Would I work for an Eastern Euro firm!
Yes, IF I could get the right terms and conditions.
turnip:
If the money was right - yes.But that ain’t going to happen so- no.
It’s already happening. I met a guy once, about two years ago, when I needed to borrow some tool and approached Polish truck, as they usually carry everything with them and are happy to help. The guy driving it turned out to be British. I don’t remember the particulars, but he was from somewhere in the middle of nowhere in SW England and he said that the best he could get it was 350 or something per week, 5 days or 6 days tramping per week, working every week. So he went for the Polish company, he averages around 6000 zÅ‚ per month (around 300 pounds per week) + some bonuses, so since he works 3 weeks on - one week off tramping around Europe and he changes his truck anywhere between London and Holland, and he can get a lift with other trucks from that company that are going his way. He said at the beginning he was driving his car to the company place in Holland, so I guess it was all right for him. Also he said that the trucks are kept better than in his old place.
6000 zł is, I would say, about average in proper firm in Poland. Many drivers earn much less (especially the ones who drive for western companies like Wolter Koops and such), but I also know people who earn much better money than that (especially the brave ones who go East).
I don’t remember all of the particulars, but I am sure I wrote about that on trucknet back then so you might be able to find it for more info if you are interested.
So if we put ^ with the post someone writes from time to time about job offers for class two for silly money, I think it is already possible to get better job in Poland than here. Average salaries of course will be better here, but lower end jobs here are paid worse than upper end jobs in Poland already.
I also met another guy driving for Polish company, he was a different case, as he married a Polish lass and moved there, but he also seemed happy.
Orys, is it really right that a Dutch company such as Wolter Koops with Polish registered trucks pays less than an actual Polish company? Seems odd but I’m really not that suprised.
About two years ago, Wolter Koops driver was taking home about 4800 per month, that I was told. Also, such companies always look for drivers. And I am not surprises, if they pay penouts for double manned three weeks away, I would never go for a job like that. From what I know the turnout in such places is quite big - people gain experience and then move to proper outfits.
It’s like in here: you have the big companies, where you earn 7.50 per hour or something, they look nice from outside, but you are just the number. Or there are this “old school” companies that do respect their workers. In Poland we have now two worlds: most of the Polish companies are still these old school businesses, while the big companies from the West bring that western style approach. It changes rapidly, as the market in Poland (despite what some on here think) is not milk and honey and there is very strong competition, but still, if I was to work in Poland, I would rather try to go to one of this Polish companies rather than to a branch of the international name - just as I would rather work for some nice family firm in UK rather than for a big company like Coop or Tesco.
Actually when I read it, I see we have opposite problem: a Western companies come and lower wages and they are too strong for Polish industry to compete, so they will propably soon drive wages down, then move further to Bulgaria etc. living our transport industry harmed…
And there is one more thing you have to remember: a proper Polish transport company will pay you 6000+. but that does not mean it’s the average wage. If you want to drive battered Star and trailer, driving cabbage to the sauerkrat factory, don’t expect much more than 2500 
It’s likee here in UK, crap multidrop with loads of handball are usually worst paying jobs. But I think that the OP question was if you drive european tramping for such company, not if you go to work to Poland.
And there are, as usual companies full of cowboys, you got them in UK as well, places that got all these young wanabies who things that driving truck for 350 pounds per week / 3500 per month is cool, because it has all the bells and whistles that make their penises bigger. That also changes, as since national service was scrapped few year ago the supply of “ready made” drivers (it was very common to do your truck driving license in the army) is getting shorter, but there is still plenty of such cowboy outfits that pays you pennies, but give you more mileage rate and expect you to run bent half of the time…
Ah, because I forgot that, it’s very common in Poland that you are not paid hourly rate but a basic monthly wage - say about 2000 per month, and then you have a share of profits made by your run, or are paid per km, or many other systems of payments (Including hourly in some cases). So the wages may vary from month to month depends of if it was good month or not.
And just to give you some more examples I can think about: one of my friends, a Pole who used to drive class trucks here moved back to Poland in 2009 I think, as he calculated that he’ll be better of when you take living costs in consideration. I just had a word from him, he was very happy with that move and now, since he did ADR and drives petrol tanker, he says “he has like ■■■■■ in butter” - i don’t know, if you have that expression here.
