What are they like compared to ones that have come up thru the ranks? The trend, at least in big companies, seems to be to take graduates on who get fast tracked into management without ever getting an HGV licence. Would people agree that is the direction things have gone in? And what are the pluses and minuses? If any.
Can’t post what it think as it would be all Zb’s out 
they don’t have a clue what it’s like out on the road in the hot seat
Fortunately my boss has final say as he started the company with just a van and still owns it now 10 ridge’s and 10 artics
Sounds frustrating! Great that you still have someone who understands in charge to overrule them. So does the same problem of lack of experience apply to route planners too then?
wanderingstar:
Sounds frustrating! Great that you still have someone who understands in charge to overrule them. So does the same problem of lack of experience apply to route planners too then?
Don’t have that problem with my company It was just some office dorris getting a tiss because the drivers were going via Brackley A34/A43 to get to M1 at Northampton and not going via the car park (M3/M25)
Gotcha. That’s really interesting, thanks. I read your post wrong and wondered why a clued up boss would employ people who didn’t know what they were talking about! I used to work at the head office of a huge company in a logistics department and there seemed to be a massive disconnect between what the bosses and the drivers perceptions were. They definitely needed some ‘Undercover Boss’ therapy! It takes so little to actually talk to the drivers and to take on board feedback, but there just seemed to be a massive resistance to doing that.
not all ex drivers make good traffic managers , i worked for one i had known for years , biggest glass back in creation but he expected the drivers to do the impossible . he would never have attempted what he tried to demand . he also had his little team of yes men who never did any wrong and were held up as a shining example , even though they ran blatantly bent . dave
rigsby:
not all ex drivers make good traffic managers
I hadn’t thought of that possibility. Sounds like he lacked empathy and forgot his roots.
I think it’s a bit of a myth that ex-drivers make the best transport managers, I’ve work for really good TM’s who’ve never been near a truck, but they knew their job, I’ve also work for ex-drivers TM’s who couldn’t handle dealing with several drivers.
it really down to the individual and good management skills.
Got to give people a fair go without judging on background I think. I know of one Transport & Logistics Planning graduate TM working for DHL who doesn’t have an LGV licence but is very aware and realistic about what can and cannot be done in a certain timeframe. Equally just because a TM started out as a driver doesn’t mean they won’t start putting pressure on drivers to do the impossible.
Also TMs have their own pressures from their superiors who might be a bit far removed from what’s going on at that level and/or customers who refuse to try and understand the realities of goods transport networks.
The main men in our place don’t have, and never have had their HGV licences. Nobody in the transport office have theirs either. Apart from the drivers, nobody from the operational side in our place have their HGV licences. It does burst your head sometimes when someone who has absolutely no commercial driving experience, sits behind their computer and tries to tell you how best to do your job. But to be fair, if you phone them up and suggest a more sensible way of doing things, more often than not they will take your recommendation on board. Also, our lot have just celebrated 25 years in business and are still getting bigger. So the lack of HGV licence holders in the office doesn’t seem to be holding the company back in too bad a way.
damoq:
our lot have just celebrated 25 years in business and are still getting bigger. So the lack of HGV licence holders in the office doesn’t seem to be holding the company back in too bad a way.
The proof of the pudding being in the eating is a great point! I don’t know if business success and staff happiness always do go together but you can’t argue with results from a profit perspective.
I always thought that those managers that have never been drivers - tend to be on the duties that don’t involve too much of “The Knowledge” and suchlike.
Eg. Graduates that know all about “compliance regulations” or “transport manifests” or “CPC” as opposed to “Routing” or “setting up a new round robin run” or “getting around a closed road” etc. 
130simon:
Also TMs have their own pressures from their superiors who might be a bit far removed from what’s going on at that level and/or customers who refuse to try and understand the realities of goods transport networks.
I think a lot of drivers forget that the Transport planner or manager isn’t there for their own personal benefit, but has other drivers, managers and customers to factor into their planning.
My better judgement would be to say that an ex.driver would make a better TM, but one of the best lads I worked for was a young lad, no licence but good at his job.
