muckles:
mac12:
Sounds good until the last bit 60 hours per week, wonder when haulage will come into line with other workers averaging 35 to 40.having worked in many different industries over the years, although most were a basic of 35 to 40 hours but people still had to work overtime to make the money up. Even many managerial jobs don’t pay that well until you move up the career ladder a bit.
Not a truck driver, this man has a job real job
40 Hours= 10 pounds an hour = 400
20 Hours 1½ = 15 pounds an hour 300
Total 700 pounds
Bottom line
I think you will find that is top line before deductions etc.
Bottom line = approx £5- £600 depending on tax etc.
del949:
40 Hours= 10 pounds an hour = 400
20 Hours 1½ = 15 pounds an hour 300
Total 700 pounds
Bottom lineI think you will find that is top line before deductions etc.
Bottom line = approx £5- £600 depending on tax etc.
Even thats a top wage for a truck driver, not many here earn that
rgt1973:
Think I have found my ideal job!
Nearly new truck, properly speced, a gaffer who still does the job when needed and is always available if you call. Good hourly rate, parking paid no question. Average 60 hours a week. Top job!!
Good call mate, I’m happy for you 
Don’t know why you bothered posting it on here though, the negative response you’ve received is rather predictable 
Like you I’m on a 60 hour + week, left home about 2 am on Monday, and got home today(Saturday) at 11 am, I’m happy with it, no one else’s business
Having left a career in sales management I often sit in drivers rooms listening to the same old conversation with drivers playing the my hours are longer than yours game wishing for that 9-5 job.
Reality is that most 9-5 jobs pay worse than driving. The big salaries you see attached to jobs in adverts might seem 9-5 but this is rarely the case. Salaried jobs don’t get overtime. All contracts contain the “and all other hours required to do the job” clause. I know i used to play that game.
In my case i got £45k Plus 3 series etc and bonuses (that you have to kill yourself to reach). My Week would start on Sun night after the kids went to bed 2-3 hours in home office setting up the week clearing e-mails checking my team (6) had their instructions for week. Mon up at 5 in car for 5.30 in car to office 120 miles and inside M25 got to be there for 9 meeting. In office 9-8 when security kicked us out. To hotel overnight. Up Tues in office for 8 work til 6 set off home get there for 9 if lucky, all the way home on the phone catching up with team and bosses. Weds out on road to see customers normally out from 6/7 till 7/8 if got home for tea kids would look at me oddly. Thurs repeat Weds if down south wouldn’t come home weds not worth road time so another hotel. Fri was reporting day for the week day in home office, always tried to have a lie in as tired, boss would ring between 7 and 8 on his way into office for board meeting. So say 8 - 6/7 unless month end when would be midnight. I often estimated 60-70 hours a week. with mobile phone and e mail you never not at work, company expects responses even though it says it doesn’t. Smartphones were a disaster for work life balance.
What you cant measure is the stress, bosses at you from above for the impossible as shareholders expect annual growth on mature markets with no innovation. 6 Team mebers paid less than you who need driving and love sickies hangovers and general ■■■■ poor performance. Mobile becomes attached to your ear constantly fighting fires. My mobile bill was always over 100 hours a month. 100 emails a day. And your customer is Tesco/Asda/Sainsburys, u think they are tossers at RDC u want to try head office. I used to deal with the people who have overstated profits by £250+ million. They have been doing it for years and they are all at it suprised it has taken them so long to get caught (One day i might frighten you all with a few of their other tricks)
I now do 50 - 60 per week when working flat out. Target earnings of £25k a year and take time off accordingly. I have no desire to earn £30k when of that extra £5k £1k would go in tax. My stress is limited to getting to client and finding out what i’m doing and sussing it out. Getting map out and planning day. Cant get stressed about load not being ready, delays at tip or traffic. I’m getting paid by the hour and the tracker tells customer im not swinging it. Book/radio/internet are all superb time wasters that i have never had chance of in previous life. Bit of stress if cant find drop, especially if town centre and tight. No stress from TM, dont let it worry me one jot as i know i go as fast as law allows (plus sometimes a bit more where law is stupid and changing) and i’m never the slowest agency driver as someone is always taking the ■■■■. Long hours and low stress.
