Fuckin truck drivers

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

After making a couple of posts on different threads, and after reading them back, one thing has just dawned on me, I have came to a surprising conclusion about myself. (No not that one :smiley: ) …
Even though I am a driver myself, (and have been for more years than I care to remember :unamused: ) being in this job so long has made me,… wait for it …Hate my fellow drivers. :open_mouth:

The old adage of drivers being their own worst enemy has never been more prevalent today since I started this job.
I’ll explain.
They are a strange breed.

Directly or indirectly they are the reason we work ridiculous long hours that belong to 1930s t.s and c.s, they are responsible for the crap money we are on, basically because over the years they have allowed themselves to be treated like crap.

Many of them who work for the same firm as you would stab you in the back as soon as look at you.
Many of them have a goal in life to be looked upon as their boss’s best mate, …it never happens btw, as the boss is neither interested in that idea, or stupid, he knows the score, but these guys are far too thick to see that, so they will do or say anything to achieve their pointless goal.

Many of them will ■■■■ up a good job, for the reason above.

If somebody has the onus to say, ‘Hang on that can’t be achieved in my time’ along pops one of these heroes to prove you wrong, make you look a ■■■■, and end up making you do more work for the same money.

Lay bys are now virtually a first option for parking, because drivers did not kick off about having to park in them, enough for their employers to fight for proper facilities for their employers…see the Kent parking thread.

Very few have any empathy on the road for you anymore, many are incompetent, most of them are stress heads without a second to spare, succumbing to pressure…and all the rest of the Trucknet old boring subjects.

So basically you can all go and ■■■■ yourselves.!! :wink: :laughing:

There are lots of other reasons that I can not be arsed to think of, but thankfully there ARE still quite a few decent drivers left (aka ‘The minority’ ) , most of my circle of friends are so in fact, but mainly because I tend to ignore the d heads in the job, and treat them with the contempt they deserve… :bulb:

Anyhoo that is my grump over for today, off to make a coffee and prepare for a relaxing day watching the football. :sunglasses: :smiley:

2

I normally agree with most of your posts but I think this might be a bit unfair, yes, drivers don’t stick together like they used to but then who does? There may be 1 or 2 industries where this still happens but I believe the union actions in the 70s (which lets face it was a bit militant with striking for 30-40% pay rises) has lead to popularity of the extreme opposite (Thatcher), which in turn lead to the culture of fear of losing ones job, and this is still with us toady.
I have relations in Germany and when I tell them that people are always wary in this country about job security they can’t believe it, to them a job is for life, unless you did something really terrible, so maybe we could learn something from them.

3

GORDON 50:
I normally agree with most of your posts but I think this might be a bit unfair, yes, drivers don’t stick together like they used to but then who does? There may be 1 or 2 industries where this still happens but I believe the union actions in the 70s (which lets face it was a bit militant with striking for 30-40% pay rises) has lead to popularity of the extreme opposite (Thatcher), which in turn lead to the culture of fear of losing ones job, and this is still with us toady.
.

I know what you are saying, but the 70s were 40/50 years ago ffs, you would think that a happy MEDIUM would have evolved between times then and times now, but the anti Union propaganda taught in school history lessons, and the Thatcher governments sale of workers council homes, preventing strikes (mortgage commitments) seems to have prevented that…Ffs Hit me on the head, I’m morphing into Carryfast. :smiley:

I believe strongly in Unions, in their literal sense, and for the reasons of their origins and existence only :bulb: , but I am the first to agree with your 70s examples, the tables did turn, to the point where the tail was wagging the dog, and things HAD to change, problem is they changed to a direct opposite end of the spectrum where all the fought for employees rights to fairness went down the khazi.
Today it is an unarguable FACT that those who work for Union based firms have better Ts and C.s, just because that does not fit in with general misguided opinion on here, does not alter the facts.
I have rang mates who are on literally 2x as much a rate as me for working bank hols for instance, and getting the same rate for running back in on a Saturday, than I work all day for, and those are only two of many examples…but we are getting off the subject here.

