1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
Drivers aren't the enemy
Page 28
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I READ WITH INTEREST the recent press publications regarding the road transport directive on working time.'The normal hostile relations between PTA and RHA seem to have been put on hold while they jointly beat up the drivers of the UK haulage industry.
The WTD was originally social legislation introduced for safer working practices and a sensible reduction for staff working too long hours —truck drivers of course do work long hours and road safety must be a priority.Typically we work 55 hours plus per week in charge of machinery and it can get tiring towards the end of the week.
The PTA in particular has been claiming victories all over the UK at their road shows' for gaining periods of availability (POA) out of the road transport directive.
POAs (known waiting time) will highlight the inefficiencies of road transport but ironically this is the fault of corporate management not the driver, The driver will be the unlucky victim, especially if lower hourly rates are introduced for POA time.
Certain 50-year-old plus drivers would like to work 48 hours a week in total. Perhaps if the mortgage is paid for and the kids have left home, money becomes less of an issue. Rather than "you can't opt out" a compulsory "opt in" should be considered. By this! mean the opportunity for a driver to choose to work 48 hours max could be introduced by agreement.This would be a two-way compromise.
How about the PTA & RHA preparing a lorry driver's"good employer's charter"?
Many of my driver colleagues are thinking of boycotting the PTA & RHA tachograph and vehicle inspectors in protest.
Messer's-I-timer and King: please don't kick us ... who will move freight without us?
Cliff WrigM West Midlands