What you all think ? All I know is that they was using that same line in the year 2000. I think there is no shortage and never has been . They use it as it keeps inflation down . If there are more drivers than jobs this keeps wages down the hich means the goods in the shops won’t go up if good in the shop went up because they had to pay higher wages it would cause inflation. Also people would have less money spare for other things hich in turn is bad for the economy. Go on indeed at anytime and you can see loads have applied for a single hgb job. I used to work for agencies there was no work after xmas and you got Frank’s two week holiday shift in the summer or bobs one day here and there if he went dentist. Or the agency would offer you work for firms who were so bad they couldn’t keep a driver with max hours ect. I know one lad who got one of them things to train in the sun paper where they get u a school. He was blagged 15ph …52,000 grand a year he could not find work and had the brokers ringing up every month for their money. I’ve seen container firms paying minimum wage class two jobs paying 8.50 pH. And on top of all that your a security guard if your tramping . So your looking after a load for 11 hours for 21 pound a night . That’s why the government give out training for free to so many people . Prisoners,ex military, job seekers ect . It keeps the wages down to stop inflation and dog eat dog in the work place.I don’t do this job anymore and I worked when I wanted for agencies non of that 75 hours a week any more so pointless keyboard warrior sending me nasty replies like oh if u was a good driver firms would be fighting over you crap lol as I don’t care. I worked for years with the agencies I seen it all myself bit busy at Xmas ,covering summer holidays ,Easter or little Archie’s doctors appointment . Then you have warehouse to wheels all over the country firms paying their staff to train to drive ,ex military,prisoners, unemployed . There is no shortage it’s all a blag and it’s always the same number 50,000 short quick pay 3000 to 4000 including retests to do a job for 15 hours a day ,stress , spoke to like crap, police and vosa want to fine you .
Truthsetyoufree:
What you all think ?
I think you need to learn how to use paragraphs.
I know one lad who got one of them things to train in the sun paper where they get u a school. He was blagged 15ph …
Some lorry driving jobs pay that and more. I’m in one of those that pay more. They’re out there, just not for people like you. I don’t work 15hrs a day, I don’t get spoken to like crap, I’ve paid one fine of £60 in 25 years. I don’t recognise your description of the job.
Truthsetyoufree:
What you all think ? All I know is that they was using that same line in the year 2000. I think there is no shortage and never has been . They use it as it keeps inflation down . If there are more drivers than jobs this keeps wages down the hich means the goods in the shops won’t go up if good in the shop went up because they had to pay higher wages it would cause inflation. Also people would have less money spare for other things hich in turn is bad for the economy. Go on indeed at anytime and you can see loads have applied for a single hgb job. I used to work for agencies there was no work after xmas and you got Frank’s two week holiday shift in the summer or bobs one day here and there if he went dentist. Or the agency would offer you work for firms who were so bad they couldn’t keep a driver with max hours ect. I know one lad who got one of them things to train in the sun paper where they get u a school. He was blagged 15ph …52,000 grand a year he could not find work and had the brokers ringing up every month for their money. I’ve seen container firms paying minimum wage class two jobs paying 8.50 pH. And on top of all that your a security guard if your tramping . So your looking after a load for 11 hours for 21 pound a night . That’s why the government give out training for free to so many people . Prisoners,ex military, job seekers ect . It keeps the wages down to stop inflation and dog eat dog in the work place.I don’t do this job anymore and I worked when I wanted for agencies non of that 75 hours a week any more so pointless keyboard warrior sending me nasty replies like oh if u was a good driver firms would be fighting over you crap lol as I don’t care. I worked for years with the agencies I seen it all myself bit busy at Xmas ,covering summer holidays ,Easter or little Archie’s doctors appointment . Then you have warehouse to wheels all over the country firms paying their staff to train to drive ,ex military,prisoners, unemployed . There is no shortage it’s all a blag and it’s always the same number 50,000 short quick pay 3000 to 4000 including retests to do a job for 15 hours a day ,stress , spoke to like crap, police and vosa want to fine you .
Your a shocking TROLL !!
Give it up it’s not working.
Muppet.
sooner or later he will forget and end the post with…ta.
id have thought conor might have been a bit more switched on as to feed it but everyone has off days… 
I’ve just had deja-■■■…
Which is the feeling that I’ve heard this crap before.
