ajt:
Radar19:
Agency lads seem to get the worse of it.Because their [zb]
in your opinion,met one or two anti agency muppets myself,i soon tell them what I think of them,and they don’t like it,nine times out of ten these anti agency muppets are all mouth
truckman020:
ajt:
Radar19:
Agency lads seem to get the worse of it.Because their [zb]
in your opinion,met one or two anti agency muppets myself,i soon tell them what I think of them,and they don’t like it,nine times out of ten these anti agency muppets are all mouth
I’m anti agency but not anti agency driver, so does that include me?
Back to the OP, I agree with what Connor and most others have said, take a pride in my work and appearance, be polite to everyone from the CEO to the grunt on the gate.
I decide where, what shifts/runs and my rate, there are also companies I will drive for and others I wouldn’t touch for any money.
I very rarely have any problems and don’t back down if I’m in the right. If I think something could be done better I don’t wade in with both feet ■■■■■■ and jeffing, I ask why something is done a particular way (in case there’s a consideration I don’t know about) and then ask have you thought about maybe…
Winseer:
I suggest therefore that being treated badly is an endemic thing among larger haulage firms these days.
They do perceive you as merely a piece of meat with a pound sign - because that’s all we are to them.
They see someone with “previous” as a better prospect, because they’ll bend over backwards to keep their noses clean, won’t be complicated employees, and won’t be answering back and making waves all the time - like I might do - intended or not.
The company who I work for and am loving working for that has people queuing up to work there has a turnover of £1,000,000,000. Yes, £1Bn. The whole fleet runs double shifted. It has hundreds of trailers, I forget how many but we have over 200 just on our site alone, there’s two more large sites plus all those out with Wincanton depots as well. Its just renewed its entire fleet of units over the last few months, the trailers are following. Drivers do gripe there but its about the most petty things. I griped the other day because the day driver hadn’t washed the unit. The driver I did a change over with griped because I’d not checked every single ratchet on the unit I was giving him. The gripes are over petty things but you don’t see anyone leaving other than by illness or retirement.
I’ve admittedly only worked for a few large companies and the ratio of good to bad has been 2:1.
Having worked on both sides of the fence as both Driver and TM & OD, I learnt a very valuable lesson, if you want to gain RESPECT THEN YOU HAVE TO EARN IT, The other lesson is if you are being treated with disrespect for no reason, then JACK IT and go some where better especially in this day and age where GOOD drivers are at a premium, if your good at what you do then there is a good job out there to suite you… 
robroy:
truckman020:
ajt:
Radar19:
Agency lads seem to get the worse of it.Because their [zb]
in your opinion,met one or two anti agency muppets myself,i soon tell them what I think of them,and they don’t like it,nine times out of ten these anti agency muppets are all mouth
I’m anti agency but not anti agency driver, so does that include me?
no not at all ,I am talking about the ones who openly slag off agency drivers while standing in front of them,fortunately they are only a minority
caledoniandream:
but is there a union that could have the b…s to stand up and say?
First day joined / first post, mention the Unions, try to sell something??
When I started working a long while ago, my old man who ran a successful business, teached me one important lesson:
If you Boss pays you, he doesn’t need to thank you, if you done the work, you don’t need to say thank you for the money.We are all prostitutes, we hire our body out to do some work, either on our back like the girls behind the window with red lights, or sitting upright behind the steering wheel, the principle is the same.
You name you price, agree and get [zb] or do the job.
If you get underpaid than you have a wrong agreement.
If your Boss don’t cuddle you, talks nice to you, and you don’t like it, than you learnt a lesson and don’t come back.Having a moan here doesn’t change anything, vote with you feet, and go somewhere else for a better deal.
If you can’t get a better deal, you are maybe the smelly, fat, ugly prostitute where nobody as the most desperate want to pay for.
Don’t blame your Client (=Boss / Company / planner) because you have the choice to walk away, or otherwise you must accept that you are the ugly Duckling that nobody but the most deprived desperate want.
Unions don’t change anything for the better (they haven’t done anything for the last 20 years) people who vote with their feet change things, even if its only improving your own situation.
Grow a pear of balls, look In the mirror, act professional, grow up and deal with it.
taught !!!
Winseer:
I suggest therefore that being treated badly is an endemic thing among larger haulage firms these days.
My last job before I changed careers was working for DHL for about 5 years and it was the best job I ever had in the industry.
Treated fairly, trusted to get on with the job and minimal interference from the office because they knew if things weren’t going to plan they would be the first to know about it. Knew what I was doing well in advance and could go a whole week without even speaking to the boss. Rare occasion you needed time off a short notice because something had come up? You got it. Rare occasion he needed a favour from you because a situation had developed? He got it. A two way street of mutual respect and understanding.
