I’m just curious as to do any drivers or ex drivers have an answer. When I was driving class one recently I quit last October. First the pay is terrible and work conditions are even worse by the time you travel to work and do your average minimum 12 hour shift you end up doing 14 hours with travel each way. I worked for agencies and non agencies around the north west.
I remember most places that I went to you never met these people in your lives and as soon as you walked in the office they hated you and slam they keys down, like you was worse than dirt. At half of the places there was either problems with trailers ,curtains or units. Now almost every single place that I would deliver to spoke to you and looked at you with hatred and like you was a peice of ■■■■ or had no brain. The big rdc places were really bad. The office staff in the places were really really bad. And shunters before you parked up loads of them were [zb]s and they were once drivers. The security hated drivers , the flt drivers, office staff , warehouse staff.
You would get back after 12 hours out and they would send you out again saying ng oh u can do 15 hours.its like there sociopaths who don’t care about your social life. I sat with lots of drivers who were all trying to get out of hgv industry. Not all but lots were lost souls, job caused divorce no access to see kids ,lonely life. Vosa once stopped me a police car and drove me in to the services of the m6 and was actually tapping things with a hammer to find faults. They were heart broke they could not fine me. The whole job is mega responsibility for 10 pH if your lucky. Then at the end I was delivering to Tesco and they now had you almost doing there work for them inputting data on a screen before you even got through the gates. I worked for one place and the guy in the office said why did you get to the first drop 15 mins late. I thought erm traffic or what ever I said there was hold ups and that distance in 30 mins is impossible. He said our computer planner said it can be done. So I said did it take in to account I was doing 56 mph and not in a car and traffic ? I don’t do the job any more never would again as the stress is bad.
But does any one know why they all despise drivers and hate your guts as you have never ever met these people. Why do companies want you to work 70 hours per week when they wouldn’t do it. Any bitter drivers on here keyboard warriors leaving smart arse comments I’m not interested.
Any one with brains know why drivers are treated the way they are? Is it no unions ? What?
Truthsetyoufree:
Why do companies want you to work 70 hours per week when they wouldn’t do it. Any bitter drivers on here keyboard warriors leaving smart arse comments I’m not interested.
Any one with brains know why drivers are treated the way they are? Is it no unions ? What?
Drivers that dont have the balls to say NO its what has led to the poor conditions. I’ve seen the sorts, all mouth in the yard but melt like butter on a hot day when standing in front of the gaffer.
You need to set your stall out from day 1. If you dont want to work more than 12 hours then tell them. Its no good coming on Trucknet and crying that your job is crap. Mine is good but then again I dont let them take the mick out of me!
You’re right, everywhere we go we’re treated like sticky stuff on the bottom of your shoe.
There are some places that treat us with a little respect but they are in the minority.
My theory (FWIW) is they’re jealous. Yeh you heard right, jealous and envious. They’re under the impression that we are our own free agents to do as we please with our day, we just cruise down the road listening to the radio, the temperature just how we like it, stopping when ever we like for hours on end getting paid to sleep, handling monster sized trucks with ease through traffic, making difficult reverses look easy and we get paid gazillions of pounds a week to do it.
Truthsetyoufree:
You would get back after 12 hours out and they would send you out again saying ng oh u can do 15 hours.
Its at this point you put your big boy pants on and declare that 12 hours is plenty in the year 2020 and you are now on your way home.
I find that with many jobs, in the first week or two they assess you to find out if you are willing to bend over and take it without lube, and if you make it clear from the outset that you aren’t they generally do accept it. Although I do sometimes end up working a 12 hour day, once I’ve been on duty for 10 hours I do not take another trailer out of the gate.
Truthsetyoufree:
I’m just curious as to do any drivers or ex drivers have an answer. When I was driving class one recently I quit last October. First the pay is terrible and work conditions are even worse by the time you travel to work and do your average minimum 12 hour shift you end up doing 14 hours with travel each way. I worked for agencies and non agencies around the north west.
I remember most places that I went to you never met these people in your lives and as soon as you walked in the office they hated you and slam they keys down, like you was worse than dirt. At half of the places there was either problems with trailers ,curtains or units. Now almost every single place that I would deliver to spoke to you and looked at you with hatred and like you was a peice of [zb] or had no brain. The big rdc places were really bad. The office staff in the places were really really bad. And shunters before you parked up loads of them were [zb]s and they were once drivers. The security hated drivers , the flt drivers, office staff , warehouse staff.
