Lesley,you have presented a very articulate & well presented riposte to your detractors,but I have to say that the wages offered are derisory,I am a small haulier,O/D in S/E London&Kent area my driver is on at least £4.00/hr more+time&half O/T and extra by negotiation for antisocial hours Sundays etc prehaps you would care to share with TNUK your and the directors remuneration & perks bet there are no 10 year old Mondeos in the directors car park 
splitshift:
you would care to share with TNUK your and the directors remuneration & perks bet there are no 10 year old Mondeos in the directors car park
bet they earn a lot more than £6.20 per hour too 
lesleyanne:
Thanks for your comments. I did go on the defensive but now understand that there are a few genuine people on this site.
Our Drivers are happy working for us or they would leave. We have on average 6 calls a week from Class 1 Drivers asking for positions within the Company do you think they would call if we were that bad an Employer. I work 60 hours a week in the Office then work in Licensed premises in the evenings, not because the wages are bad but because I want to. There are too many people out there that want things handed to them on a plate, if people are willing to work then they will be rewarded. How many employers have paid for their Drivers Digi Cards or CPC Training not many I know. If Drivers are self employed they would have to pay for their Medicals. Maybe its my generation but I always use “Only” in all conversations whether it be “only” £5000 for a car for example. The trucks are mostly cherished number plates so definately not dating back to 1901. I think the age of the truck is irrelevant they are all paid for and maintained to the correct requirements. The cost of living against the wages earned are enough to see my drivers through they are not forced to stay here but do so because they enjoy the work and have self respect rather than Whinging and signing on the dole or working for Agencies that promise the earth then give you two days a week of work.
Two questions.
Can I ask you how many hours per week you work?
And, would you work the hours a driver does for the wages you are offering?
I’m based in the north and frankly, I find your hourly rate offensive. You obviously have found drivers with no balls and certainly no sense. Why would you work as a driver for such poor money - especially in the SE?! Your rates are a ■■■■ take and show how little respect you have for your drivers.
I’ll bet you daren’t tell us all what hourly rate the companies pay to you…
Truckulent:
lesleyanne:
Thanks for your comments. I did go on the defensive but now understand that there are a few genuine people on this site.
Our Drivers are happy working for us or they would leave. We have on average 6 calls a week from Class 1 Drivers asking for positions within the Company do you think they would call if we were that bad an Employer. I work 60 hours a week in the Office then work in Licensed premises in the evenings, not because the wages are bad but because I want to. There are too many people out there that want things handed to them on a plate, if people are willing to work then they will be rewarded. How many employers have paid for their Drivers Digi Cards or CPC Training not many I know. If Drivers are self employed they would have to pay for their Medicals. Maybe its my generation but I always use “Only” in all conversations whether it be “only” £5000 for a car for example. The trucks are mostly cherished number plates so definately not dating back to 1901. I think the age of the truck is irrelevant they are all paid for and maintained to the correct requirements. The cost of living against the wages earned are enough to see my drivers through they are not forced to stay here but do so because they enjoy the work and have self respect rather than Whinging and signing on the dole or working for Agencies that promise the earth then give you two days a week of work.Two questions.
Can I ask you how many hours per week you work?
And, would you work the hours a driver does for the wages you are offering?
I’m based in the north and frankly, I find your hourly rate offensive. You obviously have found drivers with no balls and certainly no sense. Why would you work as a driver for such poor money - especially in the SE?! Your rates are a ■■■■ take and show how little respect you have for your drivers.
I’ll bet you daren’t tell us all what hourly rate the companies pay to you…
Was thinking the same could they live on that & would they
Is it that hard to say! Not for that money am I risking my License through inevitable fines etc!
HTH!!
Truckulent:
lesleyanne:
Thanks for your comments. I did go on the defensive but now understand that there are a few genuine people on this site.
Our Drivers are happy working for us or they would leave. We have on average 6 calls a week from Class 1 Drivers asking for positions within the Company do you think they would call if we were that bad an Employer. I work 60 hours a week in the Office then work in Licensed premises in the evenings, not because the wages are bad but because I want to. There are too many people out there that want things handed to them on a plate, if people are willing to work then they will be rewarded. How many employers have paid for their Drivers Digi Cards or CPC Training not many I know. If Drivers are self employed they would have to pay for their Medicals. Maybe its my generation but I always use “Only” in all conversations whether it be “only” £5000 for a car for example. The trucks are mostly cherished number plates so definately not dating back to 1901. I think the age of the truck is irrelevant they are all paid for and maintained to the correct requirements. The cost of living against the wages earned are enough to see my drivers through they are not forced to stay here but do so because they enjoy the work and have self respect rather than Whinging and signing on the dole or working for Agencies that promise the earth then give you two days a week of work.Two questions.
Can I ask you how many hours per week you work?
And, would you work the hours a driver does for the wages you are offering?I’m based in the north and frankly, I find your hourly rate offensive. You obviously have found drivers with no balls and certainly no sense. Why would you work as a driver for such poor money - especially in the SE?! Your rates are a ■■■■ take and show how little respect you have for your drivers.
