Should EE's have to speak reasonable English?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Our Firm has just taken on over 20 new agency drivers in preparation for the Christmas “rush”.

All but a couple of these new drivers are EE’s, and in recent days most of the permanent drivers have been sent out
on runs “double manned” with one of the new agency drivers…to show them how to do store deliveries, fill in the
paperwork etc…and to act as their mentors.

The other night I was sent out with a portly, middle-aged Polish guy called Papise, whose only spoken words of English
were “I know” and “Ok”! …and who had clearly never discovered, or heard of deodrant! Verbal communication was virtually impossible either way, and the shift quickly turned into a nightmare!

We were given what should have been a 13 hour run from Liverpool, to deliver to stores in Ashington and Jarrow.

I drove up to the Ashington store, when we got there I pointed to my eyes, his eyes, and then to the load to gesture to him
to watch what I do. It was very clear that he had absolutely no idea, and no understanding of anything that I said.

On the drive up he just kept saying “I know” or “Ok” to anything I said, so I decided to find out how much he was really
understanding.

Me …“my youngest son’s name is James…so what is my youngest son’s name?”
Him …“I know”!!

Me …“How long have you been in the UK?”
Him …“I know”!!

Me …“where did you last work?”
Him…“Ok”!!

After completing the Ashington store, I handed him the keys and pointed to the paperwork, maps and postcode for the Jarrow store.
He set off…and I quickly dozed off in the passenger seat …it was 8.00am and we had started at midnight. Around an hour later
I was awoken by a tap on the shoulder. I opened my eyes and we were stuck in a cul-de-sac on a housing estate!!

What a nightmare!! I looked at his sat-nav…it was a car sat-nav! …and he obviously had not looked at the map, and obviously
could not read the (English) instructions on the map to avoid the area that he had just driven into!

I tried to speak to him. “I know”, “I know”, “I know” he kept saying. “No you don’t know” I started shouting!

To cut a very long story short, we ended up reaching 15 hours, and having to “day out” for 9 hours at Leeming Bar truckstop on the
way back. Hardly a word was spoken during that 9 hours.

We have many EE’s at our depot, and most are decent drivers, speak good English and get the job done efficiently. A few of them I am friendly with, and I have a laugh and a bit of banter with. But this guy!!

I can’t believe that he’s been taken on. Surely Foreign drivers should have to speak a reasonable level of English?

Your thoughts please.

2

Seems a fair and reasonable expectation to me mate :neutral_face:

I am assuming you were training this fella?

3

eagerbeaver:
Seems a fair and reasonable expectation to me mate :neutral_face:

I am assuming you were training this fella?

Good to see the trainer going to sleep, also should have noticed the car satnave before ending up in a cul de sac. I would hazard a guess at this post being a joke and a dig at EE drivers.

4

UKtramp:

eagerbeaver:
Seems a fair and reasonable expectation to me mate :neutral_face:

I am assuming you were training this fella?

Good to see the trainer going to sleep, I would have done the same if I was the Polish guy!!

I don’t know if I could sleep in a truck mate with someone else driving, maybe I’m not the trusting type.

5

eagerbeaver:
I don’t know if I could sleep in a truck mate with someone else driving, maybe I’m not the trusting type.

Me neither, I would be frightened he raped me in my sleep, that’s the problem with being a pretty boy like me. I couldn’t be sent to a prison as I would be eyed up by all.

6

eagerbeaver:
I am assuming you were traininig this fella?

Yes…supposed to be training him. But it is impossible to train someone who doesn’t understand a word of
what you’re trying to tell him!

I’ve only worked there for 3 months myself, but I’m one of only a small number of permanent staff on the nightshift
…most of the night men are agency.

7

So did you pass him and recommend him for work to your firm or did you not say anything?

8

To work in a country, for a local employer you should have to speak, read and write in that language.

For a company to employ people who dont, its just asking for trouble.

I live and work mostly in austria, for the most part no local firm would set on a “foreigner” without being able to do all of the above in the native tongue reasonably well. And rightly so in my opinion.

That applys to people who move anywhere, not just people who move to england.

9

UKtramp:

eagerbeaver:
Seems a fair and reasonable expectation to me mate :neutral_face:

I am assuming you were training this fella?

Good to see the trainer going to sleep, also should have noticed the car satnave before ending up in a cul de sac. I would hazard a guess at this post being a joke and a dig at EE drivers.

It’s sadly not a joke…or a dig at EE drivers. Most of the EE driver’s at our depot are decent drivers who speak good, or in some
cases, very good English.

His sat-nav was in his bag whilst I was driving up to Ashington…so I didn’t see it! If he’d bothered to even look at the map, he
wouldn’t have ended up in the pickle that he did.

10

You could have treat it as double manning and run for 21 hours, not that I’m saying you should, just pointing out that you could.

I do think that a basic command of the language should be required. Perhaps your firm ought to do a quick language exam before letting them loose!

11

albion:
You could have treat it as double manning and run for 21 hours, not that I’m saying you should, just pointing out that you could.

I do think that a basic command of the language should be required. Perhaps your firm ought to do a quick language exam before letting them loose!

I thought that as well… Not sure I would have spent 9 hours in that position…

12

UKtramp:

eagerbeaver:
I don’t know if I could sleep in a truck mate with someone else driving, maybe I’m not the trusting type.

Me neither, I would be frightened he raped me in my sleep, that’s the problem with being a pretty boy like me. I couldn’t be sent to a prison as I would be eyed up by all.

YOU WISH!!! :unamused:

13

Lancsdriver70:
It’s sadly not a joke…or a dig at EE drivers. Most of the EE driver’s at our depot are decent drivers who speak good, or in some
cases, very good English.

Then yes they most certainly should speak English, and lynx deodorant compulsory.

14

Not a dig at EE drivers at all. I was out again last night on the same run, same stores, with another new agency recruit from
Poland, called Gregor. He spoke excellent English, we chatted more or less continuously throughout the shift. Everthing went like
clockwork…and we got back to the depot just after 1.00pm today after a midnight start last night. Perfect, just as it should be.

Gregor read the instructions on the map (to avoid the road through the housing estate), spoke and communicated well with the
staff at the shops…and he looks as if he will have no problems or issues doing the job on his own.

15

Lancsdriver70:
It’s sadly not a joke…or a dig at EE drivers. Most of the EE driver’s at our depot are decent drivers who speak good, or in some
cases, very good English.

Then yes they most certainly should speak English, and lynx deodorant compulsory.

16

Companies are getting what they pay for. They cannot be bothered to recruit their own drivers and train them to company standards. They choose to use sub contractors or agency staff who cannot speak English, therefore cannot read maps, risk assessments or any other document which could be of any use. How long before the cost of having a well trained, well paid driver comes before the cost of continuous penny pinching, bad press and embarrassment for companies who can’t vet who’s working for them.

17

A 13-hour shift starting at midnight… :open_mouth:

I’m not surprised that they have to turn to the Eastern Euros.

18

I know.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

19

I Think that most drivers who go to live and work in a country will try to learn the language,if only to make life easier.Obviously this depends on your reasons for moving.If you are intending to remain in the country then you will try and assimilate,but if you are only there to earn money ane have no intention of remaining then the situation is a bit different.
When i moved to Holland i made the effort to learn all i could of the language,culture and way of life.I have done the same since i moved up here in Lappland.However,everyone is different so what is easy for one is not neccessarily the same for another.

20

truckertang:
I know.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: …if I keep hearing those words again!!