sobering experience

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

Just had a 2 week spell with a small Portsmouth based operator pulling mainly LKW and DERIJJK trailers out of Poole and Portsmouth,delivering and collecting steel products within the UK and Belgium.
To say it was a horrific experience would be a gross understatement but there are a few issues that I put to the forum for appraisal.I had a bad feeling about the job from day one the ‘interview’ took place at the blokes house and I explained that my previous experience consisted of 16 years of mainly containers and european fridges.so far so good but .I went away feeling a sense of fear as by taking the job would put me in a dangerous place in terms of paying the rent etc and also the appalling situation whereby you are waiting 2 full weeks with no pay until your first pay cheque comes through despite having to feed yourself and pay for overnight parking,bridge tolls etc,etc.

My fears proved to be justified,I was comprimised at every stage of the game going foodless for several days
not having the coin for even the Dartford crossing let alone the Severn bridge so my credibility was truly up the swanny in terms of proving myself up to the job.

As it transpired I found the transition from my previous work a hell of a shock,dealing with load strapping,dodgy trailers ferried in from abroad and to cap it all I developed a severe skin reaction to the steel products that had my entire body covered in painful itchy sores which I believe comes from the nickel content that is part of the steels compound… Hey ho.

My first week consisted of a sunday till friday week with a Belgium railhead delivery and My pay for all this?..290 quid…putting me deeper in the ■■■■ than if I’d stayed at home claiming the welfare dime.I’m not sure if theres anything I can do or even if I will be receiving my week in hand payment as well.The job was on a months trial and no contract signed,so am I up a certain creek without a certain instrument?or can anyone offer a similar accont of their own that could point me in the right direction?

2

manalishi:
…I went away feeling a sense of fear as by taking the job would put me in a dangerous place in terms of paying the rent etc and also the appalling situation whereby you are waiting 2 full weeks with no pay until your first pay cheque comes through despite having to feed yourself and pay for overnight parking,bridge tolls etc,etc…

In virtually all jobs where you’re paid weekly, you wouldn’t be paid until the end of the first two week period anyway as you’re usually paid a week in hand; thereafter, payments would then be made weekly. Furthermore, you would have to feed yourself and pay any expenses beforehand. Your lack of experience concerning load security and foreign trailers is not your employer’s fault; neither is the physical reaction to the alleged nickel content of the steel. As for your pay, didn’t you discuss terms before you agreed to take the job?

Bob

3

Sounds like you had a bad one there mate sorry to hear it. I used to do the steel a few years back now, never again. Just aint worth the aggro carrying loads like that for what you get paid, strapping the stuff up in steel yards full of crap and cutting your legs on the edges of it and then getting skin rashes. Nasty stuff.

Sounds like you could be struggling getting paid whats due to you with no contract. I had a similar situation where I was interviewed at this guys house for a different job and in the end he turned out to be a wrong one. Thankfully it was UK based and I never out laid any of my own money for him and I was gone like a shot after a week.

Easy for people to come on this site and say well you shouldnt have done this that etc etc. We all know what its like to be out of work and sometimes even though you know in the back of your own mind its a wrong move you jump and go for it. Put it down to experience mate and chin up.

PS I hope the guy does come through for you with what youre owed, who knows.

4

I thought you were working for a respectable haulier out of Hull.

You were trying to get a new digicard after a few bent moments showed up, did that bite you on the arse?

This bloke from Poole, do they also do Derijke lifttanks into Port Jerome?

5

My empathy for you fella , you appear to be disillusioned and in an unsure state.

Not easy offering info or making comment as dont know the full circumstances.
But maybe you could take this one on the chin, and learn from the experience and hopefully the guy does the right thing and covers your pay and expenses ( i hope you have kept receipts and made written records).

imho and i would get it done asap.
i. Speak with him again and clarify any details you are unsure of and feel the need to ask that you may have forgotten to ask at interview.
ii. Set the stall out and know where both yourself and your employer stand.
iii. Ask him if he will supply running money to cover expenses (tolls etc ) or if you need to claim them back.

iv. Make yourself a list out of what information and questions you have and need to clarify,
and get it sorted before things turn too sour.

On the face of it , he could be a good guy struggling himself to set up / or not - who knows .

If another opportunity like this happens again , you may go in a bit forearmed next time.

On the flip side , consider it from your “employers” side ,
he has taken on an employee of whom he has no background information or experience of ,
other than the information you have divulged to him at the interview and maybe he forgot to inform you too of some details.

I hope all good things pan out for you,
it could be the lead to a good job and a new friendly working relationship and you help build the company into a new rising enterprise.