I’ll bet you daren’t tell us all what hourly rate the companies pay to you…
Well seeing how it was me who started this thread I think it’s time I added something else. Well it has been interesting to hear from Lesley from Coombe Valley Transport admitting being defensive 
what I find difficult is how you have the gall to even try to be defensive. When I saw this job add I really thought it was a joke, especially as I knew this company from old when I used to load dried fruit out of Western Docks in the 70’s and used see their trucks and chat to their drivers on a regular basis and all seemed to be ok with their job/employer.
What I find undefensible is the fact that Lesley thinks that £6.20 per hr for class 1 work is acceptable It is the very bottom of the going rate for 7.5tonners which around West Yorks; has now gone up to around £7.00/£7.50 so anyone in their right mind, employee/employer would want to be earning/paying more than that for Class 1 work
It is a very low hourly rate for class 1 work however you dress it up and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for expecting any class 1 driver to work for such a pittance
Very sad that some employers put such little monetary value on their drivers contribution to their own wealth creating machine 
Regards
Dave Penn
peter s:
Truckulent:
lesleyanne:
Thanks for your comments. I did go on the defensive but now understand that there are a few genuine people on this site.
Our Drivers are happy working for us or they would leave. We have on average 6 calls a week from Class 1 Drivers asking for positions within the Company do you think they would call if we were that bad an Employer. I work 60 hours a week in the Office then work in Licensed premises in the evenings, not because the wages are bad but because I want to. There are too many people out there that want things handed to them on a plate, if people are willing to work then they will be rewarded. How many employers have paid for their Drivers Digi Cards or CPC Training not many I know. If Drivers are self employed they would have to pay for their Medicals. Maybe its my generation but I always use “Only” in all conversations whether it be “only” £5000 for a car for example. The trucks are mostly cherished number plates so definately not dating back to 1901. I think the age of the truck is irrelevant they are all paid for and maintained to the correct requirements. The cost of living against the wages earned are enough to see my drivers through they are not forced to stay here but do so because they enjoy the work and have self respect rather than Whinging and signing on the dole or working for Agencies that promise the earth then give you two days a week of work.Two questions.
Can I ask you how many hours per week you work?
And, would you work the hours a driver does for the wages you are offering?I’m based in the north and frankly, I find your hourly rate offensive. You obviously have found drivers with no balls and certainly no sense. Why would you work as a driver for such poor money - especially in the SE?! Your rates are a ■■■■ take and show how little respect you have for your drivers.
I’ll bet you daren’t tell us all what hourly rate the companies pay to you…
Just over £6 quid an hour though■■?
davepenn54:
Well seeing how it was me who started this thread I think it’s time I added something else. Well it has been interesting to hear from Lesley from Coombe Valley Transport admitting being defensiveWhat I find undefensible is the fact that Lesley thinks that £6.20 per hr for class 1 work is acceptable
It is a very low hourly rate for class 1 work however you dress it up and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for expecting any class 1 driver to work for such a pittance
Very sad that some employers put such little monetary value on their drivers contribution to their own wealth creating machine
Regards
Dave Penn
i know it sounds good saying all that dave, but most of it is ■■■■■■■■, as, business is basically charge as much as you can whilst paying out as little as you can.
no one is forced to be a truck driver and once a truck driver you’re not forced to only ever drive trucks for a living. if they’ve got enough drivers of the right quality, fill new vacancies in a reasonable time and have a staff turn over that they’re happy with then they have set the rate right.
that said i do think it’s a ■■■■ rate and i’m surprised they get drivers at that rate, but they must do or they’d pay more
stevieboy308:
davepenn54:
Well seeing how it was me who started this thread I think it’s time I added something else. Well it has been interesting to hear from Lesley from Coombe Valley Transport admitting being defensiveWhat I find undefensible is the fact that Lesley thinks that £6.20 per hr for class 1 work is acceptable
It is a very low hourly rate for class 1 work however you dress it up and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for expecting any class 1 driver to work for such a pittance
Very sad that some employers put such little monetary value on their drivers contribution to their own wealth creating machine
Regards
Dave Penni know it sounds good saying all that dave, but most of it is ■■■■■■■■, as, business is basically charge as much as you can whilst paying out as little as you can.
no one is forced to be a truck driver and once a truck driver you’re not forced to only ever drive trucks for a living. if they’ve got enough drivers of the right quality, fill new vacancies in a reasonable time and have a staff turn over that they’re happy with then they have set the rate right.
that said i do think it’s a [zb] rate and i’m surprised they get drivers at that rate, but they must do or they’d pay more
No, the drivers that work for that rate are clearly poor - no decent driver (with an ounce of sense) would put up with such a poor rate. The fact that these low paid jobs are advertised so much tells you that the turn over rate is high.
Why is it some drivers think that you should just accept poor rates? Say no. I do. I still work more or less as much as I want to. If you let them treat you like scum - they will.
