eagerbeaver:
It’s sort of admirable that these troll’s fancy their chances, but in reality it’s a no contest.
Its like shooting fish in a barrel usually 
Agreed Frozen chap.
I have visions of " Hook a duck " on the fairground.
eagerbeaver:
I reckon a reasonable average figure for LGV driving is around £26,000 which happens to be the average UK wage.
Misleading. For £26k as a wagon driver that’s roughly 65 hours per 5-day week at £7.50/hr, which is probably around the industry UK average when you factor in ruralshire. How many hours would you be required to do to make £26k per annum in other sectors? 
Carl Usher:
eagerbeaver:
I reckon a reasonable average figure for LGV driving is around £26,000 which happens to be the average UK wage.Misleading. For £26k as a wagon driver that’s roughly 65 hours per 5-day week at £7.50/hr, which is probably around the industry UK average when you factor in ruralshire. How many hours would you be required to do to make £26k per annum in other sectors?
26k in a year especially for 65 hours is rubbish. In general lorry drivers are not well paid unless you find the correct job.
No point in saying you earn over 30k a year if you are working silly hours or shifts or nights to acheive it.
I consider myself to have been very lucky earning well above the average most of my working days.(but I am superior compared to the average driver)
Jeez I was on over 18k in early 80’s.
£10 per hour x 50 hrs = £500 p/w.
52 weeks x £500 = £26,000.
Not really difficult fella’s.
eagerbeaver:
£10 per hour x 50 hrs = £500 p/w.52 weeks x £500 = £26,000.
Not really difficult fella’s.
£10 per hour the industry average? I think you need to go back and do some more research. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.
Funny that. Because I haven’t had a wage lower than £9.50 since I started driving wagons (C, CE).
P&H, Canute, Stobart’s. ( all three 45-50 hour contracts ). My current employer pays £11.80 ( supermarket work ).
Couple that with ( from April ) a minimum wage of £7.20 and I struggle to see why £26k is misleading? I live in the North West which isn’t exactly Chelsea.
HIAB work, ADR, and loads of other jobs pay well in excess of £12 per hour, so even if you lump in some £8 per hour crud, it will still average out around a tenner. I reckon the crap payers will have to up their pay soon, next year the Living wage will be £8 plus.
So, no I am not misleading anybody mate.
Don’t bother simple as that …I could go on but I won’t
robroy:
truckman020:
be sure the other driver don’t need it,[thinking of taking a hgv licence]Errr…Thanks for that mate, don’t call us, we’ll get back to you
well I tried,i will get my coat,people told me I would be good on stage,[sweeping it]
Carl Usher:
£10 per hour the industry average? I think you need to go back and do some more research. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.
Arn’t you one of the biggest moaners about the number of hours lorry drivers do?
So its a ■■■■ job with long hours only when it suits you? Now your trying to get the weekly wage down, its only 42.7 hrs a week?
Make your mind up
Uh oh! Frozen chap is on you like a tramp on chips Carl!
el_presidente:
It’s all relative isn’t it…I know plumbers, builders, electricians…hell, even commercial pilots who’d rather be doing something other than what they are now…
I can vouch for this to a certain extent. I enjoyed the vast majority of my truck driving on the whole before I changed professions in 2003, and subsequently during the period during an unexpected redundancy that I fell back on it a year or two back. I didn’t enjoy the loss of income, however It was far preferable to the zero income I would have otherwise had and it was nice to go from an extremely high stress role to driving, where the stress in haulage sat generally close to zero comparatively. I was greatful to have an LGV licence and am quite proud to have been a lorry driver. From time to time it comes up in discussion with colleagues in my job and they’re always fascinated that I hold a licence and drove HGVs. Far more interesting that the boring sod route of degree etc (I don’t have one)
Any stress in haulage that was attempted to be placed upon you was easily managed if you stuck to your guns, short lived, not carried on and no where near the extreme stress I’ve experienced with another role.
To say that I’m still enthusiastic about lorries and find it interesting listening to the chats on here about the industry shows how much respect and value I place upon my time in the haulage world. It will always be a criminally undervalued role but it doesn’t mean you should allow that to undermine any enjoyment you find in it. It does have terrible hours but I was used to terrible hours in aviation when I went back to driving. However this is something to consider deeply. There’s no reason to accept dire hours without consideration as there has to be a bloody good reason as to why you should live life on minimum rest.
It’s what fits for you as a person. Labels mean nothing and who gives a crap what label or badge you have on you if you die early due to stress related reasons (as has happened to many a colleague in my industry)
Many roles pay 3-4 times as much but carry 50 times the pressure and demands and will put you in an early box due cancers and strokes (aviation!). Most of us don’t have the privilege to dip toes so if you have half an interest and are unhappy in what you currently do it maybe worth a try.
The-Snowman:
Carl Usher:
£10 per hour the industry average? I think you need to go back and do some more research. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.Arn’t you one of the biggest moaners about the number of hours lorry drivers do?
So its a [zb] job with long hours only when it suits you? Now your trying to get the weekly wage down, its only 42.7 hrs a week?
Make your mind up
Perhaps learn to read then you won’t make yourself look foolish. Where have I said that 42.7 hours are the average weekly hours for this sector? I await your apology.
