Drivers Unity - A pipe dream or possible reality?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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He hasn’t got time to joking here he is too busy launching these highly intellectual opinion surveys on his face book page…

" Do you as a UK Trucker want to be “Respected” and asked for an opinion??
Truckers are always TOLD and never asked for an opinion!
You can only gain respect and have a voice when we can be seen as united as a profession and establish a voice that can be listened to.
The PDU can be the unity that can give you the voice and gain the respect.
Join today and let’s together, united, change our futures.
pdu-uk.co.uk/Join.html
Option A- Yes, I want Respect.
Option B-No, I do not care."

This is deep stuff :confused: :smiley:

322

yep good old barrie will as many other have before him - look after his lot once he is on a decent screw.

drivers wont stick together never have never will, plus if you look at the other industries who have stuck it out - car / ship / mining - it didn’t really end well did it for nay of them?

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Its a shame really for potential recruits that Barrie is unable to promote PDU himself on here, sure he will be along eventually.

Right any objections to me launching my DDC ponzi scheme, those that get in early will make a killing the late joiners not so much. Those with an aptitude for wordsmithery will be paid to post on other forums to make me look good.

I will also pester the government about stuff and do rhetorical polls.

My first one is.
Q. Would you like more money and be a better lover.

Yes
No
I don’t have a spoon

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This was posted on Facebook on Saturday -

I was asked to look at this:-
“Drivers Unity - A pipe dream or possible reality?”

On the TN forum - viewforum.php?f=2

This 8 pages of some drivers sticking the knife into the PDU without bothering to read any facts is the problem we face in gaining unity.

I am not blind to the massive uphill battle to bring us together, but it is frustrating when some comment without thinking.

Saw Rikki post and have a word and thanks for allowing a discussion, but I will not join TN to reply.

So I think it’s safe to say he knows about this discussion.

And today there was this -

Unfortunately my meeting with Richard Burnett, CEO RHA has had to be postponed.
He has been called away in ref to the Calais migrant issues and I respect this takes priority over our meeting.

I have been assured he wishes to meet with me and will re-arrange a date as soon as possible
I will keep you informed.

325

Just looked at the comments about this thread on the Facebook page, Barrie had this to say:

When you read some of the “Evil” comments by a very small minority of Drivers on there then, you can understand why there is a difficulty in forming a unity. Many would not want to be associated with those that are far higher than us lowly drivers. Unfortunately their undermining of the PDU makes others hesitate and look away which is possibly their twisted intention.

Is this a union, unity or a cult - I’m confused?!

326

So Barrie won’t join TNUK to come and talk to us.
Well that certainly wins me over. (not!)

Let me get this straight, he want to represent and support us, but not talk to us? :confused:

327

I only ever asked a simple question when I started this thread, but by heckles, it’s been entertaining [emoji1]

328

Evil8Beezle:
So Barrie won’t join TNUK to come and talk to us.
Well that certainly wins me over. (not!)

Let me get this straight, he want to represent and support us, but not talk to us? :confused:

That’s hilarious actually :laughing:

329

It’s Carl I feel sorry for, Barrie’s had a right dig at him as one of the more vocal critics of this plan.

Not really a professional way to conduct ones self though. It’s almost like there’s issue coming on here. Shame really.
Sure Baz was a member here once or thrice but I might be confusing forums.

330

Let’s get one thing straight for all you Barrie critics,He is fine with you having an opinion so long as it’s the same as his :smiley:
If it’s not he will remove you from his Facebook group,which it seems only has 4 member allowed to post anything,which is Barrie praising…anything else gets deleted :slight_smile:

331

xichrisxi:
Let’s get one thing straight for all you Barrie critics,He is fine with you having an opinion so long as it’s the same as his :smiley:
If it’s not he will remove you from his Facebook group,which it seems only has 4 member allowed to post anything,which is Barrie praising…anything else gets deleted :slight_smile:

So it is a cult?!

Maybe that’s the plan - get a few thousand members, cream £25 of each for a few years, they all drink the kool-aid - instant driver shortage, better terms and conditions, more parking, problem solved!

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Rikki-UK:
Moocher… Like every industry ,transport has a pyramid, the vast majority will languish at the bottom of it. I worked with guys that worked at the bottom, on basic wages and crap trucks, of those guys most are still there, but a few have moved on. Guys I have worked with on the bottom level are now working worldwide. many are knocking on 50K a year and are in demand almost picking and choosing where they go next.

the ones that have made it are those who go the extra mile, who are part of a team, work with their mates rather than back bite and get a reputation of being able to do the job without moaning- no-one gave these guys there jobs, they started at the bottom and earnt enough respect . You wont find these jobs advertised, they don’t need to advertise, you get the job via reputation

At the top of the pyramid its a very small world. Everyone knows everyone and knows all your mistakes- you don’t get there by simply having a licence you got to earn your stripes/scars at the arse end of the industry- and then get lucky

I understand what your saying.
There is a pyramid in most jobs.

