Plugster:
i want to max out by choice, im saving up for a mortgage
Your not allowed to say you want to max out by choice on this forum. Anything close to that gets you accused of being “part of the reason the industry is in the mess it is”
The-Snowman:
Plugster:
i want to max out by choice, im saving up for a mortgageYour not allowed to say you want to max out by choice on this forum. Anything close to that gets you accused of being “part of the reason the industry is in the mess it is”
Maybe that’s because it’s true. In any other industry, workers aim to reduce their working hours while maintaining their income. Only in transport do the workers actively seek out employers who will shaft them up the back passage just so they can earn a mediocre wage.
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Plugster:
i want to max out by choice, im saving up for a mortgageYour not allowed to say you want to max out by choice on this forum. Anything close to that gets you accused of being “part of the reason the industry is in the mess it is”
Maybe that’s because it’s true.
+1
I Max out 4 days a week. Then it’s a race for the finish on Friday.
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Plugster:
i want to max out by choice, im saving up for a mortgageYour not allowed to say you want to max out by choice on this forum. Anything close to that gets you accused of being “part of the reason the industry is in the mess it is”
Maybe that’s because it’s true. In any other industry, workers aim to reduce their working hours while maintaining their income. Only in transport do the workers actively seek out employers who will shaft them up the back passage just so they can earn a mediocre wage.
Most drivers hardly seek out employers to shaft them with mediocre wages. I certainly dont. But your right,it probably is part of the reason. But im sorry,me personally,im not cutting every day short and living on the breadline just to make some crusader stand. No one else is going to pay my mortgage or bills. Certainly not the ones on forums demanding that drivers need to take a stand. While this is true,unfortunately taking a stand leaves bills unpaid. I get a decent hourly rate as an agency driver. Could it/Should it be more? Definetily. But if I dont do it,someone else will. Who wins there? Not me with the empty bank account.
If EVERY driver(and I mean every single driver) downed tools and said no more till the pay rates rise then sign me up. Ill join and fight the cause. Its the only way drivers will be appreciated for the job they do. Right from the top of the government to the “get these juggernaughts out of my village” morons who think stuff magically appears in shops. Im not trying to justify poor wages or stand up for the companies paying ■■■■ poor wages. But unfortuntely as long as bills exist,so will poor wages s someone will work for them.
But getting pelters for maxing hours to pay bills and save for a mortgage deposit does not make you part of the problem. Sometimes there is no choice
The-Snowman:
Could it/Should it be more? Definetily. But if I dont do it,someone else will. Who wins there? Not me with the empty bank account.
That’s it, in a nutshell. The race to the bottom.
The reason wages are poor is because there are too many who take the view of ‘yeah but no but you can get plenty of hours in’. Those who think that they are on something good for putting £700 in the bank on a Friday when they have done what in many other industries would legitimately be considered enough work for two people are another problem.
However, that is the status quo, and it will never change. Nobody stands up on their own, so nobody else joins them, so wages stay how they are.
I try to max out every week, annoys me a bit when I can’t. I’ve got bills to pay, I’ve got a good job where I can earn decent money so it’s time to make hay while the sun shines.
8 to half 4, half 3 on a Friday, time and a half after hours and double time after 12 on a sat and all day Sunday.
Bring the hours on, the more the merrier
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Could it/Should it be more? Definetily. But if I dont do it,someone else will. Who wins there? Not me with the empty bank account.That’s it, in a nutshell. The race to the bottom.
You didnt confirm that YOU would pay my bills,or anyone else’s who makes a stand. Im all for increasing wages. Give me a petition and ill sign it. Organise a protest and ill attend it. What I WONT do is sacrifice my pay packet to become some sort of martyr. All the guys on here whining about poor wages and conditions. Yet still working for it. Are you going to do something about it? Or just blame guys like me who are not willing to end up homeless while the rest of the moaners still work for the conditions and pay?
BTW I dont max my hours every week and I don’t do shifts for less than £11 per hour. But I dont blame guys who do as ive been there in the past. 60 odd hours a week for £7.02. All because of no experience.
