This 'quiet' spell

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hey. I am a little worried at the minute. I started the class one game about 5 months ago. I have been tramping all that time but recently the amount of work has really dropped. Is class one work always this quiet at this time, or is this all to do with the credit crunch? The other week there I only worked 44 hours Monday to Friday when other weeks I can hit the mid 60’s.

I’m worried because if the company start killing us off I am sure I will be one of the first to go because of my age and length of service :cry:

2

my advice to anybody at the moment is if you have a job sit tight and ride it through. the future is very uncertain at the moment so unless you have a guaranteed job to go to just sit tight.

3

You aint wrong there JD, been hearing drivers in all types of haulage are waiting for the news of redundancies, cut in hours, loss of bonuses and overtime. :cry: :cry:
We have been quieter than ever but luckily the boss is managing to spread the work out so we all get something :wink: :wink:
I am ok for next week tho full week out on railway at Shirley.

4

I think it is what is technically known as a recession. Less money being spent means less stuff needs shifting means less of us are needed.

Paul

5

youre right work is very quiet and we all doomed doomed i tell you

6

Can agree with what has been posted above. I’m self employed and haven’t diven a truck in 2 months. All my customers are happy that drivers are on holiday as it’s less work for them to try and find. Even the agency hasn’t rung me. I’m not bothered at the moment as I’ve plenty of work on the agri side, and have until about November.

7

yes its definately quiet which also keeps the rates down as more people want what little work there is. I know my boss has been asking for rate increases and the general answer has been a no

8

repton:
I think it is what is technically known as a recession.

This is not a recession!! Its an economic slow down.

A recession happened in late 80’s early 90’s The bank of England are doing a great job at keeping interest rates down, we learned alot from the last “recession”

Jeez…talk about doom and gloom, it will pick up you watch, only last week on the radio analysts reckon house prices will be up 25% in 5 years.

9

the olympics will either pick things up due to holidays and sports fantatics whom throw sickies or it will be quieter due to people staying in and not much movement, thus the reason as to my previous posts of wanting to take the offer at stagecoach before it was too late as i too am not getting hardly anything

10

It’s going to be a great future.
We have all the rats leaving the sinking ship.
When things pick up there won’t be enough hauliers or drivers which will affect supply and demand. (rates and wages.)

11

aidey:
youre right work is very quiet and we all doomed doomed i tell you

Ive just swept the forum floor, and managed to find several coins, half eaten sandwiches & a bottle of wee discarded at an MSA, but have been unable to find this Doomed you speak of ............ nor have I managed to find the plot that has been missing for sometime, even though im told it has thickened and therefore shouldn`t be too difficult to spot

12

we are not too bad at our place although im planned in for only 4 hours on monday :open_mouth:

doesnt help when we keep getting drops took off us cos our own drivers are ripping the p-iss - we do this one drop & tip time for us is around 2 hours - some of our guys ripped the p-iss out of it and sat outside for another 2 hours to get their hours up so our company found out - now third party does it - stupid [zb]

annulised hours can get to [zb] :wink:

auto censor dodges removed, please read Lucy’s post HERE…Denis F

13

merc0447:
we are not too bad at our place although im planned in for only 4 hours on monday :open_mouth:

doesnt help when we keep getting drops took off us cos our own drivers are ripping the p-iss - we do this one drop & tip time for us is around 2 hours - some of our guys ripped the p-iss out of it and sat outside for another 2 hours to get their hours up so our company found out - now third party does it - stupid [zb[

annulised hours can get to [zb] :wink:

I’ve never understood why some employers pay by the hour.

Hourly pay…Doing less over a longer period.
Day rate…Doing more over a shorter period.

Trip money, No tachos, No limiters, Now that’s the future.
But this is England, We have no future.

quote edited…Denis F

14

i have worked for the firm im with for nearly 4 years no nites out home every nite and good money,i had been franchised to hansons doing sand gravel etc etc,and as hansons have gone really quite its now all change he has took me of the franchise traded the aggregate trailer in for a bulk trailer and now its grain and ■■■■ and loads of nites out,im not happy about it but a t least the gaffer had me in and told wat he wanted to do and asked me wat trailer i would need so cant fault him and i still have a job and we are very busy especially this time of year.

