so please explain what you do and how it is skilled.
as a night trunker I cant wait to see how you can make it out as a skilled job?
maybe putting the airlines on requires some form of training that I missed? maybe the auto gearboxes and power steering mean you need a minimum of a degree to workout d is drive r is reverse?
you take a basic test conor its that simple 2-3 hours and you are allowed on the open road.
Load of Bollox all this Driver Shortage crap , I work the agencies because it suits me these days, I have done all the tramping working all hours etc.etc. in the past and now in a position to do what I want when I want , even so though this year I have only been offered 2 days work in January, about 8 days in total all of February and this month March I have done 5 days this isn’t because I am choosy I have spoke to quite a few other agency drivers and they have told me they have had the same amount of work also , registered with 3 agencies I signed on with another last week they gave me all the " we cant cope with the work we have " ) never heard from them since ( surprise surprise ) , I can honestly say since the DCCP came out it has not made a blind bit of difference overall , oh and please don’t be giving me agency driver scum etc. I am not some snotty nose rookie I have being doing this job since the Bedford Tk and Ford D series days ( had the T shirt etc. ) .
looks like your with the wrong agency or I am lucky with who I supply but 95% of my drivers have worked a minimum of 4 day weeks since jan.
I also have a new contract at present which requires 5 day guys and 5 night guys for Monday to Friday work.
The only time we are ‘skilled’ drivers is when we are in the back of a police car or in the dock. For over 23 years I was just a trucker,a tanker driver.On the 22nd December I had my first accident,and it was a big one.It was me that shut the M6 south at j16. Now,as the full force of the law tries to prosecute me for causing serious injury by dangerous driving,i’m described as an ultra professional driver with a previously unblemished record.Thats the reality of how ‘skilled’ we are.
As for the hauliers,mine kept me on for the full 6 month probationary period,then binned me for my accident.So i’m fairly disillusioned with the whole haulage game at present.
war1974:
looks like your with the wrong agency or I am lucky with who I supply but 95% of my drivers have worked a minimum of 4 day weeks since jan.I also have a new contract at present which requires 5 day guys and 5 night guys for Monday to Friday work.
Was thinking that, I know that if I hadn’t had to sort out other stuff I could have been fully booked so far this year.
If our job is not skilled,why is it on the Canterbury Skill Shortage List currently?
Unless some on here don’t think the New Zealand government know what they are doing…
dieseldog999:
war1974:
well how did I know you would think its skilled conor.its not skilled other wise taxi drivers/ delivery drivers would be the same (they train to take a car test after all).
its unskilled not semi skilled not skilled (don’t get me wrong I know a load of people who couldn’t reverse a van into a space yet alone a hgv)
but look at all the entry lists for working abroad driving isn’t on many if any at all as its not skilled.
+1…never in the history of mankind on this planet,any planet in our galaxy,or indeed any solar systems as yet undiscovered has an agency driver been called upon to make critical thinking or key decisions as mostly there employed by tosco type beancounting plobber companies where every drop and route is risk assesed beforehand and printed out so the driver needs to put as much intake into doing the job as a kfc cabbage.in tosco,then any intuition for getting on with the job is actively frowned upon and discouraged.its as near to army life as possible…you do it exactly as instructed and do not ever ever think for yourself for an alternative meant to carry out the menial task you are given.they work the same as supermarkets etc,split the job down to the simplest level so that anyone is capable of following the instructions.obviously theres a degree of some kind of skill in getting from point a to point b without taking the mirrors off,but nomore so that a car driver does with their respective licence.in reality its unskilled,and at best semi skilled though thats the debatable factor.crawling out of your pit in the middle of the night to do some plobbing agency trunk or shop delivery cannot be classed as skilled the same as heading off with a couple of drops somewhere in the country.the descriptive word is experience,as thats what makes the difference in the standard of most truckies weeks work.i.e dont hit the bridge,or get stuck down a lane.
Well I would have to disagree with this pile of horse muck. I’ve done both agency work and spent a little time in the Army & let me tell you, they are absolutely nothing alike. You might aswell compare pickled eggs & washing machines.
eagerbeaver:
If our job is not skilled,why is it on the Canterbury Skill Shortage List currently?Unless some on here don’t think the New Zealand government know what they are doing…
I get the impression though that its not permanent. Your there to sort the mess out and after that its goodbye. The rest of New Zealand is not crying out for drivers.
Our jobs easy
Its unskilled
Anyone can do it
Getting the license isnt hard
Britain would survive without trucks just fine
These are all fantastic arguments as to why we deserve more than the minimum wage. Kudos 
And,yes,I agree on some level these comments might be partially accurate. But the verocity which some of you show,and the determination to prove/convince to all and sundry just how unimportant and simple our job is,while at the same time demanding better pay,increased conditions etc is amazing.
As ever, there is no shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of quality drivers.
Driving is at best semi skilled, but you could have complimentary skills that make you as a driver more valuable.
