DCPCFML:
You’ve more chance of platting fog. For every driver who is happy with the earnings from a 40 hour week, there is a tramper who needs 78 hours a week just to pay off the interest on their debts every week. That is why you’ll never unite drivers and achieve any solidarity, ergo strikes are a waste of time.
Why quote a tramper? I know lots of day men who max out hours and do more hours than trampers. I tramp because it is easier driving in most instances.I rarely do over 9 hrs driving and a 12 hr shift is a long shift in my work which I rarely do. However if I need to do a 12hr shift, I will do it. Please don’t harp on about my infringement as that is quite boring now. I do accept that drivers will not stick together but that is not exclusive to 'trampers. I would say it is down to most drivers just accepting the conditions that we have been suckered into along with not joining a union. If the majority of drivers belonged to a union this situation would probably have never happened.
DCPCFML:
You’ve more chance of platting fog. For every driver who is happy with the earnings from a 40 hour week, there is a tramper who needs 78 hours a week just to pay off the interest on their debts every week. That is why you’ll never unite drivers and achieve any solidarity, ergo strikes are a waste of time.
Why quote a tramper? I know lots of day men who max out hours and do more hours than trampers. I tramp because it is easier driving in most instances.
Would you tramp if you were only doing 40 hours a week? I rest my case. That’s why the money will never improve to any great extent because the industry is full of drivers who are happy to work 78 hours a week because “well, I’m at work anyway, so may as well do the hours” and don’t care how many hours they do so long as they get their £600 in the bank every week. You are right, this does also apply to the clowns who do max hours on day work, but it’s probably a 1:10 ratio to the trampers.
Maybe if the government starting enforcing compliance on the night out subsistence by requiring receipts for the food/accommodation out of the £26 being claimed every night (which goes in the driver’s pocket and is counted as part of the wage by most), things would change and tramping would largely become a thing of the past and rates would improve for all us normal folks who are happy to do a standard 40hrs a week like every other normal working person and have a life outside work.
It will never happen. The British drivers are all gob when it comes down to doing something about the job. Too many waiting room moaners.
The French, when they do it, stick together. We knock the French, but when it comes to getting things done, they all p1ss in the same pot.
You may well be on £40-50k per year, but in order to get that, you have to do ■■ hours and have 57 nights out a week. If you live for the overtime and nights out, your a bloody fool, and you obviously live beyond your means, but then moan when you only get a basic on your holiday pay. What is needed is a good basic with sensible you time outside of work. Kids today don’t want our job and all the crap that goes with it. Why work 70+ hours a week, when you can work in a cushy office, with sensible hours and a good lifestyle outside of work?
The whole job is ■■■■ and screwed in all aspects, and has been for a generation, and if anything were to happen, then now is the time to do it. The problem is, you have the unions and the likes of the RHA, who are too spineless to seize the initiative here. They would be better collaborating. Strength in numbers and all that. Sure they are all good at spouting, a bit like drivers, but won’t put their money where their mouths are.
The big players are ■■■■■■■■ themselves, as they could lose contracts over this, but instead of all getting together, they, like the unions, are only in it for themselves. They deserve all they get.
Finally. For me personally, I do have a good boss, and I don’t have to work all the hours that God sends. I average 8 hours per shift and I spend a lot of time at home, and earn well out of it, probably more than some trampers, as he is not greedy when it come to paying a good wage. He only runs 3 trucks, and he knows our worth, and pays accordingly so we have no reason to bite the hand that feeds, and he knows that.
Good luck UK transport plc. Your dead in the water unless you all get your tiny brains together and do something positive about it.
DCPCFML:
Would you tramp if you were only doing 40 hours a week? I rest my case. .
In a way I agree with you’re point, thing is I actually have left tramping now to do more realistic hours and with good pay. However that is only because as things stand with rates etc it is easier to do now. But then even if youre rates go to £20 p/h would you stop at 40hrs? The old saying of make hay whilst the sun shines comes into play. Money is a big factor in going to work in the first place. If I won the lottery then would I still go to work… Not a chance, I would do something else entirely. The simple fact is that if you enjoy the job enough then it doesn’t matter what hours you work, if you hate the job then the less hours the better. Put the rates up and regardless if you hate it or not the temptation of increasing hours to earn as much as possible comes into play. The ones that I don’t understand is doing max hours for crap money.
