Omg- i love my job?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
81

nightline:
OMG- I LOVE MY JOB?
Ok where do I start, m lets see, ok lets start with hours worked, anyone who has a job works normal hours well most of the planet works a 40 hour week for a half descent living, truck drivers work 50/% more for less, also it must be the only job in the world where there break is not included in there days work where in the world would you see this (nowhere). Let me explain a bit better a driver can drive 9 hours a day driving but can also do another 6 hours sitting on bays or getting delayed whatever, so he can do a 15 hour day every day may be not driving but he is out working a 15 hour day every day and for that he gets paid buttons, now out of that 15 hours this is only if he gets paid by the hour which most normal people do but not drivers, he gets docked 45 minutes from his 15 hours for taking a break that’s required by law to take, now on top of this he is not allowed to take any other break by his company if he stops he is asked when he gets back why did you stop or gets a phone call, not all do but I would say 80/% do, if you break down the hours worked to the pay, example I came out with 500 this week (wow) you did, tell me how many hours did you do for that, (omg) I only did 65 put another 4 on top of that for the free breaks that the company get for free, so lets say 70 into 500, now that might be good money to some drivers (wow) 500 clear a week (omg) a little over 5 pounds a hour for a 70 hour week and that’s a short week he could be doing 75 hours a week. WHY do we do it, is it like, look at me I drive a big 40 I look great behind the wheel king of the road
Anyway we would be better off packing boxes in Tesco if they could get that type of hours we would earn more money, as it is he lives the life of a traveller tinker or what ever you want to call it, who else in the world lives in a tin can for most of the week ■■■■■■■ on the side of the road or ■■■■■■■ in there own cab in a bottle, god knows where we do a number two. Also not enough sleep taking tablets to keep awake and getting 15 or 20 pounds to sleep in a tin box.

Look,you don’t have to carry on doing long hours/truck driving if you don’t want to,but what gives you and others the right to dictate as to what I do and others do,I’m quite happy doing 5/6 days a week,70/80 hrs a week,it’s not hard graft but getting up at midnight and getting home at 16.30 apx is tiring,but it’s my choice and others,so leave us to get on with our job,trucking and long hours and change your job,not try to change ours,were fine.
N.b if I do moan at work which is very/very rare it’s about the 7 hr shift not the 15 hr shift :exclamation: :exclamation: :exclamation:

82

By the time office workers start to roll in to start work most of us here have done a days work.Then at four or five pm they go home and never do a fifteen hour duty in an office.But i chose to drive trucks.

83

If so many people are unhappy with the wage why don’t they go out and get a new job?.. Doctors earn, what 150k a year, you can certainly live reasonably well on that.

84

Saaamon:
If so many people are unhappy with the wage why don’t they go out and get a new job?.. Doctors earn, what 150k a year, you can certainly live reasonably well on that.

:laughing:

Half of the posters on here can’t spell their own name or count how many fingers they’ve got; I think becoming medical professionals is a bit optimistic.

85

…

86

I think you’ve got some real cheek to turn round and say its all us young lot that have wrecked the game and the reason some drivers do long hours when its your lot that cant help but tell us all how you use to do England to Spain in one hit… Have I got that about right?

87

^^^^^

My Father was a lorry driver, as a child I never saw him during the week, he was on day work, but was out the door hours before I got up for school and not back home until after my bedtime. My Dad says the same about my lorry driving Granddad. My own kids will have the same story.

My family’s involvement in road transport goes back to the days of single horsepower, every one of us has worked the long hours that the job requires, it’s the way it has always been and it’s the way it always will be.

We as lorry drivers perform a vital role in the economy, without us the World would grind to a halt, but we can only perform our duties by putting in above average hours.

Most of us do what we do because we want to, so we accept the hours and all the other downsides, as the plus side more than makes up for it.

If that doesn’t work for you, then you are in the wrong industry. It won’t change, you need to change, or get out of it and do the rest of us a favour, listening/reading about somebody whining like a little girl about long hours is rather tedious…

If you want to talk about adequate compensation for the long hours, well that’s another story, I’m up for that…

88

newmercman:
^^^^^

My Father was a lorry driver, as a child I never saw him during the week, he was on day work, but was out the door hours before I got up for school and not back home until after my bedtime. My Dad says the same about my lorry driving Granddad. My own kids will have the same story.

