I read a lot about the driver shortage and quite honestly a lot of people, on this forum as well, have seen it coming for a long time.
The Government have no clue as witnessed by their recent idiotic proposals.
Too much reliance on EU drivers, woeful delays tipping and loading. Constant traffic delays and roadworks. The abysmal facilities for drivers. Poor parking availability and cost. The list goes on.
Fact is I was earning half what I do now in 1990 . I bought a house for 30k. Now I would need 250k.
My Questions now though are, how long before many small Hauliers go under or quit?
What happens when the food and fuel shortages hit?
Why was this allowed to happen when anyone with half a brain could see it coming?
I dont think anyone saw it coming - you ask most firms and they think drivers are on a good wage at a tenner an hour.
I don’t think it will be just small firms going out of business. Some of the big firms will be running on fumes now as they can’t get the extra costs back from their customers
Yes this has been going on for decades as all companies strive to keep their prices the same or the general public will go to someone who is cheaper
I was one of those who left the industry 20 years ago to work half the hours for twice the money. Having just retired I did consider returning now the money is better, but the conditions are no better and there is now far more legistation and enforcement than there was back then
One other point I should mention. If they do away with C licence requirement and Learners go straight on to Artic training, what about all of the Driving Schools that have quite a few rigids, in some cases 10 to 20 that will suddenly become next to pointless? Also I believe Local Authorities should provide suitable areas for reversing practice as a lot of Driving schools struggle to provide decent areas for this?
Stop charging HGVs for parking. Afaik nowhere else in EU charges for parking.
Hauliers should send their traffics operators out with a driver for a day and drivers should spend a day in the office to promote an understanding of each others role. Job share for drivers who may only want limited hours.
Thoughts?
So true about the EU driving experience it was like another world in attitude and facilities
Having done both TM and driver for a small outfit I agree with you, as the office experience is not that special. Yes you might do less hours in the office but if your drivers are out you are still responsible even if not paid
The whole reverting to pre 97 test rules is a mess as not only driving schools are impacted but also as others have mentioned all those drivers disadvantaged over the last 24 years in these days for litigation for disadvantaged individuals
While there will always be someone who will do the job for a bit less to get the work that is not sustainable in the long run and now the chickens are home to roost
drivers who may only want limited hours.
Thoughts?
I thought that I would be better off changing from 5/6 in 7
So decided to opt for 4 on 4 off thinking along the lines of 48 - 52 hours,But no got it so wrong the transporter planner likes the fact that he thinks that he can plan me for 1 x 13 + 3 x 15’s + 3 x 9’s & a 37hrs drive
I am already looking at block booking Monday and Tuesday days off to stop the Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday working scenario
RADICAL = Scrap the LGV C & BE … and the driver cpc (mod 4 test) - that will get loads more test slots
ROG:
RADICAL = Scrap the LGV C & BE … and the driver cpc (mod 4 test) - that will get loads more test slots
Without getting…
My licence out and actually referencing what classes of vehicles those are…YES!!! Ditch the DCPC.
LuckyMatty:
drivers who may only want limited hours.
Thoughts?
Already am. Joys of agency and where I work and the demand which has been high not just this year but for quite some time is I can dictate when I want to work. So I do Mon, Tue, Thurs and Fri. Some drivers do Mon-Wed.
It’s interesting looking at some of the jobs advertised now. Veolia who do the bins at our local authority household waste sites are advertising for drivers and you can either do a full week of 48hrs or you can do part time days to suit. Also they’re advertising that you can choose your start time in a morning too. So there’s one company that’s cottoned on to the fact some people have left because they don’t want to be up before the sun every day or working 50%-100% more than the national average working week.
Wermy:
The whole reverting to pre 97 test rules is a mess as not only driving schools are impacted but also as others have mentioned all those drivers disadvantaged over the last 24 years in these days for litigation for disadvantaged individuals
What a crock of crap. What litigation? Were people who wanted to drive artics post 1/1/1997 able to sue because they now had an additional cost of doing Cat C first? Were people who wanted to pass their test and tow a caravan or drive a 7.5t horse box able to sue because they’d have to pass a test to do so which those who passed before 1997 didn’t? No. Are people going to be able to sue the government because they’re changing petrol to E10? No. Rules change and it doesn’t mean you get compensation just because you end up losing out. One could argue that as many of these drivers are basically unemployable elsewhere because they’re uneducated knuckle draggers that they’ve already had plenty of financial benefit from their licence over the last 24 years they’d not have otherwise got without it.
