Contraflow:
BOGEYMAN, you’re going to get this thread locked and yourself put on pre-mod. Sit the [zb] down and behave yourself.
Doubt pre mod under a this brand new username will bother him, he’s got the other 3 usernames plus his regular username.
There IS a shortage of HGV drivers out there. Much of that is down to the type of work being offered, or the reputation of the haulier. For reputation see questionably maintained vehicles, low pay and unrealistic expectations.
I have always classed driving (any) as a semi skilled occupation. That is why I prefer to use the term vocational driver, rather than professional driver. The worthless DCPC which many of us had to shell out of our own pockets for, does nothing to change people’s perceptions of a truck driver. We are all better off than we would be on minimum wage, but when I see train drivers jobs advertised at 56K for a 35 hour working week, it brings home just how rubbish truck drivers wages actually are.
LIBERTY_GUY:
There IS a shortage of HGV drivers out there. Much of that is down to the type of work being offered, or the reputation of the haulier. For reputation see questionably maintained vehicles, low pay and unrealistic expectations.I have always classed driving (any) as a semi skilled occupation. That is why I prefer to use the term vocational driver, rather than professional driver. The worthless DCPC which many of us had to shell out of our own pockets for, does nothing to change people’s perceptions of a truck driver. We are all better off than we would be on minimum wage, but when I see train drivers jobs advertised at 56K for a 35 hour working week, it brings home just how rubbish truck drivers wages actually are.
Where is the shortage, then?
Why would the Mickey Mouse DCPC have made any difference to the public’s perception of the lorry driver? You could be absolutely demented and have one, as long as you’ve got £300 to pay for. It’s not as if Joe Public knew you needed one to drive an HGV, nor would they give a toss, if they did.
It was in hysterics, when I read all the nonsense that was getting posted on this forum by these retarded driver’s, before September, last year. They were predicting big increases in wages. In fact, one said “we won’t be getting out of bed for less than £30 p/h”.
By the way, Liberty Guy; I agree with you calling the DCPC ‘worthless’. It’s also as worthless as the HGV licence, itself.
And yes, the train driving remark; I agree with you on that as well.
U still here V40LLY?
I see you circumvented the pre-mod by becoming BOGEYMAN…
LIBERTY_GUY:
There IS a shortage of HGV drivers out there. Much of that is down to the type of work being offered, or the reputation of the haulier. For reputation see questionably maintained vehicles, low pay and unrealistic expectations.I have always classed driving (any) as a semi skilled occupation. That is why I prefer to use the term vocational driver, rather than professional driver. The worthless DCPC which many of us had to shell out of our own pockets for, does nothing to change people’s perceptions of a truck driver. We are all better off than we would be on minimum wage, but when I see train drivers jobs advertised at 56K for a 35 hour working week, it brings home just how rubbish truck drivers wages actually are.
Thats because the rail lads stuck together through thick and thin, near enough 100% union membership, and they didn’t allow their jobs to be dumbed down to the level that a chimp could do it…so far.
There are still some very good lorry driving jobs out there, often specialised, paying salaries at good rates for quite short working weeks, those in them tend to look after them…and mostly unionised too.
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Juddian:
There are still some very good lorry driving jobs out there, often specialised, paying salaries at good rates for quite short working weeks, those in them tend to look after them…and mostly unionised too.
I have just walked into one of these specialised driving roles, working for utilities within a 25 mile radius of base. It like going back to the 1980’s. Proper break rooms and facilities and no stupid KPI’s or other such nonsense to contend with. Entire fleet has just been replaced on 65 plates and I’m home before 4pm every afternoon now. What’s not to like. 
Contrast that to many driving jobs where they on your back every five minutes, cabphone ringing constantly, some jerk in the traffic office that arrived by bus, telling you how broken down vehicles and accidents up ahead won’t affect your delivery schedule, a ridiculous number of drops and no comprehension that you may actually have a life outside of work and it soon becomes blatantly obvious why many hauliers have trucks standing to lack of drivers. 
If I was 30 again in this modern time, would I still obtain a HGV license? The answer to that would be a decisive no, as there better ways to earn a living, where you go home very night and get more respect than a truck driver typically gets.
alte hase:
LIBERTY_GUY:
We are all better off than we would be on minimum wage, but when I see train drivers jobs advertised at 56K for a 35 hour working week, it brings home just how rubbish truck drivers wages actually are.If a train driver commands wages of £50k pa in charge of a two thousand ton freight train would logic dictate a driver of a fourty ton truck should command wages of £1K pa, the two modes of transport employ wheels to move along, from there up they are disparate entities, from a logic driven point of view it would appear that truck drivers are grossly overpaid or train drivers are grossly underpaid.
