mazzer:
Had a driver at one firm I was at refuse to pull a fridge, when the office asked why he replied with “I can’t sleep with a running fridge” to which the office replied “Not a problem you’ll not be going to bed until it’s empty”
The thing is with transport is there has to be a bit of give and take, a two way street as it where, most drivers have a preference the problems arise when certain individuals are unwilling to to be flexible and to share the not so good jobs around.
This becomes a big problem in a small firm when the “blue eyed boys” as they are often called or “arse licking layabouts” if you prefer are seen to call the shots as far as work is concerned the boss mentioned in the OP sounds a good guy maybe a little soft, I’m old school, a driver is a driver he or she is employed to drive everything in the yard, if they don’t like it go elsewhere.
Or find a job trollying for one of the big 4 where that sort of behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged.
danthetrucker:
Only on vans at the moment but had a similar conversation with one of the logistics guys are a job I was on.Went out, did the drops, came back and reloaded. Did the drops, came back and asked if the was a third load. His response ‘blimey, you’re keen’. I replied I’m just paid to do the job whatever that is. He response ‘if only everyone was like that’.
I just assumed they were and can’t understand why you wouldn’t be.
I’m working via agencies through choice and my attitude is so long as it’s legal I’ll do it. Some jobs I’ve been done in under 6 hours and other have been 13 but so long as I get paid I don’t care. Like I said to the guy-I’m just paid to do the job…
Don’t know how long you have been in the job, but I assume not long.
Ironically mate you are illustrating another way of why drivers are their own worst enemies. For arguments sake let’s assume the co. boss priced up the job where he got 2 loads and made a profit, the drivers got those two loads done comfortably at a safe legal pace ( not hanging it out before the usual crew jump 
) so the boss and the regulars are content and happy with the job.
Then Mr Agency man, trying to impress , comes along, tear arses the job out and manages 3+ loads.
Boss thinks …if he can do it, then so can the regular men from now on.
So the other regular full time drivers are forced to join the tearsrse crew to get 3 loads…for the same pay as they done 2 for x no of years. Not a happy ship anymore, and rushing around = potential accidents/ points etc.
Ok the boss is ecstatic …and richer and buys a new BMW, the lads are run ragged, and Mr Superagencyman makes a name for himself among the drivers…more than likely beginning with ‘C’ 
Carving a good job up has always been done by many drivers over the years, one of the reasons why things like schedules are so tight arsed nowadays with no leeway for unforseen circumstances. Anyway that is my slant on it. 
speaking from experience.
I don’t personally refuse as such to do anything, although I aint keen on pre 6 am starts, but always manage to get the job done starting at that time.
But yeh, drivers have ALWAYS been their own worst enemies in many ways.
Oh I wasn’t tearing around but I appreciate your point.
I get the feeling though that they were used to getting agency drivers who deliberately drag their arse so they don’t get another load in or moan when they’re asked to go out again.
I just want to do a good job safely. I drive the vehicles as if they were my own, take care of the load and am polite to their customers. I won’t put my license at risk for any reason and am not one for tearing about but won’t take the ■■■■ the other way either and won’t moan if there’s another run.
At the end of the day I want clients to want me back…
edit: I should point out the second run was a single drop about 15 miles from base. I would have struggled to take much longer doing it! [emoji2]
You cant do enough for a good guvnor.that was the saying years ago…how times have changed…the op seems to be enjoying his ride at the mo, and the boss seems a very polite kind of a guy, although a little soft if he allows his drivers to dictate what they will and wont do…but at the end of the day he sounds 1 in a million.
He’s not soft, he manages who he has to keep good drivers. In my view the drivers are at fault.
mike68:
The thing is with transport is there has to be a bit of give and take, a two way street as it where, most drivers have a preference the problems arise when certain individuals are unwilling to to be flexible and to share the not so good jobs around.This becomes a big problem in a small firm when the “blue eyed boys” as they are often called or “arse licking layabouts” if you prefer are seen to call the shots as far as work is concerned the boss mentioned in the OP sounds a good guy maybe a little soft, I’m old school, a driver is a driver he or she is employed to drive everything in the yard, if they don’t like it go elsewhere.
