Truckers key workers eh? aka a valued sector of the workforce.
I get the state of emergency/unprecedented circumstances thing, but it’s amazing all the attention from the Government and powers that be that us truck drivers are now getting, …after years of being ignored …as if we did not exist.
A stark contrast with the recent past and to date, when important stuff to us such as chronic parking shortages,.(a classic example of my point,) and lack of basic human facilities were being suitably ignored and just swept under the carpet, and we were left ‘just to get on with it’.
Yes ok maybe not the right time to bring this up, nor use it as an excuse to put a point across, but I personally have not forgotten all the blatant lack of help and co.operation to enable us to do our job.
So…
At the point of if or when people are dropping like flies as in Italy, (God forbid,) I’ll be there with the rest of them doing whatever I can do linked with my job to help, but with all this in the back of my mind to see how we are treated, and dare I say it…rewarded, afterwards.
Make of that attitude what you will I don’t care.
i’m a key worker and though our Customer has now shut down their shops,i’ve volunteered for the night shift driving for Lidl at Magna Park.probably a ■■■■ job,i don’t know,but Dhl have been good to me over the last nearly 10 years,so i’m happy to help out.
my daughter is a key worker as well,as a Teacher Assistant.off this week,but working M-F next week.
Would you say putting up farm buildings are essential key jobs?
Are farmers classed as key workers, so therefore need to keep their farms maintained from a construction pov?
It aint like a busy mass building site scenario, where groups of guys are working together, most of the customers I deliver to are one man bands with maybe one or two employees.
Just wondering as I ain’t keen on going on ■■■■ supermarket rdc work until all this crap is over.
robroy:
Would you say putting up farm buildings are essential key jobs?
Are farmers classed as key workers, so therefore need to keep their farms maintained from a construction pov?
It aint like a busy mass building site scenario, where groups of guys are working together, most of the customers I deliver to are one man bands with maybe one or two employees.
Just wondering as I ain’t keen on going on [zb] supermarket rdc work until all this crap is over.
Clearly we’ve gotta keep food production going.
Better building probably makes for better storage and less waste of product or housing for more efficient machines.
But does it need doing today?
There’s argument about the correct level of construction work.
Stop it all and try to slow the virus growth. Start again later.
Or carry on and accept the spread of infections.
.
Experts will be explaining the choices to our leaders who have the responsibility of choosing a course.
.
(This is where we insert our own opinions about them)
jakethesnake:
Hey Rob, I am really enjoying discussing something other than bad driving. What’s come over me?.
I was wondering the same myself tbh…you’re slipping Jakey, I’m sure you could sneak in the odd comment in amongst all this on this subject if you tried harder.
No doubt normal service will be resumed asap though eh
course you are,the grafter . what the restrictions are all about is the missus goin fer a swim then meeting up with her mates for lunch ,now that furkin lot are staying home ■■■■ right
drive on and run any furker over who stands in your way no kidding
Winseer:
The danger of raising hourly rates for drivers - is that firms will feel emboldened to make it harder for said drivers to keep their jobs…
Not so much a “Six points OK” becoming “Clean licences only” = but rather a purge of perceived “troublemakers”, all the while so many of the red tape regulations are being scrapped or suspended as we speak…
We’ll all have to jump through ever-more hoops - if we want to be kept on at that meaty new hourly rate, essentially…
Contracts that are currently “Any five from seven” will end up being actually “Any five 12-13 hour shifts from seven” - which ain’t a pretty sight, when one is then obliged to work 60+ hour weeks, week in and week out for these extra pennies per hour in the “Salary”…
Perhaps now would be a good time for drivers to hold out for “Four on Four Off” or “Any four from seven” to keep weekly hours in the 48 area at very least?
…Perhaps we’ll see a return of “Overtime” that way, too!
Yet you state, your ready to do more hours and want to milk as much as you can… most drivers are aware truck driving is long hours and most expect 10-12 days now.
Working 12-15 hours is fine - if you’re paid by the hour. If such hours are expected of one, then it makes sense to be ZHC rather than full time, although few would agree with me.
Full timers meanwhile - would normally attempt to be “minimalist” and do as few hours as possible to complete their duties, since they often get paid no overtime for “over-running”.
In such a full timer’s environment, “getting stuck in traffic” or “Taking three hours to get tipped” or even the occasional time-wasting ■■■■-up - is going to stress one. so ingrained is the "Job ‘n’ Knock’ culture.
