Pay and conditions must be changed.
thing is there are people that are willing or have to take the poorer paid / longer hours positions for a variety of reasons. Yes small firms might have to try and cut costs to get the business in the first place. Then on top of that you have the brokerage firms telling all and sundry sign up with us there is a shortage you will make good money its worth investing 5k+. I have no doubt that the shortage is of people refusing to pay out good money to get their licences and then earn less than the minimum wage by the time they have done their 15 hour shift and run to the edge of legality.
Of course having an industry that creates a lot of revenue for the government and ensures tarquin can have his caviar on toast for breakfast as well as bigger dividends for the share holders its in everyone’s (apart from the driver) interest to shout driver shortage allowing the companies access to the mess its in now
Id like to know the figures on how many guys proper drivers with tickets up to the eyeballs have left the industry and went elsewhere.
I am one of them. Blatently refuse to use my hiab ticket for £9.00ph.
Also wont pull and heavy plant for stupid money.
Id rather be stress free and take home a decent wage than be flat out working every hour to take home a decent wage.
Obviously a lot of old timers will be semi retired.
Id like to know how many under 50s have left the industry after years of doing it because or the fall in pay?
Don’t hold your breath for better pay and conditions. The FTA are already making noises at No.10 about the industry being removed from post-Brexit immigration policy. They claim the sector is heavily reliant on migrant workers to fill the eternal ‘59000 shortfall’ in drivers and applaud the reduction of the £30k salary threshold. Let that and its implications sink in for a moment.
As long as the powers that be want cheap workers, they shall get them however from wherever. If I had a son, I would in no way shape or form encourage him to be a lorry driver. Perhaps the FTA would better use its time researching the causes of that widespread sentiment. One bloke at my place retrained to be a sparky aged 50, and left to do that. Another in his early 50s is leaving in a couple of weeks to become an HGV instructor. I’m 41 and currently taking significant steps to retrain in a different industry. It really is a horrendous industry to work in.
Truck drivers, will never get good wages as a whole… the divide and rule attitude is alive and kicking, why should a truck driver on £18 an hour worry about the chap on minimum wage doing 15 s 3 reducing rest every week… … I would not care, as long as my bills are paid, I wouldn’t join a union or strike to get others better pay… I would rather stack shelves than work for minimum wage, just because the boss has spent loads on a flash Scalia V8 and given the bull crap the driver should be grateful for being exploited.
Sad state of affairs.
I see where the old timers are coming from. Days gone by when people looked up to you as you flung a 46 tonner about.
No merely a slave to the trade.
Im 38 will keep my liscence up to date in the hope wages rise and hours drop. No one should be allowed to work 15 hours.
How many more times does this need to be said?
If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
cgscott:
Sad state of affairs.I see where the old timers are coming from. Days gone by when people looked up to you as you flung a 46 tonner about.
No merely a slave to the trade.
Im 38 will keep my liscence up to date in the hope wages rise and hours drop. No one should be allowed to work 15 hours.
Loads of jobs work 15 hours, many many moons ago, I was a prison officer in a London jail… if you were unlucky, you would do roll call at 7am then do your days shift until 17:30 … then had a 30 min break, then carry on to do evening duties… and finish at 21:00, if the roll was not correct you would stay until it was correct that could be 23:00 etc, then you would be back in at 7am or 7:30 m the next day, no guaranteed 9 hours rest, if a prisoner needed to go to hospital, you might get them back to the nick at 3 am still expected back in at 7:30am … 10 hour shifts were the norM… had to work every other weekend no extra rates etc … work public holidays for time off in lieu etc … was the wages great … in London no, only 33k a year… still had to do payment plus to get extra income… and 16 hour days were regular in the jail …
Harry Monk:
How many more times does this need to be said?If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
Exactly right.
If there really was a shortage it would be answered quickly, and solved with an incentive.
The only shortage in this job today is a shortage of proper drivers who can both drive a truck to a good standard, and do the job professionally, with every thing that quality brings…but there is no shortage of licence holders who can not. 
discoman:
cgscott:
Sad state of affairs.I see where the old timers are coming from. Days gone by when people looked up to you as you flung a 46 tonner about.
No merely a slave to the trade.
Im 38 will keep my liscence up to date in the hope wages rise and hours drop. No one should be allowed to work 15 hours.
Loads of jobs work 15 hours,.
Maybe so, but in this world of perceived strict Health and Safety,(yeh only when it suits 
) is it either ‘healthy’ or ‘safe’ to drive 44 tonnes amongst other traffic after doing that 15 hour days x 3, with only 9 hours ‘rest’ (not sleep) between those shifts.
The heroes will say ‘Yeh no problem’ , as they willingly work 70+ hours as a routine to earn their ‘‘good wage’’ they tell us about, , that is why things will never improve unfortunately.
