Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
Yeah I’m watching it. Obviously it wont happen but I’d have liked them to ask Bidfood why they’re so uncooperative with inbound drivers who are delayed which they’ll just refuse point blank rather than fitting them in, or why they (and others) tie supply drivers up for hours on end taking unreasonable amounts of time to tip goods they’ve just said they’re desperate for…
I’d also have liked to see the guy who mentioned higher wages for drivers forcing prices up be asked why that same logic never applies to large executive bonuses.
With the Romanian guy, having worked abroad I fully agree with him and have said no end of times the industry and infrastructure here wouldn’t lace the boots of that on the continent and pay has has caught up sontheres not even that incentive anymore. Even less so with the enforcement of IR35.
But the cabotage relaxation is something that presents a real risk to continued improvement because there’s more EU trucks over here now once more, running on cheap fuel, with low overheads available to cover an unlimited amount of loads.
Obviously I know it can’t all be covered but I’m just posting my thoughts as they came about when covered by the programme
There’s a lorry programme on now showing Italian , German etc drivers ( very nice blonde girl this week ) , they showed a German t/stop the other week & the driver said it was a disgrace, bottles of ■■■■ , rubbish everywhere , it looked no different to the average lay-by over here
It’s ironic that they’d show how good the run to Milan was when the government and its Biased Broadcasting Coropration propaganda wing is all about putting even long haul UK freight on rail let alone international.
No surprise they’d want to keep on pushing the supposed downsides of distance work while ignoring the real issue of too much local multi drop crap.
So why aren’t the Brits doing the ‘superior’ international work.
Might as well drive a Moped doing fast food deliveries here in anti truck utopia Britain with the win win of plenty of time off and make up the money with UC.
toonsy:
Yeah I’m watching it. Obviously it wont happen but I’d have liked them to ask Bidfood why they’re so uncooperative with inbound drivers who are delayed which they’ll just refuse point blank rather than fitting them in, or why they (and others) tie supply drivers up for hours on end taking unreasonable amounts of time to tip goods they’ve just said they’re desperate for…
I’d also have liked to see the guy who mentioned higher wages for drivers forcing prices up be asked why that same logic never applies to large executive bonuses.
With the Romanian guy, having worked abroad I fully agree with him and have said no end of times the industry and infrastructure here wouldn’t lace the boots of that on the continent and pay has has caught up sontheres not even that incentive anymore. Even less so with the enforcement of IR35.
But the cabotage relaxation is something that presents a real risk to continued improvement because there’s more EU trucks over here now once more, running on cheap fuel, with low overheads available to cover an unlimited amount of loads.
Obviously I know it can’t all be covered but I’m just posting my thoughts as they came about when covered by the programme
The irony taking advantage of the European long haul road transport sector to wipe out what remains of the domestic one.
Which propably explains why the rail freight sector are silent on the issue when they’d be expected to be lobbying the government to abandon the idea.
The government said they will invest £32 million pounds on improving road side facilities. That just seems a drop in the ocean to me and won’t make much difference.
Isn’t down to the service station operators to improve this?
Also the program said some supermarkets are increasing wages to £50 k per year and as a result will increase prices.
So now joe public will think all these greedy truckers are all on really high wages and will get the blame for paying more for their shopping.
Funny that the supermarkets don’t want to admit their profits and how much bonuses they pay out to the directors.
Still let the drivers take the blame eh?..
Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
It’s not just the conditions, in general on the mainland you are treated in a totally different way, as a skilled and professional person who is essential to the business you are loading from or delivering to. Turn up anywhere in the UK and you are about as welcome as a ginger stepchild.
At least, that’s how it was when I did it, it may have changed with the shift from western to eastern European drivers doing western European work, certainly law enforcement has become stricter from talking to the people I know who still run over the water.
Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
It’s not just the conditions, in general on the mainland you are treated in a totally different way, as a skilled and professional person who is essential to the business you are loading from or delivering to. Turn up anywhere in the UK and you are about as welcome as a ginger stepchild.