Or find a job trollying for one of the big 4 where that sort of behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged.
I’ve had it this week off a couple of drivers in a joking sort of way because I’ve been up Thurso and Inverness beginning of the week. I rang one up today and he says," Me and Dave been saying no wonder he ain’t rang this week he’s up top of Scotch, only rings when he’s got 5 drops to have a moan" and that same drivers keep getting Scotch and Cornwall runs.
I replied," So what if I got Thurso, I also got a Cambuslang 9pm tip Sunday night, what was you doing Sunday night? Maybe if you offer to do them sort of jobs you’ll get the Thurso’s etc" He went a bit quiet then
Doesn’t bother me what I get as long as I get my nights out I did Central London other week because another driver refused it as he doesn’t " Do London" won’t even do Kent, Surrey etc in case he has to backload anywhere near the smoke.
End of the day I’ll volounteer to do the odd Sunday runs and run in the odd Saturday mornings but I also expect the favour returned when I want to be back Friday night so I can go to the footy Saturday etc. As has been said its a 2 way street. I also find the drivers who complain about drivers being " blue eyes" or " arse lickers are those who dictate their start times, what jobs they’re doing, they won’t pick backloads up as it means a couple of hours ruining in Saturday morning once every blue moon. Basically they’re just a waste of snap and bacca who wouldn’t be able to get another job if they left so they drag the atmosphere down in the yard and try to drag the other drivers down with them however you want them to be behind you in any dispute you may as well give the pope a bell and ask him to back you up
I have worked on agency quite a few years on and off[in between full time]and the ones that get me are when they whinge about driving class2 when they are class1,i worked on contract for CEVA logistics and one driver was arguing with the transport office that he was tired of them keep giving him class2 jobs,i wondered what his problem was as he was doing 5 days a week and getting paid class1 rates,a days work is a days work irrelevant of the size of vehicle,i would gladly drive a van if being paid class1 rates
truckman020:
i would gladly drive a van if being paid class1 rates
A few years ago I worked for an agency who when desperate would ask me to do a small van driving job, delivering the vehicles to vehicle hire companies and being brought back home in a car, I got paid class 1 rates for driving small 5/15cwt vans and I couldn’t get enough of it 
I am of the same ilk that can do / will do.
If bosses want to keep my loyalty, they need to pay for it. Why should I be paid the same as a lazy ■■■■■■■■ who only drives one thing one way when I will do anything as long as it’s bringing in the dollar?
truckman020:
I have worked on agency quite a few years on and off[in between full time]and the ones that get me are when they whinge about driving class2 when they are class1,i worked on contract for CEVA logistics and one driver was arguing with the transport office that he was tired of them keep giving him class2 jobs,i wondered what his problem was as he was doing 5 days a week and getting paid class1 rates,a days work is a days work irrelevant of the size of vehicle,i would gladly drive a van if being paid class1 rates
Firstly if we all preferred driving vans we’d stay as van drivers.On that note I preferred to drive a truck than a van even at the same wage rate.Which in fact was the case on my first job which varied from anything from the works Transit or 7.5 tonner up to the 38t gross fire trucks we were making.IE the definition of a ‘truck driver’ is someone who likes driving trucks not vans.
Which then leaves the question of work type.In which case it is possible that driving a 4 or 6 wheeler rigid on distance bulk type jobs with more driving out of town doing few drops and collections ‘could’ be a better job than driving a C+E on the ‘wrong’ type of work.Or as more likely the case vice versa.However having said that assuming that both are on a similar ‘right’ type of work then it should be no surprise that a C+E driver would prefer to drive a C+E truck.
Honked:
Why should I be paid the same as a lazy [zb] who only drives one thing one way when I will do anything as long as it’s bringing in the dollar?
The problem is when that wage rate is often a case of paying over the odds to put a class 1 driver on zb third rate work because the employer can’t find anyone else who wants to it at a fair wage with the sufficient licence.
