Just seen on the local news there’s a 60,000 shortage of lorry drivers in England. Now personally I’m not a bit surprised, I used to love driving but retired from driving at 55 and have to say I didn’t enjoy it at all in the end. Why? The money is crap for the hours you work, very often you’re treated like a piece of ■■■■■■ terms and conditions are poor unless you work for a really good company, hours are very long with the majority of operators that seem to think you have no life of your own. The roads are rammed!(certainly in the south east where I live). I would probably have been happy to have done a couple of days a week casual/agency work but the cost of renewing your license/medical + cpc have made it a complete waste of time. I know quite a few people that have changed careers to get away from driving. I read on a thread on this forum from one of our posters stating he’ll be on £11 per hour. Let’s be honest that’s a pittance for having the skills required to drive an HGV. One of my mates does some gardening for people, £15 to £20 per hour, decides how many hours he wants to work, no early starts, no late nights, home every night, another mate is now painting and decorating, £200 per day is what he charges, fully booked for the next three months! So is it any wonder why people aren’t coming into the industry? Would be interested to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.
Hi Kempston although I have retired from the family business one still keeps an eye on the ball so to speak and you are spot on about a driver shortage, my boys only run 10 artics now but subcontract quite a bit to keep pace with demand but back in the 90’s when I was running 30 plus we had about three or more applications from drivers a week. Obviously they did not all have the skill set to be let loose in £130,000 of kit but some were credible, we also found that to keep good drivers you have to pay sensible money and the kit has to be top notch. If you are the boss you have to realize your drivers are the key to your success & your prize asset so one must treat them well, the problem today is when there is a shortage of drivers as is the case right now there comes into play the old “green grass” situation and some jump ship. Glad I don’t have to deal with that side any more and as you stated there is easier money to be had else ware but some chaps still love the job of driving and it is a way of life for them and will probably finish there days behind the wheel to some destination or other.
As a footnote the rates have crept up as a shortage of trucks is apparent, you can state a rate and they say we cant pay that but half an hour later they are back on the blower asking if you can still cover the job so not all bad, cheers Buzzer
There is no driver shortage as such-I’ll wager any firm paying top money isn’t short of drivers.
What there is a shortage of ,is mugs that will work for 11 or 12 quid (or less)an hour.
What a stupid idea! Perhaps if they paid drivers correctly and treated them with more respect there would be no shortage but this is as ludicrous as stopping face masks.
I’ve just seen an advert for a 7.5 tonne recovery driver £9.05 per hour who would work for that
Kempston:
What a stupid idea! Perhaps if they paid drivers correctly and treated them with more respect there would be no shortage but this is as ludicrous as stopping face masks.
Ridiculous , why would they encourage drivers by giving them a longer working week■■?. How about more money less hours abolish the drivers cpc and insist on transport managers educating drivers on new laws. Retailers and supermarkets to name two start paying the right rates instead of taking advantage of the east europeans for cheap labour. Haribo belly aching about not being able to get drivers ■■? they use Great Bear , who were recently advertising for drivers under £12 per hour , and have you ever tried to deliver to Haribo a nightmare apparently. Sainsburys with their stupid H & S policies , if you dont fasten your hi vis you arent coming in. Sitting in their canteen with a vending machine and a tv for hours on end because you cant sit in your cab whilst unloading is taking place. I could go on but cant be bothered the whole industry is a joke . Vosa , a bloke in a 4x4 with his rule book in his back pocket looking to see if youve broken the law , a self funding organisation . You couldnt make it up , oh does anyone know why there`s a shortage of hgv drivers 
ramone:
Kempston:
What a stupid idea! Perhaps if they paid drivers correctly and treated them with more respect there would be no shortage but this is as ludicrous as stopping face masks.Ridiculous , why would they encourage drivers by giving them a longer working week■■?. How about more money less hours abolish the drivers cpc and insist on transport managers educating drivers on new laws. Retailers and supermarkets to name two start paying the right rates instead of taking advantage of the east europeans for cheap labour. Haribo belly aching about not being able to get drivers ■■? they use Great Bear , who were recently advertising for drivers under £12 per hour , and have you ever tried to deliver to Haribo a nightmare apparently. Sainsburys with their stupid H & S policies , if you don
t fasten your hi vis you arent coming in. Sitting in their canteen with a vending machine and a tv for hours on end because you cant sit in your cab whilst unloading is taking place. I could go on but cant be bothered the whole industry is a joke . Vosa , a bloke in a 4x4 with his rule book in his back pocket looking to see if youve broken the law , a self funding organisation . You couldnt make it up , oh does anyone know why there`s a shortage of hgv drivers
I would say that this “summing” up by “ramone” of the present state of the industry is spot on ! As in my years in the industry decent firms who payed proper wages i.e. 40 hrs basic, time and one half over 8 hrs and 8 hrs minimum @ double time for Sunday never had any problems attracting or retaining decent drivers ! Well that was my experience having employed many Drivers over many many years. Cheers Bewick.
