I’m a relatively a new class 1 driver, passed at the end of Sep 16, slow start looking for a job and done approx 9 months of proper driving as when I just passes no-one wanted to touch me.
Got a contracted job working 4on4off nights shift pattern about 15 mins from where I live.
Pay rate is £9.66ph and £14.49 after 39hours. Weekly bonus of £95 nightshift/attendance. No extra for working weekends or bank holidays, I work 1 month of weekends then 1 off with this shift pattern.
So say I do 35 hours it works out as £12.37ph
Or after 39hours say 55 hours £12.78ph.
Work is not to bad and on average always get a 12-15 hour shift and it’s trunking from a depot to a depot and back and the occasional drop to a store depot but no multi drop or handballing.
As a driver who’s only been doing this for a short time would u say my rate is pretty good or could be far better?
Thanks
A subjective question really… if it’s enough of a wage for you to currently get by on and the work isn’t that bad and factor in you haven’t that much experience, imo it’s ok. I’d say give it a couple of years for the experience and then if you want to look about to see if the grass is greener elsewhere then go for it but sometimes it’s better the devil you know. I know the money is why most of us work, but it’s not the be all and end all… I look at enjoying what I’m doing (not always, but mostly) the people I work with and also the cost of commuting.
andy_s:
A subjective question really… if it’s enough of a wage for you to currently get by on and the work isn’t that bad and factor in you haven’t that much experience, imo it’s ok. I’d say give it a couple of years for the experience and then if you want to look about to see if the grass is greener elsewhere then go for it but sometimes it’s better the devil you know. I know the money is why most of us work, but it’s not the be all and end all… I look at enjoying what I’m doing (not always, but mostly) the people I work with and also the cost of commuting.
+1 Well said.
I’m on low wages, but I don’t have expensive tastes so when I take home, especially as a tramper, is fine for what I need to live comfortably. If I wanted a new car on finance, went out partying a lot and so on and so forth, then I’d be chasing the money elsewhere. Instead, I like where I work and I like the work I do - that’s the most important thing to me.
The hourly rate doesn’t look too good on the face of it, but that £95 attendance allowance does put another £2 odd an hour onto the basic rate if you look at it like that.
It could be better, especially at weekends but to be honest if the work is fairly easy, as it sounds, and you enjoy the job, and the company treat you decently, then you could also do a lot worse.
Get some time under your belt and then rethink, and as above, much depends on area.
What you are getting imo is decent if you were working days…not sure it’s what most would do nights for tbh,the attendance bonus is exactly that a bonus not a supplement to a poor hourly rate,somif you say had one night off sick you’d lose £95 plus a nights pay?! 