Politicians and their ideas are one thing. Yet life is another pair of shoes. Cabin break ban? Well, seems that if the law exists … there is also a way to circumvent it. The only question is – why are countries introducing artificial regulations that will not improve the life of truck drivers. Here’s the proof.
In France, you may be fined up to 30,000 euros for spending a week’s rest in the cab. This Polish truck driver shows, how some carriers are trying to avoid this penalty.
But what’s the thing?
Quite recently, the internet was taken over by those pictures of truck-drivers camping in semi-trailers belonging to a well-known transport company in Europe. Photos were taken in France, where since 2014 it is forbidden to spend a week’s rest in the cabin. Penalty for non-compliance can come up to 30,000 euros. Cabin break ban is also valid in Belgium and Germany and soon to come in Italy and Great Britain. It turns out however, that drivers are victims of this regulation, which aimed (or at least looked like) to improve conditions of their work. We interviewed a Polish truck driver, who agreed to anonymously talk about what he saw in France and what is happening in European car parks in recent months.
What exactly did you see in France?
This is the weekend pause of drivers working for one of the companies in France – three containers are typically transformed into „social”. Inside, you can find foiled mattresses that drivers can use if needed, but, as I’ve heard, they are not allowed take the foil off. This kind of constructions are also used by other companies. Not only in France – in Germany and Belgium you will encounter similar situation. The driver is prohibited to spend a break in his cabin, which is well-equipped, in which he holds all his belongings and is forced to sleep in a trailer like a slave.” he comments photos, he has taken.
What scale are we talking about?
I guess that minor. There were around 150 trucks on the parking lot. I suspect, they could be faking hotel bills there. There are many practices like that. I personally got a business order in my company: 45/66h break only with drivers card taken off. Then you have to hide in the car, because inspections are carried out in the parking lots. If they don’t catch you red-handed, it’s ok. They do not really have the right to demand a hotel bill, because it’s the driver who decides what he’s doing with his spare time. Worse if they catch driver red-handed in the cabin without a card (750 euro mandate) or with a logged card (EUR 3,000 fine for the company and EUR750 for the driver for the first time, and the second time – accordingly – EUR 4,500 and EUR750).”
What do you think about the prohibitions imposed by the Western Europe countries?
Everything in the sake of drivers well-being they say. But most of us drive new, well-equipped trucks and prefers to spend pauses in our cabins, rather than in low-cost motels. The truth is, that bans have not much to do with improving the working conditions of drivers, but they can even lead to the exclusion of Eastern European carriers from the EU market „- adds the photographer.
Editors comment:
This is absurd! Regulations, that were to improve drivers situation, will lead to it’s massive deterioration. But this is what happens, when the law is built by politicians, having nothing in common with transportation and only driver they saw in their lives is a limo chauffeur.
It’s also unimaginable, that in times when the problem of lack of truck drivers increases, companies are forcing job in such conditions.