I used to work as train crew on freight trains many moons ago. Generally speaking train drivers don’t have to contend with numpties trying to cut them up on the rails, don’t struggle to park their outfits in over subscribed facilities at break times, don’t have to deal with stroppy forklift drivers or security guards and don’t have VOSA at the trackside trying to take money off them. 
Why are train drivers wages so high anyway? Is it something they have earned through union power, or is it that the wage just reflects the skill involved in driving one? I really am curious cos I wouldn’t think train driving is that much harder than truck driving. They don’t have to do the dreaded blind side reverse, sit in RDC waiting rooms or put up with other numpties on the road.[emoji3]
Evil8Beezle:
U still here V40LLY?I see you circumvented the pre-mod by becoming BOGEYMAN…
V40LLY/BOGEYMAN/BOREDWIVDRIVIN all the creation of a well known much maligned moaner on here.
damoq:
Why are train drivers wages so high anyway? Is it something they have earned through union power, or is it that the wage just reflects the skill involved in driving one? I really am curious cos I wouldn’t think train driving is that much harder than truck driving. They don’t have to do the dreaded blind side reverse, sit in RDC waiting rooms or put up with other numpties on the road.[emoji3]
I think responsibility has something to do with it, just like pilots, doctors etc
war1974:
your with the wrong agencies then as the minimum I pay for paye on class 1 is £10. that’s most of derby to Nottingham.
What agency is yours war?
Pimpdaddy:
damoq:
Why are train drivers wages so high anyway? Is it something they have earned through union power, or is it that the wage just reflects the skill involved in driving one? I really am curious cos I wouldn’t think train driving is that much harder than truck driving. They don’t have to do the dreaded blind side reverse, sit in RDC waiting rooms or put up with other numpties on the road.[emoji3]I think responsibility has something to do with it, just like pilots, doctors etc
More like perceived responsibility and political favouritism for their industry and strong unions.
I don’t think train drivers face the chance of a prison sentence regarding load security or vehicle condition.Nor are they fully in control of the destiny of where the thing goes and ends up on the road etc as a truck driver is.
It’s basically a job of mostly going,slowing,or stopping and the only thing they really need to comply with are signals and route instructions telling them what to do and detailed route knowledge.Much of which truck drivers obviously don’t have the luxury of.
While given an equal political regime like fuel costs and allowing LHV’s and equally strong unions the road transport industry could probably get close enough regards wage levels.
Carryfast:
While given an equal political regime like fuel costs and allowing LHV’s and equally strong unions the road transport industry could probably get close enough regards wage levels.
I think they could but not in this lifetime, driverless trucks will eventually come in.
Given the perceived simplicity of driving one, trains, versus the alleged complexity of driving the other, trucks, you would think driverless trains would be in first.
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BillyHunt:
Given the perceived simplicity of driving one, trains, versus the alleged complexity of driving the other, trucks, you would think driverless trains would be in first.
That might just turn out to be the case in the real world.Until then ( probably more if than when ) as I said the road transport industry is crippled by fuel taxation and over regulation.Which is the main obstacle to wage increases.
Together with a historically weak workforce regards union membership and ‘militancy’ and de industrialisation and immigration which over supplies the labour market.Which affects most of the economy anyway thereby reducing potential wage levels across the economy as a whole.
damoq:
Why are train drivers wages so high anyway? Is it something they have earned through union power, or is it that the wage just reflects the skill involved in driving one? I really am curious cos I wouldn’t think train driving is that much harder than truck driving. They don’t have to do the dreaded blind side reverse, sit in RDC waiting rooms or put up with other numpties on the road.[emoji3]
My mate’s a train driver and the reason their wages are so high is simple: they are expensive to replace. He had to study for eighteen months just to get behind the controls, then he could start learning routes. Each route has to be studied for individually as due to the stopping distances by the time he sees a station he’s already overshot it. If he doesn’t drive a route for six months he’s no longer ALLOWED to drive it.
He’d cost a fortune to replace; they pay him a lot of money so he doesn’t leave - and some train companies do try to circumvent the training time by paying more for already-qualified drivers.
None of this will stop me from telling him that he’s not worth it as he doesn’t even steer! 
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