Hi all,
I was wonderin who everyone works for,maybe you could post up who you work for and if you are satisfied with your’e current job and what the conditions are like-Motors,hours,hourly rate and holidays etc. Maybe it would give us newbies some sort of idea what were gettin ourselves into 
SCANTHEMAN
This has been done before. Have a look in the archive 
Containerships out of Teesport. Dead easy to spot - bright yellow wagons with our own boxes on the back (although there is the odd rental box)
Motors are all on contract…just in the process of switching over from Iveco Eurotechs (which, I’m sorry, but I’ve always liked 
) to Volvos and Mercs, all top spec. There are a couple of MANs and a Stralis too…top spec again.
Maintenance is good to the point where drivers end up sneaking out of the yard when the Fleet Manager isn’t looking to avoid getting held up by having that oh-so-essential heated mirror fixed, checked, and re-MOT’d
A case in point. I’ve just had a [zb]ing for “5 bald tyres” at MOT. Which is not as bad as it sounds when you consider that Con’ships idea of a bald tyre is one with less than 2 months runing before recut on it!!! I know perfectly respectable haulage firms who would have bought those tyres!!!
Hours are pretty standard for distance box work…if you have time left, you run it. 60-70 hours a week over 5 days…up to 4 nights out…Sat/Sun if you want them, but only if you want them, no questions asked.
A “night-out” is anywhere outside the dock. And I mean anywhere. Exelby and Knayton being the local favourites, for the locals amongst you 
(about 20 mins and 40 mins respectively for those who don’t know the area).
Money is a bit wierd, but as good as your going to get in the area. Brace yourself…
25p a mile for the first 1750 miles, then 27p after that…
…guaranteed £48 a day, certain local jobs are paid half-a-day (£24) even though they take only an hour…
… £7 quid tip money if you do more than 2 locals in a day…
…Once you have sat for more than 2 hrs on a 20ft box, or 3hrs on a 40ft/45ft then the firm gets demurrage and so do we, at £10 an hour…
…Also £10 an hour if they knowingly send you somewhere early…or for unusd driving time if they park you up early…(up to day rate)
…Day rate or £6 an hour if you breakdown…
…£18 a night out…
…Half day’s pay plus the mileage for running Sat/Sun…full day’s pay plus mileage if you tip too…
…About 1.5% of the wagon’s earnings every week…as “Bonus 2”. No-one knows what Bonus 1 is…
There are other things too…I have never yet 100% understood my payslip despite the fact that you get your timesheet back with their calculations on it so it’s all transparent…they seem to chuck you a couple of quid here and there are the fancy takes them…
All in all, I take home about £430 for 5 days with 4 nights out…do a weekend and you can clear £500 easily. That’s wellover the average for permenant work in this area. Jobs, consequently, are a bit like Hen’s Teeth. It’s purely a matter of ringing up when they need someone, they don’t keep a “waiting list” and they never advertise. Experience a must.
All parking paid, no upper limit. All tolls etc paid. All PPE gear provided, no questions asked…decent gloves, too, not the bottom of the range ones…instantly replaced if you even slightly whinge that they are old…
Drivers generally treated with respect (unless you really kick the arse out of it)…because we’re not hourly paid they couldn’t care less when you start/finish and what you get up to in betwen so long as the work gets done…
If you need an early finish, you get it. If you need a late start, you get it. If you need to go home because boyfriend is spitting his dummy out, they gt you home and give you a humane start the next day…yard start not before 6am during the week, 5am on a Monday…£40 a day sickpay from Day One up to 6 weeks…holiday not great, standard 20 days plus Banks, £40 a day for a normal holiday, £68 for a Bank.
Paperwork dumped in a pile outside the Traffic Office when you get round to it “We don’t care, Exports deal with it, not us”…or in the shed in the yard…free tea and coffee if you can be bothered to make it yourself - same place as office staff…showers in yard AND office…
The office is on the opposite side of the dock from the yard, and the only time you hear from them is if they are up to their eyes and want to give you your next job ready and waiting, or if they’ve lost something (POD for example) and need to check it…transport Office deal ONLY with allocating jobs, garage (yard) allocat wagons, exports sort the reloads, imports sort the customers…Fleet Manager looks important and scares mileage-paid drivers by suggesting they might like to wash their trucks 17 time a week and have that tyre with only 6 inches of tread changed 
Run 100% legal. They will sack you if not. have personally heard a driver getting an earful for going 10 minutes over his time…you run to your hours but no further…and if you’ve had enough, you stop. As long as you get there, who cares. Want to spend half an hour drinking coffee with an old friend? No problem as long as the job gets done…not hourly paid, see…
Quote of the Year from one of the 2 lasses who run the Traffic on the phone to a customer…“So you’re delivery’s late, it’s not the end of the [zb]ing world! Live with it!” at which point she slammed the phone down.
Why so good? Easy. In effect, it’s own account work…own ships, own boxes, and a total mompoly on the shipping route. Finland and Russia Short-sea routes, several times a week.
Our office doesn’t have to find work…it lands straight on their desk from Imports in the next office!
We have only 30 wagons, so all the davantages of a small firm - they know your names and what you like/dislike (eg.they never bother asking me to run Sat or Sun)…but with the back up and benefits of a bloody great shipping firm……including the occasional "You WILL go out and get drunk and eat like pigs at our expense under the banner of “team-building” "
Scandinavian firm with Scandinavian working practices. I LIKE the Finnish…
Sorry if this is long, but Rikki is working part-time for them too, on a “When I feel like it” basis, and he kept adding bits…plus it’s a [zb] good firm to work for and it’s a long time since I’ve had cause to gloat!!!
i drive for a right ZB time to have a move i think
ditto last post
I drive for Butts, I’m happy at moment but we do have to contend with Renaults
24,000 salaried for 55 hrs a week although I average 50 so forgotten what overtime is (only paid if you ave over 55 hrs for a period over I think 4 weeks)
(christ on Lucys contract I’d be really lost)
nights out norm is 2 per week paid at £18.50 + £6.50 meal allowance
all tolls an parking paid incl meaal part.
