limeyphil:
They really think we are worthless second class crap.
And some they think are just too greedy
I’ve had a quick read through this lot; since I’m away all week and don’t have a laptop, I can only post at weekends, so my apologies if I’m repeating what others have already said.
My two-pennorth; if the Hoyer drivers have not had a raise for 15 years, then I suggest that their union has not been doing the job which the drivers have been paying them to do. To kick off now smacks more of political opportunism than a concern for the drivers welfare. Many members of the public have already cottoned on to this, and it does the whole transport industry no favours at all.
I personally do not begrudge the tanker drivers a good wage; whilst I think they’re overstating the safety risk case a point has been rightly made that there is absolutely no margin for error when they do their deliveries, either from a safety or product filling point of view. All this means however is that they are paid to do their job right. So am I, but I don’t command that kind of salary.
Wages, though, are not the be-all and end-all of a job. I am fortunate enough to be employed by a company with a reasonably good track record in employee satisfaction; the drivers moan of course (when they stop moaning there’s trouble!) but they don’t leave. I would be interested to know what the TOTAL employment package consists of, including pension rights, sickness benefits,holidays, staff benefits and social provisions. That to me gives a more balanced indication of the job than the bottom line, but sadly few employees look beyond that monthly or weekly pay-packet to assess this.
Perhaps one of our tanker-driving colleagues could enlighten us on this?
limeyphil:
How can some people make comments about school teachers getting less pay than a truck driver. The amount of hours a teacher does in one week is the same as a truck driver does in 2 days.
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With the greatest of respect, Phil, this goes to prove that you know as much about teaching as the average teacher knows about our job.
A colleague of mine on the committee of our motorcycle club is a design teacher who is currently assessing exam results nationwide. For good and sensible reasons, he is not allowed to mark work in the areas in which he teaches. He therefore spends many weeks away from home, working a full day in schools at the other end of the country and then spending his evenings and weekends marking students’ work either in his hotel room or at home.
My friend freely admits that whilst he is reasonably well paid for this, he would be sorely tempted to spend his days parked up at an RDC reading a good book or enjoying a nice trip up the M74!
Greg:
But after 90 days the company that takes you over can do with you what they like, reduce your hours, reduce your hourly pay, cut your sickness pay etc etc so while you might be safe if someone does take the contract over, your not that safe.
it’s 1 year i’m told on our contract… & the other major player’s are Wincanton & DHL - who are paying more money!!!
If they reduced the hour’s ( great 11.15 + 45 break is long enough ) but they would not be able to cover the demand!!
And to recruit already trained driver’s from BP, Texaco, Morrison’s, Asda etc they would have to pay them more money than they are currently on etc to leave!!!
Also if they make you redundant thay cannot refill that position for 12 month’s, 7 at the moment believe it or not they have been struggling to fill position’s… due to the rigourous recruitment process.
50 people per vacancy apply… b] EDIT[/b] i stand corrected it’s taken OVER 12 month’s to get 10 trained driver’s on the road sorry!!
On what we are all worth for the job we do, well no one would ever win that argument,
Some people work bloody hard for the basic wage, & some people do bugger all for 6 figure salaries., that is life.
All I can say personally I’ve been on crap money working in a factory, done my time in the Army, ( in fact nearly 50% of our driver’s are x force’s )…but I did something about it!!! which is something we can all do if we want to leave for a better paid proffesion.
gnasty gnome… people do leave ----- Bp - Texaco - etc but the last 2 went back to plumbing the other a mechanic.
Otherwise yes it is a high paid job & you don’t leave unless you cannot cope with it, or be paid better elsewhere.
wills:
Greg:
But after 90 days the company that takes you over can do with you what they like, reduce your hours, reduce your hourly pay, cut your sickness pay etc etc so while you might be safe if someone does take the contract over, your not that safe.it’s 1 year i’m told on our contract… & the other major player’s are Wincanton & DHL - who are paying more money!!!
If they reduced the hour’s ( great 11.15 + 45 break is long enough ) but they would not be able to cover the demand!!
And to recruit already trained driver’s from BP, Texaco, Morrison’s, Asda etc they would have to pay them more money than they are currently on etc to leave!!!
Also if they make you redundant thay cannot refill that position for 12 month’s,
You may have been told that its a year but when you are TUPE’d over to the new company they have to honour your contract for 90days. After that they can change your conditions to whatever they like, they can put you in part time, put you on minimum wage, would you stand for that. i’m sure not therefore you have answered your own point about redundancy.
I’m sure that there would be plenty of drivers quite happy with the current tanker drivers wages that would happily have your job and couuld be trained up in the 90 whilst they honour your present contract. No one is irreplacable.
Greg:
I’m sure that there would be plenty of drivers quite happy with the current tanker drivers wages that would happily have your job and couuld be trained up in the 90 whilst they honour your present contract.
who’s going to train them? & how would they be able to relpace 160 driver’s■■? & over 600 including all the depot’s■■?
And you really have not read my other post’s… i came from salvesen’s, & earn £3000 more for what i’m doing now… & thought great…after doing the training & doing the job overall for £27000 - £28000 pa the salvesen job is a doddle compared to this…and if you wanted and IF YOU COULD put the same hour’s in at salvesen’s and you could do 12 hour shift’s & sat & Sun & Bank Holiday’s … you could easily earn over the £31800 we currently earn.
Which is why when I go to some depot’s & when some driver’s have spoken to me when i delivering they tell me they have earned over £36000 last year etc etc… Argos driver’s, Tesco driver’s Eddie Stobbart driver’s Car Transporter driver’s!!! & wouldn’t swap there job for mine!!
I’m actually getting more relaxed in the job now & the money side as it’s quite new to me is not a major issue ( I’ve had my £3000 pay rise coming here ), but what I would say is if I had been here for the last 2 - 10 year’s averaging the same kind of money I guess I’d be wanting what the other Driver’s doing the same job are getting paid ( I’d think that’s fair■■? ), and because of what ever your earning you end up living up to that wage…so yes inflation would be affecting me too!!
wills:
Greg:
I’m sure that there would be plenty of drivers quite happy with the current tanker drivers wages that would happily have your job and couuld be trained up in the 90 whilst they honour your present contract.who’s going to train them? & how would they be able to relpace 160 driver’s■■? & over 600 including all the depot’s■■?
And you really have not my other post’s… i came from salvesen’s, & earn £3000 more for what i’m doing now… & thought great…after doing the training & doing the job overall for £28000 pa the salvesen job is a doddle compared to this…and if you wanted and IF YOU COULD put the same hour’s in at salvesen’s and you could do 12 hour shift’s & sat & Sun & Bank Holiday’s … you could easily earn over the £31800 we currently earn.
I wasn’t having a personal dig at you,
However i never said they would train all the drivers up in that time but they would make a good start as someone has previously posted that it was 4 weeks training. I would imagine hat the big companies involved have training departments and as such employ trainers.
I have read your other posts including the one where you stated you earned £27000 at salvesen and on your current shell contract earn £32500 i/c your night shift allowance. Not bad really considering your shift pattern is 9 days/ nights working in every 2 week period., If its that hard compared to your previous job why don’t you go back.
Because of your good wage i presume
Not taken personally Greg 
I’ll stay Because I need every penny coming in I can get, like most. But it is also the job I’ve alway’s wanted to do. The money side check edit above … i’e at the moment I’m happy with the £31800 but I’m new…
On training we have DTI’s ( we have 4 ) & they train the newbie’s up, & are constantly doing refresher’s, updating new method’s, smith’s driver training etc
ps the shift pattern i do like, but the hour’s still work out more than Salvesen’s.