Hilz:
I still think we can learn a lot from the attitude towards work by the Polish.EUROPEAN WAGE SLAVES!
LOL! 
FTFY 
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.
Truckbling:
They think the solution to the driver shortage is to throw more foreign drivers at the problem rather than offer a decent hourly rate to home grown drivers. Interest in the industry will never happen until they address this issue.
The haulage industry looking for an easy fix to a problem it created. Now it looks like it’s going to cost, either in rates or training, their answer is for someone else to solve the problem.
Stanley Knife:
The haulage industry looking for an easy fix to a problem it created. Now it looks like it’s going to cost, either in rates or training, their answer is for someone else to solve the problem.
+100. Nail on head.
Stanley Knife:
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.Truckbling:
They think the solution to the driver shortage is to throw more foreign drivers at the problem rather than offer a decent hourly rate to home grown drivers. Interest in the industry will never happen until they address this issue.The haulage industry looking for an easy fix to a problem it created. Now it looks like it’s going to cost, either in rates or training, their answer is for someone else to solve the problem.
Interestingly (I posted this on the grocontinental thread) I saw a pertemps ad in the local rag the other day - C+E required for MoD contract at Donnington up to £20 p/h…
£24ph would motivate me to go full time in the delivery business - with all the bull that goes with it.
It’s stressful, hard physical work, and gets little thanks.
There’s clearly a shortage of mugs that’ll do this full-time for the same rates that one can get doing the far less stressful night trunks that make up the bulk of the decent jobs that remain.
I think those like myself, who have grown up around the industry and have a love for it, are very few and far between (muppets), but that love is being pushed to breaking point for most
I worry that we are going to lose even more as Georgie boys compulsory living wage brings McMuppets (of which I used to be one) more inline with our rates of pay and the hauliers don’t start paying us more.
Pay rates have dropped on average £1.50 per hour in the last two years. I am on agency and easily got £12 per hour two years ago but find it difficult to even get £10 now 
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.As for Carryfast thinking its because of lack of European tramping jobs, well just because that what he wanted to do and failed at it doesn’t mean everybody wants the same thing, many driver never want a night out let alone head to Europe. But what they do want if decent pay, conditions. And if they find a job outside the industry that offers a better deal they’ll take it.
Very true I have no urge to kip in a lorry ever again.
kr79:
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.As for Carryfast thinking its because of lack of European tramping jobs, well just because that what he wanted to do and failed at it doesn’t mean everybody wants the same thing, many driver never want a night out let alone head to Europe. But what they do want if decent pay, conditions. And if they find a job outside the industry that offers a better deal they’ll take it.
Very true I have no urge to kip in a lorry ever again.
There’s a difference between ‘kipping in a lorry’,as part of a reasonable tramping shift pattern like 2 weeks on 1 week off,or even the 8 weeks on four weeks off pattern described as being the East Euro idea for example.As opposed to ‘living in a lorry’ on the basis of 2 to 4 weeks out then turn around and go back out again.
As for me,even if I could,I wouldn’t be that keen on going back to permanent nights either doing 400 mile direct links at 90 kmh max or long boring hours as part of a hub system operation.Together with the time and money spent on commuting.Bearing in mind that was/is about as good as it gets being that what’s left was/is mainly just local multi drop or building deliveries in and around London.
As for the first type of example I think that fits the idea of the best of all worlds situation of an interesting job,which removes the issue of commuting time and expense,together with the time off being quality time.The amount of East Euro trucks and drivers on UK roads doing UK/International haulage work,as opposed to the amount of immigrant East Euro drivers wanting to work here in the typical distribution/building/trunking sectors,seeming to confirm that. 
two bosses talking ,one says drivers ,ten a penny , the other says good ones are like rocking horse sh…t, that’s about it in a nut shell
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.
That sums the industry up, never wants to put it’s hand in it’s own pocket and is happy to sponge off anyone.
I have come across two companies in the last few days, where they have lorries standing in the yard because they can’t get drivers and have had to turn down work.
The ‘real problem’ (IMHO) is there is little respect for HGV drivers nowadays. DVSA and the police think you are public enemy number one, RDC’s think you are a ■■■■■■ and many planners think you are a muppet to have your strings jerked in all directions. 