Speak how you would like to be spoken to and treat people how you would like to be treated, simple rules of life IMO.
If I feel someone is speaking to me, or at me in a disrespectful manner then I will say something to make them aware, without trying to sound like an arse myself and be dragged to their level.
And it is amazing what a smile and polite attitude can gain even with the arsiest bellends we have to encounter 
Keep smiling, look interested and blag your best 
Something I’m seeing more of these days in RDCs is plastic portaloos for drivers. They spend tens of millions of pounds on these building yet they can’t provide us with even the most basic facilities.
There’s a few places I go to where they will flat out refuse to let you use their toilet citing security reasons etc. And they wonder why drivers are ■■■■■■■ up wheels.
Terry T:
Something I’m seeing more of these days in RDCs is plastic portaloos for drivers. They spend tens of millions of pounds on these building yet they can’t provide us with even the most basic facilities.
The problem is when driver’s have been provided with decent facilities in the past a minority abuse them so everyone gets tarred with the same brush and you end up with portaloos. The worst enemy of the driving job is unfortunately often the driver.
Conor:
Winseer:
I suggest therefore that being treated badly is an endemic thing among larger haulage firms these days.
They do perceive you as merely a piece of meat with a pound sign - because that’s all we are to them.
They see someone with “previous” as a better prospect, because they’ll bend over backwards to keep their noses clean, won’t be complicated employees, and won’t be answering back and making waves all the time - like I might do - intended or not.The company who I work for and am loving working for that has people queuing up to work there has a turnover of £1,000,000,000. Yes, £1Bn. The whole fleet runs double shifted. It has hundreds of trailers, I forget how many but we have over 200 just on our site alone, there’s two more large sites plus all those out with Wincanton depots as well. Its just renewed its entire fleet of units over the last few months, the trailers are following. Drivers do gripe there but its about the most petty things. I griped the other day because the day driver hadn’t washed the unit. The driver I did a change over with griped because I’d not checked every single ratchet on the unit I was giving him. The gripes are over petty things but you don’t see anyone leaving other than by illness or retirement.
I’ve admittedly only worked for a few large companies and the ratio of good to bad has been 2:1.
Sounds like a “Dead man’s shoes” job.
Radar19:
Conor:
Winseer:
I suggest therefore that being treated badly is an endemic thing among larger haulage firms these days.
They do perceive you as merely a piece of meat with a pound sign - because that’s all we are to them.
They see someone with “previous” as a better prospect, because they’ll bend over backwards to keep their noses clean, won’t be complicated employees, and won’t be answering back and making waves all the time - like I might do - intended or not.The company who I work for and am loving working for that has people queuing up to work there has a turnover of £1,000,000,000. Yes, £1Bn. The whole fleet runs double shifted. It has hundreds of trailers, I forget how many but we have over 200 just on our site alone, there’s two more large sites plus all those out with Wincanton depots as well. Its just renewed its entire fleet of units over the last few months, the trailers are following. Drivers do gripe there but its about the most petty things. I griped the other day because the day driver hadn’t washed the unit. The driver I did a change over with griped because I’d not checked every single ratchet on the unit I was giving him. The gripes are over petty things but you don’t see anyone leaving other than by illness or retirement.
I’ve admittedly only worked for a few large companies and the ratio of good to bad has been 2:1.
Sounds like a “Dead man’s shoes” job.
FOMOCO?
m1cks:
Radar19:
Conor:
Winseer:
I suggest therefore that being treated badly is an endemic thing among larger haulage firms these days.
They do perceive you as merely a piece of meat with a pound sign - because that’s all we are to them.
They see someone with “previous” as a better prospect, because they’ll bend over backwards to keep their noses clean, won’t be complicated employees, and won’t be answering back and making waves all the time - like I might do - intended or not.The company who I work for and am loving working for that has people queuing up to work there has a turnover of £1,000,000,000. Yes, £1Bn. The whole fleet runs double shifted. It has hundreds of trailers, I forget how many but we have over 200 just on our site alone, there’s two more large sites plus all those out with Wincanton depots as well. Its just renewed its entire fleet of units over the last few months, the trailers are following. Drivers do gripe there but its about the most petty things. I griped the other day because the day driver hadn’t washed the unit. The driver I did a change over with griped because I’d not checked every single ratchet on the unit I was giving him. The gripes are over petty things but you don’t see anyone leaving other than by illness or retirement.
I’ve admittedly only worked for a few large companies and the ratio of good to bad has been 2:1.
