Been chatting to a lot of drivers

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Today and a couple of days last week the agency has had me working in a dispatch area of a local factory, mainly forklift work tipping and loading etc. all sorts of stuff for national and international delivery. Obviously I like to chat to the drivers and must have dealt with 30+ driving wagons from 7.5 to 44t. I’d say the majority are not happy with their lot. ‘How’s the job with this mob mate’ sort of question and the usual answer was not happy with tacky gear, lack of maintenance, lack of parking on estates due to yellow lines and camera’s, crap money, getting the run around when they’re already on their way to a collection etc.

Only really met one chap who was content with his lot (works for Lockwoods I believe).

Got me thinking, how many of you guys are content or hacked off and would you leave to do something else if the opportunity arose?

Me personally, working for agency I accept it’ll be a while before I get my foot in the door with a decent company/ wagon but par the course imo.

2

Some people (and drivers) are never happy. They’d moan if the won the lottery.

3

The ones most happy in their job are ones driving for companies where haulage isn’t how they make their money so for example manufacturers who run their own lorries.

4

Conor:
The ones most happy in their job are ones driving for companies where haulage isn’t how they make their money so for example manufacturers who run their own lorries.

I guess that’s why Trucker Jay is such a laid back, chilled out happy bunny then :grimacing:

5

They could have the best job in the world and they’d still complain. Lorry drivers are Olympic standard whingers

6

Same as any industry really. How many contributers on here got fed up with their industry and became drivers? Drivers or not, you’ll be hard pressed to find many people who are happy with their lot.

7

switchlogic:
Lorry drivers are Olympic standard whingers

How can you make that statement Luke, as there is nothing in the Olympics to compare grumpy whinging truck drivers with … :slight_smile:

8

the nodding donkey:
Some people (and drivers) are never happy. They’d moan if the won the lottery.

not me,i would hop skip and jump down the road[if I was fit enough]lol,particularly if I knew I didn’t have to work ever again,i would take great pleasure in going to DVLA Swansea and telling them to shove my HGV licence where the sun don’t shine

9

I work at the biggest holiday camp in western Europe, the only thing missing is the knobbly knees contest, I find the job more of a hobby than work.

You would think the majority of drivers would feel the same, not so, they are the most lazy dirty whingeing incompetent shower I have ever had the pleasure of working with 45% of the work force are on some sort of a (plan) where they only do one run to one store and nothing else, refuse to work any day that ends in a Y and have to be off every weekend.

The non profit sector is the place to be, the pay and conditions are well above average sensible hours and plenty of holidays and benefits, the only ones who know they are onto a good thing are those who have done the for profit stuff tramping and so on, the rest are a pitiful bunch, who wouldn’t know a proper days work if it feel from the sky and hit them on there thick heads.

10

The job is what you make it, i’m happy in my work, there have been better times when the job was much harder but it was a hell of a lot more interesting then, but things change, fortunately for us we’re still desirable in our line of work right up to our dotage, not many industry’s where the people doing the grunt work are so fortunate.

There’s millions of miserable people out there, life isn’t perfect, most of us aint going to be rich or be blessed with film star looks and poise, so we should be bloody satisfied with what we have got, a family good health a roof over our heads and food in our bellies and if we’re really lucky the love of a decent person with whom we share mutual respect and caring into our old age.

Millions don’t get any of that, we aint done so bad at all.

I’ve had some of the best jobs in the industry by being in the right place at the right time, yet some of my colleagues there still moaned like buggery about it (some i worked with on various jobs, just the same), nothing ever right for them, but that included everything else in their lives too, never happy with their lot, if you paid 'em a grand a week to lie in bed it would still be wrong.

That square box beckons us all so make the most of it, there’s no rinse and repeat setting.

Mike68 has it nailed, you can’t beat own account, and yes those that appreciate it have done the other sort and know the score.

11

If these bosses told the truth at the interview stage instead of a load of made up garbage we’d have no room too moan , well too be honest we’d have not took the zb job in the first place :exclamation: I don’t know how they sleep at night

12

Ok, as for me, I was much happier when I first started, but things were chalk and cheese different to what they are now…big style.

Over the years I have done all sorts of stuff, I’ve had a go myself for a while,.and since then I have had about 4 full time jobs since 96ish.

I’ve had a great job with a great firm, where I was valued as a pro driver and treated as such, and paid very well for it, but they ceased trading, otherwise I would still be there now 21 yrs later since I started it.

I have had one crap job where they attempted to push the ■■■■ out of me…(but failed) I left that one pretty quick (Harry Vos :unamused: )

I had another good one that I really enjoyed, again well paid with perks, but again made redundant.

I then went on agency for a month or so to get back used to right hand drives,. :unamused: which was ok, but they were amazed at first by my couldn’t give a ■■■■ attitude when they gave me veiled threats when I refused work…but after that to be fair it was not all bad, but was not for me as a full time situation.