1. It will never happen. The British drivers are all gob when it comes down to doing something about the job. Too many waiting room moaners.
The French, when they do it, stick together. We knock the French, but when it comes to getting things done, they all p1ss in the same pot.
You may well be on £40-50k per year, but in order to get that, you have to do ■■ hours and have 57 nights out a week. If you live for the overtime and nights out, your a bloody fool, and you obviously live beyond your means, but then moan when you only get a basic on your holiday pay. What is needed is a good basic with sensible you time outside of work. Kids today don’t want our job and all the crap that goes with it. Why work 70+ hours a week, when you can work in a cushy office, with sensible hours and a good lifestyle outside of work?
4. The whole job is [zb] and screwed in all aspects, and has been for a generation, and if anything were to happen, then now is the time to do it. The problem is, you have the unions and the likes of the RHA, who are too spineless to seize the initiative here. They would be better collaborating. Strength in numbers and all that. Sure they are all good at spouting, a bit like drivers, but won’t put their money where their mouths are.
The big players are [zb] themselves, as they could lose contracts over this, but instead of all getting together, they, like the unions, are only in it for themselves. They deserve all they get.
Finally. For me personally, I do have a good boss, and I don’t have to work all the hours that God sends. I spend a lot of time at home, and earn well out of it, probably more than some trampers, as he is not greedy when it come to paying a good wage. He only runs 3 trucks, and he knows our worth, and pays accordingly so we have no reason to bite the hand that feeds, and he knows that.
Good luck UK transport plc. Your dead in the water unless you all get your tiny brains together and do something positive about it.
Ken.
Twas ever thus.
Trolley boys doing 4-5 days/35 hours a week for £600, don’t give a [zb] what the truck is so long as it’s legal vs. trampers doing 6 days/78 hours a week for £700, so long as they get their “own” truck and are away from the wife. Then you’ve got everybody in between. Zero chance of forming any unity as the trolley lot hate the trampers for doing twice as many hours for the same money and the trampers hate the trolley lot for driving a poverty spec Merc 1840 day cab and doing the same work and going the same places every day because they wouldn’t be able to hack it, plus £600 isn’t enough to keep on top of their debt interest.
So nothing changes and in July 2022 there’ll be a fresh thread about how we should go on strike for better pay and conditions and “stick together like the French”.
DCPCFML:
So nothing changes and in July 2022 there’ll be a fresh thread about how we should go on strike for better pay and conditions and “stick together like the French”.
Sometimes you appear to speak sense, being part of a union does not mean strikes, it is a union of men with a common goal, better terms and conditions with a realistic rate of pay that is in line with your job. If all negotiations fail and a comprimise cannot be reached then you have to be prepared to take such action as a general strike. The companies are not prepared to gamble on this threat of strike action and will try to reach a mutual agreement which gives and takes on both sides. That is why a union is important and why the majority of good terms and condition jobs are normally associated with a union. Anyone can join but for some reason, drivers in crap jobs tend to not join a union and allow their companies to dictate their rates and hours for them. Doormat and spineless springs to mind.
me personally, I think it’s more the terms and conditions with driving that ■■■■■■ me off.
If your on general haulage £13-14 is a decent wage depending what part of the country your in.
Specialists transport work should be higher basic maybe 14-16 a hour.
It’s the overtime that’s the problem.
50 hour basic is the norm in transport now. I mean wtf who the ■■■■ wants to work a basic 50 hours a week.
If the rates were 13-14 a hour and time n half after 8 and time n half on a sat and double Sunday it would be a good job and attract people.
What young fella or lass at 21 wants to get into this with the terms n conditions with these haulage companies.
No other industry does this crap except haulage.
Sploom:
I’ve just applied for a job 55k.What do I need to go on strike for?
What’s the terms and conditions for the 55k a year thou?
A high percentage of drivers could achieve 55k a year on silly terms doing 70 hours a week.
If your doing 70 hours a week.
your almost doing two full time jobs and if your taking your expenses into it aswell
easy achievable
I would be very impressed if thats based on 40 hour week mate
DCPCFML:
55k at 40 hours would be over £26/hr . I have my doubts .
this is what I mean it’s pure crap.
