Place I started the planner was an ex driver and carp, the TM hadn’t a scooby.
Place I’m at now, none of the planners have been in an HGV, other than downloading the tacho, but can create order out of a complete ■■■■■■■■■■■. The TM is there but largely surplus to requirements except for when ‘a word’ is required.
Come to think of it most of the office bods I’ve dealt with have been pretty good apart from that first place, in fact the whole atmosphere at that company was grim. 
muckles:
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 withDepending 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.
I agree with everything you say there. Just so you know where I am coming from, I came up through the ranks at the firm I was at for 33 years. I was drivers mate, driver, supervisor, customer service/ asst. transport manager, then the transport manager for 10 years. At its peak we had 90 HGVs and around the same number of drivers. Not sure why I was never fond of the term " man management ", but it just seems a bit like " lion tamer " to me 
At the end of the day a transport manager is paid to get the job done well, and knowing how to get the best out of your drivers is a big part of the job, bearing in mind you are dealing with many different attitudes, personalities and indeed levels of ability. I like to think I did the job right, i.e, getting the goods delivered, keeping the customers happy and keeping costs down. At the same time I did my best to do it with some understanding of the drivers situation, even to the extent of putting my own job at risk when arguing a drivers case when those above me wanted one of MY drivers sacked.
Regards. John.
chicane:
Place I started the planner was an ex driver and carp
I’m still new so haven’t picked up a lot of the abbreviations/slang. What does ‘carp’ mean please? Thanks.
transpose the ‘a’ and ‘r’
think the word censor must have edited it
Thinking back I reckon he was just putting in the days until he collected his pension and simply didn’t give a f**k.
Haha thanks - got it And for the insights. Sounds like there is no simple formula for this.
chicane:
transpose the ‘a’ and ‘r’think the word censor must have edited it
Thinking back I reckon he was just putting in the days until he collected his pension and simply didn’t give a f**k.
I’m also new and haven’t picked up on drivers abbreviations like the other guy.
What does f**k mean?
wanderingstar:
chicane:
Place I started the planner was an ex driver and carpI’m still new so haven’t picked up a lot of the abbreviations/slang. What does ‘carp’ mean please? Thanks.
crap 
oh crap must’ve been my sausage fingers 
Have had some good transport managers/ planers had some bad 1 of the worst was the boss who also planned route was transport manager & owner couldn’t talk to drivers end of shift phoned asked where you were your driving hours if it wasn’t according to his wanted to know why etc nasty man ( no he not on here )
Have worked for some good ones yep 1 did have his licence but really drove unless it was to rescue as was your finnish day & you had beed held up somewhere always “asked” if you could do this job so yep went a bit further for him
Worked for one who didn’t even have a car licence at time never mind HGV but she knew & understood the job & hold ups also what customers wanted she did understand the job she was used to being on the road as had been on the road a few times with the drivers to see what the job was so could plan well
robroy:
I’m also new and haven’t picked up on drivers abbreviations like the other guy.
What does f**k mean?
Haha, nice
animal:
Worked for one who didn’t even have a car licence at time never mind HGV but she knew & understood the job & hold ups also what customers wanted she did understand the job she was used to being on the road as had been on the road a few times with the drivers to see what the job was so could plan well
Very interesting that. It seems like experience is no guarantee of being sympathetic and understanding, but that it can help if the person has the right personality. But it also seems with that kind of personality they can empathise with what it’s like even if they don’t have the licence if they are willing to ask and listen, and even better like in this case, actually go out there and see it first hand. The fact she didn’t even have a car licence really proves this point. Like you say, often that sort of approach leads to staff being willing to go the extra mile.
I would NEVER be able to work for the type,… (ex. driver or not) that gives you the …''Why did you go that way and not this/Why did you take that route/Why did you stop there for 5 mins/Why have you just took 47 and a half minutes instead of 45 ‘’ and all the rest of that type of crap that some firms put out.
If these type of arse holes are constantly sat watching you on the tracker, then they have ■■■■ all to do in reality, and are employed in non jobs.
I can never understand how drivers allowed this sort of ■■■■ to evolve, and how and why any driver worth his salt puts up with it and does not tell them to ■■■■ off and to leave him alone to to do his job instead. If they had done that on day 1 when all that crap started it would never have become the norm with some firms.
robroy:
I would NEVER be able to work for the type,… (ex. driver or not) that gives you the …''Why did you go that way and not this/Why did you take that route/Why did you stop there for 5 mins/Why have you just took 47 and a half minutes instead of 45 ‘’ and all the rest of that type of crap that some firms put out.
If these type of arse holes are constantly sat watching you on the tracker, then they have [zb] all to do in reality, and are employed in non jobs.I can never understand how drivers allowed this sort of [zb] to evolve, and how and why any driver worth his salt puts up with it and does not tell them to [zb] off and to leave him alone to to do his job instead.
Understand where you’re coming from, and it irks me too; but what you have to remember is that they’re being asked the same questions by their bosses.
