Ok we have new trucks that gives great mileage and new trailers that blow the air away we also have sat nav and Google, plus trackers and even they can tell company how your driving and fine you if not up to standard, also digital tech and that’s as bad as anything
And what about all this H and S ■■■■ plus I am sure I left a lot out
What have you got for all the changes down the years has your wages gone up to a position that reflects all the changes that benefits the hauliers or has it gone down
The trucks last longer the fuel lasts longer the roads are quicker but you are still doing long hours
There is something not right here and I don’t have the answer
nightline:
What have you got for all the changes down the years
Got my hair, got my head
Got my brains, got my ears
Got my eyes, got my nose
Got my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, got my chin
Got my neck, got my pecs
Got my heart, got my soul
Got my back, I got my ■■■ (sort of)
I got my arms, got my hands
Got my fingers, got my legs
Got my feet, got my toes
Got my liver, got my blood
I’ve got life, I’ve got my freedom
I’ve got the life!
I’ve got the life
And I’m gonna keep it
I’ve got the life
And nobody’s gonna take it away
I’ve got the life
The tax free incentives that made the job worthwhile have been capped by HMRC, over the last 18 months or so I’ve lost meal allowances and bonuses leaving me with halved bonuses which are now added to my daily rate and are taxable plus a reduced night out allowance.
I’m away for anything up to 4 weeks and no compensation for being weekended away, my daily rate if broken down to 12hr days is just above the national minimum wage, but 12 hour days are few and far between.
The haulage industry is a joke, companies can’t keep drivers because of poor wages but are willing to pay agencies for drivers on long term contracts.
Society has changed. The public demand more but expect to pay less for it. We’ve seen ‘next day delivery’ become ‘free next day delivery’ and now it’s 'same day delivery. How long till it’s ‘free same day delivery’?
Companies like stobrats paid their monkeys peanuts and used the savings to undercut everyone else, who then had to cut their prices to compete or go out of business.
Sure, some people will always pay for a premium service, but the majority expect a premium service for free.
Unfortunately, us drivers are bottom of the pile and as such bear the brunt of cost cutting.
Captain Caveman 76:
Society has changed. The public demand more but expect to pay less for it. We’ve seen ‘next day delivery’ become ‘free next day delivery’ and now it’s 'same day delivery. How long till it’s ‘free same day delivery’?
Companies like stobrats paid their monkeys peanuts and used the savings to undercut everyone else, who then had to cut their prices to compete or go out of business.
Sure, some people will always pay for a premium service, but the majority expect a premium service for free.
Unfortunately, us drivers are bottom of the pile and as such bear the brunt of cost cutting.
We are not at the bottom of the pile, there are plenty of poor souls who are. People complain about wages in all jobs regardless of what their earnings are. We always feel undervalued at whatever capacity we work in. I was earning 10 times what I was working as a fridge engineer 10 years ago then doing the same job nowadays, the rates are not what they were today. The demand from consumers wanting everything cheaper follows right down the chain. We are all consumers and we all do the same thing, we shop around for the best price with whatever we are buying therefore fueling this demand for shaving prices. Someone has to pay for these savings we make purchasing these goods, it is a vicious cycle and we all pay the price in the end.
UKtramp:
Captain Caveman 76:
Society has changed. The public demand more but expect to pay less for it. We’ve seen ‘next day delivery’ become ‘free next day delivery’ and now it’s 'same day delivery. How long till it’s ‘free same day delivery’?
Companies like stobrats paid their monkeys peanuts and used the savings to undercut everyone else, who then had to cut their prices to compete or go out of business.
Sure, some people will always pay for a premium service, but the majority expect a premium service for free.
Unfortunately, us drivers are bottom of the pile and as such bear the brunt of cost cutting.We are not at the bottom of the pile, there are plenty of poor souls who are. People complain about wages in all jobs regardless of what their earnings are. We always feel undervalued at whatever capacity we work in. I was earning 10 times what I was working as a fridge engineer 10 years ago then doing the same job nowadays, the rates are not what they were today. The demand from consumers wanting everything cheaper follows right down the chain. We are all consumers and we all do the same thing, we shop around for the best price with whatever we are buying therefore fueling this demand for shaving prices. Someone has to pay for these savings we make purchasing these goods, it is a vicious cycle and we all pay the price in the end.
