DEALING WITH THE OFFICE.

Drivers, Planners, Traffic Offices & Transport Managers.

Professional driving can be a strange job.

You may spend most of your working day alone in a cab, but your day is being coordinated by people somewhere else.

A planner may be looking at a screen thinking:

“Why isn't that lorry there yet?”

Meanwhile, the driver is looking through a windscreen thinking:

“Because there is a tractor doing 35 km/h in front of me, it's lashing rain, I need a break in 20 minutes and your delivery point is down a road I can't fit through.”

Neither person necessarily has the full picture.

And that is where communication matters.

FIRST: THE OFFICE IS NOT THE ENEMY

Transport planners, traffic-office staff and Transport Managers can be under enormous pressure.

They may simultaneously be dealing with:

• customers;

• collections;

• delivery slots;

• late-running jobs;

• drivers;

• vehicle availability;

• breakdowns;

• workshops;

• compliance;

• drivers' hours;

• customer complaints;

• ferry times;

• changing schedules;

• management;

• and the consequences of everything that has already gone wrong that day.

  
  

Move one collection and three deliveries may need reorganising.

Lose one vehicle and an entire day's plan can unravel.

The person ringing you asking for an ETA may have a customer ringing them every ten minutes asking exactly the same question.

So:

Don't automatically interpret every question from the office as pressure.

Sometimes they simply need information to do their job.

BUT THE DRIVER ISN'T THE ENEMY EITHER

There is another side to this.

Drivers being spoken to badly by planners does happen.

Drivers being placed under unreasonable pressure does happen.

Drivers being given schedules by somebody who apparently has no understanding whatsoever of what actually happens on the road does happen.

A driver may be dealing with:

• traffic;

• weather;

• road closures;

• driving-time limits;

• mandatory breaks;

• fatigue;

• difficult access;

• loading delays;

• queues;

• vehicle defects;

• unsafe sites;

• load problems;

• customers;

• parking;

• and the small inconvenience that an HGV cannot teleport.

  
  

Repeatedly being hassled, belittled, blamed, shouted at or made to feel that every legitimate problem is somehow a personal failure can have a serious effect over time.

DRIVER MENTAL HEALTH STARTS AT WORK TOO

There are plenty of campaigns about driver mental health.

They have value.

But we also need to be willing to talk about the workplace itself.

Driver wellbeing cannot only mean putting a mental-health poster on the noticeboard, sharing something supportive on LinkedIn and telling drivers that it's good to talk.

Sometimes we need to ask:

What is happening at work that is making this person's life harder in the first place?

The HSA specifically says that working conditions influence workers' health and that workplace health needs to consider both working life and personal life.

Irish health and safety law requires employers, so far as reasonably practicable, to protect employees' safety, health and welfare and to manage work activities and systems of work accordingly.

If a workplace culture routinely involves intimidation, humiliation or relentless unsafe pressure, telling the driver to look after their mental health is not enough.

BUT DON'T FORGET THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE

This matters just as much.

The planner may be struggling too.

The traffic-office worker may be taking abuse from customers all day.

The Transport Manager may be carrying a level of professional responsibility that the driver never sees.

The office may be trying to keep ten, fifty or a hundred moving pieces together.

And sometimes the person you're furious with is trying to solve a problem they didn't create either.

BOTH SIDES CAN BE UNDER PRESSURE AT THE SAME TIME.

Understanding that doesn't excuse poor behaviour.

It does help explain why good communication matters so much.

THE TRANSPORT MANAGER HAS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT POSITION

A Transport Manager isn't simply the person in the office who tells drivers where to go.

The qualified Transport Manager exists as part of the operator's requirement to demonstrate professional competence. Ireland's Department of Transport describes the TM CPC as the qualification enabling its holder to act as Transport Manager in a road transport undertaking.

Compliance failures involving drivers' hours, tachographs, roadworthiness and operator licensing can also have consequences beyond the individual driver; these are areas actively enforced by the RSA.

