I see a lot of posts referring to how bad the wages are over there and from what I see they are really bad, however ! … This morning I was chatting to a good and trusted mate who still lives there, he does a night trunk from Coventry to Penrith and earns a grand a week, for just drop and hook in the UK I would say that was pretty good 
For his own privacy, I am not going to say his name or who he drives for.
My first reaction would be he’s talking ■■■■■■■■ 
My second would be…nope I’ll stick with first answer 
He may do but why would a company pay him so much when there are so many drivers who would do it for half that amount.
Conan the Librarian:
My first reaction would be he’s talking ■■■■■■■■My second would be…nope I’ll stick with first answer
got that right
Unless he’s an owner driver and that’s what the contract pays, I’d say the 3 posts above this are correct!
Coventry to penrith is a fair hike so im guessing the fella is putting the hrs in and on nights,maybe weekends,if its before tax its possible…
Nonsense! Not even own account transport pays that, Self employed on a very good week will clear £700 max, own account PAYE £500-550 for profit around £450
60hrs per week @ £16.60 ph would get you that,Coventry to Penrith is max 8-9hrs driving a day can’t see how is getting 60hrs a week out of that!
By chance did you tell him you get £900 a week and he just trying to better you? 
There are still good jobs in the UK, they are never advertised they never will be and those who have them keep schtum, and if they have an ounce of sense do their very best for the company so the job pays for everyone and lasts for ever.
Some are own account, some are unionised, some are a combination of the two, few are hire and reward unless specialised.
Unfortunately there’s a large and growing minority who if they earned such pay would winge and ■■■■■ about the job and eventually ruin it one way or another, quite why they do this i can’t work out, maybe they’re manic depressives of whom there seem to be an extraordinary number behind the wheel of lorries and are winging bleeders in every part of their lives…these pages provide enough head shaking for us drivers who appreciate what we’ve got, gawd nose what any potential employer must think if they arrive here.
It will be a agency man spouting the usual bollox when it comes to money 
I suspect, like conor, that he`s magnifying the facts beyond the limits of truth…although conor put it much better!
Agree with the rest.
Drop and swap you say, so pretty much drive there, bang on break - whilst on break disconnect all trailer so just have to pull out when break finished - pull out and hook up other trailer, drive back.
Let’s say, nicely, 10hrs per night… 6 nights per week? Then MAYBE if he’s self employed on top dollar and paid through breaks. But, realistically it’s bull
mike68:
Nonsense! Not even own account transport pays that, Self employed on a very good week will clear £700 max, own account PAYE £500-550 for profit around £450
Some own account jobs do pay very well…it’s just their drivers keep quiet about it
Used to do Atherstone to Penrith, 1pm start, done by 10 most nights or 11 if problems, so 50 hrs * £11.50 at time, 2 years ago.
Agency
all you are looking at here is someone who i paid 20 quid an hour and does say 50 hours a week, more or less depending on the hours and rates as they could be on 18 quid an hour but over time rates etc
there are some out there which still do value a good reliable driver. is it a tank load he trunks up with or just general ?
not so many years ago the tanker drivers were on silly amounts of money, if they did nights out they would be paid and put up in a hotel as well as night out money.
times have changed as the new breed will do the same job for half the money as they think its a good wage. but then moan about wages when there already doing the job, i think the drivers are hoping someone will come along with a magic wand and give them a pay increase and give them better terms and conditions
they have no idea how business runs if business can get away with paying daft money to mugs who will do the job then really whos fault it is
the employers like shell, castrol etc who paid out the big bucks years ago found cheaper transport company’s to take over, like tnt, wincantion etc and of course these company’s would take on the old staff but on a lot less money, then they would lose the contract as stobarts would try to muscle in and of course they would take on the old staff on even less pay
on and on this patten is going and looks no where near ended, in fact its here to stay so long as there are Muppets ready to drive nice new trucks and play at being an hgv driver for while until they find out for themselves they can earn the same money doing other things with a lot less hours.
once they get past that look at me driving this big truck syndrome as they come to see no one take a blind bit of notice of them, even the morons with name plates in there windscreen dont even get a look in
so the poor driver gets his ego deflated and ends up facing a life of 8 or 9 quid and hour and a lot of hours trying to make just a living wage
the only guys still making a good wages will be on old style contracts that if a company wants shut of them then they will have to pay big buck to get rid of them
the rest are just cannon fodder that will work the same job for a lot less
desypete:
… as there are Muppets ready to drive nice new trucks and play at being an hgv driver for while until they find out for themselves they can earn the same money doing other things with a lot less hours.once they get past that look at me driving this big truck syndrome as they come to see no one take a blind bit of notice of them, even the morons with name plates in there windscreen dont even get a look in
so the poor driver gets his ego deflated and ends up facing a life of 8 or 9 quid and hour and a lot of hours trying to make just a living wage
This is the thing with driving jobs in general though. We tend to think we are well off because we earn more than the poor sods on minimum wage, and earn a relatively good wage by putting in 55 to 65 hour weeks. Reality is though, some folks earn that money with more sensible hours. They are the ones sitting outside pubs with their partners, whilst we are still at work. 
Conan the Librarian:
My first reaction would be he’s talking ■■■■■■■■My second would be…nope I’ll stick with first answer
Seriously though - if you could get a grand a week every week, that would have to be for an average 48 hours driving per week to remain legal over the whole reference period.
That’s nearly £21ph dudes! 
I always imagined that this is possible to achieve if you bring your own truck, fuel, insurances, etc…
LIBERTY_GUY:
desypete:
… as there are Muppets ready to drive nice new trucks and play at being an hgv driver for while until they find out for themselves they can earn the same money doing other things with a lot less hours.once they get past that look at me driving this big truck syndrome as they come to see no one take a blind bit of notice of them, even the morons with name plates in there windscreen dont even get a look in
so the poor driver gets his ego deflated and ends up facing a life of 8 or 9 quid and hour and a lot of hours trying to make just a living wage
This is the thing with driving jobs in general though. We tend to think we are well off because we earn more than the poor sods on minimum wage, and earn a relatively good wage by putting in 55 to 65 hour weeks. Reality is though, some folks earn that money with more sensible hours. They are the ones sitting outside pubs with their partners, whilst we are still at work.
Did you ever consider that working the 55-65 hour week was the soft option to the purple argument above? 
My answer is
wot Conan said
Winseer:
LIBERTY_GUY:
desypete:
… as there are Muppets ready to drive nice new trucks and play at being an hgv driver for while until they find out for themselves they can earn the same money doing other things with a lot less hours.once they get past that look at me driving this big truck syndrome as they come to see no one take a blind bit of notice of them, even the morons with name plates in there windscreen dont even get a look in
so the poor driver gets his ego deflated and ends up facing a life of 8 or 9 quid and hour and a lot of hours trying to make just a living wage
This is the thing with driving jobs in general though. We tend to think we are well off because we earn more than the poor sods on minimum wage, and earn a relatively good wage by putting in 55 to 65 hour weeks. Reality is though, some folks earn that money with more sensible hours. They are the ones sitting outside pubs with their partners, whilst we are still at work.
Did you ever consider that working the 55-65 hour week was the soft option to the purple argument above?
Oh I don’t know. Whilst not a drinker as such, the inviting condensation on those cold glasses whilst I was stuck in a hot dusty cab was real tempting.