This is all rather odd, all this “Fussy” behaviour…
One would think that they’d make it easier for retired/stood down during furlough/less experienced drivers - to get their foot in the door here?
Once a decision is made, it is very difficult to get it reversed though.
“Plenty more fish in the sea” - seems to be the dominating attitude, alas.
Are RM therefore in some kind of denial about the ongoing shortages elsewhere?
Their rates of pay - are no longer competetive as well, don’t forget.
Winseer:
This is all rather odd, all this “Fussy” behaviour…One would think that they’d make it easier for retired/stood down during furlough/less experienced drivers - to get their foot in the door here?
Once a decision is made, it is very difficult to get it reversed though.
“Plenty more fish in the sea” - seems to be the dominating attitude, alas.
Are RM therefore in some kind of denial about the ongoing shortages elsewhere?
Their rates of pay - are no longer competetive as well, don’t forget.
Winseer, you’ve worked for Royal Mail, you know how they work.
Can you imagine what would happen if regular agency were paid more than employees. It’s parity pay from day one now.
Is £18.12p/h basic (This includes the second hour off the working week, where we get one hours Pay extra per week) a poor rate for an employee?
sweepster:
As you said, Parcelforce is the dedicated parcel arm of Royal Mail. Royal Mail itself, is the Universal service provider, with a commitment to deliver letters 6 days a week. It is not a parcel company. The Royal Mail Group, again as you said, owns a lot of companies worldwide including parcel companies.
Royal Mail Group includes Parcelforce yes, but it is run as a separate business and operates more like a courier service.
Royal Mail very much deals in parcels and Parcelforce is not its parcel wing in any way shape or form. One of the changes over the last few years has been the introduction of 21 york 7.5 tonne vehicles to the fleet because of the parcels and more of the 7.5 tonne lifers being put through class 2 as well.
The parcel business was growing although there can be big changes such as when Amazon started doing a lot itself. Royal Mail still retains business at Amazon the last thing I heard. A lot of Prime stuff still has to go that way where the Amazon vehicles can’t get it there in the timescale required. A lot of ebay sellers also send via Royal Mail, huge amounts of small parcels and the like, where Parcelforce would not be economical.
Noremac:
sweepster:
As you said, Parcelforce is the dedicated parcel arm of Royal Mail. Royal Mail itself, is the Universal service provider, with a commitment to deliver letters 6 days a week. It is not a parcel company. The Royal Mail Group, again as you said, owns a lot of companies worldwide including parcel companies.Royal Mail Group includes Parcelforce yes, but it is run as a separate business and operates more like a courier service.
Royal Mail very much deals in parcels and Parcelforce is not its parcel wing in any way shape or form. One of the changes over the last few years has been the introduction of 21 york 7.5 tonne vehicles to the fleet because of the parcels and more of the 7.5 tonne lifers being put through class 2 as well.
The parcel business was growing although there can be big changes such as when Amazon started doing a lot itself. Royal Mail still retains business at Amazon the last thing I heard. A lot of Prime stuff still has to go that way where the Amazon vehicles can’t get it there in the timescale required. A lot of ebay sellers also send via Royal Mail, huge amounts of small parcels and the like, where Parcelforce would not be economical.
I’m going to try for the last time…
Royal Mail do deliver parcels up to a certain size and always have done since I can remember (used to be called packets) but also deliver letters. They also deliver non addressed leaflets (Door to Door) Parcelforce deliver only parcels so is it’s parcel only wing.
Royal Mail are delivering more parcels now as peoples habits change and prefer to shop online.
The likes of Whistle and others, have contracts with companies to deliver letters. How they make a decent profit out of this I don’t know. They pass the letters onto Royal Mail to deliver (down stream access) as they would not be able to deliver them as they do not have a network anything like Royal Mail. Even if they could they would charge a lot more for anyone posting to someone living in a rural area. That’s why when you go on holiday to anywhere rural, you only really see a postman/woman delivering in a post van.
Royal Mail is the universal service provider, ie… one price goes everywhere in the UK. They are obliged by law to deliver letters across the UK 6 days a week, they are not a parcel company. 
