Jesus I wish I hadn’t bothered with this post as the majority of comments are cynical & negative, yes I’m fully aware of how far the distance is & I can’t use the Dartford tunnel, the job suits me & I’m happy to do the same run each night as i’ve had the last 12 years of not knowing where I will be going or when I will get home. I no what the wages will be as I have it in the contract yet a few think I’m making it up, Christ I’m taking a pay cut for this job. I wasn’t bragging, I was happy that I have secured a job near home & it will make my family life easier, sorry if I offended anybody by posting a driving topic on a driver’s forum…
beanie:
LisasGuy:
I think I have found a cracking job driving a bulk barrel tanker for Flowgas & am well pleased. All I have to do is drive an empty tanker from crick to the isle of grain load with LNG & drive back again, then another driver takes it to Sheffield tips it & brings it back, that’s it!!! Oh yeah Flowgas are renting land from Gasrec to bass the truck on, no managers or other Flowgas staff, 45 hours a week guaranteed no matter how quick I do it & x1.5 if I go over 9 hours, £40k a year, 33 days holiday, pension, life assurance & full sick from day 1. I start Monday, so how good is your job?I love guys like this, Gods gift to road haulage! And the are setting the mark, being novices!
Bear in mind that from the gas refuelling station at Crick to Isle of Grain is 128 miles so that’s roughly 2h45 each way around the North side of the M25. So that w7orks out at 6 hours minimum driving time, vehicle checks 1 hour, break 1 hour and 2 loading. On a clear day, on the M25. Via Dartford. I can guarantee that the OP will want to trim five minutes off the complete journey week by week so that the hourly rate “increases after three months.”
Obviously the OP has landed on his feet with this job and is the only doing this work and will be fully up to speed after day two.
Excuse my cynical views but I’m as long in the tooth as Robroy so deal with it.
When people speak about earning £■■ k or £■■ grand, its usually a good indication that they are not earning that figure.
Excuse my cynical views but I’m as negative as Robroy.
When did I ever say in the post I was God’s gift to road haulage?? FFS I just posted the facts of the job & I couldn’t give a s**t what you do or don’t believe on the salary, I think it’s about right for the skills required & the anti social hours. Oh yeah I’m taking a pay cut for this as well but no doubt I’m making this up to (BOC driver’s will no what I earn).
Franglais:
Contraflow:
beanie:
Excuse my cynical views but I’m as long in the tooth as Robroy so deal with it.beanie:
Excuse my cynical views but I’m as negative as Robroy.A bit harsh. Robroy hasn’t even commented on this thread yet!
His reputation precedes him.
No criticism of the views expressed here, more a question of terminology, but is RobRoy a cynic or a realist?? Any points gained in replies will go towards candidates end of term “grumpy ole git” score. Sorry, that is candidates comprehension assessments.
It aint often I’m actually invited for my opinion out of the blue on here 
… more likely to be called a ■■■■, and told to mind my own buisness… or at least twice told to ■■■■ off on here by one person. 
If the guy is happy with his job fair dos, but as said maybe he should have been less eager to give so many details for reasons already set out.
The biggest thing to watch out for when a job is good and you are happy with it, is the superstar (we all know them 
) who WILL ■■■■ it up for him by carving it up when he is off on holiday or something.
By the way mate I see you are fairly new on here.
If you throw your opinion out there it will attract comments and other opinions, so don’t go into a strop if you don’t get the reaction you want 
. …as that’s how things are here.
(I aint a spokesman for the forum btw, just telling you)
If you plan to remain on here, and keep taking a strop, you will only make it worse for yourself as one or two are ruthless and relentless on here. …Good advice take it or leave it mate up to you. 
Also good luck with the job you obviously enjoy,… if you do it’s half the battle. 
I love my job I get to drive a big truck to a variety of different locations, some interesting some less so.
I also get to sleep in my truck all week meet new people, some interesting, some ■■■■, some hilarious.
If I’m lucky I get to do this for up-to 70 hours a week, (30ish of that will be on break).
I also earn just enough to keep her who must be satisfied happy.
So all in all pretty much what I was going for when I choose to be a trucker.
One thing I’ve learnt is to not discuss my income in the real world (on here is fine as I’m sure you lot can be trusted) as one bloke once said I could earn more stacking supermarket shelves, as I didn’t want to stack shelves his point was invalid. What a strange fellow.
How good is my job - Its Good
what are my hours? - none of your business
whats my pay?- none of your business
whats my terms and conditions ?- none of your business
I’m lucky that I work for a small business that looks after their drivers and you can lift the phone and ring the boss 24 hours a day .
Problems get sorted and he will go the extra mile for us .
In return we go the extra mile for him - thats the way it is .
Could I earn more elsewhere - yes - would I want to take a load of nonsence and pathetic rubbish that so many seem to line up for these days with a smile on their face - NO
beefy4605:
How good is my job - Its Good
what are my hours? - none of your business
whats my pay?- none of your business
whats my terms and conditions ?- none of your business
A tad abrupt mate if I may say so. 
We know it’s none of our business,… the clue was in the fact that we never asked you.
robroy:
beefy4605:
How good is my job - Its Good
what are my hours? - none of your business
whats my pay?- none of your business
whats my terms and conditions ?- none of your businessA tad abrupt mate if I may say so.
