For what it’s worth I worked permanent nights for 16 years before I retired.Through an agency but treated as the company’s own driver.Good equipment.£100 for 1st.8 hours or just for clocking on.I adjusted my lifestyle so that I never felt tired or the need to stop mid shift.I wouldn’t work days then or now for double the money.I am lucky,I suppose,not to have suffered related health problems and at 70 years old I don’t need glasses yet.This weekend I will do another of my regular all nighters off a ferry down to AndrewG country.Nights work for me,thanks.
Lancsdriver70:
Wages at my firm are not bad at all. I get £592 per week (gross), that’s £30,784 p.a., for working just 4 x 12 hrs nights a week.If I work a 5th shift some weeks for agency, I’m grossing well over £700 per week…yet we are still around 20 drivers short on nights!
Is the 4 nights Friday to Monday or 4 on 4 off? Because then it’s definitely the pay keeping your firm 20 drivers short.
If it’s Monday to Thursday it would be better then alot of adverts I have seen from the big logistical solutions delivering winners types.
mrginge:
Lancsdriver70:
Wages at my firm are not bad at all. I get £592 per week (gross), that’s £30,784 p.a., for working just 4 x 12 hrs nights a week.If I work a 5th shift some weeks for agency, I’m grossing well over £700 per week…yet we are still around 20 drivers short on nights!
Is the 4 nights Friday to Monday or 4 on 4 off? Because then it’s definitely the pay keeping your firm 20 drivers short.
If it’s Monday to Thursday it would be better then alot of adverts I have seen from the big logistical solutions delivering winners types.
It’s Saturday - Tuesday Nights. 4 on 3 off.
Like I said, there are no vacancies at our place on days, but 20+ vacancies on nights.
Apparently quite a lot of other firms in the north-west are having trouble filling night-trunking vacancies.
Lancsdriver70:
I’ve never really believed that there was a driver shortage…until now.As I work only 4 x 12 hrs nightshifts every week at my firm, some weeks I work an extra night for agency somewhere else…if I’ve got enough
driving hours left. Last week I rang both agencies that I’m still registered with…and between them they offered me a choice of nightshifts
at no less than 7 different firms!!Spoke for several minutes to each agency, who both told me that they hadn’t got enough drivers to fill the shifts that they were being offered…
and who both believed that we are seeing the start of a genuine driver shortage…particularly in Class 1 night drivers, and Class 1 weekend drivers.When I turned up at the Firm that I chose to work for in Warrington, they were relieved to see me and TM told me that they had already had to
cancel/Fail 4 trunks that night due to lack of drivers.My next door neighbour who shunts for Wincantons, told me that loads are being cancelled/Failed every night due to lack of drivers at the Heinz
site in Wigan.My own firm are currently very short of nightshift drivers and have been subbing out work to all sorts of other firms…due to not having enough of
their own drivers.Have also noticed that in recent months, a lot of firms and agencies that used to demand a minimum of 2 years experience …have now reduced this requirement to 1 year minimum, 6 months experience…or they are even taking new passes…when previously they would not have entertained them.
I only passed my Class 1 in May, and already have a permanent job, and have been offered other permanent jobs despite being a newbie in Class 1.
Two other guys I know who are also newly-passed in Class 1 had multiple job offers…within days of passing their tests. This would not have happened a few years back.I’m a cynic, and maybe this is only happening in the North-West of England (where there are a lot of firms and a lot of vacancies)…but it is looking like we could be seeing the start of a genuine driver shortage.
With CPC renewals due in 2019…and a lot of guys in their 60’s won’t bother renewing them. Also Brexit (hopefully) and an end to the tide of EE’s to
fill the gaps. Things look to be finally changing in Drivers’ favour. Firms will have to increase wages and improve conditions to keep their drivers.Does look like we are beginning to see the start of a real driver shortage.
Must be a regional shortage.
After all you are close to ellesmere port so plenty of drivers will be doing adr work and this also up the hourly pay rate.
No shortage of drivers in the Nottinghamshire, just a shortage of good firms to work for. Agencies round are still expecting drivers to do class 1 for £8.50 an hour.
Hank Hill:
Must be a regional shortage.
After all you are close to ellesmere port so plenty of drivers will be doing adr work and this also up the hourly pay rate.
