I work for them out of portbury been here 6 years the job is what you make it 47k last year ave 48 hrs you might do more per week but time off to bring ave down PAID . the trucks are getting a bit long in tooth now but are starting to be replaced slowly at 200k each big investment and also big waiting list for new ones. 33 days holiday paid from start includes bank hols also new starters are on a min of £105 per day to help them up to speed slowly. as for the lads at port of tyne its a ferry from factory to port they on job and knock 8 loads per shift tried it a few times when up there even with 14 years experience could not keep up with them
Juddian:
Yes in the late 80’s a grand a week was on the cards
£50,000pa in 1988 is £118,000pa in todays value using inflation. Not sure about that one 
Freight Dog:
Juddian:
Yes in the late 80’s a grand a week was on the cards£50,000pa in 1988 is £118,000pa in todays value using inflation. Not sure about that one
Trust me, I had some personal friends working for Abbey Hill at the time and I can assure you that they were doing a grand a week in the eighties. Don’t get me wrong, nobody was just giving them it, they were working bloody hard (and maybe not strictly legal) but earning it they were.
Until I read the bit about not strictly legal I was going to ask “why”? They must have been doing 20 hours a day!
Ah Moaster, you’re recalling the slight problems some of the lads had over some rather enthusiastic speeds at that time… 
Juddian:
Ah Moaster, you’re recalling the slight problems some of the lads had over some rather enthusiastic speeds at that time…
Lol a lot! 
. I remember one lad who got banned for pushing a coach at 70+ mph in lane three. He said he was watching the film through the back window that the coach was showing! 
we are earning about the same now as when I started around 14 year ago allowing for inflation that’s abig pay cut still would nt do anything else its a bit like marmite you either love it or hate it
tubbs36:
we are earning about the same now as when I started around 14 year ago allowing for inflation that’s abig pay cut still would nt do anything else its a bit like marmite you either love it or hate it
Roughy how much is that then & what does the job entail now?
Pimpdaddy:
tubbs36:
we are earning about the same now as when I started around 14 year ago allowing for inflation that’s abig pay cut still would nt do anything else its a bit like marmite you either love it or hate itRoughy how much is that then & what does the job entail now?
any where between 35k and 50k depending on how hard you want to work paid by the car with time for loading and tipping plus driving time and extra per drop and various other things best company is direct for ford there drivers earn upwards of 80k
tubbs36:
best company is direct for ford there drivers earn upwards of 80k
Never imagined it’d be that much…
80K. Crikey, how many hours are they doing to earn that? And why would any company pay so much? Contrary to belief, a large amount of Doctors work insane hours and don’t earn that, even registrar level.
Freight Dog:
why would any company pay so much?
Ford= Union/closed shop/dead mans shoes.
How many hours do they do for that? Any Ford drivers actually on trucknet? I know Unions work well, especially when they control industry as a whole like rail, but in a divided and fragmented job like lorry driving for what reason do Ford drivers command that money and keep it in these hard times? Even if all the ford drivers went on strike I can’t understand why a huge company like Ford would bend over and pay 80k pa when these days you can pay another decent driver 35k-40k. Just curious. Find it hard to believe but got an open mind.
tubbs36:
Pimpdaddy:
tubbs36:
we are earning about the same now as when I started around 14 year ago allowing for inflation that’s abig pay cut still would nt do anything else its a bit like marmite you either love it or hate itRoughy how much is that then & what does the job entail now?
any where between 35k and 50k depending on how hard you want to work paid by the car with time for loading and tipping plus driving time and extra per drop and various other things best company is direct for ford there drivers earn upwards of 80k
Would I be right in my thinking if I said I bet there’s a lot of tipping done whilst on break with you being paid by the car and other bonuses on offer?
Freight Dog:
I can’t understand why a huge company like Ford would bend over and pay 80k pa when these days you can pay another decent driver 35k-40k. Just curious. Find it hard to believe but got an open mind.
Because Ford drivers aint idiots, and, like the rail lads, stick together and are all in the union, and back it 100%.
There’s a lesson there for blokes who think they’re doing well to get £9 an hour basic when in fact they’re paying for the extraxlsuperwithabitmoreontopline they drive for a gaffer who robs 'em blind.
… and they still slag the unions off.
Juddian:
Freight Dog:
I can’t understand why a huge company like Ford would bend over and pay 80k pa when these days you can pay another decent driver 35k-40k. Just curious. Find it hard to believe but got an open mind.Because Ford drivers aint idiots, and, like the rail lads, stick together and are all in the union, and back it 100%.
There’s a lesson there for blokes who think they’re doing well to get £9 an hour basic when in fact they’re paying for the extraxlsuperwithabitmoreontopline they drive for a gaffer who robs 'em blind.