There was also the guy in Polish media some time ago, a snowboard fan from Birimingham. He used to drive double decker buses there, and going to Poland for snow and he found out, that actually by moving there altogether he will be better of. Now he lives in Żywiec, drives a bus for local rural transport company and is very happy with that decision.
I do think you’re right about western European companies with branches etc in Poland or where ever else are the ones driving the wages and standards down. A prime example is the thread at the moment about the Swedish company with Latvian registered trucks thats replaced all its Latvian drivers with Filipinos!
I believe that in time the costs of living, operating and everything else have risen in Poland and other eastern European countries and as such their wages and freight rates have gone up and everyone starts to benefit, the Poles and in time people in Western Europe who can then compete on cost again. Until that is that a big western company seeks to undercut the whole thing by shifting his Dutch, German, Belgian etc trucks to Polish or Latvian plates and then paying wages to the drivers of that country not of today but of 5 or 8 years ago and in the process messes everybody up and starts the race to the bottom.
robinhood_1984:
I do think you’re right about western European companies with branches etc in Poland or where ever else are the ones driving the wages and standards down. A prime example is the thread at the moment about the Swedish company with Latvian registered trucks thats replaced all its Latvian drivers with Filipinos!
You just proved I am right. Western Company opened their branch in Lithuania (to drive their other costs down), and they seeks to pay lower wages than average lithuanian wage (to even further cut the costs)…
I believe that in time the costs of living, operating and everything else have risen in Poland and other eastern European countries and as such their wages and freight rates have gone up and everyone starts to benefit, the Poles and in time people in Western Europe who can then compete on cost again. Until that is that a big western company seeks to undercut the whole thing by shifting his Dutch, German, Belgian etc trucks to Polish or Latvian plates and then paying wages to the drivers of that country not of today but of 5 or 8 years ago and in the process messes everybody up and starts the race to the bottom.
I fully agree with you. I am just saying that the time when Polish and British companies will have similar costs and drivers will earn similar money are much closer than many of trucknet people think (we had the long discussion about that the other day). But your statement still stays true for Baltic states or Bulgaria and Romania. The only difference is that Polish companies are now riding the same cart that you do. Even Lithuanians - as you yourself showed on your example - are now in the very same situation as British drivers - cheap labour from abroad takes away their places and spoils the market.
orys:
turnip:
If the money was right - yes.But that ain’t going to happen so- no.
It’s already happening.
Actually orys I tend to agree with you. Albeit a little way off for the average uk based driver.
For instance only last week I was chatting to a Slovenian driver, who was complainig about Romanian drivers undercutting him. So I asked what his wages were, and if he was telling the truth then he’s on more than me.
Portuguese firm hire Ukranian and Brazillian drivers at 1000 to 1200 euros a month, the Spanish firms hire South American drivers from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Equador, how they get e.u work permits i have no idea.
turnip:
Actually orys I tend to agree with you. Albeit a little way off for the average uk based driver.
For instance only last week I was chatting to a Slovenian driver, who was complainig about Romanian drivers undercutting him. So I asked what his wages were, and if he was telling the truth then he’s on more than me.
I could believe in that, from what I heard if it comes to such things, Slovenia is in avant-garde from all ten countries that joined EU 10 years ago.
orys:
I could believe in that, from what I heard if it comes to such things, Slovenia is in avant-garde from all ten countries that joined EU 10 years ago.
Maybe its just me but when I used to go with my dad in his truck in the 90s and early 2000s there seemed to be hundreds of Slovenian trucks in Germany and quite a few in England. Wind forward a few years to when I started driving myself and there is a significant reduction in them.
I remember getting stuck in Baveria with my dad, between Munchen and the Austrian border on a bank holiday in the late 90s and when we set off the next morning heading north for the UK every second truck on the road was a Slovenian. I’ve been down there since and seen hardly any in comparison.
I don’t know much about that apart from that I still see quite a few of them around. I just know that they have relatively high standards of life there.