■■■■■■00:
Did not the bus driver dead line come and go without incident.
Wages never increased.
Do you know?
Are you a bus driver?
TBH, I can see why rates wouldn’t increase for bus drivers.
The majority (90%+) of bus drivers will work for “BIG” Companies like Stagecoach/Nat Express etc. and will be trained up Free of charge, as well as being paid for the privilege.
Also, I can’t see a Coach driver Agency/Casual/Temp Driver market anywhere near the size of the HGV industry… The majority of “I’m not doing this ■■■■” drivers in the HGV Industry are agency drivers, I have already put my rates up and they were accepted.
I just hope all the Billy Bull ■■■■ drivers that say they are quitting, actually do!
Winseer:
A regular wage doesn’t include “optional” or “non-permanent” elements.
You could say “Earn £1000 a week working as an owner driver for Fedex”…
There won’t be any queue though…
You’ll workj 16 hours a day 6 days a week to GROSS that much money, then you’ve got to take out all your running costs for your van…
If you’re lucky, and have a good accountant, you’ll take home about £650 a week. Not so good for 96 hours a week now is it?
50 hours for £28k that includes “tax free” elements could be argued “are not Stobarts to give” - since it’s an allowance from HMRC…
Then there’s the “fuel bonus”… Well even if your Peter Perfect - are you going to get that whilst off sick/on holiday?
If it’s not a regular part of your wage - it’s not part of your wage, and should therefore be discounted.
48 hours x £8.10ph and 5x1 hour unpaid meal breaks (53 hours a week at work, 48 on duty) is a measly £388.88 a week. Annualised, that’s £20217pa… Nearly £8k light. Any bonus should be what’s payable on TOP of the “headline Wage” eh?
Curiosity got the better of me last week and I fired off an email, the thought of £38K whilst wearing a pressed green uniform in a shiny green and red truck as well as constant waving and flashes from fellow Stobart drivers and “Spotters”… Oh and of course you get to drive a big R410 It was all too much pressure, so I couldn’t resist asking
I would expect something like this off a bent company but surely not ESL?
Apply, Assessment, Interview THEN we will tell you the rates…
Thanks but NO THANKS!
trubster:
Hi,
Before I apply, could you please advise what “In line with Ports drivers’ rates of pay” means as actual rates for working Nights.
Many Thanks
ESL’s response;
Stobart:
Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately we are unable to provide rates of pay as this is discussed at the interview stage with the operations manager.
If you would like to apply, please complete an application form, this can be done online at stobartgroup.com by clicking on careers and following the links for Driver vacancies.
Please ensure you complete as much of the application as you can to stand the best possible chance of it being successful.
Winseer:
A regular wage doesn’t include “optional” or “non-permanent” elements.
You could say “Earn £1000 a week working as an owner driver for Fedex”…
There won’t be any queue though…
You’ll workj 16 hours a day 6 days a week to GROSS that much money, then you’ve got to take out all your running costs for your van…
If you’re lucky, and have a good accountant, you’ll take home about £650 a week. Not so good for 96 hours a week now is it?
50 hours for £28k that includes “tax free” elements could be argued “are not Stobarts to give” - since it’s an allowance from HMRC…
Then there’s the “fuel bonus”… Well even if your Peter Perfect - are you going to get that whilst off sick/on holiday?
If it’s not a regular part of your wage - it’s not part of your wage, and should therefore be discounted.
48 hours x £8.10ph and 5x1 hour unpaid meal breaks (53 hours a week at work, 48 on duty) is a measly £388.88 a week. Annualised, that’s £20217pa… Nearly £8k light. Any bonus should be what’s payable on TOP of the “headline Wage” eh?
Curiosity got the better of me last week and I fired off an email, the thought of £38K whilst wearing a pressed green uniform in a shiny green and red truck as well as constant waving and flashes from fellow Stobart drivers and “Spotters”… Oh and of course you get to drive a big R410 It was all too much pressure, so I couldn’t resist asking
I would expect something like this off a bent company but surely not ESL?
Apply, Assessment, Interview THEN we will tell you the rates…
Thanks but NO THANKS!
trubster:
Hi,
Before I apply, could you please advise what “In line with Ports drivers’ rates of pay” means as actual rates for working Nights.
Many Thanks
ESL’s response;
Stobart:
Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately we are unable to provide rates of pay as this is discussed at the interview stage with the operations manager.
If you would like to apply, please complete an application form, this can be done online at stobartgroup.com by clicking on careers and following the links for Driver vacancies.
Please ensure you complete as much of the application as you can to stand the best possible chance of it being successful.
Wow… looks like I had a lucky escape by someone telling me the rates when they shouldn’t have then!
I pulled the plug just before I was due to take my assessment @ averly (for a job in Sittingbourne FFS!)
