drivers wanted

[robroy]

fenland nick:

robroy:

fenland nick:
I am fed up with all the whining that is spouted about pay and conditions when the reality is most of us have it easy now compared to the drivers of the past and wages should and do reflect this.
It is really simple if you don’t want to do the job get out and let those that do get on with it.
[/quote}

Please let me retort.
Are your pay and conditions really that bad? I don’t class a top line scania a bad truck. Sorry I can’t comment on your pay.
Things within the industry are easier than in the past. Mechanical loading aids means no handballing.
Modern trailers mean no roping and sheeting. ( for most)
Laws and tacho,s mean less hours
Not many of us are allowed to keep our vehicles maintained ourselves, letalonechange a wheel or even wash the truck in some cases.Driving aids make the task of driving easier.
I could continue but you get my point.
As for my experience.
86-89 7.5t handball ropes and sheets.
89-04 class1 various tasks including flats,fridges, tanks, then i spent 8yrs doing euro work tilts and tauts.
Changed my circumstances for 10yrs (still within transport industry) and returned to driving earlier this year.
So I think that qualifies me to have an opinion.
Given the state of the country we are lucky to have a job.
And as for your last comment about bending over, if you feel you are doing this then I refer back to my original comment. If you are not happy then please find something you enjoy doing.
Hopefully this answers your points.

OK mate, but I thought you already had answered my points I aint that thick that I need you to explain in fine detail what “The job has got easier” means, I did manage to suss it out myself when you first answered my post, and I did also get it the first time that you have similar experience to myself, further details were not neccessary, but hey, thanks anyway

The job has got easier granted, but unfortunately to the point where the required amount of skills has been dumbed down to where the criteria for driving a truck is bordering on minimal intelligence. Just look at some of the f/whits that are let loose with 44 tonnes today , so that is one of the down sides of easier conditions in the industry.
I agree with Libertyguy’s perspective on it.

I do not accept this “lucky to have a job” b/s either, , when drivers are heard to be subscribing to this kind of opinion, the employers pick up on it with glee and use it as a good reason to pay low wages, a bit like the austerity myth, another band wagon that they jump on, and I would have thought that a driver with your experience would have picked up on this before now.

Anyway, if you are REALLY interested in my circumstances here goes.
The avatar Dutch Topliner you refer to was last driven by me in 2007, the cost of living was cheaper then, the same as everything else from a bog roll to a loaf of bread, and guess what… I was on more money then than I am today, and also up to 3to4 yrs previous on a job before that, ie 10years!
If you think that is acceptable to the point where I and a vast amount of other drivers on here in the same predicament should… “just not say anything about it, as we are all lucky” and feel a bit hard done to as some kind of unfairness… to say the least, is going on here, when most of their employers display no signs of any similar difficulties, {on the contrary in fact} well, we will never improve things will we, hence the “bending over” reference.

Also you say I should find something else, why should I change the job I have done for 35yrs instead of waiting and hoping that improvements will come, just because drivers with your sort of opinions have gone a long way to maintaining the present situation that we are discussing.
Hope that explains my point to you.

[anon84679660]

robroy:

fenland nick:

robroy:

fenland nick:
I am fed up with all the whining that is spouted about pay and conditions when the reality is most of us have it easy now compared to the drivers of the past and wages should and do reflect this.
It is really simple if you don’t want to do the job get out and let those that do get on with it.
[/quote}

Please let me retort.
Are your pay and conditions really that bad? I don’t class a top line scania a bad truck. Sorry I can’t comment on your pay.
Things within the industry are easier than in the past. Mechanical loading aids means no handballing.
Modern trailers mean no roping and sheeting. ( for most)
Laws and tacho,s mean less hours
Not many of us are allowed to keep our vehicles maintained ourselves, letalonechange a wheel or even wash the truck in some cases.Driving aids make the task of driving easier.
I could continue but you get my point.
As for my experience.
86-89 7.5t handball ropes and sheets.
89-04 class1 various tasks including flats,fridges, tanks, then i spent 8yrs doing euro work tilts and tauts.
Changed my circumstances for 10yrs (still within transport industry) and returned to driving earlier this year.
So I think that qualifies me to have an opinion.
Given the state of the country we are lucky to have a job.
And as for your last comment about bending over, if you feel you are doing this then I refer back to my original comment. If you are not happy then please find something you enjoy doing.
Hopefully this answers your points.

