petrol stations price discussion (was ‘chaos’)

[Conscript]

They did change it...

Yes, they did change it. That's the point MagicBoy was making. They've made it worse. They enacted something which has stopped the flow of a valuable commodity (foreign drivers), which apparently we have relied on since a historical administration made that possible, and they haven't planned for a contingency. Yet you're saying that's not on them?

I just think it's bizarre that you recognise that this problem was caused in whatever form by government action, but it seems you're only willing to crticise the previous government, not the current one.

Just to clarify, I'm not even saying it is primarily the fault of the government. The driver shortage is certainly a factor, but it still seems to me like this was caused by hysterical reaction to exaggerated media reports.

 

[jpaul]

Despite carrying big brand names, I suspect most of the BP, Shell, Esso etc. you see are independently owned franchise sites

yes - but, like a McDonalds franchise, you still get BP's brand of petrol/special-sauce in their franchises ... so it's down to BP distribution drivers if that's failing,
albeit, maybe the franchisee takes the loss .. presumably their franchise contract excludes acts of God/Boris as meriting penalty payments.
The resellers association make it sound like the independents are on their own.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

not many queues here in SW London. only because supplies are out!
thinking of how smug I could be if I had an electric car - who's got range anxiety now?!

Exactly. There’s only a queue outside our local Sainsbury’s at 6am because there’s no petrol to be seen anywhere else and even then it’s gone by 11am. My employer didn’t seem particularly understanding for anyone lacking fuel either. I think at this point if there was an electric car I liked I’d buy one.

 

[Journey]

I think at this point if there was an electric car I liked I’d buy one.

Would you though, really?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Would you though, really?

If there was a sporty version in the brand I desire and within my price range I would seriously consider it, especially because my commute is only 20 miles a day, it could easily work. I don’t think there is though. That said, ideally I would like one more high performance petrol car.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

This ... I feel that once a good few photos of soldiers making fuel deliveries make their way onto the front pages of the papers, that maybe some folk will start to think for themselves again... But probably being overly optimistic here..

Is it just me or does it sound like a headline grabbing, token gesture? "Lets bring in the army! The army is on its way!" its hard to see what difference a hundred and fifty or so extra drivers will do when we're short of thousands

 

[233]

Short thousands of HGV drivers

not short that many ADR tanker drivers

iirc Hoyer one of the biggest operators has about 20 vacancies

bear in mind that 20 tanker drivers could potentially be delivering upwards of 1.5 million litres of fuel a day that’s a lot of fills

aside note the biggest petrol station on the U.K. has the capacity for 1.3 million litres of fuel in their tanks to service 36 pumps

 

[rpmmatt]

Short thousands of HGV drivers

not short that many ADR tanker drivers

iirc Hoyer one of the biggest operators has about 20 vacancies

bear in mind that 20 tanker drivers could potentially be delivering upwards of 1.5 million litres of fuel a day that’s a lot of fills

aside note the biggest petrol station on the U.K. has the capacity for 1.3 million litres of fuel in their tanks to service 36 pumps

Look up the employee reviews of Hoyer. Its no surprise they have vacancies. Rubbish employer.

The driver shortage is world wide. Look at any recent headlines from North America, Ireland, Belgium, Germany etc.

Its the same story all over, poor wages, poor conditions, lack of decent facilities and so on.

The solution is not the government to cave to people expecting migrants to work for peanuts just keep their weekly shopping bill down.

 

[MissChief]

Is it just me or does it sound like a headline grabbing, token gesture? "Lets bring in the army! The army is on its way!" its hard to see what difference a hundred and fifty or so extra drivers will do when we're short of thousands

From what I’ve read only a small amount of Army drivers have the relevant training to safely deliver fuel, around 20%. It’s a drop in the ocean.

 

[Scania]

I have just completed 8 1/2 hours of my periodic training (driver CPC), unpaid (although the course itself is paid for by my employer) and on a Saturday….

The very same course I did a couple of years back on my previous training for this qualification that’s demanded by the European Union predominantly for any commercial drivers driving on the continent.

Given we have a huge domestic driver shortage (and a supposed freedom to unshackle ourselves from E.U. regulations here) and many many licensed HGV drivers who don’t hold this qualification - and therefore cannot drive) then surely removing this requirement for domestic drivers would open up an large and existing pool of U.K. drivers to the industry instead of pleading for 5000 foreign ones to come over for three months, most of whom have no interest in coming especially after the fiasco in Kent at the end of last year…

Just an observation.

 

[chroniclard]

The government have ignored it until its become a problem, ignored everyone telling them its a problem while running the country into the ground and focusing on kicking out a few Polish to the detriment of all.