He treated you like a grown up with respect, and was particularly good with me, maybe because.(or even despite) I was the only Northerner who worked at that firm.
Never seen him since 2007.
If anybody is interested he was a lad called Richard Adlem from Colchester.
Is he in anybody’s firm now on here?
My planner tells me where I need to be and then leaves me alone. I just call and let them know tip times for a certain company and then thats it. Most days I only get a call in the morning and a call in the afternoon. Some days I don’t speak to the office at all. I like it this way. Sure their planning can be awful but you’re the driver, you do the job, if it can’t be done then do it the next day.
Radar19:
My planner tells me where I need to be and then leaves me alone. I just call and let them know tip times for a certain company and then thats it. Most days I only get a call in the morning and a call in the afternoon. Some days I don’t speak to the office at all. I like it this way. Sure their planning can be awful but you’re the driver, you do the job, if it can’t be done then do it the next day.
My present tm is ex driver. He tends to also let me get on with the job, (but occasionally chucks a spanner in, with a job change, mid present job 
)
On the whole I am left alone, although he does push the arse off a few of the other drivers.
Being ex driver a tm can empathise with situations that a non driver can not I suppose.
If a driver is given written instructions with two maps (zoomed out, and a “final approach” map) - then that driver doesn’t then even need to carry a phone… If there’s an issue at the customers - they can phone from there.
For breakdowns, the in-cab phone can be used. Wot no in-cab phone? - Why’s that? Are we all expected to run up our own phone bills at work? OR is it so that anyone “breaking the law” by using their phone whilst in transit - is doing it on their own phone, giving the firm “plausible deniability”? 
I would imagine it’s a lot harder to sack someone for answering the cab phone whilst driving than answering one’s own phone - even if the call is from the office…
Reading through this thread and others, it seams to me that " Transport Managers" are getting a bit thin on the ground nowadays and people are confusing them with
" Planners ". Planning the best way to get the weeks work done, on behalf of the company is only one part of the job. I believe anyone from any background with planning skills can do that bit. I don’t particularly like the term " man management " but it’s this part of the job that in my opinion is most important from a drivers point of view.
If he’s been a driver, when you ring in with a problem he can see himself in your situation because " he’s been there " and hopefully you will be a consideration and not only what’s best for the company.
On the other side of the coin you, as a driver, will find it difficult to " pull the wool over his eyes " but unless your a complete ■■■■■■■■■ why should that be a problem ?
Regards. John.
muckles:
130simon:
Also TMs have their own pressures from their superiors who might be a bit far removed from what’s going on at that level and/or customers who refuse to try and understand the realities of goods transport networks.I think a lot of drivers forget that the Transport planner or manager isn’t there for their own personal benefit, but has other drivers, managers and customers to factor into their planning.
This.
old 67:
Reading through this thread and others, it seams to me that " Transport Managers" are getting a bit thin on the ground nowadays and people are confusing them with
Depending on the size and structure of the company these can be the same person or different people, but it’s true a transport planner/ traffic planner, is a different job to a Transport Manager.
old 67:
" Planners ". Planning the best way to get the weeks work done, on behalf of the company is only one part of the job. I believe anyone from any background with planning skills can do that bit. I don’t particularly like the term " man management " but it’s this part of the job that in my opinion is most important from a drivers point of view.
If he’s been a driver, when you ring in with a problem he can see himself in your situation because " he’s been there " and hopefully you will be a consideration and not only what’s best for the company.
On the other side of the coin you, as a driver, will find it difficult to " pull the wool over his eyes " but unless your a complete ■■■■■■■■■ why should that be a problem ?
Regards. John.
The term man management is a good term for the skill of dealing with people, industry spent many years promoting people to supervisory positions because they were good at the job they were doing and then finding they weren’t good at being managers. This is because just being able to a job well doesn’t mean you will automatically be a good manager in that line of work, because you go from looking after your little bit of work to dealing with people.
So just because you’re a good truck driver it doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at dealing with other truck drivers and organising several different trucks, deliveries and drivers. But it also doesn’t mean you won’t be a good manager, (some people do seem to have a natural ability) but for most of us we can learn some man management skills to get the best out of the people under you control.