A conscientious TM therefore spends an enormous amount of time thinking about:

What if something goes wrong?

That pressure is real.

The driver may only see an annoying question.

The TM may be seeing a compliance risk developing that needs to be stopped before it becomes something considerably bigger.

So if your TM asks:

“How much driving time have you left?”

“Have you recorded that defect?”

“Did you make the manual entry?”

“Is that load secure?”

“Have you taken your break?”

they aren't necessarily questioning your ability as a professional driver.

They may simply be doing their job.

THE DRIVER SEES THE ROAD. THE OFFICE SEES THE OPERATION.

Neither can properly do the other's job without information from the other.

That's probably the most important point in this entire guide.

COMMUNICATE EARLY

One of the best things you can do for your planner is tell them about a problem while they still have time to do something about it.

If you know you're going to be late:

tell them.

If loading has stopped:

tell them.

If you have a defect:

tell them.

If you've been sitting in traffic for an hour:

tell them.

If your available driving time is becoming a problem:

tell them.

If the delivery site won't take you:

tell them.

If the road is unsuitable:

tell them.

If the load isn't ready:

tell them.

If you need clarification:

ask.

Don't knowingly allow a manageable problem to become an emergency and then announce it with six minutes of driving time remaining.

GIVE USEFUL INFORMATION

Compare:

“I'm going to be late.”

with:

“I'm still at the collection point. They haven't started loading. I've asked for an estimate and they're saying at least another 45 minutes. If that's right, my current ETA will be approximately 17:30 and I'll need my break before I can reach the original delivery slot.”

Now the planner has something they can actually work with.

Good information helps everybody.

DON'T PROMISE AN ETA YOU CANNOT ACHIEVE

A planner asks:

“Can you be there by four?”

You don't have to automatically say yes.

Look at:

• distance;

• traffic;

• road type;

• weather;

• driving time;

• breaks;

• access;

• and anything else affecting the journey.

  
  

Then give a realistic answer.

An ETA is an estimate.

It isn't permission to break the speed limit, skip a break or drive dangerously because somebody has promised a customer that you'll be there.

“JUST GET IT DONE”

Sooner or later, many professional drivers will hear some version of this.

Sometimes it means:

“Please do your best.”

That's fine.

Sometimes it means:

“I don't want to know how you achieve it.”

That is different.

If getting the job done would require you to do something unsafe or unlawful, the answer is not to quietly do it and hope everything works out.

PRESSURE AROUND DRIVERS' HOURS

Your legal driving limits do not disappear because:

• the customer is waiting;

• the load is urgent;

• the ferry is leaving;

• the office planned badly;

• traffic delayed you;

• you're nearly there;

• or somebody says, “You'll be grand.”

  
  

Drivers' hours and tachograph compliance are specifically enforced by the RSA, and fatigue is recognised as a significant HGV collision risk.

There are specific provisions within the law for particular circumstances and emergencies.

They are not a general-purpose solution to poor planning.

If you're unsure:

RING THE TM.

Do not invent your own interpretation because somebody wants the load delivered.

“CAN'T YOU JUST GO ANOTHER HALF HOUR?”

If you don't legally have another half hour available, say so.

Calmly.

For example:

“I don't have enough legal driving time to do that. I can get to X safely and take the required rest/break there, or we need another plan.”

You aren't refusing to work.

You're giving the office the information needed to make a lawful plan.

PRESSURE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE

This needs to be extremely clear.

If you identify a defect that you genuinely believe makes the vehicle unsafe:

report it.

Irish law places duties on employees too. Among them is the duty to report, as soon as practicable, work, defects or breaches that may endanger safety, health or welfare.

Do not simply ignore something serious because:

“The office said take it anyway.”

Equally, don't diagnose complicated mechanical faults from the driver's seat if you don't know what you're looking at.

Report what you can actually observe.

For example:

“I've reported the defect. I'm not satisfied the vehicle is safe to drive until it has been assessed.”

