How is everyone feeling about the industry this year ? There seems to be alot less talk on here about bad wages and lack of work then there was the other year or so it seems.
has driver CPc affected the trade in the way you thought it would ? Has it made a lot of driver quit and there for strengthened the hourly value of the remaining drivers?
I also seem to be seeing a lot of younger faces behind the wheel of the trucks too. Is this down to retirement of the old guard ? Are there more youngsters at your place than befor ?
How many of you feel the economy is picking up ? Not just because Christmas is round the corner, I mean this year as a hole ?
Has the company you worked for cut down on drivers and trucks or have thay had to increased ?
Be intrested to hear peoples thoughts and points of view on how thay feel about the industry in the year 2013 now it’s nearing it end.
Can’t speak for the industry as a whole, but we have been quite steady all year up until the past 4 weeks. We do pallet network stuff and its gone from averaging 12 drops a day down to as little as 4 on some poor days. Its that bad I’m getting about 4hrs POA along with an hours break on a 10hr shift. I feel we should be rushed off our feet at this time of year but it isn’t happening yet. Hopefully its just a little calm before the storm.
I admit that we have never been quite all through the recession, but we are only a small company (4 trucks and 1 subbie) but we operate within neach market on recycling. also we have replaced 2 trucks this year with brand new ones, so our work load is constant, but like all haulage there is the pressure on fuel increases as customers don’t or won’t pay extra, the only way around it is to build a fuel escalator into your contracts when you price for jobs, also I believe that being small we are able to adapt quickly to changes in work loads.
there is also the possibility of an increase in the number of vehicle within the next few months, whether it will be within this financial year I don’t know.
so I can only see a bright future at present
I am an agency driver,and I’ve noticed firms I am sent to the drivers seem to be,on the most part happy with things,just the usual malcontents,companies are buying new lorries and trailers,investing in training etc.
I’ve been very busy of late along with the rest of my colleagues,and feel things are on the up,albeit slowly. Money hasn’t gone up though,ho hum some things never change.
We are so busy in fact that easyjet and Ryanair are laying on extra flights in January to help companies in the UK meet their current staff shortages when the working restrictions are lifted on those fellow Europeans eligible to take up the positions.
The company I have joined (or will in 9 days time) are having to put another lorry on the road to keep up with the demand as they cannot continue to keep paying out for all of their subbies doing the work on their behalf.
They’re having to take on more full-time employees (not agency) to make it cost effective for their line of work. Which by the way isn’t haulage, haulage is second to them.
New lorry on the road for someone in the company, but not me and I’ll get their hand me down. It’ll do me, as it isn’t “my” lorry, as I haven’t bought it
In general from the industry I am walking away from and onto this new job. With my eyes I am personally seeing that demand is picking up for a lot in certain sectors, bearing in mind they are secondary industries, this should be a little bit of good news for the economy.
Been flat out for the last 6-7 weeks and weve just put 5 new motors on the road on Friday . Starting new drivers this week too. Rumour has it weve another 30 ordered to increase the fleet and replace some older vehicles.
Constantine:
The company I have joined (or will in 9 days time) are having to put another lorry on the road to keep up with the demand as they cannot continue to keep paying out for all of their subbies doing the work on their behalf.
They’re having to take on more full-time employees (not agency) to make it cost effective for their line of work. Which by the way isn’t haulage, haulage is second to them.
New lorry on the road for someone in the company, but not me and I’ll get their hand me down. It’ll do me, as it isn’t “my” lorry, as I haven’t bought it
In general from the industry I am walking away from and onto this new job. With my eyes I am personally seeing that demand is picking up for a lot in certain sectors, bearing in mind they are secondary industries, this should be a little bit of good news for the economy.
C
what industry are you in or going into if you dont mind my asking ?
There certainly seems to be a more positive mood out there, I think things have turned for the better however it could all come to a grinding halt and turn down again.
The war in Syria could explode into a regional conflict with the Iranians and the Gulf states getting much more involved with the subsequent effect on the price of crude oil.
The situation in the US has not been addressed and the threat of a default has only been postponed until January.
Cautious optimism then but no return to the glory days of the late nineties up until the collapse of Northern Rock
Been at my present employer 2 months, they have just taken on 10 new Mercs, they cannot get enough drivers. Prior to that I worked for a drainage company, they took on 5 new starters & got 3 new vehicles. Before that another transport company working full pelt, 60+ hrs a week. I must have been lucky because I’ve never had any fallout from the recession. I haven’t noticed drivers getting younger, or older, although I do see more foreign workers at places I deliver to down south. Wages have gone up with inflation, not great but not bad, don’t know any drivers that came into this job expecting to be millionaires. Not done any DCPC and won’t be so no cost or comeback there.
All in all things are just fine and have been for years for me, propaganda apart that is. Don’t see the problem with gas & electric, I sorted mine out in the summer, fixed until June 2016. You know they will put it up around winter, do something about it.
Isn’t that subjective of what a major improvement is though?
What’s a major improvement to me, might not be to you and vice versa.
For me, my new job is a major improvement even with the pay I am getting (it is a small pay cut, but technically worth more per hour for the hours I’m actually doing than the current job which pays more ), but some would turn their nose up on it.
Mon - Fri, day time hours, less home to office travelling, home every night to actually see my wife, doing an interesting job to me, most probably not to anyone else though.
Unlike my other non-driving job, work godless hours, done a 24 hour shift once for them for 8 hours pay (then I had a word with myself), Usual shift without commute is 10 hours for 8 hours pay, travel all over UK staying in flea pits, doing thankless tasks, working in zb weather all day long (yes I hate summer too! It’s too hot, working in the direct sun for 12 hours a day with only a 30 minute break in a van ) working on computers all day long, with people ■■■■■■■■ and criticising you for the processes you have chosen, even though you are chartered to the same level as them…etc, etc, etc.
Could go on, but it depresses me thinking I have to go back to that tomorrow and for another 9 days!
The acid test for me will be Christmas, last year and particularly the year before were very quiet.
We seem to be busier during the week than in previous years which is a good sign, no new drivers for a couple of years now, all agency and subbies it’s the same everywhere we are turning a corner without a shadow of doubt, fuel prices have dropped recently and inflation seems under control.
Before we get ahead of ourselves remember one thing, we actually owe nine times more money than the economy is worth.
Slackbladder:
Been at my present employer 2 months, they have just taken on 10 new Mercs, they cannot get enough drivers. Prior to that I worked for a drainage company, they took on 5 new starters & got 3 new vehicles. Before that another transport company working full pelt, 60+ hrs a week. I must have been lucky because I’ve never had any fallout from the recession. I haven’t noticed drivers getting younger, or older, although I do see more foreign workers at places I deliver to down south. Wages have gone up with inflation, not great but not bad, don’t know any drivers that came into this job expecting to be millionaires. Not done any DCPC and won’t be so no cost or comeback there.
All in all things are just fine and have been for years for me, propaganda apart that is. Don’t see the problem with gas & electric, I sorted mine out in the summer, fixed until June 2016. You know they will put it up around winter, do something about it.
see you said you worked for a drainage company, was that on the vacume tankers ? how easy was it to get a job working on them ? this is one of the ears i want to get into. any advie would be greatly apricated. did you have to know anything about drainage or plumbing ? what was the pay like ? alot of the drainage companys round my way seem to want good drainage expirance
), but some would turn their nose up on it. 
) working on computers all day long, with people ■■■■■■■■ and criticising you for the processes you have chosen, even though you are chartered to the same level as them…etc, etc, etc.