I’ll work safely with no compromises, and as efficiently as I can with running times, etc. Nothing wrong with that. No corner cutting for me!
It serves none of us pro drivers any good - if we get told “It is now legal for you to drive 10 hours in one hit, do a 20 hour shift” - whilst also expected to do it for the same money, be it a flat salary or the same ZHC hourly rate as ever…
There are times like this when it actually is a better thing that driver’s hourly rates have not temporarily increased to £50ph… THAT would probably encourage some people to burn the candle at both ends, cut corners, and drive whilst actually asleep on auto-pilot, let alone half asleep…
I reckon a safety margin should be 8 hours on flat pay, overtime up to 12 hours, (hours 8:01-12:00 of one’s shift paid at a premium rate) and the period 12:01-15:00 hours - only in an emergency kept in reserve, back to flat rate again. to discourage “hanging the job out” for more money.
Has anyone on here - been asked to work beyond 12 hours yet, paid or not?
It’s no skin off my teeth, as I’ll do that as standard - but even then not “back to back” say, three 15 hours, in a row just because I happen to still have all three in reserve at any point in a week…
jakethesnake:
Hey Rob, I am really enjoying discussing something other than bad driving. What’s come over me?.
You’re enjoying the discussion!
What are your other symptoms - you’re not running a temperature, got a sore throat, bit of a cough?
Somethings obviously up!
Get well soon x.
Drivers at my place have been issued with a headed A4 document we’ve to carry with us in the cab and on the way to and from work in case we’re stopped by the authorities. Outlines that we’re key workers due to the front line role we perform within the food supply chain and has the contact details for one of the directors. Been very busy for us the last few weeks, people need meat so the abattoirs are still killing. We’re making full use of the domestic regs .
We know the no brainers. NHS, fire service, police service, carers without a doubt.
People need to stay in touch so you need phone and internet engineers.
Gas and electric? Definitely, so now you have gas and electric workers
Then you have the likes of heating engineers, plumbers and electricians.
And heres where you get grey areas.
How do these people get to work?
Public transport? Well now you need bus and train drivers. But to have them you need the depot supervisors, as well as the maintenance team. But if they have passengers, you also need to have cleaners
Maybe they drive to work? Well then they need fuel, so you need petrol stations to be open. What if they breakdown? You need mechanics to fix them
Truck drivers? Food needs to get to the supermarkets. But the trailer needs loaded, so there are warehouse staff. But to get to the RDC, it needs to be loaded at the other end so theres more warehouse staff, not just at an rdc.
The roads need fixed so theres highways maintenance personnel included now as well
In short, from what I can see, the vast majority of people at the “bottom” end of the scale are al necessary and important to keep the country running. The ones who aren’t needed are the middle management types who push paper, the pointy shoe uni gradutes with 2 degrees and zero life experience and pen pushers who spend all their working lives trying to justify their job.
Maybe this virus will have a silver lining after all if it wakes everyone up to how unimportant 85% of “management” actually are!
The-Snowman:
What is a “key worker”? Where do you stop?
We know the no brainers. NHS, fire service, police service, carers without a doubt.
People need to stay in touch so you need phone and internet engineers.
Gas and electric? Definitely, so now you have gas and electric workers
Then you have the likes of heating engineers, plumbers and electricians.
And heres where you get grey areas.
How do these people get to work?
Public transport? Well now you need bus and train drivers. But to have them you need the depot supervisors, as well as the maintenance team. But if they have passengers, you also need to have cleaners
Maybe they drive to work? Well then they need fuel, so you need petrol stations to be open. What if they breakdown? You need mechanics to fix them
Truck drivers? Food needs to get to the supermarkets. But the trailer needs loaded, so there are warehouse staff. But to get to the RDC, it needs to be loaded at the other end so theres more warehouse staff, not just at an rdc.
The roads need fixed so theres highways maintenance personnel included now as well
In short, from what I can see, the vast majority of people at the “bottom” end of the scale are al necessary and important to keep the country running. The ones who aren’t needed are the middle management types who push paper, the pointy shoe uni gradutes with 2 degrees and zero life experience and pen pushers who spend all their working lives trying to justify their job.
Maybe this virus will have a silver lining after all if it wakes everyone up to how unimportant 85% of “management” actually are!
But by extension the managers are the ones who plan everything out to ensure that the cogs keep turning and everything and everyone gets to where it/they need to be in an orderly fashion. If there were no managers then the whole system would quickly grind to a halt. Of course, before the inevitable retort to that, I realise that some managers are considerably better/worse than others at ‘managing’ things.
