Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every ■■■■ thing else… 
As I said before there would never be a driver shortage if steps were taken to make the job more attractive at both government and individual company levels.
There was never a driver shortage when many of us more experienced started the job, all those years ago, the job has changed in terms of conditions around 25% for the better and 75% for the worse, more negative aspects than positive ones… so go figure
Why tf ‘‘they’’ can not see that when they come out with the same old ‘driver shortage’ crap every so often, I will never know.
robroy:
Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every [zb] thing else…
As I said
Franglais:
We don`t have too few drivers.
We have too few good jobs for them.
Franglais:
Narc:
Juddian:
The problem with providing a free utopia for thousands of immigrants is that you only encourage more, just what exactly is the max population of the country to be, 100 million, what happens over next 50 years when another few dozen million decide they too want in, and the percentage of net contributors paying for it all reaches net loss?
When will those who think the magic money tree is still in full flower be satisfied.Spot on and hence why we now have over a thousand a day coming here illegally, they all have whatsapp groups sharing the info of the streets paved with gold in Britain.
I think after reading some of Franglaise and Dozy postings they must want endless immigrants to whittle their wages back down to stabart standards[zb] knows
In 2021, (migration watch figures) 35,000 illegal immigrants. (For the numerically challenged that is under 100 per day.) But since Priti Pattel`s £120 million investment, that rate has increased.
The rags and Farage report the summer days with boats landing, they forget the winter months with many fewer.Illegal immigrants are prohibited from working here. Asylum seekers are prohibited from working here.
Wage suppression is a result of home grown employers, not your “bogey man” foreigners.How does any of that address the serial failures of UK Govs to build houses?
35,000 illegal (extra) immigrants? Where are the 200,000 Tory starter homes? The illegals could have half a dozen each!
PLUS Over 1 million visas were given out here last year for legal migration. Google it, I found many threads but I see you get all defensive on certain links posted from places you get moody about, so go find somewhere you actually feel at home reading from?
Even you just posted about the lack of house building yet here you are arguing for more immigration that we do not have room for. You sir are simply an arguer who cannot ever be wrong. Wake up and get real.
Narc:
Franglais:
Narc:
Juddian:
The problem with providing a free utopia for thousands of immigrants is that you only encourage more, just what exactly is the max population of the country to be, 100 million, what happens over next 50 years when another few dozen million decide they too want in, and the percentage of net contributors paying for it all reaches net loss?
When will those who think the magic money tree is still in full flower be satisfied.Spot on and hence why we now have over a thousand a day coming here illegally, they all have whatsapp groups sharing the info of the streets paved with gold in Britain.
I think after reading some of Franglaise and Dozy postings they must want endless immigrants to whittle their wages back down to stabart standards[zb] knows
In 2021, (migration watch figures) 35,000 illegal immigrants. (For the numerically challenged that is under 100 per day.) But since Priti Pattel`s £120 million investment, that rate has increased.
The rags and Farage report the summer days with boats landing, they forget the winter months with many fewer.Illegal immigrants are prohibited from working here. Asylum seekers are prohibited from working here.
Wage suppression is a result of home grown employers, not your “bogey man” foreigners.How does any of that address the serial failures of UK Govs to build houses?
35,000 illegal (extra) immigrants? Where are the 200,000 Tory starter homes? The illegals could have half a dozen each!PLUS Over 1 million visas were given out here last year for legal migration. Google it, I found many threads but I see you get all defensive on certain links posted from places you get moody about, so go find somewhere you actually feel at home reading from?
Even you just posted about the lack of house building yet here you are arguing for more immigration that we do not have room for. You sir are simply an arguer who cannot ever be wrong. Wake up and get real.
Sell 100 tickets for a do in a room at your pub with a capacity of 50. And then blame the people who bought the tickets for the lack of seats?
Not the scammers or incompetents who sold the tickets?
Whilst there is a bigger room available, but the Landlord`s mate is there with half a dozen cronies?
Franglais:
GORDON 50:
Franglais:
GORDON 50:
Truth is we don’t actually have that much building land available once you take out green belt, agriculture and national parks etc, so I don’t know where all these houses are supposed to be built.
