Harry Monk:
The advertised salary is attractive but drivers like myself, 62 in a few months time, don’t want to do 13+ hour days. This is the issue that the industry needs to address.
This. Howdens have just taken on around 15 drivers where I am and I’m not one of them despite this being my 7th year in a row there because I didn’t put in an application and as I was easked by the manager why I hadn’t I’m guessing I’d have been in. Reason why is it’s a 54hr week - even that’s more than I want to do week in, week out. Currently I do four nights a week with a night off midweek, somewhere between 36 and 42hrs and that’s enough for me and works perfect because there’s no getting to Wednesday and thinking “chuff I’ve another 2 days to go”. Before Boris sacked off the Swedish Derogation of the AWR I’d have not thought twice about taking a job there as the wage difference was ridiculous but now we’re on parity pay I’d rather keep the lower hours and also be able to take a day/days/week off as and when I want.