If some of these firms go down the crapoer who cares?
For far too long they have been cutting transport rates to ribbons to compete with one another,.and enabling themselves to keep in a (small) profit on these rates, only by absorbing the costs on the backs of their drivers by paying them a ■■■■ poor rate of pay.
■■■■ em. !
Rising fuel costs will be a factor in killing off the smaller firms, it’s anticipated the prices will hit £1.47/ltr. So the frugal profit will be eaten up by the increase in fuel prices
peirre:
Rising fuel costs will be a factor in killing off the smaller firms, it’s anticipated the prices will hit £1.47/ltr. So the frugal profit will be eaten up by the increase in fuel prices
Don’t most contracts have a link to fuel pricing? Fuel cost increase means an increase in the client’s costs, not the transport company being squeezed
peirre:
Rising fuel costs will be a factor in killing off the smaller firms, it’s anticipated the prices will hit £1.47/ltr. So the frugal profit will be eaten up by the increase in fuel prices
I do hope you’re right, especially the operators who chose to employ the cheap Eastern European’s on crap money effectively pricing the British drivers out of work, the same operators who now have trucks parked up as the Eastern European’s have gone home and can’t attract the Brits as they’ve all got jobs on decent money now.
■■■■ em!
robroy:
If some of these firms go down the crapoer who cares?
For far too long they have been cutting transport rates to ribbons to compete with one another,.and enabling themselves to keep in a (small) profit on these rates, only by absorbing the costs on the backs of their drivers by paying them a ■■■■ poor rate of pay.
[zb] em. !
Agree 100%
If your business model relies on paying under the market rate for staff then you don’t have a viable business. No sympathy. Cheerio!
hughgeorghan:
robroy:
If some of these firms go down the crapoer who cares?
For far too long they have been cutting transport rates to ribbons to compete with one another,.and enabling themselves to keep in a (small) profit on these rates, only by absorbing the costs on the backs of their drivers by paying them a ■■■■ poor rate of pay.
[zb] em. !Agree 100%
If your business model relies on paying under the market rate for staff then you don’t have a viable business. No sympathy. Cheerio!
Totally agree, any company that’s played fair and taken reasonable care of their drivers deserve to survive and prosper, the rest can pi55 off with no regrets from the industry.
We just need the government to stick to their guns and help the industry to look after its drivers by not only keeping the cheap drivers out and making the country as a whole understand that the something for nothing days are over and they’ll have to pay a little more for goods to guarantee a reliable supply chain.
robroy:
If some of these firms go down the crapoer who cares?
For far too long they have been cutting transport rates to ribbons to compete with one another,.and enabling themselves to keep in a (small) profit on these rates, only by absorbing the costs on the backs of their drivers by paying them a ■■■■ poor rate of pay.
[zb] em. !
I agree with this ^
Another factor is the industry has basically moaning about a driver shortage for years without it being the case and while making it extremely hard for new drivers to get a job.
go back 10 years and they were crying about a drivers shortage yet try getting a job between January and may. not easy. Because what they were upset about was the lack of drivers lining up ready to take whatever is going so they can dump them again when it is not busy.
This is what has pushed a lot of drivers out of the industry. among many other things.
Enjoy the pay rises while you can because they will probably be temporary and we will soon be put back in our box!
Until we all stick together and show a united front it will always be this way. Like that will ever happen.
Franglais:
Don’t most contracts have a link to fuel pricing? Fuel cost increase means an increase in the client’s costs, not the transport company being squeezed
Many 3PL’s work on closed book contracts where the price they get paid for the duration of the contract is fixed, so if they haven’t factored in the rising cost of fuel over their projected cost expectation then their profits get squeezed. The tighter the margins the more chance that they will make a loss as the fuel cost rises.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
I do hope you’re right, especially the operators who chose to employ the cheap Eastern European’s on crap money effectively pricing the British drivers out of work, the same operators who now have trucks parked up as the Eastern European’s have gone home and can’t attract the Brits as they’ve all got jobs on decent money now.
[zb] em!
With the recent news story about Nando’s having to close restaurants because they are short of chicken supplies, some head honcho from a national cultural centre is calling for the government to allow EU nationals to return to the UK and help out with the driver shortage