You would get back after 12 hours out and they would send you out again saying ng oh u can do 15 hours.its like there sociopaths who don’t care about your social life. I sat with lots of drivers who were all trying to get out of hgv industry. Not all but lots were lost souls, job caused divorce no access to see kids ,lonely life. Vosa once stopped me a police car and drove me in to the services of the m6 and was actually tapping things with a hammer to find faults. They were heart broke they could not fine me. The whole job is mega responsibility for 10 pH if your lucky. Then at the end I was delivering to Tesco and they now had you almost doing there work for them inputting data on a screen before you even got through the gates. I worked for one place and the guy in the office said why did you get to the first drop 15 mins late. I thought erm traffic or what ever I said there was hold ups and that distance in 30 mins is impossible. He said our computer planner said it can be done. So I said did it take in to account I was doing 56 mph and not in a car and traffic ? I don’t do the job any more never would again as the stress is bad.
But does any one know why they all despise drivers and hate your guts as you have never ever met these people. Why do companies want you to work 70 hours per week when they wouldn’t do it. Any bitter drivers on here keyboard warriors leaving smart arse comments I’m not interested.
Any one with brains know why drivers are treated the way they are? Is it no unions ? What?
I’ve conditioned my lot over time so that they know what I’ll stick and what won’t when they ask me stuff. They know that 12hrs is fine enough for me and I’ve reminded them my contract states 9hrs per day for my benefit as well as theirs and they can use those nine as they see fit but beyond that its my call.
As for getting looked down upon maybe I’m just thick skinned but generally I’m quite a happy chappy, quite talkative, willing to speak to and help others and I don’t often have many issues with getting attitude, barring odd exceptions from the kind who would fall through the roof of a ■■■■■■ factory and complain its too damp.
But look at it from their side. Maybe they’re a bit jealous that they are stuck in the same place doing the same thing day after day? It would do, and has done, my head in. Maybe they don’t see the bad stuff we see from them and instead just see us driving to different places all the time?
Its handy to look through others lenses now and again.
…If you find you have no control over how many hours per shift you get planned for - try planning your working week so you can only work 3 shifts, so they’d better give you the 12-15 hours ALL THE TIME to get their moneysworth out of you… This is good when you have to commute long distances to work especially, as you’re cutting your commute expense and hours wasted by half - straight away…
Think about it: If you make yourself available ONLY 3 shifts per week - they are going to be force-feeding you 30-45 hours - week in, week out - because you cannot work over the legal maximium, nor work as long as 15 hours more than 3 times per week anyways… 30-45 hours - is a reasonable working week - isn’t it?
If you go in there saying
…“I can do any number of shifts boss, any length - my tongue has sufficient spittle on it to traverse even those helmets with “Bartholomew” tattoed down the side of accompanying shaft I’m no doubt consented to being in advance…”
…Then guess what? - You’re going to be on 5-6 fornights with 15+13+15+13+15 week one, 13+15+13+15+13+15 week two for the rest of your natural life… 84 hour week every other week, init…
Even at Royal Mail hourly rates - you’re gonna find yourself ending up wrapped around a motorway bridge post by Thursday in week three…
Winseer:
…If you find you have no control over how many hours per shift you get planned for - try planning your working week so you can only work 3 shifts, so they’d better give you the 12-15 hours ALL THE TIME to get their moneysworth out of you… This is good when you have to commute long distances to work especially, as you’re cutting your commute expense and hours wasted by half - straight away…
Think about it: If you make yourself available ONLY 3 shifts per week - they are going to be force-feeding you 30-45 hours - week in, week out - because you cannot work over the legal maximium, nor work as long as 15 hours more than 3 times per week anyways… 30-45 hours - is a reasonable working week - isn’t it?
If you go in there saying
…“I can do any number of shifts boss, any length - my tongue has sufficient spittle on it to traverse even those helmets with “Bartholomew” tattoed down the side of accompanying shaft I’m no doubt consented to being in advance…”
…Then guess what? - You’re going to be on 5-6 fornights with 15+13+15+13+15 week one, 13+15+13+15+13+15 week two for the rest of your natural life… 84 hour week every other week, init…
Even at Royal Mail hourly rates - you’re gonna find yourself ending up wrapped around a motorway bridge post by Thursday in week three…
I don’t think you are best positioned to offer advice considering that you are banned from… sorry, “not required” at pretty much every transport company in the SE.
I have often wondered about the aggro and pettiness of some folks that I have encountered. Turn up with a few pallets tell them your boss ordered the stuff take it up with him. I tell the forkie you are a working man same as me lets just get the stuff off and I will be gone.
Just mention nicely to goods in that you are very tired and would they kindly get the FLT/banks person to give you a knock when they are ready for you, sit back and look as if you are sleeping and watch them panic as they try getting you in & unloaded…
It’s like automated trucks and all the other truck hating bs.
In which they’ll go out of their way to remove the freedom of the open road aspects of the job turning it to zb.
They are green eyed jealous office workers who hate the idea that someone is out there enjoying the scenery and freedom of a job which they didn’t have the aptitude or inclination to do.
The fact that you’re not happy to spend 12 hours doing the job v their 8 hours shut up in their prison like existence shows that they’ve succeeded.