My family’s involvement in road transport goes back to the days of single horsepower, every one of us has worked the long hours that the job requires, it’s the way it has always been and it’s the way it always will be.

We as lorry drivers perform a vital role in the economy, without us the World would grind to a halt, but we can only perform our duties by putting in above average hours.

Most of us do what we do because we want to, so we accept the hours and all the other downsides, as the plus side more than makes up for it.

If that doesn’t work for you, then you are in the wrong industry. It won’t change, you need to change, or get out of it and do the rest of us a favour, listening/reading about somebody whining like a little girl about long hours is rather tedious…

If you want to talk about adequate compensation for the long hours, well that’s another story, I’m up for that…

What a great post, same story for me regarding the family tradition. I totally agree with you, don’t like it? Don’t do it, that way there will be less licence holders in the industry so pay will rise and we’ll have less moaners.

Everyone’s a winner.

89

newmercman:
^^^^^

If you want to talk about adequate compensation for the long hours, well that’s another story, I’m up for that…

Exactly.

Its not the fact that people are still working 70 hour weeks, its the fact how little they get paid for doing so.

Christ knows i’ve done enough of those hours in the past but thankfully not now…however chickens not counted cos you never know whats round the corner, any of our jobs could go ■■■■ up tomorrow.

Its a mindset we have got to get away from though, a living wage of £30k should be normal for a 40 to 44 hour week not counting subsistence, its not 1963 any more, blokes shouldn’t look like the walking dead and grafting for 70+ hours for that fairly basic pay.

90

Scanner:
That wouldn’t be boring, that would be the presumptious ramblings of a true dullard.

You Sir are a wordsmith and I salute you. I’m liking you more and more. :smiley: :smiley:

91

the maoster:

Scanner:
That wouldn’t be boring, that would be the presumptious ramblings of a true dullard.

You Sir are a wordsmith and I salute you. I’m liking you more and more. :smiley: :smiley:

:laughing: Why thank you Sir, I’m sending you a bro-hug right now! :laughing:

92

nightline:
Why do most of ye go off the basic point, if you worked the hours you worked in trucking anywhere else you would get more money FACT.
Now I know there are drivers who get paid for every hour they work, but we don’t get paid for sleeping in the cab, and if you have to do 12 to 14 hours to get a living its hard going for people on a daily rate.

Come to the dark side out of truck driving and see the reality! The sectors outside of haulage do also pay less for similar hours in some firms. A lot of firms expect you to work for extra hours for free and wouldn’t entertain an overtime sheet now!

It’s ok though as Rob K would say its a race to the bottom enjoy it while it lasts! :laughing: You’re on bloody good money I thought, if your £500 was net! :blush:

Welcome to the forum by the way bud!

You’ll get used to it!

C

93

Saaamon has raised a valid point on one hits from the UK to Spain back in the day of fuses and wires in the tacho to show rest while driving.Coming off a ferry in France with the next loo or coffee stop in Pamplona or Sunbilla for the next comfort stop or in Malaga or Gibraltar.I was expected to be in Lisbon in a day and a half for a trip that legaly took four days as the roads were terrible in the 90’s.I stuck to my guns and refused to run bent.

94

Everything is correct apart from ■■■■■■■ in bottles. It has to be a costa cup just dont throw ot out the window at speed unless you want to taste your own ■■■■.

Driving is rubbish but its the same with any job everything gets boring but id rather be doing this than stacking shelves or packing chickeb at kerry foods for a fiver an hour been there done that and thats what keeps me coming intp work knowing theres a million worse jobs than thosm I get paid to get a sore arse with abit of rabbit dodging mixed in.

95

commonrail:
no working class job pays good dollar for 40 hours.
iv`e had better than average paying skilled jobs…but at the end of the day I didn’t want to be there,and hated my life.
getting into lorry driving was the best thing I ever did…I now like my life.

nothing else matters.

THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS!!!

