Sounds as if you have been treated shabbily by them Luke.
It’s the same everywhere today you are just a number, and only as good as the last job that you done in their eyes.
Sorry to hear it mate.
Btw…Is the offending vid up for public viewing…link?
Just curious 
Good luck with future employment anyway mate.
Good drivers do not stay unemployed long. 
switchlogic:
Freight Dog:
switchlogic:
I think its safe to say there won’t always be a place for me at VirginiaSorry to hear what was clearly an enjoyable company to work for ended it like this. Case of sour grapes because they felt you’d left them in the lurch? Can’t see solely based on that video why it was any worse than the other videos you filmed that they didn’t sack you for. If anything you painted quite a good picture of Virgina, mentioning the house they’d rented etc.
Thing is I never left them in the lurch, I was told to leave, I never handed my notice in. The video I made diplomatically steered round this! I was staying away from home 5 days a week for them and it still wasn’t enough
Sorry I should’ve phrased it better. I meant to say perhaps THEY perceived you as leaving them in the lurch. Before you mentioned being pushed I did not think that you did leave them in the lurch myself and doubt anyone would, companies don’t own people.
As it turns out they pushed you?! One min they want to keep you next they’re constructing your dismissal. Firms
switchlogic:
Freight Dog:
switchlogic:
I think its safe to say there won’t always be a place for me at VirginiaSorry to hear what was clearly an enjoyable company to work for ended it like this. Case of sour grapes because they felt you’d left them in the lurch? Can’t see solely based on that video why it was any worse than the other videos you filmed that they didn’t sack you for. If anything you painted quite a good picture of Virgina, mentioning the house they’d rented etc.
Thing is I never left them in the lurch, I was told to leave, I never handed my notice in. The video I made diplomatically steered round this! I was staying away from home 5 days a week for them and it still wasn’t enough
So when you made that video, they had already asked you to leave?
Can you divulge their reasons?
Seems a very shabby way to treat someone who has generated pretty much 100% positive publicity for their company.
Thinking about it, given your 30-40,000 monthly hits in your videos I’d say you’ve given Virginia not only a fair bit of airtime but almost a brand identity and channel of their own. I’d never heard of them before. Something most companies couldn’t emulate without big big bucks. The average company employee will be like an embarrassing forced block of wood in front of a camera and would do nothing for a unique image. Many firms try to create this of company YouTube vids and fail comically unless they’ve a budget for big big adverts.
Virginia were on to a good freebie with your free stream of brand spreading. I’m just a John nobody but I’m sure there could be some important customers have watched those videos and liked what they saw.
I don’t think many firms recognize the positive impact good social networking can have. I used to write a blog for the last company I worked at, they redesigned their website and asked me if I would do something for them, I agreed as I like writing, there was mention of compensation when they first asked me and it never happened, so I stopped doing it. They were getting 6000word long distance diaries for SFA, which would be worth a couple of grand had I sold them to the magazine I write for, sometimes I did two a month, so they got extremely good value from them, especially as I promoted them quite heavily on trucking pages and websites, they saw their Web visits go up from a couple of hundred a month to many thousands a week and were even talking about a shop selling hats and t shirts with the company logo, such was the interest the blog generated and I never got a penny for it, not even a mention at the Xmas do when the awards were handed out.
I’m not bitter about it as I enjoyed doing them and I will be able to look back at them in the future and get all melancholy about the good old days. They’re also part of my writing portfolio and as such will help me if I ever choose to take on more freelance work or become a full time writer again.
If I were Luke I would definitely promote my online presence to any future employer, there are some that will relish the opportunity to get their company on a page with 40,000 hits a month and some that will think that’s the work of the devil, so it’s a two way street as I don’t think Luke would be a good fit for a company that doesn’t want an online presence and vice versa.
All sounds like a bit of a shame really.
Think there could have been a bit too much optimism, and too little reality, on both sides about the arrangement that might have made a future bust up a bit inevitable.
