Juddian:
Sadly in some surprising places, companies where you wouldn’t think it could happen, increasingly the new breed (and don’t they breed) of management can’t understand nor cope with self sufficient or competent drivers who don’t need them to hold their hands or be programmed as you would a robot, so lowest common denominator rules apply, the good people have to be dumbed down to the level of the most hopeless.
Incredible, sad, tragic even to see it happen, the first clue its going that way is when ‘‘debrief’’ appears on or is now called so instead of your daily work sheet/record
So very true. Graduate management, they may be good reading a text book but no idea of the real world. A bit like these Indian call centres who are scripted…outside the script, no idea whatsoever.
Cheers people for having a go at answering my question, what’s a quality driver?. It’s a difficult one because there is no right answer. Thankfully most of the stuff that as been said I am happy that I do already, thinking for yourself, decent navigation skills etc. I feel I am definitely far from quality though, still got a lot to learn.
Do people think that things have really changed that much since back in the day? Surely there as always been the decent experienced drivers who are sought after by the firms and the not so experienced newer drivers that need a little more direction?
Mark1203:
Being pretty new to the industry myself out of curiosity, What is the definition of a “quality driver”?
The mere fact you asked this question sets you apart from the herd already.
As for the answer, it differs entirely upon which job you are trying to be quality at. For me personally, it boils down to one simple thing that is applicable across every single sector:
A quality driver, is one that works smarter, not harder
If you can do that, then everything employers look for, low maintenance drivers like Conor said, ones that don’t smash the kit up, ones that are good on fuel, ones that don’t constantly lose paperwork and number plates, and even being a “yes man”(within reason) comes easy.
What Quality Driver?
Wanna make me laughing?
“The Driver”
Each is a differend Personality
Each sets the Priority to a differend Part of his Job.
The one learns it quick and the other never learns it.
If you were that good that you were in anything the Best you woodnt drive anywhy. You rather were Trainer or Manager,which doesnt means automatically that a Manager or Trainer has a Clue about driving.
Some are better with dealing to other People
Some better with Reversing
Some better with Technicality of a Vehicle and its surrounding.
Some are better with understanding Physic and Load-Weight Distribution.
Some are better with use of New Technology during other better with use of no Technology,as i old Trucks.
But Quality?
NO
If anything in the Company goes wrong is it not necessary the Drivers Fault. But in some Companies are some Drivers better on during other Drivers feel bulled.
Wot ever. The Fish starts stinking on the Head.
No Driver who did 20,30 or 40 Year well is suddenly bad just as he doesn’t fit in a Managements thinking,as no Management is bad as its just not get on with this or that.
Its a Crowd of differend Personalities who have to stick together.And thats not always easy.
Mark1203:
Do people think that things have really changed that much since back in the day? Surely there as always been the decent experienced drivers who are sought after by the firms and the not so experienced newer drivers that need a little more direction?
Thing is Mark, years ago the job required skill nous strength and some hard work to do it at all in most sectors, ropes and sheets, handballing regularly, and the vehicles required far more driver input than just putting it in D and steering, those not up to it really couldn’t wing it for very long.
Course we were all green when we started, but most of us came from some sort of transport or similar industrial family, plus when you started you always found an experienced driver who would take you under his wing and help you out, they weren’t called mentors but that what they were, and i’m eternally grateful to my teacher/real lorry trainer/mentor, Dennis Cowell (the late).
The office wallahs tended to be experienced transport people, not a bunch of box tickers who wouldn’t know which end of a lorry to get in trying to make a name for themselves (and largely succeeding but not the name they wanted… )
Mark1203:
Do people think that things have really changed that much since back in the day? Surely there as always been the decent experienced drivers who are sought after by the firms and the not so experienced newer drivers that need a little more direction?
Thing is Mark, years ago the job required skill nous strength and some hard work to do it at all in most sectors, ropes and sheets, handballing regularly, and the vehicles required far more driver input than just putting it in D and steering, those not up to it really couldn’t wing it for very long.
Course we were all green when we started, but most of us came from some sort of transport or similar industrial family, plus when you started you always found an experienced driver who would take you under his wing and help you out, they weren’t called mentors but that what they were, and i’m eternally grateful to my teacher/real lorry trainer/mentor, Dennis Cowell (the late).
The office wallahs tended to be experienced transport people, not a bunch of box tickers who wouldn’t know which end of a lorry to get in trying to make a name for themselves (and largely succeeding but not the name they wanted… )
This is getting embarassing Juddian, I find myself agreeing with everything you say…again.
Is it sad that I actually don’t mind that kind of work? When I’ve done it on agency at CJE in Hull its been start at 7.30-8am, potter around Hull in a little 17 tonner and do 6/8 drops, sit and have some dinner in a cafe, pick up phone, do a few collections, return and tip and go home by 5.30.
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How nice - I used to do 16/18 drops a day in a big ish city 30 miles away, then collections, then get back to the yard for 18.30 or so and then queue to tip. Home for about 20.00. Every day flat out. Interesting work but crap money and a knackered old lorry. And I had timed deliveries in the morning - great when the trunks got delayed coming down from the hub in the small hours. At least nearly all mine were industrial, some of the lads had a lot of private addresses - that means turf, slabs and patio kits into peoples front gardens.
)
I find myself agreeing with everything you say…again.