Sounds like a “Dead man’s shoes” job.
FOMOCO?
m1cks:
Winseer:
I’m sick of being unfairly treated.Are you really sure of that?
Maybe this is the problem. A lot of your posts you always come across as the victim. In my (limited) experience, this attitude reflects when you are being interviewed and questioned by potential employers.
Having a positive attitude not only makes you feel more confident, it makes you seem more enthusiastic to others and generally people will give you more of their time. Just read some of the inspiring posts from the new drivers here who have gone out and found good jobs (and not NMW ones) just by sheer enthusiasm and attitude.
Good luck with your next opportunity.
If I had a bit more success, then perhaps I’d have confidence come to me. That applies to anyone I should think. Years ago I tried the bootlicking approach, but the guy who knew the boss still pushed me into second place (not ever last place!) but of course getting a job is a “win only” situation. A miss is as good as a mile.
The only successful job interview I ever had (Summer 1987) had me practically begging for the firm to disregard my education background outright. At that point, I’d yet to have a job earning the same as the bloke working next to me since I’d left school in '82. I got tested on detail and accuracy instead, and got the job… Prepared to learn as a newbie went in my favour.
The trouble now as a middle aged guy - It’s not going to be easy for me to “pretend to be a school leaver apprentice” all over again.
All the other situations - I’ve tried to hide the fact that I’m crap at competing at interview stage. I accept deep character flaws as the reason. I don’t get any kind of hand-up though, and when it comes to interviewing the likes of me - suddenly everyone’s an expert psychologist who’d rather not employ me, in case I being “different” in some way makes me a liability for the firm.
I like to be tested on any aspect of actually doing a job. Interviewer’s technique never seems to worry about that these days though. I apply for jobs where a “coronation” is the likelyhood.
Ie. there’s no one else, or very few other applicants for whatever reason.
Coming second in a two-horse race though really hurts, and I’m just fed up with having to be “loser” as usual. I don’t exude negativity until that outcome occurs though. I attend interview as if I’ve already got the job, and I’m going to be told about the process of “coming aboard” as it were. I await eagerly the next time an interview goes as well as the one I had in 1987. I hope I live long enough to see that day!
Contraflow:
Winseer:
Me “waffling on” however does result in me failing at interview stage in over 99% of all interviews I’ve attended.Do you take print outs of irrelevant Google Street View images to these interviews too?
This is the sort of snide remark I’ve come to expect from the types that have stepped on my feet all my life.
What relevance does something done as a personal habit on this board have to what’s being talked about here - except “just another barb to stick into Winseer” eh?
Do you sneer at me if I wear brown boots instead of black too? - or perhaps scoff because I hate football?
I get irritated by multiple spelling mistakes in posts for example… But I accept that most people don’t give a ■■■■ about poor typing skills. Why then, should anyone give a hoot about what pics I stick up with my posts? Some moan that I post too much to take in? Do you slag off these “Road Diary” posts by others as well? If you did, then at least I’d know then not to take any snide remarks personally… It’ll just be one of your personal habits not aimed at anyone in particular…
There seem to be too many drivers who are on a mission in life to be as obnoxious as possible to any planner, TM or goods in staff they come into contact with and treat company equipment with total disregard for others who have to use it after them, they’re are then surprised that they are treated like [zb] by the very same people. 
When I’ve been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of their rants I’ve been far to polite to say what I really think, that is they’re an obnoxious, inbred, who is obviously missed out on their share of the family brain cell. 
Sadly, alot of drivers are their own worst enemies…
truckman020:
ajt:
Radar19:
Agency lads seem to get the worse of it.Because their [zb]
in your opinion,met one or two anti agency muppets myself,i soon tell them what I think of them,and they don’t like it,nine times out of ten these anti agency muppets are all mouth
Not anti agency, just anti ‘‘can’t be ar5ed to do a decent job or look after the motor cos i’m only agency’’ anti. Unfortunately 99.9% of the ones we use / had fall into this category.
Coffeeholic:
Terry T:
Something I’m seeing more of these days in RDCs is plastic portaloos for drivers. They spend tens of millions of pounds on these building yet they can’t provide us with even the most basic facilities.The problem is when driver’s have been provided with decent facilities in the past a minority abuse them so everyone gets tarred with the same brush and you end up with portaloos. The worst enemy of the driving job is unfortunately often the driver.
Unfortunately you’re right. The state our trucks get in is a disgrace and our bogs are just as bad. Remember at school when it was really funny to block the bogs up with toilet paper. Well I don’t think half the workers at our place have ever grown out of it. Blocked up purposely every week.
Radar19:
Ford Motor Company 
