Being very new to car transporters I can’t help but worry about the future and my job security. Any current or ex transporter drivers on here that have been through troubling times before? What was it like? My company have made (thus far) no comment in regards to whether they expect the work to fall off a cliff edge nor have they made any indications of redundancies excetera.
Can anyone provide some insight into what the future most likely looks like in this game?
The reason I am asking is that I feel like I am sitting on a fence. I have one or two fairly solid alternative options and am seriously conflicted as to whether it is time to jump ship, or stay put and hope the inevitable storm that’s coming leaves me unscathed.
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No experience of car transporters but…
If the economy is going to take a big hit car sales are usually badly effected.
What are the other options you got? I’d definitely be thinking of jumping ship if you have other safer options.
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One of my options is with a company that has more or less worked non stop through the lockdown and seem to have plenty of work going forwards. My other option is with my last company, whom I left on great terms and and have been told a vacancy is open for me should I need it. They are also expecting to be very busy for the foreseeable.
Trouble is, I have never really worked through a time like this before as I was only just leaving school when the 2008 financial crash happened. This is completely new ground for me.
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I worked for MCD when the recession started in 2008, the arse completely fell out of the job, laid off within weeks and then they went bust and Walon took some of the trucks which eventually ended up as Stobarts iirc.
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talknonsense:
One of my options is with a company that has more or less worked non stop through the lockdown and seem to have plenty of work going forwards. My other option is with my last company, whom I left on great terms and and have been told a vacancy is open for me should I need it. They are also expecting to be very busy for the foreseeable.
Trouble is, I have never really worked through a time like this before as I was only just leaving school when the 2008 financial crash happened. This is completely new ground for me.
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Judging by the number of adverts from car companies on the radio offering to pay huge deposits & first few payments on new cars I’d say they are getting desperate already.
At least you have some options …
Personally I’d be jumping ship.
If you wait until made redundant then likely there will be 50000 other drivers all looking for work.
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mutley:
I worked for MCD when the recession started in 2008, the arse completely fell out of the job, laid off within weeks and then they went bust and Walon took some of the trucks which eventually ended up as Stobarts iirc.
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I’ve heard this morning that a couple of smallish outfits have gone to the wall already. More to follow I imagine.
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drover:
talknonsense:
One of my options is with a company that has more or less worked non stop through the lockdown and seem to have plenty of work going forwards. My other option is with my last company, whom I left on great terms and and have been told a vacancy is open for me should I need it. They are also expecting to be very busy for the foreseeable.
Trouble is, I have never really worked through a time like this before as I was only just leaving school when the 2008 financial crash happened. This is completely new ground for me.
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Judging by the number of adverts from car companies on the radio offering to pay huge deposits & first few payments on new cars I’d say they are getting desperate already.
At least you have some options …
Personally I’d be jumping ship.
If you wait until made redundant then likely there will be 50000 other drivers all looking for work.
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Jumping has been on my mind now for weeks. The work at the moment is flat out, mainly due to the back log that the lockdown created. Once that is cleared through I just don’t see the work being there.
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My g/f works in the motor trade, she says that contrary to what they were expecting post plague the showrooms are actually teeming with punters desperate to part with cash on new cars! So for that reason alone I suspect the mobile car parks will be busy.
Lots of job losses around 2008 when the last recession kicked off.
Be careful about jumping ship before being pushed, i know a chap who walked away with £11k after only 9 months on the job where i worked at that time, whether those sorts of payouts will be lurking about this time is debatable, if the company is heavily unionised then more chance of a decent handshake.
No one really knows what’s going to happen medium to long term, my gut feeling is that the car game is going to take a hell of a hit once current stocks have been shifted, can’t imagine many people risking signing up to three years of payments when their own jobs might vanish round the u bend at any moment, even those in bomb proof jobs will be wondering what sort of tax (or savings) grabs are in the pipeline to pay for the current covid farce.
the maoster:
My g/f works in the motor trade, she says that contrary to what they were expecting post plague the showrooms are actually teeming with punters desperate to part with cash on new cars! So for that reason alone I suspect the mobile car parks will be busy.
Well that is promising to hear. Thanks
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Juddian:
Lots of job losses around 2008 when the last recession kicked off.
Be careful about jumping ship before being pushed, i know a chap who walked away with £11k after only 9 months on the job where i worked at that time, whether those sorts of payouts will be lurking about this time is debatable, if the company is heavily unionised then more chance of a decent handshake.
No one really knows what’s going to happen medium to long term, my gut feeling is that the car game is going to take a hell of a hit once current stocks have been shifted, can’t imagine many people risking signing up to three years of payments when their own jobs might vanish round the u bend at any moment, even those in bomb proof jobs will be wondering what sort of tax (or savings) grabs are in the pipeline to pay for the current covid farce.
Yes my gut feeling has been somewhat similar. I don’t profess to know the car game well at all but buying a new car is surely a luxury many people will put on the back burner when uncertain times are ahead.
Thanks for this piece about being careful on not jumping too soon. I hadn’t considered that angle.
