Rob K:
And another thing, the profits are allegedly so tight that they can’t allow drivers to run the aircon, but yet they can quite easily afford all the flights ferrying drivers to and from home all the time. Do me a favour…
Simple fact of the matter is that the company is minted and they’d still be minted even if every [zb] driver had his aircon running 24/7. I’ll bet my house on that. It’s greed and more greed, and then some more. Anyone that can’t see that is extremely naive.
ASSUMPTION, ASSUMPTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS when are you coming with facts Rob K
Allegedly Rob you are the biggest BS on this form…but it actualy comes close to a fact
No, it’s not ASSUMPTIONS, it’s based on your OWN post to this forum :
Years ago was nothing a problem because the customer paid good money, nowadays is the calculation much sharper.
So by default, the customer no longer pays “good money” therefore by default again the profits must not be as good.
So you’re either lying or you’re full of BS yourself.
It doesn’t say anywhere that the profits are not as good is it■■?..ASSUMPTIONS ASSUMPTIONS
Rob K:
There’s a big difference between controlling costs and greed. The case here is quite clearly the latter.
What a complete load of Pony,. How can you make the statement it is greed? You no nothing of VDB’s costs. A well run company will always control fuel usage, and having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.
Wind your neck in, I know you think you are the all knowing oracle on the haulage industry, but on this occasion you are talking ■■■■■■■■.
switchlogic:
You think it’s greed. You in reality know no more about them than me or most others yet your taking a handful of disgruntled drivers on a forum as proof they must be awful to work for despite the fact they employ hundreds.
I don’t need a response from every employee to decide whether they are a decent company to work for or not. I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the claims made by certain members in this thread and nor do I see Frans denying them, so it doesn’t take a genius to put the jigsaw pieces together.
Are you trying to make new friends on here Rob?
You’ve been on this site long enough to know the answer to that, so you can quit your points scoring game of cheap jibes right now.
And I knew this ‘blue eyed boy’ bs would rear it’s head sooner or later. If enjoying your job and liking the company and people you work for is being a blue eyed boy then so be it.
Well it’s true. It’s abundantly clear from your posts here past and present that whichever company you work for can never do any wrong and just take whichever BS is thrown at you like a good little company “yes man” because you thoroughly enjoy your cab happy lifestyle and fancy trucks. In fact you’d fit perfectly at VdB as a driver and I reckon you’d see absolutely no problem with the way they treat their drivers and would probably leap to their defence at every opportunity.
It just seemingly unlike you and many others I’m a realist and realise that it’s no good working for a company thats hemorraging money left right and centre because they let the drivers get away with anything.
You’re a realist?! Do me a favour… You are a company boy that believes any old BS you’re told. Your defence of VdB in this thread is evidence of this, siding with Frans saying that the company isn’t as profitable and how they can no longer allow drivers to run the aircon. Come on man, are you for real? Not even the most naive naive person would fall for that BS. It’s the standard company line at every company to play things down to fool drivers into thinking that things aren’t good and they need to work extra hard to keep the company afloat.
I want a pay rise, I won’t get that by ■■■■■■■ company money up the wall. That’s a cold hard fact. I won’t work for free.
You won’t get a pay rise regardless of whether you do that or not. See the paragraph above.
I am actually chuckling to myself at you saying you’re a realist and then following it with that BS. Too funny.
Rob K:
And another thing, the profits are allegedly so tight that they can’t allow drivers to run the aircon, but yet they can quite easily afford all the flights ferrying drivers to and from home all the time. Do me a favour…
Simple fact of the matter is that the company is minted and they’d still be minted even if every [zb] driver had his aircon running 24/7. I’ll bet my house on that. It’s greed and more greed, and then some more. Anyone that can’t see that is extremely naive.
ASSUMPTION, ASSUMPTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS when are you coming with facts Rob K
Allegedly Rob you are the biggest BS on this form…but it actualy comes close to a fact
No, it’s not ASSUMPTIONS, it’s based on your OWN post to this forum :
Years ago was nothing a problem because the customer paid good money, nowadays is the calculation much sharper.
So by default, the customer no longer pays “good money” therefore by default again the profits must not be as good.
So you’re either lying or you’re full of BS yourself.
It doesn’t say anywhere that the profits are not as good is it■■?..ASSUMPTIONS ASSUMPTIONS
Dress it up however you want. Fact is that “years ago was nothing a problem because the customer paid good money, nowadays is the calculation much sharper” which now means that drivers aren’t allowed to run the aircon when not doing anything. For a company the size of VdB, that is petty BS.
How about you post here the last year end profits from whatever the Dutch equivalent of Companies House is and we’ll see then just how “bad” things are at VdB eh?
Rob K:
There’s a big difference between controlling costs and greed. The case here is quite clearly the latter.
What a complete load of Pony,. How can you make the statement it is greed? You no nothing of VDB’s costs. A well run company will always control fuel usage, and having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.
Wind your neck in, I know you think you are the all knowing oracle on the haulage industry, but on this occasion you are talking ■■■■■■■■.
‘having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.’
who said that, wasn’t this about one truck cos the planner didn’t do his job right? By blowing the number of trucks up in question it makes your point look ‘better’. If the profits depend on whether a driver sits idle for a few hours with the AC running something ain’t right.
Why not tun the AC off at Erp HQ if profit ‘margins’ are so tight.
This ‘free advertising’ must be saving VdB a great deal of money.
Rob, I can assure you VdB is very profitable, even the last years where very good, hence the fact that we can outright buy 500+ new tanks.
But no company has ever been profitable with not controling cost or wasting money!
Niether is your company, you buy a cheap van, and don’t buy a top of the range mercedes stationcar for your business, why not, should do so that the people who have to use that for your company can sit in luxury, burn twice as much fuel away, etc.
Why didn’t you do that, because you are greedy… I don’t think so, because you look to the future and don’t see the point to flush you money down the toilet.
If you think is alright to idle your truck when you parked up you’re either very thick or just state it for the argument, knowing your posts before, I will go for the last option
And another thing? Does VdB also ban the use of TVs, laptops, other electrical goods in the cab? Or do they allow them and then pay out for Volvo to come out to them in the morning to start the flat batteries from not being allowed to run the engine whilst stationary?
switchlogic:
You think it’s greed. You in reality know no more about them than me or most others yet your taking a handful of disgruntled drivers on a forum as proof they must be awful to work for despite the fact they employ hundreds. Are you trying to make new friends on here Rob?
And I knew this ‘blue eyed boy’ bs would rear it’s head sooner or later. If enjoying your job and liking the company and people you work for is being a blue eyed boy then so be it. It just seemingly unlike you and many others I’m a realist and realise that it’s no good working for a company thats hemorraging money left right and centre because they let the drivers get away with anything. I want a pay rise, I won’t get that by ■■■■■■■ company money up the wall. That’s a cold hard fact. I won’t work for free.
Luke is spot on the money, I know nothing about VDB other than the info onthis thread. I believe they have 700 trucks(?), if each truck saved 1 litre of fuel a day, over 6 days per week, and lets say its £1 a litre, over a year that would be a saving of £220,000 give or take a pound. Show me a company that can afford to throw that away! Thats just my opinion, please feel free to rubbish the figures as you like!
caledoniandream:
Rob, I can assure you VdB is very profitable, even the last years where very good, hence the fact that we can outright buy 500+ new tanks.
But no company has ever been profitable with not controling cost or wasting money!
Niether is your company, you buy a cheap van, and don’t buy a top of the range mercedes stationcar for your business, why not, should do so that the people who have to use that for your company can sit in luxury, burn twice as much fuel away, etc.
Why didn’t you do that, because you are greedy… I don’t think so, because you look to the future and don’t see the point to flush you money down the toilet.
If you think is alright to idle your truck when you parked up you’re either very thick or just state it for the argument, knowing your posts before, I will go for the last option
You continue with this pathetic and ridiculous comparison to my company van - why? Do you not have a decent argument of your own to defend VdBs practices?
For the record (seeing as it interests you so much ) the van was not “cheap”, it was in fact the top of the range model with every factory optional extra apart from the bodykit. I spec’d the 1.7 engine because the Isuze engine is bulletproof whereas the 1.9 is known to be mechanically unreliable, plus the 1.7 can be remapped to exceed the power output of the base 1.9 model, which is what I did. So your argument about my being greedy holds no water whatsoever and yet again you’ve made yourself look incredibly foolish.
Rob K:
There’s a big difference between controlling costs and greed. The case here is quite clearly the latter.
What a complete load of Pony,. How can you make the statement it is greed? You no nothing of VDB’s costs. A well run company will always control fuel usage, and having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.
Wind your neck in, I know you think you are the all knowing oracle on the haulage industry, but on this occasion you are talking ■■■■■■■■.
‘having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.’
who said that, wasn’t this about one truck cos the planner didn’t do his job right? By blowing the number of trucks up in question it makes your point look ‘better’. If the profits depend on whether a driver sits idle for a few hours with the AC running something ain’t right.
Why not tun the AC off at Erp HQ if profit ‘margins’ are so tight.
This ‘free advertising’ must be saving VdB a great deal of money.
you are a little naive, are you, there is a line of instructions and in big companies do you have to follow the line, if you agree or not.
You are coming out the army yourself, one of the big examples for one line instructions, or not?
They have to, they don’t can please every soldier, it’s impossible in a big organisation.
Because today it’s this, tomorrow it’s the other, and you can not discriminate, so you have to draw a line somwhere, some gain, some lose.
And that why I think that it’s a good thing that Big Sidney started his owm business, he can draw the line for himself where ever he wants.
I don’t agree with every rule, but I keep seeing the big picture.
Rob your so full of crap. You think I’m a blue eyed boy who can do no wrong wherever I work? Ring Nolans and see what they think of me.
I think you’ll find I’ve hardly defended VdB or Frans but rather just put my views across. In fact I pointed out how little I (or indeed you) know about VdB. Hardly a good position to defend them from, or indeed for you to so actively attack them.
Your a good one to talk about points scoring and cheap jibes, pot calling the kettle black? And as anyone who posts on here a lot does know is that your views veer all over the shop, you just like attacking things and will take any stance that will allow you to do that, including attacking those of us that put an alternative viewpoint.
And yes I won’t get a pay rise anytime soon, because there are too many people like you that spending company money on overpriced fuel and leaving the engine running endlessly is ok. But I’m still gonna do my bit regardless.
You should be a union leader, one of those overblown types, full of his own self importance and spewing uninformed crap. Up the worker.
caledoniandream:
There was here a guy on who had to collect a van, and the guy who drive the van couldn’t reach above 35 MPG, the guy made a whole blog about it, he was talking over probaly less than a fiver, if he had 100 vans he would have been talking about serious money, but even this fiver bothered him, why…because he had to pay for it, this goes the same up for every Entrepreneur, otherwise he would have started a charity instead of a company.
If my driver had wanted to use the aircon I’d have told him to get on with it, even though the cost (mere pence) would’ve been coming out of my pocket.Perhaps VdB could use some lessons on how to run a business properly without the hostile atmosphere between management and drivers from petty BS like running the aircon.
^ +1 I’ve agreed with RobK again. But to be fair at current road fuel prices it would be more efficient and probably better for the trucks engine life and your future job prospects to use an independent air con plant powered by a small Honda Generator.
caledoniandream:
you are a little naive, are you, there is a line of instructions and in big companies do you have to follow the line, if you agree or not.
You are coming out the army yourself, one of the big examples for one line instructions, or not?
They have to, they don’t can please every soldier, it’s impossible in a big organisation.
Because today it’s this, tomorrow it’s the other, and you can not discriminate, so you have to draw a line somwhere, some gain, some lose.
And that why I think that it’s a good thing that Big Sidney started his owm business, he can draw the line for himself where ever he wants.
I don’t agree with every role, but I keep seeing the big picture.
Maybe I was a little naive thinking I could do the ‘job’ at VdB with no real driving experience, but after reading this thread I’m relieved it didn’t ‘happen’ cos all BS just winds me up.
Anyway, a ‘Happy Driver’ works better, yes?
BTW, RAF not Army
Rob K:
It’s a good thing that the night heater isn’t wired up to the HQ computer screens…
How are they not■■?
By the way you need to check when they go to bed to play their lullaby on the computer and send them instructions where to put their Teddybear
By the way Airco is for Jessies, all the people who did Middle East and North Africa in the 70’s and 80’s never heard of Airco at that point.
My Daf 2800ATI didn’t even have mounting points for an airco
And that went to South Spain, North Africa, Turkey, Persia etc.
To many steeringwheel attendants, not enough drivers.
Do you really think that these old Pegasso’s in Spain all have airconditioning, or the old Fiat in Italy?
Think again
By the way have’nt seen any admission by caledonian dream that he’s wrong about that issue of air con not being used on 1970’s middle east running wagons .
caledoniandream:
you are a little naive, are you, there is a line of instructions and in big companies do you have to follow the line, if you agree or not.
You are coming out the army yourself, one of the big examples for one line instructions, or not?
They have to, they don’t can please every soldier, it’s impossible in a big organisation.
Because today it’s this, tomorrow it’s the other, and you can not discriminate, so you have to draw a line somwhere, some gain, some lose.
And that why I think that it’s a good thing that Big Sidney started his owm business, he can draw the line for himself where ever he wants.
I don’t agree with every role, but I keep seeing the big picture.
Maybe I was a little naive thinking I could do the ‘job’ at VdB with no real driving experience, but after reading this thread I’m relieved it didn’t ‘happen’ cos all BS just winds me up.
Anyway, a ‘Happy Driver’ works better, yes?
BTW, RAF not Army
So do they run air con on Galaxy transports sitting on the runway in Afghan using the plane’s APU or do they shut it all down to save fuel and zb the comfort of the crew and passengers.
Rob K:
There’s a big difference between controlling costs and greed. The case here is quite clearly the latter.
What a complete load of Pony,. How can you make the statement it is greed? You no nothing of VDB’s costs. A well run company will always control fuel usage, and having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.
Wind your neck in, I know you think you are the all knowing oracle on the haulage industry, but on this occasion you are talking ■■■■■■■■.
I am sorry that i have to agree with Del on this point.
If this was an English company, the accountant would be the one saving the money by speccing the most basic trucks available without factory aircon or any driver comforts, they wouldn’t supply a drivers restaurant or pristine showers, they wouldn’t pay the amount of people they do to keep the trucks clean and serviceable. Most companies in the UK will not even pay for screenwash to save money.
Honestly Rob, there are much much worse out there.
There is a problem with the FM fuel tanks, as the vehicles were originally ordered for the UK, that is the reason for the small wheel conversion and tiny tanks. In the tanker or any bulk haulage business, it is payload that counts!
Carryfast:
So do they run air con on Galaxy transports sitting on the runway in Afghan using the plane’s APU or do they shut it all down to save fuel and zb the comfort of the crew and passengers.
Civvys get issued with little mini fans fans, the MOD personnel just have to put up and shut up.
Rob K:
There’s a big difference between controlling costs and greed. The case here is quite clearly the latter.
What a complete load of Pony,. How can you make the statement it is greed? You no nothing of VDB’s costs. A well run company will always control fuel usage, and having a large fleet of trucks sat around just running the engines for no reason would soon add up.
Wind your neck in, I know you think you are the all knowing oracle on the haulage industry, but on this occasion you are talking ■■■■■■■■.
I am sorry that i have to agree with Del on this point.
If this was an English company, the accountant would be the one saving the money by speccing the most basic trucks available without factory aircon or any driver comforts
Seems to me more like it’s that old argument between the benefits of being an owner driver where you’ve only got the costs of one truck and one driver to take care of versus being part of a big fleet firm.But it seems obvious that if margins are that tight working as an employed driver for a big fleet then the driver would be stupid not to try to sort out the issues of working in hot climates for himself as I said.
Carryfast:
So do they run air con on Galaxy transports sitting on the runway in Afghan using the plane’s APU or do they shut it all down to save fuel and zb the comfort of the crew and passengers.
Civvys get issued with little mini fans fans, the MOD personnel just have to put up and shut up.
Yeah right are you sure that’s not just what the cheapo mickey mouse foreign airforces do and now we’re just following their lead and I’m probably just getting confused with the civilised procedures used by the USAF and US road transport firms .
I’ve agreed with RobK again. 
But to be fair at current road fuel prices it would be more efficient and probably better for the trucks engine life and your future job prospects to use an independent air con plant powered by a small Honda Generator. 
