busteredwards:
45 hours over 4 days last week doing supermarket work, decent wage & a 3 day weekend, can’t grumble too much
You’re on 4 x 11.25 hours a week then I’m assuming?
I think 4 on and off would work well for me as I also don’t have the family ties, and think I’d appreciate the 4 days off better than I’m feeling getting only 2 every other week. (The single day off the opposing week doesn’t feel like it even exists! 
) I’m happy to pile in the hours for my 4 days on, and as it’s only 4 days, you know you’ll soon be off again! 
Currently I drive about 500k a shift and and am booking say 74 hours duty on a 6 day week, which equates to shifts of 12-14 hours and no shifts under 10 hours. There is no sitting around and waiting either, so no real chance to recharge, hence I’m so drained by the end of the week I struggle with the basic maths to fill in my time sheet…
The job it’s self however isn’t bad, and if they operated a 4 on 4 pattern I think it would be pretty good.
But not for me long term with the current setup…
Anyone got a good job in Southampton? 
[/quote]
That is some sad life you live, living like a zombie comes to mind, you will be burned out before you know it.
Conor:
nightline:
Whilst the average person in this country does 40-43hrs a week to earn the £530 a week / £27,600 a year national average wage for 2016 most truck drivers are doing over 50.
50+ hour weeks are not uncommon in society amongst earners of £27K+. Teachers, nurses, emergency services, retail managers, office jockeys with responsbility etc. etc. all put the hours in for similar take home to truck drivers. People forget the stress & out of hours homework that goes with so many jobs. Not everybody clocks off and switches off like a truck driver.
I’m not suggesting truck drivers hours aren’t excessive, i’m just offering some perspective & suggesting that we aren’t all alone out at sea on our boat. Being underpaid for long hours in a pandemic in society.
rob22888:
Conor:
nightline:
Whilst the average person in this country does 40-43hrs a week to earn the £530 a week / £27,600 a year national average wage for 2016 most truck drivers are doing over 50.50+ hour weeks are not uncommon in society amongst earners of £27K+. Teachers, nurses, emergency services, retail managers, office jockeys with responsbility etc. etc. all put the hours in for similar take home to truck drivers. People forget the stress & out of hours homework that goes with so many jobs. Not everybody clocks off and switches off like a truck driver.
I’m not suggesting truck drivers hours aren’t excessive, i’m just offering some perspective & suggesting that we aren’t all alone out at sea on our boat. Being underpaid for long hours in a pandemic in society.
Also the thing I missed most in my short foray into the office was having set rest times and breaks. In that job I ended up being switched on 24 hours worrying about all sorts of problems. As drivers we may do long hours but one of the best things about the job is the moment you switch the engine off it requires none of your thoughts till you start it up again
quote=“switchlogic”]
rob22888:
Conor:
nightline:
Whilst the average person in this country does 40-43hrs a week to earn the £530 a week / £27,600 a year national average wage for 2016 most truck drivers are doing over 50.50+ hour weeks are not uncommon in society amongst earners of £27K+. Teachers, nurses, emergency services, retail managers, office jockeys with responsbility etc. etc. all put the hours in for similar take home to truck drivers. People forget the stress & out of hours homework that goes with so many jobs. Not everybody clocks off and switches off like a truck driver.
I’m not suggesting truck drivers hours aren’t excessive, i’m just offering some perspective & suggesting that we aren’t all alone out at sea on our boat. Being underpaid for long hours in a pandemic in society.
Also the thing I missed most in my short foray into the office was having set rest times and breaks. In that job I ended up being switched on 24 hours worrying about all sorts of problems. As drivers we may do long hours but one of the best things about the job is the moment you switch the engine off it requires none of your thoughts till you start it up again
[/quote]
That is a very important point. I earn 30k as a manager in a supermarket for a 39 hour week. Sounds good but I have never done 39. 50 is a good week and 60 far from unusual. Then there are the phone calls and emails on your days off and holidays.
I start class 2 training in January with a view to get a job where I work hard while I am there but once I am finished that’s it until I start again
Now I am a bit older I realise there is more to life than money
.