Then let the appropriate competent person assess it.

“JUST BRING IT BACK TO THE YARD”

Sometimes that may be perfectly safe.

Sometimes it absolutely isn't.

A defect doesn't become harmless because the destination is your own yard.

If you're being asked to move a vehicle you're concerned about, explain the concern clearly and request appropriate instruction or assessment.

We've covered the defect decision in much more detail in the HGV Smart Ireland Defects, Tyres, Breakdowns & Emergencies guide.

PRESSURE TO TAKE AN UNSAFE LOAD

The same principle applies.

If you believe a load is:

• insecure;

• unstable;

• incorrectly distributed;

• overweight;

• causing an axle-weight issue;

• exceeding dimensions without the appropriate arrangements;

• or otherwise unsafe,

don't solve the problem by hoping nobody notices.

Raise it.

If you're uncertain rather than certain:

ask.

There is an enormous difference between:

“I'm refusing that load.”

and:

“I'm concerned about the weight/distribution/security of this load. Can we check it before I leave?”

One starts an argument.

The other starts a safety conversation.

HOW TO SAY NO WITHOUT STARTING WORLD WAR III

You don't normally need a dramatic speech.

Stay factual.

Explain:

THE PROBLEM

THE REASON

WHAT YOU NEED

WHAT YOU CAN DO INSTEAD

For example:

“I can't make that delivery within my available driving time. I can get as far as X and stop legally there. What would you like me to do?”

Or:

“I'm not satisfied that tyre is safe to continue on. I've reported it and I'd like it assessed before I move.”

Or:

“The load isn't adequately secured at the moment. I need additional restraints before I can leave.”

Or:

“I'm not comfortable guessing about this. Can you put me through to the TM?”

Professional.

Calm.

Specific.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WIN THE ARGUMENT

This is important.

The objective isn't to prove you're cleverer than the planner.

It isn't to deliver a lecture on Regulation 561/2006 down the phone.

And it certainly isn't to shout louder.

The objective is:

GET TO A SAFE, LEGAL SOLUTION.

KNOW WHEN TO RING THE TRANSPORT MANAGER

A planner plans transport.

A Transport Manager has a specific compliance role.

Depending on how the company is structured, they may be the same person.

But if they aren't, and the issue has moved beyond ordinary scheduling into something involving:

• drivers' hours;

• tachograph compliance;

• roadworthiness;

• serious defects;

• weight;

• load security;

• licensing;

• legal interpretation;

• or another significant compliance issue,

and you're unsure:

ASK FOR THE TM.

Do not guess.

And don't expect the planner to make a legal judgement outside their role either.

Sometimes the most responsible thing a planner can say is:

“Hang on. I'll check with the TM.”

RECORD IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND PROBLEMS

Not every phone conversation needs a legal transcript.

But significant issues should be recorded appropriately.

That might mean:

• defect reporting system;

• company app;

• text/message;

• email;

• tachograph printout where appropriate;

• incident report;

• load documentation;

• photograph;

• or another company record.

  
  

If you've reported a significant safety or compliance issue, there should ideally be a record of it.

Keep it factual.

Not:

“Planner being a complete arse again.”

Try:

“14:20 — reported nearside trailer tyre damage to traffic office. Vehicle held pending assessment.”

Facts age considerably better than arguments.

IF AN INSTRUCTION CONCERNS YOU, CONFIRM IT

If something important has been discussed verbally and you're worried there may later be confusion, it can be sensible to confirm your understanding.

For example:

“Just confirming our call — I'm remaining at X because of the reported defect pending further instruction.”

You're not building a court case against your employer.

You're making sure everyone understands what is happening.

PRESSURE IS NOT THE SAME AS MANAGEMENT

This distinction matters too.

Being managed is part of having a job.

A planner asking for your ETA isn't bullying.

A TM asking why an infringement occurred isn't harassment.

Being asked why you are late isn't automatically unreasonable.

Being told that your performance needs improvement isn't necessarily mistreatment.

