search email community favorite this article chev-right latest posts article list comments tags video article login twitter facebook menu pinterest whatsapp

‘This time it bit them badly’: Tired freight employee is refused backup 4 times by crooked management, is only able to complete 1/2 tasks and management gets chewed out as a result

Advertisement
  • 1
    Doing exactly what I was told
  • Advertisement
  • 2
    I used to work as a driver for a freight company. We used to handle awkward sized items that no other couriers would touch. We delivered everything from Coffins to tractor parts. We also had to collect things from our customers for delivery the next day.
  • 3
    This company had a mixture of contractors and permanent drivers. I was a relief driver. I knew most of the routes so I covered holidays or sickness. The management of the depot consisted of a delivery manager
  • 4
    and a collection manager. These two people didn't quite see eye to eye as sometimes getting the stuff delivered conflicted with getting stuff collected. And their targets reflected failures in a bad way.
  • Advertisement
  • 5
    This particular day I had to cover a contractor's route. I didn't know the route so as we had to load our trucks this took a little longer than usual. I had around 45 deliveries that day. Which is high for this predominantly rural route.
  • 6
    I asked my manager (the delivery manager) if he knew the route. He replied that he did and ordered my route for me. So I was good to go albeit a bit late. I did say that with the volume I had, | may struggle and I asked him to keep an eye out for me. He said OK.
  • 7
    I got to near midday and realised that I wasn't going to be able to complete all the deliveries and the collections wouldn't get done either. I also noted that one of the collections was off-route and the contractor had a vehicle in that area anyway.
  • Advertisement
  • 8
    I called in and spoke to my manager (delivery) and told him he had a choice of collections or deliveries. I also asked why the contractor couldn't cover the off- route collection. I was told to call back later and he'll see if can sort something out. He also said that the off-route collection would have to be done too.
  • 9
    I called back later and asked for help again. He said there was no help available. So I gave him the option of deliveries or collections as there wasn't time to do both (I will get to the time a bit later). He categorically said both had to be done.
  • 10
    The delivery manager went home. So I called in again and got the collection manager. She reiterated that there was no help at all. So either I failed the deliveries or failed the collections. If that happened I'd have been hauled into the office the next day.
  • Advertisement
  • 11
    So cue malicious compliance. I called into one of the collections and I asked what time they closed, 6:30 pm they said. So I said I'd be back later. I carried on with the deliveries. Which took me further away from that collection. At the appropriate
  • 12
    time, I stopped delivering and drove to the collection. I collect 2 small parcels. That was all. I then drove back to where I had stopped and carried on delivering. This cost me about an hour. I finished my last delivery at 7:15 pm. I had a a 45-minute
  • 13
    drive back to my yard. As I was leaving the round I got a frantic call from the collection manager. She was wondering where I was. I told her what had happened and told her that I'd asked for help 4 times and was told I had to do everything allocated so I did and it wasn't my fault that it happened like this.
  • Advertisement
  • 14
    Here's where the trouble really started. The company's trunking system is a fluid one it depends on trucks leaving the depot at a certain time. For our depot the cut-off time is 7:30 pm. I wheeled in at just after 8 pm. There were 15 I | off guys on overtime
  • 15
    waiting for me to turn up and an articulated truck waiting for these 2 parcels. This wait caused the whole trunking system to be late the next day. My routing was discussed when I got back as it was questionable at best. When I told the collections manager that
  • 16
    it was the delivery manager that organised it. There were angry emails between the delivery and collection managers and I would imagine that the logistics team would have demanded an explanation too. Arses were definitely kicked.
  • Advertisement
  • 17
    The next day no one said a word. I wasn't on that route and going forward, well for a little while, they either helped when I asked or didn't get me to do as much. Also as I had exceeded legal driving time they had to make sure I went home early for a few days so a bit of a win there.
  • 18
    The biggest trouble these guys had was they always assumed that the drivers were after an easy day and even when presented with the evidence assumed that you were still trying to be fly. This time it bit them badly.
  • 19
    NovelSimplicity • 11h ago Bravo. Let me guess, both managers had never actually done the job they managed.
  • Advertisement
  • 20
    Seamo41 OP. 8h ago At another company they were coninually giving us all more than we could deliver. This was to simply get the freight out of the yard. We all brought stuff back. In the morning you would collect your paperwork and the
  • 21
    guys in the office would bad mouth the guys that brought stuff back and be say thing like 'they need firing' etc. you would walk out and think I brought more back what are the saying about me. So one day I thought I would deliver everything they gave me.
  • 22
    9:00pm I got a call that went like this Office: 'Where are you' Me: '40 miles away and I got 4 more left' Office: 'Stop what you are doing right now and get your back to the yard. Do you know what the time is' Me: 'Yes but I have 4 more to do' Office 'Get back here now'
  • Advertisement
  • 23
    It didn't get me any less stuff to do. I did have an easier next day tho. AND it at least gave them something to about.
  • 24
    Rambling Reflecti... 10h ago My partner works as the yard manager for a transport and logistic company and he very well could have written this. In fact I read it in his voice. I love the stories he comes home from work with, and he's a master of malicious compliance. Good job to you sir!
  • 25
    Qwerty_Plus • 2h ago You just described the entirety of my husband's career as a driver at "EdFex," lol.
  • Advertisement

Tags

Also From FAIL Blog

Comments

Comments  - Click to show
Scroll down for the next article