James the cat:
Conor:
whilst I, the agency gimp with a limp and a headset,.so, you do admit you actually have a limp and a headset.
Have a limp but no headset. Trucks have bluetooth head units fitted in them so no need to have the blue light of shame beaconing my status of agency ■■■■■ to everyone who overtakes me… 
mac12:
Taxibear:
Its simple . Do away with cpc training and stop putting hurdles up to make job difficult.Why would £300s worth of CPC training cause a diver shortage? After some of the questions drivers put on here it should be 35 hours per year
Because the average drive age of a driver is getting closer to retirement age each and every year that goes by.
Senior drivers are lingering longer, whilst new drivers are going onto better things such as shelf stacking and road sweeping. 
The average age of a driver increases by more weeks each year, and has done for some time.
Pimpdaddy:
chicane:
What I can’t understand is why the likes of Pimpdaddy can’t find decent driving work, maybe it depends on where you live.Not all driving work is ‘decent’, can you understand that? I live in Kent.
tmcassett:
I made the point the other day on another thread that PimpDaddy usually only pops up to either moan about trucks being slow at a particular company or that there is no driver shortage - in a lot of parts of the country there clearly is a shortage but he will never accept that!Of course I’m not going to accept something that simply isn’t true. There might be a shortage of cheap labour but there certainly isn’t a shortage of drivers!!!
Yeah I can understand that and TBH I’d want/need a lot higher rate if I lived in Kent than round here, which is why I thought it must be a regional thing. Also I guess there’s a lot more cheap labour darn sarff, round here I can think of a couple of good companies with decent kit and decent T&Cs but I there’s also a couple of outfits where no amount of money would get me into their units. There is most definitely a shortage of drivers round here, whether rates will begin to reflect that or not I just don’t know. Maybe a ‘Gretna Premium’ will be introduced like the one for Marston Gate, I’m not holding my breath though 
.
Can you tell me where and what company stop working or lost contract due drivers shortgate.Where load was not moved long time due shortage???And after 5-10 years all load will be moved in UK and Eu by much ,much less numbers of truck.So less truck,less drivers requared.
tmcassett:
chicane:
Can’t really comment on shortage or not except to give our experiences in the last couple of weeks.Our main work is agri-contracting but we’re sitting twiddling our thumbs through the winter so I drive (agency) through the winter. My back went with what felt like an explosion on Monday as I was hooking up; trip to casualty, painkilling injection and enough tablets to choke a horse both the company I was on for and the agency were brilliant. Got a call from the agency today more in hope than expectation, as I’m making much better progress than I expected I’m pencilled in for short runs next week and arrangements are being made so there’s someone at the drops to do the pallet trucking.
Son is now signed up with the same agency and his pal will sign up on Sunday, both will have work as soon as they are available. My experience since I resurrected my licence 5 years ago has been has been that I’ve had work whenever I’m available and I’m on a decent rate.
What I can’t understand is why the likes of Pimpdaddy can’t find decent driving work, maybe it depends on where you live.
I made the point the other day on another thread that PimpDaddy usually only pops up to either moan about trucks being slow at a particular company or that there is no driver shortage - in a lot of parts of the country there clearly is a shortage but he will never accept that!
its not just pimpdaddy, there are a good few others.
I must admit I do laugh at the ‘I am full time’ so therefore I am superior attitude, yet I would say the majority of the ■■■■■■■ questions posted on here are from said ‘full time employed driving gods’.
after I left ASDA I went agency and wouldn’t go full time anywhere now. I enjoy saying I am only working 3 days this week or 5 it depends how I feel, or no I am not working the weekends on a rota basis. it was also strange how most places offer you a job in about 2 days (must say an awful lot about the full time drivers if an agency bod can be asked so quickly).
it is a regional thing mind regarding ‘demand’, but things change.
Pimpdaddy:
chicane:
What I can’t understand is why the likes of Pimpdaddy can’t find decent driving work, maybe it depends on where you live.Not all driving work is ‘decent’, can you understand that? I live in Kent.
tmcassett:
I made the point the other day on another thread that PimpDaddy usually only pops up to either moan about trucks being slow at a particular company or that there is no driver shortage - in a lot of parts of the country there clearly is a shortage but he will never accept that!Of course I’m not going to accept something that simply isn’t true. There might be a shortage of cheap labour but there certainly isn’t a shortage of drivers!!!
+1 [emoji120][emoji120][emoji120]
Andrejs:
Can you tell me where and what company stop working or lost contract due drivers shortgate.Where load was not moved long time due shortage???And after 5-10 years all load will be moved in UK and Eu by much ,much less numbers of truck.So less truck,less drivers requared.
Very good! [emoji120][emoji120][emoji120]
Not convinced the number number of trucks required will reduce, maybe more of the transcontinental stuff will go onto rail but not in the UK as we simply haven’t got the infrastructure and its debateable whether the cost of upgrading existing depots and loading bays to accommodate more deckers and longer trailers is debateable. If anything the number of trucks required will increase if and when the economy/productivity picks up.
Pimpdaddy:
chicane:
What I can’t understand is why the likes of Pimpdaddy can’t find decent driving work, maybe it depends on where you live.Not all driving work is ‘decent’, can you understand that? I live in Kent.
tmcassett:
I made the point the other day on another thread that PimpDaddy usually only pops up to either moan about trucks being slow at a particular company or that there is no driver shortage - in a lot of parts of the country there clearly is a shortage but he will never accept that!Of course I’m not going to accept something that simply isn’t true. There might be a shortage of cheap labour but there certainly isn’t a shortage of drivers!!!