If there was a real driver shortage then newbies would be offered a full time permanent job the moment they passed
robroy:
Harry Monk:
How many more times does this need to be said?If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
Exactly right.
If there really was a shortage it would be answered quickly, and solved with an incentive.The only shortage in this job today is a shortage of proper drivers who can both drive a truck to a good standard, and do the job professionally, with every thing that quality brings…but there is no shortage of licence holders who can not.
There’s only a shortage of properly paid jobs with decent conditions to attract people to the industry. Instead there’s an abundance of poorly paid jobs and fools willing to do them. Until the balance is redressed (unlikely), it will continue as it is.
Hey, I have a class one.
I heard someone mentioned £50k■■?
What time do you want me in the morning?
peirre:
robroy:
Harry Monk:
How many more times does this need to be said?If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
Exactly right.
If there really was a shortage it would be answered quickly, and solved with an incentive.The only shortage in this job today is a shortage of proper drivers who can both drive a truck to a good standard, and do the job professionally, with every thing that quality brings…but there is no shortage of licence holders who can not.
There’s only a shortage of properly paid jobs with decent conditions to attract people to the industry. Instead there’s an abundance of poorly paid jobs and fools willing to do them. Until the balance is redressed (unlikely), it will continue as it is.
What should these “fools” do?
Go on the dole? Would you respect them more?
.
Labour is not a perfectly free market. Supply and demand rules are not irrelevant, but are not the only factor here.
peirre:
robroy:
Harry Monk:
How many more times does this need to be said?If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
Exactly right.
If there really was a shortage it would be answered quickly, and solved with an incentive.The only shortage in this job today is a shortage of proper drivers who can both drive a truck to a good standard, and do the job professionally, with every thing that quality brings…but there is no shortage of licence holders who can not.
There’s only a shortage of properly paid jobs with decent conditions to attract people to the industry. Instead there’s an abundance of poorly paid jobs and fools willing to do them. Until the balance is redressed (unlikely), it will continue as it is.
Yep…that too. 
I think the only ‘fools’ as far as drivers go, are those who take low wages for the kudos of a fancy motor, and/or those who let themselves be pushed into maxing out.
You can’t call drivers fools who live in areas where the wages are ‘set’ and are pretty much the same whichever firm they go for.
I work for the ‘best of a bad bunch’ in my area, and tbf I don’t do so bad on reflection, in times past I have chased big money by working further South but these days it’s head down, anything for a quiet life.
Harry Monk:
How many more times does this need to be said?If there genuinely was a driver shortage, then the wages wouldn’t be low in the first place. That’s how supply and demand works.
+1
Why do some believe everything they read.
ROG:
If there was a real driver shortage then newbies would be offered a full time permanent job the moment they passed
Exactly right.
[emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38]
It was 56k+ according to last mays trucking magazine [emoji849]
Now onto more pressing matters…
ANYONE KNOW IF STOBARTS DEPOT AT FELIXSTOWE IS ACTUALLY REAL? [emoji16][emoji16]
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Here’s a prime example of what us new guys are up against, pics below.
Now I’ve held both counter/reach tickets, glady renew if a job secured, I’ve no points, never had a whisper on any licence categories for any of the aforementioned preferences…
My communication skills are second to none(many on here I know will vouch for it [emoji8])…
I’m 10 minutes away from the yard, have done London multidrop, and love farms(esp the ones with animals on), I’d night out in a heartbeat, and would gladly load an do yard duties if shizzle goes quiet, long as hourly rates same, I’m happy.
Now I’ve only got 6weeks wheel time under me, yet I’ve damaged nowt, caused no fines, but just need the experience, eg the door to open…
So seeing as there’s a 50k shortage, would anyone FROM THE RHA OR ALIKE be so kind as to explain how I’m getting past this door, and all the experience criteria set out?
I sense I’m in for a looooooong wait here…
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There is no absolute shortage of drivers. If there was, and transport companies had trucks parked up because of it, recruiters would be trawling industrial estates, truckstops, and outside transport firm yards, with sign on bonuses, massive permanent contracts, and a choice of wagon. There is, a SURPLUS shortage, of drivers desperate for work, that the industry can use to keep wages and conditions down. As long as Owens can advertise full time work at £9 per hour, (straight through too), in an area where there are many transport companies, there is no driver shortage.
What I do think is starting to happen, is that some companies are finally realising/accepting that filling seats with a merry-go-round of mediocre, but cheap, drivers who are unreliable, and do a lot of damage, is false economy. I can see pay and conditions improving, not massively, but still, to retain the better drivers, whilst the dross will be left with the minimum wage scraps.
Also, on a different scale, I think that the merry-go-round may slow down soon, as the economy and with it transport, slows down. It may not be a case of wanting higher wages, but having the security of a fulltime job.