I keep hearing there is supposed to be a driver shortage,if so then where are all the vacancies which supposedly would be created by this and why are so many employers still treating their drivers with total disregard as is the case with the muppets i work for,or am i just a fool to myself by staying.
There is a driver shortage BUT no one notices because so much of it is cancelled out by foreign hauliers doing the work the brit firms would do if THEY had the drivers to (and compete)
There is no driver shortage . just jobs that are short on wages and no one wants to do
There may be a shortage of GOOD drivers , and judging by the pillocks on this forum thats certainly true
Also ,keep bosses on their toes by leaving jobs regularly
The amount of times that there us no money for a wage rise . i stick my notice in and suddenly wage rise is offered .
Just dont tell the other drivers , or they will all want it
If we run out of East Europeans there are always our friends from Africa that could be quickly trained to do the job. They are mostly English speaking which is an advantage.
I think there will be a shortage it costs too much for someone to get a class 1 now with the cpc adr security clearance etc you may need then tell them they can be asked to start any time day or night and no we dont know what time you will finish they just dont want do it oh and every where you go you will be treated like you have come from mars and want to drop a load of lepers in to their warehouse
malcob:
I think there will be a shortage it costs too much for someone to get a class 1 now with the cpc adr security clearance etc you may need then tell them they can be asked to start any time day or night and no we dont know what time you will finish they just dont want do it oh and every where you go you will be treated like you have come from mars and want to drop a load of lepers in to their warehouse
No doubt if a shortage did occur then HM Government would probably come to the rescue and hand out the necessary documents to those that required them. Someone suggested that asylum seekers should work whilst their cases are being decided, what better solution to two problems.
boredwivdrivin:
There is no driver shortage . just jobs that are short on wages and no one wants to do
+1
boredwivdrivin:
There is no driver shortage . just jobs that are short on wages and no one wants to do.
+2
Exactly what I say to non drivers who say wow must be good to be in a job with such demamd.
Yeah lets see how much you like doing 15hr days on National Minimum Wage doing 30-40 drops all over the place in a day…you volunteer and do it yourself if you think that’s good.
I just count my blessings I only had to do that life for a year of weekends and got away real lightly compared to most poor zb’s…if they’re a decent driver that is, must be soul destroying.
C
There is no driver shortage,theres a good driver shortage though,and good drivers work and stay for good firms and get paid OK,its the crap usual suspect firms who pay crap money who have the driver shortage 
The Govt recently knocked back calls from the Rha or FTA for the Govt to fund some sort of “trailblazer” scheme for driver apprenticeships or the like. I agree, why should the Govt (taxpayers) pay to solve the industry’s problem?
If you make driving a relatively well paid job, you will not have a driver shortage…simples?
In every other sphere of economics, the rules of supply and demand apply but apparently not when it involves the conclusion that driver wages need to go up
Get the wages up and pass the cost on to the customers. …oh but we can’t because then ALL the haulage work would go to eastern firms doh!
Fincham:
malcob:
I think there will be a shortage it costs too much for someone to get a class 1 now with the cpc adr security clearance etc you may need then tell them they can be asked to start any time day or night and no we dont know what time you will finish they just dont want do it oh and every where you go you will be treated like you have come from mars and want to drop a load of lepers in to their warehouseNo doubt if a shortage did occur then HM Government would probably come to the rescue and hand out the necessary documents to those that required them. Someone suggested that asylum seekers should work whilst their cases are being decided, what better solution to two problems.
They’ve already done that, they’ve already done that, and they’ve already done that. 
Companies will continue to treat drivers like dirt because of the brown nose in the fleet will do anything they ask. Then all of a sudden they’ll expect everyone to do it.
I would suggest that there IS a driver shortage, as know a few firms that have trucks standing due to shortage of drivers. I read on another site that over 80% of HGV holders are in their fifties and sixties now and therein lies a problem that is not going to go away. Even the East Europeans have wised up now and moved into other types of job within the UK, or indeed gone back home.
I am an experienced driver, having held my HGV for 27 years and my PSV for 14 years. I am experienced with steel, machinery, vacuum tankers, tippers etc but there are some jobs I simply won’t do. Anything to do with shop deliveries or home deliveries I don’t even contemplate and nights out are a non starter for me nowadays, as prefer to sleep in my own bed rather than be an unpaid night watchman over someone else’s property.
To me the problem is not particularly pay rates, but the way drivers are treated nowadays. Who in their right mind would spend thousands to sleep in rubbish strewn laybys, or be treated like something stuck to someone’s shoe by both hauliers and customers?
Not ANOTHER ‘driver shortage’ thread…
There isn’t a shortage!! Well paid driver are staying where they are, and as said, leaving the crap for others.
So next time any newbies come on here saying /asking ‘I see XYZ are advertising’ (not in the usual way sometimes - banners posters on the side of their premises, or the ad seems to never be out of the papers / jobcentre), ask yourself 'WHY!!■■
I learned that the hard way many years ago when I first became a driver and replying to ads on building banners etc… 
People are seeing that there better paid jobs out there too for doing ‘less’ (ish). Who wants to be outside in all weathers loading / unloading, basically getting filthy…
When they could be in a warm, dry factory or shop etc??
Society have become lazy!
All people want to do is near enough sit on their arse all day in front a desk, rather than ‘graft’ for their wages.
Heard many people say it now… ‘I couldn’t do your job’…
Photo of an article which appeared in the ‘Business day’ page of local paper (Lancashire Evening Post) yesterday:
(Click on photo to enlarge)
no mention of the pay rates though ^
war1974:
no mention of the pay rates though ^
Sub 26k would be my guess, if they paid well they wouldn’t be short of drivers.
I`ve just had a text from an agency about three miles from my house [Derby], offering exciting new contracts for HGV 1 drivers…
Which on further investigation turned out to be Green Group @ Haworth and ESL @ Doncaster, both paying the sum of £12 LTD for WEEKENDS 
Good luck with that one
Two young “girls” with a geographical knowledge failure running the show…
ive just had my hours changed verbally at mo was 1045 to 2000 now starting at 1430 still finishing at 2000 manager doing all he can to stop me leaving as it should be 0000 finish. he has told his superiors if hours change dramaticallyand on paper !!! 2 of us from 3 will leave so they are giving us lots of leeway as they are struggling to recruit as it is .
taffytrucker:
Companies will continue to treat drivers like dirt because of the brown nose in the fleet will do anything they ask. Then all of a sudden they’ll expect everyone to do it.
Yes i agree,theres two at my place making life difficult for everyone else.