peirre:
I don’t suppose anyone has bothered to ask what specific work this prospective employer is doing? Is it fridges, cans, general haulage of some super lucrative niche market? Because Boston isn’t well known for specialist haulage, but it must be something special for the guy to sell a house and move lock, stock and barrel to Boston
Amber Hill though? Absolute middle of nowhere with on the end of a no through road. It’ll cost a gallon of diesel each way just to get to the main road
Hi Green Devil
Yes purchased number 3 Sutterton Drove, Amber Hill-and will own outright-It’s in the middle of nowhere as you say and will be our dream home.
peirre:
I don’t suppose anyone has bothered to ask what specific work this prospective employer is doing? Is it fridges, cans, general haulage of some super lucrative niche market? Because Boston isn’t well known for specialist haulage, but it must be something special for the guy to sell a house and move lock, stock and barrel to Boston
Hi Peirre
Majority of my work is from the Milton Keynes area,on pallets, and have backloads available from all over the UK
Yes purchased number 3 Sutterton Drove, Amber Hill-and will own outright-It’s in the middle of nowhere as you say and will be our dream home.
Are you local to Amber Hill?
[/quote]
I used to deliver parcels out there years ago. I’m retired now and living in Cambs. Good luck with the venture and enjoy the peace and quiet. Watch out for the hare coursers and diesel fairies though
Yes purchased number 3 Sutterton Drove, Amber Hill-and will own outright-It’s in the middle of nowhere as you say and will be our dream home.
Are you local to Amber Hill?
I used to deliver parcels out there years ago. I’m retired now and living in Cambs. Good luck with the venture and enjoy the peace and quiet. Watch out for the hare coursers and diesel fairies though
[/quote]
Thank you for the heads up sir-enjoy your retirement.
As others have already noted, the issues you’ll have is that everyone within a 100 mile radius will apply for it and they’ll all talk a good story and claim to have done it all. I speak as the driver trainer/recruiter at our place and from my experience for every 20 drivers through your gate telling you how brilliant they are, you will be doing extremely well to find just 1 who you’d possibly consider employing after spending time in the cab with them, monitoring how they drive. Don’t even consider employing someone based on their paper credentials/“references”, unless you’re happy for them to drive your trucks like Nigel Mansell and return 7 mpg on a good day. 99% of drivers will rush around driving like their arse is on fire, especially when salaried . To find a driver who is steady-away and will drive at anything other than 56 mph is like finding a needle in a haystack. If you do happen across one such gem, hold on to them with everything you’ve got as they are an extremely rare breed.
The advice given to absolutely avoid employing anyone with Eastern European ties/origins is to be heeded. Unless of course you’re happy to have your local wrecker company on speed-dial to pull them out of ditches every other week and have a lot of shares in truck panel manufacturing companies as you’ll be buying them on a regular basis.
Take the time to ride shotgun with any new recruits on a trial basis. Don’t tell them it’s a driving assessment as they’ll drive accordingly. Make up some crap saying you’re going to see your customer about something and saves you driving your own car. Get “pally” with them as you travel so that they are relaxed and drive as they would do naturally and monitor how they drive. It’s often the “pally” ones who you gel with socially really well who are the worst drivers. If you take the time out to see how they drive over a week then it will pay dividends in the longer term if they are crap as you’ll save a fortune on fuel and not having to repair damage.
Regarding the pay, what works for us (semi-specialist work) is to offer slightly above the average for the area and see who comes through the door, then apply all of the above. If they turn out to be a gem, look after the kit and be an all-round asset to the company then the hourly rate gets raised quite substantially in order to retain them. Offering good money from the outset only achieves the application pile being 20x larger and taking 20x the time to wade through them all. It doesn’t do anything with regards more applications from higher calibre drivers, contrary to what some people think. You just get 20x the dross.
msgyorkie:
I cant believe there are drivers posting that the rate is too high!!
Mate, pay top dollar and you will attract the better drivers. Pay £10.50 an hour then all you will attract are the Mr Ski’s who will do more damage than good.
I agree with this and Rob’s post above.
I’ve always been fairly conscientious, but when I was on the agency I’d not give a minute of my own time. Now I’m happily employed in my second year with an employer who values me, I’m happy to give it my best. If I have to occasionally cover someone’s route I’ll happily spend an hour of my own time the evening before working out a plan of attack so that I minimise missed jobs and don’t miss the timed collections at start of my shift due to being sat in the canteen looking at a map. I’ve also made an effort to understand the new driving analysis system and I’m averaging 96% which is saving a ■■■■■■■■ of fuel and tbh has made me a better driver. I never break the speed limit but if I’m honest I’d be using the kickdown all day before, while now I’m making an effort to brake early and try to avoid stopping as much as possible etc, and keeping within the green band even if it slows me down a lot etc.
msgyorkie:
I cant believe there are drivers posting that the rate is too high!!