How are we not at the bottom of the pile when a 5 day week can consist of 71 hrs ( excluding breaks ) of shift hours, break that down for those on salary @ £500 pw and it’s far less than NMW
Grumpy Dad:
How are we not at the bottom of the pile when a 5 day week can consist of 71 hrs ( excluding breaks ) of shift hours, break that down for those on salary @ £500 pw and it’s far less than NMW
Well I doubt many drivers will be doing 70 hrs for £500 p/w. Regardless I agree wages are poor for driving and the only real way to earn a decent or livable wage is by doing lots of hours for some. But that is not exclusive to drivers.
Grumpy Dad:
How are we not at the bottom of the pile when a 5 day week can consist of 71 hrs ( excluding breaks ) of shift hours, break that down for those on salary @ £500 pw and it’s far less than NMW
That wouldn’t be legal, salary has to meet NMW. Got some more hysterical bollox you care to share with us?
Conor:
Grumpy Dad:
How are we not at the bottom of the pile when a 5 day week can consist of 71 hrs ( excluding breaks ) of shift hours, break that down for those on salary @ £500 pw and it’s far less than NMWThat wouldn’t be legal, salary has to meet NMW. Got some more hysterical bollox you care to share with us?
Deleted more than I should before posting
Contracted hours @ NMW
My point was most contracts are based on 40hrs over 5 days with overtime
You could be working at Mac Attack.
Grumpy Dad:
The tax free incentives that made the job worthwhile have been capped by HMRC, over the last 18 months or so I’ve lost meal allowances and bonuses leaving me with halved bonuses which are now added to my daily rate and are taxable plus a reduced night out allowance.
I’m away for anything up to 4 weeks and no compensation for being weekended away, my daily rate if broken down to 12hr days is just above the national minimum wage, but 12 hour days are few and far between.
The haulage industry is a joke, companies can’t keep drivers because of poor wages but are willing to pay agencies for drivers on long term contracts.
I’m sorry, but why stay with this company ., obviously don’t care about you …also, only a mug would work 71 hours on salary and be paid 40. In last role, I was paid minimum of 38 hours salary … first half hour of OT wasn’t paid but the rest was either enhanced pay or TOIL. So if as I used to do on average 15/20 per week over my fostered hours I had that choice … I always did take toil … used to build it up too 200 hours then take time off, the toil always rolled over yearly. Perk of government jobs i suppose.
discoman:
Grumpy Dad:
The tax free incentives that made the job worthwhile have been capped by HMRC, over the last 18 months or so I’ve lost meal allowances and bonuses leaving me with halved bonuses which are now added to my daily rate and are taxable plus a reduced night out allowance.
I’m away for anything up to 4 weeks and no compensation for being weekended away, my daily rate if broken down to 12hr days is just above the national minimum wage, but 12 hour days are few and far between.
The haulage industry is a joke, companies can’t keep drivers because of poor wages but are willing to pay agencies for drivers on long term contracts.I’m sorry, but why stay with this company ., obviously don’t care about you …also, only a mug would work 71 hours on salary and be paid 40. In last role, I was paid minimum of 38 hours salary … first half hour of OT wasn’t paid but the rest was either enhanced pay or TOIL. So if as I used to do on average 15/20 per week over my fostered hours I had that choice … I always did take toil … used to build it up too 200 hours then take time off, the toil always rolled over yearly. Perk of government jobs i suppose.
Everythjng was ok when I first started, but as time has gone by even it being a short time , things have progressively got worse.
The pay was essentially the average for European work, with there being a slight compensation for being weekended away, the difference being its fridge work so the biggest benefit is it being clean work and not busting a valve on general and groupage.
That 71 hrs is every other week as I work 6 days too but to use as an example against a 40 hour contract I put 71.
I’m not one to just leave without having something to walk into, but saying that looking for alternative employment while being away isn’t the easiest, and I don’t want to go down the Agency route.
nightline:
And what about all this H and S [zb]What have you got for all the changes down the years
Well to answer this specifically I’m much less likely to be injured, severely maimed or killed at work now so that’s not a bad deal imo
nightline:
The trucks last longer the fuel lasts longer the roads are quicker but you are still doing long hours
There is something not right here and I don’t have the answer
I was watching a conspiracy movie about the banking system recently and they kind of touched on what you’re trying to say.