I’m pretty lucky with my TM, and his predecessor was pretty good too; so long as I get my jobs done in time, the customers are happy, and the law observed he leaves me to get on with it.
I did a few years as a TM myself, and having an ex-driver in that job can be a mixed blessing. Yes, they can empathise when things go wrong, but on the other hand they’re well versed in all the dodges too, so it’s pointless coming out with any “Well, boss…” excuses.
Sidevalve:
I did a few years as a TM myself, and having an ex-driver in that job can be a mixed blessing. Yes, they can empathise when things go wrong, but on the other hand they’re well versed in all the dodges too, so it’s pointless coming out with any “Well, boss…” excuses.
That is a fantastic point that, well made earlier too. I hadn’t even thought of that. What made you go back to driving? Conscious decision or just the path life took? It seems like maybe different personality types and stages of life make one or the other suitable at any one time. I’m going into driving to escape the office, but I’ve half a mind to try and go back in from a transport angle one day.
I was chatting to a sludge tanker driver recently and he said the company software has time allocations for each job but that he can over ride them and the office always accept his decisions with no criticism. Sounded like a good combination of IT/planning and common sense/trust.
wanderingstar:
Sidevalve:
I did a few years as a TM myself, and having an ex-driver in that job can be a mixed blessing. Yes, they can empathise when things go wrong, but on the other hand they’re well versed in all the dodges too, so it’s pointless coming out with any “Well, boss…” excuses.That is a fantastic point that, well made earlier too. I hadn’t even thought of that. What made you go back to driving? Conscious decision or just the path life took? It seems like maybe different personality types and stages of life make one or the other suitable at any one time. I’m going into driving to escape the office, but I’ve half a mind to try and go back in from a transport angle one day.
Basically; the people I had to work with. As a manager you have no mates; you might have “colleagues” but you may rest assured that they are definitely not your mates, and you trust them and confide in them at your own risk. In my first job as a TM I was saddled with an assistant who wanted my job, devious little bugger; finally got my own back on him after I left but it was too late by then.
Add to that the fact that you can rarely relax. All too easy to say you’re out of the door at five and whatever happens between then and morning isn’t my problem, but unfortunately it is and there’s no escaping that. The buck stops with you, and even if you get good support from your gaffer it’s never easy. I think in a way you have to be born to it, just as good drivers are. You certainly need the hide of a rhinoceros; always amuses me when drivers come on here saying they could do the job better with their eyes shut!
For all that we moan about tachos and daily rests, as drivers at least we get that and we can switch off even if only for a few hours. And the pay’s no better than driving, in fact often worse.
That is extremely enlightening information and so useful to have, especially at this point in my career. I’m most grateful to you.
Sidevalve:
wanderingstar:
Sidevalve:
I did a few years as a TM myself, and having an ex-driver in that job can be a mixed blessing. Yes, they can empathise when things go wrong, but on the other hand they’re well versed in all the dodges too, so it’s pointless coming out with any “Well, boss…” excuses.That is a fantastic point that, well made earlier too. I hadn’t even thought of that. What made you go back to driving? Conscious decision or just the path life took? It seems like maybe different personality types and stages of life make one or the other suitable at any one time. I’m going into driving to escape the office, but I’ve half a mind to try and go back in from a transport angle one day.
Basically; the people I had to work with. As a manager you have no mates; you might have “colleagues” but you may rest assured that they are definitely not your mates, and you trust them and confide in them at your own risk. In my first job as a TM I was saddled with an assistant who wanted my job, devious little bugger; finally got my own back on him after I left but it was too late by then.
Add to that the fact that you can rarely relax. All too easy to say you’re out of the door at five and whatever happens between then and morning isn’t my problem, but unfortunately it is and there’s no escaping that. The buck stops with you, and even if you get good support from your gaffer it’s never easy. I think in a way you have to be born to it, just as good drivers are. You certainly need the hide of a rhinoceros; always amuses me when drivers come on here saying they could do the job better with their eyes shut!
For all that we moan about tachos and daily rests, as drivers at least we get that and we can switch off even if only for a few hours. And the pay’s no better than driving, in fact often worse.
All very true. The never being able to switch off thing is one of the hardest things to get used to. As a driver you can go home and totally forget about work till you return, now as a TM I find myself lying in bed at night thinking about what needs to be done the next day, week etc.
“now as a TM I find myself lying in bed at night thinking about what needs to be done the next day, week etc.”
You will have to nip that in the bud Luke, ( for some very hard, and for some impossible ), or you will end up having a miserable time of it.
There’s a world of difference between caring about the job and letting it take over your life. Good luck, I’m sure you will be OK.
Regards. John.
I just spent 10 years living in a lorry, work took over my life long long ago!
Do any of you have a TM who lies to you about booking times etc…or tries to get you to tip well before you’re booked in for?? Had it last week where picked up a load for Waitrose MK, booked in for 11am following day, TM wanted me to get rid of it the night before!!! Needless to say I told him what I thought and parked up, I mean WTF