Harry Monk:
The thing is that rates for hauliers are on the floor at the moment, so wages are on the floor too. I have an Operator’s Licence for three vehicles although I only operate one. I could easily go out and get two more trucks tomorrow and put them on the same work as I’m doing, but I wouldn’t be able to pay the drivers any more than Lesley is paying, because it then wouldn’t be worth my while doing it, and if I paid the type of wages some on here expect as their right, then I would lose money every time those trucks drove out of the gate.So why would I want to attract this sort of flak just for giving a couple of blokes a job, when those blokes would be earning far more than I pay myself in the first place?
Answer, I wouldn’t, so I don’t.
Like you say Harry 
makes sense 
I find it very hard to accept when Ignorant people have the audacity to defame the characters of my Drivers. We have some Drivers that have worked here for over 11 years. They do not whinge about the rates of Pay. They have self respect, they earn a wage and do not claim off the Namby Pamby state that we live in today. The only reason that we had to advertise the post was that one of our Drivers with over 10 years of service passed away. Coombe Valley Transport have a pay structure that the basic rate is £6.20 no one has been intelligent enough to ask the next question■■?
I work 60 hours a week in the Office supporting the Drivers and sorting out any issues they may have. That is not what I am employed as again we work as a Team and have an excellent working relationship amongst the company. Our Drivers are highly respected by the Management they are not just a number at the end of the week. We socialize at the weekend, and can often be seen out enjoying each others company. No one forces our Drivers to work for us they do so of their own will. If the fact that we pay a basic £6.20 per hour bothers some of you why don’t you stop any of our Drivers and ask if they are happy with the wage they earn and the conditions that they work in. Dover is classed as a deprived area. We have been hammered by the economy but have survived 111 years with an excellent team of staff.
This forum has ridden off the incompetence of the Job Centre who advertised the post. If they had advertised the post correctly then some of the people on here would have had nothing to talk about. It must be such a sad life for some.
It is quite regardless in this matter what Vehicles I drive I buy them myself and as to what the MD Drives it is a matter of his choice as he purchases his Vehicles himself and does not have a vehicle provided by the Company.
Well now that you’ve finally clarified the facts for us, that’s great. The point is, none of us (including potential applicants) had any idea there were any other payments due to the driver, on the face of it, it appeared to be minimum wages for a class 1 job. I’m afraid I don’t buy into “jobcentre incompetance” in this instance because I’ve seen many other adverts which say things like “+bonuses” or “nights out paid” in the advert itself. I happen to know that you approved the final wording of the advert yourself or dictated the wording over the telephone because that’s how the jobcentre operate.
Very sorry to hear of the loss of your driver and my sincere condolances.
Potential applicants would have rang and hopefully asked questions. I am within my rights to blame the Job Centre for the mistake they were instructed to use the previous advert. Even a fool could see that this was probably written by a Junior and not by qualified staff. I admire your comment about knowing that I approved the ad. It was not me. Please try not to make me out to be incompetent I am not. I have come on here to clarify facts and to answer questions not to be given a hard time.
claretmatt:
Well now that you’ve finally clarified the facts for us, that’s great. The point is, none of us (including potential applicants) had any idea there were any other payments due to the driver, on the face of it, it appeared to be minimum wages for a class 1 job. I’m afraid I don’t buy into “jobcentre incompetance” in this instance because I’ve seen many other adverts which say things like “+bonuses” or “nights out paid” in the advert itself. I happen to know that you approved the final wording of the advert yourself or dictated the wording over the telephone because that’s how the jobcentre operate.Very sorry to hear of the loss of your driver and my sincere condolances.
Hi everyone, new bloke here.
Just a thought - if Lesley is “getting six drivers a week” looking for work, why the advert?
Socketset:
Hi everyone, new bloke here.Just a thought - if Lesley is “getting six drivers a week” looking for work, why the advert?
Because when they find out the rate of pay, they fall about laughing.
Obviously did not read one of my posts. One of our Drivers sadly passed away that is why we posted.
Since the ad and the shutting down of more Transport Companies there are a lot of Drivers out there looking for work. We are a well known local company.
Please let us end this frivolity on your part. I do not have time to answer questions when people cannot read the entire thread here. Lets all leave it at that. 
You do not have to work for us. Please do not post derogatory comments about our staff. If we have been operating for 111 years how do you think we managed this achievement without a full quota of Drivers, who do have the option of knowing the pay scales before they start here. Its the same old "You have a choice we would not force you to work. Go ahead and take a job with higher pay and be just a number.
Enough said I think
dar1976:
Socketset:
Hi everyone, new bloke here.Just a thought - if Lesley is “getting six drivers a week” looking for work, why the advert?
Because when they find out the rate of pay, they fall about laughing.
So is £6.20 per hr; for Class 1 work a poor rate or a good rate
Regards
Dave Penn;
davepenn54:
So is £6.20 per hr; for Class 1 work a poor rate or a good rateRegards
Dave Penn;
Well my two pennies worth is its diabolical, for the reason when you take your holidays… That’s what you get, 40 times £6.20.
It’s ok having bonuses and night out money but they can get knocked on the head at anytime, then what you left with… £6.20.
That is for you to decide is it not.
davepenn54:
So is £6.20 per hr; for Class 1 work a poor rate or a good rateRegards
Dave Penn;