Drivers Unity - A pipe dream or possible reality?

Just got an email from the old Truckersworld that they are launching a new site calling for unity of truckers and taking issues up with powers that be.

Hope they succeed personally, however they have a long long uphill battle to get there. Least they acknowledge that though.

http://www.pdu-uk.co.uk

Anyone think it will work?

dcgpx:
Just got an email from the old Truckersworld that they are launching a new site calling for unity of truckers and taking issues up with powers that be.

Hope they succeed personally, however they have a long long uphill battle to get there. Least they acknowledge that though.

http://www.pdu-uk.co.uk

Anyone think it will work?

Simple answer NO,United Road Transport Union was formed years ago but never really made any significant headway
Same old story,puffing blowing yeh`s and nays in the Drivers room soon as they leave the depot out onto the open road its No1 first and foremost sod the rest.

Not a chance, most drivers don’t want it.

Based on a trucking forum where you can’t even get agreement on what a driver is I would have to say no, it’s got very little chance of getting anywhere.

Think they are chasing a lost cause. Too many drivers don’t care about other drivers or road users. How often do you see another driver lift off to help an overtaking lorry get past quicker? Not very at a guess. Drivers throwing rubbish in lay-bys or on industrial estates, then moaning because the lay-by gets closed and double yellows get put in on industrial estates. Until the minority either leave the industry or start acting as professional drivers, any unity campaign will fall flat on its face.

We have too improve the image of our industry from the bottom up ie us drivers.

dcgpx:
think it will work?

Nope…!

With a site as strong as truckersworld and spreading the word of being professional don’t you think we could at least try and help? It really must be good for the industry - and may, just may help us out in the long run :wink:

Judging by some of the attitudes and opinions expressed on here, I think you stand more chance of getting yer arse reamed by the Duke of Edinburgh than getting any form of unity by the modern day trucker !

Theres no chance of improving pay and conditions for UK truck drivers …

Til we leave EU and cut off ready supply of ex soviet drivers .

dri-diddly-iver:
With a site as strong as truckersworld and spreading the word of being professional don’t you think we could at least try and help? It really must be good for the industry - and may, just may help us out in the long run :wink:

I think you will find that a significant part of the “no” vote thus far is because Barry Tozer is behind the project (again). He has a terrible reputation for silencing anyone that does not agree with his half-baked ideas and this is just the latest in his endless failed attempts to change the world. When his forum died a death a few years ago after the last mass fall-out he tried to start a membership “trucker’s club” which also fell flat on its face and this “PDU” is a just a rehash of the same thing and will go exactly the same way.

Also : pdu-uk.co.uk/Subs.htm

10,000 PDU Members = £250,000

Equating to:-

£50,000 for ID Cards and Cab Window Stickers.

£65.000 Paying Wages & Expenses + National Conference and meeting places.

£135,000 to help others by a Benevolent Fund. (It could be “you”)

FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS on ID cards and window stickers?

Not sure if serious…

Anyway I’m sure Barry will be very grateful to anyone that helps fund his retirement via his pyra…, sorry, PDU scheme.

A lot of people knock Barry but at least he is trying to do something rather than nothing! I know him personally and he is a decent type of bloke. He is trying to get the best for us but gets little backup. Ok some of his points and sometimes his attitude doesn’t help but at least he’s trying - credit where it’s due surely?

Other drivers unions don’t seem to do much really in my opinion. It appears that the majority of drivers are happy/contented/settled in their current position and aren’t concerned about other drivers.

All well and good until something happens then they bleat on about unions and unity :unamused:

I personally think there should be a regulated wage for this job (would be difficult to assess) but a driver with 20+ years experience should be earning more than a newbie.

I think Barry Tozer deserves a chance and with a little backing he may, just may achieve the ‘ideal world’, unless he gets the chance we will never know. It doesn’t cost anything to support him and see what ensues! He can only act on the responses.

dri-diddly-iver:
It doesn’t cost anything to support him

Yes it does. It costs £25 a year in subs!

Amazing how many people in the world want to help others for purely altruistic reasons. Oh, and for £25 per year from thousands of people…

dri-diddly-iver:
With a site as strong as truckersworld and spreading the word of being professional don’t you think we could at least try and help? It really must be good for the industry - and may, just may help us out in the long run :wink:

I signed up ,I reckon we should at least give barry a chance

dri-diddly-iver:
A lot of people knock Barry but at least he is trying to do something rather than nothing! I know him personally and he is a decent type of bloke. He is trying to get the best for us but gets little backup. Ok some of his points and sometimes his attitude doesn’t help but at least he’s trying - credit where it’s due surely?

Other drivers unions don’t seem to do much really in my opinion. It appears that the majority of drivers are happy/contented/settled in their current position and aren’t concerned about other drivers.

All well and good until something happens then they bleat on about unions and unity :unamused:

I personally think there should be a regulated wage for this job (would be difficult to assess) but a driver with 20+ years experience should be earning more than a newbie.

I think Barry Tozer deserves a chance and with a little backing he may, just may achieve the ‘ideal world’, unless he gets the chance we will never know. It doesn’t cost anything to support him and see what ensues! He can only act on the responses.

Barry Tozer has had thousands of chances. He’s blown every single one of them and alienated the very people he needed on board to ensure the success of these ventures. This latest debacle will be no different and I will guarantee that.