As for the figure of 35000 migrants arriving here, what about the legal ones? getting into the hundreds of thousands, where will they all live? We’re building approx 30,000 to 40,000 new homes each year so falling well short, even if we could build 300,000 houses year on year, and schools and hospitals etc to match, it would only be a matter of time before something goes pop.Why take out agricultural, green belt, and national parks?
We have a Gov talking of paying farmers to keep land fallow for the “national good”? Isnt it for the "national good" to house our kids? Green belt isnt unoccupied land. It is land with big, almost empty houses, owned by those who want to keep the rest of us in crowded cities. Green belt is great if you live in the sticks and don`t want neighbours spoiling your view. It is bad for anyone coming of age and wanting a home of their own.Great, let’s concrete over our farmlands and national parks etc and keep building indefinitely to accommodate hundreds of thousands new arrivals.
It goes from me suggesting that some farmland and greenbelt be built on for homes for our kids, rather than held back to isolate the few already there, to concreting the whole of the UK?
Did you understudy for Lady Macbeth? Cleopatra?
Were you too dramatic to be Queen Anne?
Franglais:
GORDON 50:
Franglais:
GORDON 50:
Truth is we don’t actually have that much building land available once you take out green belt, agriculture and national parks etc, so I don’t know where all these houses are supposed to be built.
As for the figure of 35000 migrants arriving here, what about the legal ones? getting into the hundreds of thousands, where will they all live? We’re building approx 30,000 to 40,000 new homes each year so falling well short, even if we could build 300,000 houses year on year, and schools and hospitals etc to match, it would only be a matter of time before something goes pop.Why take out agricultural, green belt, and national parks?
We have a Gov talking of paying farmers to keep land fallow for the “national good”? Isnt it for the "national good" to house our kids? Green belt isnt unoccupied land. It is land with big, almost empty houses, owned by those who want to keep the rest of us in crowded cities. Green belt is great if you live in the sticks and don`t want neighbours spoiling your view. It is bad for anyone coming of age and wanting a home of their own.Great, let’s concrete over our farmlands and national parks etc and keep building indefinitely to accommodate hundreds of thousands new arrivals.
It goes from me suggesting that some farmland and greenbelt be built on for homes for our kids, rather than held back to isolate the few already there, to concreting the whole of the UK?
Did you understudy for Lady Macbeth? Cleopatra?
Were you too dramatic to be Queen Anne?
Not at all, I just recognise the thin end of a wedge when I see it.
Franglais:
tmcassett:
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that public services such as our NHS and schools have been decimated as well as a substantial housing shortage in the last 12 years. What could have possibly happened in that time to cause such a situation?Yep…
I think you’ll find it was Blair, elected 25 years ago, who opened the doors to large scale mass immigration. Changing the ‘20’ to a ‘12’ won’t change that!
GORDON 50:
Not at all, I just recognise the thin end of a wedge when I see it.
So do I.
Have you seen those who dare to defy their betters` style of life, by actually wanting a home of their own?
Give them that and theyll be after fairer wages, and more investment in the NHS next! Keep the plebs locked in their small city flats, dont let them out in the fresh air.
GORDON 50:
Franglais:
tmcassett:
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that public services such as our NHS and schools have been decimated as well as a substantial housing shortage in the last 12 years. What could have possibly happened in that time to cause such a situation?Yep…
I think you’ll find it was Blair, elected 25 years ago, who opened the doors to large scale mass immigration. Changing the ‘20’ to a ‘12’ won’t change that!
That has some truth to it.
The drop in police numbers started when?
The NHS waiting time increases dated from when?
Ill tell you it wasnt 2005…
robroy:
Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every [zb] thing else…
As I said before there would never be a driver shortage if steps were taken to make the job more attractive at both government and individual company levels.
There was never a driver shortage when many of us more experienced started the job, all those years ago, the job has changed in terms of conditions around 25% for the better and 75% for the worse, more negative aspects than positive ones… so go figure
Why tf ‘‘they’’ can not see that when they come out with the same old ‘driver shortage’ crap every so often, I will never know.