Unless there’s money owed probably best to just move on - that beagle’s been like Yoko Ono.
I honestly think there will be no trouble getting driving work as and when you want in Avonmouth.
Own Account Driver:
All sounds like a bit of a shame really.Think there could have been a bit too much optimism, and too little reality, on both sides about the arrangement that might have made a future bust up a bit inevitable.
.
Have you been talking to my misses?
I’m in a writing mood. This’ll do for the next year’s quota…
Luke me old chum.
Always remember, these things are like relationships. People fall out. They get a solid monk on over pride, dig their heels and regret it. Stubbornness sets in and emotions runs amok I tells ya!
A company is no different. Behind all that brand crap, signeage and fonts are some humans you knew. You don’t fall out with a machine at Virginia’s level. It’s no Apple. You are dealing with people. If you put in nearly a decade of good solid work like you did and fell out towards the end. Well, they can huff and puff all they want over what ever silly issues they’ve constructed to furnish your leaving. You’ll huff and puff. I’d huff and puff! But it’s people. With brains (however small) emotions and pride. But they’ll come to their sense in their own quiet time as humans do and they know you were a good bloke to work with. Pride begets a fall.
My advice, is be careful in the game you play now - for short term emotional gratification -without any real gain long term. Do what you would do if the clear minded person was speaking to you.
If you’re going to court, make sure you go for the right reasons. That you actually need the money for example and not out of emotion or sense of gratification at expense of less tangable aspects. It would take a stronger man to hand write a letter to the bar stewards and try to say “we cocked it up somehow, but it’s been a good ride and you know what, we don’t have to walk this path. Let’s talk as people who’ve worked well with each other for 9 years should. We can part as friends, let’s sort it out”. Etc etc. and you never know, you could one day cross paths again.
I watched your videos and must say unless you give nothing away in the driving vids you seems like a happy man with them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow and I’ve only got half Intel. They may have treated you like ■■■■■ for all I know all these years and have it coming. But if not (don’t darken their doorstep again if they were), consider what’s best for you.
I’ve noticed this Virginia (my iPad prompt called them ■■■■■■. I’m sorry children. If you may have ‘pre edit’, read the word ■■■■■■ sprinkled throughout this post like prit stik’d glitter. I’m truly truly sorry) have reached almost zeitgeist proportions on here. Because you propelled them through your films.
I doubt any of one would be talking or have previously been interested in working at this Virginia logistics if it weren’t for the videos and thinking they would be working for a bunch of secretive Irish Luke’s. People attach faces and identities to companies, and I think theirs was yours. I wonder how many off here would turn up there tomorrow would be disappointed to meet the reality. But that’s advertising and it’s just gone south for them as they’ve lost their avenue as has been mentioned. Anyway, think on. Many ways to handle this Wiley ferret and being human based, it’s not necessarily sunk.
Good luck good cab cooking/continental exploit video Luke
newmercman:
I don’t think many firms recognize the positive impact good social networking can have. I used to write a blog for the last company I worked at, they redesigned their website and asked me if I would do something for them, I agreed as I like writing, there was mention of compensation when they first asked me and it never happened, so I stopped doing it. They were getting 6000word long distance diaries for SFA, which would be worth a couple of grand had I sold them to the magazine I write for, sometimes I did two a month, so they got extremely good value from them, especially as I promoted them quite heavily on trucking pages and websites, they saw their Web visits go up from a couple of hundred a month to many thousands a week and were even talking about a shop selling hats and t shirts with the company logo, such was the interest the blog generated and I never got a penny for it, not even a mention at the Xmas do when the awards were handed out.I’m not bitter about it as I enjoyed doing them and I will be able to look back at them in the future and get all melancholy about the good old days. They’re also part of my writing portfolio and as such will help me if I ever choose to take on more freelance work or become a full time writer again.
