Some companies seem to have drivers who are what you might call real gents.
Keedwells and Goughs are two that spring to mind. They always seem to drive sensibly and acknowledge the courtesies of others, for example.
Other companies, which I won’t mention here, seem to employ drivers who are a bit more pushy and careless of others.
I wonder if there’s some kind of company culture here? Could it be that the drivers for the two companies I mention feel generally happy in their work and content with their lot. While drivers at companies where they are ‘just a number’ don’t feel any responsibility other than to do what they are paid to with a minimum of effort?
I honestly don’t know, but the Keedwell and Gough trucks both seem to be well above average in terms of vehicle spec and presentation?
Interested to hear the views of others…I’ve no connection with any of the companies mentioned, and there are other companies which seem to have a similar pattern of behaviour.
I recon there id an element of if you treat an employee well and give them decent working conditions it will help in they will look after your kit come across well to your coustomers and be willing to go the extra mile for you.
Whenever ive seen that undercover boss they always come away with we need to apreciate the people on the ground more. Weather it comes to anything i dont know.
As an example the likes of switchlogic comes across as a great ambasador for his firm and im sure he wouldnt if he wasnt treated well by the firm.
Years ago firms like cadburys done lots for there employees and the communitys they were based in and prehaps the world is a slightly poorer place that firms dont seem to do that now.
Probably goes both ways. The better hauliers, as you mentioned, likely keep their staff looked after and in return ask them to be well presented etc.
You’ll also find they likely only recruit drivers that will fit the company culture from the off. If it’s a desirable place to work, I would imagine they have the ability to hand-pick from over subscribed applications.
Alternatively, the lesser hauliers will recruit most drivers because they’ll have a fairly high turnover rate.
personally i think it depends very much on managment i have found if a firms run by someone with a firm grounding in transport they tend to appreate there staf more unfortunatly most larger firms are run by bean counters
I have to disagree about keedwells. Im sat in the truckers rest at cannock, and one of there’s is in here in a very beat up topline. He’s dropped his trailer and is riding round the place blasting his horn. Im up at 3, heading for stirling, so I hope he doesn’t do it anymore I suspect in this day and age, the attitude reflects the individual rather than the company
OVLOV JAY:
I have to disagree about keedwells. Im sat in the truckers rest at cannock, and one of there’s is in here in a very beat up topline. He’s dropped his trailer and is riding round the place blasting his horn. Im up at 3, heading for stirling, so I hope he doesn’t do it anymore I suspect in this day and age, the attitude reflects the individual rather than the company
i think at times its all about bull crap, in terms of how the interview goes ect, some folk can seriously do the talking and do the right things and shine in an interview but then once in the job they can be a complete bell end! and some of the larger companies its all about wether they tick the boxes or not and not actually about their ability or their attitude towards their work…
OVLOV JAY:
I have to disagree about keedwells. Im sat in the truckers rest at cannock, and one of there’s is in here in a very beat up topline. He’s dropped his trailer and is riding round the place blasting his horn. Im up at 3, heading for stirling, so I hope he doesn’t do it anymore I suspect in this day and age, the attitude reflects the individual rather than the company
Glad I’m parked in the layby down the road! Please don’t blast your horn on the way past in the morning/middle of the night
It’s the ones that use little white axors running around @ 49.5mph doing supermarket work(blue & red)I find the worst! They treat their customers, suppliers, contractors & even their own staff like zb hence the organisation itself being zb…
dle1uk:
i think at times its all about bull crap, in terms of how the interview goes ect, some folk can seriously do the talking and do the right things and shine in an interview but then once in the job they can be a complete bell end! and some of the larger companies its all about wether they tick the boxes or not and not actually about their ability or their attitude towards their work…
this is exactly the problem i have been asked to be office based to solve. drivers coming in saying they are the dogs pods then getting banned from the client. IF they get through the assessment in the first place. i am being draughted in to sniff out the wafflers and find genuinely good drivers. their driving ability will be out of my control but i will be looking at attitudes more than anything else
dle1uk:
i think at times its all about bull crap, in terms of how the interview goes ect, some folk can seriously do the talking and do the right things and shine in an interview but then once in the job they can be a complete bell end! and some of the larger companies its all about wether they tick the boxes or not and not actually about their ability or their attitude towards their work…
this is exactly the problem i have been asked to be office based to solve. drivers coming in saying they are the dogs pods then getting banned from the client. IF they get through the assessment in the first place. i am being draughted in to sniff out the wafflers and find genuinely good drivers. their driving ability will be out of my control but i will be looking at attitudes more than anything else
Emotional intelligence is becoming the ‘in’ thing with managers.
I used it years back (20+) as a recruitment tool…It is why I went on to become a qualified counsellor - ■■■■■■ Analyst.
There is one group that will fool you though, these are the Sociopathic Psychotics…Amazing people to study and you will never be sure if you ever have sussed them out.
As for companies that have decent drivers…The company that I am on for on a casual basis are brilliant, the drivers are usually happy, seldom whine or bullcrap and those that do are usually short lived, thankfully.
That said, I am barred from Morrisons, but I did ask to be barred as the treatment and environment that Morrisons subject some drivers to is bordering inhuman. This was all done with interviews with Morrisons HR people and I would like to think that they acted upon some of my suggestions and points that I raised with them.
Often the only contact that a company will have with the customer is through the drivers, it is paramount that both parties treat each other with mutual respect at all times, unfortunately this is not always the case and much time is wasted fighting fires or repairing relationships…Totally unnecessary if all parties removed ego, became totally professional and realised that all that needs to be done is the job.
Let it go man. They probably “made your life a misery” because they wanted rid of you. Why did they want rid of you? Well, to answer that one, you should probably look in the mirror…
I think part of it starts at the top & filters down , whether its a big blue chip co or small family run firm , if attitudes at the top stink & they have no real clue about haulage & just shout & ball at drivers then that attitude reflects back in that people won’t do any more than they’re paid to do , if there’s a lack of respect & appreciation for what drivers do & they just treat you like a moron then you will get a ■■■■ attitude back & no willingness to do …
I suspect in this day and age, the attitude reflects the individual rather than the company