It’s not just lorry driving, it’s everywhere. The checkout worker at the supermarket, smug coppers, bar staff, goods in staff, call centre mentality, … everyone seems to be ruder these days … even OLD people! When I was a youth the elderly used to be so polite and gracious. Now that they have passed on or been put in care homes the new generation of old people are as bad as the surly teenager.
No one seems to say please or thank you any more. It’s as if being polite is a sign of weakness.
Interesting replies. I have had my own business for the last 15 years (Not haulage) and am a victim of this recession. Sh*t happens I guess. Looking at ways to earn without tieing myself down to a full time job, I decided to get back on the road. I simply offered my services to a few local firms if they had any work, odd days etc rather than an agency. Its given me a chance to get my eye in and use a variety of trucks. They have enjoyed having someone on hand to call in emergency or rest days and its worked out ok. I dont think the money is too bad. Certainly better than working for myself recently.
I cant help but feel all these autos arent really driving but they certainly dont tire you out as much as manuals. I dont feel quite as in control with the autos. Comfort is exceptional in my opinion. I know everything has to change just saying its a shame with the attitudes.
DADDY LONGLEGS:
it’s called progress mate. Like I have said on here many times about rate cutting and drivers saying it is just part of the job. When will they OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THAT rate cutting cuts their wages? They say it’s okay for wincanton stobbies etc to cut rates. IT IS NOT!!! it is taking money out of drivers/warehouse persons pockets.
But that’s how a free market economy work. When I buy diesel, I buy it at the most favourable price I can, I don’t give a monkey’s how much the bloke on the till earns. Why would anybody else be any different?
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
So you never buy anything then?
I have to buy things; I don’t have to like it. If there’s one freedom the free market doesn’t give you, it’s the choice of whether to participate in it or not. So what is your point?
It’s not just lorry driving, it’s everywhere. The checkout worker at the supermarket, smug coppers, bar staff, goods in staff, call centre mentality, … everyone seems to be ruder these days … even OLD people! When I was a youth the elderly used to be so polite and gracious. Now that they have passed on or been put in care homes the new generation of old people are as bad as the surly teenager.
No one seems to say please or thank you any more. It’s as if being polite is a sign of weakness.
Thanks for reading
Is it any surprise people are ruder, when their lives are turning to ■■■■? It seems these days you can’t even get behind a checkout or a bar unless you’ve been to university and are happy to be treated like a robot. Robots don’t have feelings, and they don’t have manners.
Speaking of rudeness, I frequently visit my local Shell petrol station. There is this brilliant technology that allows you to pay at the pump with your card. It’s out of order for no obvious reason probably 75% of the time. I suspect it’s a ploy to get me into the shop, and as soon as I’m offered two chocolate bars for £1 (or whatever other overpriced tat), I make it perfectly clear that I’m angry at being manipulated, my time and attention wasted, and that I have no intention of purchasing anything from the shop. I probably seem quite rude. Perhaps the staff should take that as a cue to stop doing the things that make me rude.
Squiddy you are right I reckon the word RESPECT has disapeared never to return I retired about 7yrs ago and even in that time the amount of legislation and hassel that I see the present day driver has to contend with I am well pleased to be out of it.Eddie.
DADDY LONGLEGS:
it’s called progress mate. Like I have said on here many times about rate cutting and drivers saying it is just part of the job. When will they OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THAT rate cutting cuts their wages? They say it’s okay for wincanton stobbies etc to cut rates. IT IS NOT!!! it is taking money out of drivers/warehouse persons pockets.
But that’s how a free market economy work. When I buy diesel, I buy it at the most favourable price I can, I don’t give a monkey’s how much the bloke on the till earns. Why would anybody else be any different?
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
So you never buy anything then?
I have to buy things; I don’t have to like it. If there’s one freedom the free market doesn’t give you, it’s the choice of whether to participate in it or not. So what is your point?
it’s insurance renewal time, do you pay the renewal? or do you see if you can find someone to cut that rate?
Lonewolf Yorks:
I’ve also just gone back to it after a few years. Can’t say as I see much change.
Mind you I was nervous after not having driven an artic for a few years let alone 25! Did you do any refreshers?
