Sod that, never miss a break and what's not done at the end of the shift take back with you.
Career in HGV driving
- Thread starter -TNT-
- Start date
I used to deliver from store then we were made to move (either move or have no job) to a new Home Shopping Centre which is just horrible. There is no concern for drivers at all and are treated like dirt, they've created a culture of fear where the slightest thing will get you a disciplinary and eventual dismisal. Most worry about taking breaks and bringing deliveries back to finish on time because of consequences. On a normal 8 hour day I'll work straight through with no breaks and do an extra half hour on top but anything on the van after that comes back! This is frowned on and although they can't really do anything about it they will make you feel bad and put the blame on me for not being good enough.
I've had all sorts of runs, 29 drops 1300Kg over two 4 hour shifts, 23 drops on a 5 hour shift, drops where I'm doing 1 drop every 10 miles after an initial 30 mile journey. In truth we're all working as hard as each other as they're just maxing out as many drops in as short a time as possible. I've noticed over this past year they've cut the amount of time they've given for students, care homes and flats pretty sharply. Most of my drops today have been between 4 and 10 totes and doorstep time between 4 and 7 mins.
I know i need to get a new job but i really wish something could be done to help all the drivers. The ORS is literally lying about the time it takes to do the job but yet they get away with it
I've had all sorts of runs, 29 drops 1300Kg over two 4 hour shifts, 23 drops on a 5 hour shift, drops where I'm doing 1 drop every 10 miles after an initial 30 mile journey. In truth we're all working as hard as each other as they're just maxing out as many drops in as short a time as possible. I've noticed over this past year they've cut the amount of time they've given for students, care homes and flats pretty sharply. Most of my drops today have been between 4 and 10 totes and doorstep time between 4 and 7 mins.
I know i need to get a new job but i really wish something could be done to help all the drivers. The ORS is literally lying about the time it takes to do the job but yet they get away with it
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Ours are horrendous for expected journey time, we have had massive road works on going for several years now, they know about it. Yet they still give us 14 minutes to travel the 5 miles to and from a town even though it ALWAYS takes at least double that even before/after rush hour.
Until there comes a time drivers take a stance and get heard, it will stay this way.
Until there comes a time drivers take a stance and get heard, it will stay this way.
My number one advice is to never work in retail no matter whether it's driving, picking or anything else. I work as a Warehouse op for a well known "local" supermarket and you get treated like a slave and I see the same happening to the drivers. So HGV driving is not a good career choice.
Soldato
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Foreign drivers are picking up the slack where UK drivers wont. The CPC requirement has kicked out a lot of casual drivers, so yes. I would agree with him and say there's a shortage of drivers.
Soldato
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Get yourself some experience and money behind you and contarct yourself out to quarrying companies. The regular drivers at our site drive home in range rovers and the like
Funnily enough I was speaking to a customer and he said North East Tippers are always after people, perhaps it's time to pull my finger out.
Soldato
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All haulier companies are crying out for drivers in the north east. Go for it, you'll most likely end up on my site. The industry is booming at the moment
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This is a slightly tounge in cheek summary of Supermarket delivery work for example......
"Mikes picture diary", taken from Trucknet's forum back in 2006.
http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16480
I can well believe it mate but I doubt he'll be doing much more than 40 hours per week.... And trust me, home deliverys can be a nightmare of a job, I spent a few years prior to getting my HGV Licence (Jan 1997) driving for DHL,City Link, ANC (Now Fed-Ex) and a few others doing anything upto 65 deliverys per day.
HGV driving is not a well paid job imo, you simply do lots of hours to get a good wage. I earned more per hour for driving a Ford Fiesta Van when I was working as a courier, back in 1996 than I do in 2009 for driving a 44ton HGV.
The only difference is I do a lot more hours - I am allowed to work 48 hours per week before you take into account breaks and "periods of availability" i.e. waiting time. So you see where the hours come from!
Don't get me wrong, for what I do (see post 14) I think I get a fair rate. I drive decent kit and work for a good employer.
I know a few drivers working in different companies earning considerably more than I, but they are generally the ones expected to speed, "bend" driving hours regs and get a load to its destination regardless of whatever "defect" they may have with their vehicle.....
