Subbies going to the yard and carrying materials around in a car.

[Tony Soprano]

Hi guys just a quick one. I’m obviously newish to being a Subby and it’s always a learning curve. So just wondering what you thought about this? Should a Subby be expected to meet at the yard most days in the morning like a Direct bloke. And fill his car with materials for a job? I think this is unreasonable to be honest if your just providing labour only. However I’m sometimes wrong and don’t mind admitting it. That’s why I thought it would be good to get other opinions.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

I would have thought it depends on the contract you signed (What it says you do)
But also is your car insured to carry "materials" to site?

 

[binky]

it happens a lot!

 

[Tony Soprano]

I would have thought it depends on the contract you signed (What it says you do)
But also is your car insured to carry "materials" to site?

No contract mate it’s just subbying. As far as I’m concerned I go to a job. Materials are delivered to site. I work all day then drive home.

 

[Tony Soprano]

it happens a lot!

Yeah I’m starting to see that. I said no anyway. Didn’t go down well

 

[binky]

I did a little bit of subby work for another contractor. He insisted I turned up at his place every morning, await instructions, then go to whatever job. It didn't last long

 

[Tony Soprano]

I did a little bit of subby work for another contractor. He insisted I turned up at his place every morning, await instructions, then go to whatever job. It didn't last long

I’ve lasted a week and one day.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi guys just a quick one. I’m obviously newish to being a Subby and it’s always a learning curve. So just wondering what you thought about this? Should a Subby be expected to meet at the yard most days in the morning like a Direct bloke. And fill his car with materials for a job? I think this is unreasonable to be honest if your just providing labour only. However I’m sometimes wrong and don’t mind admitting it. That’s why I thought it would be good to get other opinions.

I had this once.. I was doing work for a plant hirer. The foreman came and had a right go at me one day for "being late" I told them straight; I do not work for you, i work for myself, do a job, and invoice for it. I will turn up when i like..

So, i would have thought that in your case, going to the yard to await instructions was fine, as long as you are being paid your hourly rate for your time there.

If they expect you to turn up, for nothing, to wait until they decide what to do, that is no different to dockers waiting outside the labour exchange every morning 80 years ago. No way!!

Finally, carrying stuff in your car; Absolutely not..

If other people like to have the piss taken out of them, fine, but do not be one of them..

john..

 

[Tony Soprano]

I had this once.. I was doing work for a plant hirer. The foreman came and had a right go at me one day for "being late" I told them straight; I do not work for you, i work for myself, do a job, and invoice for it. I will turn up when i like..

So, i would have thought that in your case, going to the yard to await instructions was fine, as long as you are being paid your hourly rate for your time there.

If they expect you to turn up, for nothing, to wait until they decide what to do, that is no different to dockers waiting outside the labour exchange every morning 80 years ago. No way!!

Finally, carrying stuff in your car; Absolutely not..

If other people like to have the piss taken out of them, fine, but do not be one of them..

john..

I wouldn’t have a problem with going to the office on a daily basis if the office was local to home. But it is 38 miles away from my house. Then I would have to commute to site afterwards. I’m not really picky with what my day rate includes. I would work more hours within my rate as good will if needed. And I work very hard and have a high level of experience. So for what I’m asking per day which is £200, they are getting more than enough. The jobs seem very bitty. It doesn’t fill me with confidence of how much work they have on.

I had a call yesterday offering me 4 months work on a warehouse. 12 hour days for £17 an hour as a Subby. It’s just an insult. The job would have been great to work on but not for that money. And a total daily commute of 3 hours. Nah
By the time I take out fuel and expenses it ain’t worth it

 

[Sharpend]

What you do is approach those in charge, explain that your day rate is to cover the work involved in doing the job and carrying their goods and travel to and from office is chargeable.
I charge 45p per mile if required to go to more than 1 site in a week. I give them them one way on a Monday and a Friday, the rest they pay for.
As for carrying materials, I don’t really have that issue but then my day rate allows for the odd trip to wholesaler.