I don’t think you can blame anything to do with the Unions for employees attitudes, or in this case drivers attitudes towards each other, I really do not know what it is.

When I started most of the older drivers were a different calibre, I really looked up to these guys, they taught me a lot. They got on with their work, but on the whole did not take any ■■■■ from their firms, and yes did stick together, not in a brotherhood type of ■■■■■■■■ sense, or all for one and one for all, but in the sense they helped each other out, and as far as I remember never (VERY rarely at least) dropped each other in it, certainly not ‘‘grassed’’ others up,
There will be some come back at me with the obligatory ‘rosy specs’ adage, and sure there were cases to prove me wrong, but that is how I genuinely remember it starting out as a young lad.

Look ! I am the first to admit to adopting a look after myself and ■■■■ everyone else stance in the job nowadays, but the thread subject, along with employers attitudes and policies have led me to this …what is the alternative ?

4

You hit the nail on the head…Happy medium. A difficult one to get right, specially with the divided country we find ourselves in nowadays.

5

GORDON 50:
You hit the nail on the head…Happy medium. A difficult one to get right, specially with the divided country we find ourselves in nowadays.

That ‘Divided Country’ was no accident, it’s the result of a (successful) agenda.
‘‘Divide and Conquer’’ :bulb: …, the examples in my o/p and many of the opinions on this forum adequately illustrate this.

6

GORDON 50:
I normally agree with most of your posts but I think this might be a bit unfair, yes, drivers don’t stick together like they used to but then who does? There may be 1 or 2 industries where this still happens but I believe the union actions in the 70s (which lets face it was a bit militant with striking for 30-40% pay rises) has lead to popularity of the extreme opposite (Thatcher), which in turn lead to the culture of fear of losing ones job, and this is still with us toady.
I have relations in Germany and when I tell them that people are always wary in this country about job security they can’t believe it, to them a job is for life, unless you did something really terrible, so maybe we could learn something from them.

To be fair Germans have a skewed view of what is or isn’t terrible. E.G. Dresden? TERRIBLE. Shoving babies into gas chambers/ovens by the thousand? Not so much!!!

7

I think you need to retire [emoji23]
I know I do for most of the reasons you’ve outlined [emoji57]

8

Nothing much will change in Transport.
I have in the past worked for Companies where T&Cs where very good, but along comes the "newbie" or Agency driver, tries to impress the TM in the hope of getting a permanent job. All the hard earned conditions go out the door as soon as they leave the yard,to make it worse "full timers" break the "rules" to suit their own purpose. My last job had in the T&Cs 12 hrs max then park up, we would hear many say I dont do nights out as an excuse for going over and running in on 15.
Cant do this cant do that when in the Drivers room, out the gate its I`m my own man do as I like, but deny anything if they are caught out.

9

nomiS36:
I think you need to retire [emoji23]

Tell me something I don’t know. :smiley:
If I could afford to retire and prioritise in maintaining a decent (social) lifestyle I’d leave all this ■■■■ behind tomorrow, never look back, and certainly go nowhere near a ■■■■ truck again. :smiley:

10

Truckerian99:

GORDON 50:
I normally agree with most of your posts but I think this might be a bit unfair, yes, drivers don’t stick together like they used to but then who does? There may be 1 or 2 industries where this still happens but I believe the union actions in the 70s (which lets face it was a bit militant with striking for 30-40% pay rises) has lead to popularity of the extreme opposite (Thatcher), which in turn lead to the culture of fear of losing ones job, and this is still with us toady.
I have relations in Germany and when I tell them that people are always wary in this country about job security they can’t believe it, to them a job is for life, unless you did something really terrible, so maybe we could learn something from them.

To be fair Germans have a skewed view of what is or isn’t terrible. E.G. Dresden? TERRIBLE. Shoving babies into gas chambers/ovens by the thousand? Not so much!!!

?

11

lolipop:
My last job had in the T&Cs 12 hrs max then park up, we would hear many say I don`t do nights out as an excuse for going over and running in on 15.
.