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It can be luck of the draw, if you work for a company with more than one depot, they may consolidate all the work, which if it’s your depot they keep, you may be in the right place.
There’s a lot of changes coming and many of us will be looking for alternative work, some who feel bulletproof may be blindsided when there company suddenly pulls the plug, large and small will disappear, some will prosper as others fail, at the moment it’s all crystal ball gazing.
Sixties boy:
It can be luck of the draw, if you work for a company with more than one depot, they may consolidate all the work, which if it’s your depot they keep, you may be in the right place.
There’s a lot of changes coming and many of us will be looking for alternative work, some who feel bulletproof may be blindsided when there company suddenly pulls the plug, large and small will disappear, some will prosper as others fail, at the moment it’s all crystal ball gazing.
Well said. Change will definitely come after all of this. I’m going to wait another week as I’ve heard that some meetings are being held, the results of which will be shared with us in due course.
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Just a car buyers input, my wife was going to buy a new car but decided against it as she wanted to see how the Covid-19 pandemic ends, like others have said doesn’t want to commit to monthly payments if interest rates go up or being made redundant, neighbour is doing exactly the same.
In times of financial insecurity car buying & holidays are bottom of the list.
Interesting read. I always assumed that car transporters was a bit of a specialist job and therefor fairly bullet proof. Especially when 90% of the car dealers I have been to in a 7.5 I have struggled getting in there. Some of those trailers must be over 40 tonne fully loaded. Or if you are on the other end of the market picking up scrap cars and having to negotiate housing estates and the like. I guess there are no jobs that are 100% secure anymore.
coop
LisasGuy:
Just a car buyers input, my wife was going to buy a new car but decided against it as she wanted to see how the Covid-19 pandemic ends, like others have said doesn’t want to commit to monthly payments if interest rates go up or being made redundant, neighbour is doing exactly the same.
In times of financial insecurity car buying & holidays are bottom of the list.
My worry exactly. The second hand car market will boom off of this, its whether the volumes will be there to justify the drivers wages.
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cooper1203:
Interesting read. I always assumed that car transporters was a bit of a specialist job and therefor fairly bullet proof. Especially when 90% of the car dealers I have been to in a 7.5 I have struggled getting in there. Some of those trailers must be over 40 tonne fully loaded. Or if you are on the other end of the market picking up scrap cars and having to negotiate housing estates and the like. I guess there are no jobs that are 100% secure anymore.
coop
When the industry is booming a good transporter driver will be in high demand as mistakes are easily made and costly. When the industry is on its ar*e its probably one of the most volatile.
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I’ve started seeing a few ECMs driving around lately. And a handful of GBAs. BCAs seem to be a bit thin on the ground. There aren’t as many Coparts as I’m used to aswell.
I’m guessing it’s basic economics. If people are worried about their jobs, they won’t go out and buy a car. They’ll hold back and see what happens. Like it’s been said, I reckon the second hand market will boom. Maybe good business for the likes of BCA and Copart, but crippling for the likes of ECM who carry new cars. I’m genuinely gutted because ECM is the only tramping job I’ve ever really fancied. But I think they’ll struggle.
It might be worth casting a wide net and just applying to every job there is. Regardless of the cargo. It was on another thread that Keedwells have announced redundancies, despite previously claiming there wouldn’t be. So it’s every man for himself now. I hope all ends well, but I’ve been made redundant before. And it’s a fight to the death for the few jobs going. Competing with your friends and ex-colleagues, who will do anything to pay their mortgage. Sad, brutal times. So look after yourself, and get some applications in now.
Grim, but I’ve got the T shirt for this one. All the best!
Rottweiler22:
I’ve started seeing a few ECMs driving around lately. And a handful of GBAs. BCAs seem to be a bit thin on the ground. There aren’t as many Coparts as I’m used to aswell.
I’m guessing it’s basic economics. If people are worried about their jobs, they won’t go out and buy a car. They’ll hold back and see what happens. Like it’s been said, I reckon the second hand market will boom. Maybe good business for the likes of BCA and Copart, but crippling for the likes of ECM who carry new cars. I’m genuinely gutted because ECM is the only tramping job I’ve ever really fancied. But I think they’ll struggle.
It might be worth casting a wide net and just applying to every job there is. Regardless of the cargo. It was on another thread that Keedwells have announced redundancies, despite previously claiming there wouldn’t be. So it’s every man for himself now. I hope all ends well, but I’ve been made redundant before. And it’s a fight to the death for the few jobs going. Competing with your friends and ex-colleagues, who will do anything to pay their mortgage. Sad, brutal times. So look after yourself, and get some applications in now.
Grim, but I’ve got the T shirt for this one. All the best!
I was tipping next to an ECM driver last week and he told me they have been told some will be laid off if the new sales don’t pick up. How many will depend on how bad it is but at least they have been told and can act accordingly.
I have nothing to lose by saying that I work for bca. We have the auction stuff but whether that’s enough for all or us is another question.
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Can’t help feeling anyone buying new now might regret it if the government announce some generous scrappage scheme a few weeks down the line.
I do reckon they will but also it will almost certainly be for either electric or possibly hybrid as well only.