out on me while on Perkins, and had no spare change or money in the current account. Got into Kent through Blackwall, got back over Woolwich, whole day went tits up. Found out afterwards the DART tags were managed by an office junior who did the toner and paperclip replenishment at Exel head office. Well, not after that!

I do the very best I can for the firms I work for, but allowing them to extend their operating budget into my pocket is a no-no. I made it an unbreakable rule after my first real HGV job, where I was expected to put the fuel on my VISA, submit a claim and then wait 4 weeks.


If drivers drink the float, bin them for theft.

/rant.
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John B
"Never ask someone if they're from Yorkshire. If they're not, you'll only embarrass them, and if they are, they'll tell you."

[rickyboy2727]

erm how about being able to use the fuel card to pay for parking?

or even "this is complicated" have a seperate card that all the msa recognise to pay for parking?

rickyboy2727 PARK "in" CARD
ill just take 5% interest for the hassle