Dead right about getting back on topic, amazing how things can drift off. Don’t know if it’s just me but I seem to notice that driver shortages get mentioned more and more in the run up to christmas, good for me when I passed in sept '95 as plenty of places were gearing up from oct onwards which gave me a start on the agency books, but I bet the media will be banging on about shortages any week now.
This weekend just gone was the first since I started in February when there was no Tesco agency work available for me.
I don’t know if it may be full timers taking extra shifts, or less work due to a retail slowdown but not a good sign…
Quote from Franglais
(Sell 100 tickets for a do in a room at your pub with a capacity of 50. And then blame the people who bought the tickets for the lack of seats?
Not the scammers or incompetents who sold the tickets?
Whilst there is a bigger room available, but the Landlord`s mate is there with half a dozen cronies?)
You just proved my point in your patronizing condescending TEACH style response.
I think the best thing is to agree to disagree with anything you ever spout in here.
Try wim hofs breathing techniques or cut down on caffeine ?
All the best
Goff118:
This weekend just gone was the first since I started in February when there was no Tesco agency work available for me.I don’t know if it may be full timers taking extra shifts, or less work due to a retail slowdown but not a good sign…
Bearing in mind that Tesco has shifted loads of truck journeys onto rail.Which obviously means less work for …truck drivers.
Meanwhile the local Tesco store here has loads of adverts in the entrance for warehouse staff and van delivery drivers.
While traffic on the road suggests massive growth in the light haulage/van sector of the industry including vans running distance work.Even to the point where trade use vans like plumbers etc are doing distance courier work with them instead.
Franglais:
robroy:
Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every [zb] thing else…As I said
Franglais:
We don`t have too few drivers.
We have too few good jobs for them.
I don’t think that’s anything new and I’ve been flamed for saying the same thing numerous times.
The difference is now an even more hostile road transport operating environment and government policy.As opposed to Poland etc.
Which probably explains why there’s no shortage of moped delivery riders waiting outside the local McDonalds for their next job.They don’t seem to want to drive a truck around the same streets multidropping building materials.
GORDON 50:
Franglais:
tmcassett:
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that public services such as our NHS and schools have been decimated as well as a substantial housing shortage in the last 12 years. What could have possibly happened in that time to cause such a situation?Yep…
I think you’ll find it was Blair, elected 25 years ago, who opened the doors to large scale mass immigration. Changing the ‘20’ to a ‘12’ won’t change that!
It actually goes back to the Empire Windrush based on the excuse of a ‘labour shortage’.
Meanwhile they were laughably taking our own indigenous labour out of the frame with national service conscription.
Narc:
Quote from Franglais(Sell 100 tickets for a do in a room at your pub with a capacity of 50. And then blame the people who bought the tickets for the lack of seats?
Not the scammers or incompetents who sold the tickets?Whilst there is a bigger room available, but the Landlord`s mate is there with half a dozen cronies?)
You just proved my point in your patronizing condescending TEACH style response.
I think the best thing is to agree to disagree with anything you ever spout in here.
Try wim hofs breathing techniques or cut down on caffeine ?
All the best
Accusations of being “patronizing” or “condescending” from a poster who “suggests” breathing techniques or dietary advice…
Im sure Im not the only one here who got a good laugh from that. 
Franglais:
robroy:
Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every [zb] thing else…As I said
Franglais:
We don`t have too few drivers.
We have too few good jobs for them.
Ok,.I’ll go with that.
Like I said if firms improved their policies and conditions, many older drivers for instance, who had the best years of the job, would not have decided to kick it into touch rather than take another CP.■■■■ C. …
Then there would be no shortage and/or no excuse for the media and the rest to make one up.
And again like I said if that was followed by some Govt strategy, the problem if it exists would be solved.
You mention good jobs, yep they deffo are few and far between, but companies who care ■■■■ all about their drivers and treat them with contempt are unfortunately for us drivers…not. 