If I were Luke I would definitely promote my online presence to any future employer, there are some that will relish the opportunity to get their company on a page with 40,000 hits a month and some that will think that’s the work of the devil, so it’s a two way street as I don’t think Luke would be a good fit for a company that doesn’t want an online presence and vice versa.
This. Very much this. They thought they knew best but didn’t realise that sacking me was probably the worst course of action they could have taken. The fact is on Monday I was told to leave, not face to face though, the cowards way via email. So Monday night I decided what to do next, and before work next day made that video. I accept doing it in the office may not have been a great idea in hindsight but it’s not gross misconduct. They didn’t take into account what I said in the video, the fact I placed the blame for moving on on myself and not wanting to be away from home. They didn’t take into account peoples responses to it, which were all positive towards me and the company. But that’s the problem, they don’t look. You couldn’t make one complete social media profile from the half hearted affairs of everyone who runs that company. Social media and the online world they really do not understand. Their other argument was that I was banned from using social media in a personal capacity and certainly wasn’t allowed to promote myself. Funny how that’s suddenly an issue after 6/7 years of doing just that. I had no reason to be nice about the company on Tuesday, but as usual I was, and this is what I get for it. When I started that job I made it clear I would live in Bristol. By Christmas that was no good for him. Took a lot for me to move to Tamworth during week and he knows that, but I did determined to make a go of it. Now suddenly in last week that’s also not enough, I should be there 7 days a week he thinks. On call 24 hours a day.
God knows why they thought sacking me would be a good plan, I’d lined up work for next week anyway and was about to be on my merry way with handshakes all round and a friendly goodbye. But they pushed the nuclear button and are probably regretting that particular stupid decision. They probably thought I’d be too ashamed to talk about it! Hahaha! Fools! I’m shameless!
I have so so so much more to say but I’ll nit bore you all with more. Maybe one day I’ll make a video they REALLY won’t like!
As it is I’m working for Bull Transport tonight doing Tesco Tiverton and Plymouth stores, give me a wave if you see me 
James the cat:
I’m in a writing mood. This’ll do for the next year’s quota…Luke me old chum.
Always remember, these things are like relationships. People fall out. They get a solid monk on over pride, dig their heels and regret it. Stubbornness sets in and emotions runs amok I tells ya!
A company is no different. Behind all that brand crap, signeage and fonts are some humans you knew. You don’t fall out with a machine at Virginia’s level. It’s no Apple. You are dealing with people. If you put in nearly a decade of good solid work like you did and fell out towards the end. Well, they can huff and puff all they want over what ever silly issues they’ve constructed to furnish your leaving. You’ll huff and puff. I’d huff and puff! But it’s people. With brains (however small) emotions and pride. But they’ll come to their sense in their own quiet time as humans do and they know you were a good bloke to work with. Pride begets a fall.
My advice, is be careful in the game you play now - for short term emotional gratification -without any real gain long term. Do what you would do if the clear minded person was speaking to you.
If you’re going to court, make sure you go for the right reasons. That you actually need the money for example and not out of emotion or sense of gratification at expense of less tangable aspects. It would take a stronger man to hand write a letter to the bar stewards and try to say “we cocked it up somehow, but it’s been a good ride and you know what, we don’t have to walk this path. Let’s talk as people who’ve worked well with each other for 9 years should. We can part as friends, let’s sort it out”. Etc etc. and you never know, you could one day cross paths again.
I watched your videos and must say unless you give nothing away in the driving vids you seems like a happy man with them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow and I’ve only got half Intel. They may have treated you like [zb] for all I know all these years and have it coming. But if not (don’t darken their doorstep again if they were), consider what’s best for you.
I’ve noticed this Virginia (my iPad prompt called them ■■■■■■. I’m sorry children. If you may have ‘pre edit’, read the word ■■■■■■ sprinkled throughout this post like prit stik’d glitter. I’m truly truly sorry) have reached almost zeitgeist proportions on here. Because you propelled them through your films.