Parcelforce ceased to be part of the universal service some time ago and it is a sister company with the group rather than a wing of RM. Effectively it is a courier company owned by the group.
I don’t dispute the final mile delivery of letters by RM for Whistle and the like. I can even confirm witnessing the trailers coming in sitting on my lunch break at a mail centre.
Perhaps at one time Parcelforce under a previous guise could have been said to be the parcel arm of RM, but not anymore.
sweepster:
Royal Mail do deliver parcels up to a certain size and always have done since I can remember (used to be called packets) but also deliver letters.
I don’t think you are covering any new ground by telling us RM deliver letters. Ffs it has only been doing it for hundreds and hundreds of years!!
Carryfast:
but few drivers want to do local/distribution work.
How the hell would you know? You are the person who hasn’t worked in this industry for a quarter of a century because no employer will touch you with a bargepole.
tmcassett:
Carryfast:
but few drivers want to do local/distribution work.How the hell would you know? You are the person who hasn’t worked in this industry for a quarter of a century because no employer will touch you with a bargepole.
You did read the OP’s experience.
It’s not me who’s advertising crap multi drop work as distance trunking in the hope of finding a mug to do it and moaning about a driver shortage and it wasn’t me who walked away asking for 8 hours pay for being conned.
Although I have referred to the same experience and predicted that it will keep happening because most drivers don’t want to drive a truck for worse work than driving a moped for the local fast food retailers.
LazyDriver:
DSMRookie:
I also walked out from an induction at DPD. Guy goes - No stop policy so if you have an unexpected stop (ie you need a ■■■■) you’d have to ring the office and get a stop number. Can’t find your own way, you can only use the routes we provide [emoji2357] Can only take breaks in certain locations but not at services or lay-bys.I said, that’s enough for me mate [emoji16] Grand a week or not you need robots, not drivers
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Mate, you are aware of what DPD transport aren’t you? If you’re struggling, it’ll be the same at Royal Mail, Hermes, UPS and all other parcel delivery firms. These are generally the sort of things thieves most want. Easily disposable small items. Did you know DPD cannot use the A5 after 10pm as they have been hijacked previously. If your bladder is so weak that you need to ■■■■ in between depots, driving will definitely be a challenge. A bit of cop on would have saved you a wasted journey there bud.
, how do they get out of their depot at night seeing as it’s on the A5?
Dav1d:
Take the B roads and country lanes, it’s much safer there (not)
Dav1d:
LazyDriver:
DSMRookie:
I also walked out from an induction at DPD. Guy goes - No stop policy so if you have an unexpected stop (ie you need a ■■■■) you’d have to ring the office and get a stop number. Can’t find your own way, you can only use the routes we provide [emoji2357] Can only take breaks in certain locations but not at services or lay-bys.I said, that’s enough for me mate [emoji16] Grand a week or not you need robots, not drivers
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Mate, you are aware of what DPD transport aren’t you? If you’re struggling, it’ll be the same at Royal Mail, Hermes, UPS and all other parcel delivery firms. These are generally the sort of things thieves most want. Easily disposable small items. Did you know DPD cannot use the A5 after 10pm as they have been hijacked previously. If your bladder is so weak that you need to ■■■■ in between depots, driving will definitely be a challenge. A bit of cop on would have saved you a wasted journey there bud.
Probably fly low [emoji23]
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ETS:
Dav1d:
Take the B roads and country lanes, it’s much safer there (not)
They hit that 4.8 bridge regularly anyway
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Noremac:
I don’t necessarily have an issue with an unpaid induction if it is a couple of hours, a short drive and a reverse. The issue I have is when the assessor says, right now put your card in.I think, hang on, I’m not working, not being paid and I’m not delivering anything, therefore I am out of scope.
You might want to go do the EU Drivers Hours DCPC module. There is a commercial aspect to the journey therefore you must use a tachograph card. The exemption reads;
Non-commercial carriage is defined as any carriage by road, other than carriage for hire or reward or on own account, for which no direct or indirect remuneration is received and which does not directly or indirectly generate any income for the driver of the vehicle or for others and which is not linked to professional or commercial activity.
The induction is a commercial activity.
