Full time driver/ transport manager

hi all.
I think i just need someone to slap me round the face and tell me to sort myself out, but here goes…
I took a position with a small company (2 hgvs and a van, 3 drivers + me) 6 months ago as the transport manager. This position did include driving as well when required. I have turned the transport department around completely. when i arrived there were no driving or maintenance records at all. No tacho data either, trucks hadn’t even had the correct certification done, i.e. LOLER, winch tests. The department and vehicles are now in line with FORS silver, although they will not pay for it to be audited.
Over this period a lot has changed, 2 drivers have been laid off so now i find myself driving full time as well as having to deal with management and compliance.
I have recently passed my Operator CPC exam and now the company wants to change from restricted to standard int licence and start doing work for hire and reward.
I recently approached my employer and asked for extra pay A) as the job role has changed, and B) for the extra responsibility being named on the licence. i also asked to recruit a new driver as i cannot do both roles in working time. This was knocked back straight away and he looked at me like id just tea bagged his daughter at the dinner table. i was told that surely i would be able to do the ‘office stuff’ without taking time off the road. i have also been told that the driver licence checks are ‘none of my business’ and that the van belongs to another department so is nothing to do with transport. (■■■■■■■■).
My question is… Am i being underpaid at £32k, no overtime or bonuses. no perks. couple of nights out per week.■■
i have looked all over job boards and ive never seen a job like mine so i have nothing to compare it with.

Thanks

erm time to walk away methinks…

You’re doing 2 jobs for barely the cost of 1, no wonder he looked shocked!

Hand in notice stating reasons why you’re leaving , he will do one of 2 things
Wake up and smell the coffee and change your job title and pay
Or do nothing , if this walk away and do a driving job or goto a firm as a FT transport manager only

Thanks for that.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t being greedy before threatening to walk.

haribo4000:
i have also been told that the driver licence checks are ‘none of my business’

Well they are, and if it turns out that a driver had lost his licence but was still driving, then it’s your good repute which will be toast.

You’re far too good for this place mate, find another company where you can be left alone to run things properly as you’ve proved, but gives you the respect and renumeration you’ve earned.

Your boss is at present saving some £25/40k per year on salaries alone because you are doing 1.5 to 2 jobs.

In some ways its a pity you’ve done such a good job putting the mess that this place was in some sort of order, however that experience and dedication will be very much appreciated when you find the right position and your confidence in yourself must have been boosted, good luck in your next role.

Not only would I be handing in my notice with immediate effect stating the reasons and listing the measures I had put in place, but there would be CC Traffic Commissioner.

If you stay you will end up being on the road full time. Quite how you are supposed to be in charge while on a night out with a director with that type of attitude escapes me. He will totally ignore whatever you have said about compliance if he can see ££ dangling in front of his eyes. From a driving point of view you will end up with one of your colleagues who has understood the score, on the phone every few minutes saying the boss wants xyz done and I’ve told him no but he insists: Help, what do I do?

If you stay you are risking your repute, if you leave without clearly recording what aspects of compliance are going to be ignored potentially then you will be leaving yourself open to accusations in front of the TC when it all goes wrong that: " all this happened while Mr Haribo 4000 was in charge of transport."

I would tell him first and then do the proper letter(s) if that doesn’t work. At least you’re covering your back.

We have a place near here who have had 3 TMs in a very short time. Basically it boils down to the directors not listening and not making any changes. I am waiting for the TC to notice and wonder why they get through so many…

I’m very glad to say that 1 of the TMs wasn’t me as I reckon it’s all going to get very nasty

haribo4000:
hi all.
I think i just need someone to slap me round the face and tell me to sort myself out, …

IMHO, you’re off to a great start because I think you already know the answer (without any slaps!!)

haribo4000:
I took a position with a small company (2 hgvs and a van, 3 drivers + me) 6 months ago as the transport manager. This position did include driving as well when required. I have turned the transport department around completely. when i arrived there were no driving or maintenance records at all. No tacho data either, trucks hadn’t even had the correct certification done, i.e. LOLER, winch tests. The department and vehicles are now in line with FORS silver, although they will not pay for it to be audited.

IMHO, a great piece of work.

haribo4000:
I have recently passed my Operator CPC exam …

Congratulations mate, those exams are not easy.

haribo4000:
… and now the company wants to change from restricted to standard int licence and start doing work for hire and reward.

Given the rest of your post, I’m thinking that he has no idea of what’s involved and the world of difference between the two types of ‘O’ licences being discussed.

haribo4000:
… i was told that surely i would be able to do the ‘office stuff’ without taking time off the road. i have also been told that the driver licence checks are ‘none of my business’ and that the van belongs to another department so is nothing to do with transport. (■■■■■■■■).

I think he’s just plain wrong about almost all of that, so I’m seeing the thin end of a wedge here at this point.

The issue I’m seeing here is that an ‘own account’ firm is probably quite good at its core business (whatever that may be) but the problem lies in the fact that many ‘own account’ operators see transport legislation as an irritating inconvenience because it diverts them from their core business in terms of both time and money.

I have experience of some of what you’re facing… I did an ‘O’ licence conversion from ‘own account’ to ‘Standard National’ for a firm, but once all the paperwork and new discs had arrived, the MD’s attitude changed completely from somebody appearing to want everything done by the book, to a despotic dictator… and I kid you not!!

Two things happened at that point:

1.) I resigned with immediate effect and handed him the tacho discs I was checking at the time, then I went home…
2.) As soon as I got home, I wrote a letter to the TC (Beverley Bell ) and another to the MD, then sent both letters by Special Delivery.

I got an acknowledgement in reply from the TC’s office, but the MD didn’t reply.

IF I’ve read the info you’ve given correctly, my advice is that you do the same as I did because your current boss sounds exactly like the MD I tried to reason with and explain to, but to no avail. My guess is that what you’re saying to him simply isn’t anything like what he expects to hear.

I’ve not commented about the pay, because I don’t think that any amount of money will make any difference to the situation as you’ve described it.
I mentioned the thin end of a wedge, because I can only see (big) problems for you from both him and the TC if you try to run the transport in anything like the correct way.

My final thought on this is… he is always the boss and all due respect to him for that, BUT he’s only your boss for as long as you allow it.

Thank you for all the responses.

I am now currently looking for another job. I don’t think, that for any amount of money, i would be comfortable putting my repute in this companies hands. I have tried to educate them on the importance of compliance and the role of a transport manager, but they do not accept any of it.

I had alot of years at the same firm where I drove all the vehicles at some point and was in the office for a few years. I know from the times when the boss was away and I acted as TM that being out on the road and trying to run things smoothly is NOT easy.
I was offered the TM’s job earlier this year starting at £31k and that involved no hgv driving.
So I’d say find something else that focuses on either driving/TM whatever choice you make.

Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk