Fair comment Grumpy Dad, yes there is more to think about now.
I was more thinking of the job itself as it was where there was more to learn by hands on and lots more graft, and not so long ago either, when apart from containers then in their early days or fridges or tankers (dead mans shoes), almost every load was roped and sheeted on, many loads were handball 21 tons on and/or off (some lads did this every day some maybe once a week), and many full weight lorries didn’t have power steering or air assisted clutches and fitted with a weird and wonderful selection of non synchro gearboxes and/or twin speed axles.
I drove bulk tippers for a good number of years, including offal carrying, you want to try sheeting a full size tipper trailer 5ft deep in offal when all you had was a standard sheet, long before anyone had dreamed up easysheets, it was er interesting, that job paid well though for short hours and you never worried about getting nicked for speeding, or the ministry, they took one whiff and buggered off sharpish
You had to really want to drive lorries in those days to do it, you didn’t find many who chose it as an alternative job following another vocation, there were rarities though, my carpet fitter mate was told he had to stop or the job would ■■■■■■■ him, so he went lorry driving about the same time i did, i was 21 (had been on vans since got me car licence), he was early 30’s.
The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of people who are sat in trucks nowadays that really shouldn’t be. I don’t profess to be a brilliant driver, however I am a careful and responsible driver that will lend a hand to anyone. I see bad driving on a daily basis like the rest of us do. New drivers should be better trained instead of a set of keys just thrown at them and expected to get on with it. More experienced drivers should help out the less experienced drivers without the newer drivers being ridiculed or ignored. Is there any wonder we see lorry’s put in ditches on their sides and accidents galore, stupidity of bridge strikes as an everyday occurrence. The transport industry has a lot to answer for itself and these downfalls. I find a lot of drivers now with a complete lack of enthusiasm as well as a really poor attitude towards the job. Anyone who complains of poor wages and bad company’s that they work for, I have little sympathy for. If you work for low money and these bad companies then that is your own doing. Leave them and let them struggle to hire drivers. That is the only way that these companies will change their attitudes and their working policies. I have every sympathy for new drivers as they do not get the training and good experiences that they deserve, no sympathy for the experienced moaning useless drivers that now grace our roads.
UKtramp:
The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of people who are sat in trucks nowadays that really shouldn’t be. I don’t profess to be a brilliant driver, however I am a careful and responsible driver that will lend a hand to anyone. I see bad driving on a daily basis like the rest of us do. New drivers should be better trained instead of a set of keys just thrown at them and expected to get on with it. More experienced drivers should help out the less experienced drivers without the newer drivers being ridiculed or ignored. Is there any wonder we see lorry’s put in ditches on their sides and accidents galore, stupidity of bridge strikes as an everyday occurrence. The transport industry has a lot to answer for itself and these downfalls. I find a lot of drivers now with a complete lack of enthusiasm as well as a really poor attitude towards the job. Anyone who complains of poor wages and bad company’s that they work for, I have little sympathy for. If you work for low money and these bad companies then that is your own doing. Leave them and let them struggle to hire drivers. That is the only way that these companies will change their attitudes and their working policies. I have every sympathy for new drivers as they do not get the training and good experiences that they deserve, no sympathy for the experienced moaning useless drivers that now grace our roads.
You make a good point about new drivers and moaners but the most experienced drivers and the most competent drivers I have met in my time were all drivers that were thrown in at the deep end and told to get on with it.
There is no better way of learning than self learning and making your own mistakes, the job is so easy now that you wonder what type of training they are getting now. is all this H&S making new drivers scared to just go for it and make your own mistakes and learn by it.
Its really not a skill anymore its just common sense and been competent
I’ve been driving for two years and other than doing pallet work on class 2 when I first began driving the job isn’t at all stressful compared to my previous job which is considered to be the most stressful out there.
rob22888:
I have one friend who earns 40K in the health service, he is ‘9-5’ office staff but actually does 50odd hours every week for no overtime and comes home stressed to the max most nights with a pile of homework to do… i’m happier earning 10K less than him with no hassle and just living within my means. I’m earning more than most paramedics saving peoples lives, whilst asleep on the bunk waiting for my 3hr container tip to complete.
