I’m reading in the ‘trade press’, hearing on the ‘electronic media’ and seeing on the internet that potential employers are struggling to find (suitable) HGV drivers! You often hear of company’s needing 20+ drivers urgently but they just aren’t there and where I work 5/6 are leaving every week or so!
The real worry is that to a man they all say they don’t know why! Really!!!
What a load if tosh!!!
Could I say that I’m available immediately for the right job or after a weeks notice for a run of the mill job.
I am not available at slave rates, I do not want to work 70+ hours per week, I don’t do favours, I don’t want to be away all week, I don’t …
Well you get the idea. Why is his industry so crap? Why do drivers work for nowt, pay (via low pay and poor conditions) for their own vehicles and equipment and accept being treated very poorly? If there’s no money in transport why do so many do it?
Perhaps if profit expectations were reduced slightly and wages improved then they may get over the problem but I very much doubt that will happen any time soon.
There isn’t and never will be a driver shortage in the UK.
Just been looking at adverts for another thread about the guy in Runcorn and the agency adverts I looked at are all offering a referral bonus. Lowest I’ve seen is £100, highest £350.
I guess it depends where you are. I live in the Midlands and there seems to be plenty about. I recently left a company who are really struggling to find drivers. Ok, the job is bloody hard and physical but I was earning over 30k for a 45 hour week, but nobody wants to work there. I know other companies in the area are also struggling to find drivers, a couple have big banners outside saying so.
I have been called more than 20 times by 3 different agencies and 2 companies over the last 2 weeks, offering “Obscene” amounts of money compared to some full timers rates, I have turned every one of them down as I needed 2 weeks off for personal reasons.
Going back tomorrow night and have a full diary of 4 days a week for the foreseeable. I do not want to work more than 4 days at the moment as I have a lot on my plate at home.
Conor:
Just been looking at adverts for another thread about the guy in Runcorn and the agency adverts I looked at are all offering a referral bonus. Lowest I’ve seen is £100, highest £350.
Does anyone actually know personally someone who has RECEIVED such a “recruit a mate” bonus?
I’ve seen them around here, but it’s all bully. They sometimes come with the proviso “You get the bonus after the new recruit has done 6 months with us” which turns into “never” when you ask 7 months later - why you have not had your bonus yet… Usually, because the bod left at the 6 month mark, not wanting the handball/multidrop/84 hour week “full time job” after all…
Perhaps there are some firms offering the bonus “on completion of the newbie’s first shift”…?
Alernatively, some bright spark is going to realise sooner or later that if you just offer a knockout package - you’ll suddenly find where all the decent drivers have been hiding these past few years…
I won’t be returning to full time unless its £15ph+ equivalent. I don’t care about the hours (providing it’s legal) as long as the average per hour meets my requirements.
This might be possible on a contract like “first 40 hours @ £12.50ph and time and a half after 8 hours”… Being an exponent of 12-15 hour shifts and weekend work that I am, I’d absolutely coin it in on some package like that. Until then, it’s more “low field” for me. I work as few shifts as possible. 3x12 or 3x15 suits me fine. Better than 5x8 for less money, especially once you’ve taken the commuting costs out! 5x8 is only worth bothering with when there’s plentiful overtime available! Such overtime drying up was one of the reasons I left Royal Mail, where the basic for the awkward hours patterns isn’t much cop, but the overtime used to be legendary!
fredthered:
There isn’t and never will be a driver shortage in the UK.
+1, doesn’t take a genius to work that out:)
+2 There are plenty of drivers about, but there is a shortage of drivers that are prepared to work for agencies.
Also a shortage of drivers who are willing to do multidrop or handball. Everyone seems to think that now is the time to get that job where you will be driving effortlessly around the lovely countryside munching on Yorkies all day. The reality is very different.
Maybe they should just call it a shortage of a certain type of driver.
fredthered:
There isn’t and never will be a driver shortage in the UK.
+1, doesn’t take a genius to work that out:)
+2 There are plenty of drivers about, but there is a shortage of drivers that are prepared to work for agencies.
Also a shortage of drivers who are willing to do multidrop or handball. Everyone seems to think that now is the time to get that job where you will be driving effortlessly around the lovely countryside munching on Yorkies all day. The reality is very different.
Maybe they should just call it a shortage of a certain type of driver.
^ This amongst other types of zb work and it is nothing new it was also there during the early 1980’s ‘recession’ when we had over 3 million unemployed.
Talking to an M&S/gist driver in crewe monday he said the agency who run Castle Donington depot are paying £24 an hour on nights and £17 on days till Christmas, the agency must be raking it in.
Essix Blue:
From my own experience the good jobs at the better firms are never advertised…
It was always so.
As I’ve pointed out on this topic.Around 3 million unemployed but no shortage of work on the agencies.But more chance of winning the lottery now than getting a job like this then.
I’m guessing that if Multidrop/Handball work was £20ph and more importantly - available near you - then we’d all me beating a pathway to said agency for 6 weeks of graft for top dollar this Christmas…
No sign of this happening at 3663, Bidvest, Brakes, P&H, or even Tesco.com near me though…
Winseer:
I’m guessing that if Multidrop/Handball work was £20ph and more importantly - available near you - then we’d all me beating a pathway to said agency for 6 weeks of graft for top dollar this Christmas…
No sign of this happening at 3663, Bidvest, Brakes, P&H, or even Tesco.com near me though…
I’d still have preferred the demount drawbar Euro trunking job for less money than the local multidrop/building deliveries/council type zb work.The fact that it paid more would have just been a bonus.
We’re having problems filling agency slots at the moment to cover holidays and sickness.
Not just the driving side but in the warehouse too.
I know Culina struggle some days to cover their work with agency and they pay ok money. also Samworth’s just had a drive in Bristol to recruit drivers and are having a hard time getting drivers for some shifts… they even had 4 no shows for driving assessment’s and one job worked out at 37k for silly start time 12hr x 5 shifts covering something like thurs fri sat sun mon so every weekend, it’ll suit someone but if a particular job is taken off that route the pay drops as all the drivers are on different rates for the different jobs …
BreakerOneNine:
Also a shortage of drivers who are willing to do multidrop or handball. Everyone seems to think that now is the time to get that job where you will be driving effortlessly around the lovely countryside munching on Yorkies all day. The reality is very different.
Maybe they should just call it a shortage of a certain type of driver.
I agree with this, I’m jacking in the multidrop/handball for a nice easy tipper job paying the same money and more sociable hours. Lazy? Yes.
I live in Wilts & have seen countless boards on the M4 towards Bristol advertising for Drivers.
I certainly hope there are no shortages of jobs having been made redundant from the Computer Industry in Aug, & having waited on DVLA for my provisional HGV & a well known HGV training company finally pulling their finger out i’m finally taking my Class 1 Practical in the next 2 weeks. Funny how these guys are so on the the ball when they want money out of you so far £2.8k inc 14hrs CPC…
I need to pass this & get earning asap but it seems that most of the jobs advertised require previous experience… how are you supposed to get that if no one is going to take a punt on you…
BreakerOneNine:
Also a shortage of drivers who are willing to do multidrop or handball. Everyone seems to think that now is the time to get that job where you will be driving effortlessly around the lovely countryside munching on Yorkies all day. The reality is very different.
Maybe they should just call it a shortage of a certain type of driver.
I agree with this, I’m jacking in the multidrop/handball for a nice easy tipper job paying the same money and more sociable hours. Lazy? Yes.
More sensible than lazy. I’ve just left multidrop/handball too. After 13 years of ■■■■■■■ around 5 tonne a day by hand my body is battered. Time for something a bit easier.
