Santa: “the good old days”. don’t allow them to do anything that needs training like changing a wheel and so on. .
Training to change a wheel? How easy do some drivers want it??
Crack off the wheelnuts, jack it up, remove wheel nuts, swop wheel over, replace and semi tighten nuts, drop it back down and cram them up, job done. Its as basic as it gets yet some wont be able or refuse to do it. If i was an employer one of the requirements would have to be basic repairs/maintenance…
most of the newer drivers dont even know the legal tread depth limit on a truck tyre let alone know what a wheel key looks like
Back last century when I was a TM with 12 drivers, I knew how each of them worked. Our standard way of working was to divide the deliveries geographically and give the driver a wad of notes. He would sort them and then get loaded. One driver almost never queried anything; he would load up his lorry and go - even though he knew that sometimes he would be bringing stuff back. Another driver was always complaining that he got the difficult jobs… I don’t need to go on. I remember a driver going nuts to because he had been pulled for a damaged tyre - It was all my fault of course. Even when I showed him his signed checksheet showing no faults, it was still my fault.
With a dozen drivers, I could easily manage their idiosyncrasies; with fifty or a hundred it just can’t be done. So you have to manage them all at the lowest common denominator. Stop them messing with the electronics; don’t allow them to do anything that needs training like changing a wheel and so on.
If you are that good; go and work for yourself and see if your boss is any better then.
Drivers don’t you mean raindeer lol
We all know rudolf was your favourite
I agree AndrewG, you are lucky, I lived in France for seven years, couldn’t get a job with a French company, too old, (52), 10 years ago, so I worked for an English company, moving mobile homes to South of France, absolutely fantastic, unfortunately, we had to return to blighty, due to a lack of funds and I went back to work on the tankers, terrible difference working in UK compared to Europe, but you know that, We still have the house over there and I cannot wait to retire there in 4 years time, if this brexit ■■■■ doesn’t screw it up.
Santa, I too was one of the old school that went with my dad from the age of 5, so lorries were in my blood, I learnt to rope and sheet as a youngster, kids do not do that nowadays, if they could, we might have had a better generation of lorry drivers that knew what they were doing, but, as said, they are programmed not to think for themselves, and are, sadly, steering wheel attendants.
I agree AndrewG, you are lucky, I lived in France for seven years, couldn’t get a job with a French company, too old, (52), 10 years ago, so I worked for an English company, moving mobile homes to South of France, absolutely fantastic, unfortunately, we had to return to blighty, due to a lack of funds and I went back to work on the tankers, terrible difference working in UK compared to Europe, but you know that, We still have the house over there and I cannot wait to retire there in 4 years time, if this brexit ■■■■ doesn’t screw it up.
Santa, I too was one of the old school that went with my dad from the age of 5, so lorries were in my blood, I learnt to rope and sheet as a youngster, kids do not do that nowadays, if they could, we might have had a better generation of lorry drivers that knew what they were doing, but, as said, they are programmed not to think for themselves, and are, sadly, steering wheel attendants.
sapper:
…I learnt to rope and sheet as a youngster, kids do not do that nowadays, if they could…Sapper
Not ALLOWED to rope anymore Or at least, that’s what I was told. “You must not use rope, you must not tie knots”. That one makes sense, but I hear stories about van drivers not being allowed to put the spare wheel on when they get a flat, not being allowed to change a brake light bulb, etc etc. “call the office and wait for help” if a problem develops with the truck instead of clouting it and trying again.
No doubt the job is dumbed down - I got a bollocking for not wearing a ■■■■■■■ safety harness when I tripped and fell off a truck bed. “It’s fine, it’s just a cut” says I. “We need to have an interview and fill out a statement” says the boss. Is this for better or for worse? I couldn’t give a toss. Just leave me alone and pay me wage at the end of the month.
I was gonna reply to this but I reckon Juddian has just about covered everything I was about to say…and then some.
Not only that, but also he has put it much better than I ever could.
Boys and girls do belt up will yer, much as its nice to appreciated (even if you’re actually taking the ■■■■ everso slightly ) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot…
Juddian:
Boys and girls do belt up will yer, much as its nice to appreciated (even if you’re actually taking the ■■■■ everso slightly ) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot…
Juddian:
Boys and girls do belt up will yer, much as its nice to appreciated (even if you’re actually taking the ■■■■ everso slightly ) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot…
I’ll help deflate your ego, (oh ah madam, where’s Dipper Dave these days?)
Personally I think Judian has it all wrong, most of his posts seem like the ramblings of a sad and angry old man.
Actually even when I disagree with Judian, I still respect his point of view, but don’t tell him, and this will be to small for him to read.
Juddian:
Boys and girls do belt up will yer, much as its nice to appreciated (even if you’re actually taking the ■■■■ everso slightly ) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot…
Not surprised with that haircut ■■
Don’t know how he even manages to get through the door with those ■■■■ big shoes.
Juddian:
Boys and girls do belt up will yer, much as its nice to appreciated (even if you’re actually taking the ■■■■ everso slightly ) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot…
Not surprised with that haircut ■■
Don’t know how he even manages to get through the door with those [zb] big shoes.
Nothing wrong wiv my barnett i’ll have yernow, trend setting queen of fashion thats me , cheers for the deflation (i think ) as a result i’m going to flounce off to bed like a big girl
yoo hoo Mrs Juddian, you know what they say about big shoes…leering dirty laugh
Back in the day the work and the kit weeded out the unsuitable early doors.
However the job has been dumbed down to a point where anyone can do it, the bean counting and the constant surveillance deter people from thinking for themselves its figures on a spreadsheet that matter not the people doing the work.
My employer has lowered the pay and conditions of new starters to a point where they have to train up staff from the warehouse to fill positions, experienced drivers including agency won’t take the jobs, the company regularly spends £10,000 a week on damage but refuse to ditch the new contracts, I get embarrassed working with these so called “drivers” they leave the kit wrecked and stinking and have a terrible attitude.
On a positive note I look good with the minimal of effort.
My favourite recent comedy episode was a “driver” taking a wrong turn from a drop, realising his mistake turned around heard a noise, got out to check saw nothing and carried on, on return to the depot it turns out he’s knocked a lamp post through some poor buggers bedroom window.
Or at least, that’s what I was told. “You must not use rope, you must not tie knots”. That one makes sense, but I hear stories about van drivers not being allowed to put the spare wheel on when they get a flat, not being allowed to change a brake light bulb, etc etc. “call the office and wait for help” if a problem develops with the truck instead of clouting it and trying again.
) i’m thinking about getting off to bed cos early start innit and me heads now so big it’s stuck in the doorway now thanks to you lot… 
, cheers for the deflation (i think 
