Last Monday I had had enough,ever increasing hours and decreasing money.planners who have never sat in a truck let alone drive one. At 64 that’s it. Monday was the last day of my working week. In went my notice along with a sick note for two weeks to cover the notice period.
After 40 years in the job I would consider myself reasonably experienced. Having done all the Uk. Europe, and running to Syria,Turkey, and Iran,in the1970s. That allowed me to pay the mortgage off in 1979 leaving enough to buy a second house for cash.
Any way I went in to the yard the following day to take all my gear back. The big Boss called me into the office for a leaving debrief. I told him ever increasing hours and decreasing wages. The trouble is these. Bosses haven’t twigged on there is a crisis coming over the horizon. His attitude is one of. I have 20 applications on my desk for blokes who want jobs.i put my cv out to a few agencies I may do the odd day to cover holiday spends ,but on my terms.the phone has never stopped ringing. If any body wants confirmation that there is a shortage coming. I would suggest that they look at the report done by Dr Ross Maloney director of intelligence strategy for Skills for Logistic. If you don’t want to read the report. Just go to section5 and read the conclusions .If any driver puts up with the dodo after Sept. They have only themselves to blame.
Enjoy your retirement, pick and choose what you want to do, with 40 years behind you, you deserve it.
The evidence includes:
- Employment of drivers is characterised by a large share of near-to retirement
workers (16 per cent of LGV drivers are 60 or over). - The number of individuals taking and passing their LGV test is declining year
on year. The last four year period saw a decline of 31 per cent down to
22,700 tests passed in 2010/11. - Less than half of the LGV and PCV tests passed have resulted in a Driver
Qualification Card enabling the individual to work professionally. - There are substantially more vacancies than candidates seeking a LGV
profession and as a result we are seeing wages growing faster for drivers
than employees across the economy. - There is a sub-optimal uptake of Driver CPC periodic training. It is predicted
that there will be a shortfall of 1.7 million training hours or nearly 250,000
seven hour training courses by 2014. - Currently only 8.2 per cent of professional drivers have received their Driver
Qualification Card after completing 35 hours worth of training. - No public funding or finance support for driver licence acquisition
sashmash:
Last Monday I had had enough,ever increasing hours and decreasing money.planners who have never sat in a truck let alone drive one. At 64 that’s it. Monday was the last day of my working week. In went my notice along with a sick note for two weeks to cover the notice period.
After 40 years in the job I would consider myself reasonably experienced. Having done all the Uk. Europe, and running to Syria,Turkey, and Iran,in the1970s. That allowed me to pay the mortgage off in 1979 leaving enough to buy a second house for cash.
Any way I went in to the yard the following day to take all my gear back. The big Boss called me into the office for a leaving debrief. I told him ever increasing hours and decreasing wages. The trouble is these. His attitude is one of. I have 20 applications on my desk for blokes who want jobs…
Once over your type of experience counted for a lot, and rightly so. He says he has 20 drivers waiting, I wonder how many of the 20 are “real drivers” , and how many are the “driver impersonator type” 
of which there are many…aka complete knobs, of which you and your experience are worth 20 of 
A licence does not a Driver make!
Good luck with the part timer/early retirement mate, I aint one bit jealous 
robroy:
sashmash:
Last Monday I had had enough,ever increasing hours and decreasing money.planners who have never sat in a truck let alone drive one. At 64 that’s it. Monday was the last day of my working week. In went my notice along with a sick note for two weeks to cover the notice period.
After 40 years in the job I would consider myself reasonably experienced. Having done all the Uk. Europe, and running to Syria,Turkey, and Iran,in the1970s. That allowed me to pay the mortgage off in 1979 leaving enough to buy a second house for cash.
Any way I went in to the yard the following day to take all my gear back. The big Boss called me into the office for a leaving debrief. I told him ever increasing hours and decreasing wages. The trouble is these. His attitude is one of. I have 20 applications on my desk for blokes who want jobs…Once over your type of experience counted for a lot, and rightly so. He says he has 20 drivers waiting, I wonder how many of the 20 are “real drivers” , and how many are the “driver impersonator type”
A licence does not a Driver make!Good luck with the part timer/early retirement mate, I aint one bit jealous
Agree with the above and it will become a major problem in 5 weeks time (if it isn’t already a problem!!). The first question to be asked at interview or during shortlisting: “Have you got your Driver Qualification Card?” - If the answer is no, regardless of experience, age, ability, driving record, general health & fitness, availability to start (I can start tomorrow sometimes ‘jumps the queue’) and whatever else used to get asked at job interviews will all become totally irrelevant. Or you will be invited back once you have your DQC in your wallet. So theoretically a newbie could be right at the top of the applications pile - just because he has his DQC…Not good!!!
