5 ms·

Wait, the rest stop ban truck drivers? That is fucked up. From OP I thought it was the logistics companies. As in the place where you deliver to. Germany has

Wait, the rest stop ban truck drivers? That is fucked up. From OP I thought it was the logistics companies. As in the place where you deliver to. Germany has also a truck driver shortage, but the infrastructure has been improved. As in the truck stops and what not. Should be easier to get a shower compared to UK.

mschuster91 5y ago
> From OP I thought it was the logistics companies. As in the place where you deliver to. I have read more than enough reports of both happening - and the logistics companies banning truck drivers from toilets is a direct consequence of not being enough toilets and other facilities on the road, because people who have been on the road non-stop for days without a shower, sleeping in their trucks, don't exactly smell good. > Should be easier to get a shower compared to UK. It should be, but well... corona has led to massive issues (see e.g. https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klagen-ueber-geschlossene-duschen-an-autobahnen-2585803 https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag...).
- Mashimo 5y ago
  > I have read more than enough reports of both happening Wow, that is insane. > (see e.g. https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag... :S That sucks.
  - mschuster91 5y ago
    The sad consequences of the combination of a number of causes: 1) ridiculous rat race to the bottom in pricing by customers always going for the cheapest trucking supplier 2) inter-European right of free movement and work - which means that in Germany, there are truck drivers at domestic minimum wage (9.60€/h) and truck drivers from e.g. Romania for a less than a quarter of that - 2€/h (https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/mangelware-brummi-fahrer-fahrer-aus-rumaenien-fuer-zwei-euro-pro-stunde/7106200-3.html?ticket=ST-1626593-Y2SWlPpyjgUGe5zSsbKB-cas01.example.org https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter...). 3) a serious lack of unionization among truck drivers - hard to contact people when they are constantly on the road Right now, people are actually looking at the plights of truck drivers because of the crunch, but I can guarantee you nothing much will change and especially no one will bat an eye at the situation once the crunch is over.
- gambiting 5y ago
  >>It should be, but well... corona has led to massive issues Not a truck driver, but I was in the centre of Manchester around February time this year(pretty much peak lockdown in the UK), and it was impossible to use the toilet anywhere. I went from business to business, cofee shop to coffee shop, literally begged to use their toilets as I really had to go, no one agreed, corona restrictions, bathrooms only for employees etc etc. The only public toilet on the main square was out of order too. So I ended up going behind some bins in a back alley. Absolutely bonkers and stupid.
  - switch007 5y ago
    I had similar problems in city centres (Manchester included) and petrol stations. I'm definitely of the opinion that it was due to furloughed staff more than a safety aspect. I complained to my MP because our 24-hour train station decided toilets could only be open 7am-7pm due to "lack of staff due to COVID". Absolutely bonkers. They've returned to more sane opening hours now luckily. Denying people the right to go to the toilet while away from home was one of the many, many lowlights in the response to COVID.
  - dustintrex 5y ago
    Not familiar with UK laws, but in most countries, giving customers access to a restroom is a mandatory condition for an F&B license, precisely so that they don't need to go poo behind the bins.
    - gambiting 5y ago
      There is the same law in the UK but it was suspended during lockdown, you could walk into a Starbucks to buy a coffee, but their customer toilers were literally taped up and locked from use. I assume staff had their own toilets in the back but they wouldn't let me use them.

mschuster91 5y ago

> From OP I thought it was the logistics companies. As in the place where you deliver to. I have read more than enough reports of both happening - and the logistics companies banning truck drivers from toilets is a direct consequence of not being enough toilets and other facilities on the road, because people who have been on the road non-stop for days without a shower, sleeping in their trucks, don't exactly smell good. > Should be easier to get a shower compared to UK. It should be, but well... corona has led to massive issues (see e.g. https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klagen-ueber-geschlossene-duschen-an-autobahnen-2585803 https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag...).

Mashimo 5y ago
> I have read more than enough reports of both happening Wow, that is insane. > (see e.g. https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag https://www.trucker.de/nachrichten/transport/lkw-fahrer-klag... :S That sucks.
- mschuster91 5y ago
  The sad consequences of the combination of a number of causes: 1) ridiculous rat race to the bottom in pricing by customers always going for the cheapest trucking supplier 2) inter-European right of free movement and work - which means that in Germany, there are truck drivers at domestic minimum wage (9.60€/h) and truck drivers from e.g. Romania for a less than a quarter of that - 2€/h (https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/mangelware-brummi-fahrer-fahrer-aus-rumaenien-fuer-zwei-euro-pro-stunde/7106200-3.html?ticket=ST-1626593-Y2SWlPpyjgUGe5zSsbKB-cas01.example.org https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter...). 3) a serious lack of unionization among truck drivers - hard to contact people when they are constantly on the road Right now, people are actually looking at the plights of truck drivers because of the crunch, but I can guarantee you nothing much will change and especially no one will bat an eye at the situation once the crunch is over.
gambiting 5y ago
>>It should be, but well... corona has led to massive issues Not a truck driver, but I was in the centre of Manchester around February time this year(pretty much peak lockdown in the UK), and it was impossible to use the toilet anywhere. I went from business to business, cofee shop to coffee shop, literally begged to use their toilets as I really had to go, no one agreed, corona restrictions, bathrooms only for employees etc etc. The only public toilet on the main square was out of order too. So I ended up going behind some bins in a back alley. Absolutely bonkers and stupid.
- switch007 5y ago
  I had similar problems in city centres (Manchester included) and petrol stations. I'm definitely of the opinion that it was due to furloughed staff more than a safety aspect. I complained to my MP because our 24-hour train station decided toilets could only be open 7am-7pm due to "lack of staff due to COVID". Absolutely bonkers. They've returned to more sane opening hours now luckily. Denying people the right to go to the toilet while away from home was one of the many, many lowlights in the response to COVID.
- dustintrex 5y ago
  Not familiar with UK laws, but in most countries, giving customers access to a restroom is a mandatory condition for an F&B license, precisely so that they don't need to go poo behind the bins.
  - gambiting 5y ago
    There is the same law in the UK but it was suspended during lockdown, you could walk into a Starbucks to buy a coffee, but their customer toilers were literally taped up and locked from use. I assume staff had their own toilets in the back but they wouldn't let me use them.