So, I’ve tried to employ 2 people off here & both have let me down at the last minute, after having told me a day or two before that they want the job, how do you find & advertise for your staff?
I’m on the verge of giving up & just leaving it as one truck, fed up of dealing with gob ■■■■■■■ I appreciate everyone is out for number one, but sack up & use your words FFS. Does no one give a ■■■■ about anyone else nowadays?
Good employees are hard to find. You could have to employ 20 average people just to find one good one.
Seeing by some of the posts on here theres plenty I wouldn’t employ but theres some I would.
This is one of the main reasons I got out of the business when I did !
giving them a reasonable deal means a lot, trouble is if your offer is bettered they will just go elsewhere, a lot of companies local to us offer £7-7.50 C2 and £8.50 for C1 The way I look at it is do I really want someone who values themselves at £7 driving my truck, I want my drivers clean tidy and respectful to everyone, I do not want them to feel stressed or unhappy in their work, I do want them to take 45/46 minutes break I do not want them taking 47 minutes and I do not want them on their phone.
I have set rules don’t break tacho rules, the speed limit or the wagon and we will get on just fine, I think if you set the bench quite high you’ll get high quality staff, in our previous business we stated please only apply for this position if you intend to stay for 30 years or until retirement whichever the sooner, our average employee stayed 8 years which I believe is pretty good for a small business.
Silver_Surfer:
So, I’ve tried to employ 2 people off here & both have let me down at the last minute, after having told me a day or two before that they want the job, how do you find & advertise for your staff?I’m on the verge of giving up & just leaving it as one truck, fed up of dealing with gob [zb]. I appreciate everyone is out for number one, but sack up & use your words FFS. Does no one give a [zb] about anyone else nowadays?
Had the same experience as yourself with people from this site and been let down very badly in the past. Having said that I have found a couple of good people I can call upon, but had to go through the 10’s of wasters who like the idea of a job! The last one was in June, a guy called Gary from Bristol responded to an ad on here and wanted the job, loading Friday for Bremen, hotel for the week and back the following Wednesday. Started to call him on the Wednesday beforehand to check details, schedules, etc., and couldn’t raise him on the phone and never heard from him again despite calling him constantly. He may be dead in a ditch somewhere I guess - but what should have been an easy job turned into a nightmare trying to find a driver at short notice.
I am in the same position as you, looking at going back to one truck and not having the hassle of drivers and their practices. Since I’ve been asking around, I am surprised the amount of one-man-bands that have been through the same experience and shrunk from multiple trucks to one.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
" I am surprised the amount of one-man-bands that have been through the same experience and shrunk from multiple trucks to one."
+1,
25 years ago so don’t think things have changed much.
It must be a right PITA for small hauliers trying to sift through potentials.
Company i work for don’t and never have, advertised for staff, they will accept the right walk in, i’m luckily one of them, but in the vast majority of cases drivers are recruited by recommendation, especially by already trusted and respected drivers or other staff, it works because anyone with an ounce of sense is only going to recommend someone they themselves would employ, its an exceptional job in a very old company and in all our interests to make it last for ever.
If i was looking for someone then i would ask within my own circle first, whilst the net is a useful tool you really haven’t the foggiest idea whats at the other end of a keyboard.
What i would say is offer a good overall package for the right applicant, make it a job that no one in their right minds would want to leave, mutual respect/courtesy goes miles…one other thing if you want a proper driver offer them a drivers lorry (lorry age immaterial), a driver still takes a pride in their work, there is little pride to be had in steering the wheel of an electronic box of tricks, it just might make the difference to the person you find, you might be able to prise one of those elusive gems out of the living hell of some faceless logistics monolith.
Didn’t know you was looking for someone surfer
Employees are easy enough to find, as they keep saying plenty of ppl out there …but its finding the right one that doesn’t give all the BS… been there and done that… most are looking for something to fill the gap and don’t really have long term commitments to one company, there always on the prowl for the better job with more money…
When I was office based and employing ppl first thing was to look at the application form and the CV… surprises me how many jobs ppl have by the time there 25… I mean FFS in my whole working career Ive worked full time for 2 companies … the first was over 4 years and the second was for 19 years… plus I worked part time a a local supermarket during the evening whilst my wife was pregnant…
CV now that’s a waste of time and paper…
cliffystephens:
CV now that’s a waste of time and paper…
Maybe but you won’t get a look in without one where i am.
I’m a new driver on class 1 but at 41 yrs old I’m a bit old school. I am starting work with someone from this forum in a few weeks, they have offered me a fair package and are giving me a start which I respect them for. Since accepting their offer I have had another 2 company’s offer me work 1 of which even tried to barter a deal with me to start with him. Both offered better money but I think letting someone down especially at such short notice is disrespectful. Them yung uns nowadays eh.
I don’t mind them going elsewhere & it may be a bit awkward telling me the day before, text it, voicemail it FFS.
No class.
You will find the right driver, one of my old employers used to place a sign outside their yard, just a idea
I left a job I loved because of the people I was expected to work with, our was a double manning set up so you needed to feel safe whilst the other person was driving. and you needed to be prepared for other peoples needs. I wish more of them had not shown up on the day.
Silver_Surfer:
I don’t mind them going elsewhere & it may be a bit awkward telling me the day before, text it, voicemail it FFS.No class.
I was thinking maybe they’d cancelled at short notice, but reading that, are you saying they just never turned up ? 
i dread to think what xfmatt would have to say about employees…
as an employee, i can agree with some of your sentiments on most of the subjects. particularly being in the same vehicle as a passenger, some people i can fall asleep with, other’s it’s constant subtle hints about the job…
tachograph:
Silver_Surfer:
I don’t mind them going elsewhere & it may be a bit awkward telling me the day before, text it, voicemail it FFS.No class.
I was thinking maybe they’d cancelled at short notice, but reading that, are you saying they just never turned up ?
One never showed & the latest one phoned, I missed the call returned it later no reply, phoned the next day, no reply & then daylight dawned, I’ve been trying to do 2 blokes jobs… At one stage id have had 3 trucks in the yard with just me to drive them, lol.
philgor:
i dread to think what xfmatt would have to say about employees…as an employee, i can agree with some of your sentiments on most of the subjects. particularly being in the same vehicle as a passenger, some people i can fall asleep with, other’s it’s constant subtle hints about the job…
The get some keen and enthusiastic malleable young lads type posts seem conspicuous by their absence.
Silver_Surfer:
So, I’ve tried to employ 2 people off here & both have let me down at the last minute, after having told me a day or two before that they want the job, how do you find & advertise for your staff?I’m on the verge of giving up & just leaving it as one truck, fed up of dealing with gob [zb]. I appreciate everyone is out for number one, but sack up & use your words FFS. Does no one give a [zb] about anyone else nowadays?
i now where your coming from 
ive got a job up in the job centre in a week ive had 2 cv’s 1 from bulagria (spelling) and one chap that didnt turn up
just had a driver pinched from one company that we work for, told them not to call me wanting a truck because they will not get one and ill also pass it around that they pinch peoples drivers 
and one that left me in the sh*t a bit ago is begging for another chance even though he left me with loaded trailer and no driver 
im thinking about parking maggie up, 2 trucks 5 trailer 1 driver lol
You guys in the north seemed to be getting dropped in it quite a bit… Shame Im based down here in Surrey… Id help out if I could … Really looking for night work atm as it fits in with family situation