Whilst the average person in this country does 40-43hrs a week to earn the £530 a week / £27,600 a year national average wage for 2016 most truck drivers are doing over 50. If you’re on £30k chances are you’re doing 60 or not far off.
[/quote]
not everybody I’m on more than £30k and the company keep us to the 48hr WTD, and we very rarely use POA, but as I said earlier there’s very little waiting because we don’t do RDCs or similar, and everything is self offload with a Moffett!
Just averaged the guy who is earning the most with us for Oct & Nov and his hours average at 65 per week.
Of those 9 weeks, 7 of them included 24 hour+ ferry crossings. Around 90% of it was double manned.
If I’d included August and September, then the average would be down to under 60 as they were a lot quieter.
Year end will be 40+k.
Some weeks it’s long hours and away all week, others it’s home every night and there’s no telling what the next week will be like. I’d say in terms of work life balance it’s probably one of the worst jobs out there but the lads seem to like it oddly.
Agree with others about the long hours, but when I finish, I’ve finished. No taking work home. No working during my lunch break. Do job, go home. So much better than my last (so called professional) job, where 80+ hour weeks were the norm and I earnt a lot less than I do now.
You do what you have to do its part and parcel of being a truck driver but let’s not kid ourselves anyone doing 60 hours a week is doing a week and a half for there weeks money and anyone doing more than 60 well enough said if you break it down into a hourly rate for them hours your company is breaking the law not paying the minimum hourly rate that’s one way of looking at it
nightline:
You do what you have to do its part and parcel of being a truck driver but let’s not kid ourselves anyone doing 60 hours a week is doing a week and a half for there weeks money and anyone doing more than 60 well enough said if you break it down into a hourly rate for them hours your company is breaking the law not paying the minimum hourly rate that’s one way of looking at it
Nothing new and not exclusive to lorry driving.
Fhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … -week.html
It only really becomes a NMW issue if you’re on a salary. If you’re hourly paid, you get paid your hourly rate.
nightline:
You do what you have to do its part and parcel of being a truck driver but let’s not kid ourselves anyone doing 60 hours a week is doing a week and a half for there weeks money and anyone doing more than 60 well enough said if you break it down into a hourly rate for them hours your company is breaking the law not paying the minimum hourly rate that’s one way of looking at it
I totally agree that anyone doing 60 hours a week is in effect doing a week and a halfs work every week. What I don’t agree with is your assertion that people are getting less than the minimum wage for it when you divide their hours to their pay. I get paid for every hour I work whether it be 40, 50, 60 or even 70 and I can assure you that it’s well above NMW. You’d have a point if you said that people on salary would see their rate drop significantly the more actual hours they work.
We’ve also heard on this particular thread from people who have been salaried managers in different fields who in reality do 60+ hours a week and even take work home with them, so (and I know that attempting to get a rise out of lorry drivers is what you crave) don’t think for one minute that long hours are confined to only the haulage industry.
Edit to add; just seen Caveys post as I pressed submit, so my post pretty much echoes what he said.
the maoster:
nightline:
You do what you have to do its part and parcel of being a truck driver but let’s not kid ourselves anyone doing 60 hours a week is doing a week and a half for there weeks money and anyone doing more than 60 well enough said if you break it down into a hourly rate for them hours your company is breaking the law not paying the minimum hourly rate that’s one way of looking at itI totally agree that anyone doing 60 hours a week is in effect doing a week and a halfs work every week. What I don’t agree with is your assertion that people are getting less than the minimum wage for it when you divide their hours to their pay. I get paid for every hour I work whether it be 40, 50, 60 or even 70 and I can assure you that it’s well above NMW. You’d have a point if you said that people on salary would see their rate drop significantly the more actual hours they work.
We’ve also heard on this particular thread from people who have been salaried managers in different fields who in reality do 60+ hours a week and even take work home with them, so (and I know that attempting to get a rise out of lorry drivers is what you crave) don’t think for one minute that long hours are confined to only the haulage industry.
Edit to add; just seen Caveys post as I pressed submit, so my post pretty much echoes what he said.