My present job for last 7 ish years (general haulage UK only) I bloody hated at first, as it was so different to what I was used to.
However, the last 3 yrs there, I voluteered for a weekly niche job at that co,… and I am pretty well content with it at the moment, same run every week, not pushed, left alone to my own initiative, and all the rest of it.
Ok, the money is less to what I have been used to, but I enjoy the minimal hassle, …plus I am home more than I have ever been in all my other jobs, (well, long weekends anyway)

So to sum up, you can put me down on the ‘‘ok with his lot list’’ at the mo.

Would I start off as a new driver today?
Absolutely not…end of… It is ran on the whole by dickwhits and knobheads, the sort of guys who have spoiled the job I once loved.
I feel sorry for new drivers today, and how in many cases they are exploited…becsuse they are new.

13

I’m pretty content. My boss has the balance for t’s and c’s pretty finely tuned. We’re not the best paid in the industry, but we do ok. Our workload is reasonable on the whole, although there are days when you need to pull a rabbit out of the hat. Kit is good, if sometimes troublesome. We’ve got some decent characters on here who won’t be downtrodden. They floated the idea of driver facing cameras before Christmas. 2 of the senior drivers got a petition signed by every driver to say no vehicles would leave the yard after they were fitted. My boss instantly said the matter was put to bed. A mate of mine is on Hargreaves. Better money but the t’s and c’s are terrible. They got driver facing cams, and my mates attitude was “all firms are going that way”. Only if you allow it I’m afraid

14

Likewise I’m happy at my job. Small company, good kit, my ‘own’ vehicle with decent enough pay. The work is varied sometimes on containers, then a spell on euroliners doing food ingredient deliveries to manufacturers and the odd commercial relocation work .
This is the happiest I have been in a job for a long while, stuff working for big conglomerates with oodles of ‘elf n safety’ petty regulations and rules.

15

Conor:
The ones most happy in their job are ones driving for companies where haulage isn’t how they make their money so for example manufacturers who run their own lorries.

Not so sure. Sit in the staff canteen at a supermarket RDC or whatever and their drivers are usually still sat having a moan about the job, first world problems like having to go over their 8 hours, plus the usual “agency got the cream run” type stuff.

I’d say the small family run hauliers are the places you are less likely to get people whinging.

16

I love my work and look forward to the day, the only minor gripe i have sometimes is the rather large distance i do every week, but…its self inflicted, i dont have to do it and can always do shorter distance groupage to Portugal when i need a break and co. i sub for are flexible, they dont mind as long as the work gets done and the rates are very good either way. Great roads to drive on, good stops and the weathers good (mostly)…could i ask for more…i doubt it…

17

dozy:
If these bosses told the truth at the interview stage instead of a load of made up garbage we’d have no room too moan , well too be honest we’d have not took the zb job in the first place :exclamation: I don’t know how they sleep at night

Do calm down Dozy my old fruit, they’re hardly child killers

18

OVLOV JAY:
I’m pretty content. My boss has the balance for t’s and c’s pretty finely tuned. We’re not the best paid in the industry, but we do ok. Our workload is reasonable on the whole, although there are days when you need to pull a rabbit out of the hat. Kit is good, if sometimes troublesome. We’ve got some decent characters on here who won’t be downtrodden. They floated the idea of driver facing cameras before Christmas. 2 of the senior drivers got a petition signed by every driver to say no vehicles would leave the yard after they were fitted. My boss instantly said the matter was put to bed. A mate of mine is on Hargreaves. Better money but the t’s and c’s are terrible. They got driver facing cams, and my mates attitude was “all firms are going that way”. Only if you allow it I’m afraid

I asked my new TM about driver facing cameras as we have front facing ones. According to him, the guy who sold them the front facing also tried it on to get them to buy the driver facing ones. Ran through all the sell and spin only to be asked where he could source 30 drivers over night because every single truck like your lot would not leave the yard and everyone would walk. My new TM trusts his drivers but in return he expects us to act like professionals.

19

The longer a Driver is in a job,there more faults he finds after listening to RDC & Greasy Spoon bs off other Drivers

20

I enjoy a good moan about ‘the old days being better’ etc, but seeing loads of other posts about jobs on here, I’m not about to jump ship.
Not best paid, but its a salary so I know exact hoe much I’ll get every month. Plus nights out of course. I’m normally given a few drops on a trailer and sometimes booking times sometimes none. I start when I decide. Then given a list of collections. I can alter the route as I see fit. So long as the job’s done there’s no dramas. We’re treated like adults here and are trusted to behave like adults. Trucks dealer, maintained so ok. Get to do some industrial work, but mostly small agricultural stuff where they’re glad to see you. And proper Restaurant Routier for shower parking food & wine. Had a couple of guys need time off for personal reasons a few years ago, they had full salary until they returned. Hope I never need that but good that we aren’t just bums on seats.
The job ain’t perfect, but then None are in this world.

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