Mate, pay top dollar and you will attract the better drivers. Pay £10.50 an hour then all you will attract are the Mr Ski’s who will do more damage than good.
I am now late 50’s so in no way a snowflake but can I just say this post offends me. My name is pronounced Ski (spelled differently) and I doubt the poster has any idea about my damage to good ratio!
Sent from my R19 using Tapatalk
whether your a ski or a sky
if your an EE your lot cant drive for ■■■■ sad fact of life
msgyorkie:
I cant believe there are drivers posting that the rate is too high!!
Mate, pay top dollar and you will attract the better drivers. Pay £10.50 an hour then all you will attract are the Mr Ski’s who will do more damage than good.
I am now late 50’s so in no way a snowflake but can I just say this post offends me. My name is pronounced Ski (spelled differently) and I doubt the poster has any idea about my damage to good ratio!
Sent from my R19 using Tapatalk
whether your a ski or a sky
if your an EE your lot cant drive for [zb] sad fact of life
What an ignorant and offensive comment. You should be totally ashamed of yourself.
I’ve just got home from a night shift. It was 2 ee drivers who jumped out of their trucks and watched me back on the horrendously tight blindside reverse I had to do. The British drivers did nothing. It’s usually the foreign drivers who are willing to offer help.
Most British drivers are nothing special. My username is tongue in cheek (for those who are simple). But I find foreign drivers are far more professional and friendly than my fellow brits - most of whom would crap their pants if they were sent over the water.
I’ve worked with plenty of Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian drivers who I am proud to call my friend. Top people and top driver. Anyone who thinks less of them because of where they come from is a simple minded bigot, and someone who I will happily judge and condemn as a moron.
msgyorkie:
I cant believe there are drivers posting that the rate is too high!!
Mate, pay top dollar and you will attract the better drivers. Pay £10.50 an hour then all you will attract are the Mr Ski’s who will do more damage than good.
I am now late 50’s so in no way a snowflake but can I just say this post offends me. My name is pronounced Ski (spelled differently) and I doubt the poster has any idea about my damage to good ratio!
Sent from my R19 using Tapatalk
whether your a ski or a sky
if your an EE your lot cant drive for [zb] sad fact of life
What an ignorant and offensive comment. You should be totally ashamed of yourself.
That’s because that’s what they do watch each other in because they can’t reverse and you’ve just put yourself in the same bracket moron !!
I’ve just got home from a night shift. It was 2 ee drivers who jumped out of their trucks and watched me back on the horrendously tight blindside reverse I had to do. The British drivers did nothing. It’s usually the foreign drivers who are willing to offer help.
Most British drivers are nothing special. My username is tongue in cheek (for those who are simple). But I find foreign drivers are far more professional and friendly than my fellow brits - most of whom would crap their pants if they were sent over the water.
I’ve worked with plenty of Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian drivers who I am proud to call my friend. Top people and top driver. Anyone who thinks less of them because of where they come from is a simple minded bigot, and someone who I will happily judge and condemn as a moron.
Well that’s what they do because they can’t drive, and your obviously in the same league.
As for driving across the water ask them if they can drive LHD
At least you’ve remembered what you’ve logged in as today !
msgyorkie:
I cant believe there are drivers posting that the rate is too high!!
Mate, pay top dollar and you will attract the better drivers. Pay £10.50 an hour then all you will attract are the Mr Ski’s who will do more damage than good.
I am now late 50’s so in no way a snowflake but can I just say this post offends me. My name is pronounced Ski (spelled differently) and I doubt the poster has any idea about my damage to good ratio!
Sent from my R19 using Tapatalk
whether your a ski or a sky
if your an EE your lot cant drive for [zb] sad fact of life
What an ignorant and offensive comment. You should be totally ashamed of yourself.
I’ve just got home from a night shift. It was 2 ee drivers who jumped out of their trucks and watched me back on the horrendously tight blindside reverse I had to do. The British drivers did nothing. It’s usually the foreign drivers who are willing to offer help.
Most British drivers are nothing special. My username is tongue in cheek (for those who are simple). But I find foreign drivers are far more professional and friendly than my fellow brits - most of whom would crap their pants if they were sent over the water.
I’ve worked with plenty of Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian drivers who I am proud to call my friend. Top people and top driver. Anyone who thinks less of them because of where they come from is a simple minded bigot, and someone who I will happily judge and condemn as a moron.
