Where's me drivers gone?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

2

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

I get fully what your saying but you’ve got more chance of plaiting ■■■■ than getting that kind of wage.
13 hour shift every day
£25 an hour for 8 hours = £200 + 5 hours o/t at say £35 an hour = £175 total £375 a day = £1875 a week = £97500 a year.
If I was you, I wouldn’t bother renewing your licence if that’s the kind of wages that you’ll get out of bed for.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

3

lizard:

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

I get fully what your saying but you’ve got more chance of plaiting ■■■■ than getting that kind of wage.
13 hour shift every day
£25 an hour for 8 hours = £200 + 5 hours o/t at say £35 an hour = £175 total £375 a day = £1875 a week = £97500 a year.
If I was you, I wouldn’t bother renewing your licence if that’s the kind of wages that you’ll get out of bed for.
Is he really?
It was quite normal in a time not long ago to be offered £300 just to cover a agency shift.
Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

4

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Truck driving is not a skill, that can warrant 60k a year wages… I think you will find most bosses of family run companies graft hard very hard … don’t blame an employer for using rules to benefit him… most drivers worth any salt move on …l said many times on here, these general haulage who pay NMW, are a stepping stone to better jobs.

5

Basic pay for a trans pennine train driver is £58,000 a year
Not high speed intercity.
Look it up if you don’t believe me.
That’s the basic
And people wonder why I get angry
Had a point with a mechanic 3 years ago he’d doubled his pay.
With one job change £25,000 to £50,000
He went to work for the railway he was as happy as a pig in ■■■■, regular hours 4 on 4 off
He’d been a hgv mechanic b4
So you think to yourself who keeps the food on the shelves him?
Or me?
Time we started getting angry about things.
Time we all got covid on the same day.

6

discoman:

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Truck driving is not a skill, that can warrant 60k a year wages… I think you will find most bosses of family run companies graft hard very hard … don’t blame an employer for using rules to benefit him… most drivers worth any salt move on …l said many times on here, these general haulage who pay NMW, are a stepping stone to better jobs.

7

But he is right any job that you can be trained for in four days can hardly be considered skilled, and as for comparing to train driving there’s no comparison

8

If you want £25 an hour I think you’ll find that when you go round to the workshop at 4am to get that warning light sorted there is no-one there, because you are expecting to be paid more than the fitters and they all packed up their tools and left to go driving. Whether you like it or not most of the slightly older ones will have a licence and know they can do your job - but can you do theirs?

9

If you think driving a 40 tonne vehicle around the streets isn’t a skill, then you’ll love the low and stagnant rates that reflect the attitude of the logistics industry.

Of course I’m not going to get £25ph, which is why I and tens of thousands like me don’t drive anymore and as has been mentioned, the low rates aren’t just confined to the haulage industry.

The new scam I hear is an idea to relax driving hours so you can do more hours for the same c**p rates.

When I hear of a haulage boss who’s had to downsize his car to a Ford Fiesta because times are hard, then I’ll believe the whining about low profit margins and overheads.

10

If the bosses are making so much money why didn’t you become one years ago?

11

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Retired and intend to stay that way, not even £40 an hour would tempt me to get out of bed at silly o`clock or go to bed around 8.00 to get some sleep to be up for half 2 to 3.00
to sit in some RDC listening to whinging drivers

12

Daf245:

discoman:

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Truck driving is not a skill, that can warrant 60k a year wages… I think you will find most bosses of family run companies graft hard very hard … don’t blame an employer for using rules to benefit him… most drivers worth any salt move on …l said many times on here, these general haulage who pay NMW, are a stepping stone to better jobs.

Quote removed Colingl

A proper 03.00 drunken dozy rant. Going out in style… :grimacing:

13

mac12:
But he is right any job that you can be trained for in four days can hardly be considered skilled, and as for comparing to train driving there’s no comparison

And there lies the cause of another problem.
In those 4 days, they ain’t getting taught ANY skills, maybe apart from reversing, (and even that excercise bears no reality to everyday situations) they are only taught how to get around a set test route successfully without ■■■■ ing up.
If they were actually taught properly, did a proper course in driving a heavy vehicle in different scenarios,.taught ‘skills’ needed in the job, and monitored on a 6 month probationary period say,…perhaps we would be considered as having a skilled job, but all the general public see on the roads are the results of ■■■■ poor rushed through minimal training.

As for train driving… never driven one, but from a very basic pov, you are sat monitoring what is going on in front of you for miles on a track (usually nothing) and stopping at a station and setting off again for more miles of monitoring.
A VERY responsible job? Definitely
A SKILLED job?..hmmm not sure.
Some ex train driver is going to shoot me down in flames here :smiley: , but that’s the way I see it…

14

Anyone could drive a train but driving at 125mph in thick fog and remembering where every signal is and then stopping in exactly the right place in a station that’s a skill
And having a good union helps

15

mac12:
Anyone could drive a train but driving at 125mph in thick fog and remembering where every signal is and then stopping in exactly the right place in a station that’s a skill
And having a good union helps

You condensed that perfectly in two sentences.

