Two weeks ago - 3-4 hour turnaround times at especially the new depots (of which there are many springing up along the motorway corridors, if you’re paying attention…) - was commonplace.
This past week - suddenly, they’ve all seemed to have s–t the bed, and turnaround times are suddenly so quick at multiple places - that I’m not even able to book off a 45 whilst there any more.
This, in turn - has made Motorway Service Areas combined with bog-standard laybys - rather full to the brim at all times all over again.
It is one thing for our trucks and loads parked out on a service road “being used as free warehouse space” by the multinationals like Amazon…
It is quite another - for the entire country’s transport economy - to be moving towards a “trailer culture” where we effectively risk ending up as latter-day “New Age Trampers”. Spending more and more time in our trucks, without wheels moving, therefore risking no pay…
Perhaps this stupid lifting of the driver’s hours cap by Grantie of late - might now translate into “being paid around the clock”, rather than being forced to book off for at least 9 hours daily rest, where one is still in charge of the vehicle, can still be busted for being “drunk in charge” of it, can still be held responsible for the security of the load whilst off-duty - but are simply not being paid…?
There needs to be a revolution in the entire transport industry.
Another knock-on effect of the “Pseudo” driver shortage we seem to be having - is that if the firm that goes around undercutting rates to poach the big clients, cannot get fresh drivers in that will put up with the job for more than the first single 16 hour shift - then that undercutting firm will surely be among the FIRST to go under - won’t it?
I’m seeing a lot of Subbies and ODs having all this heaped upon them.
When They decide that enough is enough, and liquidate their own firms before they go under - THAT is when the real shortages begin.
Just think:
Firms won’t give us £18ph full time “wear-the-shirt” jobs, but are happy to pay agencies £20+ph where the driver gets barely half of that.
There’s plenty of fat to be cut out of the Agency Economy then!!
Some bright spark is going to work out that if you offered drivers £17-£18ph contracted PAYE full time jobs now whilst agency rates are so high - you’d get plenty of takers…
IF they leave it too long though? There won’t be enough drivers left in the full timer economy, as they’ve either been pensioned off in the meantime, - or already left to go agency themselves for the only rates that seem to be heading upwards at present… 
I’ve been offered 3 contracts FT PAYE in the past week - which I’ve turned down, because the hourly rate is simply too low to make it worth my while.
The way I feel at the moment, I’d have to doubt the value of returning to somewhere even like RM where the agency was paying over £20ph before all this lockdown even got under way?
It is all about the TERMS AND CONDITIONS rather than the “Headline Pay” now.
I’d like a full time contract where it is clearly defined that Overtime is after 40 hours, NOT “for a 6th shift” meaning that if you work 2-3 hours extra making your 12 hour planned shift a max 15 hours (now more, with the lifting of the cap… you either get bugger all extra (if salaried…) or single time on those extra hours…
Further, you’ll either be running out of hours before putting any would-be 6th shift in - OR you’ll be a zombie and too knackered to even consider working a saturday when you’ve just done 60 hours Monday-Friday already all at single time at best…
If the contract ain’t no good - JOG ON then, I’d suggest.
I’ve turned down a Basildon job @ £17.52 after I found out it wasn’t going to be C1 trunking, but instead C2 multidrop.
I’ve now turned down a Sainsburys job advertized at a decent enough rate, “All shifts across all starts available” - only for that to be a downright LIE, as all they’ve got are graveyard shift starts - the only shift type I will no longer countenance for ANY amount of money.
WHY do firms insist on needing people on graveyard shifts FFS■■?
I’d be quite happy starting between 16:00 and 20:00 - but there’s “nothing available” at those times… Hardly “Available across all starts” then huh?
A fraudulent statement made by a fraudulent agency - nothing more. What can we expect when their lips are moving?
I’m not doing any unpaid assessments “just to then sit on an agency’s books”. If I’m to invest my time - I want guarantees that if they are not forthcoming - means I just cancel the assessment.
They can think I’m a pain-in-the-arse as much as they like but it’s MY life and well-being now, no amount of money will compensate for what I’ve already lost this past year, so high hourly rates written on the back of an envelope - simply don’t cut it with me any more.
I’ll continue my current job as a supply driver - which got rather good last year, now that we don’t have to sit in RDC waiting rooms any more… The hourly rate is not much, but the job is soooo much better than this rat race I’m glad to be out of now. I just hope this rat race thing doesn’t now bleed through into the supply chain side of transport, as a genuine driver shortage - is likely to eventually do… 
