Employers Demanding that You Drive for Errands at Work

[niccolo]

So I've been a bike commuter for over 10 years and I'm still in my mid-20's. I've owned only one car and didn't drive it that much. Now I'm in a situation where my employer is saying I have to drive the company truck for errands on the job site (in construction).

I'm honestly not that comfortable driving, especially with handling a vehicle in tight, confined spaces. I told them this and they said I was going to have to do it regardless.

Does anyone have any advice? I really don't want to buy a vehicle, but in the long run it seems like the only option I have to get that hands on experience. After the weekend is over, they are expecting me to come in and drive. And they also want to have me drive the forklift (after a 15 minute "training" class).

[Roody]

I feel your pain. I don't drive much any more, and I feel much less comfortable when I do have to drive once in a while.

But driving isn't really that difficult. It's just that we get so out of practice. They should let you practice with the company truck, or maybe you could borrow a friend's truck for a refresher. Otherwise, you're going to have to convince the managers that you can do the job BETTER without the truck.

Personally, I think driving a forklift would be a blast. But they better clear out of the way first before they turn me loose on it! :D

[lyeinyoureye]

Personally, I think driving a forklift would be a blast. But they better clear out of the way first before they turn me loose on it! :DIt's great, especially if there's water or sand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihduU-6U8Wg&feature=related) on the ground.

[Roody]

It's great, especially if there's water or sand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihduU-6U8Wg&feature=related) on the ground.

It does look fun....like riding a bike on a frozen lake, except you're throwing a lot more weight around. Could you lift the company truck with the forklift? That suggests some interesting possibilities for workplace hijinks....

[lyeinyoureye]

Should be easy as apple pie. There was great pik of someone working on their car seven feet in the air thanks to a forklift I wish I could find.

[Domromer]

Driving a forklift is easy. Just take your time and practice. I learned on a POS gas powered forklift with a manual transmission. It really sucked. Just practice driving it around for a while and remember both the front and rear wheels turn. It takes a little getting used to. I think the hardest part is getting the forks into a pallet that is way over your head. Hopefully you want have to do that. I've dropped a pallet of 32 5 gallon water jugs and it was not fun. Also remember to dip the forks slightly down when entering a pallet. Otherwise it's easy to get hung up.

[Thor29]

I don't think you need to buy a vehicle just to get "hands on practice". Just take it easy and learn on the job. I once worked at a small airport and had to learn how to drive fuel trucks and tugs (the little lawn mower like things that push planes around) and it wasn't that big of a deal. Heck, last year I taught myself to ride a unicycle... If you really don't think you can drive, then you shouldn't drive - ever. Otherwise, get over the fear and give it a try.

[maddyfish]

You've given them fair warning, now do it and if you crash, you crash. Too bad for them.
If it really bothers you, change jobs.

[thelung]

i had an employer demand i get a drivers license but then i found a better job. but yeah it does suck when that happens.

[East Hill]

You've given them fair warning, now do it and if you crash, you crash. Too bad for them.

You did point this out to them, correct?

I can't see why they would want an inexperienced driver roaming the country with a company vehicle, but hey, it's their insurance, correct?

Or are you only driving this on the construction site?

Do you have a current driver's license?

East Hill

[Newspaperguy]

I'm honestly not that comfortable driving, especially with handling a vehicle in tight, confined spaces. I told them this and they said I was going to have to do it regardless.
If your employers have told you they want you to drive the company truck, they should also let you use it to get a bit of practice time in. I doubt if this will be a problem for them. After all, that's the vehicle you're going to be driving and you need to get the feel of how it's going to handle.

[JeffS]

If you don't want/need a car, I certainly wouldn't buy one for this reason.

If you feel like you need practice, go rent a car for the weekend.

[KnhoJ]

The forklift I wouldn't worry about so much. In my own experience, I'm safer in a warehouse full of forklift drivers with revoked driving licenses than out on the street. Maybe it's something to do with the vague attempt at training, the direct supervision, or the resulting immediate threat of cessation of cash flow in response to well-defined safety violations.

The employer-knows-best situation is the one I'd give priority. Maybe they think you can handle driving, or should join the grownups, or what's the big deal it's not like it's hard, or maybe there's some sort of perceived hassle; who knows, but they aren't paying attention to an employee's goals. Trying to change an employee, or pushing work duties which obviously counter an employee's personal ambitions promotes alienation of employees. I'd play along (within reason) to pay the bills, but in the meantime I'd discretely look for an employer that isn't so basically ignorant of effective management practices. This might be tough in construction -- a field that seems to fill management positions based more on seniority than qualification.