Winseer:
…I’m thinking that the reason “shop deliveries are so unpopular” is actually a whole bunch of different reasons - depending on the driver, and where they live in the UK…
This, of course, is the main thing one gains from being with a decent agency who lets you pick and choose exactly what you want to pick up, and does not pressure you into doing jobs you don’t like on days you don’t even want to be working - as too many other agencies do alas…
Actually I sent an email enquiry out to three agencies that are forever advertising for hgv drivers. Ok I don’t want to do nights out, which is fair as there are tens of thousands of other hgv drivers that don’t either, which is cool. The ‘fly in the ointment’ however was probably when I said I was highly experienced with steel and industrial deliveries including machinery and roping and sheeting (which I am), can drive flats, curtainsiders, tippers and roadsweepers (which I can), but had no interest in any store deliveries. Needless to say no response - which makes me think all the steel, tanker and tipper jobs they keep advertising are just a front to get people to do the unpopular store deliveries.
Although it may be supposition, I am guessing some driving jobs are facing a more severe driver shortage than others out there.
I think you are correct, Liberty Guy.Although I am packing in driving 10/09, I have had offers of Tesco, Brakes, McDonalds and 2 laundry jobs recently, all through agencies I have previously worked for at rates from £11.25 to £14.00 paye.
8-9 of Septembers you go to big shopping.because 10-11 of Septembers supermarkets will be empty.no drivers to make delivery al London people will be happy-will be no truck,because no drivers
dieseldog999:
word fail me for that question to be coming out of someones mouth in here…
J_K:
Why are store deliveries so hated?
Doesn’t sound difficult to me…
I’m a new driver. Never done it.
If the pay is ok then what’s the difference between driving to a supermarket or an industrial estate?
If talking about supermarket work then it’s because a lot of drivers don’t think it’s real lorry driving.
They think it’s better to be chasing around and sleeping in a tin box all week than being home every night on normally quite a bit more money.
Max your hours with break and POA to keep your hours down, or do around 40 hours a week it’s personal choice really.
Seany:
If talking about supermarket work then it’s because a lot of drivers don’t think it’s real lorry driving.
They think it’s better to be chasing around and sleeping in a tin box all week than being home every night on normally quite a bit more money.
Correct, store deliveries are easy and there is no rush on them in my experience. Then again, for some it’s all about being the big trucker who goes anywhere, any time with anything as if it’s something to be proud of.
Apart from small stores and the likes of Tesco Metro’s I reckon it’d be a cushy number.
Every shop has had the access for an artic thought out and is doable.
And home every night.
Where are the downsides?
dieseldog999:
word fail me for that question to be coming out of someones mouth in here…
J_K:
Why are store deliveries so hated?
Doesn’t sound difficult to me…
I’m a new driver. Never done it.
If the pay is ok then what’s the difference between driving to a supermarket or an industrial estate?
Mmmm let me see. You arrive at an industrial estate and usually depending on your load, someone will either trundle out with a forklift, or you’ll back under a crane to get unloaded. Bit dirtier than a store delivery usually, but at least you not trying to drag heavy cages across busy main roads whilst idiot car drivers swerve round you at speed, that’s if they actually allow you across the road in the first place of course.
Parking: I’m not going to lie and tell you industrial estates have easy access, as workers cars dumped everywhere and tight bays at some drops can be challenging. Contrast this with many corner shops were you cannot park anywhere near the door, plus the added hassle in some towns of limited loading and unloading times and yes truck drivers have got parking tickets before now.
Environment: Many of those little shops have no rear loading access, which means you have to trundle everything off the back off your truck into the shop, with seldom any help from anyone. If you like stroppy shop assistants, struggling to get past pensioners, errant kids and dopey housewives whilst carrying some very heavy weights, then by all means go for it.
dieseldog999:
word fail me for that question to be coming out of someones mouth in here…
J_K:
Why are store deliveries so hated?
Doesn’t sound difficult to me…
I’m a new driver. Never done it.
If the pay is ok then what’s the difference between driving to a supermarket or an industrial estate?
Mmmm let me see. You arrive at an industrial estate and usually depending on your load, someone will either trundle out with a forklift, or you’ll back under a crane to get unloaded. Bit dirtier than a store delivery usually, but at least you not trying to drag heavy cages across busy main roads whilst idiot car drivers swerve round you at speed, that’s if they actually allow you across the road in the first place of course.
Parking: I’m not going to lie and tell you industrial estates have easy access, as workers cars dumped everywhere and tight bays at some drops can be challenging. Contrast this with many corner shops were you cannot park anywhere near the door, plus the added hassle in some towns of limited loading and unloading times and yes truck drivers have got parking tickets before now.
Environment: Many of those little shops have no rear loading access, which means you have to trundle everything off the back off your truck into the shop, with seldom any help from anyone. If you like stroppy shop assistants, struggling to get past pensioners, errant kids and dopey housewives whilst carrying some very heavy weights, then by all means go for it.
Add in :
Deliveries on unlevel ground where the cages loaded to 7’ tall with pop will flatten you as soon as you remove the bar/strap
Getting said cages up kerbs with no help
Getting cages that actually have 4 wheels and they are all round shaped and in working order is rarer than rocking horse ■■■■
Customer bells not working and no-one apparently hears you kicking ■■■■ out of the door so you have to go on a 1 mile hike round to the front door or sit on the phone waiting for your company to answer so that they can ring the customer to let them know you’re there, which they then forget to do. Time wasted - 15-30 mins+
If you do fridges you spend more time moving stuff out of the way in order to get to the frozen compartment at the front for each drop
then you come to the biggest pain in the arse of any retail deliveries : reloading tons of empty cages and ‘equipment’ from each drop, and these days all their rubbish and dunnage as well for recycling. If you’re doing more than one hit, having to fight round all that ■■■■ to get your other drops off is just what you don’t need.