But it still doesn’t get away from what I said it isn’t an attractive job for young lads as you can see everyday on the road. As there no youngsters around.

Lads don’t want pay over 3k for a licence to earn £7p/h.
Companies need to make it more attractive for lads getting into the game or drivers are going be a dead breed.
To be honest I don’t know what the answer would be if there wasn’t a influx of foreign drivers.

Take for example I helped my sister in law fill in an application for a trainee bus driver.
All Medicals, theory tests and practical test are part of the training.
£11p/h driving a bus with training provided.

Companies are going need start making it more attractive or it’s going bite them on arse eventually,

333

Carryfast:

Themoocher:
I don’t think driving is an easy attractive job for young lads.
When you go in services or truck stops how many lads do you see under 30 very few. Even under 40 there ain’t many.
You say to young lad your going be working for £7p/h. Live in tin can all week. £8p/h o/t.
Doing 13-15 all week.
No start or finish times.

Instead of the new young blood coming through its a influx of foreign drivers.

I don’t see what’s attractive about it.

You lads have been doing it for years have seen the changes you are talking about. But it still ain’t attractive as there no young lads doing the job.

So how do you explain ‘young people’ going for the even worse option of joining the services.IE away from home for months.Sometimes life threatening situations,following orders with no chance of refusal or walking away without a prison sentence and a ‘beasting’.From experience I’d guess that there are still a high proportion of those who join up doing it through lack of other job opportunities not choice.Lack of other job opportunities probably fitting the description of no access to a job in the road transport industry because it’s over subscribed.In which just like my day in the 1970’s/80’s the older experienced drivers were always most in demand.You can now obviously add to that the immigrant EU driver addition to the workforce who’ve got their licence and obviously leapfrog the young as yet unqualified indigenous pool. :bulb:

You can’t compare today’s forces as a crap job.
I left school at 15 with no quals and left after 13 years a very highly qualified man that I won’t bore you with my tickets and quals.
There no comparison to truck Driving and the forces.
You know the score the Army can be dangerous but u take the queens shilling so that’s the chance you got take.

334

Themoocher:

Rikki-UK:
Moocher… Like every industry ,transport has a pyramid, the vast majority will languish at the bottom of it. I worked with guys that worked at the bottom, on basic wages and crap trucks, of those guys most are still there, but a few have moved on. Guys I have worked with on the bottom level are now working worldwide. many are knocking on 50K a year and are in demand almost picking and choosing where they go next.

the ones that have made it are those who go the extra mile, who are part of a team, work with their mates rather than back bite and get a reputation of being able to do the job without moaning- no-one gave these guys there jobs, they started at the bottom and earnt enough respect . You wont find these jobs advertised, they don’t need to advertise, you get the job via reputation

At the top of the pyramid its a very small world. Everyone knows everyone and knows all your mistakes- you don’t get there by simply having a licence you got to earn your stripes/scars at the arse end of the industry- and then get lucky

I understand what your saying.
There is a pyramid in most jobs.

But it still doesn’t get away from what I said it isn’t an attractive job for young lads as you can see everyday on the road. As there no youngsters around.

Lads don’t want pay over 3k for a licence to earn £7p/h.
Companies need to make it more attractive for lads getting into the game or drivers are going be a dead breed.
To be honest I don’t know what the answer would be if there wasn’t a influx of foreign drivers.

Take for example I helped my sister in law fill in an application for a trainee bus driver.
All Medicals, theory tests and practical test are part of the training.
£11p/h driving a bus with training provided.

Companies are going need start making it more attractive or it’s going bite them on arse eventually,

I get on well with the Polish lads who come and check in my tank deliveries at one of the places i go to, it’s quite enlightening, whoda thought they’d be voting UKIP, well they are cos they know this constant immigration can’t go on as it has done.

They are youngish blokes, all well spoken intelligent clean presentable hard working reliable and polite and good at their jobs, to be perfectly honest if i was looking for good staff these lads would be straight in, we got on the subject of why so many poles have done so well, and i’m the first to congratulate anyone with a work ethic who gets off their arse finds a job and works their way up, bloody good luck to 'em wherever they came from…difference being they tell me that in Poland if you are young man not long out of school/college/uni benefits and dossing about isn’y an option, the state isn’t there to provide an alternative income to wages.

I’m afraid our young blokes will have to do the same as we did, and the same as these young Poles are doing, thats starting at the bottom and proving they are worth more and getting better work for themselves…we have some very good newby drivers on this forum who have done exactly that, when offered a start they’ve snatched the hand off, doesn’t matter what it is it’s a start and they’re earning money and topping up their CV’s.