Reading some of the posts about the pay being too high tells me some posters need to read The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists as it describes them exactly. It was written over 110 years ago just shows nothing changes.
Wrightrunner:
It’s a shame you’re not in Norwich, I’d bite your hand off if you took new pass drivers
If your tramping, it doesnt really matter as you only use your car twice a week.
Ken.
Good point, I think Boston is approx 1.5 hours from me, so not too bad
Dependent on where it is it can take a hour to get out of Boston on a Friday , I managed 3 weeks & left & that was just Grantham - Boston ( though there were other reasons )
It will grind on you after a while , when I was at Newark I’d get up 45 mins before start time , be there in 20 mins , now I get up 1 3/4 before start time , I do apx 50 miles to work & home & it ek makes a Monday / Friday a long day & it starts to wear thin even though it’s only once / twice a week .
And remember if they shut a road the 1 1/2 hrs home on a Friday can easily turn into 3 ( I’ve sat stuck on m1/a46 for hours more than once ) , one Friday I started 6 am & walked through the doir at 1 am the next day , stuck on m1 )
It’s your choice but it’s not just as simple as it’s only twice a week in my opinion
Nb I’ve got to go home a fair bit to visit hospital , doctors etc , it’s a long way for a 1/2 hr appointment at the hospital , all these things need taking in to consideration
I am currently a single vehicle green light operator OF2021088 and I’m soon applying for a major change to my operators license to 5 vehicles and 7 trailers once we have moved in January.
May I kindly ask some drivers what you would expect to earn as a salary or hourly rate? Based on being a tramper driver Mon-Friday working out from Boston-Lincolnshire on general haulage, approx 56 hours per week, trucks will be Euro 6 Daf XF’s 65 plate or newer.
Wrightrunner:
It’s a shame you’re not in Norwich, I’d bite your hand off if you took new pass drivers
If your tramping, it doesnt really matter as you only use your car twice a week.
Ken.
Good point, I think Boston is approx 1.5 hours from me, so not too bad
Dependent on where it is it can take a hour to get out of Boston on a Friday , I managed 3 weeks & left & that was just Grantham - Boston ( though there were other reasons )
It will grind on you after a while , when I was at Newark I’d get up 45 mins before start time , be there in 20 mins , now I get up 1 3/4 before start time , I do apx 50 miles to work & home & it ek makes a Monday / Friday a long day & it starts to wear thin even though it’s only once / twice a week .
And remember if they shut a road the 1 1/2 hrs home on a Friday can easily turn into 3 ( I’ve sat stuck on m1/a46 for hours more than once ) , one Friday I started 6 am & walked through the doir at 1 am the next day , stuck on m1 )
It’s your choice but it’s not just as simple as it’s only twice a week in my opinion
Nb I’ve got to go home a fair bit to visit hospital , doctors etc , it’s a long way for a 1/2 hr appointment at the hospital , all these things need taking in to consideration
Is your private car a full size artic?
The benefit of being a lorry driver is (or should be) an intricate knowledge of the roads and typical trouble spots and how and where to avoid them, no way on a Friday afternoon does any self respecting lorry driver travel the same route as they might mid Tuesday morning, particularly when you are in you own car on your own time heading home after work.
Not in the least bothered about traffic hold ups when at work, you can’t always take advantage of your road knowledge when at work due to other considerations re vehicle size and weight and anyway it comes with the territory, but when in your own car is when you have the advantage over almost all other road users, plus with Google maps Traffic and such apps as Waze running on your smart phone if you have one, the chances of a switched on lorry driver getting caught in a serious traffic issue should be minimal.
Fair point if you or a family member require regular hospital or doctors visits during the week, but then you wouldn’t be considering tramping if that was the case, with lorry driving itself a questionable job choice.
Despite the proposed wage rate who say he’s not going to get chumps who wreck everything and drive the motor like they stole it? Even with due diligence there are going to be the odd one who will slip through the net
I am currently a single vehicle green light operator OF2021088 and I’m soon applying for a major change to my operators license to 5 vehicles and 7 trailers once we have moved in January.
May I kindly ask some drivers what you would expect to earn as a salary or hourly rate? Based on being a tramper driver Mon-Friday working out from Boston-Lincolnshire on general haulage, approx 56 hours per week, trucks will be Euro 6 Daf XF’s 65 plate or newer.
. To find a driver who is steady-away and will drive at anything other than 56 mph is like finding a needle in a haystack. If you do happen across one such gem, hold on to them with everything you’ve got as they are an extremely rare breed.