No shortage of drivers in the Nottinghamshire, just a shortage of good firms to work for. Agencies round are still expecting drivers to do class 1 for £8.50 an hour.
£8.50 an hour is truly shocking!! Most 7.5 tonnes drivers in the north-west are on more than that!
Very rare to see a Class 1 nights job in the north-west on less than £10 -£11 an hour. Most pay around £12-£14 an hour for nights.
Like I said earlier maybe this shortage of drivers, particularly night drivers…is only happening in the north-west? After all virtually every
large haulage firm in the UK, and every large retailer/parcel/fuel firm has at least one depot/hub in the north-west.
Yet there are parts of the country (Devon/Cornwall spring to mind) where there are not very many HGV firms or jobs.
Devon pay rates are around £9 ph class 1 .I was thinking of moving ,until i found that out .House prices are so high ,I would need to live in a caravan to survive .
The driver shortage is down to greed nothing else .I see many firms have trucks sat in the yards ,It is not down to not enough drivers ,It is down to greedy penny pinchers .
I am better off in a 7.5 tonner than in an artic in Coventry.
I am out of work because I simply will not work for just above nmw. I keep getting offered tramping at £500 in my bank .Do the maths … 
Lancsdriver70:
It’s Saturday - Tuesday Nights. 4 on 3 off.Like I said, there are no vacancies at our place on days, but 20+ vacancies on nights.
Apparently quite a lot of other firms in the north-west are having trouble filling night-trunking vacancies.
And you can’t understand why you can’t get night drivers■■? For that money■■? 
That £592 if a full 48 hours works out at £12.33 an hour.
Whilst it would be so so for Mon to Thu nights, but including Sat and Sun nights one can see why these companies can’t get drivers.
Lancsdriver70:
mrginge:
Lancsdriver70:
Wages at my firm are not bad at all. I get £592 per week (gross), that’s £30,784 p.a., for working just 4 x 12 hrs nights a week.If I work a 5th shift some weeks for agency, I’m grossing well over £700 per week…yet we are still around 20 drivers short on nights!
Is the 4 nights Friday to Monday or 4 on 4 off? Because then it’s definitely the pay keeping your firm 20 drivers short.
If it’s Monday to Thursday it would be better then alot of adverts I have seen from the big logistical solutions delivering winners types.
It’s Saturday - Tuesday Nights. 4 on 3 off.
Like I said, there are no vacancies at our place on days, but 20+ vacancies on nights.
Apparently quite a lot of other firms in the north-west are having trouble filling night-trunking vacancies.
Good grief! It actually includes weekend working too!
£12.33 for night shift was hard enough to believe.
But for working every Saturday and Sunday night ? Nah,don’t believe it,think we got a troll here.
Neverstress:
£12.33 for night shift was hard enough to believe.
But for working every Saturday and Sunday night ? Nah,don’t believe it,think we got a troll here.
No certainly not a troll.
This is my first ever permanent job since passing Class 1 in May. I took the job as my firm accept newly-passed drivers…and the vast
majority of firms don’t. There are around 30 other drivers at our place on the same Sat-Tue nightshifts as me, and on the same money.
Granted most are either newly-passed, inexperienced british drivers…in their first ever permanent Class 1 job, like myself…or they are EE’s.
I suppose the wages seem ok to me because only a few months ago I was a Class 2 multi-drop driver earning just £9.50 per hour…and now I get £12.33
per hour.
My original point was though…that there is a shortage of drivers who are willing to do Class 1 nights, particularly at weekends. My firm is far from
being alone in struggling to fill vacancies on Class 1 nightshifts. Other firms that I’ve worked for for the agencies on nights, are always complaining
about being short of night trunkers, and are regularly having to fail/cancel night loads/trunks …for lack of drivers.
Lancsdriver70:
My original point was though…that there is a shortage of drivers who are willing to do Class 1 nights, particularly at weekends. My firm is far from
being alone in struggling to fill vacancies on Class 1 nightshifts. Other firms that I’ve worked for for the agencies on nights, are always complaining
about being short of night trunkers, and are regularly having to fail/cancel night loads/trunks …for lack of drivers.