 

[Tony Soprano]

What you do is approach those in charge, explain that your day rate is to cover the work involved in doing the job and carrying their goods and travel to and from office is chargeable.
I charge 45p per mile if required to go to more than 1 site in a week. I give them them one way on a Monday and a Friday, the rest they pay for.
As for carrying materials, I don’t really have that issue but then my day rate allows for the odd trip to wholesaler.

If I’m in the shit and desperate for something I don’t mind going to the wholesaler but I won’t be putting drums of cable in my car etc. the office is too far away. 38 miles is too far. Trying to get home from there in the evening would take me about hour and half

 

[Andy1733]

What you do is approach those in charge, explain that your day rate is to cover the work involved in doing the job and carrying their goods and travel to and from office is chargeable.
I charge 45p per mile if required to go to more than 1 site in a week. I give them them one way on a Monday and a Friday, the rest they pay for.
As for carrying materials, I don’t really have that issue but then my day rate allows for the odd trip to wholesaler.

This basically. Charge per mile and clock start when you leave home. Calculate your travel time and petrol cost. Explain to the bloke the £200 was for labour only at X amount of hours. I would be happy to collect the parts but need paying for doing so.

 

[ProDave]

Just make sure whatever vehicle it is, that it IS insured for business use (use in connection with your business) not just commuting to and from work.

 

[kerching]

Just make sure whatever vehicle it is, that it IS insured for business use (use in connection with your business) not just commuting to and from work.

EXACTLTY
We even have the wife's 3.5 ton horse box covered for business use. It's very handy for moving the 12m zip up tower scaffold about! Also handy for the odd overnight Stop as it has full living quarters

 

[Andy1733]

EXACTLTY
We even have the wife's 3.5 ton horse box covered for business use. It's very handy for moving the 12m zip up tower scaffold about! Also handy for the odd overnight Stop as it has full living quarters

I've heard them called some things but never
"The wife's 3.5 ton horse box"

 

[johnb2713]

EXACTLTY
We even have the wife's 3.5 ton horse box covered for business use. It's very handy for moving the 12m zip up tower scaffold about! Also handy for the odd overnight Stop as it has full living quarters

Is that how you got the cowboy reputation

 

[kerching]

Is that how you got the cowboy reputation

Nah, I'm the Indian !
The cowboy was the bloke who connected 3 phase up,wrongly, (and without the required neutral) to the Harrison M250 lathe I went to today. It had let a LOT of the smoke escape, a LOT

 

[johnb2713]

Nah, I'm the Indian !

My son went to University in Bradford and I saw on a builders van 'Youve had the cowboys now try the indians'

The cowboy was the bloke who connected 3 phase up,wrongly, (and without the required neutral) to the Harrison M250 lathe I went to today. It had let a LOT of the smoke escape, a LOT

Once you let the smoke out of the chips they never work again, you just cant get it all back in. Oh dear, sadness for the customer.

 

[kerching]

EVTS transport in Blackpool,had the same logo. It was classed as "sensitive" so they now have a large logo depicting an Indian Chief in full head dress

 

[UNG]

Just make sure whatever vehicle it is, that it IS insured for business use (use in connection with your business) not just commuting to and from work.

And even then it pays to check the small print carrying goods owned by another company / employer may not be covered by a standard business use policy or be specifcally excluded as it may be looked on as carrying goods for "hire or reward" which would need a goods in transit endorsement.
I had this issue a number of years ago we did a lot of installation work for a comms company and would quite often be carrying their kit / goods to site to install and found that standard business use cover didn't fully cover us
With insurance it pays to check EXACTLY what the cover you have covers you for and not wait until you need to make a claim and find the insurance company wriggling out of paying also make sure you have all the details in writing

On a side note we had a job about 25 years ago that needed us to take one of our vehicles airside at a midlands airport the client required us to have third party insurance cover of £20m to do this, after an interesting conversation with our broker we were quoted £1000 for 3 days cover as an extension to the normal vehicle policy