Don’t get me wrong, i’m not in love with transport but I appreciate the fact I could be a lot worse off.
I’m not with you on the start time thing though, I dread pre-6am starts. Did 3/4am starts on a regular basis years ago and I don’t know how I did it, 7am most of the time for me these days
That was me in the NHS. I liked my job and taking off inflation, I guess 40k would be about equivalent. I worked a nominal 38½ hour week but always started half-an-hour early and finished at least an hour late; often bringing stuff home at weekends to write reports or study up on new procedures. I was upset when they made me redundant at 55, but on reflection, it was the best thing that could have happened.
I took a few months off and then went back to driving. Contrary to the consensus here, I found a good agency and worked as a contracted employee; mostly for Blake’s, Salvesson, AIM and others, usually on fridges. Lots of hours but I only worked five days a week. As the agency changed and went downhill, I switched to general haulage (after swearing that I would never work general haulage) mainly on pallet system work. Now I aimed for 50 hour weeks with a good hour’s kip in the middle of the day. They were happy because I got the job done, kept the customers and the warehouse staff happy and didn’t bend the truck.
I have always maintained that truck driving is the easiest job around that pays half decent money. My 50yo neighbour works in a warehouse; 8 till 5:30 with very little overtime. He thinks he is doing okay at £10.50 an hour, which by my reckoning is about £350 a week.
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.
rob22888:
I have one friend who earns 40K in the health service, he is ‘9-5’ office staff but actually does 50odd hours every week for no overtime and comes home stressed to the max most nights with a pile of homework to do… i’m happier earning 10K less than him with no hassle and just living within my means. I’m earning more than most paramedics saving peoples lives, whilst asleep on the bunk waiting for my 3hr container tip to complete.
Don’t get me wrong, i’m not in love with transport but I appreciate the fact I could be a lot worse off.
I’m not with you on the start time thing though, I dread pre-6am starts. Did 3/4am starts on a regular basis years ago and I don’t know how I did it, 7am most of the time for me these days
That was me in the NHS. I liked my job and taking off inflation, I guess 40k would be about equivalent. I worked a nominal 38½ hour week but always started half-an-hour early and finished at least an hour late; often bringing stuff home at weekends to write reports or study up on new procedures. I was upset when they made me redundant at 55, but on reflection, it was the best thing that could have happened.
I took a few months off and then went back to driving. Contrary to the consensus here, I found a good agency and worked as a contracted employee; mostly for Blake’s, Salvesson, AIM and others, usually on fridges. Lots of hours but I only worked five days a week. As the agency changed and went downhill, I switched to general haulage (after swearing that I would never work general haulage) mainly on pallet system work. Now I aimed for 50 hour weeks with a good hour’s kip in the middle of the day. They were happy because I got the job done, kept the customers and the warehouse staff happy and didn’t bend the truck.
I have always maintained that truck driving is the easiest job around that pays half decent money. My 50yo neighbour works in a warehouse; 8 till 5:30 with very little overtime. He thinks he is doing okay at £10.50 an hour, which by my reckoning is about £350 a week.