Worst trolling effort ever!
Lots of yards advertizing at present, but if you pick up the phone, and give them a call - the jobs have already all gone, you get told - but we’ll take your name and details for our records, if more jobs come up in the future.
No thanks.
“One Stop” - or NO stop for me.
Jog On…
Once one is on the wrong side of 50, you don’t want people wasting what remains of your life stalling to make their decision, and other such crap.
If the firm doesn’t have a job for you - there’s lots of other places to try these days.
“First come first served” also means “Stop me and hire one”.
If there are perceived to be “not much work about”, then firms should find it easier to palm would-be new employees off with lower rates and longer hours - shouldn’t they?
The roads are certainlly busy enough, truck traffic wise…
Are we all learning how to be thrifty now - I wonder?
yourhavingalarf:
I’ve just had deja-■■■…Which is the feeling that I’ve heard this crap before.
Worst trolling effort ever!
Not Deja vu, but rather Boo Hoo - if you end up working for £3.50ph like this breaking scandal at Leicester laid bare by the re-emergence of Covid there, (so we’re told…)
I wonder if there are any firms operating without insurance for their come-and-go staff these days?
If you’re driving a wagon unaccompanied, and unpaid - are you insured?
Tedious post is tedious.
Tedious
It’s been my experience that there is definitely a driver shortage in this country.
However, the steering wheel attendant glut continues unabated.
There’s a shortage of GOOD drivers. That’s what firms are finding
But there is an ABUNDANCE of KNOB’HEADS
Maybe we should start a thread on what it means to be a good driver:
From a shareholder’s point of view, I’d say “Prepared to work 84 hours per week for a wage based on 40 hours @ minimum wage” IF the firm are skinflints.
From an employee’s point of view, it would be someone who’s actions doesn’t make you look bad, especially when you smash up the kit, and worry for your job.
From a gaffer’s point of view, it would be that driver ready to go the extra mile with the minimum of fuss. The Gaffer might keep stumn about having such an ideal driver at their beck and call already, fearing losing them to the “headhunting” of another firm. The number one reason for any driver to shift sideways in this line of work - has always been “more money” or “closer to home” - hasn’t it?
From a parent’s point of view, it will be that driver who seems to be able to fund running the household OK, AND be home every night, without the kids worrying about their dad having to go to dangerous places or insecure locations where they are likely to be robbed…
From a stranger’s point of view though?
It should surely be that driver who has a broad spectrum of experience, is cheap to run based on the amount of damage/fines/fees/wages in that order that such a driver might run up as a “liability”.
There’s not much point (False Economy) securing a “9 points OK” driver for £9ph if they then cause routeinly about £20k of damage each and every year, be it in knocks and bumps or PCNs, etc.
On the other hand, the day will come where a popular, but accident-prone driver who says “If he doesn’t go - I will” actually gets their uniform stripped from them, and given to would-be poor reputation driver in their stead…
The thing about “good” drivers and “bad” drivers, is the firm unfortunately has a culture of ignorance where you don’t get to hear about the reasons why someone new is taken on OR why someone there for years and years - is now suddenly gone.
“If we all don’t learn the history of what has already happened to others, then those happenings will surely come to everyone else in due course, no one learned from the mistakes, no one got saved.”
What remains of this lockdown - is sure to iron out some creases across the entire industry.
The tide goes out - Let’s see who’s wearing a swimsuit!
Within five years, - what currently unemployed driver of average age 53 is going to bother re-newing their medical, or lgv entitlements if they cannot promptly get back to work driving trucks before the lockdown ends, just to keep their hand in?
…If one’s pension kicks in, - that’s less incentive to go back to work, on WI base rate tax - isn’t it?
Should firms be allowed to bully staff to “stay out of retirement” meanwhile, by booting any to-come pension entitlements down the road as seems rather common these days…?
60 to 65… then to 67… then “money’s tight” so it’s 70…
Before you know it, you have to take a medical every year at 70. If you’re not retired by THAT point - you’re going to be working until you drop - aren’t you?
Don’t get conned out of your pension - I would suggest.
£200pw now at age 60 is better than deferring to 70 “to bump that up a bit” only to be dead like David Bowie and Alan Rickman at age 69 - right?