I challenge anyone of you bleating about driving to try doing shelf stacking at your local Tesco. I have done it and it is pants, I could not wait to get out. Boring, monotonous labour. Do you really want the prospect of 9 hours of putting pop on shelves being on your mind every single day? The grass is not always greener, you will soon be looking on at the driver dropping your night of monotonous work off and buggering off back to his cab and open road, wondering why the hell you jacked it. For what is now a fairly unskilled job given technology and H&S, trucking is just about as good as it gets for job enjoyment and satisfaction.

Trucking is a long hour game. Drivers sleep in cabs. Wages aren’t amazing such are the costs associated with haulage and other factors. If you don’t like it, clear off. There are shed loads of more enthusiastic drivers out there waiting to fill your boots.

96

rob22888:

commonrail:
no working class job pays good dollar for 40 hours.
iv`e had better than average paying skilled jobs…but at the end of the day I didn’t want to be there,and hated my life.
getting into lorry driving was the best thing I ever did…I now like my life.

nothing else matters.

THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS!!!

I challenge anyone of you bleating about driving to try doing shelf stacking at your local Tesco. I have done it and it is pants, I could not wait to get out. Boring, monotonous labour. Do you really want the prospect of 9 hours of putting pop on shelves being on your mind every single day? The grass is not always greener, you will soon be looking on at the driver dropping your night of monotonous work off and buggering off back to his cab and open road, wondering why the hell you jacked it. For what is now a fairly unskilled job given technology and H&S, trucking is just about as good as it gets for job enjoyment and satisfaction.

Trucking is a long hour game. Drivers sleep in cabs. Wages aren’t amazing such are the costs associated with haulage and other factors. If you don’t like it, clear off. There are shed loads of more enthusiastic drivers out there waiting to fill your boots.

Its the same across the board with skilled jobs too. I’ll give a few examples.

My companies money earner is building work and the project managers are sent Europe wide at a moments notice for weeks on end. These guys are salaried and some months we’ve worked it out that I have earnt more per hour (yes robK, a 20 year old on ‘buttons’ :unamused: ) They are salaried at 40k but are on call near enough 24/7. That’s not even counting the stress of making sure the jobs getting done and deadlines are met.

3 of my mates are sparks and are away all week nationwide like trampers and work in a team of 2. They both get £20 a night out and in that they have to sort their own digs. Ever tried getting a room in London for £40? Forget using it to pay for your dinner.

Another one of my friends is a 3rd year apprentice site manager at Balfour Beatty on the pylon division. He lives my town but in the week is based in Kent living in a caravan on a Balfour Beatty site. They even have a toilet block and shower, I keep saying he should just move down there but hey ho, he doesn’t want to move down sarfff.

Not to sure why supermarket work gets mentioned so often, I worked in one when I was 16. I’d say 80% of the staff were part time (less than 30 hours.)

Yes these examples are on more money than me, but I enjoy my life a hell of a lot more than they do :smiley:. And I certainly don’t dread Monday coming round, infact some weeks I can’t wait if I know I’m going somewhere I haven’t been before :laughing:

Too many on here think the grass is greener, it ain’t .

97

I was a sparky for several years, and although the pay was reasonable, the hours and travelling was a nightmare. I live near Colchester, and was working in Cambridge. In addition I was on call 1 week in 3, and for that we could, and did, get sent all over SE England at any time of the night or day. It was quite often that I’d get in from work at 8pm, only to have the phone go, and I’d be off yo Wisbech, then Kent, then Norwich, then anywhere else. Oh, and then be back in Cambridge for 8am for another full day.

As for dealing with stroppy goods-in people, trying dealing with some of the dregs of society that I had to - explaining at 3am that the reason they’d got no power is because their meter was in debt because they’d injected all their money into whatever vein they could find, and no, I wasn’t going to lend them any money or jump the meter for them…

Driving a lorry may not be top of the list for pay or respect from others, but it sure as ■■■■ isn’t at the bottom either!

Gary

98

I’m a london bus driver.
I get paid breaks, comes to about £50pw.

99

maga:

rob22888:

commonrail:
no working class job pays good dollar for 40 hours.
iv`e had better than average paying skilled jobs…but at the end of the day I didn’t want to be there,and hated my life.
getting into lorry driving was the best thing I ever did…I now like my life.

nothing else matters.

THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS!!!