OK mate, but I thought you already had answered my points I aint that thick that I need you to explain in fine detail what “The job has got easier” means, I did manage to suss it out myself when you first answered my post, and I did also get it the first time that you have similar experience to myself, further details were not neccessary, but hey, thanks anyway

The job has got easier granted, but unfortunately to the point where the required amount of skills has been dumbed down to where the criteria for driving a truck is bordering on minimal intelligence. Just look at some of the f/whits that are let loose with 44 tonnes today , so that is one of the down sides of easier conditions in the industry.
I agree with Libertyguy’s perspective on it.

I do not accept this “lucky to have a job” b/s either, , when drivers are heard to be subscribing to this kind of opinion, the employers pick up on it with glee and use it as a good reason to pay low wages, a bit like the austerity myth, another band wagon that they jump on, and I would have thought that a driver with your experience would have picked up on this before now.

Anyway, if you are REALLY interested in my circumstances here goes.
The avatar Dutch Topliner you refer to was last driven by me in 2007, the cost of living was cheaper then, the same as everything else from a bog roll to a loaf of bread, and guess what… I was on more money then than I am today, and also up to 3to4 yrs previous on a job before that, ie 10years!
If you think that is acceptable to the point where I and a vast amount of other drivers on here in the same predicament should… “just not say anything about it, as we are all lucky” and feel a bit hard done to as some kind of unfairness… to say the least, is going on here, when most of their employers display no signs of any similar difficulties, {on the contrary in fact} well, we will never improve things will we, hence the “bending over” reference.

Also you say I should find something else, why should I change the job I have done for 35yrs instead of waiting and hoping that improvements will come, just because drivers with your sort of opinions have gone a long way to maintaining the present situation that we are discussing.
Hope that explains my point to you.

+1

@Robroy

Don’t even think for a second that guy “fenland” is a driver , as I said many times on this board, this site is overrun by transport managers, transport company owners, small and large, that some time in the past might have worked as drivers, but now simply sit in their comfortable offices, looking down on us drivers as if we were the main cause of their problems: we don’t want to work for minimum wage, we don’t want break the WTD regulations and we don’t want to stay out for weeks parked in laybys.
Transport managers/owners such as our friend “fenland” would want to to believe you are a stupid driver that doesn’t know what’s good and what’s bad in this industry and needs to be lectured every day, and be kept in line.
Minimum wage and max hours every week is what you should expect out of your job and anything better is too much to ask for.
Anyone coming here and posting here, can be a driver or anyone else he wants to be, I could claim to be prince Charles setting a new profile and coming here asking what do I need to do to become a class 1 driver as I do not fancy sitting in my castle doing nothing and need a real job, same with “fenland” and any other poster that slams drivers for asking for too much, can claim to be a “fellow driver” when in fact they are on the opposite site of the fence and are here to discourage us drivers from demanding better terms and conditions.

[robroy]

anon84679660:
@Robroy

Don’t even think for a second that guy “fenland” is a driver , as I said many times on this board, this site is overrun by transport managers, transport company owners, small and large, that some time in the past might have worked as drivers, but now simply sit in their comfortable offices, looking down on us drivers as if we were the main cause of their problems: we don’t want to work for minimum wage, we don’t want break the WTD regulations and we don’t want to stay out for weeks parked in laybys.
Transport managers/owners such as our friend “fenland” would want to to believe you are a stupid driver that doesn’t know what’s good and what’s bad in this industry and needs to be lectured every day, and be kept in line.
Minimum wage and max hours every week is what you should expect out of your job and anything better is too much to ask for.
Anyone coming here and posting here, can be a driver or anyone else he wants to be, I could claim to be prince Charles setting a new profile and coming here asking what do I need to do to become a class 1 driver as I do not fancy sitting in my castle doing nothing and need a real job, same with “fenland” and any other poster that slams drivers for asking for too much, can claim to be a “fellow driver” when in fact they are on the opposite site of the fence and are here to discourage us drivers from demanding better terms and conditions.

