JLS Driver SOS:
Hi all I work as a class 2 driver for quite a big company ive only been working there about 6 months and its my first driving job… and to be honest im quite shocked at the amount of drivers that smoke weed or do coke granted not many do it during work time
This type of thing will not help the situation, what amazes me who can afford coke on a drivers wages !!!
getting undercut happends to everybody in any industry. get used to it. dont hate the player, hate the game. new drivers are going play the game of getting there foot in the door just like you proberly had too once.
why do you think so many shops are closing down ? a massive reson for this is prouducts being sold cheaply on the internet by people selling stuff on ebay out of there garages. yes thay have no over heads and dont have the hassle of tax and red tape of running a propber hight street shop so thay can sell the prouduces for next to nothing.
but hay why should you give a ■■■■. its cheaper for you to buy online from some have ago retailer trader cowboy. or why buy music from hmv when you can down load it for nothing of the internett right…right ■■?
after all why the ■■■■ would you pay abit more from the real shops its of no beifit to you. then you go to work and bragg to all your work mates how you only paid x amount online for such and such.
thing is all the people that used to work in the shops have been made redundant now. like the thousands that were from comet or hmv not to menshion 1000’s of single outlet independant shops that gon bust too.
but yes you gessed it alot of the redundant retail workers have nowhere to go as all shops are loseing people rather than employing . so thay think what the hell am i going do now well ill try driving work. ill use my redundacy pay to get a lgv licents too it might help to make me more usefull to an employer.
retail workers are more than used to working for min wage too. its the industry standard and has been for many many years.
so then all the currant lorry drivers like yourself are going gggrrr f off back to were you came from. ha ha ha dont make me laff thay didnt have a choice in leaving where thay came from so how can thay go back ?.
you are a very ignorant person and very short sighted. why should a new driver give a ■■■■ about you. when you dont give a ■■■■ about them. stop blubbing that you gatting ■■■■■■ over just like the rest of use alreddy have. your loyal to your walet and the rest of use are going be loyal to ares.
But i got a great tip for you to end your money problems. open a shop on the hight street i hear theres a real shortage of hight street shops these days. hah hah ha
Rob K:
I discovered yesterday that my rates (which, incidentally, are perfectly reasonable and certainly not as high as some other drivers charge) are being undercut by 25% on the basic rate and 50% on the o/t rate. That equates to many pounds per hour, not just 50p-£1 difference. After expressing my incredulity the driver in question (also a ltd co like myself) informed me that he’d only passed his class 1 two months prior (after having paid £3500) and “that’s all the agency will pay and I need the experience” but then went on to say “£x/hr isn’t a bad rate really, it’s more than what I was getting in my previous job.”
Welcome to a free market economy. Don’t like it then sod off to North Korea where the government will tell you what you can earn. Obviously you have so little faith in your own ability that you feel threatened by it. Personally I’m confident enough in my own abilities I put my rates up 20% a few years ago. Quite happy to let people go round all the local shops who charge less than half what I do because they don’t know their arse from their elbow, waste their money having their computers wrecked even further then charge them more when they bring the resulting mess back to me.
And given that he mentioned the word “agency” he really isn’t truly self employed but yet someone else being mugged by an agency and the amount the agency will be charging the client will be more than they’re paying him but don’t let facts get in the way of a good rant eh?
jrt:
you are a very ignorant person and very short sighted. why should a new driver give a [zb] about you. when you dont give a [zb] about them. stop blubbing that you gatting [zb] over just like the rest of use alreddy have. your loyal to your walet and the rest of use are going be loyal to ares.
Did you really expect anything else from robK?
Take a look anywhere on the forum, he’s either moaning or belittling somebody. The blokes an arse.
I’m a new driver albeit only got class 2 but luckily I’ve never worked for crap money and have a good quality of life because of it.
I think some of the older fellas forget what it’s like to be new trying to get a foot in the door and just remember the days when they took £1000+ home a week while running as bent as they could, my grandads told me all about ‘the good ole days’ Those days are long gone and aren’t coming back.
Winseer:
(1) How many drivers with less than 2 years or under age 25 are filling low-paid “vacancies”, and are then coming to grief?