I agree with your comments Bewick, Im old school as you know, Its no doubt that the shortage of drivers is because of all the red tape just to keep none producers in a well paid job where they dont even get there hands dirty , Who I dont doubt cant even drive a HGV, , Regards Larry.
They are totally out of touch with reality. The amount of jobs advertised on a regular basis have a any 5 out of 7 days. In reality every saturday and sunday at normal time having tuesday and wednesday off. Why dont we bring in the continental law of only essential hgv movement at weekends. Next advertise on the back of their lorries that you can order items up to midnight for next day delivery which again puts the onus on the driver with very unsociable hours guaranteed . The people that think up these shifts with total disregard to the drivers will be either tucked up in bed or having a nice long weekend off after a long 35/40 hour week. I personally dont think you would struggle now with drivers Dennis with your pay structure its the ones who have abused the system for a long time now who are complaining the most …The ones with 20 year old traffic planners that haven’t a clue, we have a 50 year old planner that hasn’t got a car licence and doesn’t have a clue.
Lawrence Dunbar:
I agree with your comments Bewick, Im old school as you know, Its no doubt that the shortage of drivers is because of all the red tape just to keep none producers in a well paid job where they dont even get there hands dirty , Who I dont doubt cant even drive a HGV, , Regards Larry.
Last time I did my driver CPC I was telling the instructor more than he was telling us, when we did the roping and sheeting stuff I was having to show everyone how to do a dolly. Total waste of time and money! I think originally it was brought in because of the high number of Eastern Europeans that came over to fill the vacancies (rather than pay drivers and treat them correctly). There was a polish bloke on the course I was on, he slept through the whole thing as he was driving on nights, the instructor said there was nothing he could do as it was only attendance based so in theory he attended.
Has there ever been a shortage like now when drivers were drivers and the job was hard well before my time , i would guess not
ramone:
They are totally out of touch with reality. The amount of jobs advertised on a regular basis have a any 5 out of 7 days. In reality every saturday and sunday at normal time having tuesday and wednesday off. Why dont we bring in the continental law of only essential hgv movement at weekends. Next advertise on the back of their lorries that you can order items up to midnight for next day delivery which again puts the onus on the driver with very unsociable hours guaranteed . The people that think up these shifts with total disregard to the drivers will be either tucked up in bed or having a nice long weekend off after a long 35/40 hour week. I personally dont think you would struggle now with drivers Dennis with your pay structure its the ones who have abused the system for a long time now who are complaining the most …The ones with 20 year old traffic planners that haven’t a clue, we have a 50 year old planner that hasn’t got a car licence and doesn’t have a clue.
Totally agree with you Ramone, at Argos D.C. marshleys (Bedford) a load of drivers handed their notices in on mass for this very reason, good blokes, years of experience but just had enough of being ■■■■■■ around by the idiots making decisions, they really thought they could get them to work Saturday and Sunday and have a day off in the week without paying them extra, they were going to lose weekend overtime (those that did it) if your family work Monday to Friday what’s the good of time off in the week! No regards whatsoever to people’s lives. A good job messed up by idiots sitting at a desk with no idea about anything.
Hi all, I thought the driver cpc was originally dream’t up by the EU and as we were part of it we had to comply but could be wrong. But any uk driver going to Europe would still have to do it even if uk gave it up. 
Think Driverhire are going to struggle finding someone for £13 per year 
Hi KEMPSTON me again re the drivers putti ng their notices in good on them there were some good points about the unions that got them double time etc.