16

mac12:
Anyone could drive a train but driving at 125mph in thick fog and remembering where every signal is and then stopping in exactly the right place in a station that’s a skill
And having a good union helps

As I said mate, I’ve never driven a train, so I wouldn’t know…but I’d bet there are sure as hell some form of electronic aids on a modern train to help carry out the stuff you mention.

17

a ground worker is on 200 to 250 a day at minute driving dump trucks and small diggers on sites.
The problem with haulage and now cranes is the hire rates are so low and have been for years the profit margins are so thin.
The haulage rates has been run into the ground in this country.
you just have to look at the prices of building materials has tripled and quadrupled over the past 18 months bricks timber ect.
People still pay the money for the materials. as the price is what it is and off.
Haulage they want to squeeze every last penny at the cost of the Labour driving the truck.

18

The Ideal Next Boss - is going to be the one offering the best package rather than some agency high hourly rate written using rat’s ■■■■ as ink on the back of an envelope.

This package will be:-

Working directly for the firm, NO more “contracting”.
Full time contract defined as 35-40 hours to earn one’s basic pay.
Basic shift lengths defined as 4x shifts, rather than 5 or 6 day weeks any more.
4x9 for a 36 hour basic week,
4x10 for 40
4x12 for a max 48 hour week.

So at very least - “Overtime” should be paid at LEAST at time and a half starting no further than hour 48 everywhere.

Agencies that spam our phones with texts quoting the Self-Employed Bank Holiday Night Rate, rather than the rate for the shifts they actually have available every single day - needs to be looked at by the watchdog, if there actually IS one for this industry…

If a firm really does have all starts available - then I don’t seriously think you’d get drivers turning away, because they wanted a monday-friday 9-5 job, and were offered something a couple of hours either side of that, which they turned down. Yeh right they would!

There’s a big difference between that and being told “All we’ve got left - are start times between 22:00 and 03:00 now”. If that’s true, then phase them out, because no one wants or needs them - right?

Firms could also save a fortune by avoiding having trucks slogging through large cities “during peak periods” as well. More drops on Nights Proper, not drivers turning up for work at night, and then dead beat by the time they have to return through rush-hour traffic, because their bioclock is totally f—ed up!

A good time to start a shift would be just after a rush hour is over, and a good time to finish just before the next day’s rush hour.

Why not 10am-7pm? Miss the morning rush, come home after the evening rush hour…
Why not 7pm-6am - Go to work after evening rush hour, home in time for breakfast, missing the traffic?

At present, though, it is arse-about-face - isn’t it?

If the industry continues to treat us like “■■■■ on their shoes” - then we need to do a Bobby Sands - and make sure we get smeared on as many overpaid Agensta Jimmy Choo’s as possible - right? :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

19

discoman:

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Truck driving is not a skill, that can warrant 60k a year wages… I think you will find most bosses of family run companies graft hard very hard … don’t blame an employer for using rules to benefit him… most drivers worth any salt move on …l said many times on here, these general haulage who pay NMW, are a stepping stone to better jobs.

Most ‘bosses’ do not graft hard and why they prefer hard-working drivers who’ll do that for them and again, preferably for peanuts. I’m worth 60k a year, which after deductions would be just under 1k a week. That’s for the skill, the stress, ungodly hours, ping on laybys, occasionally sleeping in a tin can … Haven’t met anyone else, including train drivers, who’ll put up with that for a packet of cigarettes an hour. I take a certain perverse pleasure in watching the greedy bards go bankrupt. :smiley:

20

lolipop:

Grandpa:
So, the reality driver shortage that many last year said didn’t exist is finally sinking in.

Even though I’m now retired I’ll renew my licence, but I want £25ph, o/t after 8 and a guaranteed 10 hour day/night shift. Too much? Here’s a message for the general haulage managers.

For nearly fifteen years you’ve lived off the labour of East Europeans and paid slightly above minimum wage rates. If you think a skill isn’t worth paying for then YOU get out of bed and 4am and YOU do it, you fat greedy useless people and don’t expect others to pay for your executive lifestyles for a packet of ■■■■ an hour any more.

There. I feel better for having said that. Nothing like getting it all off your chest, is there. :smiley:

Retired and intend to stay that way, not even £40 an hour would tempt me to get out of bed at silly o`clock or go to bed around 8.00 to get some sleep to be up for half 2 to 3.00
to sit in some RDC listening to whinging drivers

I’d still do it, but on my own terms and I certainly wouldn’t look at the present agency hustling or drivers gig-economy as a career.