Yep, pricks of the highest order. :unamused: so instead of doing a more reasonable 12 hour day, and taking 11 hours off fresh in the morning for next shift, they opted for 15 hour day, presumably 9 hours rest which included them going home, tea short sleep. and then returning to the next drudge, , so they can be… ‘‘in me own bed’.’ :unamused:
If you '‘Don’t do nights out’ get another job on days with another firm, instead of ■■■■ ing up the job for the rest. :imp:
I know exactly what you mean mate.

12

robroy:
I’m morphing into Carryfast. :smiley:

the tail was wagging the dog,

what is the alternative ?

An A frame :laughing:

13

I haven’t seen you say lets enforce a 3 or 4 day working week on the employers.So that others who need a job can get one with the win win of quality time off notwithstanding the need for at least 12 hour shifts to make transport actually work.
Trampers or owner drivers or those in dead mans shoes jobs wouldn’t want to share their truck or jobs would they.Perish the thought. :bulb: :wink:

14

You forgot to mention morons who accept £1.40 rates on OD

15

^^^ £1ph extra on LTD.

16

It’s a bit hilarious at how long it’s taken you to come to this conclusion! :smiley:

17

switchlogic:
It’s a bit hilarious at how long it’s taken you to come to this conclusion! :smiley:

:smiley: I’ve suspected it for a while, it started with a minor irritation that led to resentment, but I felt it was time to ‘come out’ as a ‘Hater’ .
I feel cleansed. :laughing:

18

Is not the problem that with the explosion in the need for trucks, and therefore the need for folk to drive them, that it has just become another job for many folk.

They’re a driver to day, but in a few years time, even although it has cost them to get their licences, they’ll be off to do something else. The days of sons following their fathers, said fathers being able to make running repairs to their vehicles, all have been superseded by the need for more and more trucks, and the increasing complexity of these vehicles.

I’m afraid that those “good old days”, even though they had to do without the comparative luxuries afforded by today’s vehicles, are long past, and never to return.

19

glasses.jpeg

Ah… the good old days, when cigarettes were actually good for your health and real men drank a minimum 8 pints a night :smiley:

Whatever the truth might have been about the good old days, the job has indeed changed beyond any recognition. I for one never liked this ‘closed shop’ mentality, even now I meet people who think I’m not “a proper driver” because I wasn’t brought up with it. I’d rather live in the modern world where people feel free to choose jobs or careers according to their own inclinations, instead of being limited to some idea of a “family tradition”.

As for your original post Rob, plenty there that I agree with wholeheartedly. Sometimes those that spoil the job for other people are simply thick as two short planks: at one of my previous places it was an unofficial “job and knock”, with the tacit understanding that drivers wouldn’t take the mick. One of my colleagues continually rubbed the bosses noses in it by going home before midday, we all told him he was rocking the boat but he was only interested in what suited him. Eventually the job-and-knock got knocked-on-the-head for all of us, he never acknowledged it was his fault but the rest of us were under no illusions.

20

I am fairly sure there hasn’t been such a genetic mutation that means the younger generations (or new drivers for that matter) are inherently stupid or incompetent. I mean if they are ignorant, whose fault is that? At the end of the day they have turned up to do a job with the required qualifications (rent, mortgage to pay etc) and if they are not given appropriate training or mentoring, what can really be expected?

There are many drivers who kick-off about being treated badly and many who simply leave the industry because of the way they are treated. Kicking-off about something just seems to be an invitation for the exit to be shown to a driver or simply for the driver to vacate the premises voluntarily. The attitude is that if that driver won’t do it, we’ll get another driver to do it kind of thing.

I can’t help but feel that all the self-funders who pay for their own training are subsidising the transport industry by the way. I can’t see it any other way. Licences that are only being used for commercial haulage are being privately funded. Can that be denied in any way? So, the driver who has invested in a licence is then treated like dirt and sent straight out on the road without any training whatsoever (a significant portion of the time - not in all cases), and expected to cope like a seasoned driver.

It’s a crazy world we live in, no doubt.