I have become aware that HGV driver rates are on the up due to a “shortage” of drivers - I don’t believe there is a shortage but that there are plenty of qualified and previously experienced people like me ready to do the job if the money and conditions improve.
Is 33k the current going rate for 4 on 4 off days (midlands, non haz, class 1 tanks) - I work that out to be minimum £13 p/h across all shifts and holidays?
Last time I applied for a job around 5 years ago I was offered min wage (6.80 at the time?) plus a complicated bonus scheme which might or might not make it up to £9 per hour if you got the right work from the planners and worked like a dog, that was with Turners tho - I declined and didn’t bother looking again until recently.
I was talking to an ex Stobbie driver in the pub the other week,.he’ done it all in the past including Euro for Stobarts.
He was retired, in his 70s (looked and acted much younger btw) and still had a valid licence and cpc.
He was also talking about starting back a couple or 3 days a week for a bit of beer money.
If these blokes are still fit,.and are bored, good luck to them, why not?
Maybe if there was some kind of expired cpc amnesty for a few months maybe a few more guys would come back easing the shortage.
No problem returning to driving I done the same last year after being made redundant
At the start of the pandemic.
I would just wait until the holidays are over
Traffic is horrendous at the moment .
Not just Fridays & Saturdays .
I find Mondays are really busy aswell ( anyone else finding this )
robroy:
Maybe if there was some kind of expired cpc amnesty for a few months maybe a few more guys would come back easing the shortage.
I can see this happening. Already they are cutting the cost and time involved by moving the CPC online, and moving new starters straight onto Class 1 licences, they obviously know there’s a huge problem just around the corner.
dekka:
I have become aware that HGV driver rates are on the up due to a “shortage” of drivers - I don’t believe there is a shortage but that there are plenty of qualified and previously experienced people like me ready to do the job if the money and conditions improve.
Is 33k the current going rate for 4 on 4 off days (midlands, non haz, class 1 tanks) - I work that out to be minimum £13 p/h across all shifts and holidays?
Last time I applied for a job around 5 years ago I was offered min wage (6.80 at the time?) plus a complicated bonus scheme which might or might not make it up to £9 per hour if you got the right work from the planners and worked like a dog, that was with Turners tho - I declined and didn’t bother looking again until recently.
£13 ph is the peanuts / buttons of today , I’d be looking for a minimum £17.50 ph , £20 ph is what you should be aiming for to be honest , 33k is ok if your doing 3 days a week , but is not even in the parish if your full time
Plenty of £100/ £150 bonuses available if your stupid enough to want to work a extra shift
Don’t under sale yourself
robroy:
Maybe if there was some kind of expired cpc amnesty for a few months maybe a few more guys would come back easing the shortage.
They also need to sort the medical stuff as everyone who had the extension is now scrambling for medical slots. 2 - 3 weeks even with GP currently. If people can drive from 18 to 45 without one despite being 30 stonebandva walking heart attack, then pretty sure they can give the rest of us a break (unless its been suspended medically before).
70 + and there on about comming back to work , how sad , they should be out enjoying the twilight years off there life’s , bloody hell isnt 55 yrs of work enough for them or anyone
I’m sorry rob but I can’t agree with you , when do they intend to retire , 90 , or is it out the lorry into the box
Lots of people retire at 50 / 55 , we’ve now got drivers who want to come back to work in there 70,s , as I say I think it’s sad , enjoy your tome with your mrs , kids , grandkids , holidays ,just relax ,you deserve it , not go back to driving a bloody lorry
robroy:
Maybe if there was some kind of expired cpc amnesty for a few months maybe a few more guys would come back easing the shortage.
They also need to sort the medical stuff as everyone who had the extension is now scrambling for medical slots. 2 - 3 weeks even with GP currently. If people can drive from 18 to 45 without one despite being 30 stonebandva walking heart attack, then pretty sure they can give the rest of us a break (unless its been suspended medically before).
A break from a medical , you can’t do that , that’s how health issues are found out , you may think your fine , I did , but a simple blood test & further tests told me I’d prostrate ,issues , diabetis , heart murmur, high blood pressure , bad circulation etc , and you think they should just forget medicals , because you think your fine
Maybe we should all self medical , save money & time , who needs doctors when drivers could do it themselves , I’m sure they’d be honest !!!
ROG:
newbies are now getting snapped up for permanent jobs within a super short time of passing the test
mmm, maybe, but don’t you think that newbies will take low pay and poor t&c just to get their foot in and get some experience. Let’s face it anyone who has recently done their test(s) probably had low expectations of wages and might be the only source of “affordable” drivers that some companies think are available.