No-one with any sense would volunteer themselves for that ■■■■ when they can be doing 1 hit distance runs with 26 pallets for roughly the same money. And that’s why they can’t get retail delivery drivers for toffee because those of us that have some experience behind us have done it and know exactly what a ball ache it is.
Lol.
A proper rant from someone who has done it too many times. I’m not being facetious with that remark.
I’ve done it with plant deliveries on loloader vans so I know exactly what you mean about manouevering around crap that’s at the back to get to the stuff at the front. And we could only get 7 trollies on the van max.
To national trust properties where you can deliver from 10-2 across cobbled court yards. Trollies weighed 200-300kg.
Then unload trollies yourself. And wo betide you if you put the plants on the ground. They have to go on shelves
dieseldog999:
word fail me for that question to be coming out of someones mouth in here…
J_K:
Why are store deliveries so hated?
Doesn’t sound difficult to me…
I’m a new driver. Never done it.
If the pay is ok then what’s the difference between driving to a supermarket or an industrial estate?
Mmmm let me see. You arrive at an industrial estate and usually depending on your load, someone will either trundle out with a forklift, or you’ll back under a crane to get unloaded. Bit dirtier than a store delivery usually, but at least you not trying to drag heavy cages across busy main roads whilst idiot car drivers swerve round you at speed, that’s if they actually allow you across the road in the first place of course.
Parking: I’m not going to lie and tell you industrial estates have easy access, as workers cars dumped everywhere and tight bays at some drops can be challenging. Contrast this with many corner shops were you cannot park anywhere near the door, plus the added hassle in some towns of limited loading and unloading times and yes truck drivers have got parking tickets before now.
Environment: Many of those little shops have no rear loading access, which means you have to trundle everything off the back off your truck into the shop, with seldom any help from anyone. If you like stroppy shop assistants, struggling to get past pensioners, errant kids and dopey housewives whilst carrying some very heavy weights, then by all means go for it.
Add in :
Deliveries on unlevel ground where the cages loaded to 7’ tall with pop will flatten you as soon as you remove the bar/strap
Getting said cages up kerbs with no help
Getting cages that actually have 4 wheels and they are all round shaped and in working order is rarer than rocking horse [zb]
Customer bells not working and no-one apparently hears you kicking [zb] out of the door so you have to go on a 1 mile hike round to the front door or sit on the phone waiting for your company to answer so that they can ring the customer to let them know you’re there, which they then forget to do. Time wasted - 15-30 mins+
If you do fridges you spend more time moving stuff out of the way in order to get to the frozen compartment at the front for each drop
then you come to the biggest pain in the arse of any retail deliveries : reloading tons of empty cages and ‘equipment’ from each drop, and these days all their rubbish and dunnage as well for recycling. If you’re doing more than one hit, having to fight round all that [zb] to get your other drops off is just what you don’t need.
No-one with any sense would volunteer themselves for that [zb] when they can be doing 1 hit distance runs with 26 pallets for roughly the same money. And that’s why they can’t get retail delivery drivers for toffee because those of us that have some experience behind us have done it and know exactly what a ball ache it is.
This summed it up perfectly. This work also gets thrown at the pallet network drivers, of which I did 3.5 years on rigids and artics. Having recently switched to a 1 drop a day job, I wish I had looked around other work years ago. Hopefully I’ll never have to do palletfarce work again.
each to their own, work on your own initiative getting the job done,or,unzip your brain before every shift and leave it in your car to collect on the way home. do stores like a lemming with the traffic office planning everything out to their timescale,( remember to have your limiter on at a healthy 90kms, treated as a subhuman in most rdc,s with all of the above disrespect when your at the store.( the 4 of us cant drag that cage driver.health and insanity wont let us,so you will have to move it yourself),or…the ultimate demeaning attitude… deliver to liidledediddles… tip yourself in their warehouse,stack your delivery exactly where they want it in a line with all the barcodes facing the right way or you wont get your pod,then sit like a divvy waiting on your release.( well seen that they didn’t like losing the war(twice)…ie always wondered who you would claim when you crush your leg with the barrow when your on their warehouse floor and nobody has ever gave you an induction course for mechanical handling etc…possibly the legal eagles could enlighten me?
Andrejs:
8-9 of Septembers you go to big shopping.because 10-11 of Septembers supermarkets will be empty.no drivers to make delivery al London people will be happy-will be no truck,because no drivers
…but they’ll not be happy with empty bellies and no riff raff to do the underling work anymore. Big bosses will drop excess pen pushers into the job centre when office waller has no one left to persecute beneath them…
No revenues for the office. No jobs for suits.
Let’s see how we’re all earning and gurning when the £66k human rights advisors or £75k compliance officers etc etc. all get the boot!
It was all too much pressure, so I couldn’t resist asking 
