Halfbott:
a] I passed my class1 3 weeks ago, which I paid for myself. Also paid to complete the CPC stuff to obtain a CPC card.
I’ve been applying to job adverts off the usual places, indeed and total jobs etc.
I haven’t had a single reply in that time and when I view jobs I’ve applied to, indeed gives a statistic of how many applicants there has been for each job.
These adverts are averaging 50-250 applicants each.
b] I’m struggling to understand how there is a shortage of drivers given the amount of people applying to vacancies. The media, including industry media have been telling us how there is huge shortage. The government sent letters out to HGV licence holders begging them to consider returning to the industry.
The guys at the training school were insisting new passes would have a great chance at jobs.
My personal experience seems to indicate this is all absolute ■■■■■■■■.
c] Is the ‘driver shortage’ really just a smoke screen for a goods shortage because of brexit?
d] Or is the industry just wanting to saturate the market to drive pay down?
I’m interested to hear others within the industries thoughts and experiences.
Thanks
Sorry to hear of your experience and hope that my response helps
a] advertisements are usually placed when an employer who seeks to attract a high number of applicants. Often they advertise to promote their company rather than the jobs. I am referring to industry in general. However most advertised driving jobs are genuine vacancies although often advertised while the current post holder is still working as they are seeking to attract someone already employed so the post is a few weeks down the line.
You need a new pass job to start with. Someone has said one needs a couple of years experience for insurance purposes. Not entirely true as many large firms are ‘self insured’ - due to this WILL take new passes. Virtually all ‘blue chip’ companies WILL take new passes and provide 2 weeks supervised driving. My firm give 4 weeks supervised driving which is over generous in my view.
You also need to follow industry etiquette when applying for jobs. Transport is a business based on ‘if the face fits’ - like many sectors of industry. GET OUT AND KNOCK ON DOORS - it is what they expect. Visiting a traffic office and saying the truth like you are looking for a job but not done much reversing yet and is there a chance of some practice with a driver trainer will be a far better approach. Yes you have a Class 1 licence but you acknowledge you don’t want to make mistakes with manoeuvring. EVERYONE knows starting off in the industry is likely to be a rocky start… one driver said to me the average is 4 bumps in the first 6 months. I have my own transporter trailer and so I knew the principles of reversing BUT with an artic trailer the pivot is different and needs practice like anything. A bundle of CVs and visiting is the best method by far.
b] When I entered the industry I was 50 yrs and there was a driver shortage then in 2014. It was when CPC was introduced and many older drivers nearing retirement decided not to bother. meanwhile immigration had started and many firms did not bother recruiting anyone English as wages were cut to minimum wage or thereabouts. The old training scheme disappeared… whereby a firm put you through the test and then deducted £25 per week from your wages for 2.5-3 years but in return for 3 years work guaranteed. That was a good scheme in my view. The likelihood of an accident in early days is high and with this scheme one remained in a job. Many firms no longer do the scheme and many young folk have not wanted to consider the outlaw of £3k to get C2 and C1. So for the past 10-15 years very few young folk have considered the industry.
Immigration then ‘saved the industry’. East Europeans could come here with their licence most of which were with a ‘tractor and trailer’ and no actual test. Bulgarians and Romanians have admitted such to me… but they’ve got by with a few bumps and managed.
Driving is a tough job - long hours and if one does tramping one’s rest days are not really days off to recuperate. Day one is catching up on extra sleep and not feeling like doing much else and day 2 is doing some house work/gardening in the morning, shopping for the following week and getting into bed about 2000 to be up for work at 0400. I certainly haven’t got on top of the garden for the last couple of years. Annual leave accrued I have taken every 10-12 weeks for domestic matters. There are folk who have managed to do 25-30 years of tramping but it’s a hell of a life. Many decide to try something else after a while… many have missed their children growing up.
c] Many companies have employed Europeans and cut wages. Is it fair that a forklift/pallet truck driver at an RDC earns £14 an hour and someone driving an artic gets £10-12. In my job I started on £9.50 per hour, had a rise in June of £2 and now another rise this Jan of £2 so still earning less per hour than the driver of a forklift. I must thank the Polish government for introducing a tax on second homes - which has brought about the mass exodus of many Polish to return home. Hence now the mass shortage… based geographically due to the exodus in the main.
d] Many companies are not training drivers as they are waiting for the government to permit ‘skills shortage immigration’ like we saw in the papers yesterday for care workers. Councils do not want to pay or recognise the profession - they get paid for the time they are at a house and NOT for travelling between. So in say 3 hours they may do one hours paid work at 3-4 house visits and the rest of the time travelling unpaid. How can these poor souls make a living and survive financially? So you are right in my view there is some politics from the transport industry waiting to unfold… again. Like the food industry I think we will see the majority (currently about 50% increased to 70-80%) of drivers being of foreign origin with their ‘tractor and trailer’ licence.
End of my epistle! You need a job so PM me with your phone number and a time to chat - if you want help job hunting in the East Midlands (Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Spalding, Wisbech). I can give you about 20+ firms needing drivers if you are considering a move to the area. You will be in work within a week… maybe a fortnight as we are in the festive period. Even if you don’t want to move I could help you get a job to give you 6 month temporary experience and then you are ‘on your feet’. I’m off until 06jan22 so happy to help anyway I can.