We never hear about all the minor prangs and damage caused by this unspoken of group of drivers do we?
You may find thats because we dont actually have as many prangs as you think we do… In fact from my experience we’re no more likely to smash the truck in as you are.
The reason your type seem to have a problem is because you see us young drivers as a threat, you dont like it that we turn up, get the on with whatever job we’re given without whinging about it and we manage to do a whole days work without parking up for an extra hour to have a little nap.
If your such a good driver why are you finding it so hard to find a decent paying job? Is it because you’ve got an attitude problem or is it because you turn up for an interview and the govnor thinks to himself, “im not letting this prick out in my lorry”?
jrt:
you are a very ignorant person and very short sighted. why should a new driver give a [zb] about you. when you dont give a [zb] about them. stop blubbing that you gatting [zb] over just like the rest of use alreddy have. your loyal to your walet and the rest of use are going be loyal to ares.
Did you really expect anything else from robK?
Take a look anywhere on the forum, he’s either moaning or belittling somebody. The blokes an arse.
Oh my, I’ve been here before, albeit some years ago. I passed my PCV test aged 21 and went to work with a large local company, and came up against a very similar attitude to the one being displayed by the OP, namely that the grizzled old hands had it over me, and that I could never hope to be as experienced and well thought of as them. Result? I knuckled down, learnt as much as I could, and ended up being preferred for overtime, emergency jobs, etc over the older hands, some of whom showed so much ‘experience’ they ended up being sacked for various misdemeanours.
Fast forward to 2013, and here I am in my first ‘proper’ lorry driving job, despite holding a license since 2004. I’ve done recovery truck driving, done National Express and coach excursion work all over the country, yet I constantly came up against the old ‘you’ve no experience’ spiel in my attempts to get a foot in the door, but my current employer has taken a chance on me, I’m repaying him by working hard and doing as I’m told. Result? I’ve been given a few nights out in preference over some of the old hands, which has led to a few murmurings from them.
I guess you’re wondering what my point is? Well it’s that just because I’m a ‘newbie’ it doesn’t mean that I’m no less competent at what I do than someone who has been doing it for a long time, but according to the OP I’m to blame for low wages, purely for doing something I’ve tried to get into for years? When I took the job on the gaffer explained why the wages weren’t earth shattering, and that there is still a chance to earn decent money through overtime, nights out etc. I was out of work for 3 months last year so I’m more than happy just to be earning a weekly wage, and once I’m back on a more even keel I’m going to put in for my Class 1, ADR and Forklift license, and try and get further on in the haulage game.
It appears to me that the OP is the epitome of the modern day Angry British Man, in that there has to be someone to blame for everything, yet the fact he can’t obtain the rate he so desperately craves probably says more about him than it does about anyone else.
WETBEHINDTHELUGS:
Oh my, I’ve been here before, albeit some years ago. I passed my PCV test aged 21 and went to work with a large local company, and came up against a very similar attitude to the one being displayed by the OP, namely that the grizzled old hands had it over me, and that I could never hope to be as experienced and well thought of as them. Result? I knuckled down, learnt as much as I could, and ended up being preferred for overtime, emergency jobs, etc over the older hands, some of whom showed so much ‘experience’ they ended up being sacked for various misdemeanours.
Fast forward to 2013, and here I am in my first ‘proper’ lorry driving job, despite holding a license since 2004. I’ve done recovery truck driving, done National Express and coach excursion work all over the country, yet I constantly came up against the old ‘you’ve no experience’ spiel in my attempts to get a foot in the door, but my current employer has taken a chance on me, I’m repaying him by working hard and doing as I’m told. Result? I’ve been given a few nights out in preference over some of the old hands, which has led to a few murmurings from them.
I guess you’re wondering what my point is? Well it’s that just because I’m a ‘newbie’ it doesn’t mean that I’m no less competent at what I do than someone who has been doing it for a long time, but according to the OP I’m to blame for low wages, purely for doing something I’ve tried to get into for years? When I took the job on the gaffer explained why the wages weren’t earth shattering, and that there is still a chance to earn decent money through overtime, nights out etc. I was out of work for 3 months last year so I’m more than happy just to be earning a weekly wage, and once I’m back on a more even keel I’m going to put in for my Class 1, ADR and Forklift license, and try and get further on in the haulage game.