I have no doubt several of our newbies with their heads screwed on will do well in our industry in the coming years, they will use their noddles and when the time is right search out their own niches which suit them and rise up the pyramid that Rikki referred to in his spot on post.

335

Juddian:
I get on well with the Polish lads who come and check in my tank deliveries at one of the places i go to, it’s quite enlightening, whoda thought they’d be voting UKIP, well they are cos they know this constant immigration can’t go on as it has done.

They are youngish blokes, all well spoken intelligent clean presentable hard working reliable and polite and good at their jobs, to be perfectly honest if i was looking for good staff these lads would be straight in, we got on the subject of why so many poles have done so well, and i’m the first to congratulate anyone with a work ethic who gets off their arse finds a job and works their way up, bloody good luck to 'em wherever they came from…difference being they tell me that in Poland if you are young man not long out of school/college/uni benefits and dossing about isn’y an option, the state isn’t there to provide an alternative income to wages.

I’m afraid our young blokes will have to do the same as we did, and the same as these young Poles are doing, thats starting at the bottom and proving they are worth more and getting better work for themselves…we have some very good newby drivers on this forum who have done exactly that, when offered a start they’ve snatched the hand off, doesn’t matter what it is it’s a start and they’re earning money and topping up their CV’s.

I have no doubt several of our newbies with their heads screwed on will do well in our industry in the coming years, they will use their noddles and when the time is right search out their own niches which suit them and rise up the pyramid that Rikki referred to in his spot on post.

Now imagine how this Polish lads you are talking about will feel if they read some of the comments here? I will tell you how as I know coz one of my friends is Polish lorry driver member of this forum - they are sick and tired of the racist and xenophobe comments. People simply exercise their right to live and work in UK, for which they are bashed left and right…

336

In my experience of working with ee drivers , this they work harder than us is a load of rubbish , there the ones always trotting out the ,I’m not doing this, that and everything else ,and before someone says I’m a racist ,I’m not ,I get on fine with 99.9 % of them ,it’s just fact , what I see with my eyes ,have seen for years ,just a myth

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Dolph:

Juddian:
I get on well with the Polish lads who come and check in my tank deliveries at one of the places i go to, it’s quite enlightening, whoda thought they’d be voting UKIP, well they are cos they know this constant immigration can’t go on as it has done.

They are youngish blokes, all well spoken intelligent clean presentable hard working reliable and polite and good at their jobs, to be perfectly honest if i was looking for good staff these lads would be straight in, we got on the subject of why so many poles have done so well, and i’m the first to congratulate anyone with a work ethic who gets off their arse finds a job and works their way up, bloody good luck to 'em wherever they came from…difference being they tell me that in Poland if you are young man not long out of school/college/uni benefits and dossing about isn’y an option, the state isn’t there to provide an alternative income to wages.

I’m afraid our young blokes will have to do the same as we did, and the same as these young Poles are doing, thats starting at the bottom and proving they are worth more and getting better work for themselves…we have some very good newby drivers on this forum who have done exactly that, when offered a start they’ve snatched the hand off, doesn’t matter what it is it’s a start and they’re earning money and topping up their CV’s.

I have no doubt several of our newbies with their heads screwed on will do well in our industry in the coming years, they will use their noddles and when the time is right search out their own niches which suit them and rise up the pyramid that Rikki referred to in his spot on post.

Now imagine how this Polish lads you are talking about will feel if they read some of the comments here? I will tell you how as I know coz one of my friends is Polish lorry driver member of this forum - they are sick and tired of the racist and xenophobe comments. People simply exercise their right to live and work in UK, for which they are bashed left and right…

Look Dolph no one is racist or facist or anything else.
No one cares what country, religion, race or ■■■■■■ orientation someone is.
I work with a few poles and Lithuanians and they are nice very friendly guys. who live here with there wife’s and children and in the same situation as everyone else.

But the country can’t carry on with the high immigration levels just now.
That’s it nothing more or nothing todo with race religion or anything else

338

Dolph:
People simply exercise their right to live and work in UK, for which they are bashed left and right…

Perhaps they should be made to apply to work here first, boss.

339

Juddian:

stevieboy308:

Juddian:
short history lesson…drivers became lazy, didn’t want to rope and sheet…job deskilled…wanted automatic boxes…job deskilled…didn’t want to touch the load, handball you wot??..job deskilled and made easy…wanted ever more comfortable lorries that a chimp could drive…job made easy and now desirable.

of course people wanted more comfort, who wouldn’t want more comfort? saying you’d want to keep driving crap uncomfortable trucks in order to put people off, to keep wages up, is a bit bonkers to me!

it’s to easy to become a hgv driver, make it harder, dearer and wages will rise. the dcpc could be a great tool for better wages, but 99% of drivers are against it, can’t see it’s potential advantages. embrace the training, not necessarily for what it teaches you either. i call for it to be be made harder, make it a real test, pass / fail. i’d have modules you have to pass for each trailer type before you could pull them, tankers, bulkers etc then you can’t just go and put a bum on a seat.