I doubt any of one would be talking or have previously been interested in working at this Virginia logistics if it weren’t for the videos and thinking they would be working for a bunch of secretive Irish Luke’s. People attach faces and identities to companies, and I think theirs was yours. I wonder how many off here would turn up there tomorrow would be disappointed to meet the reality. But that’s advertising and it’s just gone south for them as they’ve lost their avenue as has been mentioned. Anyway, think on. Many ways to handle this Wiley ferret and being human based, it’s not necessarily sunk.
Good luck good cab cooking/continental exploit video Luke
Thank you for your words of advice sir, some very wise ones. You never know maybe one day our relationship will improve but I’m not a big enough man to write that particular yet!
You might want to remove a link in your signature luke, haha
It will be interesting from a nosey point of view to see how this plays out. They never had issue before with your videos and promotion of the company. Surely if they had taken issue with you and what you were doing you wouldn’t have ended up getting the 750 Volvo etc. They’ve cut their nose off to spite their face and it most certainly my seems like it will backfire.
Did / Do Virginia have a social media policy l, and had you been briefed and accepted terms on this? Surely the worst they could have done is given you a ticking off for " dicking around in company time" and that wouldn’t be gross misconduct. Hope you rinse them mate!
Oh yeah point Re signature!
Sorry it all ended up this way Luke.Their loss not your’s.Wish you best of luck mate.
switchlogic:
The fact is on Monday I was told to leave, not face to face though, the cowards way via email. So Monday night I decided what to do next, and before work next day made that video. I accept doing it in the office may not have been a great idea in hindsight but it’s not gross misconduct.
It’s a shame this has ended so badly 
Am I understanding this correctly, on Monday they told you to leave at the weekend, then when they saw the video you put up on Tuesday they decided to sack you for gross misconduct even though it was already agreed you’d be leaving, if that’s what happened it does seem like a very strange thing to do 
For about a couple of years I used to write a bit of a blog for a shipping site concerning the ship I was on at the time, where we were going, cargoes, weather etc etc but the Irish owner took exception to me calling him an eejit online for trying to save a few hundred €’s but end up wasting one hell of a lot more, next time after my leave I was not asked to go back. So must be a paddy thing I reckon. 
So sorry to see how Coles treated you Luke its a shame to see a top man leave like this after all the years you put in for them.
It goes to show what their true colours are and im sure you will come our of it being the better man.
I didn’t realise the vid in question that caused the problem was the one linked to your o/p 
nothing that I saw could be construed as offensive…well maybe apart from the shirt Luke tbh
Didn’t realise you worked for the Taliban, Luke.
So, where were the written warnings etc. I didn’t think that an employee who was obviously held in high esteem could be dispensed with so summarily. Legally, that is.
What a sad tale and I hope that things go from strength to strength for you (and Bertie).
Crack on, drive
robroy:
I didn’t realise the vid in question that caused the problem was the one linked to your o/p
Maybe they were uneasy with having asked someone to leave. I don’t know but unless someone has committed gross misconduct, isn’t asking someone to leave, essentially firing an employee, without going through the grievance channels (warnings etc first), a bit open to unfair dismissal etc?
Maybe they realized this, panicked and thought they’d found a good neat gross misconduct reason in a video. A video that paints them in a nice and respectful way (mentioning the house etc). Sounds like a right ■■■■ up on their part and they probably are regretting having handled it like that.
If it wasn’t working for them, why not just say to a long standing good employee “look it’s not working, you can’t be happy either with the home life, do you want to go back to driving for us or would you be happy to move full time or would rather go? No hard feelings, we gave it a good bash”. Shake hands.
Really odd way to handle it on their part. What a bunch of wollies.
robroy:
I didn’t realise the vid in question that caused the problem was the one linked to your o/p
And the peanut filofax lol , if i went in to work wi that id get sacked .
All the best Luke .