The-Snowman:
What is a “key worker”? Where do you stop?
We know the no brainers. NHS, fire service, police service, carers without a doubt.
People need to stay in touch so you need phone and internet engineers.
Gas and electric? Definitely, so now you have gas and electric workers
Then you have the likes of heating engineers, plumbers and electricians.
And heres where you get grey areas.
How do these people get to work?
Public transport? Well now you need bus and train drivers. But to have them you need the depot supervisors, as well as the maintenance team. But if they have passengers, you also need to have cleaners
Maybe they drive to work? Well then they need fuel, so you need petrol stations to be open. What if they breakdown? You need mechanics to fix them
Truck drivers? Food needs to get to the supermarkets. But the trailer needs loaded, so there are warehouse staff. But to get to the RDC, it needs to be loaded at the other end so theres more warehouse staff, not just at an rdc.
The roads need fixed so theres highways maintenance personnel included now as well
In short, from what I can see, the vast majority of people at the “bottom” end of the scale are al necessary and important to keep the country running. The ones who aren’t needed are the middle management types who push paper, the pointy shoe uni gradutes with 2 degrees and zero life experience and pen pushers who spend all their working lives trying to justify their job.
Maybe this virus will have a silver lining after all if it wakes everyone up to how unimportant 85% of “management” actually are!
But by extension the managers are the ones who plan everything out to ensure that the cogs keep turning and everything and everyone gets to where it/they need to be in an orderly fashion. If there were no managers then the whole system would quickly grind to a halt. Of course, before the inevitable retort to that, I realise that some managers are considerably better/worse than others at ‘managing’ things.
Its a good point, but at our place we had a rapid expansion a few years ago resulting in an influx of managers being employed. Once in and feet comfortably under the table, they all decided that they had too much work so employed assistant managers to “share the load”.
So now we have a plague of managers doing very little. In fact I often walk past the windows and catch them on facebook or playing games. Then of course we get the occasional crap decision that makes the working bods life difficult and strangley gets binned after a couple of weeks.
They are like ticks…once in they are difficult to get out.
Everyone who cannot for any reason “work from home”, or at least “not get paid whilst at home” will do everything they can to be “Fake Well” during this crisis.
Just a few weeks ago - people were being “Fake Ill” in order to get more, or continuing benefits…
The entire economy - has now been turned on it’s head!
Ahh well, just off to brave the virus germs at the start of my 4 day shift pattern expedition as an essential key worker hero…(delivering essential matter of life or death type vital farm buildings )
So got my fridge tray packed up for 3 to 4 nights out (as a new age cab rat hermit, seeing as the pubs are closed) mixture of home cooked and ready meal stuff, so I certainly won’t starve .
robroy:
Ahh well, just off to brave the virus germs at the start of my 4 day shift pattern expedition as an essential key worker hero…(delivering essential matter of life or death type vital farm buildings )
So got my fridge tray packed up for 3 to 4 nights out (as a new age cab rat hermit, seeing as the pubs are closed) mixture of home cooked and ready meal stuff, so I certainly won’t starve .
0
Wish me luck,.I know how the country values me in this time of need, I hope I return.
Farewell fellow trucking heroes.
robroy:
Ahh well, just off to brave the virus germs at the start of my 4 day shift pattern expedition as an essential key worker hero…(delivering essential matter of life or death type vital farm buildings )
So got my fridge tray packed up for 3 to 4 nights out (as a new age cab rat hermit, seeing as the pubs are closed) mixture of home cooked and ready meal stuff, so I certainly won’t starve .
0
Wish me luck,.I know how the country values me in this time of need, I hope I return.
Farewell fellow trucking heroes.
robroy:
Ahh well, just off to brave the virus germs at the start of my 4 day shift pattern expedition as an essential key worker hero…(delivering essential matter of life or death type vital farm buildings )
So got my fridge tray packed up for 3 to 4 nights out (as a new age cab rat hermit, seeing as the pubs are closed) mixture of home cooked and ready meal stuff, so I certainly won’t starve .
0
Wish me luck,.I know how the country values me in this time of need, I hope I return.
Farewell fellow trucking heroes.
can’t believe the panic buyers near you have bought all the decent beer and left you with that
…after years of being ignored …as if we did not exist.
and though our Customer has now shut down their shops,i’ve volunteered for the night shift driving for Lidl at Magna Park.probably a ■■■■ job,i don’t know,but Dhl have been good to me over the last nearly 10 years,so i’m happy to help out.