I personally started out with a one man band haulier/farmer years ago, but if you work together - things can work out.
That haulier has now progressed into a good structed business/ haulier UK and european ,
times were sometimes hard and busy and ime sure he pulled a lot of hair out :laughing: when scratching his head making sure the job ran smoothly and the money came in and in the hope that agents paid up on time - if indeed the odd one or two actually paid up.
( i still havent forgotten the time me and `Boss¬ ran into each other head on in our cars in the yard on a blind corner when he lived in his mobile in the yard , and i wont forget the Alsation that bit my legs and toes every morning :laughing: followed by a swift knacker kick :laughing: – never laughed so much in my life :laughing: :laughing: ---- - - you know who you are if reading this and regards to the Mrs too :grimacing: ).

It`s never easy budd , and times are hard again, and its a cut throat business ,
I wish you all the best in your future adventures , but please please speak to him directly and get things ironed out so you both know where you stand on terms and payments.

6

manalishi:
Just had a 2 week spell with a small Portsmouth based operator pulling mainly LKW and DERIJJK trailers out of Poole and Portsmouth,delivering and collecting steel products within the UK and Belgium…

…I was comprimised at every stage of the game going foodless for several days: not having the coin for even the Dartford Crossing, let alone the Severn Bridge, so my credibility was truly up the swanny in terms of proving myself up to the job…

What credibility? The job is obviously going to involve being away for extended periods, wouldn’t it be prudent to take some money, food, water and baby wipes with you? I take it you remembered to take something to sleep under, a change of clothes and your passport? You compromised yourself by not planning ahead, your employer is not at fault for your lack of common sense!

lumpygreenpoo:
In virtually all jobs where you’re paid weekly, you wouldn’t be paid until the end of the first two week period anyway as you’re usually paid a week in hand; thereafter, payments would then be made weekly. Furthermore, you would have to feed yourself and pay any expenses beforehand.

This is standard practice in any industry where employees are paid weekly.

manalishi:
…my only previous experience consisted of 16 years of mainly containers and European fridges…

…As it transpired, I found the transition from my previous work a hell of a shock: dealing with load strapping, dodgy trailers ferried in from abroad…

lumpygreenpoo:
Your lack of experience concerning load security and foreign trailers is not your employer’s fault.

Unfortunately, transport is a continuous learning curve. For 16 years, you’ve been content with pulling a box where you’ve not had to give much input into the way it is loaded. If you’re not happy with leaving your comfort zone why apply to do something completely different? Surely you realise the transition from one area of transport to another can be fraught with problems, that’s just the way it is.

manalishi:
…I had a bad feeling about the job from day one. The ‘interview’ took place at the blokes house…

The whole idea of the interview is for you and your prospective employer to discuss the requirements of the job, regardless of where the interview is held. If you weren’t happy and had a ‘bad feeling’, why take the job?

manalishi:
…My first week consisted of a Sunday till Friday week with a Belgium railhead delivery. My pay for all this? 290 quid…

Didn’t you discuss money beforehand? I could understand it if you’re employer had made wild claims that you would easily take home £600 per week and then pay you £290. However, you’ve not made it clear what the actual terms were.

mattcollin:
Easy for people to come on this site and say well you shouldn’t have done this that etc…

I’m sorry, I disagree. I don’t believe that the employer is at fault here. I think it is just as easy for people to knock the employer…

Bob

7

Thanks for the input fellas,just to put things into context,nothing at the interview was put to me in a clear way about the nature of his business,I had no inkling of the fact that his trucks were operating on the old paper charts and no idea that I was expected to put the mode switch on break while strapping heavy loads of steel,copper but then be expected to hare off to the next destination with criticisms of my wish to partake of a refreshment break afterwards.

I was also not informed that parking was’nt to be paid for in msa’s and in one instance after a tramp from Liverpool to Poole I had nowhere to park but a sodding layby on the A34 Didcot way which meant zero sleep at all due to the buffeting of passing traffic.I see no good in responding to some of the spleen venters on this forum lets just say there are still some real ■■■■■■■■ out there and if my experience can prove salutary then all well and good.

8

manalishi:
Thanks for the input fellas,just to put things into context,nothing at the interview was put to me in a clear way about the nature of his business

So why didn’t you asked what you needed to know?

,I had no inkling of the fact that his trucks were operating on the old paper charts and no idea that I was expected to put the mode switch on break while strapping heavy loads of steel,

This is agains the law so refuse. If they complain, ask them to give that to you in writing :slight_smile:
That what I did once and I never heard about it since :slight_smile:

I was also not informed that parking was’nt to be paid for in msa’s

When I start new job, such things are the first ones I ask for. What are the procedures and rules and commons in my new work place…

and in one instance after a tramp from Liverpool to Poole I had nowhere to park but a sodding layby on the A34 Didcot way which meant zero sleep at all due to the buffeting of passing traffic.

Poor you… You have such a terrible experience… Just like the 1000s of other truckers and van drivers every night…

I see no good in responding to some of the spleen venters on this forum lets just say there are still some real [zb] out there and if my experience can prove salutary then all well and good.