If your on 14 pound a hour n time n half after 8 and dpuble Sunday
You can achieve 50k on a 60 hour week
it’s not amazing it’s the norm for a decent wage with decent overtime terms instead of companies taking the ■■■■
DCPCFML:
99% of drivers are all mouth and no trousers. See Barrie Tozer.
This pearler from Rob K, the man who has had more handles on here than most people have had jobs and who has failed to hold down employment with pretty much all of the minimum wage plus 5% general haulage merchants in the Leeds area.
Nah, he’s never heard of RK apparentlly …(he’s the only one on here who hasn’t)
‘‘What are you wittering on about’’ he’ll say…then he puts you on his block list after a grande gesture of announcing it.
At least he’s dropped his percentage by 1%, his estimates on stuff like this usually begin with the word ‘‘All’’.
Trampers seem to be getting it a lot on this post.
In truth with every type of drivers day or night or trampers it’s the very same thing as asking turkeys to vote for Christmas
Estoic:
The statutory minimum holiday entitlement is 5.6 multiplied by the number of days you work. So if you work 5 days a week you are entitled by statute law to 28 days.
Where’s that from?
Can’t be that statutory as most offer 20 days
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Regulation 13 of the Working time regulations states mobile workers who work 5 days a week are entitled to 5.6 weeks of holiday. This stems from the eu who introduced 4 weeks initially and then the uk govt amended regulation 13 to give an extra 1.6 weeks.
I think the 20 days is plus 8 bank holidays to give 28 days in total.
If you work 5 days a week and are not receiving 28 days holiday you might like to give acas a ring as you are being robbed. If you work 4 days a week then your statutory minimum is 22.4 days ( 5.6 x 4 ).
There are many company’s that don’t know the rules, we drivers have to sometimes remind them of their legal obligations. The person responsible for ensuring you receive your correct amount of leave is the Transport Manager, as well as acas I should mention it to him.
Sploom:
I’ve just applied for a job 55k.What do I need to go on strike for?
If strike action was called by you’re union, (if you were in one and obviously you are not) it would be to help you’re brothers who are not on 55k… Just in answer to you’re question, a reason why you would go on strike regardless of what you’re rate is.
That strike action during a pandemic is the best PR idea we could come up with.
Right now Joe Public thinks everyone of us is now earning £30ph and that we’re being selfish.
Yes that is a concern I have… If drivers put their foot down and don’t toe the line, headlines will be saying selfish drivers causing food shortage etc. In particular shortages of things like fresh food, baby formula and fuel will really cause bad PR.
I also wonder if the RHA will start talking about how these things could run short to try and force the gov to allow this skills shortage list to have hgv drivers added.
At least a strike will knock Covid and it’s 8 trillion deaths per day off of the front pages for a while. Well, until they think we’re getting blasé about it that is.
KarlM:
Right now Joe Public thinks everyone of us is now earning £30ph and that we’re being selfish. Yes that is a concern I have… If drivers put their foot down and don’t toe the line, headlines will be saying selfish drivers causing food shortage etc. In particular shortages of things like fresh food, baby formula and fuel will really cause bad PR.
Who cares what the public would think, why worry over bad PR? were you concerned what they thought of us on low wages?
KarlM:
Right now Joe Public thinks everyone of us is now earning £30ph and that we’re being selfish. Yes that is a concern I have… If drivers put their foot down and don’t toe the line, headlines will be saying selfish drivers causing food shortage etc. In particular shortages of things like fresh food, baby formula and fuel will really cause bad PR.
Who cares what the public would think, why worry over bad PR? were you concerned what they thought of us on low wages?
This^^^^
Who gives a ■■■■,.we’re already hated by the public unfairly, (well, unfairly in MOST cases) so what difference does it make.
I rest my case. That’s why the money will never improve to any great extent because the industry is full of drivers who are happy to work 78 hours a week because “well, I’m at work anyway, so may as well do the hours” and don’t care how many hours they do so long as they get their £600 in the bank every week. You are right, this does also apply to the clowns who do max hours on day work, but it’s probably a 1:10 ratio to the trampers.