As others have said before, what kind of pillock is going to spend thousands of their own money to be treated like something stuck to someone’s shoe.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have come across two companies in the last few days, where they have lorries standing in the yard because they can’t get drivers and have had to turn down work.The ‘real problem’ (IMHO) is there is little respect for HGV drivers nowadays. DVSA and the police think you are public enemy number one, RDC’s think you are a ■■■■■■ and many planners think you are a muppet to have your strings jerked in all directions.
Is the answer eagerbeaver?
Carryfast:
kr79:
muckles:
The haulage industry have known of an impending driver shortage for years, fewer people training to be driver than are leaving it doesn’t take a genius to work out there is a potential problem, but the industry has buried its head in the sand hoping somebody else would sort the problem.As for Carryfast thinking its because of lack of European tramping jobs, well just because that what he wanted to do and failed at it doesn’t mean everybody wants the same thing, many driver never want a night out let alone head to Europe. But what they do want if decent pay, conditions. And if they find a job outside the industry that offers a better deal they’ll take it.
Very true I have no urge to kip in a lorry ever again.
There’s a difference between ‘kipping in a lorry’,as part of a reasonable tramping shift pattern like 2 weeks on 1 week off,or even the 8 weeks on four weeks off pattern described as being the East Euro idea for example.As opposed to ‘living in a lorry’ on the basis of 2 to 4 weeks out then turn around and go back out again.
As for me,even if I could,I wouldn’t be that keen on going back to permanent nights either doing 400 mile direct links at 90 kmh max or long boring hours as part of a hub system operation.Together with the time and money spent on commuting.Bearing in mind that was/is about as good as it gets being that what’s left was/is mainly just local multi drop or building deliveries in and around London.
As for the first type of example I think that fits the idea of the best of all worlds situation of an interesting job,which removes the issue of commuting time and expense,together with the time off being quality time.The amount of East Euro trucks and drivers on UK roads doing UK/International haulage work,as opposed to the amount of immigrant East Euro drivers wanting to work here in the typical distribution/building/trunking sectors,seeming to confirm that.
Are you not aware there’s thousands of eastern Europeans driving British lorry’s doing every sort of job going.
kr79:
Carryfast:
The amount of East Euro trucks and drivers on UK roads doing UK/International haulage work,as opposed to the amount of immigrant East Euro drivers wanting to work here in the typical distribution/building/trunking sectors,seeming to confirm that.Are you not aware there’s thousands of eastern Europeans driving British lorry’s doing every sort of job going.
My point is they are probably outweighed by many more staying at,or going,home.For a combination of better more interesting less boring work with more quality time off and possibly even more money in real terms.Bearing in mind effectively no commuting costs and general living costs.The fact that the East Euro international haulage sector opportunities seem to far outweigh the typical dregs left here in the form of the distribution etc sectors and the fact that the domestic employers are actually moaning about a driver shortage.When they could obviously fill every job with an East Euro driver ‘if’ the East Euros are supposedly so keen on the UK scene.
There is no shortage of drivers, the issue is the quality, sit behind the desk of a transport office for any length of time and the things you see and hear is shocking, I used to find it funny at first its wearing thin now. 
mike68:
There is no shortage of drivers
+1
mike68:
sit behind the desk of a transport office for any length of time and the things you see and hear is shocking
Like what…?
Carryfast:
lolipop:
What a load of crap about speed limiters,they make very little or no difference over the course of a day,especially with the pulling power the big engines have these days.A great deal of them can stay in the 50`s all day long, unlike the days when motors dropped down and needed a gear change at the site of a pimple.That would all depend on the distance and terrain of the run and the ( real world ) power to weight ratio of the old school wagon that you’re talking about.Let’s just say that my working week was ( a lot ) longer running from Heathrow to Dewsbury and back with a Merc 2534 limited to 90 kmh than with an unlimited DAF 2800.
In the real world, 100000miles was easily do-able and more pre limiter, at 100kmh or 62mph you could still push 100000 miles a year, but at 90kmh that’s down to 85-90000, that’s 10-15000 miles of lost revenue per year per truck on containers, analogue to digital made it even harder to achieve decent annual mileages do to the way 1st gen tachos worked.
Sorry to report to you Alder that I enjoy my job. Cost me a couple of grand for the license. So what?
If that’s what it costs, then so be it. Mon-Fri days, good pay, new Scanny, happy as Larry.
As for being treated like [zb], depends how you speak to people. If you improve YOUR attitude, someone might employ you permanently. Probably unlikely though.
On another note, you are getting quite obsessed with me and it comes across as a bit creepy.