Carl Usher:

dri-diddly-iver:
A lot of people knock Barry but at least he is trying to do something rather than nothing! I know him personally and he is a decent type of bloke. He is trying to get the best for us but gets little backup. Ok some of his points and sometimes his attitude doesn’t help but at least he’s trying - credit where it’s due surely?

Other drivers unions don’t seem to do much really in my opinion. It appears that the majority of drivers are happy/contented/settled in their current position and aren’t concerned about other drivers.

All well and good until something happens then they bleat on about unions and unity :unamused:

I personally think there should be a regulated wage for this job (would be difficult to assess) but a driver with 20+ years experience should be earning more than a newbie.

I think Barry Tozer deserves a chance and with a little backing he may, just may achieve the ‘ideal world’, unless he gets the chance we will never know. It doesn’t cost anything to support him and see what ensues! He can only act on the responses.

Barry Tozer has had thousands of chances. He’s blown every single one of them and alienated the very people he needed on board to ensure the success of these ventures. This latest debacle will be no different and I will guarantee that.

:unamused: Dear oh dear :unamused: There you go again mate, predictably knocking somebody, (in your inimitable opinionated way) who is prepared to metaphorically get of his arse and have a go at something. :unamused:

I don’t know the guy personally, but he comes across as someone who is constantly trying to come up with ideas to improve the lot of the average driver.

I know given the choice of having somebody in my corner who I would have backing me.
Either a much varied experienced driver, who is prepared to constantly ‘have a go’ to help others.
Or
A guy that just sits there wallowing in his own mediocrity, but at the same time criticising people that do actually try something, while doing nothing more remarkable himself in life than his famous …shop deliveries. :unamused:
Now let me think. :bulb: :bulb:

truckman020:

dri-diddly-iver:
With a site as strong as truckersworld and spreading the word of being professional don’t you think we could at least try and help? It really must be good for the industry - and may, just may help us out in the long run :wink:

I signed up ,I reckon we should at least give barry a chance

+1

Unless drivers ‘unite’ we are just going to continue to be treated as ‘unprofessional’ and ‘unskilled’ labour, wages will continue to fall and soon, very soon, we will all be on ‘minimum’ wage. Let’s face it we are only a £1 an hour short of it now in some parts of the U.K. Stand up and be counted!

Honestscott76:
Unless drivers ‘unite’ we are just going to continue to be treated as ‘unprofessional’ and ‘unskilled’ labour, wages will continue to fall and soon, very soon, we will all be on ‘minimum’ wage. Let’s face it we are only a £1 an hour short of it now in some parts of the U.K. Stand up and be counted!

I agree entirely, but reality check…It will never happen.

Just read some of the comments on this forum for a start to see what I mean.

You get drivers who think that a 13 hour day is not enough.

Drivers who regularly park in unsuitable and often dangerous places (narrow lay bys/pulled in mirrors) as a matter of course, and just take for granted that they will.

Drivers who moan because they have to take breaks, but would rather ‘crack on’ :unamused: instead.

Drivers who readily allow their bosses to push them to the limit, when their brain is telling them they have done enough.

Drivers who put up with ■■■■ like cameras in their cabs and even try and justify it :open_mouth: by spouting crap like… ‘well if you have nothing to hide it’s ok’’ :unamused:
And many more examples.

And so the list goes on, that and the fact that if you did threaten strike say (not to mention drivers having mortgages) the boss would just say ‘‘Strike if you want, I’ll give the Agency a bell’’

All workers rights have been handed back and gone mate end of, it is every man for himself. Individuals who do not just take it up the arse are treated differently, those who do are not :bulb: speaking from experience.
I do admire Barrie for trying something, but the system needs complete solidarity to work.

Sadly any form of attempted solidarity if it was a reality anyway, would be like ■■■■■■■ against the wind…A sad fact.

I totally ‘agree’ with ‘most’ of your reply. My opinion is there are two types of drivers, ‘compliant’ and professional drivers and ‘Non-Compliant’ unprofessional drivers, the latter, mostly fit most of what you describe, these persons need ‘re-educating’

I personally was hoping the 'DCPC card would bring out enforcement would bring ‘unprofessional drivers’ to book and to; 1- Make it unfavourable to operate in such a negligent manner and 2- Bring stricter penalties on Operators that employ such persons. This would highlight to operators ‘the value’ a ‘compliant driver’ would bring to their Business and other road users.

Without this our ‘career’ will become ‘unskilled’ and fall to minimum wage. Already we are seeing increasing decline in the driving standard on UK roads of which is reflected in our rates of pay, in order to subsidise the ‘ever rising’ insurance premiums.

It’s basically negligence of the highest order and brings the whole ‘Driver Certification of Professional Competence’ (DCPC) card system into ‘Disrepute’.

To anyone who disagrees, may I politely suggest you note this years ‘accident rate’ on UK motorways and memorise it, then look again a every year and in 5 years time, I predict it will rise ‘year on year’, during which Authorities such as VOSA will have a crack down and start issuing ‘fines’ that will be ‘disproportionate’ to a drivers earnings.

I believe the Government are aware of this, hence the ‘propaganda’ of the ‘Driver Shortage’ which will flood the industry with cheaper ‘non-compliant’ drivers who will bring in massive revenue in accumulated fines.

I predict ‘Chaos’ on the streets and on the roads.