Having got my rigid licence in May this year, I have been working for a local company delivering pallets. Working on a day rate, I get the princely sum of £76.00 per day and a bonus of 0.60 pence per pallet delivered. My nominal hours are 0700 - 1745 (includes a 45 min break - unpaid) so a 10 hour day. Yesterday, when I turned up at work, I was left waiting in my DAF 18 tonner until after 10 am to get loaded. At least 2 other drivers who were loaded first thing have done their local drops and are loaded with their second runs before me
Having secured my load, done my route planning etc. I leave the yard at 10.50. It now takes my just over an hour till my first drop. I had 12 pallets loaded and 9 drops around Broadland in Norfolk - only one of which I had been to before. My truck has a tiny tail-lift (you know the type) and all but one of the pallets would have to come off that way (the other was fork-lifted off). Five of the pallets each weighed a tonne (four of the pallets were to 2 chicken farms so the added joy of bio security etc) and were a bugger to move let along taking my life in my hands every time I used the tail-lift. Eight drops later and it’s 1800 (could’nt do one of the drops to a private address as the owner was out). I’m now seriously beat having shifted the entire load and the last drop (on the headboard) left me 47 miles away from the depot according to the satnav.
Finally, get back to the depot at 1915 and I get sarky comments from the office about my inability to do any collections! Having got back to the depot, the traffic guy says you really need to get back by 6pm tomorrow (Friday). At that point, I told him that as I was off on holiday this Saturday and my body was aching all over, sod tomorrow, my holiday starts now and I’m off for 2 weeks (hence my going on the forum this morning).
My point is simple - am I a mug for staying when I could go and work in a nice warm factory, office or even agancy for similar money? The established drivers in the depot have the same routes every day, probably have 50% of their load to previous customers and know their areas like the back of their hands. For me (and one or two other drivers) we seem to get all the dregs that are left in the warehouse. I keep getting moved from truck to truck (and area to area) as other drivers go on leave and I seem to be an afterthought.
Finally, I was talking to one of the agency drivers and he is driving a newer Daf with no tail-lift so all he has to do is pop the curtains each time and his pallets and all forked off.
I’m tempted to tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine but my wife says I should calm down & discuss it with them on my return
As ever, all comments appreciated. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I’ve booked my C&E for October having had a trail run in a baby artic (Daf XF auto but only 2 rear axles & rear steerable) that they use for the test & it was a dream to drive. Lines virtually the same as the rigid - just got to master the trailer, reversing etc.
That nice warm factory you mention would probably mean same thing day in day out = boring! The office job might be unfulfilling also.
What I’d be doing is sticking with the job you have but all the time smile to yourself thinking come October I’ve got my chance to get out of here and you lot don’t even know it - and I can’t wait
Enjoy your holiday, after all that’s another 2 weeks less to put up with them and 2 weeks closer to your C+E training!
Hi Zeethron,
I would say either keep looking for another better job or stick with it for the time being until you’ve got your class 1.
I’ve just passed my test early August and it took a month for me to get a first job, on ■■■■ money for long days and early starts. I’ve changed jobs three times in a week but now I have found a good company, decent wage, and they’re looking at fitting me in the roster according to my start time request. Yes, long days still and a lot of handballing (it’s a laundry service) but I am happy with it. But then, this is in the South, and I know up North jobs are hard to find and the wages are driven down more but still, keep trying, keep asking and don’t give up.
I would try and stick it out until you get your class 1 which will give you so much more opportunity and different kinds off work I too started off with the same sort of work you are doing and I did jack it in and went back in a factory soon after went and did my class 1 and find the work a fair bit easier.
The tail-lift on that particular truck is rated at 1500 kgs and it just about takes a single standard pallet. However, to get on the pallet truck as well, you have to inch it forward until it is just hanging off the end then drop the forks down v.quickly or it will go straight off the back
An added problem is that the load bed of the truck is mainly wood then there is a slight incline onto a metal area near the rear doors then finally a small depression where the body meets the tail-lift. The only to get over this bump/valley and onto the tail-lift (with a one tonne pallet) is to take a run-up at it to gain speed onto the tail-lift then judge it just right to drop the forks. Get it wrong & you will go off the end or get it stuck in the gap between the body & the lift.