… and they still slag the unions off.
Yeah but that only works if the industry is united entirely, pretty much as rail was. It takes 12 months to train a train driver so harder to replace so they have that small sword of damoclese. Drivers dont have many chips to bargain with. I agree haulage desperately needs to be widespread unionised. Ford honestly pay 80k for their lorry drivers? It’s is probably 200-350 percent more than industry standard and that’s being generous.
Freight Dog:
Juddian:
Freight Dog:
I can’t understand why a huge company like Ford would bend over and pay 80k pa when these days you can pay another decent driver 35k-40k. Just curious. Find it hard to believe but got an open mind.Because Ford drivers aint idiots, and, like the rail lads, stick together and are all in the union, and back it 100%.
There’s a lesson there for blokes who think they’re doing well to get £9 an hour basic when in fact they’re paying for the extraxlsuperwithabitmoreontopline they drive for a gaffer who robs 'em blind.
… and they still slag the unions off.
Yeah but that only works if the industry is united entirely, pretty much as rail was. It takes 12 months to train a train driver so harder to replace so they have that small sword of damoclese. Drivers dont have many chips to bargain with. I agree haulage desperately needs to be widespread unionised. Ford honestly pay 80k for their lorry drivers? It’s is probably 200-350 percent more than industry standard and that’s being generous.
Not sure on the rates. But I do know the other industry standard is ‘the driver doesn’t give a ■■■■ and/or worries more about polishing than earning’.
Some companies still exist that believe a driver that knows what they’re doing is worth paying for. Just because many other do not, does not mean it can’t happen. It also shows how much other, less generous hauliers/companies must be making in reality… Despite claims to the contrary.
There’s worth paying for then there’s that though. Virgin Alantic had pay dispute. FO; 65-70k all in now. Maersk container ship captain circa 60-70k (theguardian.com/money/2011/j … ps-captain)
Well if true, good on Ford drivers for achieving the impossible where others have failed.
Freight Dog:
Juddian:
Freight Dog:
I can’t understand why a huge company like Ford would bend over and pay 80k pa when these days you can pay another decent driver 35k-40k. Just curious. Find it hard to believe but got an open mind.Because Ford drivers aint idiots, and, like the rail lads, stick together and are all in the union, and back it 100%.
There’s a lesson there for blokes who think they’re doing well to get £9 an hour basic when in fact they’re paying for the extraxlsuperwithabitmoreontopline they drive for a gaffer who robs 'em blind.
… and they still slag the unions off.
Yeah but that only works if the industry is united entirely, pretty much as rail was. It takes 12 months to train a train driver so harder to replace so they have that small sword of damoclese. Drivers dont have many chips to bargain with. I agree haulage desperately needs to be widespread unionised. Ford honestly pay 80k for their lorry drivers? It’s is probably 200-350 percent more than industry standard and that’s being generous.
It takes weeks to train a transporter driver, and the drop out rate is fantastic, when i trained many moons ago some of the trainees jacked it during training, and most left within weeks, if you had 2 left after 12 months out of 10 you were doing well.
It also takes years for a transporter driver to perfect the job, and some never do no matter how long they do the job.
You’d be surprised how many even old hands have no idea how to load for overall vehicle stability, watch out for the tail wagging the dog just before the whole lot goes over.
Its very skilled and filthy hard work, they earn every penny and then some, as Moaster said it no job for monkeys and thats why it pays…and why a certain company is heading for trouble by trying to rate cut to get the work, its never worked in this sector and it never will.
I have my doubts that Ford are paying quite that much, but i know for certain that the figure they are on is staggering, and for legal working weeks too, non of this fiddling hours of bloody POA to work 75 hour weeks like some apparently respected national hauliers.
I said here several years ago that transporter drivers would soon be in short supply, its now come to pass and they are struggling for drivers and the money’s going up, the transporter companies problem is that ex long term transporter drivers are viewed quite well by the better specialist hauliers out there and welcomed with open arms when they enquire, and lots of us are very happy in our new easier lives and won’t be going back into it no matter how much offered is to return.
You could always have a go yourself, no problem earning £50k (plus nights out) if you want to do the graft once you’re up to speed on the right job.
As said you won’t get onto Ford, but £50k is certainly earnable if you can graft.
edit, spot on Truckulent.
Juddian:
Its very skilled and filthy hard work, they earn every penny and then some, as Moaster said it no job for monkeys and thats why it pays…and why a certain company is heading for trouble by trying to rate cut to get the work, its never worked in this sector and it never will.
.
You guys always look clean to me, how do you manage that & tramp, do some of you do days/nights? Why is the drop out rate so high & why do you say is a certain company heading for trouble?