Nope - a friend was in the same situation and had been driving for about a year and he really got me thinking about it. He asked the company he was covering if it would be okay for me to go out a day with him and they said no problem. I jumped in and crunched a few gears (They have a manual V Plate Volvo) and it didnt seem like 25 years. The next day they had an extra job to be done and asked me if I could do it. That was a bit nerve racking as the delivery wasnt straight forward plus I had to change three trailers. Made a couple of silly mistakes (Like parking the trailer the wrong way up a dead end and came back to it hemmed in ) had to jump out a couple of times on a couple of blind side reverses to just make sure I wasnt going to wipe anything out but all in all it just came back.
Like riding a bike I suppose (a long high bike though!!)
Pleased that you are enjoying your ‘new’ job and that you are coping ok. I finished ten years ago but still retain my license just in case my circumstances change but do wonder if I could go back to driving for a living. When I had my medical this year my Doctor asked me if I could remember how to do the job, and surprised me when he stated that after a couple of weeks holiday he had to ‘psyche’ himself up to be a Doctor again as he had got out of the habit so to speak! Quite scary really if somebody in his proffesion lacks confidence after that short time away from it.
midlifetrucker:
Due to a change in circumstances I have had to return to driving. After a break of 25 years I am once again behind the wheel of an Artic. I was a young man then, there wasnt any auto’s and nowhere near as much comfort. There was though a bit more respect and camaraderie. I am quite shocked at the manners and attitude of many of the drivers I have come across. Amazed at how other drivers seem to be more likely to video a driver struggling on a reverse than jump out and offer advice or guidance. Good to know that back door men and fork lift drivers are still the bunch of jumped up wonkers they always were.
Time moves on I guess.
Welcome back, the world has moved on, what you see in transport is a reflection of society in general.
Nobody has time for you anymore, they also lack the social skills that would make taking time to help a worthwhile thing, you have one thing the 5 minute veterans will never have, the title of “proper driver”
The funniest thing is, and I’m not too proud to admit it, I have cocked up a couple of reverses and when you jump out of the cab you get some strange looks as the onlooking drivers presume I am a wet behind the ears newbie.
DADDY LONGLEGS:
it’s called progress mate. Like I have said on here many times about rate cutting and drivers saying it is just part of the job. When will they OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THAT rate cutting cuts their wages? They say it’s okay for wincanton stobbies etc to cut rates. IT IS NOT!!! it is taking money out of drivers/warehouse persons pockets.
But that’s how a free market economy work. When I buy diesel, I buy it at the most favourable price I can, I don’t give a monkey’s how much the bloke on the till earns. Why would anybody else be any different?
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
So you never buy anything then?
I have to buy things; I don’t have to like it. If there’s one freedom the free market doesn’t give you, it’s the choice of whether to participate in it or not. So what is your point?
it’s insurance renewal time, do you pay the renewal? or do you see if you can find someone to cut that rate?
rate cutting works both ways is my point
Lol. I’d already answered that point, when I pointed out that this mutual rate-cutting really only benefits the bosses - in particular, the most irresponsible bosses (more responsible bosses are simply driven out, because responsibility tends to have short-term overheads). It certainly doesn’t benefit workers, for whom whatever they save in the shops, they lose in the workplace.
DADDY LONGLEGS:
it’s called progress mate. Like I have said on here many times about rate cutting and drivers saying it is just part of the job. When will they OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THAT rate cutting cuts their wages? They say it’s okay for wincanton stobbies etc to cut rates. IT IS NOT!!! it is taking money out of drivers/warehouse persons pockets.
But that’s how a free market economy work. When I buy diesel, I buy it at the most favourable price I can, I don’t give a monkey’s how much the bloke on the till earns. Why would anybody else be any different?
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
So you never buy anything then?
I have to buy things; I don’t have to like it. If there’s one freedom the free market doesn’t give you, it’s the choice of whether to participate in it or not. So what is your point?
it’s insurance renewal time, do you pay the renewal? or do you see if you can find someone to cut that rate?
rate cutting works both ways is my point
Lol. I’d already answered that point, when I pointed out that this mutual rate-cutting really only benefits the bosses - in particular, the most irresponsible bosses (more responsible bosses are simply driven out, because responsibility tends to have short-term overheads). It certainly doesn’t benefit workers, for whom whatever they save in the shops, they lose in the workplace.
so as you say yourself, we’re no worse off
so do you think everything should be sold on a rate basis?
DADDY LONGLEGS:
it’s called progress mate. Like I have said on here many times about rate cutting and drivers saying it is just part of the job. When will they OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THAT rate cutting cuts their wages? They say it’s okay for wincanton stobbies etc to cut rates. IT IS NOT!!! it is taking money out of drivers/warehouse persons pockets.