The newer trucks in the fleet have a rear door that also doubles as the tail-lift so it is huge & hence no problem but the dear old 08 plate is a pain in the ■■■
Only other thing you can do hen is if the indent in the floor is causing too much of an issue stick a defect in. It probably won’t get you anywhere but it may be worth highlighting that it’s causing you an issue.
Sounds like you have a ■■■■ employer mate and are on awful money you have lots of options here you can tell him to stick the job and go find another or you can stick at it and look for work while working for them still. You can earn a lot more money then you are on now with a lot less hassle. Drop me a pm if you want to chat fella enjoy your holiday
I’m not surprised your ■■■■■■ off. You could earn money that crap anywhere else, hell you might even enjoy it! Find other driving work and drop this employer Pronto.
Yoni:
Hi Zeethron,
I would say either keep looking for another better job or stick with it for the time being until you’ve got your class 1.
I’ve just passed my test early August and it took a month for me to get a first job, on [zb] money for long days and early starts. I’ve changed jobs three times in a week but now I have found a good company, decent wage, and they’re looking at fitting me in the roster according to my start time request. Yes, long days still and a lot of handballing (it’s a laundry service) but I am happy with it. But then, this is in the South, and I know up North jobs are hard to find and the wages are driven down more but still, keep trying, keep asking and don’t give up.
Since when was Norfolk area up north or I am in Scotland
As you are on holiday look for another job or wait till you have your CE as this will open a lot more door for you
Thanks for the comments & support chaps. Always feel better after posting on this forum Off tomorrow morning to sunny Italy - will think of you poor truckers handballing & working 15 hour days whilst I sip my cocktail on the terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples - Ciao
Zeethron:
Thanks for the comments & support chaps. Always feel better after posting on this forum Off tomorrow morning to sunny Italy - will think of you poor truckers handballing & working 15 hour days whilst I sip my cocktail on the terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples - Ciao
I’m also on palleted multidrop, and your company sounds crap… You’re not up North, so can’t see how you are earning so little as well. In my area you should be looking at £11 per hour minimum on agency self employed (LTD company or umbrella) if you are non ADR. As for the kit (tail lift) how old is your truck? And how tight is your boss■■? All our class 2 trucks have huge tail lifts, that is the whole back door!!!
So I obviously have no issues with putting a pallet on it, and could even spin a pallet on it if i chose too, although I prefer to do this in the arse of the truck.
As for the permanent drivers being loaded first, that’s the way it goes I’m afraid… However, i would be having a word every half an hour with the powers that be… That for every 30 mins, that’s one less drop I could do compared to those experienced/favoured people loaded early…
Stress is 100% self induced mate, and I’m sure you want to do a good job and impress your boss. But you have to tactfully explain to the higher powers, that you can’t be judged or compared to those that already know the job & the drops, as a Newbie has to find the buggers first, and after that know how and where to unload… I’m a lot better now I’ve been in my job about 6 weeks, and when i see my run sheet in the morning, I know a good percentage of the drops and the score with each one…
So don’t beat yourself up mate, crack on with the class one and in the mean time, find another gig…
Don’t take that crap, remember its your licence on the line so don’t go tear arse’ing about for some office scrot. Because you’re new to this game they think that they can just palm you off with the crap that the regulars don’t want. I say, find something else or go on agency, go back to the same place but on hourly pay plus more!
Radar19:
Don’t take that crap, remember its your licence on the line so don’t go tear arse’ing about for some office scrot. Because you’re new to this game they think that they can just palm you off with the crap that the regulars don’t want. I say, find something else or go on agency, go back to the same place but on hourly pay plus more!
100% on Radar’s post, plus go to a few agencies to ensure you are getting the best deal and work. Some agencies are good and straight, but sadly a lot are all about bums on seats holding the wheel, while they cream off the max… You will find that a branch manger chooses how to run their branch, some want volume with low margins to make the figures (as this keeps driver loyal), while other agencies will go for profit margins and rely on a lower number of “mugs!”
Having got back to the depot, the traffic guy says you really need to get back by 6pm tomorrow (Friday). At that point, I told him that as I was off on holiday this Saturday and my body was aching all over, sod tomorrow, my holiday starts now and I’m off for 2 weeks (hence my going on the forum this morning).