Current rates appear to be around the same as they were 20 to 25 years ago with no allowance for inflation and that’s better than where they were last time I looked.
I really think there are more like me who could come back if the conditions were right, maybe I’m unusual in that my licences and cpc are all up to date, even have a digi tacho card tho I might struggle to use it - I remember putting it in the wrong hole once . I haven’t driven an artic for around 10 years but I have been doing part time school PCV runs so kept everything up to date - proper old duffers job and tacho exempt both for the type of work and hours I drive.
dozy:
70 + and there on about comming back to work , how sad , they should be out enjoying the twilight years off there life’s , bloody hell isnt 55 yrs of work enough for them or anyone
I’m sorry rob but I can’t agree with you , when do they intend to retire , 90 , or is it out the lorry into the box
Lots of people retire at 50 / 55 , we’ve now got drivers who want to come back to work in there 70,s , as I say I think it’s sad , enjoy your tome with your mrs , kids , grandkids , holidays ,just relax ,you deserve it , not go back to driving a bloody lorry
Hey doze man, I’m with you 100% on that, but you don’t know what cards are to be dealt to you when older.
I’d be enjoying retirement and keeping active, maybe buy a camper and jaunt around the Continent.
I know one guy who still does seasonal European work at 72, his wife has died, he lives alone, and he’s bored out of his skull sat at home on his own,…only so much gardening you can do. so if it suits HiM,.and he’s still fit… what’s the problem?
Each to his own and all that.
The money is still worse than useless and nowhere near enough to live on - 13 an hour - but its a quid ot two over minimum wage. Still be better off stacking shelves.
I was thinking the same about driving again
I see a job on 4on 4 off get back on the transporters at 39k very tempting. doing a trunk run
working 182 days for 39k. I don’t drink or that and don’t really need weekends off with my circumstances at the minute. get to spend alot more time with my little one.
dozy:
£13 ph is the peanuts / buttons of today , I’d be looking for a minimum £17.50 ph , £20 ph is what you should be aiming for to be honest , 33k is ok if your doing 3 days a week , but is not even in the parish if your full time
Plenty of £100/ £150 bonuses available if your stupid enough to want to work a extra shift
Don’t under sale yourself
Why not go big and ask for £30ph.
That’ll have them ringing your phone off the hook for your services.
dozy:
£13 ph is the peanuts / buttons of today , I’d be looking for a minimum £17.50 ph , £20 ph is what you should be aiming for to be honest , 33k is ok if your doing 3 days a week , but is not even in the parish if your full time
Plenty of £100/ £150 bonuses available if your stupid enough to want to work a extra shift
Don’t under sale yourself
Why not go big and ask for £30ph.
That’ll have them ringing your phone off the hook for your services.
Ken.
You’d of said the same for £20 ph not long ago & now there’s loads getting it & more
Themoocher:
I see a job on 4on 4 off get back on the transporters at 39k very tempting. doing a trunk run
working 182 days for 39k.
Less days than that once you take off legal minimum holidays, is it still 28 days with a 4 on 4 off shift pattern? I see transporters as a younger man’s job tho, even if it really is trunking it’s not going to be drop and swap is it.
I have an interview tomorrow so will see how the quoted 32K is actually worked out, and see how hard the job is etc.
dozy:
70 + and there on about comming back to work , how sad , they should be out enjoying the twilight years off there life’s , bloody hell isnt 55 yrs of work enough for them or anyone
I’m sorry rob but I can’t agree with you , when do they intend to retire , 90 , or is it out the lorry into the box
Lots of people retire at 50 / 55 , we’ve now got drivers who want to come back to work in there 70,s , as I say I think it’s sad , enjoy your tome with your mrs , kids , grandkids , holidays ,just relax ,you deserve it , not go back to driving a bloody lorry
Hey doze man, I’m with you 100% on that, but you don’t know what cards are to be dealt to you when older.
I’d be enjoying retirement and keeping active, maybe buy a camper and jaunt around the Continent.
I know one guy who still does seasonal European work at 72, his wife has died, he lives alone, and he’s bored out of his skull sat at home on his own,…only so much gardening you can do. so if it suits HiM,.and he’s still fit… what’s the problem?
Each to his own and all that.
Bang on, ignore dozy, he is just trying to get you to bite, I still have my class 1, even though I am in Australia, but said to wife, when kids grow up might come back to UK and do some euro work to see europe etc and paid for priv.
If single I would do it now, whats the point of bening stuck in a house all week. I do not like tramping, but the rewards are there.
. I haven’t driven an artic for around 10 years but I have been doing part time school PCV runs so kept everything up to date - proper old duffers job and tacho exempt both for the type of work and hours I drive.