I have a lot less things;
3 series to banger …
2 weeks in caribean to week in canaries in jan if lucky.
Less disposable income … just used to waste it anyway can still get what i need.
Kids have less commercial stuff … works out they prefer time to things anyway.
So Yes Driving has bad bits, sleeping in a cab instead of a Hilton. Poor unit, crap trailer. Long lonely hours if it bothers you. Sometimes you get wet.
One thing my life experience has taught me except in very rare circumstances (love to hear examples) the labour market is efficent. What you get paid is directly related to the mixture of effort and skill it takes. If its easy someone will do it for less. If there a shortage of labour with your skills or prepared to work your hours your wage will rise. If you see something that pays better you will move on. Thats the way markets work. See that economics degree you all paid for does have its uses.
Sorry for the stupid long post, more me working through my stuff and checking myself really. If anyone reads it and gets something from it i suppose it’s a bonus. Happy to be trucking, if it wasn’t for agents constantly lying and shafting me it would be close to perfect for me at this stage in my life and relitavely stress free.
I agree with the point calsdad is saying. To earn £25K+ in most ‘9-5’ jobs you tend to have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, plenty of stress, clients to answer to and won’t often be home for 5.30pm with your feet up with nothing to worry about until the 7.30am alarm the next morning.
Us truck drivers have it easy and most of us have absolutely no idea what real stress and pressure at work is.
Calsdad what a fantastic post. Half the drivers on here don’t live in the real world.
I think being alone for most of the day gives minds time to worry and think how bad off they are. When in reality, there generally onto a good thing.
Yes, we aren’t on £20 an hour. But for relatively little training it’s an easy way to earn money.
Calsdad that is pure brilliance, straight from the horses mouth.
I used to work with a retired copper, He’d come to driving to fill in the years between his late 50’s-65 full pension time. I asked him once what his wife thought about him tramping, Me believing that coppers had set hours, what he was telling me about theyre hours and earnings was a real eye opener, and made me wonder why anyone bothered to be a copper. And to cap it all you have to get permission from the chief constable to resign 
If the grass is greener, it takes more effort to mow
muckles:
mac12:
Sounds good until the last bit 60 hours per week, wonder when haulage will come into line with other workers averaging 35 to 40.having worked in many different industries over the years, although most were a basic of 35 to 40 hours but people still had to work overtime to make the money up. Even many managerial jobs don’t pay that well until you move up the career ladder a bit.
But he doesn’t say 20 hours overtime he says average 60 hours, most driving jobs only pay the same whatever hours or only pay maybe £1 hour more.
mac12:
muckles:
mac12:
Sounds good until the last bit 60 hours per week, wonder when haulage will come into line with other workers averaging 35 to 40.having worked in many different industries over the years, although most were a basic of 35 to 40 hours but people still had to work overtime to make the money up. Even many managerial jobs don’t pay that well until you move up the career ladder a bit.
But he doesn’t say 20 hours overtime he says average 60 hours, most driving jobs only pay the same whatever hours or only pay maybe £1 hour more.
Anything over 8 hours a day is “overtime”, regardless of any enhanced hourly rate (or even if you get paid at all). Thats how I see it anyway.
Never try and tell another driver you are happy - too many will then try and tell you, you are not. Or worse, you are stupid.
Congratulations on the job. Everyone deserves a job they enjoy!
I remember when I was doing my weeks course of lessons before my C+E test, the instructor was telling me how bad an industry it has become etc
hadn’t even bloody started driving yet let alone have a job
Don’t get me wrong, I loved driving trucks just that being with the job 5.5 days a week had lost appeal. I took a big pay hit and retrained as a maintenance tech. Home every night and the pay nudges 40% tax with 10 or so hrs OT. Enjoy your jobs lads, I did on and off for 21 yrs.
calsdad:
All contracts contain the “and all other hours required to do the job” clause.
No, “all” contracts certainly do not contain that clause in salaried, 9-5 non-driving work. Why you would think that they all do I have no idea.