I wish you all the best of luck with this, thats meant too, not in any sarcastic way.
The problems highlighted that often centre around poor pay, poor conditions, excess hours, poor facilities, poor attitude from customers/deliveries etc have only affected me when i’ve worked for non unionised companies.
I hated RDC’s with a passion, they can be OK to work for, indeed KwikSave was my favourite job by far, but delivering to the places is a soul destroying experience, with few honourable exceptions such as my experience at M&S at Lutterworth which was like an oasis in the desert compared to most, but some can be hell to work for too especially if you’re agency, i was threatened with a punch in the mouth by a female of sorts behind the desk in one Northampton supermarket RDC on Brackmills for no good reason whatsoever but what do you do as the agency bod, i did nothing to warrant this by the way apart from leave my phone in the lorry and ask for the keys again so i could retrieve it, but she and her oppo were lounging on the chairs watching the footie near the desk and i disturbed her, but who they going to believe if i complained, we all know the answer to that and it won’t be the new agency troublemaker who would have been blacklisted, that was in 2009 by the way and the company is well thought of as an employer here so maybe it was me after all.
Should i have complained, who knows, probably yes, but recently jacked in the cars and had to get some agency work pronto and looking out for a full time job, and as well all know your reputation can follow you around in good and bad ways.
Thankfully my time spent at such places has been minimal, and because i specialised and got away from general haulage, cars now tanks, i’ve managed to avoid such places with only the odd visits between full time jobs to remind me how dire they are.
My suggestion is, when the conditions of the job are such that you can’t stand it any longer, bide your time find another type of lorry work and get out, when they can’t get supplies, can’t get any drivers to work for them or go in these places, people at the top will start to ask questions…it’ll take a while because people in ivory towers tend to not mix with the low lifes like us who work for them, so they read reports from underlings who (terrified of their non jobs) tell them what they want to hear.
Well sooner or later the excuses don’t pass muster any more when the supermarket RDC aint got no bloody food to send out, so keep it up lads, where the conditions are pish or they treat you like something they stepped in don’t get angry get out.
I get some needle here from certain sarky members cos i do have an admitted Luddite viewpoint, there is good reason for this and not just cos i’m an old ■■■■ with rosy specs, and i aint definately got a big willy to wave either.
When the job required more than just pressing the loud pedal and steering a posh lorry it wasn’t a job for everyone because not everyone could, or wanted to, do it.
When you consistently make the job ever easier, basically chauffering, it makes you ever easier to replace.
Without going into the nitty gritty i’m sure even the most obtuse can see where i’m going.
I know people laugh when we talk about a driver shortage, but there is a shortage a real one of good reliable decent drivers and has been for some time, let these bad companies have all the no hopers those who don’t turn up, go sick and smash all their tackle up when they do turn up, they deserve each other, go out and find jobs where they treat you with respect, they are out there, they don’t advertise they don’t need to and they are always on the lookout for good staff, especially younger good staff as their own workforces are probably ageing, if you land one of these jobs cherish it and do your best to make it last or it will die as so many have and be just another DHwinkkanski contract @ pish money.
So my humble advice is this, find an alternative and this is as good a time as any to do so as the shortage bites and as the older drivers come to the end of their time on the road in the good jobs try to be their replacements.
Tip, you won’t find the best jobs carrying other peoples goods nor with a lorry covered in 22 spotlights and assorted stuff, nothing wrong with any of that of course if its your thing but it may not carry the best pay and conditions you could get for yourselves.
I’ll stay with the T&G myself, despite its faults foibles and hiccups its never done me any harm, and everywhere i’ve worked under T&G membership and recognition the terms have been at the top end of the industry standard, still are where i am now.
Best of luck with this venture anyway those who are joining.
Firstly I AINT trying to rekindle the spat with Carl as we have come to an agreement on here (to ignore each other
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Everyone can benefit from a Profession that has Respect.
