ok as you may know i became TM recently
I have had one driver leave and employed another who has also left
both promised me the world
Now the thing is i have 14 others who are able to do the job - and i am getting disheartened with the BS
I don’t Bull ■■■■ the job up
I tell it like it is - as i was there - you must work hard its simple
Why don’t these drivers listen - i don’t have a probelm with them as long as they work - but it seems when they leave i am the biggest A hole in the world
the first didn’t like the hours - the second was a Lay By Lill
how many stops do you need from Port Talbot to Harwich ? 1 maybe 2 —ok
but 4 ? when i ask why you stopping so much i get the full on treatment and abuse
is it too much to ask - for a decent amount of work for a decent wage ?
I am getting a bit peed off - is it me ■■
be honest =-
cheers
Steve
If your avatar means what I think it means then I’m not surprised…
people dont want to be stripping them scabby old trailers down that you pull, or taking all them boards out, they want nice clean rdc work, uniform, pension and all that goes with it. i used to do a lot of the kind of work you do,( i know what you do as i live 10mins from your yard, to be honest id rather still be doing it, but theres no day work doing it unless i live at felixstowe) and the old drivers who were there in my day just plod on at the same company theyve always been at, and the new drivers try it and dont like it, cos it involves getting yer hands dirty and working hard. i dont think its you mate, i think its just the way it is now.
Its a sad reality that there are more work-shy, ■■■■-poor drivers around than there are good honest ones. I have found that every 10 you employ about twenty to 30% will be any good. There are plenty around that like the sound of a job, but very few who like to work for a living and carry-out the job as required. Not to mention those who think theft of fuel and items from the load is a ‘perk’.
As I don’t employ anyone other than British drivers, I don’t know whether this is the reason so many mainland EU drivers have a foot-hold in the UK market - perhaps they have a work ethic that’s been bred out of the British!
kindle530:
people dont want to be stripping them scabby old trailers down that you pull, or taking all them boards out, they want nice clean rdc work, uniform, pension and all that goes with it. i used to do a lot of the kind of work you do,( i know what you do as i live 10mins from your yard, to be honest id rather still be doing it, but theres no day work doing it unless i live at felixstowe) and the old drivers who were there in my day just plod on at the same company theyve always been at, and the new drivers try it and dont like it, cos it involves getting yer hands dirty and working hard. i dont think its you mate, i think its just the way it is now.
Getting ones hands dirty and working hard can be done, but not for the same monies as straight trunking to RDCs where you don’t even have to touch the load. I’d want at least triple the wages of no-touch RDC work to even consider stripping down tilts, and it would seem that the majority of drivers down that neck of the woods feel the same.
It’s about time that these companies stuck in the 80s with their knackered tilt trailers got with the times and started using tautliners and pallets like everyone else manages to do.
Whats wrong with stopping 4 times from Port Talbot to Harwich then gm?
The Elizabeth ii Regina could be significant rob, if he served in the Cadets or the Military or even the nice plod 
Most probably Royal Engineers though if my research is correct 
Is it relevant that you can drive a pedestrian controlled mower too?
But four stops seems rather excessive if the load is a rush job. I would probably take only two.
It’s not you expecting too much, the problem is there is not too many people out there who want to do an honest days graft for an honest days pay. That is why i work for myself and will never expand to more than one lorry. I used to work with you years ago and you were always a worker, the trouble is not everybody is willing to graft as hard as you.
gm:
ok as you may know i became TM recently
I have had one driver leave and employed another who has also left
both promised me the world
Now the thing is i have 14 others who are able to do the job - and i am getting disheartened with the BS
I don’t Bull [zb] the job up
I tell it like it is - as i was there - you must work hard its simple
Why don’t these drivers listen - i don’t have a probelm with them as long as they work - but it seems when they leave i am the biggest A hole in the world
the first didn’t like the hours - the second was a Lay By Lill
how many stops do you need from Port Talbot to Harwich ? 1 maybe 2 —ok
but 4 ? when i ask why you stopping so much i get the full on treatment and abuse
is it too much to ask - for a decent amount of work for a decent wage ?
I am getting a bit peed off - is it me ■■
be honest =-
cheers
Steve
An interesting post
Was the four stops on only one occasion■■?
A quick multimap check says Port Talbot to Harwich at just under 280 miles
My personal feeling with reasonable traffic conditions it should be achievable
in around eight hours driving.With correctly planned breaks no more than two
should required.