Well boo hoo to you your one of the lucky ones one for all and all for myself you must be working there from day one because my friend it is happening out there to a lot of people
nightline:
the maoster:
nightline:
You do what you have to do its part and parcel of being a truck driver but let’s not kid ourselves anyone doing 60 hours a week is doing a week and a half for there weeks money and anyone doing more than 60 well enough said if you break it down into a hourly rate for them hours your company is breaking the law not paying the minimum hourly rate that’s one way of looking at itI totally agree that anyone doing 60 hours a week is in effect doing a week and a halfs work every week. What I don’t agree with is your assertion that people are getting less than the minimum wage for it when you divide their hours to their pay. I get paid for every hour I work whether it be 40, 50, 60 or even 70 and I can assure you that it’s well above NMW. You’d have a point if you said that people on salary would see their rate drop significantly the more actual hours they work.
We’ve also heard on this particular thread from people who have been salaried managers in different fields who in reality do 60+ hours a week and even take work home with them, so (and I know that attempting to get a rise out of lorry drivers is what you crave) don’t think for one minute that long hours are confined to only the haulage industry.
Edit to add; just seen Caveys post as I pressed submit, so my post pretty much echoes what he said.
Well boo hoo to you your one of the lucky ones one for all and all for myself you must be working there from day one because my friend it is happening out there to a lot of people
If there was a vacancy at ours, you’d be paid the same as everyone else, which is more than every hour worked in reality. If it’s quiet, you get sent home but still get the guaranteed 8 hours. Abroad you are guaranteed 12 hours even if you are week ended or you know there’s a day waiting. Just had a couple in Sweden, loading was delayed, they got paid 2 x 12 hours for a few hours work and they were in a hotel on expenses.
There are decent jobs out there, (though ours patently isn’t for those wanting routine and their own bed every night). So I echo what moaster said.
At our gaff you would be paid for every hour you are at work as a driver, earning well over the minimum wage. The only people on salary are those in the offices and we all work 50 hours minimum, and that does not include all the time spent on the phone and the emails I read outside of work hours. I should point out I’m not complaining about my lot at all, I even clean the ■■■■ out of the toilet, and sweep up the yard! I’m just echoing the words of others, there’s plenty of people working similar hours to truck drivers, often doing stuff that would upset your delicate sensibilities!
bald bloke:
busteredwards:
45 hours over 4 days last week doing supermarket work, decent wage & a 3 day weekend, can’t grumble too muchYou’re on 4 x 11.25 hours a week then I’m assuming?
Yes, until March at least, then I’m going onto a backshift rolling rota with a mix of 9’s & 11’s.
busteredwards:
bald bloke:
busteredwards:
45 hours over 4 days last week doing supermarket work, decent wage & a 3 day weekend, can’t grumble too muchYou’re on 4 x 11.25 hours a week then I’m assuming?
Yes, until March at least, then I’m going onto a backshift rolling rota with a mix of 9’s & 11’s.
Never heard of that, I’m on 5 x 9 for the foreseeable future unless I change my start time but the short shifts are nice .
So the jist of the post is if you worked in burger king or tesco and done the same hours you would earn the same money only in burger king they would feed you for free and they would not expect you to sleep over night in the back for that so at the end of the day it’s a fools game some are no better than tinkers some go around like zombies from lack of sleep and some are led by the nose
Living the dream
nightline:
So the jist of the post is if you worked in burger king or tesco and done the same hours you would earn the same money only in burger king they would feed you for free and they would not expect you to sleep over night in the back for that so at the end of the day it’s a fools game some are no better than tinkers some go around like zombies from lack of sleep and some are led by the nose
You’re easily bought if all you need is a McDonald’s on top of your hourly rate…
switchlogic:
nightline:
So the jist of the post is if you worked in burger king or tesco and done the same hours you would earn the same money only in burger king they would feed you for free and they would not expect you to sleep over night in the back for that so at the end of the day it’s a fools game some are no better than tinkers some go around like zombies from lack of sleep and some are led by the noseYou’re easily bought if all you need is a McDonald’s on top of your hourly rate…
That’s a no brainer 20 quid to sleep in a truck or a free meal and home to your own bed for the same money