I know two hauliers who have contracted down to being one-man-band, owner driver because they are unable to get drivers. As we go into the busy period, now to December, the situation may get critical. It’s a pity drivers are not co-operative enough to insist on decent terms while they are in a strong bargaining position. £30k basic for 35 hour week
It’s no good demanding anything. The rates aren’t there to pay £50k a year. Demand it all you want and the bosses will look past you. They need to realise they aren’t charging enough, if they can’t offer an attractive package. It’s needs to come from the top down. The hauliers need to refuse to do the work, until they get a rate large enough to pay the right wages with the right equipment.
+1 I agree.
OVLOV JAY:
It’s no good demanding anything. The rates aren’t there to pay £50k a year. Demand it all you want and the bosses will look past you. They need to realise they aren’t charging enough, if they can’t offer an attractive package. It’s needs to come from the top down. The hauliers need to refuse to do the work, until they get a rate large enough to pay the right wages with the right equipment.
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As said, rates come from the top down, and only when they can’t move the goods will conditions change. We could stamp our feet all day shouting and screaming about better rates, but as we are not united it would be in vein.
As for me, I’ll just hop up and down on my one good leg! [emoji14]
I managed an extra £1 ph off the agency after the firm begged for me to return the following week. Now planning on returning to the negotiation table after finding out other agency drivers at the firm are on another pound again. If I dont get it, I’ll walk and get sumat else, simples.
There is no shortage, no shortage of licence holders anyway.
The shortage is of decent drivers who do the work correctly bring the kit back in one piece and don’t constantly whinge when they don’t get their own way.
There is also a great shortage of employers who offer decent terms and conditions, expecting 60 hours a week no paid sick leave a basic holiday pay, why would any sane person be away from their family all week for £450.
From a recent stint in the office I can say that around 80-85% of the drivers I came into contact with were bone idle incompetent and work shy, out of 200 drivers I would struggle to give the names of 20 I would employ.
OVLOV JAY:
It’s no good demanding anything. The rates aren’t there to pay £50k a year. Demand it all you want and the bosses will look past you. They need to realise they aren’t charging enough, if they can’t offer an attractive package. It’s needs to come from the top down. The hauliers need to refuse to do the work, until they get a rate large enough to pay the right wages with the right equipment.
There we have it. What haulier is going to ring a customer up and say ‘yeah, that job we’ve been doing for you for £700? Well, it’s £850 now.’ Not many I would wager because there is a very real likelihood of being told to Four Cough. And so rates stay low and there is no additional money for wages.
I read in Commercial Motor what Maritime make in terms of percentage net profit and it makes you wonder why they and firms like them even bother. The best of it was that it appeared to be a story off a press release and something that Maritime were actually proud to broadcast… 
Olog Hai:
I read in Commercial Motor what Maritime make in terms of percentage net profit and it makes you wonder why they and firms like them even bother. The best of it was that it appeared to be a story off a press release and something that Maritime were actually proud to broadcast…
There was an article a few years ago about a fridge haulier in Oswestry who had a turnover of £millions and their profit was barely the equivalent of three drivers wages.
Pretty sure it was said a few years back that a certain well known haulier made pennies per day profit on each lorry but creamed it in with the warehousing.
I suppose you could argue that a lot of lorries making pennies makes a fair few pounds.
4 lorries or similar small firms just make the pennies X 4. Don’t have a chance really unless your niche.
Olog Hai:
There we have it. What haulier is going to ring a customer up and say ‘yeah, that job we’ve been doing for you for £700? Well, it’s £850 now.’ Not many I would wager because there is a very real likelihood of being told to Four Cough. And so rates stay low and there is no additional money for wages.
Yes, but when a haulier hasn’t got the drivers, the only choices they have are to forfeit the contract by not fulfilling it, or pay the money to get the drivers. Agreed that the conversation won’t go as you describe above, but some sort of conversation is going to happen…
Evil8Beezle:
Olog Hai:
There we have it. What haulier is going to ring a customer up and say ‘yeah, that job we’ve been doing for you for £700? Well, it’s £850 now.’ Not many I would wager because there is a very real likelihood of being told to Four Cough. And so rates stay low and there is no additional money for wages.Yes, but when a haulier hasn’t got the drivers, the only choices they have are to forfeit the contract by not fulfilling it, or pay the money to get the drivers. Agreed that the conversation won’t go as you describe above, but some sort of conversation is going to happen…
Perhaps, but how often do we hear of this happening? I don’t buy the ‘woe is me’ ■■■■■■■■ put across by a portion of the industry that there is a shortage of drivers. If there was a shortage of drivers, there would be yards full of parked trucks and difficulties in the supply chain. The fact that neither of these seem to be the case (even during the December rush in the latter case) tells its own story.