Productivity is way higher now than compared to when we were using scammels and whatnot all those decades ago. Yet the way our monetary system works, most people have just about enough money to live, have a few holidays, a decent car etc. A comfortable life shall we say. Or to put it another way, just enough to keep us happy enough to plod on with life as we know it.
Given the increased productivity from say, the 1950s, you’d think our lives would be different in one of 2 ways. 1 - we should be working less or 2 - we should be earning a lot more.
Nothing will change though. In 50 years time when autonomous trucks are zipping up the motorways at 100mph and robots are picking orders do you think we’ll be any richer ?
I highly doubt it. More likely to be unemployed.
I used to work in IT and wages were amazing at first. Then it was outsourcing the work abroad as cheaper than paying us. Look at people leaving uni with a computer science degree. Be on about 19k.
Now to get anywhere near 40k you will be struggling and will take a very long time. I retrained and yes wages are rubbish. But they always have been by looks of it. The difference is you can make a decent wage which alot of people can’t in their current jobs. Not many people I know can take home over 650 a week in their hand.
Driving I think is a good job if you have the right job.
Terry T:
nightline:
The trucks last longer the fuel lasts longer the roads are quicker but you are still doing long hours
There is something not right here and I don’t have the answerI was watching a conspiracy movie about the banking system recently and they kind of touched on what you’re trying to say.
Productivity is way higher now than compared to when we were using scammels and whatnot all those decades ago. Yet the way our monetary system works, most people have just about enough money to live, have a few holidays, a decent car etc. A comfortable life shall we say. Or to put it another way, just enough to keep us happy enough to plod on with life as we know it.
Given the increased productivity from say, the 1950s, you’d think our lives would be different in one of 2 ways. 1 - we should be working less or 2 - we should be earning a lot more.
Nothing will change though. In 50 years time when autonomous trucks are zipping up the motorways at 100mph and robots are picking orders do you think we’ll be any richer ?
I highly doubt it. More likely to be unemployed.
The Spanish company Sacia paper which has factories all over Europe already have autonomous reel collection
This poor pay idea amuses me somewhat. I’m changing careers to be a lorry driver partly because I’ll earn a decent whack more than I do as a catering supervisor. Combined with my wife’s wage our comfort level will increase. I guess how you regard your wage is somewhat subjective.
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Grumpy Dad:
discoman:
Grumpy Dad:
The tax free incentives that made the job worthwhile have been capped by HMRC, over the last 18 months or so I’ve lost meal allowances and bonuses leaving me with halved bonuses which are now added to my daily rate and are taxable plus a reduced night out allowance.
I’m away for anything up to 4 weeks and no compensation for being weekended away, my daily rate if broken down to 12hr days is just above the national minimum wage, but 12 hour days are few and far between.
The haulage industry is a joke, companies can’t keep drivers because of poor wages but are willing to pay agencies for drivers on long term contracts.I’m sorry, but why stay with this company ., obviously don’t care about you …also, only a mug would work 71 hours on salary and be paid 40. In last role, I was paid minimum of 38 hours salary … first half hour of OT wasn’t paid but the rest was either enhanced pay or TOIL. So if as I used to do on average 15/20 per week over my fostered hours I had that choice … I always did take toil … used to build it up too 200 hours then take time off, the toil always rolled over yearly. Perk of government jobs i suppose.
Everythjng was ok when I first started, but as time has gone by even it being a short time , things have progressively got worse.
The pay was essentially the average for European work, with there being a slight compensation for being weekended away, the difference being its fridge work so the biggest benefit is it being clean work and not busting a valve on general and groupage.
That 71 hrs is every other week as I work 6 days too but to use as an example against a 40 hour contract I put 71.
I’m not one to just leave without having something to walk into, but saying that looking for alternative employment while being away isn’t the easiest, and I don’t want to go down the Agency route.
You need to take a week off and go for some interviews. Week ended here, on a guaranteed 12 hours for every day you are abroad. Sunday is double time. If someone asks you to give up hours of your life, it’s only fair that they recompense you for it.
The problem is for every lorry driver you have 10 hanger - ons , I mean how many levels of management do you need, do you really need to employ people to wash the trucks - give them a van and send them all over the country , do you need driver line , debrief clerks , fleet etc etc etc etc etc
And then you’ve driver trainers , waste money , training drivers who are hitting bridges , walls , buildings left right and centre , yet there still employed , driver trainers I mean , what 30k .
I think the saying is to mant Chiefs not enough Indians 