Carryfast:
tmcassett:
Carryfast:
but few drivers want to do local/distribution work.How the hell would you know? You are the person who hasn’t worked in this industry for a quarter of a century because no employer will touch you with a bargepole.
Although I have referred to the same experience and predicted that it will keep happening because most drivers don’t want to drive a truck for worse work than driving a moped for the local fast food retailers.
Still proving the point that you are totally clueless - “most” drivers don’t have jobs that are worse than fast food deliveries.
Dav1d:
You got me. 
I was being lazy and should have said, ‘the stretch of the A5 from the M69 junction to the M1’. Then caveated that with, ‘unless they are going to (I think it’s) hub 5, then they have to access it via M69, A5 route only’. But I thought that was too long winded and extraneous, and folks would have got bored reading it. Christ, I’ve fallen asleep 3 times writing it! 
tmcassett:
Still proving the point that you are totally clueless - “most” drivers don’t have jobs that are worse than fast food deliveries.
Clued up enough to know that fast food delivery work isn’t multi drop unless the last drop likes their burgers etc cold.
Also obviously no need to lie about the job to find someone to do it if the lined up mopeds and riders waiting for a job are anything to go by.No ‘driver shortage’ there.
Suggest you read the OP’s comments again.He actually walked away from the job rather than take the money.I’m not surprised I’d have done the same.
Conor:
Non-commercial carriage is defined as any carriage by road, other than carriage for hire or reward or on own account, for which no direct or indirect remuneration is received and which does not directly or indirectly generate any income for the driver of the vehicle or for others and which is not linked to professional or commercial activity.
The induction is a commercial activity.
In the case of an assessment where there are no goods and no job is being completed, I believe I am correct. When you quote a section on non-commercial carriage, by implication there are goods being delivered or collected. The assessment drive starts and ends at the same place, with nothing ever going in or out of the back of the truck.
I believe the key point you miss is that these rules apply to the carriage of goods.
Non-commercial carriage could be a driver borrowing a truck to move house. There are goods being moved, but it is not linked to professional or commercial activity.
In the case of the assessment there isn’t any carriage, because there isn’t any goods.
Edit: in the moving house example I think the maximum weight is 7.5 tonnes. As far as I can see there isn’t an exemption if moving goods in a heavier vehicle.
Noremac:
Conor:
Non-commercial carriage is defined as any carriage by road, other than carriage for hire or reward or on own account, for which no direct or indirect remuneration is received and which does not directly or indirectly generate any income for the driver of the vehicle or for others and which is not linked to professional or commercial activity.
The induction is a commercial activity.
In the case of an assessment where there are no goods and no job is being completed, I believe I am correct. When you quote a section on non-commercial carriage, by implication there are goods being delivered or collected. The assessment drive starts and ends at the same place, with nothing ever going in or out of the back of the truck.
I believe the key point you miss is that these rules apply to the carriage of goods.
Non-commercial carriage could be a driver borrowing a truck to move house. There are goods being moved, but it is not linked to professional or commercial activity.
In the case of the assessment there isn’t any carriage, because there isn’t any goods.
Edit: in the moving house example I think the maximum weight is 7.5 tonnes. As far as I can see there isn’t an exemption if moving goods in a heavier vehicle.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but my instructor told me you’re tacho exempt up to and including 7.5 t if not driving for hire and reward (ie moving house) but you need to use your card for anything above 7.5 t
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Am I alone in clicking this, hoping to find an image of a popular 1980’s girl troupe?
the nodding donkey:
Am I alone in clicking this, hoping to find an image of a popular 1980’s girl troupe?
Hope this ain’t disappointing
youtu.be/Cv6tuzHUuuk
Carryfast:
tmcassett:
Still proving the point that you are totally clueless - “most” drivers don’t have jobs that are worse than fast food deliveries.Clued up enough to know that fast food delivery work isn’t multi drop unless the last drop likes their burgers etc cold.
Also obviously no need to lie about the job to find someone to do it if the lined up mopeds and riders waiting for a job are anything to go by.No ‘driver shortage’ there.
Suggest you read the OP’s comments again.He actually walked away from the job rather than take the money.I’m not surprised I’d have done the same.
No good for you Carryfast, it requires the driver to load and unload the vehicle and precludes distance work.