scaniason:
Firstly, let’s put the wages to one side - if you don’t pay me a living wage, I won’t be there, so let’s start by assuming that the money is OK.
After that, it mainly comes down to respect - both ways. If you want me to do a job to the best of my abilities, which is how I tend to operate anyway, don’t ‘tell’ me, ask me, Please & Thank You also go a really long way. In return, I’ll treat everybody else with the same respect and politeness, and go that extra bit to get the job done, and done well. Treating people well doesn’t cost anything - something some people don’t understand.
I’ve always done the best I can at whatever I try, so this isn’t such a big problem for me, as I tend to find I get treated fairly well as a result of the way I work. Having said that, if I started getting told, and a [zb] attitude, it would slowly start to erode away at me, and I would be looking for a new job fairly soon.
Gary
Absolutely bang on with this.
Most of us are old school, and from the era of a little respect goes a long way. Yes it’s a 2 way street, but I’m of the opinion of speak to me like YOU would like to be spoken to.
Agree with nearly all of the above, especially respect (and that works both ways)
I also feel strongly that the best traffic office staff are experienced ex-drivers
I also feel that haulage firms should strongly push RDC’s to treat drivers like human beings and not plebs, a lot of tescos now are ok, with large spacious drivers rooms with vending machines and a telly, but many others I wouldn’t put my dog in
I also like the beeper idea, they have that at Sainsburys Dartford too, I was there last week.
DadsRetired:
For all those that have said “Show me some respect and I will show you heaps in return”.
Try showing respect in the first place, why does someone else have to make the effort first?
My default position is always that I start with respect, friendliness & politeness, and work hard. If it’s reciprocated, we’ll have a great working relationship. If not, things will go downhill…
What is the Ferkin point!!! No one will listen, they never do, it is all just a PR excercise to make the powers that be feel good about themselves… A bit like the selective Health & Safety…Its all very well untill its something that actually benefits the driver…
So shove your conference up where the sun dont shine!!!
Deepinvet:
What is the Ferkin point!!! No one will listen, they never do, it is all just a PR excercise to make the powers that be feel good about themselves… A bit like the selective Health & Safety…Its all very well untill its something that actually benefits the driver…
So shove your conference up where the sun dont shine!!!
Give this man a medal.
We have an annual employee survey and it’s a complete and utter waste of time as no suggestions or improvements are implemented.
It only serves one purpose, to make the management look good so they can get themselves up the corporate ladder.
Unfortunately I have to agree nothing will happen in one ear out the other and Drivers are there own worst enemy sometimes. But I would like a bit more respect.
Deepinvet:
A bit like the selective Health & Safety
I tip at a place that does not allow the forklift drivers to even start up until I have pulled my curtains and given them the keys then sat down on the drivers naughty bench, when the floods were at there peak last week they were using a different warehouse, it was much smaller and with just enough room for an artic, safety was completely forgotten about, they started unloading, before my curtains were fully back, there were lots of folks rushing around in the yard dodging the forkies and I was instructed to start fastening the curtains while the other side was still being tipped !!
Two examples this week of my dealings with management;
#1
Delays loading at base meant a later than usual finish, arrived back with empty pallets and crates to offload before truck can be loaded for nightman, two trucks tipping and one waiting so my I can’t park in my designated spot, do the ad blue, debrief and end of shift paperwork while waiting, 30 minutes later park up and open the curtains, stow the straps pull my card and go to the office to book off from shift, night supervisor moans that I’m hanging the job out and should “be out the f***ing gate as soon as I arrive back”, (conveniently forgetting I’m the only class one driver on site and driving a wagon and drag he can’t move without me being there). He then tries to amend my timesheet to reflect my arrival time not my finish time.
The following night the same scenario with parking up so I parked by the fence and booked off straightaway and kept quiet, an hour later he phoned my ranting that I had screwed up the nightman and he was now running an hour behind and costing overtime they shouldn’t have had to think about. Not my problem though is it? I’m just following orders he barked out the night before.
#2
At my suggestion with day shift manager we have changed things slightly on a Friday, a subby who comes in everyday takes a pallet of 20 boxes and delivers to one of our depots next to his yard, the result is 100 less road miles on our vehicle and a saving of four hours overtime (split over two staff members), subby charges £25 for taking the pallet.
Manager is heading home and sees me coming the other way, he gives me a quick buzz, praise for the time saving, thanks me for the suggestion and wishes me a good weekend.
I get home at a decent time on a Friday, saved the company a few quid and he took a minute or two to acknowledge my effort, it’s not rocket science but it does make me feel more than a number on the payroll.
I reckon the best treatment a driver can get is to be treated over their lorry like a Sergeant is treated over therir tank…
They are fully trained in all aspects of their charge, know the computers, know the paperwork, know the front line customers, and are paid in a combination of both “as long as it takes” and “getting the job done right, first time every time”. Penalties for ■■■■-ups that are their own fault, like getting fined, smashing up vehicles, etc. which let’s face it, should not be happening in the first place.
As for being treated like a “hero” - I’d say a driver deserves that more for getting the load through gridlocked traffic, lousy weather, and is prepared to run over their 12 hour planned shift on a friday evening to get on the forks, help the boss get the stuff through the computer, all in order to get the job done. A “forks” or “management” allowance can of course be applied to their pay as a bonus in addition to any per-hour paid overtime (minimum 1.5x).
On the other hand, appearing on TV, being applauded for being able to get onto Bay 1 at the RDC, and no one gives a ■■■■ if they stack a few cars driving through that denizen of “down sarth” places - London, is NOT my idea of what makes a “Driving Hero”.
These are just examples of course. In reality, the number of combinations that would rise any individual above the crowd are legion. Being treated well (of which good pay & conditions is only part) is the main force that keeps a driver at the same firm, considered as an “asset to the team”, and not looking for a job up the road out of disencharntment at the first sniff of an economic upturn that’ll have new firms touting for plum drivers…
to get the best from drivers,you also need a set of clued up office staff,instead of the constantly eating thickos that seem to frequent the offices i deal with.
sure…theyre brilliant at enforcing the petty stuff,like sticking to pedestrian walkways,but predicting my inability to collect 23 pallets from collection 2 when im already carrying 7 pallets from collection 1 seems to evade them.
especially bad when youve already had one of your own drivers in earlier in the day,but told him to "just bring 7 out" because he didnt want to go over his contracted 9 hour shift
i could drive like a ■■■■ for the rest of the week…and it would`nt cost anywhere near as much as the sending another truck for the rest of the load.
incompetant middle management…the bane of british industry from day 1
