Over to you A FAIR GO FOR OWNER DRIVERS by Ray Pratt
TRUCK DRIVERS ARE HARD WORKERS AND ALSO ARE REALLY QUIET ACHIEVERS…
T
ruck drivers are hard workers and also are really quiet achievers. We are given a job and we make it happen. Slowly over time, conditions have improved for truck drivers with a big emphasis on managing our fatigue by only working up to fourteen hours per day and after a certain amount of hours then you must have days where no work occurs. It all looks good on paper but in reality, it is not working. Too often, we front up for work and invariably some problems delay our loading which in turn delays the departure time. It could be necessary to wait for some item that is being delivered late or just waiting for a forklift driver to attend to your loading. There is nearly always a wait for paperwork and because we are only getting paid for the trip there is not any need for the transport companies to hurry or be more efficient and load you as quickly as possible. It does not matter how late we leave as we always seem to have to put in a big effort to get the freight to its destination
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WATM • October 2020
on time thus keeping the customer and the bosses happy. It’s what we do as we feel that we are obligated to deliver our freight on time and consider it all part of the job. It is not difficult to fill in the logbook showing the correct driving hours per day even though you have spent many more hours loading and driving. The hours spent loading should also be included in your work time but these are also kept at a minimum to allow for more driving time. The transport companies expect you to show a correct record even though in reality
In effect, we are breaking the law to keep the transport bosses happy and all we get out of it is the opportunity to keep our job
the record is far from being correct. The issue here is that while we keep working under these shonky practices and no one complains then the system will just stay the same. In effect, we are breaking the law to keep the transport bosses happy and all we get out of it is the opportunity to keep our job. Not only are we working for nothing while we are loading and unloading but we are contributing to our own fatigue. It’s no wonder truck drivers have a fatigue issue. Anytime someone wants to rock the boat and complain then invariably they are shown the gate and someone else will quickly take their place and so the cycle keeps repeating itself. The authorities keep looking at ways to manage our fatigue better and come up with all these devices that monitor when we feel tired but nobody ever wants to consult with a truck driver about ways that he/she feels would solve the fatigue problems. We are quite happy to stand up and speak the truth about what really happens in the transport industry but nobody wants to speak to a truck driver or even take any notice of what we might suggest that would improve our fatigue issues. It’s no wonder that truck drivers are exiting the industry in droves and there is a shortage of drivers. It’s no wonder that truck drivers are tired all the time and sick of having to do some of the work for nothing. Like most of the issues facing truck drivers the problems are easily fixed if only we had a say. Keep it safe, Ray Pratt.