…or for lack of money to get people interested and signed up.
mrginge:
Lancsdriver70:
My original point was though…that there is a shortage of drivers who are willing to do Class 1 nights, particularly at weekends. My firm is far from
being alone in struggling to fill vacancies on Class 1 nightshifts. Other firms that I’ve worked for for the agencies on nights, are always complaining
about being short of night trunkers, and are regularly having to fail/cancel night loads/trunks …for lack of drivers.…or for lack of money to get people interested and signed up.
^^^^^ Correct. Who are you on for Lancs? Name & shame time Considering I live & work round the corner from you (Warrington), I may have already worked for them.
mrginge:
Lancsdriver70:
My original point was though…that there is a shortage of drivers who are willing to do Class 1 nights, particularly at weekends. My firm is far from
being alone in struggling to fill vacancies on Class 1 nightshifts. Other firms that I’ve worked for for the agencies on nights, are always complaining
about being short of night trunkers, and are regularly having to fail/cancel night loads/trunks …for lack of drivers.…or for lack of money to get people interested and signed up.
This. Still desperately clinging on to the pre-brexit rates bless.
Lancsdriver70:
Neverstress:
£12.33 for night shift was hard enough to believe.
But for working every Saturday and Sunday night ? Nah,don’t believe it,think we got a troll here.No certainly not a troll.
This is my first ever permanent job since passing Class 1 in May. I took the job as my firm accept newly-passed drivers…and the vast
majority of firms don’t. There are around 30 other drivers at our place on the same Sat-Tue nightshifts as me, and on the same money.Granted most are either newly-passed, inexperienced british drivers…in their first ever permanent Class 1 job, like myself…or they are EE’s.
I suppose the wages seem ok to me because only a few months ago I was a Class 2 multi-drop driver earning just £9.50 per hour…and now I get £12.33
per hour.My original point was though…that there is a shortage of drivers who are willing to do Class 1 nights, particularly at weekends. My firm is far from
being alone in struggling to fill vacancies on Class 1 nightshifts. Other firms that I’ve worked for for the agencies on nights, are always complaining
about being short of night trunkers, and are regularly having to fail/cancel night loads/trunks …for lack of drivers.
It’s what the bosses call market forces when it suits them…
eagerbeaver:
^^ Correct. Who are you on for Lancs? Name & shame time Considering I live & work round the corner from you (Warrington), I may have already worked for them.
I’m sure you must pass dozens of our trucks every day EB. They are a major retailer with blue and orange trailers…and mostly 16.0 ft double deckers!
You worked for them EB?
Lancsdriver70:
eagerbeaver:
^^ Correct. Who are you on for Lancs? Name & shame time Considering I live & work round the corner from you (Warrington), I may have already worked for them.I’m sure you must pass dozens of our trucks every day EB. They are a major retailer with blue and orange trailers…and mostly 16.0 ft double deckers!
You worked for them EB?
Speke up man, I can’t hear you 
And no, I haven’t worked for them. But I’ve played golf with their distribution director before now 
Shortage of drivers that want to do nights at weekends ? Not if the money is right.
Shortage of drivers that want to do nights at weekdays for £12 an hour ? Off course.On weekends ? Go figure.
I can see why drivers pay are still so bad when there’s people willing to work for this “pay”.£12 an hour should be the minimum on day shift,on weekdays.
But it’s supply and demand,if they need more drivers they will have to pay accordingly,if they have enough the pay stays where it is.
eagerbeaver:
Speke up man, I can’t hear you
excellent!!
This household here would move up north like a shot - if it were not for two simple flies in the ointment:
(1) We can’t flog our house here and get a like for like house in the North West without paying a huge negative equity difference. Cheap housing is where the jobs are not at, and if you want something in the Golden Triangle area - the houses seem to be top dollar for anything beyond a flea pit.
(2) The jobs up north don’t pay as much as the same jobs pay down here in Kent.
I’m currently on about £12.85ph for a full time job, with agencies now paying £14.75 to send people in there the last time I checked their rates.
Can agencies in the North West say that is “Average”?
There are agencies putting drivers into London that are paying £15-£18ph for weekday nights, but only during peak seasons. That’s why the job would still be agency, if I were to be a cynic here.
If I were to put my more optimistic hat on, I could also argue that places like Asda, Erith paying those kind of rates Last christmas run-up - were more about “driver shortage” than “heavy work demand”… Most likely, it’s a mixture of both of course. 