Theres definately a shift towards drivers favour, whether this is due to an upturn in the economy (yes the Consevatives always sort out Labours mess ).
Or its an illusion due to a mild panic of a driver shortage come September.
Some of the slack may be taken up by or EU cousins but that may be limited as some firms worry about these foreign folk turning up with a Swan Sandwich amongst other things.
Some sectors will not be bothered and just want bums on seats but those who need drivers to interact with the general population or promote a good local image may prefer someone who is a little fluent in the lingo and culture etc…apologies if this reads a bit Xenophobic but you should see me when I really get going
Time will tell and next year we may look back and say the dCPC was the best thing thats happened to us since internet ■■■■.
A couple of months ago when I made the decision I was leaving my current employer I applied for 4 driving positions, 3 said thanks but no thanks, one invited me for a driving assessment and that’s where I now work. In the last couple of weeks I’ve been contacted by the other 3 asking if I would like to go in for a driving assessment
In this part of the world (Staffordshire), it has certainly picked up a bit in all sectors, not just transport. This downturn has been going on for so damned long now, most of us have forgotten what it was like before then.
Companies are certainly taking on directly again now. Whilst it is not a flood of vacancies, it is certainly an encouraging sign. People working, earning decent money then spending that money to give work to others has to be good news…
How many of the so called new drivers have had their courses paid for by DSS and have no intention of driving as a career? Is it going to be a case of inexperienced drivers upping insurance, damage and fuel costs then being paid more than us guys who have been doing it for years?
A good Haulier will pay more for a good driver. Many have now learnt that cheap, inexperienced labour cost more in the long run.
You are missing the important bits, in the year to March 2014 44,937 tests were taken compared to 86,286 back in 2008/09, so there are 42,000 less tests per year now than 7 years ago, while there are only 16,000 a year taking their DCPC (combined HGV/PCV)
In the last 7 years, there has been a shortfall of 290,000 fewer tests in total.
Now lets couple that with the record year last year where more trucks were registered in the UK since records began, more than Germany for the first time, and yes we are looking at a shortage, no amount of EEU drivers can make up for the shortfall.
I see it down in the London area every day where plenty can’t fill the openings and wages have steadily been going North all year, you gotta be a right muppet not to make 700-800 a week down here, with loads of agency work paying 17-21 an hour and they can’t fill their openings either.
At our place we have had 7 consecutive pay rises since last summer and are due another one next month. Some of our units that were bought in the latest round of fleet expansion are still parked up, we just can’t get the drivers for them, at least not the ones we want…
wheelnutt:
You are missing the important bits, lets couple that with the record year last year where more trucks were registered in the UK ever, more than Germany for the first time, and yes we are looking at a shortage, no amount of EEU drivers can make up for the shortfall.
I see it down in the London area every day.
At our place we have had 7 consecutive pay rises since last summer and are due another one next month.
I usually do miss the important bits yes…
There might have been more trucks registered in the UK but I think it’s just a one off as most operators put off renewing their fleets for various reasons, I doubt many jobs were created though, just fleet replacements.
The London area doesn’t necessarily represent the rest of the country, it’s an exception
Lucky for you & your colleagues getting a pay rise, I’m struggling to find a good well paying job.
Pimpdaddy:
The London area doesn’t necessarily represent the rest of the country, it’s an exception
Lucky for you & your colleagues getting a pay rise, I’m struggling to find a good well paying job.
Only this week I have had 3 flyers, one from Ocado and 2 from Sainsbury’s with our grocery deliveries telling me of the “great opportunities” there for drivers, ASDA and Tesco trucks both have stickers on the back all over the place with phone numbers for drivers, and I know that ASDA pay 16 and hour, Tesco has some catching up to do at 14.40. There are countless billboards/trailers/sheds parked on the entry and exit roads here advertising for drivers, there are flyers on bus stops/street lights for agencies, the local papers are full of small and large ads for drivers.
I know of 3 big operators down here, one needs 400 drivers now, the other 2 want 200-250 now. Local depots of national companies are having to sub in as they are so short of drivers they can’t even man their own units and have to park them up.
wheelnutt:
I know of 3 big operators down here, one needs 400 drivers now, the other 2 want 200-250 now. Local depots of national companies are having to sub in as they are so short of drivers they can’t even man their own units and have to park them up.
London, aaaah, the city of great opportunities. I know of hauliers losing drivers every week & replacing them with agency, easy…
My TM was chatting to me yesterday & he reckons that the company will need to up their game on the wage/money & organisation front, if they want to retain good drivers, we’ve lost 5 drivers & Forkies in the last 2 weeks & I think that the management are finally waking up, at that rate we’ll have no one left to do their Palletline deliveries by the end of September. Even some of the agency drivers are refusing to work for us, Lol.
With Waitrose RDC opening next year, with any luck we should get a reasonable rise this year or Mr Viking might be looking elsewhere.
Hope you lads and lasses thinking of changing jobs are remembering how you were treated by certain companies when you were the unwanted unloved agency wallah during the last 7 or 8 years.
When they contact you now’s the time to enjoy that dish of cold revenge, you can recall in minute detail the threats, the innuendo, the bullying, the disdain you were treated with and by whom, its usually from jumped up little hitlers and very often, sadly, hitleresses on admin, let them know all about it and why you and everyone you know will not be working there.
Those of us who have been the agency bod have all had these experiences, usually happening at a time when we were powerless to do anything about it, well nows the time to put the boot back in.
Every time the agency i was with contacts me i remind them of their behaviour too.
Maybe it does no good, but letting them know you tell every driver you know the truth about their attitude and the way they treat people does register with them, they don’t like it up 'em Mr Mainwaring.
Juddian:
Hope you lads and lasses thinking of changing jobs are remembering how you were treated by certain companies when you were the unwanted unloved agency wallah during the last 7 or 8 years.
Me neither! When I was last with a local agency (1998) I was cancelled 4 nights in a row. All were 3am starts and I was cancelled each night separately at 2-30am.
I left them in no doubt as to where to stick their agency. He was well impressed.
If anyone interested Boughey Wardle Nantwich wants drivers add says working 5. Over7 pay £32,500 pension scheme etc I don’t know if they are good or bad just seen advert 01829 262200 nr Crewe.
).
steady on Dave 