The Boys Own:
gm:
ok as you may know i became TM recently
I have had one driver leave and employed another who has also left
both promised me the world
Now the thing is i have 14 others who are able to do the job - and i am getting disheartened with the BS
I don’t Bull [zb] the job up
I tell it like it is - as i was there - you must work hard its simple
Why don’t these drivers listen - i don’t have a probelm with them as long as they work - but it seems when they leave i am the biggest A hole in the world
the first didn’t like the hours - the second was a Lay By Lill
how many stops do you need from Port Talbot to Harwich ? 1 maybe 2 —ok
but 4 ? when i ask why you stopping so much i get the full on treatment and abuse
is it too much to ask - for a decent amount of work for a decent wage ?
I am getting a bit peed off - is it me ■■
be honest =-
cheers
SteveAn interesting post
Was the four stops on only one occasion■■?
A quick multimap check says Port Talbot to Harwich at just under 280 miles
My personal feeling with reasonable traffic conditions it should be achievable
in around eight hours driving.With correctly planned breaks no more than two
should required.
What speed do you go at? 
It’s limiter for 80% of the route so why would it only be achievable in around 8 hours driving?
It’s a 1 stop journey; 2 for those that don’t like doing more than a couple of hours driving without a break. I could accept a 3rd stop for a ■■■■ or if the traffic was badly congested, but 4 stops is taking the ■■■■ unless the driver has got a medical problem or been on the curry last night.
Rob K:
The Boys Own:
gm:
ok as you may know i became TM recently
I have had one driver leave and employed another who has also left
both promised me the world
Now the thing is i have 14 others who are able to do the job - and i am getting disheartened with the BS
I don’t Bull [zb] the job up
I tell it like it is - as i was there - you must work hard its simple
Why don’t these drivers listen - i don’t have a probelm with them as long as they work - but it seems when they leave i am the biggest A hole in the world
the first didn’t like the hours - the second was a Lay By Lill
how many stops do you need from Port Talbot to Harwich ? 1 maybe 2 —ok
but 4 ? when i ask why you stopping so much i get the full on treatment and abuse
is it too much to ask - for a decent amount of work for a decent wage ?
I am getting a bit peed off - is it me ■■
be honest =-
cheers
SteveAn interesting post
Was the four stops on only one occasion■■?
A quick multimap check says Port Talbot to Harwich at just under 280 miles
My personal feeling with reasonable traffic conditions it should be achievable
in around eight hours driving.With correctly planned breaks no more than two
should required.
What speed do you go at?
It’s limiter for 80% of the route so why would it only be achievable in around 8 hours driving?
It’s a 1 stop journey; 2 for those that don’t like doing more than a couple of hours driving without a break. I could accept a 3rd stop for a ■■■■ or if the traffic was badly congested, but 4 stops is taking the ■■■■ unless the driver has got a medical problem or been on the curry last night.
Oh Dear ! I’m agreeing with Rob 
280 miles in 8 hours is an average of 35mph !!! should be able to do it in 6 easily 
Denis F:
Rob K:
The Boys Own:
gm:
ok as you may know i became TM recently
I have had one driver leave and employed another who has also left
both promised me the world
Now the thing is i have 14 others who are able to do the job - and i am getting disheartened with the BS
I don’t Bull [zb] the job up
I tell it like it is - as i was there - you must work hard its simple
Why don’t these drivers listen - i don’t have a probelm with them as long as they work - but it seems when they leave i am the biggest A hole in the world
the first didn’t like the hours - the second was a Lay By Lill
how many stops do you need from Port Talbot to Harwich ? 1 maybe 2 —ok
but 4 ? when i ask why you stopping so much i get the full on treatment and abuse
is it too much to ask - for a decent amount of work for a decent wage ?
I am getting a bit peed off - is it me ■■
be honest =-
cheers
SteveAn interesting post
Was the four stops on only one occasion■■?
A quick multimap check says Port Talbot to Harwich at just under 280 miles
My personal feeling with reasonable traffic conditions it should be achievable
in around eight hours driving.With correctly planned breaks no more than two
should required.
What speed do you go at?
It’s limiter for 80% of the route so why would it only be achievable in around 8 hours driving?
It’s a 1 stop journey; 2 for those that don’t like doing more than a couple of hours driving without a break. I could accept a 3rd stop for a ■■■■ or if the traffic was badly congested, but 4 stops is taking the ■■■■ unless the driver has got a medical problem or been on the curry last night.
Oh Dear ! I’m agreeing with Rob
280 miles in 8 hours is an average of 35mph !!! should be able to do it in 6 easily
In response to the above journey it could probably be done in six hours as mentioned
I have taken the side of caution to allow for the operator, who may have his vehicles limited to
85 kph(52mph) and as i said multimap routed me down the M4 onto M25 and up the A12 to
A120.To Cover 280 miles in six hours requires an average of 47mph This is achievable
on some of the M4 as everyone knows,but some of the M4 all the M25 and A12 can be a lottey at the wrong time of day.