It appears to me that the OP is the epitome of the modern day Angry British Man, in that there has to be someone to blame for everything, yet the fact he can’t obtain the rate he so desperately craves probably says more about him than it does about anyone else.
WETBEHINDTHELUGS:
Oh my, I’ve been here before, albeit some years ago. I passed my PCV test aged 21 and went to work with a large local company, and came up against a very similar attitude to the one being displayed by the OP, namely that the grizzled old hands had it over me, and that I could never hope to be as experienced and well thought of as them. Result? I knuckled down, learnt as much as I could, and ended up being preferred for overtime, emergency jobs, etc over the older hands, some of whom showed so much ‘experience’ they ended up being sacked for various misdemeanours.
Fast forward to 2013, and here I am in my first ‘proper’ lorry driving job, despite holding a license since 2004. I’ve done recovery truck driving, done National Express and coach excursion work all over the country, yet I constantly came up against the old ‘you’ve no experience’ spiel in my attempts to get a foot in the door, but my current employer has taken a chance on me, I’m repaying him by working hard and doing as I’m told. Result? I’ve been given a few nights out in preference over some of the old hands, which has led to a few murmurings from them.
I guess you’re wondering what my point is? Well it’s that just because I’m a ‘newbie’ it doesn’t mean that I’m no less competent at what I do than someone who has been doing it for a long time, but according to the OP I’m to blame for low wages, purely for doing something I’ve tried to get into for years? When I took the job on the gaffer explained why the wages weren’t earth shattering, and that there is still a chance to earn decent money through overtime, nights out etc. I was out of work for 3 months last year so I’m more than happy just to be earning a weekly wage, and once I’m back on a more even keel I’m going to put in for my Class 1, ADR and Forklift license, and try and get further on in the haulage game.
It appears to me that the OP is the epitome of the modern day Angry British Man, in that there has to be someone to blame for everything, yet the fact he can’t obtain the rate he so desperately craves probably says more about him than it does about anyone else.
What a brilliant post!
What makes your think this only happens in transport?
It’s the way a lot of firms are, they can have miserable old gits in them who only talk to you after you’ve been there over five years!
We was all new drivers once. I can see both sides you get some new drivers come in keep there head down take everything on the chin and get the experince under there belt.
You get others come on these forums expecting to get a job with a top motor doung cream work and aint prepared to put in the leg work and these are the ones who get remembered.
Same with older drivers you go in the cafe or bar in a truckstop whos the one you remember the big mouth putting the world to rights dont do this dont do that hes probaly the one working for some crap firm crap motor crap wages and the bloke sitting reading the paper has a decent job.
That’s how the idea of unions came about.IE every one supports each other and stands together on the basis of no one under cutting each other’s wage levels.Then Thatcher got in and the rest is history.You obviously wouldn’t have liked working in the 1920’s and 30’s when it was a case of bidding against loads on unemployed workers to keep your job on a daily basis and without strong unions that’s where things will end up again in the long term.
Carryfast:
That’s how the idea of unions came about.IE every one supports each other and stands together on the basis of no one under cutting each other’s wage levels.Then Thatcher got in and the rest is history.You obviously wouldn’t have liked working in the 1920’s and 30’s when it was a case of bidding against loads on unemployed workers to keep your job on a daily basis and without strong unions that’s where things will end up again in the long term.
:
As my choice has [zb] things up for you maybe you should tell my wife and kids “sorry Daddy’s not working today because he’s holding out for more money so it’s Asda value beans on Tesco Low Cost Toast With Sainsbury Marg again!”
Well if you’re daft enough to waste fuel driving to three different supermarkets you deserve everything you get…
Joking aside, I’m with Rob on this one. The issue is essentially one of supply and demand - there are lots of drivers chasing relatively little work. That will always end in rates heading the wrong way. It’s the same as the issue with haulage in general really - too many people chasing too little work.