Plugster:
hello all, getting a bit peed off in my job stuck on rigids and getting stabbed in the back by other drivers, the firm im in will let you max out weekly, obviously poa is a big factor, i dont mind maxxing out but the works hard, lots of handball and lots of politics too, just wanna know what big firms will let your max out as i know most of them stick to the 48 hour rule gospel or bank your hours to rob you the end of the month, although agency is looking tempting as i can back door into a lot of firms for a bit more money but i like stability in my pay packet, any help would be grateful
Is Warrington too far for you? If it isn’t, why not give Brakes a shout. I know it’s a lot of handballing but It could get you onto artics. Check their careers page on website. When I worked for them their was always weekend overtime available to bump up your money, but if you get a decent run Mon-Fri like I had you didn’t need to work weekends.
The-Snowman:
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Could it/Should it be more? Definetily. But if I dont do it,someone else will. Who wins there? Not me with the empty bank account.That’s it, in a nutshell. The race to the bottom.
You didnt confirm that YOU would pay my bills,or anyone else’s who makes a stand. Im all for increasing wages. Give me a petition and ill sign it. Organise a protest and ill attend it. What I WONT do is sacrifice my pay packet to become some sort of martyr. All the guys on here whining about poor wages and conditions. Yet still working for it. Are you going to do something about it? Or just blame guys like me who are not willing to end up homeless while the rest of the moaners still work for the conditions and pay?
BTW I dont max my hours every week and I don’t do shifts for less than £11 per hour. But I dont blame guys who do as ive been there in the past. 60 odd hours a week for £7.02. All because of no experience.
I’m not blaming you or questioning your reasons for doing what works for you. Neither have I said anywhere that you (or indeed anyone else) should make a stand or do anything about it, or that I will support you/them (financially or in spirit) while you/they do it. I merely observe that the race to the bottom (epitomised by the comment “if I don’t do it, someone else will”) is in essence why the job as a whole in transport is pretty crap from a monetary standpoint.
so what your saying is that because i max out im costing other people in this industry, how do you work that out, i get a good wage and wanna screw what i can out of it, if i got 7.50 hr i wouldnt max out because i wouldnt be in the job,
so say i got a london delivery on, 9 hr drive say an hours break and a 2 hour either side load and reload, theres a 15 straight away, times that by what ever you want and your near maxxing out weekly,
so what your saying is i should make that london job last 2 days, thus goods costing more to get the stuff to where its going resulting in dearer goods and more wagons needed for demand, resulting in more traffic, meaning even less goods in shops, not enought drivers for all these wagons, so lets invite africa into the euro to fill the gap or lets start a dole scheme and put every man and his dog with a licence throught for there hgv meaning less pay for every one, more immigrants needed to fill jobs, more houses needed, schools police, less of an nhs, more tax to cover the shortfall plus fewer dearer goods, more poverty, and then bang we become greece overnight, if your to bone idle to want to max out mate thats your choice, but ive grafted hard in every job ive ever had and they have all been physical, and for less money and about the same hours, so when someone tells me i can sit on my arse all day and maybe do a couple of hours handball for £10 an hour then show me the way
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Roymondo:
The-Snowman:
Could it/Should it be more? Definetily. But if I dont do it,someone else will. Who wins there? Not me with the empty bank account.That’s it, in a nutshell. The race to the bottom.
You didnt confirm that YOU would pay my bills,or anyone else’s who makes a stand. Im all for increasing wages. Give me a petition and ill sign it. Organise a protest and ill attend it. What I WONT do is sacrifice my pay packet to become some sort of martyr. All the guys on here whining about poor wages and conditions. Yet still working for it. Are you going to do something about it? Or just blame guys like me who are not willing to end up homeless while the rest of the moaners still work for the conditions and pay?
BTW I dont max my hours every week and I don’t do shifts for less than £11 per hour. But I dont blame guys who do as ive been there in the past. 60 odd hours a week for £7.02. All because of no experience.I’m not blaming you or questioning your reasons for doing what works for you. Neither have I said anywhere that you (or indeed anyone else) should make a stand or do anything about it, or that I will support you/them (financially or in spirit) while you/they do it. I merely observe that the race to the bottom (epitomised by the comment “if I don’t do it, someone else will”) is in essence why the job as a whole in transport is pretty crap from a monetary standpoint.
