jakethesnake:
Juddian:
Jake the things you mention are true, but sadly in too many cases the drivers themselves have been responsible for the diminishing of the job, particularly in specialist sectors.
There was no ■■■■■■■ contest between transporter and fuel tankers, both were well unionised and both paid very well, the big names in transporters and fuel suppliers all paid better than the new or up and coming.Job and finish is all very well, it applies where i work, but as always the short sighted rip the arse out of it flying around without a minute to live and sooner or later a new broom arrives in the office who asks the simple question ‘why are we paying 48 or however many hours when a percentage of the drivers are barely working half and seldom two thirds?’'.
Again the hard of thinking tear arses never twig they have set in stone sometimes over many years journey times (their own, others with a working brain never rushed round like their arse was on fire anyway) that they will be expected to sustain, plus cover the second run or whatever else the new gaffer establishes as the new normal.
Don’t get me started on the crew who take the ■■■■ out of the full sick pay schemes, they’ve destroyed some superb jobs with their selfish greed.Driver pride in their work is another thing that has disappeared, if drivers arn’t going to do their jobs and look after their tools then why should a company invest in seriously expensive high grade equipment, might as well let the logistics mobs with their fleet spec stuff do it, it’s going to look 5 years old battered and bent by the time its seen a year’s work anyway, the own account operator might like to have high image out there, the others couldn’t care less.
Some drivers also forget, together with their employers in some cases, the relationship 'tween a supplier and their customer, thinking the supplier can dictate to the customer usually ends up with a company with the right ethos taking the job away in due course.Transporter wages goes through stages, it might stay a little stagnant over time whilst other sectors creep up, but inevitably the number of willing and competent drivers versus the demand for such causes a series of pay increases when the skilled get poached by the new high payers and the not so high payers suffer the massive damage costs of using not so competent but cheaper drivers, and don’t forget the sector is still well unionised, but with a difference, the ports and car factories (such as are left) are still unionised too and support goes each way if you follow my drift.
Yes its hard work, it always has been, but like those who do general tramping its a way of life, you either take to car transporters or you don’t, the early drop out rate of new starters in the game is very high and training and ongoing costs of new starters seriously expensive for operators, they need to recruit good people who will stay a long time and are prepared to pay well for them.
In the transporter and tanker sectors it’s the same now as its always been (this applies in other transport sectors too), those carrying their own goods are normally on better contracts than those the hire and reward transport.
The same applies where unions are concerned, those with proper unions are almost always on better terms than those without, sadly too many have swallowed the kool aid propaganda regarding unions…funny how those anti union bods don’t mind trousering the superior pay the established unions where they work negotiated over many years, one might think they were a tad hypocritical.Very good post Juddian and I agree mostly. Yeah we had one tear arse who consequently never stopped damaging his vehicle. The rest of us kept our vehicles immaculate inside and out.(bonus involved
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I have lost touch and don’t really bother keeping up with the latest on transport only keeping in touch with a few mates who are still on the road. Don’t know much about transporters now at all although I must say I enjoyed my time on them many years ago. As I said in another thread I am glad my time is done as I think I had some of the best years and every aspect of the job seems to be in decline now. When I was on tankers I worked for a family run business with no union. Some drivers wanted one but the boss kept us sweet and we did very well out of it.
Hi JTS
Who did you drive car transporters for ?