newmercman:
I doubt an owner driver with no continental experience would get far with a reputable company either, it’s the chicken & the egg scenario again, everybody wants experienced people but how do you get experience if nobody gives you a chance? I found the answer was either to get a job at a ‘Bombsite International Haulage’ driving old crap until I had a bit of experience, or I just used to lie at some places I told them so much crap that if they’d worked it all out I would’ve been 20yrs older than I was after a while I had the experience though so didn’t need to tell porkies any more
I always found that when making a few enquiries concerning adverts for international subbies it was a case of are you up and running and when can you start as opposed to how old are you and how much experience have you got when I replied to employee adverts.I reckon that more than once I could have walked into a job as a subbie whereas no chance employed.But if you’ve insured you’re own wagon and the load then all the main contractor is risking is wether you’re going to meet the service schedule and service quality and I always reckon if you get the first few runs done on time and as required you’re going to have a satisfied customer who’ll use your services again.But the chance of getting started is a lot better that way than the employed route.But it was definitely always the start up capital which stopped me at the time nothing else.Having said that I’ve heard the bs ing your way into a job stories a few times by different drivers and it’s something which I honestly never tried.With hindsight too honest for my own good?.But how do you get round the references issues doing that and it must be almost impossible to make up an employment history involving more and/or different firms than you’ve actually worked for ? although when you get to a certain age and if you’ve got any big gaps in your recent career history it’s sometimes genuinely impossible to provide much in the way of references anyway so maybe making it all up might work after all
ROG:
Compared to say, 20 years ago, I have the greatest sympathy for todays newbies.
The trend seems to be that everything can be learnt from THEORY.
20 years ago there was virtually no theory - pass the test and then go for a job.
IMO there is too much theory and not enough practical on job training
Were we any more or less dangerous 20 years ago because we did not know the contents of todays theory books and the ability or not of doing a HPT ■■ …
cant argue with any of that ROG, years back job ads would read ;
Driver wanted for small specialist firm , some experience would be an advantage
now they look like driver wanted, must have 20 qualifications , no experience needed
i think new drivers should only go out with driver trainers and not just any old driver.
watch rog ,doesnt matter what craps thrown at him he stays calm and collected, same as id say if he was out with a new driver, calmly helps them to progress.
wheras when there with me i normally end up shouting at them and telling them to get out the drivers seat and sit in the zb passenger seat.
with a rog theyd probally learn and progress , with a normal driver id think theyd never want to drive after there 1 st day
ady1:
i think new drivers should only go out with driver trainers and not just any old driver.
watch rog ,doesnt matter what craps thrown at him he stays calm and collected, same as id say if he was out with a new driver, calmly helps them to progress.
wheras when there with me i normally end up shouting at them and telling them to get out the drivers seat and sit in the zb passenger seat.
with a rog theyd probally learn and progress , with a normal driver id think theyd never want to drive after there 1 st day
But Rog could teach you about loading steel from his experiences in the past, but could he teach you how to tip a powder tanker, a top discharge lift tank or load a car transporter. My idea of the old experiences and old hands is that you were sent out to an awkward customer with another driver, they should show you the ropes, literally and let you make mistakes while they were there to help, not on your first day on your own and the load slipped on the first roundabout and all the kerfuffle that causes.
Wheel Nut:
Rog could teach you about loading steel from his experiences in the past, but could he teach you how to tip a powder tanker, a top discharge lift tank or load a car transporter.
Wheel Nut is spot on with the above quote.
I was having this sort of discussion with Harry Monk (I think) who has masses of experience that I do not have but I have experience in other areas and that is probably true for most of us.
If a driver needs help on learning something then they need to ask another driver who has been there and done it
Rog could teach you about loading steel
load a car transporter
As cars are made of steel that would be easy… drive car up ramp and secure with chain across top of car and tighten with a chain ratchet tensioner… see… I did know… didn’t I
Wheel Nut:
Rog could teach you about loading steel from his experiences in the past, but could he teach you how to tip a powder tanker, a top discharge lift tank or load a car transporter.
Wheel Nut is spot on with the above quote.
I was having this sort of discussion with Harry Monk (I think) who has masses of experience that I do not have but I have experience in other areas and that is probably true for most of us.
If a driver needs help on learning something then they need to ask another driver who has been there and done it
Rog could teach you about loading steel
load a car transporter
As cars are made of steel that would be easy… drive car up ramp and secure with chain across top of car and tighten with a chain ratchet tensioner… see… I did know… didn’t I
No ROG you should put a chain over the bonnet,roof,and around the back of the car.If you’re going to do the job do it properly But none of that makes any difference when you drive the front top deck of the trailer through a block of flats when you turn at a T junction.
You’re all right in some way, but every day is different in this job, even if you’re on the same job every day, but back to the original question, sort of anyway, all the books in the world can only give you an idea of how to do things, which can be useful, like for example reading the instruction manual on air suspension as Kindle recently did, he found out something new, but it wasn’t until he’d done it a few times that it became second nature. That’s the difference between knowing how to do something & having experience in doing something
I read a Gordon Ramsey cookbook & tried one of the dishes, the only thing Gordon & I did the same was swear a lot
Rog im not sure id be employing you to drive a car transporter for me (if i were in that business), if you’re thinking of putting a chain across the top of the car…
beattun:
Rog im not sure id be employing you to drive a car transporter for me (if i were in that business), if you’re thinking of putting a chain across the top of the car…
The point is that I would ask a driver who has been there and done it before attempting such a thing - I doubt if reading the theory about it would suffice…
beattun:
Rog im not sure id be employing you to drive a car transporter for me (if i were in that business), if you’re thinking of putting a chain across the top of the car…
The point is that I would ask a driver who has been there and done it before attempting such a thing - I doubt if reading the theory about it would suffice…
Rog of all people, should know that steel on steel will slip, so what you should do is wind the windows down and chain over the door tops
beattun:
Rog im not sure id be employing you to drive a car transporter for me (if i were in that business), if you’re thinking of putting a chain across the top of the car…
The point is that I would ask a driver who has been there and done it before attempting such a thing - I doubt if reading the theory about it would suffice…
Rog of all people, should know that steel on steel will slip, so what you should do is wind the windows down and chain over the door tops
But ropes or straps are’nt good enough to hold heavy metal which is why they don’t use ropes on a ships anchor .Just put the chain over the car roof like you said ROG and it won’t slip if you do it up tight enough
williemac:
A driver comes with a new licence no experience of the industry at all. For experience would it be fair to place him with another driver on multidrop on rigids and artics, to do some of the driving and assisting with deliveries for minimum wage.
They would be driving
It’s not a case of fair or unfair, is he good or bad? give him an assessment? i know people who pass their tests and are as good as they’re ever going to be wouldn’t let them loose in a field with a tank.
I was lucky when i passed my test, i had panasonic, hewlet packard and tetra pak within 10 miles all willing to take on ‘new’ drivers, although i was over 25.
I got first job by lying. I’d worked for a company called XP Systems driving a Transit, they were taken over by TNT so when i went for the interveiw at BRS, they didn’t ask how long I’d been driving artics and I didn’t have the heart to tell them that this was my first time. Roll forward 20 years and we have a newbie who is dire straits. I’ve offered to sit with him and show him how to do it as I don’t like to watch people struggle. Over the last 20 years the conditions on the road have changed so much I don’t think I’d consider it as an option. Let alone the excrement in the classroom. On the job training is better these days IMO, not all people take to it straight away. Cut em some slack.
at some places I told them so much crap that if they’d worked it all out I would’ve been 20yrs older than I was
after a while I had the experience though so didn’t need to tell porkies any more