I agree with what your saying. But that comment could apply to almost decline in any jobs conditions. When I starting a job with First bus they paid time and a half for overtime. Then they decided to do away with that (by offering a one off payment of £250. They were top heavy with eastern European drivers at that point and they sold everyone down the river for a quick buck then ■■■■■■ off back to the old country 6 months later). There was lots of murmerings about refusing to do OT and working to book etc but the OT always got covered so ultimitely anyone refusing to do it was hurting themselves. This gave the company confidence and more and more conditions were eroded away.
As I say,and most on this forum say,if everyone stood together then a difference could be made. People hold the power. We just let the big companies think they do. I have long got p-ed off about people moaning about gas,electricity and fuel prices. But still paying the prices. Ive always been convinced that if everyone,and I mean EVERYONE,with,say,British Gas left when they announced another inflation busting rise then just watch their tariff fall. They only get away with ■■■■ when we,the consumer,let them away with it.
But until everyone is making the stand,it is doomed to failure
I can max my hours out if i wanted, 9 or 10 hours driving, take your pick.
Plugster:
so what your saying is that because i max out im costing other people in this industry, how do you work that out, i get a good wage and wanna screw what i can out of it, if i got 7.50 hr i wouldnt max out because i wouldnt be in the job,so say i got a london delivery on, 9 hr drive say an hours break and a 2 hour either side load and reload, theres a 15 straight away, times that by what ever you want and your near maxxing out weekly,
so what your saying is i should make that london job last 2 days, thus goods costing more to get the stuff to where its going resulting in dearer goods and more wagons needed for demand, resulting in more traffic, meaning even less goods in shops, not enought drivers for all these wagons, so lets invite africa into the euro to fill the gap or lets start a dole scheme and put every man and his dog with a licence throught for there hgv meaning less pay for every one, more immigrants needed to fill jobs, more houses needed, schools police, less of an nhs, more tax to cover the shortfall plus fewer dearer goods, more poverty, and then bang we become greece overnight, if your to bone idle to want to max out mate thats your choice, but ive grafted hard in every job ive ever had and they have all been physical, and for less money and about the same hours, so when someone tells me i can sit on my arse all day and maybe do a couple of hours handball for £10 an hour then show me the way
And breathe…
No, I’m not saying that at all.
My take is do it when you have to but not forever. I did lots of hours until mid 40s then changed tack, took a bit of a hit for a couple of years but now make roughly 50% p.h. more than driving so less hours.
As some sage once said nobody ever lay on their deathbed and proclaimed they wish they’d worked a bit more!
Munchkin:
My take is do it when you have to but not forever. I did lots of hours until mid 40s then changed tack, took a bit of a hit for a couple of years but now make roughly 50% p.h. more than driving so less hours.
As some sage once said nobody ever lay on their deathbed and proclaimed they wish they’d worked a bit more!
they obviously never spoke to some of the posters in this thread, I’m sure some of them would work 24/7 if possible 
Those that say ‘if I don’t someone else will’ are dead right. The problem is that the someone else is usually imported as a cheaper alternative.
why the deuce would you want to max your hours every day. i am on a shift rate and can do either 9 or 10 hours driving a day then i park up.every day less than 12 and i get very tired, why do more
SEDriver:
why the deuce would you want to max your hours every day. i am on a shift rate and can do either 9 or 10 hours driving a day then i park up.every day less than 12 and i get very tired, why do more
Because I can make ■■■■ good money doing it.
I’m 31 now so am physically able for long hours.
I don’t intend doing it forever but by doing it now while I’m able, I can now pay extra off the mortgage, the car loan, health insurance etc and still put a nice bit away for a rainy day.
It will all hopefully make life a bit easier in 20 years time when I want to slow down.
My wife finished up work to go on maternity leave yesterday and over the last 6 months, we have the equivelant of 6 months of her wages saved so we won’t be down money while she’s only getting maternity benefit.
The main reason I work hard is because you get nothing for nothing in this life.
And hopefully by working hard now, when I’m 50 and my kids 20, I’ll have the cost of college, a car etc and can give them a hand up so they hopefully won’t have to work as hard.
And then I’ll slow down.
So whether you have a good hourly rate or a poor one, the simple fact is if your hourly paid, then the more hours you work, the more you earn.
So ye can sit back and judge all ye want.
But hard work never hurt anyone.