None of us know how long we’ve got left.
If someone wants you to defer your pension then - you can bet your PPE Boots that it’ll be for their benefit rather than you and yours!!
Once we’ve all gone in a decade or so - who replaces us?
THAT is when the shortage truly hits home… Lack of LGV drivers in the age 20-35 range at this time.
I blame the gig economy
Winseer, do you ever read your posts after posting them 
I got half way through and thought
… wtf is he on about !!
Winseer:
Don’t get conned out of your pension - I would suggest.£200pw now at age 60 is better than deferring to 70 “to bump that up a bit” only to be dead like David Bowie and Alan Rickman at age 69 - right?
To be fair I’m not sure Bowie or Rickman were desperately waiting on their pension
switchlogic:
Winseer:
Don’t get conned out of your pension - I would suggest.£200pw now at age 60 is better than deferring to 70 “to bump that up a bit” only to be dead like David Bowie and Alan Rickman at age 69 - right?
To be fair I’m not sure Bowie or Rickman were desperately waiting on their pension
Indeed. Bowie was singing about the “golden years” before he was 30! 
If you go on the Martin Lewis website there is a table on pension. It shows how long you have to live to break even if you defer your pension.
Odd days:
If you go on the Martin Lewis website there is a table on pension. It shows how long you have to live to break even if you defer your pension.
That is exactly the sort of advice we should all at least take a look at - but who actually does though?
Winseer:
That is exactly the sort of advice we should all at least take a look at - but who actually does though?
Moi. Thanks to that site, especially a couple of the forums, maximising everything the government do enables me to add £1000 to my pension pot for just £296 net earned income sacrificed for the first few thousand pounds a year gross pension contributions I make. However in order to do that you do need to be pretty much debt free and have a low cost of living. If you’re a childless couple then every £1000 you can live on below £18k you can add £1000 to your pension for £296 earned income. If you’ve got a couple of kids that rises to every £1000 under £25k.
Because Tax Credit, Universal Credit or any other means tested benefits allow you to offset any pension contributions you make from your gross income when calculating your income for those benefits it means that because of tapering your awards for UC and Tax Credits increase by 63p for every pound you contribute below the upper earnings threshold for claiming because the taxable income used to calculate the benefit is lowered. Because you’re paying in to the pension from taxed income HMRC will refund your tax into your pension at the basic rate (they actually add 25% of what you contribute out of taxed income because reciprocal maths).
Breaks down as follows;
You contribute £800 into your pension from take home pay.
HMRC top up by 25%/£200 to reimburse you the income tax. (£1000 gross untaxed pay minus 20% basic rate tax is £800 take home)
Tapering means because your taxable income has dropped £1000 your tax credits award increases by £504 - (if you didn’t qualify you may now do if the gross pension contributions take you below the upper earnings limit)
Net cost to you from your take home pay so far is now £800-£504 “refunded” via tax credits/UC=£296.
Total paid into pension £1000.
Total out of pocket from earned taxed income £296.
So the government is paying £704 of the £1000 you’ve just added to your pension. Absolute madness and all in the rules - it even states in the advice sheet you get with your tax credit renewals for calculating your income that pension contributions are deductible, including the HMRC top up, so to multiply any pension contribution you’ve made from taxed pay by 1.25 and take that amount off your gross taxable pay.
My only regret is not working it out years sooner but then again I wasn’t debt free so needed to use the income. But yeah if you can as a couple live off £11500k a year of your take home pay you could add the first £5000 a year to your pension for only a cost to you of £1480 of take home pay. And the madness is that because your taxable income for means tested benefits would be counted as being £13k you may actually qualify for some housing and council tax benefit depending on LHA rates in your area so it may not be the case that £12k even has to cover the rent/council tax.
As you can see from the above the state benefit system in the UK can be very generous to working people who can be quite frugal and there’s actually no need to fiddle any benefits if you’re willing to not touch the money until you reach retirement age.
Im with Odd Days and Conor on this. Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewiss site is excellent.
Easy to understand, and transparent in how they make any money (or not) from their links and advice.
.
As always, cross check advice, and pay up front for experts if needed, but good site for all sorts of financial help.
We will know when there is a real driver shortage because those passing the test will be immediately snapped up into full time permanent jobs