Love to know when Paracross last updated that page?
Are we going to be inundated by more Polish ?
Whilst I agree that there is no shortage, boots in nottingham cant attract or keep drivers as they require one weekend shift a week 
The work is boring, sometimes long and DHL have stamped any freedom and fun out of the job with their do’s and donts so I can see why. But if it was the only place to work I’d put up with it there are far worse. I am in on agency at the minute as it suits me and if I dont want to go there I wont, but they are advertising again. Job is a job after all…
Defo noticed the agencies are a lot quiter this year then they have been before at this time of year though.
OllieNotts:
Whilst I agree that there is no shortage, boots in nottingham cant attract or keep drivers as they require one weekend shift a week
Defo noticed the agencies are a lot quiter this year then they have been before at this time of year though.
agencys ar on the road out for us brits the pols and romanians are moving in for 3 pound an hr less insurance companies will luv it thou
PinkLadyTrucker:
Love to know when Paracross last updated that page?Are we going to be inundated by more Polish ?
plenty more to come think it would be a good idea if next to the speed limeter sign on the back doors of lorrys in the interests of public safety should be awarning sign saying driver of this vehicle cant reed english so doesnt understand our road signs doesnt know where hes going stay clear
how odd that if you do a job search on the sun employment page for hgv driver in all areas under driving and transportation the results return a ‘0’ jobs found, how is this when theres 30.000 vacancies?
This so called driver shortage is nothing new. Been doing the rounds in the press for years including the truck mags
kemaro:
my letter to jane, awaiting reply,maybe we should all contact her and perhaps then they will look into properly and something can be done about agencies advertising for work that never seems to be available…
Here is my attempt at raising the issue…
Please can you go back and look at where you got these pie in the sky figures from? Drivers are not in short supply, it is the jobs that are in such short supply, either from duplicated agency jobs all advertising the same vacancy or from the DWP advertising non existent agency work. I know numerous people who have been signed up with employment agencies and never even worked a day for them.
Drivers are being conned into driver training by unscrupulous training brokers who do not own any lorries, any driving schools or even employ any trainers. These figures are the same as the brokers use to relieve hopeful people of their redundancy money or savings. They falsely advertise that there are thousands of jobs when in reality there probably only tens.
I propose you rewrite this story tomorrow and tell your readership that the figures given to you were false or that you send an undercover driver with a new licence to go and sign up to a drivers recruitment agency to be told, go home and wait for the phone to ring. They may be lucky & get a day here or there, but certainly there are no full time jobs for a driver. The companies offering free training are virtually non existent.
Drivers have paid in the region of £3000 for the licence and still find they are scratching about for a days work here and there at minimum wage.
I was made redundant as a lorry driver recently as there wasn’t enough work for the fleet. Alongside me were 30 other drivers made jobless, many with families and mortgages. I am not planning to go back as the job has taken its toll on my old bones and my mental state. 40 years in road transport is enough for me.
I must admit; in the past 8 years or so I’ve lived in pretty much all four corners of England (not the UK), Lancs, Yorkshire, Somerset and my home area of Northants. When I lived in Lancs (around 2002), work was consistent with the agencies and I certainly wasn’t without. In Yorkshire (around 2004/5) for about 12 months, I had as much work and more when I needed it. In Somerset, the work was hit and miss and Drivers really were ten a penny and employers could pay them in turnips (I was there working on contract for a time with the TV indusdtry, but needed the agencies as and when - as it happens when I needed it I was commuting up the A37 to Bristol, quite a way from Evercreech).
On moving back to Northants (2007) the work was plentiful, then the big crash of 2008 and things started to get bitty again. I think the reason why work appears to be more available up North is because for starters, most transient people looking for work instantly look to the ‘hub area’ i.e the Midlands, Northants etc. Drivers are indeed plentiful here in times of austerity, but things will eventually turn again - it’s all cyclical! I’m not surprised there is - alledgedly at least - significant work up North, especially Yorkshire, as it’s somewhat underestimated in my experience. North Yorkshire when I lived in Knaresborough, had plenty of work reasonablly locally at the time - I recall commuting to Cott Beverages in Pontefract for at least 6 months, and then a bit for Reed Boardall out of Boroughbridge.
This year has been difficult, but I’ve done a ‘Norman Tebbit’ and got on my bike and found the work and kept a bit coming in. Jan, Feb, March next year will be testing times as always for Agency Drivers - even more so on last year if you ask me - we may double dip, but keep the faith, things will turn. It’s easy for the Sun to publish that article at THIS time of year, I would wager they will shut the ■■■■ up early next year, when the realities of the economy re-manifests itself again and the Xmas credit card statements start hitting the door mats…
There is work in Derby. Macdonalds are opening on Christmas Day and need staff.
What the zb is this world coming to?
Turkey McBab please, do you want seasonal fries with that?