In 1980 after being 100% union man myself all the benefits with others we got made redundant [Mortans BRS ] I then found out to even get a driving job in the slump i had to change my complete attitude to authority and most of all wages, i managed to get a job at ROKOLD refrigerated transport nice new DAF 3300, however the catch was paid monthly a Saturday Sunday was the same as a Tuesday or a Wednesday no overtime no nothing.
it was the biggest pill i ever had to swallow i wondered how men would except this way of working and it was ex owner drivers who had done the odd middle east and European then got unexperienced 21 year olds, new lorries just to drive nice motors they had no idea what the lorry game was about and i had to blend in to that way of working it took me a long time that is when the rot of not paying proper union rates come in to play plus agency’s had started to come in also large supermarkets started doing all their own work the c licence was finished and in my view that is why the wages will never change for drivers it is the glory of driving abroad also supermarkets a FOOD suppliers not road haulage contractors ,now they sub it out to large companies that really are agencies good looking companies on this site and i bet they are paid salary no overtime. dbp sorry off topic.
I started ont road in 1967,straight out of RAF.I had a LAD Reiver and basic wage was £11-11 - 9p for 44 hours.Overtime was paid at time and a half after 44 hours,Saturday working at time and a half and Sundays at double time.We got a bit extra for working nights - when asked.Can’t recall what night out money was,not a lot so I cabbed it quite a lot.
Now are there any firms that pay drivers the same as above? I see jobs advertised at £35-£40k pa but it doesn’t say what shifts and days you have to work for that,you would have to work nights regular and through weekends to earn that I’d imagine.There seems to be more 4 on 4 off working now which equates to a 42 and half hour week,then everybody gets a share of weekends. Then there is the problem drivers have finding somewhere safe to park at night,with decent toilet and shower facilities plus good grub.They seem to be sadly lacking.It’s ironic that drivers get fined for exceeding their hours just to find somewhere to park up and now Grant Shapps says it’s ok for them to work extra.A lot of drivers on FB have said they won’t do it and I don’t blame them.
Would I do it nowadays? Would I ■■■■■■■■.
Chris Webb:
I started ont road in 1967,straight out of RAF.I had a LAD Reiver and basic wage was £11-11 - 9p for 44 hours.Overtime was paid at time and a half after 44 hours,Saturday working at time and a half and Sundays at double time.We got a bit extra for working nights - when asked.Can’t recall what night out money was,not a lot so I cabbed it quite a lot.
Now are there any firms that pay drivers the same as above? I see jobs advertised at £35-£40k pa but it doesn’t say what shifts and days you have to work for that,you would have to work nights regular and through weekends to earn that I’d imagine.There seems to be more 4 on 4 off working now which equates to a 42 and half hour week,then everybody gets a share of weekends. Then there is the problem drivers have finding somewhere safe to park at night,with decent toilet and shower facilities plus good grub.They seem to be sadly lacking.It’s ironic that drivers get fined for exceeding their hours just to find somewhere to park up and now Grant Shapps says it’s ok for them to work extra.A lot of drivers on FB have said they won’t do it and I don’t blame them.
Would I do it nowadays? Would I ■■■■■■■■.
The £35000 to £40000 a year is in many cases to include £25 a night out . This is an expense. I know a company that pays 5 nights out irrespective of if they do them or not , a tax fiddle that makes the wage look good but ollegal. He also pays £60 before tax on a saturday!!!
When I drove for Tilcon we did get time and a half for anything over 40 hours plus time and a half for Saturdays , however they were carting their own product so could afford that sort of money. When I later drove for a small haulier on tipper work he got nothing extra on the rate for saturday working as the rates were just the same so obviously couldn’t pay me extra either, however sunday and night work was paid at rate and a half (Tarmac reduced it from rate and threequarters that Tilcon had paid 
) so I did get extra for that. At first I wasn’t paid for Bank Holidays: “the truck isn’t working so it isn’t earning anything” was the answer, but I did negotiate a flat day rate after a while.
Pete.
There are lots of reasons leading to the current shortage, one of the origins is the haulage industry underselling itself for years. We have a situation where the largest companies are competing aggressively for the largest contracts, which basically creates a race to the bottom. This pricing practice cascades downwards to effect the price a small haulier can achieve for moving 10t 10 miles down the road, it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ effect as the years roll on. This in turn severely restricts the room employers have manoeuvre in setting pay rates, because in business if you give a pay rise, (to what should be), they have to be able to find the money from somewhere, or else they are soon out of business.
Now Grant Shapps has come up with this brilliant idea of letting drivers drive for an extra hour, how is that possibly going to get any extra vehicles out on the road, is a driver meant to do his days work and then solve the problem by going out with a different vehicle for an extra hour? Drivers work far longer hours than most people already, Grant Shapps obviously lives in cloud cuckoo land.