Carryfast:
That’s how the idea of unions came about.IE every one supports each other and stands together on the basis of no one under cutting each other’s wage levels.Then Thatcher got in and the rest is history.You obviously wouldn’t have liked working in the 1920’s and 30’s when it was a case of bidding against loads on unemployed workers to keep your job on a daily basis and without strong unions that’s where things will end up again in the long term.
I think you are right with that if every driver stood together and stopped taking to low a wage how long would transport last, I don’t think they can ever pay very high rates but paying rates of £6.50 per hour should not be happening. Problem is there are to many drivers in love with there truck I worked 8 years for a company and one driver never had any holidays because he didn’t want anyone else to drive his truck so when bosses have drivers like that why pay more.
I think it is right that a newly qualified driver, or one with little or no experience is working for less money than an experienced driver.
If they were not, then what good is experience to a lorry driver? If you cone into an industry/job/career on the best money you could ever get for doing the job, where is the motivation to better yourself?
It isn’t the fault of the newbies that seasoned drivers are in competition with them for jobs. That’s the fault of the seasoned drivers, who are ‘worth’ more, or so they think, yet despite all their experience, knowledge and expertise, they’re still at the bottom of the totem pole!
Yes, I know there’s a recession, immigration, uncontrolled cabotage, blah blah blah, but this has not just happened over the last weekend, it’s been around for years. There are plenty of drivers out there who have good jobs, are they lucky? Or is it that they have decent jobs because they made good decisions in the past?
Any seasoned driver with a good reputation should, in most cases, not even be looking at jobs where the competition is newbies, if they are, then maybe they are not as good as they think they are…
Santa:
Years ago I used to believe that if you employed someone, made them responsible for a truck worth thousands and its load, and then sent them out to deliver said load, overcoming any problems, negotiating with customers and representing your company, that they were worth more than a labourer’s wage.
What has happened since is, as in many other trades, that the job has be de-skilled. Employers see drivers as little more than labourers. They also see that many drivers spend a good deal of their time doing nothing. Drivers today are not expected to do much more than steer their truck to a destination, open the curtains or doors, and wait while they get loaded or unloaded. The advent of mobile phones, trackers, automatic everything has made the job so easy that almost anyone can do it.
Why should we expect to be paid more than someone who grafts all day, under supervision, in a warehouse?
But nothing’s changed in that respect for donkeys years. In fact ever since the pallet became commonplace to shift goods around on there has been considerably less manual labour involved. That still doesn’t alter the fact that the job can be quite mentally demanding having to contend with overcrowded roads and pretty much every other road user hating us, plus depending on the type of work it can also be very physically demanding work as well. Add those together and it becomes quite a stressful job if you don’t have the right mindset. “Anyone” may well be able to do the job short-term, but long-term? I have my doubts, and that’s one of many reasons why it should command better pay than some wallah moving pallets round in a warehouse and entering a few details on a database.
be consistant rob
this is an old post of yours
I must be doing the job wrong then because “arm out of the window eating an apple” and not getting stressed when I’ve taken a wrong turning pretty much sums up my past 3 weeks of driving. The job is what you make it. Find the type of driving work you enjoy and you’re sorted. It’s money for old rope once you get your stall set up how you want.
the jobs either a doddle or stressfull,cant be both
:
As my choice has [zb] things up for you maybe you should tell my wife and kids “sorry Daddy’s not working today because he’s holding out for more money so it’s Asda value beans on Tesco Low Cost Toast With Sainsbury Marg again!”
Well if you’re daft enough to waste fuel driving to three different supermarkets you deserve everything you get…
Joking aside, I’m with Rob on this one. The issue is essentially one of supply and demand - there are lots of drivers chasing relatively little work. That will always end in rates heading the wrong way. It’s the same as the issue with haulage in general really - too many people chasing too little work.
Paul
The reason why there’s too little work is because the moneterist system doesn’t recognise the link between incomes and economic growth.Low incomes mean less spending which means lower growth which means less work in a continuing downward spiral.Which is why the 1920’s and 30’s were what they were and it’s why the economy is where it is now with the addition that we’ve thrown away most of what industry we had in favour of imports.
Things can only go downhill unless the government abandons the whole Thatcherite moneterist ecocomic system which has made us dependent on a service industry led economy and imports of stuff we could be making for ourselves which we’re running out of money to pay for.