I challenge anyone of you bleating about driving to try doing shelf stacking at your local Tesco. I have done it and it is pants, I could not wait to get out. Boring, monotonous labour. Do you really want the prospect of 9 hours of putting pop on shelves being on your mind every single day? The grass is not always greener, you will soon be looking on at the driver dropping your night of monotonous work off and buggering off back to his cab and open road, wondering why the hell you jacked it. For what is now a fairly unskilled job given technology and H&S, trucking is just about as good as it gets for job enjoyment and satisfaction.

Trucking is a long hour game. Drivers sleep in cabs. Wages aren’t amazing such are the costs associated with haulage and other factors. If you don’t like it, clear off. There are shed loads of more enthusiastic drivers out there waiting to fill your boots.

Its the same across the board with skilled jobs too. I’ll give a few examples.

My companies money earner is building work and the project managers are sent Europe wide at a moments notice for weeks on end. These guys are salaried and some months we’ve worked it out that I have earnt more per hour (yes robK, a 20 year old on ‘buttons’ :unamused: ) They are salaried at 40k but are on call near enough 24/7. That’s not even counting the stress of making sure the jobs getting done and deadlines are met.

3 of my mates are sparks and are away all week nationwide like trampers and work in a team of 2. They both get £20 a night out and in that they have to sort their own digs. Ever tried getting a room in London for £40? Forget using it to pay for your dinner.

Another one of my friends is a 3rd year apprentice site manager at Balfour Beatty on the pylon division. He lives my town but in the week is based in Kent living in a caravan on a Balfour Beatty site. They even have a toilet block and shower, I keep saying he should just move down there but hey ho, he doesn’t want to move down sarfff.

Not to sure why supermarket work gets mentioned so often, I worked in one when I was 16. I’d say 80% of the staff were part time (less than 30 hours.)

Yes these examples are on more money than me, but I enjoy my life a hell of a lot more than they do :smiley:. And I certainly don’t dread Monday coming round, infact some weeks I can’t wait if I know I’m going somewhere I haven’t been before :laughing:

Too many on here think the grass is greener, it ain’t .

It’s this, so true of a society today and of so many different professional jobs, that supposedly should be aspired too. When you work out hours to pay, its less than minimum wage, might be good getting £40k on the balance sheet, but no good if you die in the job or no have any spare time as you are doing 85-90 hours a week on a 40 hour week contract!

Some of you who have been drivers all your life and been lucky to travel all over the shop I am envious of you and you should remember the stuff you have had a privilege of being a part of and if you have the right mindset appreciate it.

I wish you could appreciate it and enjoy it, but alas we know the grass is greener syndrome, hell I’ve done it once in my life and regretted it, with the current one.

I suppose its the mindset though of thinking the unknown is better.

I know this like my signature says, it’s the right job for me and it makes me happy and the money isn’t bad and the hours being regulated is a great thing for me personally. I love having the chance on the weekend to experience it.

Did a 20 hourer Sunday night into Monday morning, 4 hours kip and then 10 hours work before going to bed. Got up at 05:30 today, on the road by 06:20 and at office 06:55 just finished in the office at this current time to check a PM. 1, 30 minute break today and the computer for company and I’ve got to be at the office again at 06:00 for the next site! Out of those working time, my salary covered me for 8 hours! So I’ve just worked for free for my entire contract hours already and its Tuesday, never to see it again, but you are forced to do it as others do and to keep yourself employed!

The cycle will start again tomorrow, like lots of other people do out there, in many industries.

That’s how the British economy is run now. Would love to be hourly paid I’d ■■■■■■■ my company for their inefficiencies!

This is the harsh reality of a lot of different “professional jobs”, at least your “windows” change and challenge every day! :grimacing:

I think you are very lucky, so I’m hoping to get my chance again soon to be a part of it.

C

100

Good luck getting an in-store job at Tesco or asda. They get thousands of applications per position. Compare it to a Macedonian driver with a Bulgarian passport cobbling a CV together and posting it to Ray White. Its not going to happen!

Without some decent qualifications you won’t be taking home 500-600 a week working 40h. Do you know what university graduates earn at entry level? Stay in your truck if you’ve got a mortgage pal!