Daz1970:
robroy:
sashmash:
Last Monday I had had enough,ever increasing hours and decreasing money.planners who have never sat in a truck let alone drive one. At 64 that’s it. Monday was the last day of my working week. In went my notice along with a sick note for two weeks to cover the notice period.
After 40 years in the job I would consider myself reasonably experienced. Having done all the Uk. Europe, and running to Syria,Turkey, and Iran,in the1970s. That allowed me to pay the mortgage off in 1979 leaving enough to buy a second house for cash.
Any way I went in to the yard the following day to take all my gear back. The big Boss called me into the office for a leaving debrief. I told him ever increasing hours and decreasing wages. The trouble is these. His attitude is one of. I have 20 applications on my desk for blokes who want jobs…Once over your type of experience counted for a lot, and rightly so. He says he has 20 drivers waiting, I wonder how many of the 20 are “real drivers” , and how many are the “driver impersonator type”
A licence does not a Driver make!Good luck with the part timer/early retirement mate, I aint one bit jealous
Agree with the above and it will become a major problem in 5 weeks time (if it isn’t already a problem!!). The first question to be asked at interview or during shortlisting: “Have you got your Driver Qualification Card?” - If the answer is no, regardless of experience, age, ability, driving record, general health & fitness, availability to start (I can star tomorrow sometimes ‘jumps the queue’) and whatever else used to get asked at job interviews will all become totally irrelevant. Or you will be invited back once you have your DQC in your wallet. So theoretically a newbie could be right at the top of the applications pile - just because he has his DQC…Not good!!!
Agreed, so God help us all But the agenda of the Authorities will have been met ie, The industry has been seen to be “Professionalised” so the image has been cleaned up, although in reality ■■■■ all has been done. And at the same time said authorities have made a lot of money out of it as well as the Instructor bandwagon artists.
Stevie B71:
- There are substantially more vacancies than candidates seeking a LGV
profession and as a result we are seeing wages growing faster for drivers
than employees across the economy.
Funny how I’m struggling to find a decent job:(
Enjoy your well earned retirement, Sashmash, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of work to pick and choose from.
Stevie B71:
Enjoy your retirement, pick and choose what you want to do, with 40 years behind you, you deserve it.The evidence includes:
- Less than half of the LGV and PCV tests passed have resulted in a Driver
Qualification Card enabling the individual to work professionally.
This surprises me, I’m sure that more than half the people who pass their test aren’t doing just to drive things like horseboxes. So that must mean that many drivers probably are driving without a DCPC. although this report was 2012, so thing might be slightly different.
My fear that if there is a proper driver shortage, instead of improving pay and conditions to attract the good drivers back and proper keen youngsters to do the job. They’ll just find any bunch of wasters and pay for their training, once these people are on the road they’ll further reduce the standards in road haulage.
sashmash:
His attitude is one of. I have 20 applications on my desk for blokes who want jobs.
Thats going to come back and haunt him in due course.
Best of luck with the semi retirement Sashmash, but i’ll make a little prediction here, during the next few months you’ll be offered something decent on a permanent basis, not all employers want 2 weeks work out of their people every week, its just a case of finding that decent place as they never advertise.
Hundreds of hours of classroom training mean nothing compared to your experience and record.
I was asked about my intentions when i get to retiring age, the company like to retain older workers, but i notice are very carefully selecting the odd younger driver with the right credentials when they appear, good sensible long term planning for the gradual transition as the older drivers retire…for what its worth, assuming i keep my health and licence i can carry on doing my job for donkeys years yet, i enjoy it so why not.
In its present form the DCPC should be binned.People such as Sashmash ought to be retained to mentor and train the new generation of real drivers.
alamcculloch:
In its present form the DCPC should be binned.People such as Sashmash ought to be retained to mentor and train the new generation of real drivers.
Yeh but the concencus of opinion from the drivers on here that have been in the job for 5mins , is that the older hands are less knowledgeable. (read most other dcpc threads) Just because these guys make it clear, while having to sit in a classroom after having done it all to death, and being taught how to do the job by another 5 minute driver, that they think it is a waste of time and money, or they can not recite parrot style all the ridiculously over regulated and pedantic tacho rules by heart.
If I had my own trucks again, I know which type of driver I would prefer to employ, give me practical good varied experience over theory knowledge any day.
hi sashmash
good for you hope you enjoy your retirement I wish I was able to pack this crap job up ’ I just read the report and of course its out of date no surprise’s there but I refer you to my other post’s on this supposed shortage monkey’s and peanut’s were the monkey’s and we get paid peanut’s driver cpc card or not some one on the other driver shortage thread said he could not get driver’s so I asked him where the job’s were what they were and what’s the pay surprise surprise no reply why peanut’s for monkey’s I also looked on the jobcentre site for current class one driver’s in the coventry area and guess what 99%are agencie’s why are they allowed to advertise in jobcentre’s because the government can say look at the job’s being advertised #crap# they don’t exist just agencie’s filling ther book’s I keep hearing the same story come September name your price well if it happen’s I will eat my penut’s like a good little monkey more likely it will be extended or better still scrapped because all of my module’s apart from the first one were the same how can you call that training same old crap that comes with this job ther’s no future in it and never has been the only thing you can look forward to is a new shiny truck every 3 year’s (if youre that cab happy) and retirement only 7 year’s and 18 day’s left unless the government extend it again and they probably will" sigh" 
At present, I’d say the number of new actual full time jobs available is merely a trickle.