Off course there are bad places to work. Been there, done that.

But never blamed the employer for that I did not asked for what I need to know beforehand. If i did, it was my fault. The moment you can start complain about your employer is when he told you one thing, but does another. Or if he wants you to brake the law (but then, I would no longer work for such guy).

When I was doing agency and wasn’t sure if they pay for MSA, I was just choosing free parking spots. As simple, as that. If you plan ahead, you can park in some quiet place, not in small laybe on the main road.

I am sorry, but somehow I don’t feel pity for you. Off course you felt down from the comfy box work to the “real life”, and that might be a bit shocking, but most of the things you describe here are, in my houbmly opinion, your own fault for not making that clear before you started to work.

As for running hungry: well… You knew that you will be paid. I find this funny, that you don’t know that you are paid after next week, but this is obvious: you work one week, then they do the wages next monday or tuesday and they pay you, and thanks to the great British Banking system your money go to you three days (my boss is using some reasonable bank, so I have mine Wednesday morning!). Anyway, You knew you have work, so you are in full right to assume you will be paid.

Now: is it something new to you that you have to eat? Are you not eating at home? Did you run only thanks to photosynthesis in your previous work? Or maybe there was a company snax vans following you and providing free meals to you in your last work? I doubt so. Well, I can assume that if you are an adult, you can know that food is not free on most occasions. So if you knew that you have empty wallet, but you will soon have something to fill it, why did you not asked some friend to lend you 50 quids to make you going? If you don’t have any friends, you can have commercial loan in every second pakistani cheque shop. Or you can PM me, I got some tesco vouchers I can post them to you to spare you running on empty stomach…

Sorry pal, I know I am being nasty now and you might consider it as kicking someone who are already down, but HELLO, You are not down, You are living real life! And you are responsible for your own mistakes.

Well, I feel bad now for what I wrote here. But this is all true. Sometimes we have to tell the truth to someone for his own benefit. Sorry that it was me this time :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Orys, PMSL…! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

10

Crikey Orys, your command of the English language has
come on a bit in three years :smiley:

11

Fair one Orys I can handle your comments I just tend to think that the business of doing a week in hand needs looking into,I can see its in place to protect the employer and all that but a job such as ours is hard to deal with after a prolonged period on the dole when the money supply is bound to be severely depleted and given theres such a need to pave the way with the folding stuff to make the job work in the first place,parking,etc then I think it’s a travesty to have to wait another bleeding week,and I was merely submitting my experience as a prime example.The job and me were incompatible for sure and I seek not sympathy,merely to share others previous experiences for the common good. Just got back from hospital earlier they’re saying my allergy is severe and could have major implications due to nickel exposure.So there you have it 2 weeks in hell for 290 quid,a raging skin disease and a lambasting from a fellow road warrior,tread carefully pilgrims,

12

manalishi:
Fair one Orys I can handle your comments I just tend to think that the business of doing a week in hand needs looking into,I can see its in place to protect the employer and all that but a job such as ours is hard to deal with after a prolonged period on the dole when the money supply is bound to be severely depleted and given theres such a need to pave the way with the folding stuff to make the job work in the first place,parking,etc then I think it’s a travesty to have to wait another bleeding week,and I was merely submitting my experience as a prime example.The job and me were incompatible for sure and I seek not sympathy,merely to share others previous experiences for the common good. Just got back from hospital earlier they’re saying my allergy is severe and could have major implications due to nickel exposure.So there you have it 2 weeks in hell for 290 quid,a raging skin disease and a lambasting from a fellow road warrior,tread carefully pilgrims,

That’s some class.

Off course, allergy is a MAIN reason to leave that work.

But if you worked two weeks, you will have another salary (another 290, but I hope more) after next week…

At least I am able to bring some good news to you.

Good luck with a job hunt!

And as for the merit: OK, you start new job and you have first salary after two weeks, that thick, but if you leave it, you will have your last salary also delayed by the same amount of time…

I was in your position once, and I had even worse, as I started to work for the company paying monthly.

But they agreed to pay me weekly for first month… It’s all about good will on both ends :wink:

13

How do you cope with the nickel content in silver coins?

Bob

14

lumpygreenpoo:
How do you cope with the nickel content in silver coins?

Bob

He said already: he don’t have any coins :smiley:

15

there are more ways to skin a cat, and to cross the river Thames for that matter, even the dole office will give you a sub to start work.

Tipping or loading on break is entirely up to the driver, you either do it or you don’t, you can get a decent meal on the ferry.

And since I started work at 16 I have always been paid a week in hand, the advantage is you get paid again a week after you leave a job.