No pressure from TM as (as long as you get bck after 1 pm) its job an knock,
I only speed for me never cos company want me to get there sooner and always get, are you alright , thankyou for that, comments on return.
Prob is if you go to another Buts employee on a different contract you may get different answers.
PRO Petroleum out of Phoenix Arizona, over $50,000 a year, but under $70,000 and I have to put up with Freightliner Columbias.
Used to work for City out of Livingston, am I right, we got screwed on the cash every week…■■ lol
Stuart
I am sure our payment system is illegal so ain’t gonna post it lolol
but its good
I work for me. Good boss, good money, work when I want to and can’t really complain, I wouldn’t listen anyway. 
Truck is changed every three years and is contract maintained.
I work for McVeigh Parker & Co Ltd on own account work delivering fencing and agriculture products throughout the South East. (my depot covers All West Sussex and part of East Sussex, South Hampshire. Next to nothing above the M25
8 to 5:30 Monday to Friday the odd weekend in Silage/Harvesting times and or going to Shows. Average about 150K a day!! All trucks are no more than 3 years old and nearly all Renault Midlums of various weights. (even the 7.5 tonners have diff locks!) Moneys not bad either with double time for weekend work and 1.1/2 times for early starts or late finishes. (which are rare). On average 6-7 drops a day. The trucks are serviced on contract and are kept up to a high level.
Dave
Prob is if you go to another Butts employee on a different contract you may get different answers.
Your ■■■■ right. 
I’m on the Poundstretcher contract at Leeds for Butts,and we are on about £2k less,so it looks like some negotiations will be taking place then.
We also have to put up with Twingos,however,ours have the auto box,and air con,being as they are on 53 plates.
Ken.
DHL Southampton
Started 3 weeks ago tackle ok
take home about £400 a week all in.
Spot on with defects and staying legal.
Seems like I made a good move.
I work for a company called D&P Haulage out of Hull, started there bout 3 months ago, used to work for another company called Nigel Rice but the less i say bout them the better
Usual week is 60-70 hours, paid at hourly rate upto 48hrs then overtime after that, the option to run Sunday is there but you dont have to!!
Im driving a X reg DAF rigid, i havent been doing this long but its the best wagon ive had, its got the tall cab on it (more room than our artics inside 
)
theres no pressure off our TM, he may ring occasionally to see how you are doing or if sumthing really needs picking up he may divert you it.
Boss’s are fantastic, nice people, dont ask to much of you, only have a go if you really screw up!!
Ben
Teesside
For 60 hours, Mon - Fri and every third Sat morning, £400 after stoppages.
Daily bonus £15.25.
Nights out in sleeper cab £45.
Nights out in day cab (a rare occurrence) £10. A room is booked and paid for when you let the TM know where you will get to. Normally this will be worked out the day before but sometimes it’s a last minute thing but it’s never a fleapit. Breakfast and evening meals and a couple of drinks on the room number are allowed. Breakfast, lunch and evening meal will be paid for if you have a receipt.
The company pays all tolls and parking.
I drive a 6 wheel rigid with a Palfinger 35000 lorry mounted crane and sometimes have to drag a trailer. Occasionally have to drive the artic with the 52000 crane.
We deliver site cabins and containers nationwide, all in house work. There’s no rushing about because there’s normally enough time to do the jobs you’re given. If I get delayed and cannot complete the days work I ring the TM and he will reschedule, normally with out too much moaning. If we are quiet drivers are expected to muck in and help with the painting or what ever in the yard.
The only bad thing is I’m getting quite good with a paintbrush and the other half expects me to do all the decorating now! 
Munchman:
PRO Petroleum out of Phoenix Arizona, over $50,000 a year, but under $70,000 and I have to put up with Freightliner Columbias.Stuart
Eww, frightshakers… took one of those out for a spin or 2, nasty lil cabs, look like they were put together by a guy with a shotgun full of switchgear…
And I managed to play musical gears
Me? I’m working for Altendorf harvesting up here in the Northern edge of the US of A. Things will pick up as of Sunday, when I get to go working.
Back in Blighty in the new year and looking for a short term job for a few months. Wonder if a US Hazmat covers ADR requirements?
I work for Edwards Logistics in Genk which is now part of Willi Betz 
and so I think it’s time to start looking for something else 
Hey Ali, I drive one of the new Freightliners, the ones you are thinking of have the tim\ny cabs and tiny windows, and are extremely cramped, tiny speedo and huge sterring wheel, well that isn’t what I drive…lol.
My truck is about as close as a US built truck will prolly ever get to a Euro truck, its not a Volvo, but I guess its the next best thing.
Stuart
Coffeeholic:
I work for me. Good boss, good money, work when I want to and can’t really complain, I wouldn’t listen anyway.
That’s your six monthly performance assessment done then,Neil
Dan.
I work for BL Robinson Haulage based in Wolves, only 4 of us including gaffer on the road, all class 2 except the 7.5 tonner . i drive a Volvo FL6:18 curtainsider delivering solely for GPS/Durapipe loading out of their Norton Canes ( Cannock ) factory . Flat wage of £270 PW night out rate £30 (no parking money) all tolls except M6 toll i normally get 2 nights out sometimes 3, now and then if i can get back and load for day work i can claim a night out for it. 2 weeks holiday at xmas plus bank holidays plus 2 weeks during the year.As long as i get the job done i can please myself how i do it.
cheers
roy…