Mr Physick:
The only time we are ‘skilled’ drivers is when we are in the back of a police car or in the dock. quote]Got to agree with you there mate. Usually you are thought of as ‘just a driver’ but if you do anything wrong or the ■■■■ hits the fan it’s ‘you’re meant to be a professional driver’ you can’t win
I suppose you are professional in the sense that you drive as a profession.
Skilled? well I reckon some are more skilled than others, whether it’s a skilled job in the true recognised sense, I would say no.
Semi skilled? I reckon that is about the best we can hope for, you do have to gain a qualification, whether it’s a valuable one is debatable, and whether it is semi skilled in the official recognized sense, again debatable.
Conor:
Wow, so many so ignorant of what they do on a daily basis. You’ve been downtrodden and derided so long you don’t even recognise what you do on a daily basis.I used recognised definitions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled to determine which category of job it was, not just what I thought it was in my own mind.
Trunking as the Irish idiot states is within semi-skilled. A lot of other types of haulage come into skilled.
Key decisions, something which places you in the skilled category, cover things such as deciding what to do in the event of a road closing incident for example. The decision you make has a direct impact on the profitability of your company for that job. The majority of truck driving jobs are autonomous because once you’re given the keys and the job for the day you’re expected to get on with it and deal with whatever arises as you go about your daily work.
As for the Irish idiot, still an idiot…
to all the conor type anoraks that are no doubt reading the words of the oracle with eager anticiparion…he cant be talking about me as despite several reminders from others…im not irish…once again,none so blind etc.plobplobplob…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
BillyHunt:
dieseldog999:
war1974:
well how did I know you would think its skilled conor.its not skilled other wise taxi drivers/ delivery drivers would be the same (they train to take a car test after all).
its unskilled not semi skilled not skilled (don’t get me wrong I know a load of people who couldn’t reverse a van into a space yet alone a hgv)
but look at all the entry lists for working abroad driving isn’t on many if any at all as its not skilled.
+1…never in the history of mankind on this planet,any planet in our galaxy,or indeed any solar systems as yet undiscovered has an agency driver been called upon to make critical thinking or key decisions as mostly there employed by tosco type beancounting plobber companies where every drop and route is risk assesed beforehand and printed out so the driver needs to put as much intake into doing the job as a kfc cabbage.in tosco,then any intuition for getting on with the job is actively frowned upon and discouraged.its as near to army life as possible…you do it exactly as instructed and do not ever ever think for yourself for an alternative meant to carry out the menial task you are given.they work the same as supermarkets etc,split the job down to the simplest level so that anyone is capable of following the instructions.obviously theres a degree of some kind of skill in getting from point a to point b without taking the mirrors off,but nomore so that a car driver does with their respective licence.in reality its unskilled,and at best semi skilled though thats the debatable factor.crawling out of your pit in the middle of the night to do some plobbing agency trunk or shop delivery cannot be classed as skilled the same as heading off with a couple of drops somewhere in the country.the descriptive word is experience,as thats what makes the difference in the standard of most truckies weeks work.i.e dont hit the bridge,or get stuck down a lane.
Well I would have to disagree with this pile of horse muck. I’ve done both agency work and spent a little time in the Army & let me tell you, they are absolutely nothing alike. You might aswell compare pickled eggs & washing machines.
working for tosco then its step by step instructions and inductions as how to do absolutely everything in relation to the job,h&s ott rubbish.you get your delivery,get your route,told not to deviate,do not speed etc as your watched from above 24/7.no harsh braking,no engine idling,instructed not to pull in to let others past,given your map of the store with the risk assesment for doing the delivery and getting onto the bay…you have not to make any desicions yourself,but always to call in and be told what to do.hence a braindead job…my son in law is in the army,where he is instructed as to how to take a shower,shave,wash himself and rule after rule after rule,do not think for yourself or use any initiative and always do what your told.,so wheres the difference?? braindead lemmings as drivers or braindead cannon fodder is there no similarities to both roles??
2 Year exp ■■■■■■■■. If there was driver shortage 2 years exp would be req in job adds.
I am a driver. west london. Any one need my services?
dieseldog999:
BillyHunt:
dieseldog999:
war1974:
well how did I know you would think its skilled conor.its not skilled other wise taxi drivers/ delivery drivers would be the same (they train to take a car test after all).
its unskilled not semi skilled not skilled (don’t get me wrong I know a load of people who couldn’t reverse a van into a space yet alone a hgv)
but look at all the entry lists for working abroad driving isn’t on many if any at all as its not skilled.
+1…never in the history of mankind on this planet,any planet in our galaxy,or indeed any solar systems as yet undiscovered has an agency driver been called upon to make critical thinking or key decisions as mostly there employed by tosco type beancounting plobber companies where every drop and route is risk assesed beforehand and printed out so the driver needs to put as much intake into doing the job as a kfc cabbage.in tosco,then any intuition for getting on with the job is actively frowned upon and discouraged.its as near to army life as possible…you do it exactly as instructed and do not ever ever think for yourself for an alternative meant to carry out the menial task you are given.they work the same as supermarkets etc,split the job down to the simplest level so that anyone is capable of following the instructions.obviously theres a degree of some kind of skill in getting from point a to point b without taking the mirrors off,but nomore so that a car driver does with their respective licence.in reality its unskilled,and at best semi skilled though thats the debatable factor.crawling out of your pit in the middle of the night to do some plobbing agency trunk or shop delivery cannot be classed as skilled the same as heading off with a couple of drops somewhere in the country.the descriptive word is experience,as thats what makes the difference in the standard of most truckies weeks work.i.e dont hit the bridge,or get stuck down a lane.