[BarracksSi]

I'm wondering if you'll need a commercial driver's license (CDL) to drive a company vehicle. It might not be required if it's only on-site, but either way, the extra practice will help, and the company should cover any class fees.

[jcwitte]

When I was in the Army stationed in Korea, my squad leader told me I was going to have to get qualified to drive the M818 Tractor Truck with Trailer. I told him I didn't know how to drive a stick. He said I was going to learn. So, the first time I ever drove a stick shift, and the last actually, was behind the wheel of one of these. Some might think that it would be fun to learn on one of these trucks, but I think that week pretty much sealed my fate as carfree.
http://www.whiteowl.com/files/M818.JPG

[CommuterRun]

Don't go out and buy a car for this...unless, of course, you just want a car. Driving isn't exactly rocket science and any experience you need, you will get OJT. Just use every opportunity to get stick time, and the experience will come quickly. Expect to make mistakes, it's part of the learning process.

Consider this: Eighteen months ago I had no experience at all with golf course maintenance and the equipment involved. Now I can operate all but two pieces of the equipment that we have at the shop (and implements, if applicable) in the dark, blindfolded, with one hand tied behind my back...well, you get the idea.:D And the other two pieces of equipment? Only two guys use those, and one of them is the Superintendent.

[patc]

No one is addressing one issue: your employer is changing your job description. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but not something that should be done casually.

First - is the position unionized, or do you have a signed contract with the employer? In either case, they may not be able to force you to change your job duties.

Secondly - why you? Can anyone else do these new tasks? Sometimes employers are more flexible if you also bring them a solution. If Bob can and wants to do the work instead of you, problem solved.

Finally, you always have the option of hunting for a new job - how is the local job market?

[tfahrner]

not quite to the point, but enjoy: http://bikescape.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-were-up-against.html

[East Hill]

No one is addressing one issue: your employer is changing your job description. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but not something that should be done casually.

First - is the position unionized, or do you have a signed contract with the employer? In either case, they may not be able to force you to change your job duties.

Secondly - why you? Can anyone else do these new tasks? Sometimes employers are more flexible if you also bring them a solution. If Bob can and wants to do the work instead of you, problem solved.

Finally, you always have the option of hunting for a new job - how is the local job market?

Those are good points.

I have been wondering why an employer would suddenly want an employee who has very little experience driving to suddenly start driving a vehicle. Seriously, your employer couldn't find someone who LIKES driving?

East Hill

[Kimmitt]

Borrowing the car for some practice sounds like a good compromise.

[BarracksSi]

Maybe everybody else really sucks that bad and they need to use you as a driver.

Or maybe you're no good at anything else.

;) (joking!...)

[BarracksSi]

Oh, I just thought --

Where I work, any time that a truck needs to move backwards, there needs to be another person behind them, directing the driver where to go. Hopefully they do the same kind of thing at your worksite.

[Domromer]

When I was in the Army stationed in Korea, my squad leader told me I was going to have to get qualified to drive the M818 Tractor Truck with Trailer. I told him I didn't know how to drive a stick. He said I was going to learn. So, the first time I ever drove a stick shift, and the last actually, was behind the wheel of one of these. Some might think that it would be fun to learn on one of these trucks, but I think that week pretty much sealed my fate as carfree.
http://www.whiteowl.com/files/M818.JPG

Ok I know I shouldn't admit to it but I would love to drive that truck.

[jcwitte]

Ok I know I shouldn't admit to it but I would love to drive that truck.

I would have loved to let you take my place. :D

[markjenn]

I'll play the devil's advocate here.

Everybody wants to make this a situation where the company is brow-beating someone to do something they don't want to do. But from their perspectiv they may very well need the person who holds this particular job to be able to drive on company business. Many companies are small operations and can't hire people for specialized tasks.

And to those who think the company should just hire someone who likes to drive, the employer may very well do this... and fire the bicyclist.

It all boils down to whether the job has the requirement that the employee maintain a current driver's license and be able to drive on company business. If this is in the employment contract, was part of the employee's usual duties over the years, or was well-known to the employee at the time they were hired then it's the employees responsibility to continue to be available to drive. But if this driving requirement is a new duty, then the employer should work to either train the employee in their new duty or provide them with another equivalent position. If the employer is willing to provide both training and the vehicle, then the employer should suck it up and drive, or find another job.