Yeh, you’re probably right, it did cross my mind in fact.
The stance that he displays is either the naivety of a relatively new and keen driver (which he claims not to be) or from, as you say, the kind of employer/TM that is more than keen to take advantage of the blind subservience of a lot of today’s drivers.

By the way what the hell were you thinking? That old Camilla bird aint a patch on Diana

[gazza1970]

The problem is Phil is playing with a blokes livelihood ,
You have to ask yourself If these are genuine jobs then why doesn’t he post in the job section ,

[kr79]

Sadly there are a lot of drivers who still tug the forelock and bend over when the boss tells them.
how many times do you read on here about firms getting drivers to agree to pay insurance excess and things like that.

[immigrant]

fenland nick:

robroy:

fenland nick:
I am fed up with all the whining that is spouted about pay and conditions when the reality is most of us have it easy now compared to the drivers of the past and wages should and do reflect this.
It is really simple if you don’t want to do the job get out and let those that do get on with it.

Yeh, too right mate, let’s all work for [zb] all, and not complain about pay and conditions because things are easier than in the past (how far in the past does your experience go exactly or are you basing your opinion on hearsay) and let’s all be thankful for ■■■■ poor pay with gratitude.
We are all so lucky to be employed these days and should be thankful to the point of accepting any old [zb], so kecks off and carry on touching your toes lads.

Drivers FFS!

Please let me retort.

Are your pay and conditions really that bad? I don’t class a top line scania a bad truck. Sorry I can’t comment on your pay.

Things within the industry are easier than in the past. Mechanical loading aids means no handballing.
Modern trailers mean no roping and sheeting. ( for most)
Laws and tacho,s mean less hours
Not many of us are allowed to keep our vehicles maintained ourselves, let alone change a wheel or even wash the truck in some cases.
Driving aids make the task of driving easier.

I could continue but you get my point.

As for my experience.
86-89 7.5t handball ropes and sheets.
89-04 class1 various tasks including flats,fridges, tanks, then i spent 8yrs doing euro work tilts and tauts.
Changed my circumstances for 10yrs (still within transport industry) and returned to driving earlier this year.

So I think that qualifies me to have an opinion.

Given the state of the country we are lucky to have a job.

And as for your last comment about bending over, if you feel you are doing this then I refer back to my original comment. If you are not happy then please find something you enjoy doing.

Hopefully this answers your points.

Laws&Tacho : As the Distance from A t B the same you cant have solved that Problem.
and the Driving Aids you can have for free. Just leave me the Eaton Gearbox.

[winseer]

Jesus wept.

There’s no need for any of my verbosity on this thread - it’s been done already.

[billybigrig]

gazza1970:
The problem is Phil is playing with a blokes livelihood ,
You have to ask yourself If these are genuine jobs then why doesn’t he post in the job section ,

Think of Phil as Jay from The Inbetweeners, nuff said.
The thing about having lead an interesting life and bragging about it all over the web is that those who actually have done, can tell the difference between truth and made up nonsense based on rubbish read elsewhere online

[fenland_nick]

robroy:

fenland nick:

robroy:

fenland nick:
I am fed up with all the whining that is spouted about pay and conditions when the reality is most of us have it easy now compared to the drivers of the past and wages should and do reflect this.
It is really simple if you don’t want to do the job get out and let those that do get on with it.
[/quote}

Please let me retort.
Are your pay and conditions really that bad? I don’t class a top line scania a bad truck. Sorry I can’t comment on your pay.
Things within the industry are easier than in the past. Mechanical loading aids means no handballing.
Modern trailers mean no roping and sheeting. ( for most)
Laws and tacho,s mean less hours
Not many of us are allowed to keep our vehicles maintained ourselves, letalonechange a wheel or even wash the truck in some cases.Driving aids make the task of driving easier.
I could continue but you get my point.
As for my experience.
86-89 7.5t handball ropes and sheets.
89-04 class1 various tasks including flats,fridges, tanks, then i spent 8yrs doing euro work tilts and tauts.
Changed my circumstances for 10yrs (still within transport industry) and returned to driving earlier this year.
So I think that qualifies me to have an opinion.
Given the state of the country we are lucky to have a job.
And as for your last comment about bending over, if you feel you are doing this then I refer back to my original comment. If you are not happy then please find something you enjoy doing.
Hopefully this answers your points.