Well I would have to disagree with this pile of horse muck. I’ve done both agency work and spent a little time in the Army & let me tell you, they are absolutely nothing alike. You might aswell compare pickled eggs & washing machines.
working for tosco then its step by step instructions and inductions as how to do absolutely everything in relation to the job,h&s ott rubbish.you get your delivery,get your route,told not to deviate,do not speed etc as your watched from above 24/7.no harsh braking,no engine idling,instructed not to pull in to let others past,given your map of the store with the risk assesment for doing the delivery and getting onto the bay…you have not to make any desicions yourself,but always to call in and be told what to do.hence a braindead job…my son in law is in the army,where he is instructed as to how to take a shower,shave,wash himself and rule after rule after rule,do not think for yourself or use any initiative and always do what your told.,so wheres the difference?? braindead lemmings as drivers or braindead cannon fodder is there no similarities to both roles??
Speaking from my own experience. Worked at ASDA for three years, after an induction lasting three days, I was given keys, Tacho charts, paperwork for a store and shown the door to the units & trailers. I had to think for myself and either, try & find the place myself or ask one of the other drivers. Induction covered their paperwork, use of the fuel point & washdown, basically how they do things. I see nothing wrong in this, getting everyone working off the same song sheet makes things more efficient.
When I joined the Army they put you through basic training, it gets you to work as a team and, surprise surprise, as an individual. This believe it or not was encouraged throughout my career, the ability to think for yourself. It always makes me laugh when I read on here about how Army guys can’t do anything without being told, it’s so far from the truth you wouldn’t believe it. Yes some soldiers were, we’ll call them challenged, and needed to be told time & time again, but that’s the individual not the Army, bit like some drivers as it happens.
Now if you want to have a chip on your shoulder about your ability to drive for someone other than a store that’s fine, but to paint them all, and all agency drivers for that matter, as morons is well wide of the mark I’m afraid. The fact is we all drive trucks getting a product from A To B, that’s it.
dieseldog999:
my son in law is in the army,where he is instructed as to how to take a shower,shave,wash himself and rule after rule after rule,do not think for yourself or use any initiative and always do what your told.,so wheres the difference?? braindead lemmings as drivers or braindead cannon fodder is there no similarities to both roles??
He must be in the RLC or infantry , it wasnt like that for me in the engineers, there was pleanty of thinking outside the box, problem solving ect…
I was lucky,i was a Gunner in the RA.
Wonder why other squaddies called us ’ Drop-shorts ',I never got my knob out.
caledoniandream:
I think multi drop suffered the most, as people rather sit on their arse, than open doors / curtains 15-18 times a day.
Too right. Why would I want to handball a load off, up and downstairs do 15 hour days and nights out when I can sit on my arse in a day cab and push a lever to unload the vehicle for the same money?
Food multi drop is crap and unwanted because drivers have to act as unpaid storemen when they get to the delivery location. The same could be said of those on furniture delivery.
dieseldog mate, you seem to have a problem with Tesco, it’s nearly every post that you have a pop. I agree with some of what you say but whether you agree with their way or not, they do try to portray and maintain a professional image, something which can only be good for the industry.
On the other hand you yourself make no secret (to the point of boasting) on here that you have little respect for rules and laws of the road. Now I don’t give a flying ■■■■ if you drive at 60mph 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with no rest, it’s none of my business , but who do you think is more responsible for the ■■■■ poor image and p/r that us drivers have today… drivers like Tescos or drivers like you? 
Don’t run away with the idea that I am one of your "tossco type plobbers’’ you keep banging on about, on the contrary I WAS just like you once over, but the 80s have long gone and if anybody is dumb enough to still behave as if it was the 80s are, and quite rightly so, being jailed.
These are probably the reasons that we are not looked upon as either skilled or professional eh?
robroy:
dieseldog mate, you seem to have a problem with Tesco, it’s nearly every post that you have a pop. I agree with some of what you say but whether you agree with their way or not, they do try to portray and maintain a professional image, something which can only be good for the industry.
On the other hand you yourself make no secret (to the point of boasting) on here that you have little respect for rules and laws of the road. Now I don’t give a flying [zb] if you drive at 60mph 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with no rest, it’s none of my business , but who do you think is more responsible for the ■■■■ poor image and p/r that us drivers have today… drivers like Tescos or drivers like you?
Don’t run away with the idea that I am one of your "tossco type plobbers’’ you keep banging on about, on the contrary I WAS just like you once over, but the 80s have long gone and if anybody is dumb enough to still behave as if it was the 80s are, and quite rightly so, being jailed.
These are probably the reasons that we are not looked upon as either skilled or professional eh?
+1