The number of shifts outstanding at agencies is already legion.
This is because everyone is bolted onto the outmoded “just in time” model, unable to chuck it away and start something new.
From the firm’s point of view, they’ll not be wanting to take on some bod at slightly elevated money, give them uniforms, training, etc. only to have them leave this coming Christmas, because some other yard has jump-bid the rates on offered, and people start leaving the full time firms in droves to work for £16-£18ph PAYE on agency - just as the same yards realise that there IS actually a shortage!
No one wants to move first of course… At present, the only thing agency drivers can do to protest at static pay rates is to be more and more fussy about what work they pick up as the weeks go by… I’m one of those notorious for this practice already - but what happens when you can’t get drivers to fill shifts at ANY price? - Firms try “poaching” the drivers of other firms, which I’d not recommend as a way to go. I think it’s unprofessional to accept a shift at one agency, and then drop it in favour of a bumped-up hourly rate elsewhere (or even the same job!)
What’s going to happen to those like myself, who come Christmas are being quite possibly headhunted by this point?
I’ve already refused to work full weeks at Royal Mail this coming Christmas for example, unless I’m on parity pay by that point. I’m not holding my breath. I’ll most likely be working only one or two days a week - because that’s what will suit me in a static pay environment. Yards are going to say “Hey, why won’t your driver do the whole week?” - and the answer of course is all about money, T&Cs, and the wasted away loyalty now endemic in this business.
One used to get “bumped up pay” for being prepared to cross picket lines, drive some kit someone else couldn’t, and the like.
I reckon a few months down the line there might be “incentives” just to get bods to turn up at all!
Keep an eye on those firms like Brakes and Royal Mail who already pay their full timers more than what an agency bod would get… Should get interesting these next few months! 
Think I’m dreaming?
Let’s wait and see shall we…
Maybe a shortage for agencey shifts but no full time shortage
My fear that if there is a proper driver shortage, instead of improving pay and conditions to attract the good drivers back and proper keen youngsters to do the job. They’ll just find any bunch of wasters and pay for their training, once these people are on the road they’ll further reduce the standards in road haulage.
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This has been happening for years back to work schemes etc. You can even get a licence after spending time at her majesty pleasure now. All funded by the tax payer of course.
Your right the standard is truly shocking and scary at times.
No such thing as a driver shortage, a friend of my dads had a text from an agency saying they were screaming out for class 1 & 2 drivers and if they knew anyone to pass them on…i gave the agency a ring to be told im too young So they couldn’t of been that desperate!
Thankfully I have my start next week, but I reckon this shortage like every other shortage they reckoned there would be is a myth. To the op enjoy your early retirement well earned Imo.
Cheers
Jonny 
I’ve already informed the people I sub to that rates are going up by at least £1 per hour as of the first of September. None of them argued.
As mentioned above, the only reason some drivers are on crap wages is because they work for crap wages and prefer the comfort of a full time job over a decent wage.
Christ! might do 60k next year.
Why is A driver was arrested at the scene never seemingly a young bloke then - let alone a woman of any age? 
Drivers are in shortage alright. I do freelancing. The amount of calls I’ve had over the past 3 weeks from firms looking drivers is unreal. BUT. Some r willing to pay an extra few pounds. Other say the will sell up has the couldn’t afford to pay anymore than their paying at the min. Only Thursday morning I had a call from DFDS Belfast asking if I was available to do a few runs for subbies. The words I was told was ‘we have loads and lorry’s but no drivers for them’. Maybe its the holiday season that is causing fellas to ring me, iI also know of drivers that didn’t bother doing the dcpc has the thought it would go away and they r now taking time of to do the dpcp now.
I’m seeing plenty evidence of driver shortage up in the north east. There are firms looking for full time drivers that I’ve not seen advertise before. Trouble is they are still offering poor money, Port of Tyne £7.99 ph, pollock Scotrans £7.80ph, Ramage £8.70 ph for instance. My phone has been red hot over the last few weeks with agencies gagging for drivers, even when you tell them you’re busy they want to tie you up in advance. This week I’ve been on days for an agency getting £9ph, they then rang asking if I was available next week, told them I was already booked up, they came back with work for the next 4 weeks, £10ph, guaranteed 50 hrs,& possibility of being kept on full time. I told the agency I’m on for next week who promptly put my cash up. Happy days! My advice would be to make the most of it.