16

manalishi:
I just tend to think that the business of doing a week in hand needs looking into,I can see its in place to protect the employer and all that but a job such as ours is hard to deal with after a prolonged period on the dole when the money supply is bound to be severely depleted and given theres such a need to pave the way with the folding stuff to make the job work in the first place,parking,etc then I think it’s a travesty to have to wait another bleeding week,and I was merely submitting my experience as a prime example.The job and me were incompatible for sure and I seek not sympathy,merely to share others previous experiences for the common good. Just got back from hospital earlier they’re saying my allergy is severe and could have major implications due to nickel exposure.So there you have it 2 weeks in hell for 290 quid,a raging skin disease and a lambasting from a fellow road warrior,tread carefully pilgrims,

you’ve got to give them a chance to sort out your overtime, which wont be known until the end of the week. i know that doesn’t apply to everyone but it has in the majority of my jobs. one job paid basic at the end of the week and overtime a week in hand, whilst it should of been simple it turned into a nightmare when the wages started too get messed up.

if someone was dodgy i’d doubt they’d want you to know where they live, i don’t see owt wrong with an interview at his home if that suited at the time.

if you where short on brass why not ask for running money? if not, then there’s always a long way round!

surely you set off with enough money or access to it and or enough food for the week

surely you knew what the wages where before you started? it’s the 2nd question, 1st being do you have any jobs! have you paid emergency tax? therefore wont be as bad as £290. do you have any other than the normal deductions (posing not asking) and has anyone actually said you’re not getting paid for the second week or are you just assuming that for some reason? whilst they might try, they can’t not pay you.

what’s your beef with paper charts!!

it’s your choice to tip on break, if it can’t be done without doing it, then it can’t be done. let yourself get pushed about and you will be pushed about - simples.

carrying steel and doing dock trailers, having to use straps, i’m sure most people would class as run of the mill stuff.

i know we all all have bad days / weeks but i don’t see how all this has got you stressed out, allergy accepted of course.

stevie - orys take a bow!!

17

lumpygreenpoo:

manalishi:
Just had a 2 week spell with a small Portsmouth based operator pulling mainly LKW and DERIJJK trailers out of Poole and Portsmouth,delivering and collecting steel products within the UK and Belgium…

…I was comprimised at every stage of the game going foodless for several days: not having the coin for even the Dartford Crossing, let alone the Severn Bridge, so my credibility was truly up the swanny in terms of proving myself up to the job…

What credibility? The job is obviously going to involve being away for extended periods, wouldn’t it be prudent to take some money, food, water and baby wipes with you? I take it you remembered to take something to sleep under, a change of clothes and your passport? You compromised yourself by not planning ahead, your employer is not at fault for your lack of common sense!

Give the poor guy a break :blush:

lumpygreenpoo:
In virtually all jobs where you’re paid weekly, you wouldn’t be paid until the end of the first two week period anyway as you’re usually paid a week in hand; thereafter, payments would then be made weekly. Furthermore, you would have to feed yourself and pay any expenses beforehand.

This is standard practice in any industry where employees are paid weekly.

manalishi:
…my only previous experience consisted of 16 years of mainly containers and European fridges…

…As it transpired, I found the transition from my previous work a hell of a shock: dealing with load strapping, dodgy trailers ferried in from abroad…

lumpygreenpoo:
Your lack of experience concerning load security and foreign trailers is not your employer’s fault.

Unfortunately, transport is a continuous learning curve. For 16 years, you’ve been content with pulling a box where you’ve not had to give much input into the way it is loaded. If you’re not happy with leaving your comfort zone why apply to do something completely different? Surely you realise the transition from one area of transport to another can be fraught with problems, that’s just the way it is.

manalishi:
…I had a bad feeling about the job from day one. The ‘interview’ took place at the blokes house…

The whole idea of the interview is for you and your prospective employer to discuss the requirements of the job, regardless of where the interview is held. If you weren’t happy and had a ‘bad feeling’, why take the job?

manalishi:
…My first week consisted of a Sunday till Friday week with a Belgium railhead delivery. My pay for all this? 290 quid…

Didn’t you discuss money beforehand? I could understand it if you’re employer had made wild claims that you would easily take home £600 per week and then pay you £290. However, you’ve not made it clear what the actual terms were.

mattcollin:
Easy for people to come on this site and say well you shouldn’t have done this that etc…

I’m sorry, I disagree. I don’t believe that the employer is at fault here. I think it is just as easy for people to knock the employer…

Bob

18

Whats the point of your post JLS Driver? People can be taken out of context but taking fractions of what they have said. IMHO this guy has come on here and admiited he has screwed up so there is no point in berating him any further for it, not that Im say you are.

He’s given a frank account of his mistakes to serve as a warning may be to others with less experience who may have otherwise by tempted to do the same because they are green or desperate. He’s got balls for doing so knowing that he would be shot down in flames for it by some.

I wouldnt have posted a miskate like this and in honesty would half of you reading this? So credit it to him for that.