- Mark

[Bowcyclist]

So I've been a bike commuter for over 10 years and I'm still in my mid-20's. I've owned only one car and didn't drive it that much. Now I'm in a situation where my employer is saying I have to drive the company truck for errands on the job site (in construction).

I'm honestly not that comfortable driving, especially with handling a vehicle in tight, confined spaces. I told them this and they said I was going to have to do it regardless.

Does anyone have any advice? I really don't want to buy a vehicle, but in the long run it seems like the only option I have to get that hands on experience. After the weekend is over, they are expecting me to come in and drive. And they also want to have me drive the forklift (after a 15 minute "training" class).

Insurance issues? Maybe because the truck is insured, you're insured in the event of an accident?

[Platy]

Insurance issues? Maybe because the truck is insured, you're insured in the event of an accident?
Insurance issues can be complicated. The first level supervisors may not be aware of all the insurance issues. When I was a business owner, our liability insurance only covered drivers who were named and rated on the policy. The OP's immediate supervisor, in his rush to put the OP behind a wheel, may be exposing the company to uninsured auto liability. However, it is not the OP's place to question his supervisor, we all know what happens when you do that sort of thing, right?

[Artkansas]

Well, if its part of your job, you'd better be able to do it or your butt is out of there. I've driven forklifts and trucks while arriving at the job on bicycle. I don't understand the problem. The only way to get comfortable doing it is to do it.

[tdister]

From watching other people for years, you either can drive in tight quarters or you can't. If you don't learn it in a short period, you'll probably never be good at it.

Some people just lack the spatial awareness or the ability to apply it to the vehicle and it's surroundings, just as some could try to learn how to draw for years and never get even half decent at it (me :)).

I too would think a fork lift would be easier, you have more of a direct line of sight before contacting something in most every direction. not like in a truck where you have longer overhangs that can't be seen

[PJones0012]

Ok I know I shouldn't admit to it but I would love to drive that truck.

It's not as much fun as it looks like. Now this is fun> http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m113_ambulance.php

[MrCjolsen]

The Air Force tried once to teach me to drive a bus.
They did not succeed.

[MrCjolsen]

First of all, "living car free" means within the realm of your personal life. Professionally, it's a different story.

I drove lots of different things in the military (except buses). The biggest was the 60k loader (pictured below). All total, I had about half an hour of seat time before they turned me loose in it (after a week of classes, mostly about hydraulic systems, not driving).

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/docs/000198a.jpg

[Sixty Fiver]

I drive on very rare occasions but do operate all the forklifts where I work and have to say either you're good at it or you're not and some folks just don't seem to be able to learn the needed skills.

A 15 minute training isn't going to cut it.

I run everything from a small manually shifted Toyota with a lift capacity of 1200 pounds to a manually operated diesel Hyster that has a lift capacity of 18,000 pounds... and we get in stuff the Hyster cannot handle.

The middle lifts are both automatics (3000 and 6000 pound capacity) and a little easier to run although they are also faster which makes them harder to operate and running them on the snow also warrants chains.

You have to have your head on a swivel when you run a lift on a busy site since there's a risk of damaged good, running over people who aren't paying attention, or seriously injuring yourself.

As to driving both vehicles...I would be really clear that you are very inexperienced and are not comfortable driving either of them.

[MrCjolsen]

I actually wouldn't worry about driving the truck. If you have a license and know how to drive, you will get the hang of it real quick. People who've never driven a truck before go out and buy them at dealerships all the time.

As for the forklift, the same is true. After about an hour, it will be second nature.

[awc380]

So I've been a bike commuter for over 10 years and I'm still in my mid-20's. I've owned only one car and didn't drive it that much. Now I'm in a situation where my employer is saying I have to drive the company truck for errands on the job site (in construction).

I'm honestly not that comfortable driving, especially with handling a vehicle in tight, confined spaces. I told them this and they said I was going to have to do it regardless.

Does anyone have any advice? I really don't want to buy a vehicle, but in the long run it seems like the only option I have to get that hands on experience. After the weekend is over, they are expecting me to come in and drive. And they also want to have me drive the forklift (after a 15 minute "training" class).

Wow that sounds a lot like a job.
Guess you'll either drive the car or stop working there...