How is 10.50 an hour worked out to 350 a week sure most driver’s barely earn that an hour if your honest with yourself and the hours we work
UKtramp:
The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of people who are sat in trucks nowadays that really shouldn’t be. I don’t profess to be a brilliant driver, however I am a careful and responsible driver that will lend a hand to anyone. I see bad driving on a daily basis like the rest of us do. New drivers should be better trained instead of a set of keys just thrown at them and expected to get on with it. More experienced drivers should help out the less experienced drivers without the newer drivers being ridiculed or ignored. Is there any wonder we see lorry’s put in ditches on their sides and accidents galore, stupidity of bridge strikes as an everyday occurrence. The transport industry has a lot to answer for itself and these downfalls. I find a lot of drivers now with a complete lack of enthusiasm as well as a really poor attitude towards the job. Anyone who complains of poor wages and bad company’s that they work for, I have little sympathy for. If you work for low money and these bad companies then that is your own doing. Leave them and let them struggle to hire drivers. That is the only way that these companies will change their attitudes and their working policies. I have every sympathy for new drivers as they do not get the training and good experiences that they deserve, no sympathy for the experienced moaning useless drivers that now grace our roads.
You make a good point about new drivers and moaners but the most experienced drivers and the most competent drivers I have met in my time were all drivers that were thrown in at the deep end and told to get on with it.
There is no better way of learning than self learning and making your own mistakes, the job is so easy now that you wonder what type of training they are getting now. is all this H&S making new drivers scared to just go for it and make your own mistakes and learn by it.
Its really not a skill anymore its just common sense and been competent
I have just started and was lucky to get a job with a company who put me with another driver for 2 weeks. I learnt a huge amount from him.
Regarding the h and s comment that is the world we are in now. It is a crazy situation that it is better to do nothing than try and get it wrong.
Finally while all the old hands learnt by doing it wrong this was in the days before everyone had a dash cam or camera phone. 20 years ago you did something wrong a couple of people saw you, had a laugh and that was it. Now its on Facebook and you tube within minutes. Or people are calling the office to complain about it rather than just move on
Radar19:
I agree. My sister works in retail and after just 40 hours shes more tired than I am after 60 hours plus. I love what I do, I’m paid to sit on my can, listening to what I like at what volume I like. I can be on the phone (hands free of course) to my friends during work hours. I can stop for a break at any time I please. I’m paid to sit around doing nothing whilst someone else works around me. The list goes on. Maybe I’ve just found a good little number compared to what is out there but my job is what I make it. Yes I could be stressed out, flying around like a blue arsed fly but I choose not to. Only thing I miss is the early starts. I hate starting past 6am.
More tired & I bet from first joining your sister would have to go through a fair few rounds of promotion, take on a of managerial responsibility & and do a lot of arse licking to get up to around £30k. Unless she’s in the SE.
I used to work for Tesco in store. To be earning what I earn now in that environment I would have to be a senior manager with all the bull [zb] & head pecking that comes with that position. I have one friend who earns 40K in the health service, he is ‘9-5’ office staff but actually does 50odd hours every week for no overtime and comes home stressed to the max most nights with a pile of homework to do… i’m happier earning 10K less than him with no hassle and just living within my means. I’m earning more than most paramedics saving peoples lives, whilst asleep on the bunk waiting for my 3hr container tip to complete.
Don’t get me wrong, i’m not in love with transport but I appreciate the fact I could be a lot worse off.
I’m not with you on the start time thing though, I dread pre-6am starts. Did 3/4am starts on a regular basis years ago and I don’t know how I did it, 7am most of the time for me these days
I have just left Sainsburys and was on 30k as a night manager. I now start early doing Sunday to Thursday and earn more money with far less hassle. Hours at work are longer but when I leave thats it. No phone calls, emails or paperwork to do.
Finally while all the old hands learnt by doing it wrong this was in the days before everyone had a dash cam or camera phone. 20 years ago you did something wrong a couple of people saw you, had a laugh and that was it. Now its on Facebook and you tube within minutes. Or people are calling the office to complain about it rather than just move on
Thats the truth, i’m glad my early ■■■■ ups (the many ) were in the olden days.
Though i think in those days there was more of an attitude of live and let live and most normal people didn’t take themselves quite so seriously as they do now, we all made ■■■■ ups in our lives of one sort or another, we took the ■■■■ out of each other then helped sort it out and carried on, next week it would be someone else’s turn, now it seems everyone is so bloody perfect
) were in the olden days.