What there clearly is a shortage of is good drivers although that’s nothing new. It was like that almost 20 years ago when I was first stupid enough to become involved with trucks.
The oft-mentioned drivers shortage is in many cases nothing less than a ploy adopted by certain elements of the industry in a bid to have what are rightly their own training costs paid by the government or whoever. Training staff is a legitimate cost of doing business - that is, except for in the haulage game, where firms are happy to run for such poor money that they genuinely cannot afford it.
What a business it is. I thank goodness every day that reading Trucknet and nearly getting wiped out by lorry drivers who can’t even keep between two white lines on the motorway is the closest I come to it now.
Olog Hai:
Perhaps, but how often do we hear of this happening? I don’t buy the ‘woe is me’ ■■■■■■■■ put across by a portion of the industry that there is a shortage of drivers. If there was a shortage of drivers, there would be yards full of parked trucks and difficulties in the supply chain. The fact that neither of these seem to be the case (even during the December rush in the latter case) tells its own story.
I didn’t say it was happening, just hypothesising the scenario…
mike68:
From a recent stint in the office I can say that around 80-85% of the drivers I came into contact with were bone idle incompetent and work shy, out of 200 drivers I would struggle to give the names of 20 I would employ.
it’s a revolving argument though. How motivated is somebody on £10 an hour supposed to be?
There doesn’t seem to me to be a “driver shortage” because the Law of Supply and Demand states that where there is undersupply of a commodity then the value of that commodity( in this case, drivers’ wages ) goes up. This clearly isn’t happening.
Amazes me that the owners of the firms(even very small ones) have a very good life style yet still plead poverty. I can’t wait to leave the firm I’m currently on for, if I told you what ■■■■ I put up with you wouldn’t believe me but I’ve got kids and bills and currently stuck!
I do like the work and enjoy tramping but I won’t miss the pricks in charge when I’m gone 
Harry Monk:
it’s a revolving argument though. How motivated is somebody on £10 an hour supposed to be?There doesn’t seem to me to be a “driver shortage” because the Law of Supply and Demand states that where there is undersupply of a commodity then the value of that commodity( in this case, drivers’ wages ) goes up. This clearly isn’t happening.
I agree to a point, but if someone chooses a particular industry and a certain role is all they can get (let’s face it, if they had more options of better pay/ conditions they would be off) then they should acknowledge they are there to do a job and should do it well.
Seems to me, by reading this site, there are quite a few new drivers coming into the industry and perhaps some employers exploit drivers thinking if they don’t like it, then someone else is eager to take their place… sad state really.
Harry Monk:
mike68:
From a recent stint in the office I can say that around 80-85% of the drivers I came into contact with were bone idle incompetent and work shy, out of 200 drivers I would struggle to give the names of 20 I would employ.it’s a revolving argument though. How motivated is somebody on £10 an hour supposed to be?
There doesn’t seem to me to be a “driver shortage” because the Law of Supply and Demand states that where there is undersupply of a commodity then the value of that commodity( in this case, drivers’ wages ) goes up. This clearly isn’t happening.
I hear what you are saying Harry, but on the other hand, if drivers were to get motivated, then they would add to the profitability of the firm, and that is where a wage increase would come from. The problem is, that many of the planners have no idea of what they are planning, so run lorries past each other, wasting time and diesel, both of which are a quantifiable cost. of coarse all of that is chicken and egg theory, and mostly doesn’t work once a firm grows beyond a couple of dozen motors. Unfortunately you need more than that to be able to bid for most primary contracts, so at a couple of dozen or less, the firm will spend a lot of time getting pass the parcel rates. Oh well, another day in paradise 
Exactly Eddie!
Every job I’ve ever had I’ve given 100% even if I thought I wasn’t being paid enough, and more often than not, the extra effort gets noticed and more money is forth coming. If its not forth coming a better more prosperous job offer from a competitor usually is.