Perhaps a compromise to seven hours!!! 40 mph average
Rob K:
kindle530:
people dont want to be stripping them scabby old trailers down that you pull, or taking all them boards out, they want nice clean rdc work, uniform, pension and all that goes with it. i used to do a lot of the kind of work you do,( i know what you do as i live 10mins from your yard, to be honest id rather still be doing it, but theres no day work doing it unless i live at felixstowe) and the old drivers who were there in my day just plod on at the same company theyve always been at, and the new drivers try it and dont like it, cos it involves getting yer hands dirty and working hard. i dont think its you mate, i think its just the way it is now.Getting ones hands dirty and working hard can be done, but not for the same monies as straight trunking to RDCs where you don’t even have to touch the load. I’d want at least triple the wages of no-touch RDC work to even consider stripping down tilts, and it would seem that the majority of drivers down that neck of the woods feel the same.
It’s about time that these companies stuck in the 80s with their knackered tilt trailers got with the times and started using tautliners and pallets like everyone else manages to do.
The P+O trailers i see everyday, at a customer of mine, are pretty decent, the drivers seem to be able to pull the curtains back, and remove the boards without too much difficulty
Even the strapping down of the PALLETS, doesnt take that long, and, the P+O trailers ive seen loading at the steel works in the past few weeks, all go through the roof, without too much hassle either.
Its a driver thing, you are attracting the “lay-by” inspector types, too many about at the moment 
Hi guys - yup i concur about the stopping - if its traffic then i have no problems with the driver nipping in the services to let it die down
saves on driving hours
this was blatently stopping every 2 hours and dragging the job out
Another of out drivers tipped newport / reloaded LLanelli and made Harwich and then our yard all in under 10 hours
This guy took all day for a port talbot to harwich and then parked at harwich even though his trailer was on dock !!
ok end of my post as he has actually resigned now - apparently i am a bit pushey lol
never mind i had 8 going for the job he left
new guy is ok - once he’s been on it a couple of weeks he’ll be well up to speed
thanks for the comments - really appreciated most just confirm what i thought
As to the driving - i was there just 2 months ago doing the same stuff -
could be i expect too much but i can’t ask the impossible can i ?
cheers
Steve
PS i am having my first two full days off this weekend since i started the job lol
so if any of mine are reading this don’t run out of time Friday lol cause you’ll be waiting for a long time to be driven home by me
cause i’ll be in my arm chair with a beer in y hand
Drivers - you get good and bad. they are after a job, but until they do it, they won’t know if they fit with the company and until they work for you, you’ve no idea until they’ve got some miles under their belt as to how good they are.
I just think you have to take the rough with the smooth. It’s not your fault, it’s not theirs.
i personally would love a job on ferry trailers. stripping tilts and side boards out would be a new and exciting challenge even in the ■■■■■■■ rain. ive no problem with getting stuck in. it would be bloody interesting and make a change from boxes.
I to would like the challenge of ferry trailers everyday game for a change
The offer of a new job sounds good to any driver looking for one or for a change so they take it with high hopes. A week or two later they have first-hand experience and know if it’s good or time to jack. That’s life.
It’s impossible to gauge 100% a driver’s suitability for a job until they do it, You need to live with guys coming into the seat and going back out again. I know a bloke who runs the same type of work as you with a handful of units and he has what I regard as a high driver turnover, due I suspect to the nature of tilt work.
Many drivers have an excellent work ethic but might not like your work and will therefore not be attracted to it at all or jack it in soon after starting, others will hang out of it and you will need to bag them.
Welcome to being the gaffer. I get the feeling from your post that you expected the TM’s job to be something other than what you now have?!
Scannyfanny:
The offer of a new job sounds good to any driver looking for one or for a change so they take it with high hopes. A week or two later they have first-hand experience and know if it’s good or time to jack. That’s life.It’s impossible to gauge 100% a driver’s suitability for a job until they do it, You need to live with guys coming into the seat and going back out again. I know a bloke who runs the same type of work as you with a handful of units and he has what I regard as a high driver turnover, due I suspect to the nature of tilt work.
Many drivers have an excellent work ethic but might not like your work and will therefore not be attracted to it at all or jack it in soon after starting, others will hang out of it and you will need to bag them.
Welcome to being the gaffer. I get the feeling from your post that you expected the TM’s job to be something other than what you now have?!
I agree, you are more mother hen + marriage guidence + financial advisor + Shoulder to cry on + potential punch bag [but there scared of the ■■■■■] + MOT organiser + best mate / most hated person, depending on the day and/or situation…Welcome to the wonderful world of Transport managment