Fair comment Stevieboy.

I can’t be the only one who’s worked on some jobs over the years that were well paid yet they struggled to get drivers, one such was Kwik Save, cracking little job that was, yet had they ditched the day cab Scanny’s we had that were just about the best urban tractor for the job you could get, and bought flashier stuff, that would have been impractical, they’d have been beating applicants off with a crappy stick, you know and i know it and the lads who worked there all hoped the gaffers wouldn’t suss it for themselves.

So yes maybe i am a bit bonkers, cos i’m quite happy to put up with some discomfort or being looked down on in the kudos stakes in order that they have to offer better terms to get people, especially if it keeps the job undersubscribed, maybe thats me and it may well be that i’m wrong as i often am…part of the reason the car carriers struggle for staff is the cut down cabs, drivers just don’t want to know despite there being some serious money to be earned.

Couldn’t agree more with your last sentence, and coupled with being well unionised, part of the reason the train drivers have kept exclusive well paid jobs.
But we are where we are, i’m trying to offer some advice, whether its right or wrong, to help those who want to better themselves but stay driving, to do so in the current situation which i can’t see changing anytime soon, if too many with HGV’s are coming through basic training or landing on these shores then it makes sense far as i can see to find niches that suit you as a driver and exploit them for your benefit.

Answer me this, what incentive is there for an employer to pay top rates for a standard lorry chauffering job?, there isn’t so long as he can get a constant supply of new bums, if he’s short he’ll just call the agency and pay nearer the going rate for a few weeks for the handful of extra bums he needs, then normal service will resume, we’ve seen just how bad things have got since 2008 with drivers in not so good areas getting wages that are lower than they might have been earning in the 90’s, i see no forseeable end to this situation, the govt of the day isn’t going to make attaining a licence any harder or more expensive cos the industry giants and rep bodies won’t wear it, so my suggestion is for those who want to beat the system to move within the industry and find those alternative jobs for themselves…that may not be in the spirit of drivers unity, but drivers unity ideals, decent though the philosophy is, isn’t going to pay your mortgage off over the next 30 years.

there’s a difference in comfort and kudos though! there’s nowt wrong with a day cab for day work, a bed would be nice! but hardly going to be a deal breaker.

some people want to drive flashier trucks and will prioritise a top spec truck over top $$, it’s always been like that and always will! it’s their choice. i’d think the majority of drivers do this job because they want to, have a passion for it, at least when they started anyway! as opposed to trucknet’s favorites, the shelf stackers, who are just doing a job. so it shouldn’t come as a shock when some people go for a job because of the motor.

again, supermarket work isn’t really living the dream!! and usually there’s some crap shift patterns doing that type of work that’ll put people off.

i think the train drivers gig really lends itself very well to the unions and is often touted as look what can be achieved. but that level of union success can never be replicated in truck driving, not because the often wheeled out - “drivers not sticking together” but because there isn’t a train driving school in every town, that anyone can attend and within a couple of weeks and a couple of grand be qualified to start applying to the handful of large employers. but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take a leaf out of their book and embrace the training!

yep, totally agree, get into a not for profit or niche driving job

340

xichrisxi:
Let’s get one thing straight for all you Barrie critics,He is fine with you having an opinion so long as it’s the same as his :smiley:
If it’s not he will remove you from his Facebook group,which it seems only has 4 member allowed to post anything,which is Barrie praising…anything else gets deleted :slight_smile:

This all sounds strangely familiar… :bulb: :bulb:

Déjà vu.

Same [zb], a different campaign, same [zb], repeat ad finitum. It’s what I said in my very first post on this thread iirc and been proved right once again, despite his henchmen trying to argue otherwise. I think the people arguing that he’s not like that and it’s a good cause blah-blah-blah should just STFU and get their wallets out then watch what happens.

I notice the usually vocal robroy has strangely become not-so-vocal recently. Have you sent off your £25 yet Rob? Surely such a small amount for such a good cause you wouldn’t even give it a second thought, right? :bulb:

As for Barrie electing not to post here himself to push his campaign, well if that doesn’t speak volumes about the man’s credibility and integrity then I don’t know what does. :bulb: :bulb: :bulb: But I’m sure I’ve got it all wrong and I’m just here for the sole purpose to poison everyone against him and it’s all a mix up and I’m not reading what he wrote properly etc etc. Silly me. :frowning: