So as the title says, i’m getting increasingly frustrated at all this news regarding the so called Driver Shortages!
I am a Class 1 driver with 6 years of experience behind me, i have my HIAB and full ADR with all classes in tankers… i even went so far as to make a post on this forum advertising that i was seeking work ANYWHERE in the UK and i’m still stuck in unsecure agency work!
I have applied to a number of local companies and ADR firms both local and a bit further afield and i didn’t even get so much as a telephone call back. I’ve just read on the BBC website that Boris is allowing over 10,000 work visas for drivers abroad to fill in the gaps. I mean seriously? i’m just one person struggling, how many more are out there in a similar situation? Seems to me that all this driver shortage nonsense is just that, nonsense!
I hear reports of drivers across the country being offered in access of £50 per hour, yet in my local area, there is still jobs working full time hours 12 hours+ per day at £9 per hour. There is literally no incentive for me to step away from my current way of working (Agency) to work substantially more hours at significantly less money… I just don’t understand why companies are willing to pay big money to an agency instead of paying a decent living wage to drivers for less.
I’m about ready to step away from this industry and go find something else. In hindsight, the money i invested in my HGV, HIAB and ADR… i could have went into full time education and be earning double that of what i’m making now… that basically tells you everything you need to know about the current state of affairs doesn’t it!?
Bearing in mind that the Hiab ticket puts you in the frame for some of the worst quality work in the industry like site/yard labourer local multi drop class 2 driver which you just know will require loads of handball of heavy building materials.
As for the tanker driver stunt more like a false flag to push reluctant car users into EV’s to meet CO2 targets not much future for class 1 petrol tanker drivers in that agenda.
The driver ‘shortage’ is a lie just like all the other false labour shortages with the intention of rigging the labour market.
I’ll post my theory again that companies are reluctant to hire long term and those that do won’t offer any improved conditions compared to their existing drivers for obvious reasons. There’s plenty of well paid agency work with guaranteed hours daily or weekly, but every week could be your last. Perm positions from what I see (no ADR) are still going at £12-14 p.h. which is like half of what the agency offers.