But that’s how a free market economy work. When I buy diesel, I buy it at the most favourable price I can, I don’t give a monkey’s how much the bloke on the till earns. Why would anybody else be any different?
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
So you never buy anything then?
I have to buy things; I don’t have to like it. If there’s one freedom the free market doesn’t give you, it’s the choice of whether to participate in it or not. So what is your point?
it’s insurance renewal time, do you pay the renewal? or do you see if you can find someone to cut that rate?
rate cutting works both ways is my point
Lol. I’d already answered that point, when I pointed out that this mutual rate-cutting really only benefits the bosses - in particular, the most irresponsible bosses (more responsible bosses are simply driven out, because responsibility tends to have short-term overheads). It certainly doesn’t benefit workers, for whom whatever they save in the shops, they lose in the workplace.
so as you say yourself, we’re no worse off
I didn’t say that. I was quite clear that the bosses are grabbing a bigger slice of the pie for themselves, because they win in the shops and in terms of their profits. Workers lose more in the workplace than they gain in the shops.
And I don’t merely have to theorise these consequences. The evidence itself shows, the rich in Britain have never been richer since the 1930s (the last time there were soup kitchens and massive unemployment, and rich claimed there was no money in the coffers, despite the subsequent affordability of WW2 and the public sector spending for decades afterwards), whilst those at the bottom have enjoyed 30 years of wage stagnation (whilst their productivity at work has increased massively, and their basic living costs have ballooned) and are finally, under austerity, actually suffering a real drop in their standard of living whilst the rich continue to grab an ever-larger slice of the pie.
stevieboy308:
so do you think everything should be sold on a rate basis?
I think people need to start fighting for their pay and conditions and reject the logic of the free market, because the logic of the free market is that the rich rob the poor to feed themselves. That is exactly what is happening now under austerity, where pay, conditions, public services, social and civil rights, are all being attacked to ‘restore the confidence of the markets’, by which they mean restore the confidence of the rich that they can continue to get richer and make the rest of us poorer.
What we really need is a debt jubilee, in which the existing parasitic and unaffordable claims of rich creditors are written off. What do you think is more important? That the rich who robbed us for the capital in the first place, are repaid with interest at the expense of our jobs, our publc services, and our civil rights, or do you think it is they who should have to forfeit their unjustified and unearned wealth?
midlifetrucker:
Due to a change in circumstances I have had to return to driving. After a break of 25 years I am once again behind the wheel of an Artic. I was a young man then, there wasnt any auto’s and nowhere near as much comfort. There was though a bit more respect and camaraderie. I am quite shocked at the manners and attitude of many of the drivers I have come across. Amazed at how other drivers seem to be more likely to video a driver struggling on a reverse than jump out and offer advice or guidance. Good to know that back door men and fork lift drivers are still the bunch of jumped up wonkers they always were.
Time moves on I guess.
Welcome back, the world has moved on, what you see in transport is a reflection of society in general.
Nobody has time for you anymore, they also lack the social skills that would make taking time to help a worthwhile thing, you have one thing the 5 minute veterans will never have, the title of “proper driver”
Hahahaha so when does a driver get the title of “proper driver” then? Is there some sort of initiation process one has to go through to get this title?
No one likes being taught to ■■■■ eggs. If I want directions to find an address I will ask, if I want someone seeing me reverse I will ask, if I want someone to do up my clips I will ask, if I want someone to take my number plate off the trailer I will ask. IT’S MY JOB!!!
I can appreciate people trying to help but instead of insisting why not ask first?? Do you need help with directions? Do you want me to see you out drive? Do you want me to do up your buckles? Shall I grab your number plate for you?
Insisting on helping is just as rude and patronising in my opinion.
ste87:
It certainly doesn’t benefit workers, for whom whatever they save in the shops, they lose in the workplace.
stevieboy308:
so as you say yourself, we’re no worse off
ste87:
I didn’t say that. I was quite clear that the bosses are grabbing a bigger slice of the pie for themselves, because they win in the shops and in terms of their profits. Workers lose more in the workplace than they gain in the shops.