Honked:
If bosses want to keep my loyalty, they need to pay for it. Why should I be paid the same as a lazy [zb] who only drives one thing one way when I will do anything as long as it’s bringing in the dollar?
I have no idea of how agencies price up jobs and come up with some of the wage rates, nor indeed why some agencies pay more than others on exactly the same contract?
Having said that I have seen permanent jobs doing virtually identical work, where the pay rates are anything up to £4 hour adrift of each other. 
I would be quite happy to start at a basic rate then prove my worth to get a better rate.
I don’t moan about which jobs I do.
I don’t damage the wagon.
I get a good fuel return.
One driver at our place has had three prangs in the past 2 months and only gets 7.8 mpg compared to my 9.6 mpg. We get the same rate yet he costs the company more.
Performance related pay will promote better drivers more than the CPC will
Have no idea how fuel bonus payments work, but would assume the weight you are carrying and the terrain you are travelling along would affect that. i.e the flats of Norfolk, or the hills of the northern counties? Or indeed being stuck in congested urban areas would all affect the mpg of a truck. Prangs are just down to inattention though, which isn’t a good trait for driving HGV’s.
Agencies are crap!
Honked:
I am of the same ilk that can do / will do.If bosses want to keep my loyalty, they need to pay for it. Why should I be paid the same as a lazy [zb] who only drives one thing one way when I will do anything as long as it’s bringing in the dollar?
I learn’t my lesson many moons ago when I was a kid, got back to find I’m the only one there, didn’t happen the next day. I only do what is needed and no more, still working for the same company. I’ve only got 20 years now until I retire, so want it easy, have worked there more years.
You’ll most probably class me as a lazy driver, take it easy, stick to speed limit’s, no POA, ect, ect.
By the way you talk you are the new breed and I guess you’re not unionised?
robroy:
danthetrucker:
Only on vans at the moment but had a similar conversation with one of the logistics guys are a job I was on.Went out, did the drops, came back and reloaded. Did the drops, came back and asked if the was a third load. His response ‘blimey, you’re keen’. I replied I’m just paid to do the job whatever that is. He response ‘if only everyone was like that’.
I just assumed they were and can’t understand why you wouldn’t be.
I’m working via agencies through choice and my attitude is so long as it’s legal I’ll do it. Some jobs I’ve been done in under 6 hours and other have been 13 but so long as I get paid I don’t care. Like I said to the guy-I’m just paid to do the job…
Don’t know how long you have been in the job, but I assume not long.
Ironically mate you are illustrating another way of why drivers are their own worst enemies. For arguments sake let’s assume the co. boss priced up the job where he got 2 loads and made a profit, the drivers got those two loads done comfortably at a safe legal pace ( not hanging it out before the usual crew jump
Then Mr Agency man, trying to impress , comes along, tear arses the job out and manages 3+ loads.
Boss thinks …if he can do it, then so can the regular men from now on.
So the other regular full time drivers are forced to join the tearsrse crew to get 3 loads…for the same pay as they done 2 for x no of years. Not a happy ship anymore, and rushing around = potential accidents/ points etc.
Ok the boss is ecstatic …and richer and buys a new BMW, the lads are run ragged, and Mr Superagencyman makes a name for himself among the drivers…more than likely beginning with ‘C’Carving a good job up has always been done by many drivers over the years, one of the reasons why things like schedules are so tight arsed nowadays with no leeway for unforseen circumstances. Anyway that is my slant on it.
I don’t personally refuse as such to do anything, although I aint keen on pre 6 am starts, but always manage to get the job done starting at that time.
But yeh, drivers have ALWAYS been their own worst enemies in many ways.
That is spot on,couldn’t have put it better myself.
V40LLY:
Agencies are crap!
Another carefully prepared, intellectual statement from one of our country’s true free thinkers. Don’t overload us, son - we can only cope with such genius in succinct packages.
■■■■■■■:
V40LLY:
Agencies are crap!Another carefully prepared, intellectual statement from one of our country’s true free thinkers. Don’t overload us, son - we can only cope with such genius in succinct packages.