I’ve seen about 20 drivers come and go at our place since January. Some are good and stay and as for others i wouldn’t trust them with my nans shopping trolley.
Just because you have a licence doesn’t mean you can drive.
Ok…
Driver turnover at your place doesn’t tell us facts or a uniform definition of what ‘good’ is, it’s purely based on your opinion.
A licence is probably all your TM or whoever needs & bums on seats to get the goods delivered…![emoji15]
Good or at least acceptable is-
Not constantly damaging the truck
Not driving like a loon
Have some common sence in finding their way around- not just relying on a satnav
Not leaving the truck like a rubbish bin when finishing their shift
If put into a manual truck, not saying I’ve only ever driven an auto
Most importantly not filling the truck up with petrol then ringing in saying there’s something wrong with the truck!!!
All the above would be a start
Oh and the TM did get rid off most them so I’m not sure what cowboys you’ve worked for but it’s not just bums on seats where we are - thank god
taffytrucker:
Because now you are taught how to pass the test not how to drive. Learning how to drive comes after you pass the test.
That’s nothing new really. Like nearly all jobs you become better with experience.
For me the stupid part is in theory you could pass a driving test in car then a class c then ce all in the same week.
I think you should have held a car licence for a minimum of 2 years before going onto a c licence and a further 2 years to gain a ce.
As for “driver shortages” again like any other job the reward should compensate for the effort put in.
Farmers say the can’t get fruit pickers, which is why so many immigrants end up do it. Why ? Because it min wage at most foe back breaking work. Anyone doing it move on to something better as soon as it becomes available
If you look at HGV driving. It’s not exactly particularly attractive.
You need to spend a fortune just to gain a licence.
Often the job your offered means spending nights out after a 15hr day in a tin tent on and given £20 as night payment which doesn’t even cover parking fees at a service station.
You have the endless hassle from all the differing agency’s, desperate to fine you for whatever rule you may have broken.
The final insult is being offered less than £8 an hour for class one work.
Why bother ? A 16 yr old can earn £8.50 plus for shop work in Aldi, and they don’t have to spend £3k + before they are allowed to start.
If you look at other industries though you see the same problem. Wages not matching the job, and employers whinging they can’t fill their vacancies.
My wife used to be a mental health service social worker. Her employers wanted her to train to give her the power to section people under the mental health act.
This would have required a two year training period. You’d often find you self on your own with some violent loon waiting for the Police to turn up to take them away.
The reward offered ? Less than an extra £1k a year, and they wondered why she kept turning them down.
What is the decent wage in UK per month after tax for class 1 and class 2 and what actually drivers get? I don’t see how people will drive truck in UK if they are payed 8 pounds/hr., if they can work in Aldi for 8,50 and be home every night.
Another thing, is the strong pound hurting the the trucking business?
Problem is this country takes too many important professions for granted. There are shortages of many different skilled employees.
Take for example a girl I know is a trained paramedic it was her dream, 2 or 3 years intense training and everything else and she jacked it after 1 year I asked why, she said she couldn’t handle all the shift work, seeing dead people, constant abuse from drunk public and being on 22k start and not being able to afford a decent lifestyle. She now has her own business and earns more and has more of her own time. Good for her. Then we understand why we have a paramedic shortage and have to approach Poland.
Same with HGV drivers it ain’t the worst job and I admit barring some of the ■■■■ nights I have i generally enjoy my job. But the hourly rates some of you guys state on here is disgusting and to be honest i’m not surprised some companies have a shortage. Why do a skilled unsociable job for min wage. Problem is like a lot of other industries we get taken for granted.
What people don’t understand is the transport industry is the lifeblood of the economy and every lorry you see on the road is like a red blood cell carrying nutrients in the form of product around the country to keep it alive.
I’d love to see the day lorry drivers go on strike en masse and watch the panic in the country when food disappears from shelves and amazon orders don’t appear if by magic the next day. The tube strike would be like a ■■■■ in a thunderstorm.
The best measure of a good driver of a car at least - is how cheap your insurance is.
Alas, because hardly anyone pays for their own LGV insurance - it’s a lot harder to sort the wheat from the chaff as far as “employed lgv” drivers are concerned.
On the actual subject of “Driver Shortage” - There are already firms about that will not sack you if you trash one of their vehicles - suggesting they can’t afford to let you go, because a replacement - even with “six points OK” - won’t be forthcoming.
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.
If there was a real shortage then it would be big big news on the TV as to why the supermarket shelfs are empety on a friday tea time and why factories are closing on fridays sending there staff home as there goods did not arrive, hence 3 day working week
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.
All the more reason I should be leaving
TROOPER 8011:
Photo of an article which appeared in the ‘Business day’ page of local paper (Lancashire Evening Post) yesterday:
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Plz stop any more links like that I think the titanic will float
Goldfinger:
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…
+3
If I had not listened to all these pricks I would probably be better off now
Worst thing I ever did now was take my HGV test, wish I never bothered
gherkins230:
Worst thing I ever did now was take my HGV test, wish I never bothered
When all your mates are on the dole and you’re the one left working because 95% of all goods in this country move by road and lorry drivers are in demand then you’ll be glad you did.
tattoo5984:
Liberty guy and Constantine I salute u at last 2 people with some common
It’s because I can stay detached and just see it as a task rather than a career. I do driving as and when so it doesn’t become the centre of my universe. In reality I much prefer driving my car or riding my motorbike, as nobody tries to put 20 tonne on them, they don’t slow down on hills and they are easier to park. Plus nobody at the side of the road tries to fine me because I don’t have the last till receipt from Poundland, or have left my Aldi gold card at home
I could work every day if I wanted to do the crud that is Argos, or Palletforce, or Robert Wiseman Dairies, or local builders merchants etc. For that type of work there is most definitely a shortage of drivers, but who wants the stress of doing that sort of crud week in and week out? I stick rigidly to only doing tipper work or industrial deliveries, if there none of that work available then I stay at home. If the job involved nights out I stay at home. I do the sort of driving work that suits me and actively contribute to the driver shortage I guess, but there again my life, my license and my choices.
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.
If there was a real shortage then it would be big big news on the TV as to why the supermarket shelfs are empety on a friday tea time and why factories are closing on fridays sending there staff home as there goods did not arrive, hence 3 day working week
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.
All the more reason I should be leaving
TROOPER 8011:
Photo of an article which appeared in the ‘Business day’ page of local paper (Lancashire Evening Post) yesterday:
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Plz stop any more links like that I think the titanic will float
Goldfinger:
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…
+3
If I had not listened to all these pricks I would probably be better off now
Worst thing I ever did now was take my HGV test, wish I never bothered
Some shorthgate in any jov can see.But in driving game shortgate happened because to many drivers simply jumping from agency to agency without good reason and work volume .Thursday and Friday busy,another day quit.But one from main reason it is drivers start time.Company where i work drivers start every hours.It is redicilis if new passed come and agency said you start time will be midnight.It is mean no family lifr ,no sleping with wife,no nothing.Company must reduced night shift work for any job.Same what we can see in EU.But i think in England it is not possible.
There is criticism of agencies looking after their favourite drivers but this applies to company drivers as well.
I have worked as a casual for two large companies and in one instance it was other casuals, who had worked with the planner at another company that were looked after, in the other case it was agency drivers being given preference over employed drivers.
This is why there is very loyalty towards employers in this industry.