OK mate, but I thought you already had answered my points I aint that thick that I need you to explain in fine detail what “The job has got easier” means, I did manage to suss it out myself when you first answered my post, and I did also get it the first time that you have similar experience to myself, further details were not neccessary, but hey, thanks anyway

The job has got easier granted, but unfortunately to the point where the required amount of skills has been dumbed down to where the criteria for driving a truck is bordering on minimal intelligence. Just look at some of the f/whits that are let loose with 44 tonnes today , so that is one of the down sides of easier conditions in the industry.
I agree with Libertyguy’s perspective on it.

I do not accept this “lucky to have a job” b/s either, , when drivers are heard to be subscribing to this kind of opinion, the employers pick up on it with glee and use it as a good reason to pay low wages, a bit like the austerity myth, another band wagon that they jump on, and I would have thought that a driver with your experience would have picked up on this before now.

Anyway, if you are REALLY interested in my circumstances here goes.
The avatar Dutch Topliner you refer to was last driven by me in 2007, the cost of living was cheaper then, the same as everything else from a bog roll to a loaf of bread, and guess what… I was on more money then than I am today, and also up to 3to4 yrs previous on a job before that, ie 10years!
If you think that is acceptable to the point where I and a vast amount of other drivers on here in the same predicament should… “just not say anything about it, as we are all lucky” and feel a bit hard done to as some kind of unfairness… to say the least, is going on here, when most of their employers display no signs of any similar difficulties, {on the contrary in fact} well, we will never improve things will we, hence the “bending over” reference.

Also you say I should find something else, why should I change the job I have done for 35yrs instead of waiting and hoping that improvements will come, just because drivers with your sort of opinions have gone a long way to maintaining the present situation that we are discussing.
Hope that explains my point to you.

Sorry if I caused offence it was not my intention.

I can assure you I do not sit in an office and never will but everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Libertyguy raises some good points as do you. My point about being lucky to have a job has come across wrong I am not saying we should put up with rubbish from employers but it is my choice to drive for a living so its up to me to get the best I can and be happy with my lot but all we seem to do as drivers is moan at each other.

So in all fairness what can be done by us to make it better, we have been having these discussions for years but we still get back in our trucks and drive for others.

Once again my apologies to robroy.

[toby1234abc]

Come on Limeyphil,admit the post is wind up.
I smell a rat with £650 take home,that means £900 gross earnings on EU work.That is not happening now with the flip flops double manning for peanuts.

[robroy]

fenland nick:
Sorry if I caused offence it was not my intention.

I can assure you I do not sit in an office and never will but everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Libertyguy raises some good points as do you. My point about being lucky to have a job has come across wrong I am not saying we should put up with rubbish from employers but it is my choice to drive for a living so its up to me to get the best I can and be happy with my lot but all we seem to do as drivers is moan at each other.

So in all fairness what can be done by us to make it better, we have been having these discussions for years but we still get back in our trucks and drive for others.

Once again my apologies to robroy.

No need to apologise to me mate, no real offence taken it’s only a difference of opinion on a forum.
Like you I have done this job a long time (maybe TOO bloody long ) seen it done it T.shirt etc etc.
It’s just that the badly paid over regulated, over supervised rat race it has become today, ran mostly by knobs sat behind a computer, that in real terms know ■■■■ all about the job, running ( not all but some) drivers with minimal initiative, that need a sat nav to find their own arse holes, bears no resemblance to when I, and possibly you, started it.
And when I hear of drivers as I said, bending over and willingly accepting b/s, spouted by unscrupulous employers that results in keeping their (and consequently my ) wages down, and conditions turning to sh,… (such as cameras in cabs to pluck something out of the air) it just ■■■■■■ me off big style

You ask me how we can make things better, I haven’t the answer to that.