Carl Usher:
Carl Usher:
£10 per hour the industry average?.. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.Perhaps learn to read then you won’t make yourself look foolish. Where have I said that 42.7 hours are the average weekly hours for this sector? I await your apology.
Reads to me your talking about the same sector ie hgv
You can apologise any time your ready
The-Snowman:
Carl Usher:
Carl Usher:
£10 per hour the industry average? I think you need to go back and do some more research. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.Perhaps learn to read then you won’t make yourself look foolish. Where have I said that 42.7 hours are the average weekly hours for this sector? I await your apology.
Reads to me your talking about the same sector ie hgv
You can apologise any time your ready
The fact that your English comprehension is lacking is your problem, not mine.
Carl Usher:
The-Snowman:
Carl Usher:
Carl Usher:
£10 per hour the industry average? I think you need to go back and do some more research. Likewise, 50hrs per week isn’t the UK average either. In 2011 according to the ONS it was only 42.7 hours, so my points stands : your post was misleading.Perhaps learn to read then you won’t make yourself look foolish. Where have I said that 42.7 hours are the average weekly hours for this sector? I await your apology.
Reads to me your talking about the same sector ie hgv
You can apologise any time your readyThe fact that your English comprehension is lacking is your problem, not mine.
Using the word “likewise” links the two.
My english comprehension is fine. Your the one who worded it as clear as mud if your talking about two seperate things
Freight Dog:
el_presidente:
It’s all relative isn’t it…I know plumbers, builders, electricians…hell, even commercial pilots who’d rather be doing something other than what they are now…
I can vouch for this to a certain extent. I enjoyed the vast majority of my truck driving on the whole before I changed professions in 2003, and subsequently during the period during an unexpected redundancy that I fell back on it a year or two back. I didn’t enjoy the loss of income, however It was far preferable to the zero income I would have otherwise had and it was nice to go from an extremely high stress role to driving, where the stress in haulage sat generally close to zero comparatively. I was greatful to have an LGV licence and am quite proud to have been a lorry driver. From time to time it comes up in discussion with colleagues in my job and they’re always fascinated that I hold a licence and drove HGVs. Far more interesting that the boring sod route of degree etc (I don’t have one)
Any stress in haulage that was attempted to be placed upon you was easily managed if you stuck to your guns, short lived, not carried on and no where near the extreme stress I’ve experienced with another role.
To say that I’m still enthusiastic about lorries and find it interesting listening to the chats on here about the industry shows how much respect and value I place upon my time in the haulage world. It will always be a criminally undervalued role but it doesn’t mean you should allow that to undermine any enjoyment you find in it. It does have terrible hours but I was used to terrible hours in aviation when I went back to driving. However this is something to consider deeply. There’s no reason to accept dire hours without consideration as there has to be a bloody good reason as to why you should live life on minimum rest.
It’s what fits for you as a person. Labels mean nothing and who gives a crap what label or badge you have on you if you die early due to stress related reasons (as has happened to many a colleague in my industry)
Many roles pay 3-4 times as much but carry 50 times the pressure and demands and will put you in an early box due cancers and strokes (aviation!). Most of us don’t have the privilege to dip toes so if you have half an interest and are unhappy in what you currently do it maybe worth a try.
+1… 
This working hours argument always strikes me as a little odd. It can be applied to most roles in most sectors most of the time. Obviously there are exceptions, but not many.
From my own personal experience I haven’t had a job where it hasn’t applied, and i have encountered a fair bit of variety only re-training to drive trucks 3 years ago.
In 2006 I earned £47k working as a sales manager plus BMW phone laptop expenses etc etc. After 40% tax and taxes on benefits etc it would amount to about £2400 pm. Salaried for 40 hours per week plus any other hours required which meant 12-15 a day constantly on call to staff and bosses. And after a bad week 6 hours on a sunday clearing the decks. My Mrs said i never did less than 70. The stress was constantly effecting my health. 2-3 nights away in a hotel, yes probably a Hilton and not a truck but still stuck somewhere you don’t want to be on your own.
In 2011 made the mistake of getting our own business. That is as bad as it can get. Yes i earned good money. Very difficult to compare to a salary. After our best year we both estimated our average hours a week and divided it into our company profit. £2.91. The total profit was significant so imagine the hours. In the end it cost me my wife and kids.
Now i drive trucks. Moneys not great, hours are long. Stress is close to zero, people moaning on here about TM’s ringing them … in sales my monthly mobile bill would be 80+ hours. Traffics not stress its inconvenience. When i park up i’m done. Not much time left for a life, but who has.
To earn a big wage from a few hours you need a unique skill. The key word being unique … not many people have one. The rest just have to crack on…
The-Snowman:
Using the word “likewise” links the two.
My english comprehension is fine. Your the one who worded it as clear as mud if your talking about two seperate things
I’ll pass on taking English lessons from you if you don’t mind. My post was perfectly clear to anyone to who is not a thick [zb] but I forgot that allowances need to be made for many members on this site.
In my view this is a good job if you find the right company.
It’s taken me 14 years to find a job I’m 100% happy in.
In my last job i would be checking the job websites daily I was that fed up and nearly walked out on the industry for good.
Then I came across a little adverts in the corner of my local paper for a firm that never ever seemed to advertise and I haven’t looked back.
A bad firm can spoil your outlook on the industry and get you down,don’t let it.
Go for it and good luck.