If I have something as simple as a bulb out on my vehicle, I don't leave the yard until its fixed. we are encouraged to drive slowly, save fuel & wear & tear, take our time (but keep to schedules which are in the main easily achievable) and follow proper procedures i.e. put safety & the reputation of the company first, what more could you want when your paid hourly?
Tell that to most Transport managers, depot managers and haulage company directors , you'll find the vast majority of them will be ex drivers.
And then theres owner drivers, being your own boss is the top of the ladder for a lot of people.
Wow tesco Middlewich I used to look after all the doors on that place on the dock levellers mostly replacing the panels after the warehouse drivers go through them with the fork lifts
used to hate going up them stairs to maintenance to fill in bloody permits and then trapsing to the other side of the warehouse to do the job and then back over to the maintenence to get the permit signed off only to find out there's no one there to sign it off
I've had my HGV licence now since 2008 and I work for an agency, mainly because I get paid at least £11 per hour so I don't need to work full time.
So good money if you want to work, as most driver work 60+ hours per week. Most shifts are 10+ hours, occasionally I get a short run that take 4 to 5 hours for which I get 8 hours pay.
So good money if you want to work, as most driver work 60+ hours per week. Most shifts are 10+ hours, occasionally I get a short run that take 4 to 5 hours for which I get 8 hours pay.
Absolutely. In fact the FTA held a Driver Crisis Summit last week
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2015/2/16/fta-driver-crisis-summit-starts-waiting-list/54830/
Do you have anything useful to add, or is it just the usual mocking nonsense you post when you have a different opinion to the thread starter?
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I'd personally love to get into a truck, I did a course several years ago and loved every second I was driving it, but ran out of money and couldn't continue. I'd jump at the chance to get into a lorry and trundle around the country but without money for the license fee's it's not gonna happen.
The figure of £7.60/hour seems low to me. My girlfriend used to work in admin for one of the haulage companies and made nearly £9/hour and the drivers made more. Her uncle used to work as a driver for the same company and made in the region of £40k/year (with overtime).
I wouldn't like it personally, it seems extremely boring, but with all due respect, there are probably harder careers out there, the hardest bit seems to be the long hours.
I wouldn't like it personally, it seems extremely boring, but with all due respect, there are probably harder careers out there, the hardest bit seems to be the long hours.
I used to get £12 per hour doing Vehicle recovery, went to the heavy recovery side (HGV's and Buses etc) got £15ph for that.
Went to Heathrow and drove a fuel bowser and that was £35k p.a - just before the economic downturn happened, they now start blokes on £23k.
Still miss being in a cab on the road.
Went to Heathrow and drove a fuel bowser and that was £35k p.a - just before the economic downturn happened, they now start blokes on £23k.
Still miss being in a cab on the road.
I've been doing this lark 30 years this summer. Must be ok or I'd have found something else to do.
I guess that "Thursdays child" thing must be true !
There are HEAPS of driving jobs out there. They most likely are the crap jobs but it's a foot in the door.
I work Sunday night to Thursday night with every other Friday night overtime Rota'd and pull £32k. I no longer bother working Bank holidays etc anymore so could push the earnings up a bit more if needed.
Our company pays the same rate whether you drive Artic or Rigid mainly because the "puddle jumpers" work damned hard.
Through my career I have had moments of serious lack of morale <--- is this crap worth it etc but I suspect you'd go through that no matter what job you do and sooner or later (usually when the sun starts shining) you start to enjoy it again !
One thing I've learnt over the years is that you dont HAVE to bust a gut to get the job done. What you say and do are two different things...
ie: "Yes Boss, I'm on my way" (and think.. It gets there when it gets there).
You (*rarely) WONT win any medals for all that thrashing around but you sure can lose your licence !!
* Ok, i actually did get a medal (kind of) for thrashing around but I wouldn't do it again.
On this particular occasion I had booked the next day off so stayed up late (I used to drive from Corby to Park Royal twice a day everyday - ie: rolling at 03:00) but 15 mins after I went to bed I then got a direct phone call from the company I was sub-contracted to that HEINZ were running out and can I get a load there ASAP ?
I couldn't get hold of anyone from our company at that hour and knew if Heinz ran out the ramifications were high particularly as it was me who had caused the contract to be clinched in the first place. (They were trying to thrash out a deal in Heinz's canteen when I approached and told them we are only two hours away and I can respond at a moments notice as everyone has my phone number).
