daftvader:
Eddie snax.The ones i’m talking about are all red.Mostly cf dafs.Have the name of the firm in yellow.Think your probably right about Turkey now.Think the Ukraine will be trying to join soon to.
Blimey, If that’s who I’m thinking, runs from beccles area 
I’ve always been led to believe they were supposed to be quite decent to work for 
Yeah well I believe that most of the trouble in Ukraine was down to EU meddling, and that wont stop 
Yeah that’ll be the ones.The bloke i spoke to said they are decent to work for.But have alot of east europeans working for them.Reckons they do 6 weeks here then go back for 2 weeks.Living in the truck for the 6 weeks over here.
Unfortunately the eu want to interfere with everything in europe.So we’ll all be one big happy family.
romik:
daftvader:
Like romik said you can keep your rental costs down by spending weekends in the truck in the yard.I have been told of one haulage firm where this happens with there east euro drivers.So what is happening is a reduction of rates based on outsourcing cheaper work force which is unfair, as we have families and aren’t prepared to match work migrant’s ability to live in very basic environments and by doing so reducing their outgoings dramatically. That’s why there is a new tendency for agencies to prefer Eastern European drivers as agency gets to be more competitive in relation to other agencies by offering a cheaper work force.
Thats a good point. However how much of haulage industry is made up by trampers? I have no such figure but I’d guess it is not that much. Over here, based on available jobs currently being advertised, it’s mostly kind of 9-5 job ( you are at home everyday/night for your daily rest) On the other hand continental Europe where British hauliers are virtually non existent anyway as this is area where Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary and Bulgaria rule. Things look different there as it looks like long distance freight market is much bigger. Thanks to available drivers from the above countries, however this is not Britains problem is it?
I understand there is constant influx of foreigners some coming to do driving jobs, but seriously as a human being how long would you last sleeping in a truck, eating at the motorway services or wherever you can actually park an artic (it can be difficult in UK) Roadside facilities in England are not truck friendly as in the Germany or Belgium for example. We are talking about £7 an hour, okay so driver like that will be living on motorway services priced ready meals and snacks which are really expensive it will be eating his income as such, not to mention that hygiene issues. I understand he will be having his kit and such but seriously how long he’s gonna last? 1-2weeks (we are talking about no access to a normal house to save up on money) In my opinion you are exaggerating all of this. £7 an hour for a professional driver is an insult and only good for youngsters to build them up a bit or for a short period of time if desperate for money. Foreign drivers will not touch this job as they can sing up with any agency and go supermarket driving or similar (for much more an hour) provided their competencies are good enough for UK transport.
Never voted 26 now
I have no idea who box to tick lol
But might look into into I have no problem with eu drivers coming over just work at the same price we do I suppose some business use this to make money
Blacov89:
, but seriously as a human being how long would you last sleeping in a truck, eating at the motorway services or wherever you can actually park an artic (it can be difficult in UK) Roadside facilities in England are not truck friendly as in the Germany or Belgium for example. We are talking about £7 an hour, okay so driver like that will be living on motorway services priced ready meals and snacks which are really expensive it will be eating his income as such, not to mention that hygiene issues. I understand he will be having his kit and such but seriously how long he’s gonna last? 1-2weeks (we are talking about no access to a normal house to save up on money) In my opinion you are exaggerating all of this. £7 an hour for a professional driver is an insult and only good for youngsters to build them up a bit or for a short period of time if desperate for money. Foreign drivers will not touch this job as they can sing up with any agency and go supermarket driving or similar (for much more an hour) provided their competencies are good enough for UK transport.
I don’t disagree with your sentiment to the wage rate, unfortunately though its not shockingly unusual, how many threads have there been on this site about low wages, probably one a week. As you have stated it can be handy for a new driver to gain experience with, but drivers do get stuck in ruts on this sort off money, otherwise the company would have to raise their game.
I do counter your assumption that living in the Cab as a Tramper you’d be living on MSA type food, or even fast food all the time, it just isn’t the only option, and why lash out on over priced poor quality food, when with a bit off forethought you can cook for yourself in your cab. You can go to a Supermarket, and for instance buy cooked (still hot) chicken portions, take back to your truck, boil up some tinned potatoes, and veg, make some gravy, bingo that’s a filling meal for a few quid. Planning 
There’s plenty off people doing normal job’s(whatever one off those is) who get a take away a lot off nights, or eat almost exclusively freezer food, why is that any better. Its still fast food, just consumed in a house
usual flipflop spec here is work for a month straight through,lift to Dublin airport,then a sleazyjet back to cabbage land for a week,come back with the skiddys all washed,then repeat.a Bulgarian dude working with us here was on decent local wages till the wall came down,then couldn’t even get a decent wage locally due to the influx of polish into his own country,hence he ended up in Belgium for 90 euro a day,then over to n.i for £90 quid a day. the poles pushed his local rate down to 20 euro a day,so he couldn’t afford to work where he lived,but over here,there all lost in the same flipflop category to us.