And I don’t merely have to theorise these consequences. The evidence itself shows, the rich in Britain have never been richer since the 1930s (the last time there were soup kitchens and massive unemployment, and rich claimed there was no money in the coffers, despite the subsequent affordability of WW2 and the public sector spending for decades afterwards), whilst those at the bottom have enjoyed 30 years of wage stagnation (whilst their productivity at work has increased massively, and their basic living costs have ballooned) and are finally, under austerity, actually suffering a real drop in their standard of living whilst the rich continue to grab an ever-larger slice of the pie.
stevieboy308:
so do you think everything should be sold on a rate basis?
I think people need to start fighting for their pay and conditions and reject the logic of the free market, because the logic of the free market is that the rich rob the poor to feed themselves. That is exactly what is happening now under austerity, where pay, conditions, public services, social and civil rights, are all being attacked to ‘restore the confidence of the markets’, by which they mean restore the confidence of the rich that they can continue to get richer and make the rest of us poorer.
What we really need is a debt jubilee, in which the existing parasitic and unaffordable claims of rich creditors are written off. What do you think is more important? That the rich who robbed us for the capital in the first place, are repaid with interest at the expense of our jobs, our publc services, and our civil rights, or do you think it is they who should have to forfeit their unjustified and unearned wealth?
it sounds like you’ve really got a chip on your shoulder fella
The biggest change I have noticed is quality and standard of drivers. (not necessarily new drivers either) Over the last 20+yrs or so the job has been dumbed down so much that there are little to no skills required to do it and driving a modern truck today is as easy as driving a car, the problem that arises from this is that some bellends today do just that .Admittedly you never needed a degree in Science to be a driver, but as these skills have dwindled the job has attracted quite a lot of “drivers” who are at best lacking common sense and at worse bordering on special needs. However there are still a lot of new (and old) who are ok, but it’s only the dicks that stand out.
ste87:
Surely you can see, if the free market is something that leads to everybody’s wages going to rock bottom, then perhaps that isn’t a good thing?
It is a good thing as long, as thanks to wages going down, everything becames cheaper tu buy. The problem is when, as you rightly noticed:
The free market really only benefits owners, because owners are consumers but they are not workers (who are subject to oppressive working conditions and low pay in order to “serve consumers”).
when these savings of wages are not put into prices but stay’s in bosses pockets… This is where thigs go wrong, as rightly pointed by “Occupy Wall Street” “We are 99%” and other movements. But so far they failed to propose something better…
stevieboy308:
so as you say yourself, we’re no worse off
I didn’t say that. I was quite clear that the bosses are grabbing a bigger slice of the pie for themselves, because they win in the shops and in terms of their profits. Workers lose more in the workplace than they gain in the shops.
And I don’t merely have to theorise these consequences. The evidence itself shows, the rich in Britain have never been richer since the 1930s (the last time there were soup kitchens and massive unemployment, and rich claimed there was no money in the coffers, despite the subsequent affordability of WW2 and the public sector spending for decades afterwards), whilst those at the bottom have enjoyed 30 years of wage stagnation (whilst their productivity at work has increased massively, and their basic living costs have ballooned) and are finally, under austerity, actually suffering a real drop in their standard of living whilst the rich continue to grab an ever-larger slice of the pie.
stevieboy308:
so do you think everything should be sold on a rate basis?
I think people need to start fighting for their pay and conditions and reject the logic of the free market, because the logic of the free market is that the rich rob the poor to feed themselves. That is exactly what is happening now under austerity, where pay, conditions, public services, social and civil rights, are all being attacked to ‘restore the confidence of the markets’, by which they mean restore the confidence of the rich that they can continue to get richer and make the rest of us poorer.
What we really need is a debt jubilee, in which the existing parasitic and unaffordable claims of rich creditors are written off. What do you think is more important? That the rich who robbed us for the capital in the first place, are repaid with interest at the expense of our jobs, our publc services, and our civil rights, or do you think it is they who should have to forfeit their unjustified and unearned wealth?
it sounds like you’ve really got a chip on your shoulder fella
Indeed. Perhaps you look forward to slavery? Don’t get me wrong, there are always spineless lickspittles who won’t object to any depth of degradation, but it is as well that we don’t all think like that.
Quite scary really if somebody in his proffesion lacks confidence after that short time away from it. 
.Admittedly you never needed a degree in Science to be a driver, but as these skills have dwindled the job has attracted quite a lot of “drivers” who are at best lacking common sense and at worse bordering on special needs. However there are still a lot of new (and old) who are ok, but it’s only the dicks that stand out.