Lorry Driving allowance

[groovyghouly]

Hi Everyone
I and several colleagues drive 7.5 ton wagons on overtime.
A driver went sick at the start of the summer and I’ve been covering the driving part of his duty on overtime, whilst the rest of the duty was then covered by others.

I queried with the DOM about the drivers allowance that the driver gets however, he says I’m not due it because he’s lapsed the duty and I’m only doing it on overtime.

Pretty much over the whole of the summer I’ve covered all the driving and felt I’m being blagged.

The code they’ve been paying me on is

WOT 1 MGV/MIV/MGR/MIR And also WOT 2 MGV/MIV/MGR/MIR

Is this correct. Can he lapse the duty and not pay me the drivers allowance, also should I not get any night rate because the duty starts at 5AM.

[vanman90]

No your only entitled to hours paid at your grade and you won't get night rate starting at 5 (I used to on a 4 day week and I never got it) you have to actrully work a proper night shift to get it.

[GT750rider]

7.5 tonne drivers do not get an " allowance ", they are on a different pay scale. I used to drive such a vehicle just one day a week for 18 months or so. I used to claim the ( one day )Professional Driver " allowance " every week. The fact that I drove the lorry albeit for only one day a week meant I had to abide by the relevant driver's regulations. This means having to have at least 11 hours off between shifts, and a 45 hour break every other weekend .Then my duty altered, and I was driving a 7.5 tonne every day.
My union rep thought I should have been on the PD pay scale as soon as I started driving the 7.5 tonners , ( and I of course agreed ). He fought long and hard to get me the back pay, and after 6 months or so I had a very nice pay slip one week.
So IMO, anyone driving a 7.5 tonne lorry should get an extra payment, ( if they are not a PD that is. )

[Mr_Pink]

I'm sure a couple of the guys in our collection hub still get their PD even though they no longer drive 600s, could just be BS (I have no reason not to believe them)