In my own case I have a great job that suits me down to the ground, but everybody I know in the job asks the same question…
‘Why tf do you put up with all the bull ■■■■ that runs alongside it, from the company’’
followed by ’
‘I’m ■■■■ ed if I would work for them’’
How I deal with it is just side swipe all the underlying crap, keep my head down, and still give 100%, because I know I do not want to go back to mundane boring UK general haulage which bores the arse off me,.so I look after myself best I can, but still put up with things that I usually would not,.just to stay in that job which will do me now to I decide to call it a day hopefully.
This particular job I have now but with the firm I used to work for previously who were a good firm, would be the perfect job, but you can’t have everything,.and again as you say good jobs that you actually ‘enjoy’ are scarce.
Franglais:
Narc:
Quote from Franglais(Sell 100 tickets for a do in a room at your pub with a capacity of 50. And then blame the people who bought the tickets for the lack of seats?
Not the scammers or incompetents who sold the tickets?Whilst there is a bigger room available, but the Landlord`s mate is there with half a dozen cronies?)
You just proved my point in your patronizing condescending TEACH style response.
I think the best thing is to agree to disagree with anything you ever spout in here.
Try wim hofs breathing techniques or cut down on caffeine ?
All the best
Accusations of being “patronizing” or “condescending” from a poster who “suggests” breathing techniques or dietary advice…
Im sure Im not the only one here who got a good laugh from that.
Dunno mate tbh.
I think the rest of us picked up that he was being facetious rather than serious.
robroy:
Franglais:
robroy:
Just to get back on topic and away from immigration, housing, party politics and every [zb] thing else…As I said
Franglais:
We don`t have too few drivers.
We have too few good jobs for them.Ok,.I’ll go with that.
Like I said if firms improved their policies and conditions, many older drivers for instance, who had the best years of the job, would not have decided to kick it into touch rather than take another CP.[zb] C.
Then there would be no shortage and/or no excuse for the media and the rest to make one up.
And again like I said if that was followed by some Govt strategy, the problem if it exists would be solved.You mention good jobs, yep they deffo are few and far between, but companies who care [zb] all about their drivers and treat them with contempt are unfortunately for us drivers…not.
In my own case I have a great job that suits me down to the ground, but everybody I know in the job asks the same question…
‘Why tf do you put up with all the bull [zb] that runs alongside it, from the company’’
followed by ’
‘I’m [zb] ed if I would work for them’’How I deal with it is just side swipe all the underlying crap, keep my head down, and still give 100%, because I know I do not want to go back to mundane boring UK general haulage which bores the arse off me,.so I look after myself best I can, but still put up with things that I usually would not,.just to stay in that job which will do me now to I decide to call it a day hopefully.
This particular job I have now with the firm I used to work for would be the perfect job, but you can’t have everything,.and again as you say good jobs that you actually ‘enjoy’ are scarce.
Another way of putting up with all the bullshine is simply to nod and say yes in the office and sign the idiot memos, then soon as you get outside do exactly the same as you’ve always done for the the past x number of years, this is how i do things, i’ve been doing the job my way for long ebloodynough now to know what does and doesn’t work.
Most of the memos these days are issued for the half wits that the company employed (that any one of us could have told them were mayhem waiting to happen) that inevitably do something stupid/dangerous/disastrous, which immediately brings forth the knee jerk management reaction, ie, one size fits all based on the lowest comon denominator, the chump They employed couldn’t do the job so automatically the rest of us who have been doing the job without issue for decades are assumed to be as incompetent as chumpy this is just one of the many reasons why the industry is on its arse.
I still say bring back real gearboxes because a good proportion of the chumps would self filter out, though i accept this is not a majority view 
robroy:
do you think that …
A.Corbyn and his gang of prominently clowns would have made a much better PM
B.That he would still be in power today.
Just wondering.
To wade into this debate- there is literally no way he could have been worse. I’ve actually come to conclusion that he might have made a very decent PM but alas like so many the media hit job convinced me to be anti Corbyn, which I’m sort of ashamed of now. Whatever you can say about Corbyn the fact is he cares deeply about people, his career hasn’t been a desperate climb to the top dumping principles as and when required.