Dannyboy, You write great posts and I don't differ to far from your opinions but how the heck is that a safety issue. If anything, and I mean anything the driver is simply in the way of the loader and should get out of the way. Rude, yeah. Safety issue, not even close. I don't even know how this could be brought up without someone laughing at the meeting
What dannyboy is referring to does make sense. Actually it is two-fold.
1st, why be in the back of the car sorting while the preloader is still loading, working for free? I think the union has addressed this in the past to drivers, that your shouldn't be working off the clock.
2nd, As Dannyboy alluded to, if you get hurt off the clock then workers comp. will not be there for you to use.
Case in point. Last year in one of the Baltimore buildings, a mechanic just got off the clock for his shift, but was checking something on a package car after. A package jam, up on the overhead primary caused a package to fall, hitting the off-duty mechanic in the head, knocking him out cold. The mechanic was off work for 4+ months. Workers Comp was not available to him because he had just clocked off. Medical bills got paid by the regular insurance, but his wages were not replaced.
Things can happen, not often, but when they do, it is usually unexpected and the repercussions can be life changing.
Just something to think about.