Generally if you’re not actually looking forward to the next run/shift happy to go to work then there’s a problem of a zb job.
If it’s the right job every run is a pleasure which gets you out of town, there’s no physical handling of any loads and it’s a job which finishes when you park up in the yard, hand the keys in and go home.
You just shouldn’t see anyone to be ‘mistreated’ by them because the truck and it’s driver are where they belong out on the road in the middle of another journey to some distant place, or on the way back to base, or the driver is on the way from base to home.That should be all the job entails.
That obviously doesn’t need 15 hour shifts nor need ‘on site communication skills’ and ‘willingness’ to do manual handling duties as a warehouse labourer etc etc etc etc.
Winseer:
…If you find you have no control over how many hours per shift you get planned for - try planning your working week so you can only work 3 shifts, so they’d better give you the 12-15 hours ALL THE TIME to get their moneysworth out of you… This is good when you have to commute long distances to work especially, as you’re cutting your commute expense and hours wasted by half - straight away…
Think about it: If you make yourself available ONLY 3 shifts per week - they are going to be force-feeding you 30-45 hours - week in, week out - because you cannot work over the legal maximium, nor work as long as 15 hours more than 3 times per week anyways… 30-45 hours - is a reasonable working week - isn’t it?
If you go in there saying
…“I can do any number of shifts boss, any length - my tongue has sufficient spittle on it to traverse even those helmets with “Bartholomew” tattoed down the side of accompanying shaft I’m no doubt consented to being in advance…”
…Then guess what? - You’re going to be on 5-6 fornights with 15+13+15+13+15 week one, 13+15+13+15+13+15 week two for the rest of your natural life… 84 hour week every other week, init…
Even at Royal Mail hourly rates - you’re gonna find yourself ending up wrapped around a motorway bridge post by Thursday in week three…
I don’t think you are best positioned to offer advice considering that you are banned from… sorry, “not required” at pretty much every transport company in the SE.
Your snide remarks sound like one of those Democrats arguing that there was no fiddle in the American election, despite banging on for the past four years that the “Russians had got at it”… I happen to be “not required” in those places already lost to the hypocritical Liberal Left, that cannot uphold their own rules and regulations, such as “Health and Safety”, sidelining boat-rockers like me at the earliest opportunity… Not every firm, even among those in the South East happens to take such a narrow view of Spotless Licenced drivers who ‘make acting managers look bad’ as it happens… The correct way to manage someone like myself - would be to remove me from duties that I’d not done to satisfaction, and put me more often on ones that I HAD done upto scratch instead. “Make full use of all resources”, because one day there might come a time when there’s NO more fish in the sea to routinely throw people under the bus out of personal dislike all the time… Sure, I’m an abrasive character, but you don’t attempt to send people like me to the poor house - without expecting some form of retribution one day as a consequence. I take financial attacks upon my family very seriously indeed. The systems in play at the larger firms - are designed to reward failure among the old hands, and crush argumentative types like me, bypassing their own rules and regulations in the process. “No access to camera footage” or “denying access to one’s own money” to name but two reasons these larger firms are going to fall foul of the law one of these days… I won’t be working any extra hours across this Christmas though, as I’m sick to death of being treated like dirt, as OP has made the topic in this thread… As I’ve said more than once on here in the past, “I’m sick to death of office politics” - and am glad I’m out of it now.
I’ve had keys and paperwork slammed on the table of course. Sometimes it is a kind of a silent treatment as well. You get to know who it is worth making an effort with and who to just spend as little time as possible interacting with. At the end of the day minimum time is spent in the office anyway.
Regards customers, usually being the bearer of the goods ordered makes you quite welcome. Home delivery usually results in a few quid a week in tips or delivering to small shops results in quite often being offered something for your efforts, with sometimes very generous offerings at Christmas.
If you go about with a face like a wet weekend, quite often you will get the same back. If you go into it with the right attitude and with a smile on your face it can work, but there isn’t an ideal driving job. At the end of the day it is a bit of graft, although many drivers who have it quite good don’t really seem to appreciate how good they have it. Don’t really know why that is.
Winseer:
“I’m sick to death of office politics” - and am glad I’m out of it now.
Just seems to confirm what I said.
How does a truck driver end up embroiled in ’ office politics’ unless they are spending too long off the road in the ‘office’ type environment.
As opposed to out on the road on their own getting on with the nice long run or runs they’ve been given to do.
That will keep them away from everyone for most of the shift.Other than the 45 minutes break in an empty canteen between a trailer swap.
Then the run back.Put the trailer on the dock, post trip checks, fuel up, hand in keys go home.
As opposed to short runs.Too much time off the road ■■■■■■■ at hubs or loading unloading points etc.
In an alien environment where drivers have no place followed by the all too predictable aggro of friction between two sectors of workforce that should never mix.
Drivers are supposed to be loners by trade and by nature not in any place long enough for any such issues.That’s why we do the job.