Rod for my own back !!
Anyway.. I got official letters of thanks and a big bottle of whisky for this.
here's the fax...
http://imgur.com/kAGCqR3
I guess that "Thursdays child" thing must be true !
There are HEAPS of driving jobs out there. They most likely are the crap jobs but it's a foot in the door.
I work Sunday night to Thursday night with every other Friday night overtime Rota'd and pull £32k. I no longer bother working Bank holidays etc anymore so could push the earnings up a bit more if needed.
Our company pays the same rate whether you drive Artic or Rigid mainly because the "puddle jumpers" work damned hard.
Through my career I have had moments of serious lack of morale <--- is this crap worth it etc but I suspect you'd go through that no matter what job you do and sooner or later (usually when the sun starts shining) you start to enjoy it again !
One thing I've learnt over the years is that you dont HAVE to bust a gut to get the job done. What you say and do are two different things...
ie: "Yes Boss, I'm on my way" (and think.. It gets there when it gets there).
You (*rarely) WONT win any medals for all that thrashing around but you sure can lose your licence !!
* Ok, i actually did get a medal (kind of) for thrashing around but I wouldn't do it again.
On this particular occasion I had booked the next day off so stayed up late (I used to drive from Corby to Park Royal twice a day everyday - ie: rolling at 03:00) but 15 mins after I went to bed I then got a direct phone call from the company I was sub-contracted to that HEINZ were running out and can I get a load there ASAP ?
I couldn't get hold of anyone from our company at that hour and knew if Heinz ran out the ramifications were high particularly as it was me who had caused the contract to be clinched in the first place. (They were trying to thrash out a deal in Heinz's canteen when I approached and told them we are only two hours away and I can respond at a moments notice as everyone has my phone number).
Rod for my own back !!
Anyway.. I got official letters of thanks and a big bottle of whisky for this.
here's the fax...
http://imgur.com/kAGCqR3
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I like driving and when I was out of work considering my skill set and what work I can look for, my first thought was to be a driver. Not necessarily a HGV which I would have to train for, but maybe multi-drop or courier work. I applied for a few places but never heard anything back.
The best opportunity I had was my bro-in-law offering me a job with the NHS to drive ambulances which was good money too, but I don't have a Cat C license and funding wouldn't be given. My memory is sketchy on this but there was something said about this being a problem since the, Government adjusted the licenses, putting ambulances into C1 I think it was, which costs something like 1k to get.
The best opportunity I had was my bro-in-law offering me a job with the NHS to drive ambulances which was good money too, but I don't have a Cat C license and funding wouldn't be given. My memory is sketchy on this but there was something said about this being a problem since the, Government adjusted the licenses, putting ambulances into C1 I think it was, which costs something like 1k to get.
Thread revival!!
I'm still trucking for the Green Gestapo, still enjoying it in the main although yesterday was a pig, started @ 04:30 and drove to Chelmsford for 9am, on the return journey, due to a serious accident on the M11 in Essex,I ran out of time at 19:30 at Donnington park services and by the time I had been picked up and driven back to Stoke it was nigh 10pm when I got home!
Back at it again today, had a brake chamber fail on the M6, trailer locked up and flat spotted all six tyres, three hours later I get mobile again....
As I say, still enjoying it, in the main!
I'm still trucking for the Green Gestapo, still enjoying it in the main although yesterday was a pig, started @ 04:30 and drove to Chelmsford for 9am, on the return journey, due to a serious accident on the M11 in Essex,I ran out of time at 19:30 at Donnington park services and by the time I had been picked up and driven back to Stoke it was nigh 10pm when I got home!
Back at it again today, had a brake chamber fail on the M6, trailer locked up and flat spotted all six tyres, three hours later I get mobile again....
As I say, still enjoying it, in the main!
It's not just the cost of the training & test either... You periodically have to do CPC Modules.
No problem if your company pays for them, not so clever if you have to foot the bill.
I did this years module last thursday night.
Refrigeration.....
Sorry for the crap picture but I am hopeless with a stills camera (I used to be a Wedding Videographer so no problem with footage !)
No problem if your company pays for them, not so clever if you have to foot the bill.
I did this years module last thursday night.
Refrigeration.....
Sorry for the crap picture but I am hopeless with a stills camera (I used to be a Wedding Videographer so no problem with footage !)