And being expected to:

• communicate;

• follow lawful instructions;

• complete paperwork;

• manage your time;

• perform proper checks;

• comply with company procedures;

• and actually do the job

• 
  

is not unreasonable pressure.

Drivers have responsibilities as well as rights.

Irish workplace legislation requires employees to take reasonable care, cooperate with their employer on safety and report relevant dangers or defects.

EQUALLY, “MANAGEMENT” ISN'T A MAGIC WORD

Repeated:

• shouting;

• humiliation;

• threats;

• intimidation;

• unsafe pressure;

• deliberate undermining;

• or punishing somebody for raising genuine safety concerns

shouldn't simply be dismissed as:

“That's transport.”

It doesn't need to be normal.

And a culture that damages people shouldn't be excused because haulage is a pressured industry.

SOMETIMES THE OFFICE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE ROAD

It happens.

Someone looking at a route on a computer may see:

143 km — 2 hours 8 minutes.

The driver may know that route includes:

• towns;

• weight restrictions;

• unsuitable roads;

• hills;

• roadworks;

• a mandatory break;

• difficult access;

• and a customer where you can spend 45 minutes waiting to get through the gate.

  
  

Don't just say:

“That's impossible.”

Explain why.

Good planners learn from drivers.

And good drivers give planners information they can use.

SOMETIMES THE DRIVER DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE OFFICE

This happens too.

Changing your job may affect another driver.

Missing a delivery slot may mean the customer cannot take the load until tomorrow.

Changing trailers may affect tomorrow morning's collection.

A missed ferry may have consequences far beyond your own journey.

None of that means you should drive illegally or unsafely.

It simply means:

the office may have a legitimate reason for desperately trying to find another solution.

Give them the chance to do that.

BEING NEW DOES NOT MEAN SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING

This is particularly important for a new-pass driver.

You may be worried about:

• looking inexperienced;

• annoying the planner;

• being labelled difficult;

• losing shifts;

• losing the job;

• or asking a “stupid” question.

  
  

So somebody tells you to do something and you think:

“They must know better than me.”

Maybe they do.

Maybe they don't.

Being new does not remove your responsibility for the vehicle you're driving and the decisions you're making.

And being inexperienced doesn't mean you have to agree to something you genuinely believe is unsafe.

BUT BEING NEW ALSO MEANS YOU WILL SOMETIMES BE WRONG

And that's okay.

You may think something isn't allowed when it is.

You may misunderstand a tachograph rule.

You may not know how a particular vehicle system works.

You may misjudge how long something takes.

You may flag something that turns out not to be a problem.

That isn't a reason to stay quiet.

Ask.

A decent TM would much rather explain something to you than discover afterwards that you guessed.

“I DON'T KNOW” IS A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE SENTENCE

Try:

“I'm not sure about that. Can I check with the TM?”

Or:

“I've never dealt with this situation before. What do I need to do?”

That is not incompetence.

That's risk management.

IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, TELL SOMEONE

Don't hide it because you're frightened of the office.

Wrong turn.

Damaged something.

Missed a manual entry.

Misjudged your hours.

Load moved.

Hit something.

Warning light appeared.

Forgotten paperwork.

Whatever it is:

SAY SOMETHING.

A small problem that the office knows about can often be managed.

A small problem that somebody tries to hide can become a much bigger one.

THE OFFICE NEEDS TO MAKE IT SAFE TO SPEAK UP

This responsibility works both ways.

If every driver who reports a problem gets:

“For fuck's sake, what now?”

don't be surprised when drivers stop reporting things.

If somebody admits a genuine mistake and the immediate response is humiliation, eventually people learn to hide mistakes.

That is terrible for safety.

A good compliance culture needs drivers to feel able to say:

“I've made a mistake.”

“I'm not sure.”

“Something isn't right.”

“I'm too tired.”

“I don't think this is safe.”

without fearing that the first response will be ridicule.

