Bewick:
Richard Stanier:
It’s sad to read your posting about the Stobart situation, Gingerfold, and I noted your comments in “CVRTC News” too. I would have thought that experienced drivers leaving to join your competitor will give ES a better chance of being successful in their new niche also.It would be interesting to find out if the drivers who have started for “the fast one” are on the same sort of wages as with their previous employer,although I cannot see that the"fast one" has secured the contract at an increased rate so one must assume that he’ll have cut the bottom out of the job and probably [zb] up another job in the process.So watch this space,it could be the same as the British Gypsum contract,once they see it won’t work they’ll give it “the elbow” and leave a pile of [zb] for some other poor bugger to clean up.How do Curtainsiders and extendable trailers mix unless they are going to try and re-load them with their food and beverages traffic,but hang on,that will entail sheeting and roping Oooooo! thats a big No No plus Coke/Tescos wouldn’t wear it,would they ? Bewick.
They have also “head hunted” Preston’s of Potto experienced driver trainer to train up the new flat trailer drivers in the skills of chaining and transporting steel. My drivers are on £110 per day plus £25 per night out and I believe (only driver gossip) that from initially offering £8.50 per hour Stobart has matched my former drivers’ rate. My informants also tell me that any slightly wide or longer loads have got a second man in the cab. even if they are not required by law, and the mate is accomodated in a hotel if the crew cannot get back to base in a shift. They are throwing a lot of money at this job, galvanised chains etc. so that the drivers don’t get their gloves dirty when chaining up.
The aluminium ingot loads are coming out of Warrington. I’m expecting Stobart’s to start targeting the main suspects for flat back loads soon, such as Chep pallets etc. whose rates are below rock bottom already.
Anyway I’ve called in the office this morning to look around the yard and feed the cat. The lodge on one side is about to overflow its banks and the normally slow flowing river on the other side of the yard is araging torrent and higher than I’ve ever seen it. It’s absolutely heaving it down so another few hours of this and we’ll probably be washed away. Problems solved.