At least, that’s how it was when I did it, it may have changed with the shift from western to eastern European drivers doing western European work, certainly law enforcement has become stricter from talking to the people I know who still run over the water.
Can’t say i’ve seen any stricter enforcement in Europe but it might depend on the registration plate…
Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
It’s not just the conditions, in general on the mainland you are treated in a totally different way, as a skilled and professional person who is essential to the business you are loading from or delivering to. Turn up anywhere in the UK and you are about as welcome as a ginger stepchild.
At least, that’s how it was when I did it, it may have changed with the shift from western to eastern European drivers doing western European work, certainly law enforcement has become stricter from talking to the people I know who still run over the water.
Can’t say i’ve seen any stricter enforcement in Europe but it might depend on the registration plate…
If it says GB oh no UK your more likely to get a tug
OwenMoney:
Can’t say i’ve seen any stricter enforcement in Europe but it might depend on the registration plate…
These 3,000 euro fines for minor tachograph infringements never used to be a thing. Back in the day it was a 100 franc note tucked into the passport when you handed it over which was missing when you were handed it back followed by cheery smiles and “Bonne route, Monsieur!”
Apart from that Scottish motorcycle copper on the Peripherique obviously but that’s a whole different story.
Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
It’s not just the conditions, in general on the mainland you are treated in a totally different way, as a skilled and professional person who is essential to the business you are loading from or delivering to. Turn up anywhere in the UK and you are about as welcome as a ginger stepchild.
At least, that’s how it was when I did it, it may have changed with the shift from western to eastern European drivers doing western European work, certainly law enforcement has become stricter from talking to the people I know who still run over the water.
Can’t say i’ve seen any stricter enforcement in Europe but it might depend on the registration plate…
If it says GB oh no UK your more likely to get a tug
GB sticker used to stand for Guaranteed Banker
Factura - no chance
Giving an absolutely brilliant programme part of which covering about the situation of road haulage in this programme. They’ve got a British driver showing all the problems, going on about the wage compression etc and he’s just shown them the state of the showers in a motorway services. They’ve also just had a Romanian driver on the continent doing a run to Milan the presenter went for a ride-along with who has said why none of them will come here, said that the conditions for lorry drivers in the UK were the worst in Europe and demonstrating the better working conditions and better service areas.
It’s not just the conditions, in general on the mainland you are treated in a totally different way, as a skilled and professional person who is essential to the business you are loading from or delivering to. Turn up anywhere in the UK and you are about as welcome as a ginger stepchild.
At least, that’s how it was when I did it, it may have changed with the shift from western to eastern European drivers doing western European work, certainly law enforcement has become stricter from talking to the people I know who still run over the water.
Maybe the long-term answer - is for a lot more of us to get away from this “Job ‘n’ Knock” culture where we get paid a day/salaried rate, rather than a top-dollar hourly rate?
…If you’re paid the latter, then the firm at either end - can waste as much time of yours on a bay for six hours as they like, as they are paying you the extra hours for it - right?
Back in the summer just gone, I was running into Nuneaton Bermuda Park, which frequently would have a long queue of various wagons outside waiting to get in, and often get tipped of one single pallet…
I use to drop around a half a dozen there, before setting off back sarth for Milton Keynes and the freshly washed trays - and thought I was doing well if I could get my six pallets tipped within 3 hours… !
…Didn’t bother me, as the firm I was working for - paid for all hours, and didn’t even knock an hour off for meal break…
As long as you’re being PAID to have all of your day wasted - who cares■■?
Came a bit late to the party, just watched it as I’d nowt else better to do.
The bloke made some good points about the state of some of the facilities we are expected to use after being financially raped for parking there, and about the hours we are expected to put in.
(He would have held a bit more credibility for me if he had took his ■■■■ hi viz off behind the wheel . )
.