Everywhere i’ve worked the most useless drivers (accident prone , lazy ,crap- you know the ones! ) always seem to end up in the traffic office …& guess what they turn out to be the biggest [zb] youv’e ever known! Then they get promoted to a transport manager 
Does this happen everywhere or just my world? 
mazz:
Everywhere i’ve worked the most useless drivers (accident prone , lazy ,crap- you know the ones! ) always seem to end up in the traffic office …& guess what they turn out to be the biggest [zb] youv’e ever known! Then they get promoted to a transport manager
I got demoted to the office for a while, you’re right in almost all cases, so it’s probably better not mention that bit in my posts where I claim to be a supertrucker then
You,ve been watching the “Stobart Saga” on Channel 5. The performance 
of the planners on that show gives you the answer to your question. Some of them will be in the upper echelons of that company before long.
When i was a forkie, i had alot of dealings with TM`s that came and went, they could all talk the talk but when you got to know them, turns out that the only driving that they did was either abit of shunting around the yard or driving one into the general manager just so they could keep their job that they were so [ZB] at! 
there are TM`s out there though that have been driving for ever and know their [ZB]…very far and few between though!
Stonehouse69:
When i was a forkie, i had alot of dealings with TM`s that came and went, they could all talk the talk but when you got to know them, turns out that the only driving that they did was either abit of shunting around the yard or driving one into the general manager just so they could keep their job that they were so [ZB] at!there are TM`s out there though that have been driving for ever and know their [ZB]…very far and few between though!
Not at our place,TM doesnt even have a HGV licence :confused: love the way he plans his routes - how much will that wagon carry - 12T - load it till its full and make sure youre at your last drop before they close !!! 
no concept of journey times, speed limits, the fact you may have 20+ drops on the wagon or any congestion problems you may encounter - muppet !!!
Speaking from my experience -a lot of the time when a vacancy in the office becomes available no one is interested so the crap driver ends up there- as ‘damage limitation’ & then… they get the power hat on & the job you liked suddenly becomes a nightmare 
The road to promotion in the civil service is based on incompetence and the ability to backstab. If you lack these qualities then your chances of advancement are nil.
Stonehouse69:
When i was a forkie, i had alot of dealings with TM`s that came and went, they could all talk the talk but when you got to know them, turns out that the only driving that they did was either abit of shunting around the yard or driving one into the general manager just so they could keep their job that they were so [ZB] at!there are TM`s out there though that have been driving for ever and know their [ZB]…very far and few between though!
You don’t know how true this is at Stobarts
7 years a planner and still balls up a drivers day (episode 2) Featured in Harry Hill’s TV Burp last week 
. At my interview my OPs manager told me he drove LGVs for eight years.Have since found out he used to be a Shunter at Sittingbourne all that time!!! Shunt License only
We’ve got four planners in our office and only one is an ex driver (although saying that he still does casual driving when people are on holiday) and he’s spot on with the planning cos hes been there and done it, also any problems he’ll be onto it straight away.
You can tell when he’s on holiday because the planning goes to pot abit and god help you if any problems arise because the others are next to no help at all 
I have worked for a couple of planners who were former drivers, and I have done the office stint too, all but 2 of my own drivers would say I was fair, these were the two I caught on the fiddle more than once 
Planners who I worked for; One was absolutely spot on, I could ring him anytime within reason, the other one wanted to go home and forget all about work, the one who I worked best with, also gave me a choice of work within reason, he worked with all his drivers, and is worth his weight in beer money.
Companies in the main, don’t want ex drivers as planners because they know all the tricks, whereas a wet behind the ears college graduate who wouldn’t even know how to open the door on a truck, let alone drive it, can be moulded the company way.
Ken.