Depends where you are if £7.00 hr is ok or not up here it sounds a little low but not much average £7.50 -£9.00 per hr some companies pay £90/100 per day others £400 per week take home or 22k per year then take off tax etc work it out Fowler welch pay £7.75 for CE work
Yep you might have spent a lot on training but the jobs market is such that they can pay that as well as supply / demand
animal:
Depends where you are if £7.00 hr is ok or not up here it sounds a little low but not much average £7.50 -£9.00 per hr some companies pay £90/100 per day others £400 per week take home or 22k per year then take off tax etc work it out Fowler welch pay £7.75 for CE workYep you might have spent a lot on training but the jobs market is such that they can pay that as well as supply / demand
You’ve spoke common sense.
Its just occurred to me, that for those who complain about how much they’ve spent on their CE licence, and cant get decent work for whatever reason, have a think about the UNI students, who’ve spent £25000 for a degree that are now flipping burgers
One word - ■■■■■■■■■
eddie snax:
animal:
Depends where you are if £7.00 hr is ok or not up here it sounds a little low but not much average £7.50 -£9.00 per hr some companies pay £90/100 per day others £400 per week take home or 22k per year then take off tax etc work it out Fowler welch pay £7.75 for CE workYep you might have spent a lot on training but the jobs market is such that they can pay that as well as supply / demand
You’ve spoke common sense.
Its just occurred to me, that for those who complain about how much they’ve spent on their CE licence, and cant get decent work for whatever reason, have a think about the UNI students, who’ve spent £25000 for a degree that are now flipping burgers
You are right, but there were articles stating hgv salaries are around 40k per year and that there is shortage, it’s now more evident that there is shortage at market rates (lower bracket) and for experienced drivers too at the same time. 40k seems only possible via a good agency/ltd(vat) setup.
romik:
eddie snax:
animal:
Depends where you are if £7.00 hr is ok or not up here it sounds a little low but not much average £7.50 -£9.00 per hr some companies pay £90/100 per day others £400 per week take home or 22k per year then take off tax etc work it out Fowler welch pay £7.75 for CE workYep you might have spent a lot on training but the jobs market is such that they can pay that as well as supply / demand
You’ve spoke common sense.
Its just occurred to me, that for those who complain about how much they’ve spent on their CE licence, and cant get decent work for whatever reason, have a think about the UNI students, who’ve spent £25000 for a degree that are now flipping burgers
You are right, but there were articles stating hgv salaries are around 40k per year and that there is shortage, it’s now more evident that there is shortage at market rates (lower bracket) and for experienced drivers too at the same time. 40k seems only possible via a good agency/ltd(vat) setup.
There is a shortage. If you’re experienced with a good driving record then I think you can move at will, in some areas. £40k jobs are very few and far apart on PAYE. As you say the market rates are dismal in a lot of areas, but if you are newly qualified then that’s where you will probably have to start, as any haulier paying in the mid £30k’s can have their pick off experienced drivers. I know a few off the blokes from our place have left to go to other jobs for similar pay, and we have had other drivers come to our place, but the most off them are experienced guys, and its just the normal sort off churn that always happens with experienced drivers
Ok another angle to look at this is if you had a company would you give the unit ( think of the price of them ) and unit with goods to someone that you dont know & they have no record from driving no driving history for you to check this is probably in excess of 100k
animal:
Ok another angle to look at this is if you had a company would you give the unit ( think of the price of them ) and unit with goods to someone that you dont know & they have no record from driving no driving history for you to check this is probably in excess of 100k
Well hasn’t it always been thus. I remember when I was trying to get my first class 1 job, seen an advert in the local paper for a class one driver near Me, so I went round to see the Guy, He was ever so nice, but turned Me down, as he said at 21 and with his wagons (142 Scanias when they were the current model), he’d never be able to insure, let alone feel confident about sending me up the road.
To give him credit, he showed me around the trucks that were back, and talked to me about the job, and gave me a couple off other companies too try. I spent a couple of hours there, and his parting words were, come back in 3 years, if you don’t do anything silly. which quite boosted My then deflated Ego
I am to complete mod 4cpc early February I phoned a few schools whilst in training and a trainer not my school gave me a number I phoned it and the guy said he is a agency.idid not send my licence when I passed but wish I did as it would of been back before my mod 4 this agency has invited me to a assessment but I’m not ready and he is saying I will have to wait another month for the next one. I sent my cv into another I have a meeting on Monday with them they idicated that they might have van work upto me passing cpc and wait till licence comes back so I’m in a bit of a puzzle With it how do Managevthe two?
Don’t do it.
We all should stay well away from that kind of jobs. Week ends and NIGHTS at £7 per hour? Up theirs!!!
A very interesting post IMO. I agree with others on here regarding low pay. However,if you have scrimped to pay for your license and are struggling to get experience,its mighty tempting. That’s aside from the fact you may have loved ones to provide for/keep a roof over the head etc.
Firms are exploiting the fact that new drivers will take low pay and insurance companies want 2 years exp to try and limit their risk.
I believe its up to us new drivers to show some balls and stick together by not accepting exploitation. I would love to see other opinions on this.
I think it is all so easy to blame migrant workers for everything.
But what about greedy British managers? How about our government, and how much does it care about us workers? Is it not true that politicians and big greedy companies are creating a working environment full of insecurity and precariousness? In the long run, who wins the battle? We drivers or them companies paying peanuts?