In that case why have rates gone up well above the rate of inflation in the last 18 months both permanent work and at the agencies - That would imply a shortage, Or maybe there just such nice & generous people they’ve upped the money because that’s how nice they are even though they don’t have too due to the queue of drivers looking for work.
Same goes for the experience bit, many have dropped from 2 years requirement down to 1 year or 6 months and a lot are openly advertising for newbies.
This may not be the case in Kent and I have no idea as I’m 200 miles away but there’s evidence in a lot of other parts of the UK of this being true.
anyone know the current wages for taylors? I know it was about £8per hour for a class 1 a while ago.
this is possibly why drivers don’t want to get out of bed at 3am spend all week in a truck and take home £500 for the privilege including nights out.
also why would you want to spend all this money on a licence / digi / dcpc and the rest to earn about a quid more than minimum wage? not to mention the risk of vosa taking some of that off you in an instance. driving isn’t appealing to the younger generation anymore as a way to earn money.
I’m confused, how does the DCPC cause driver a driver shortage! Yes ok some of the older guys have chosen to retire and not sit through 30 odd hours of classroom boredom, their choice but a daft one in my view. I agree the |DCPC has been poorly implemented but any training is good and only a fool refuses it especially if paid to attend by the employer.
As for a driver shortage, really where? Maybe is some parts of the country their is a short fall of drivers but if it was nation wide surly wages would be rising and terms and conditions would be improving to attract drivers! I don’t see it.
war1974:
anyone know the current wages for taylors? I know it was about £8per hour for a class 1 a while ago.this is possibly why drivers don’t want to get out of bed at 3am spend all week in a truck and take home £500 for the privilege including nights out.
also why would you want to spend all this money on a licence / digi / dcpc and the rest to earn about a quid more than minimum wage? not to mention the risk of vosa taking some of that off you in an instance. driving isn’t appealing to the younger generation anymore as a way to earn money.
This
tmcassett:
Pimpdaddy:
chicane:
What I can’t understand is why the likes of Pimpdaddy can’t find decent driving work, maybe it depends on where you live.Not all driving work is ‘decent’, can you understand that? I live in Kent.
tmcassett:
I made the point the other day on another thread that PimpDaddy usually only pops up to either moan about trucks being slow at a particular company or that there is no driver shortage - in a lot of parts of the country there clearly is a shortage but he will never accept that!Of course I’m not going to accept something that simply isn’t true. There might be a shortage of cheap labour but there certainly isn’t a shortage of drivers!!!
In that case why have rates gone up well above the rate of inflation in the last 18 months both permanent work and at the agencies - That would imply a shortage, Or maybe there just such nice & generous people they’ve upped the money because that’s how nice they are even though they don’t have too due to the queue of drivers looking for work.
Same goes for the experience bit, many have dropped from 2 years requirement down to 1 year or 6 months and a lot are openly advertising for newbies.
This may not be the case in Kent and I have no idea as I’m 200 miles away but there’s evidence in a lot of other parts of the UK of this being true.
Where have wages gone up well above inflation? I’m in the midlands and wages have been static around here for a long time. Agencies offer on average £8.50 per hour for days. I have seen jobs on offer for £11.00 on days but they are very few and far between, I have also seen minimum wage being offered.
Gangan:
I’m confused, how does the DCPC cause driver a driver shortage! Yes ok some of the older guys have chosen to retire and not sit through 30 odd hours of classroom boredom, their choice but a daft one in my view. I agree the |DCPC has been poorly implemented but any training is good and only a fool refuses it especially if paid to attend by the employer.As for a driver shortage, really where? Maybe is some parts of the country their is a short fall of drivers but if it was nation wide surly wages would be rising and terms and conditions would be improving to attract drivers! I don’t see it.
The DCPC is just the tip of the iceberg. Increasing legislation and unrealistic expectations had already led to large numbers of drivers leaving the industry, coupled with the fact that getting a HGV license nowadays is both tougher and more expensive meaning there are not enough new recruits to fill the void left by those retiring.
There is undoubtedly a driver shortage in certain sectors. Predominantly agency vacancies that involve lots of heavy handball, usually at some of the lower pay rates. Easily spotted by the ‘prestigious’ or ‘blue chip’ tags that the agencies use to attempt to lure in the unwary.
[/quote]
Where have wages gone up well above inflation? I’m in the midlands and wages have been static around here for a long time. Agencies offer on average £8.50 per hour for days. I have seen jobs on offer for £11.00 on days but they are very few and far between, I have also seen minimum wage being offered.
[/quote]
Where in the Midlands are you, as most of the agencies round my way offer a minimum of £10ph?
LIBERTY_GUY:
The DCPC is just the tip of the iceberg. Increasing legislation and unrealistic expectations had already led to large numbers of drivers leaving the industry, coupled with the fact that getting a HGV license nowadays is both tougher and more expensive meaning there are not enough new recruits to fill the void left by those retiring.
They’re will always be HGV drivers (British or foreign) to replace the ones that leave due to old age (retirees), or those whose vocational licences are taken away from them because of health issues.
It’s going to take a very long time to use up all the ones from Eastern Europe. After that; there will be a vast supply of willing labourers to recruit from Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean to do this job.
So don’t kid yourself’s.
I`ve had “offers” of work at less than £10ph for “LTD” in the East Midlands of late, the rates are well down on three years ago on the work I would want to do, hence my semi retired situation at present
cracker-bar:
Where in the Midlands are you, as most of the agencies round my way offer a minimum of £10ph?
And you think £10p/h is a lot of money■■?
lol
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.
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.
You misread my quote, I said I have been “offered” 
I am registered with just about everyone you can think of, but, I only work with a few, who actually pay very well, if they get the chance 
But, the few are getting less and less of the cake, due to downward pressure to cut rates