Wheel Nut:
There is work in Derby. Macdonalds are opening on Christmas Day and need staff.What the zb is this world coming to?
Turkey McBab please, do you want seasonal fries with that?
OMG
We need to return back to NON Sunday working and everyone enjoying a family life again
Steve Wright Radio 2 yesterday afternoon said that there are 30,000 hgv vacancies,The guy obviously knows more than we do.
Nice work PLT.It really is worth the effort of confronting injustices wherever possible.My example was that pathetic rag that’s usually to be found in most truckstops for free,featuring tedious toss about the state of haulage…charismaless looking ■■■■■ in hi viz jackets waffling on about ‘customer focused logistic solutions’ ad nauseum, type of crap.I objected to the large ammount of telephone ■■■,monstrously degrading images of women in various scenarios.The type of thing you’d expect in anything other than a professional drivers trade journal.
Long and short I got through to some obnoxious ■■■■■ in their ad department and laid into the arrogant cow explaining my objections and how a paper that relies on such evil commercial revenue to survive,should by definition cease to function at all.My god did we tear lumps off each other.left me badly ruffled but it was worth it.I salute your gumption.
alamcculloch:
Steve Wright Radio 2 yesterday afternoon said that there are 30,000 hgv vacancies,The guy obviously knows more than we do.
Yeah, he gets paid to read the newspaper out loud!
manalishi:
Nice work PLT.It really is worth the effort of confronting injustices wherever possible.My example was that pathetic rag that’s usually to be found in most truckstops for free,featuring tedious toss about the state of haulage…charismaless looking [zb] in hi viz jackets waffling on about ‘customer focused logistic solutions’ ad nauseum, type of crap.I objected to the large ammount of telephone ■■■,monstrously degrading images of women in various scenarios.The type of thing you’d expect in anything other than a professional drivers trade journal.Long and short I got through to some obnoxious ■■■■■ in their ad department and laid into the arrogant cow explaining my objections and how a paper that relies on such evil commercial revenue to survive,should by definition cease to function at all.My god did we tear lumps off each other.left me badly ruffled but it was worth it.I salute your gumption.
Would that be Truckstop News??,I wouldn’t even wipe my arse with that rubbish,only thing it’s fit for is as a means for starting a fire or for an untrained puppy to ■■■■ on of a nightime!!!
It’s not paper for truckers it’s just basically an advertising means for various truck manufactures,truckstops,endless crap CPC training companies,personal injury lawyers and bull-■■■■■■■■ agencies for the UK and Canada…It’s a waste of trees!!! 
Samworth Brothers just took on 7 drivers. I know cos I was one. Applied in March and had fone call for interview 2nd Dec.
Would like to add what a breath of fresh air they are to work for. Good management and good planning.Very professional company. Friendly,helpful and family friendly.However that doesn’t mean they dont do weekend shifts.
Joined them just after a difficult time as you know and there is a still deep undercurrent of sadness in the air, also the accident is still being investigated so please no silly comments.
bigvern1:
I e-mailed 10 agencies and not one replied! I’m as ■■■■■■ off as a midget with a yo-yo!
I’m one of stobby’s ‘at risk’ trampers…
Sick of agencies not replying, sick of agencies advertising for 50 drivers for 1 days work as and when for one driver for 50quid.
PinkLadyTrucker:
Wheel Nut:
There is work in Derby. Macdonalds are opening on Christmas Day and need staff.What the zb is this world coming to?
Turkey McBab please, do you want seasonal fries with that?
OMG
We need to return back to NON Sunday working and everyone enjoying a family life again
Sorry to p*ss on ya fire mate, but without a descent job, there isnt a proper family life…
Mark Mellor:
PinkLadyTrucker:
Wheel Nut:
There is work in Derby. Macdonalds are opening on Christmas Day and need staff.What the zb is this world coming to?
Turkey McBab please, do you want seasonal fries with that?
OMG
We need to return back to NON Sunday working and everyone enjoying a family life again
Sorry to p*ss on ya fire mate, but without a descent job, there isnt a proper family life…
So why do Jeremy Kyle fans watch him on a wide screen HD home cinema while exercising with a wii, even the staffie goes for a walk with headphones on
We all know there are no jobs, but when the shortage does happen, how the hell can this industry attract young blood. Why would anyone want to do this job, shocking wages, stupidly long hours, 9 
hours off between shifts, ■■■■■ in the traffic room. The biggest problem with this job is we are doing nearly double the hours of everybody else for the same money…
yorkshire78:
We all know there are no jobs, but when the shortage does happen, how the hell can this industry attract young blood. Why would anyone want to do this job, shocking wages, stupidly long hours, 9
attracting young blood isn’t a problem it’s getting a company to accept you can drive without having the magic two years experiance, you know the one night when you become employable overnight 
i should know i’m one of them.