Had a very heated debate this week with a driver from another firm who works on the same contract as me.
Work has gone quiet recently, mainly due to the weather, and due to the contracts at the plant I work from, I get the majority of the loads with the rest going to the other firms (even though I am employed by an outside contractor I am technically Tarmac’s own truck). This has produced a very heated reaction from one firms driver, saying I have nicked his work.
This all came to a head on Tuseday night. We were ‘discussing’ the work situation and he was berating my boss because we are paid on a % scheme, where as he is on a salary. He was insinuating that we run bent as we are always chasing the work (we have just passed a ministry inspection with only a minor fault in regard to the defect books), and that my boss could pay us a fixed wage and we wouldn’t be chasing the work.
The final straw for me was when he asked me why should I care what the truck earned, because apart from my wages, I would get no better thought of.
One of the plant staff had to step in before it got physical.
What is baffeling me is do any other drivers actually care how well the firm they work for is doing?
This guy works for a large company, and has the sod it I don’t care attitude. Where as I work for a guy with 3 trucks, and I am a third of the company, admitedly I have no vested intrest in if he makes a profit or not, but if he doesn’t my wages may drop, my job will be at risk, as will his lively hood.
Just puzzles me that people complain about the poor pay and conditions, and then start to take the proverbial, which in turn probably lowers the company income, and then keeps their wages low.
Not just you. Quite a few of us, Me included, will do all we can for a good boss to help the business grow. Because, if it goes bust, then we’re out of a job. If the boss is a complete [zb] then stuff it.
Henrys cat:
…What is baffeling me is do any other drivers actually care how well the firm they work for is doing?
This guy works for a large company, and has the sod it I don’t care attitude. Where as I work for a guy with 3 trucks, and I am a third of the company, admitedly I have no vested intrest in if he makes a profit or not, but if he doesn’t my wages may drop, my job will be at risk, as will his lively hood.
Just puzzles me that people complain about the poor pay and conditions, and then start to take the proverbial, which in turn probably lowers the company income, and then keeps their wages low.
Maybe its the size of the company thats the real issue. If a small company goes bust then there is every chance that the Boss will also loose his home as well as the job. Self employed can’t get unemployment benefits where as how many company directors get mega bucks bonuses, share options and pension contributions irrespective of the success of their companies.
Its seems to me to be a no brainer to want the company to be sucessful but if your boss gets a bonus that you don’t there doesn’t seem to be that big an incentive to bust a gut to help him
Depends who you are working for, but one of the pleasure’s of working for a small operator can be feeling part of the business.
I have worked for small operators who too be honest the industry would be better off without & I’ve worked for large companies where a company profit share scheme & a good local manager has made it profitable to care.
In general if I can do a fair days work for a fair days pay for a decent guy then I’m happy & when I’m happy I do my job better & put more into it.
CONCIDER YOURSELF LUCKY, NOT EVERYONE GETS A JOB THAT YOUCAN NOT ONLY ENJOY, BUT PUT SOMETHING BACK INTO.
I have always avoided working for a big company… I much prefer the smaller family run business’s where they know your name without having to think about it.
I am like you, Henry… I take a pride in my work and the equipment. I keep my unit clean and reguarly get the whole outfit washed (we don’t have a wash in the yard) and sweep the trailer out.
No, it aint just you Steve I always give my best to a company (as long as they aint total toss!), but drivers that do give a ■■■■ are thin on the ground it seems. But, lets be straight here, firms that really give a ■■■■ are ever rarer!
i agree with you steve, it’s pride in yourself mate.
i give 99% to my job (i save 1% for myself).
i don’t think that it would make any difference if you were paid a salary instead of a % or if you were paid by the hour, you would still feel the need to give it your all.
i get a salary pay structure so there is no benefit to me to be chasing my tail (so to speak) but i don’t slack off on the job because it doesn’t matter whether or not it gets done.
another company doing the same work as me pays it’s drivers a minimum wage plus mileage, whenever i pick up a trailer those drivers have had it almost always requires repair, mostly little things that either the driver could have done or would have taken just 20 or 30 minutes to do but they don’t care, they don’t sweep the trailers out, don’t pull the nails out of the floor and can’t be bothered to tuck the strap ends in on the curtains.
they don’t care where they fill up and often fill up where they benefit with points or gifts rather than where the boss would benefit.
it’s about the person and not the company that employs them, people that take pride in their work will move on if they don’t like the company or the way the company operates etc.
stick with it steve and tell that other driver to stuff off with his bad attitude, that it wouldn’t matter how you were paid you still wouldn’t be found bunking off in layby’s for hours on end.
Remember, that loyalty to a company works both ways. The employers need to recognise solid, reliable workers, and work with them. If other people feel so poorly treated that they need to get whatever freebies shell or esso are giving out this week, then that too says something.