Employers have a legal duty to manage driving-for-work risk, and HSA guidance treats safe work-related journeys, safe vehicles and competent, fit drivers as part of that responsibility.

AND DRIVERS NEED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE OFFICE TO TRUST THEM

Trust works both ways.

If every inconvenience becomes:

“Health and safety.”

If every late start becomes somebody else's fault.

If you regularly fail to communicate.

If you exaggerate problems.

If you repeatedly leave the office to discover issues at the last minute.

Then eventually genuine concerns may become harder for people to recognise.

Your word should mean something.

When you say:

“I can't safely do this,”

the people you work with should know you wouldn't say it lightly.

DRIVER AND PLANNER: YOU ARE ON THE SAME SIDE

It doesn't always feel like it.

But ultimately both of you need:

• the vehicle to operate safely;

• the driver to get home safely;

• the customer to receive their goods;

• the company to remain compliant;

• and tomorrow's work still to exist.

  
  

You may disagree about how to achieve that.

That's okay.

Professional disagreement is allowed.

A SIMPLE RULE FOR DIFFICULT PHONE CALLS

When everybody is getting wound up:

STOP.

Then give:

1. THE FACTS

What has happened?

2. THE LIMIT

What can you legally/safely do?

3. THE OPTIONS

What alternatives can you see?

4. THE DECISION

Does this need the planner, TM, workshop, manager or somebody else?

That is considerably more useful than two people shouting down the phone.

IF THE RELATIONSHIP ITSELF BECOMES THE PROBLEM

One bad phone call after a catastrophic day is one thing.

A persistent pattern is another.

If you are repeatedly being:

• shouted at;

• belittled;

• intimidated;

• placed under unsafe pressure;

• blamed unfairly;

• or treated in a way that is affecting your wellbeing,

don't automatically accept that this is simply what haulage is like.

Follow the company's appropriate reporting, grievance, safety or management process.

Keep factual records where necessary.

And if work is having a significant effect on your mental health, seek appropriate support.

Likewise, planners and Transport Managers deserve that same consideration.

They are people too.

WHAT A GOOD DRIVER–OFFICE RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE

The driver communicates early.

The planner listens.

The planner gives realistic information.

The driver gives realistic information.

The driver doesn't invent excuses.

The office doesn't demand miracles.

The TM takes genuine compliance concerns seriously.

The driver takes the TM's compliance responsibilities seriously.

Mistakes are reported.

Problems are discussed.

Nobody is expected to break the law to save a delivery slot.

And nobody treats the other person like an idiot because they're having a difficult day.

Not revolutionary.

Just professional.

QUICK GUIDE FOR A NEW DRIVER

If the office asks you to do something and you're uncomfortable:

ASK YOURSELF:

☐ Is it legal?☐ Is it safe?☐ Do I actually understand what I'm being asked to do?☐ Do I have enough driving/working time?☐ Is the vehicle roadworthy?☐ Is the load safe and legal?☐ Do I need clarification?☐ Should the TM be involved?☐ Have I clearly explained the problem?☐ Does anything important need recording?

If you're unsure:

ASK.

FINALLY

There are difficult drivers.

There are difficult planners.

There are bad managers.

There are drivers who communicate terribly.

There are offices that communicate terribly.

There are also excellent people in all of those roles.

Most of the time, the driver and the office aren't actually fighting each other.

They're fighting the same problem from two different sides.

The driver sees what is happening on the road.

The planner sees what is happening across the operation.

The Transport Manager sees risks and responsibilities that may not be obvious to either.

None of them can see everything.

So communicate.

Respect the pressures on the other side.

Ask when you don't know.

Say no professionally when something genuinely isn't safe or legal.

And if somebody raises a legitimate concern, listen to them.

The best driver–office relationships aren't built on one side always getting its way.

They're built on trust.

The driver needs to know that when they say, “I can't safely do this,” the office will listen.

The office needs to know that when that driver says it, there is a genuine reason.

That relationship is worth looking after.