 

[rpmmatt]

The government have ignored it until its become a problem, ignored everyone telling them its a problem while running the country into the ground and focusing on kicking out a few Polish to the detriment of all.

No one was kicked out.

Low wages hurt immigrant workers as well.

Why do racists like you expect them to work for pennies for your own benefit?

I have just completed 8 1/2 hours of my periodic training (driver CPC), unpaid (although the course itself is paid for by my employer) and on a Saturday….

The very same course I did a couple of years back on my previous training for this qualification that’s demanded by the European Union predominantly for any commercial drivers driving on the continent.

Given we have a huge domestic driver shortage (and a supposed freedom to unshackle ourselves from E.U. regulations here) and many many licensed HGV drivers who don’t hold this qualification - and therefore cannot drive) then surely removing this requirement for domestic drivers would open up an large and existing pool of U.K. drivers to the industry instead of pleading for 5000 foreign ones to come over for three months, most of whom have no interest in coming especially after the fiasco in Kent at the end of last year…

Just an observation.

My place has had to suspend all CPC training, and any other training for that matter because they can't spare the drivers. We are only coping through drivers going in on overtime, but that can't go on forever or else everyone will start busting their 48 hour average working week.

We've asked for a 20% raise, they've offered 10% and we've still not been offered any kind of retention bonus, despite them offering new starters £1500 to sign up. Just waiting to see how many hand their notice in next week.

 

[m4rmite]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-58767230

This made me laugh. 20 cars ended up tailing a tanker driver, thinking he was delivering fuel. They followed him to a building site, he stopped, and they asked him which filling station he was delivering to.

Driver had to tell them the truck was full of mortar. One of the car drivers had the audacity to say he could have stopped earlier and told them he wasn't delivering fuel

It just shows the planks following him
a)would waste so much fuel trying to get fuel - never mind the return journey
b) don't even realise what a fuel tanker looks like.

Mind you, the BBC reported he was carrying 44 tonnes of mortar.

The max gross weight is 44 tonnes including the vehicle - 28 tonnes at best of goods.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Is it just me or does it sound like a headline grabbing, token gesture? "Lets bring in the army! The army is on its way!" its hard to see what difference a hundred and fifty or so extra drivers will do when we're short of thousands

This was my first thought, it'll be a drop in the ocean.

 

[tom_e]

Is it just me or does it sound like a headline grabbing, token gesture? "Lets bring in the army! The army is on its way!" its hard to see what difference a hundred and fifty or so extra drivers will do when we're short of thousands

Good we're not bringing in the army to drive HGVs then, on the other hand that's a lot of fuel those 150 drivers can deliver.

 

[ozaudio]

have a drive to st helens for fuel then... BP / TESCO / ASDA / TEXACO ..... all have fuel with 0 people waiting at the pumps

must be a london thing, filling up there cars / vans then filing up milk bottles and fruit shoot bottles aswell

 

[Scania]

It just shows the planks following him
a)would waste so much fuel trying to get fuel - never mind the return journey
b) don't even realise what a fuel tanker looks like.

Mind you, the BBC reported he was carrying 44 tonnes of mortar.

The max gross weight is 44 tonnes including the vehicle - 28 tonnes at best of goods.

Absolutely.

Shows very well the entitlement some people carry around in their heads, why should the driver have to point out he’s not carrying petrol? - you’d think the lack of warning signs would be a give away…

The fact the BBC (and other outlets in fairness) miss out such a basic difference betweens a vehicles gross weight and it's carrying capacity should be an indicator to take the rest of what they spout with a rather large helping of salt....

 

[AWPC]

Managed to get another full tank today after coming back from my early morning blast through the countryside where I blew through about 30L but yep its still chaos in London & the South East Passed so many empty stations or ones that just had a tanker & the lengthy queues to match! The government need to do something way faster to get the fuel flowing again going for an oversupply strategy not the direct opposite right now!

They sat on this problem for a week did nothing then once it was too severe to ignore anymore panicked & asked the army to step in & perform some civic duties this coming week to help out & stabilise the situation so it hopefully goes away.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Managed to get another full tank today after coming back from my early morning blast through the countryside where I blew through about 30L but yep its still chaos in London & the South East Passed so many empty stations or ones that just had a tanker & the lengthy queues to match! The government need to do something way faster to get the fuel flowing again going for an oversupply strategy not the direct opposite right now!

They sat on this problem for a week did nothing then once it was too severe to ignore anymore panicked & asked the army to step in & perform some civic duties this coming week to help out & stabilise the situation so it hopefully goes away.

Too busy saying ‘it’s fine, don’t panic’ with little action. It’s becoming a real problem across London.

 

[AWPC]

M42 jct 10 are charging 1.62 for super unleaded now!