15

Koop:

repton:
I think it is what is technically known as a recession.

This is not a recession!! Its an economic slow down.

A recession happened in late 80’s early 90’s The bank of England are doing a great job at keeping interest rates down, we learned alot from the last “recession”

Jeez…talk about doom and gloom, it will pick up you watch, only last week on the radio analysts reckon house prices will be up 25% in 5 years.

Koop,

Thats where its going wrong, interest rates MUST rise in a "slowdown / recession" [delete which word doesnt apply].

It stops the idiots from going on gung ho, with no thought of how the debt is going to be repaid :unamused: :blush: :open_mouth:

This includes business AND individuals, if you cant afford it, dont buy it, and, thats why the economy has slowed down / gone bust…

High interest rates help to repair life`s balance sheet, when the cash has been recouped, the “cash in hand” column then looks healthier, then the rates can come down SLOWLY :wink: :wink: :wink:

Don`t forget, 50% of the great people of this country are SAVERS, not spenders, their [mine] nest eggs grow, the pension and insurance industries get back on their collective feet, the whole world looks a lot better, HEY PRESTO, its boom time again :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

There is a quote in the “Financial Mail” this morning, from Robert Tchenguiz, who states that : “In 5 years time, we will look back and describe these times as the bargain era”, as he is a multi millionaire investor, I think he knows a thing or two :sunglasses:

My tips ; BT @ £1.7130, fill your boots + Ennstone @ FFS cheap :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

16

I read an interesting article recently and it depends whether your glass is half full or half empty.

It suggested that downturn or rather downtalking an economy is a mistake, as historically any financial glitch is almost over before it is noticed.

He explains that everyone is blaming things like Northern Rock, Sub Prime and Oil pricing. These are not the causes, these are the results of something that went before.

I will try to find it, but there were a few respected businessmen quoted in the article. I dont suppose there is any harm nipping the ropes up and fastening a few hatches but I believe we are riding the storm

17

Wheel Nut:
I read an interesting article recently and it depends whether your glass is half full or half empty.

It suggested that downturn or rather downtalking an economy is a mistake, as historically any financial glitch is almost over before it is noticed.

He explains that everyone is blaming things like Northern Rock, Sub Prime and Oil pricing. These are not the causes, these are the results of something that went before.

I will try to find it, but there were a few respected businessmen quoted in the article. I dont suppose there is any harm nipping the ropes up and fastening a few hatches but I believe we are riding the storm

I agree, But it depends on what I`m drinking :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

18

Koop:

repton:
I think it is what is technically known as a recession.

This is not a recession!! Its an economic slow down.

A recession happened in late 80’s early 90’s The bank of England are doing a great job at keeping interest rates down, we learned alot from the last “recession”

Jeez…talk about doom and gloom, it will pick up you watch, only last week on the radio analysts reckon house prices will be up 25% in 5 years.

I think…although I am not an economist, that we are entering a period at least as bad as the 80’s early 90’s. The BOE don’t know where to go…there was a 3 way split in the last meeting on interest rates that they had. They made a ■■■■-up around 2005 by lowering interest rates probably under political pressure from Brown/Blair. They wanted to keep the house price bubble going which makes people feel good and keep spending and remortgaging. Whatever happend to making things to sell to others as opposed to selling over-priced houses often little better than shoe-boxes to each other. House prices have gone up for 12 years…if that’s not a bubble what is? And every bubble pops in the end.

Bye the way, the well paid clowns who said that House prices would rise by 25% also said that they would be flat this year to an increase of 3% if I remember correctly. I wonder what their motive is?

19

no slow down ive noticed yet in my place.

20

xxicelandicxx:
no slow down ive noticed yet in my place.

Where’s that?

I should add that I have heard of this haulage company which was involved with transporting plaster-board to various areas and the Republic of Ireland…this operation has recently just completely stopped as if it fell over a cliff. That makes sense as the builders are struggling right now. I did hear that another company which collected Cheese for pizza toppings was finding that part of their business very quiet indeed but I suppose eating such stuff would be one of the first for people to forfeit in a down-turn.

PS
Somebody told me that a haulage company in Llanelli, West Wales had laid off a lot of drivers recently. I can only think of Owens. Anybody heard anything?