30k
Well I took a £150 a week paycut to drive my new 750. Truck like his has to be paid for some how…
switchlogic:
Well I took a £150 a week paycut to drive my new 750. Truck like his has to be paid for some how…
Good for you Luke. What’s an overdraft when you can drive such a fine vehicle.
I think irony and sarcasm is wasted on trucknet. It’s like talking to Americans.
I took a £150 a week hit to be at home everyday! HTH 
It is an interesting point though: Not just what a lorry driver earns, but a doctor, postman, shop assistant, or a coal miner.
We may all think we are worth more than we get - I expect the fat cat bankers think that too - politicians certainly do; but surely the question should be - What are we worth?
A lorry driver’s wages are not the greatest cost of employing him. He has to have a lorry for a start, and that has to be maintained and repaired when he breaks it. Then there are the overheads: Payroll taxes, holiday pay, sick pay to start with; then office support, salespeople to get him work, managers etc etc.
The only criterion that can truly be applied is - “What is the least we can pay and get the drivers we want?” Anything else is superfluous.
The driver is the lowest cost of running a truck but the one thing you cannot do without.
switchlogic:
Well I took a £150 a week paycut to drive my new 750. Truck like his has to be paid for some how…
Soon to be heard on RDCs up and down the country…“see that bloke who does the blog? Well I heard he pays £150 a week to Virginia to drive that motor. Its true 'cos I read it on trucknet.”
I voted 30k as it said what should a class 1 driver earn…but i earn less than that doing uk/europe…
Bout 26k last year if i remember correctly…
Which is enough for me to see the world, pay the bills and enjoy life… 
Bking:
Fileep:
It all depends on the level of interaction with the load, or, extra qualifications required to do the job in my opinion, adr etc. There should be a difference in pay or people would not do the more demanding jobs.Nothing to do with bits of paper.An instance, a driver rang the other night with a jammed tail lift.He asked if there was anything he could do to get it down and stowed.I talked him through undoing the ram solenoid valve(no tools required) to lower the platform so he could put the lift away which he did.He saved the company about 300 quid in call out money and himself maybe 2 hours scratching his ■■■ waiting for stone hardy.Most of the tossers would have just sat on their ■■■■ and said “cant do that not my job”
Unfortunately the company I work for show no appreciation for the time and money he saved them.Thats the problem, people like him who show a bit of initative are thought no more of and probably less if the truth were known than the useless idle pillocks who think that anything other than sittin on their ■■■ behind a steering wheel is “not their job”
it’s hard to care when the majority of large employers just see you as a number and wouldn’t ■■■■ on you if you were on fire!!!
George@ASDA driver:
Bking:
Fileep:
It all depends on the level of interaction with the load, or, extra qualifications required to do the job in my opinion, adr etc. There should be a difference in pay or people would not do the more demanding jobs.Nothing to do with bits of paper.An instance, a driver rang the other night with a jammed tail lift.He asked if there was anything he could do to get it down and stowed.I talked him through undoing the ram solenoid valve(no tools required) to lower the platform so he could put the lift away which he did.He saved the company about 300 quid in call out money and himself maybe 2 hours scratching his ■■■ waiting for stone hardy.Most of the tossers would have just sat on their ■■■■ and said “cant do that not my job”
Unfortunately the company I work for show no appreciation for the time and money he saved them.Thats the problem, people like him who show a bit of initative are thought no more of and probably less if the truth were known than the useless idle pillocks who think that anything other than sittin on their ■■■ behind a steering wheel is “not their job”
it’s hard to care when the majority of large employers just see you as a number and wouldn’t ■■■■ on you if you were on fire!!!
have to agree with georges last comment
“1 CLASS ONE 30K PLUS”
I was earning more than £30k in the mid 2000’s.
I am on target for over £30k for the year but I’ve worked for it. Also I need a good wage as I have to send Luke Vernon £50 a week because he had to take that £150 hit when he got his new truck. It wasn’t for him, it was for Bertie, he doesn’t like Scania.
Your worth what ever your prepared to accept its that simple i mm affraid
…RESPECT !..
When considering you are responsible for everything and the level of stress and concentration required it should be at least double what it is. £7/8 an hr is a joke anyone in any walk of life at any time can earn that.
Seems like a poor way of judging pay to me. 
For example I have a decent gig and good money/benefits but I don’t do much really. I have I shift and cruise control and barely put my coffee cup down it’s so easy. Personally I think someone bombing around on say class 2 pallet work should earn more than me. Like wise a 90 drop courier van yet more still.
I run wide a lot with valuable stuff but I don’t find it stressful. I would find the above stuff to be more so and involve a lot more physical effort so therefore should be better paid than me 
I suppose there is an argument for experience and knowledge dictating pay as well. At least in terms of what is required for the job. For example I could go do a parcel trunk but a parcel trunker couldn’t just do my job, if that makes sense ■■? 
billybigrig:
For example I have a decent gig and good money/benefits but I don’t do much really. I have I shift and cruise control and barely put my coffee cup down it’s so easy. Personally I think someone bombing around on say class 2 pallet work should earn more than me. Like wise a 90 drop courier van yet more still.
I must admit that when I was a Linehaul driver for Geopost just driving down to Smethwick and back from York I felt the same way when I found out what the collection and delivery drivers had to do for barely more than half the money.
As you say it’s hard to quantify back in England I was driving a 8 wheel tipper in London tearing around like a nutter all day I was earning good money but at the end of every day I was wrecked. Here in Canada I’m doing lots more hours I’m away for at least a week at a time and earning about the same money although cost of living is a little cheaper but not much but the job is a price of ■■■■ compared to what I was doing.
nick172sport:
George@ASDA driver:
Bking:
Fileep:
It all depends on the level of interaction with the load, or, extra qualifications required to do the job in my opinion, adr etc. There should be a difference in pay or people would not do the more demanding jobs.Nothing to do with bits of paper.An instance, a driver rang the other night with a jammed tail lift.He asked if there was anything he could do to get it down and stowed.I talked him through undoing the ram solenoid valve(no tools required) to lower the platform so he could put the lift away which he did.He saved the company about 300 quid in call out money and himself maybe 2 hours scratching his ■■■ waiting for stone hardy.Most of the tossers would have just sat on their ■■■■ and said “cant do that not my job”
Unfortunately the company I work for show no appreciation for the time and money he saved them.Thats the problem, people like him who show a bit of initative are thought no more of and probably less if the truth were known than the useless idle pillocks who think that anything other than sittin on their ■■■ behind a steering wheel is “not their job”
it’s hard to care when the majority of large employers just see you as a number and wouldn’t ■■■■ on you if you were on fire!!!
have to agree with georges last comment
These boys are on 13 quid an hour and lucky if they drive more than five hours a shift,they get shares and plenty of time off.Could understand the “dont care” if they had to do “real” work for ■■■■■ pay
Wonder if they will care when the company looks at the cost of breakdowns and damage and says "Ah zb it its cheaper to get the likes of Stobart in to run the distribution let them have the hassle of dealing with a load of useless whining buggers.They wont be there long will soon have a few more Poles to do what they did but for half the price.
Then watch the tears fall and it will all be some bugger elses fault.