We know it’s none of our business,… the clue was in the fact that we never asked you.
Probably - but I aint employed for my charm and witty personality - I’m employed to get loads from A to B on time and in one piece .
beefy4605:
robroy:
beefy4605:
How good is my job - Its Good
what are my hours? - none of your business
whats my pay?- none of your business
whats my terms and conditions ?- none of your businessA tad abrupt mate if I may say so.
We know it’s none of our business,… the clue was in the fact that we never asked you.Probably - but I aint employed for my charm and witty personality - I’m employed to get loads from A to B on time and in one piece .
Yeh ok. I could tell you why I’m employed, but it’s… none of your business.
Although a smaller family business offers more potential for job satisfaction, especially with that personal touch and potential to see first hand that your efforts play an important part in the life / profitability of the business are working.
It is possible even with a large corporate beast like I work for to make the job good.
Setting your stall out early helps and finding a sweet balance between getting the job done and getting a reputation for not putting up with any ■■■■■■■■.
The ability to say no works wonders but also now and again helping your planner out where possible. Don’t expect thanks or even a reachround but knowing ones place and showing moments of initiative work well in my opinion.
Not to much initiative though or the old “your not paid to think” line may rear its ugly head.
For me if I’m left alone to get the job done, it’s done, if I’m interfered with to much I’m gone. Not that I don’t like being interfered with of course.
LisasGuy:
Jesus I wish I hadn’t bothered with this post as the majority of comments are cynical & negative, yes I’m fully aware of how far the distance is & I can’t use the Dartford tunnel, the job suits me & I’m happy to do the same run each night as i’ve had the last 12 years of not knowing where I will be going or when I will get home. I no what the wages will be as I have it in the contract yet a few think I’m making it up, Christ I’m taking a pay cut for this job. I wasn’t bragging, I was happy that I have secured a job near home & it will make my family life easier, sorry if I offended anybody by posting a driving topic on a driver’s forum…
Relax, this is always a good topic, don’t let the appearence of those who have made bad choices bother you.
That said there is wisdom in keeping your employers details secret. Just sayin.
bigvern1:
Mine’s a job I have chosen to go back to, after being paid buttons for driving bigger things. That’s the downside of living in Devon for ya!
But that lot might have to pay you buttons one day verne
Dipper_Dave:
Although a smaller family business offers more potential for job satisfaction, especially with that personal touch and potential to see first hand that your efforts play an important part in the life / profitability of the business are working.It is possible even with a large corporate beast like I work for to make the job good.
Setting your stall out early helps and finding a sweet balance between getting the job done and getting a reputation for not putting up with any ■■■■■■■■.
The ability to say no works wonders but also now and again helping your planner out where possible. Don’t expect thanks or even a reachround but knowing ones place and showing moments of initiative work well in my opinion.
Not to much initiative though or the old “your not paid to think” line may rear its ugly head.
For me if I’m left alone to get the job done, it’s done, if I’m interfered with to much I’m gone. Not that I don’t like being interfered with of course.
Agree with most of your views on working for a big co (apart from the expecting a reacharound, and the interference that is )
Set your own pace, but set it wisely as you are expected to maintain it.
Not sure about the general opinion of family run business being better, there are exceptions.
One around my way is as tight as arses, they asked one of their drivers to be a bearer at the funeral of one of the long serving members who worked in the office. He readily agreed and did so…and they docked the day’s pay off him at end of week.
How good is your job? … my one would be good if it wasn’t so boring ! Came back to work on the 1st March and since then have done just 3 jobs that take a max of 18 hours each from start to finish. I do 3 hours to get to the loading place , then wait around for the next high water and then do another 3 hours to get back. Then just sit and wait for the next weather window to do it all again which can be days and usually is here on the west coast of Scotland hence only the three trips in 5 weeks. 
LisasGuy:
Re: How good is your job?
.
It was ■■■■, that’s why I left
Back in the nineties we had a fairly good job, but before then it was a GREAT job until two ex od’s came working there and reckoned that we were on too much money compared to similar companies doing the same work and it couldn’t continue! The gaffer got to hear of this, pretty soon our wages were dropped slightly and two drivers left as they didn’t like the pay cut. No prizes for guessing which two.
If you are content then keep quiet, there will always be someone doing less hours for double the money but life’s like that.
Pete.
For me, I have the best job I can get within a 50 mile radius, possibly with the exception of Fords. It’s based on a complete package for me. Pay, kind of work, equipment, operators, management and pension to name a few. Yes there are better paying jobs, the be all and end all to some, but would I work twice as hard, for an ■■■■■■■■, with an old nail to drive, for an extra tenner a day? That’d be a no from me!
A good job is simply one your happy to do on a daily basis we all have our own ideas of whats good ,some its all about the money others like jay look at the whole package personally i go for the whole package moneys not every thing
bjd:
A good job is simply one your happy to do on a daily basis we all have our own ideas of whats good ,some its all about the money others like jay look at the whole package personally i go for the whole package moneys not every thing
Exactly, I don’t dread getting up any morning, even a Monday. The day’s tend to fly by, and before I know it I’m in the car on a Friday night. I’ve had some stinker jobs over the years, that really ruin your weekends worrying about Monday. Wouldn’t want to get back to that
I love my job, honestly my gaffer is ace the work is ok and the truck decent enough.