You know what mate, on reflection you are maybe right, I should let the system beat me and look for summat else,
Breathe in and … out.
Off now for a pint, as I’ve depressed MYSELF!

We seem to have hi jacked Phil’s thread Are his new drivers any good or what?

[limeyphil]

toby1234abc:
Come on Limeyphil,admit the post is wind up.
I smell a rat with £650 take home,that means £900 gross earnings on EU work.That is not happening now with the flip flops double manning for peanuts.

No, it’s on the level.
You know the score. Gross pay (£next to nowt), overnight money (no limit on european work), meal allowances, expenses, etc.
How they work it out is up to them. What’s in the bank is the important bit. Every firm i’ve ever worked for seems to have some crazy income tax system that would baffle the chancelor.

[macon_pats_son]

my dad drove for murfitts for years his name his pat brown also know as macon pat he loved it lol

[sweet_truck_haul]

limeyphil:

toby1234abc:
Come on Limeyphil,admit the post is wind up.
I smell a rat with £650 take home,that means £900 gross earnings on EU work.That is not happening now with the flip flops double manning for peanuts.

No, it’s on the level.
You know the score. Gross pay (£next to nowt), overnight money (no limit on european work), meal allowances, expenses, etc.
How they work it out is up to them. What’s in the bank is the important bit. Every firm i’ve ever worked for seems to have some crazy income tax system that would baffle the chancelor.

After a total of 17 years on on EU work I think you will find there is a limit to overnight money…
Not sure what though, maybe some members could advise■■?

[bking]

Im your man now tell me your going to pay me either 20 notes an hour on the card or 10 for every hour Im away
Think not so drive the piece of crap yourself.

[winseer]

toby1234abc:
Limeyphil,do you mean Boulogne sur Mer,the French port or Bologna in Italy?

Or is it Bologn-a-Naze which I think is somewhere near Colchester…

[williams9881]

Count me in where do i sign?

[muckspreader]

Limpeyhill have you taken one of these jobs yourself ? I see you have posted that you get £670 a week (take home) but end up going allsorts of places wouldn’t a short Italy every week be better for almost the same money.

See your Milan, in the past I have done Milan, can’t ever recall being able to get there in 2 days and still have time to tip (not legally anyhow),
Then you posted that you sit by the pool for 2 days (Wed/Thurs) that means reload then 2 days back that brings you to Saturday where on earth do you tip in the UK on a Saturday evening, Sunday morning and where do you then reload from ?

See me personally I’d rather not run bent to get there in the 2 days, not sit by a pool for 2 days and not try to tip/reload on a Saturday/Sunday but each to their own.

[eddie_snax]

Muckspreader:
Limpeyhill have you taken one of these jobs yourself ? I see you have posted that you get £670 a week (take home) but end up going allsorts of places wouldn’t a short Italy every week be better for almost the same money.

See your Milan, in the past I have done Milan, can’t ever recall being able to get there in 2 days and still have time to tip (not legally anyhow),
Then you posted that you sit by the pool for 2 days (Wed/Thurs) that means reload then 2 days back that brings you to Saturday where on earth do you tip in the UK on a Saturday evening, Sunday morning and where do you then reload from ?

See me personally I’d rather not run bent to get there in the 2 days, not sit by a pool for 2 days and not try to tip/reload on a Saturday/Sunday but each to their own.

Why let the facts get in the way off a good story

Winseer:

toby1234abc:
Limeyphil,do you mean Boulogne sur Mer,the French port or Bologna in Italy?

Or is it Bologn-a-Naze which I think is somewhere near Colchester…

I usually do that job on a Friday night, and Nuc’ the rest Monday night

[bigtruck]

Is there any backloads of tyres and ■■■■ limeyphill?