Hi Sean thank you for commenting on my channel my video is just to portray how hard the life of a lorry driver can be unfortunately it does affect people’s personal life as you have just mentioned but some drivers love the life style it really is individual decisions
There seems to be 5 main things that attract people and retain people in a job. 1) Salary. 2) Working conditions. 3) Location. 4) Company benefits and extras. 5) Kudos. The Industry must do more to attract people to the job.
There's never been a better time to be an HGV driver, moneys up, job availability's up and people need us more than ever, I've just had a 40% pay rise, Do away with the drivers CPC, never been asked for mine since day 1 see how many drivers want to come back and start making some serious money. Foreign drivers have forced wages down for the last 10 to 15 years, so they can do 1 as far as I'm concerned, the amount of money they send "home" is a scandal, they contribute very little to the British economy.
Hi Steve it’s very true what your saying I personally do not feel the wages increase will be enough to entice the drivers who have left the industry.. the main reason I feel they won’t is because of the age .. the drivers who have left are not going to be youngsters they are going to be in there mid 50s - 60s there is going to be a new generation of young drivers chasing the money unfortunately most would not have done much or any commercial driving before time will tell ☺️
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I'm 67 in December I work for a local firm who realise I can't do what I used to do, I'm home every night and don't work weekends, leave the heavy graft to the youngsters and we''ll pick up the slack, after all it's a drivers market now and will be for some time, I see agency's are having to pay up to £54 an hour for Sunday working, £25 an hour is normal at these trying times.
This country could learn a hell of a lot from the states and Canada when it comes to HGV driving. They have massive truck stops with proper rest areas and restaurants, an online app dedicated for truckers that can tell you where stops are and you can book your parking space for the night. Over here you'll be lucky to find one that even has HGV parking and if you do it will cost £20+ for parking and £5 for a cold tasteless sandwich.....
Dirty toilets.. scuzzy showers.. food thats been reheated and then reheated again overpriced at that.. same crap over here- total disrespect for drivers from general public, shipper receivers and the company you work for..im 54 and seriously looking at getting out of it, hell i can make the same hourly rate driving a delivery van for amazon than driving an 80 000lb tractor trailer !!! If i knew back 20+ years ago what i do now id NEVER EVER have gone for that licence
Dirty toilets.. scuzzy showers.. food thats been reheated and then reheated again overpriced at that.. same crap over here- total disrespect for drivers from general public, shipper receivers and the company you work for. Remember not too long ago we were "heroes" for bringing everybody all that stuff they needed? What happened.?.I'm 54 and seriously looking at getting out of it, I'm so done with the long hours and the crap that goes with it. I cant blame the young ones for not coming into this industry .
I’m sure the reason for this is that they have no enforcement until the vehicle is on a public highway then they will uphold the law for prosecution if needed 👍🏻
Government think that HGV drivers sit in a warm room all day while looking out a window and twiddling a wheel. I have my HGV but drive skips because my hours are more social and I'm home in my own bed every evening. Something big needs to change and I fear it actually won't happen. They'll be allowing car drivers with 10 years driving experience to drive a Class 2 soon..
Romanian driver here👋 Literally tomorrow on 5th I'll celebrate my first year driving containers (new starter, previously paint sprayer) for a company I'm not gonna say the name, but it kinda feels like I want to go back on spraying. Your video says exactly the reasons why 👏
Spot on and well presented. I've been driving hgv now for 3 years. I can honestly say even now it's horrific. I have developed anxiety since starting. My main work is multidrop. No time to eat and no where to go to toilet. Currently driving in Central London at weekends. Delivering to hotels. Unable to get to most of them due to large flower boxes in the middle of the road and constantly sat nav stops working. Central London at the moment is one big construction site. If you manage to eventually get to your location you are welcomed with a stinking attitude. Nobody wants to help with delivery. Apparently it's my job. The mayor wants people to go to London and spend money there. Have a coffee, meal, site seeing, stay in hotels, feed the ducks, shop etc etc. But surely hgv, s need to deliver to keep this going. So why is the mayor and community making this impossible. I don't understand maybe I'm missing something. Maybe a solution is to ban non commercial vehicles from the city and allow commercial vehicles to do their job. And why so many buses in London lol. Seven buses in a row with six people on. Wow. I could go on all day.
You forgot driver behaviour software that spies on everything you do in that cab, and report all of that back to the traffic office. In what other job would staff tolerate this lack of trust ?
@@richardshomemechanics5566 Me neither. But I know drivers that have. Its becoming very advanced since the early days of trackers. As an example there are now packages available that detect backsides on seats ( no more passengers or dogs) seat belt wearing detection, harsh braking, erratic gear change, geo fenced routes which alert when the driver strays from designated route, engine stop start times with location, and...... driver facing cameras which in the event of detecting a collision will record the 12 seconds before, and 12 seconds after. Some local authorities are also installing cameras to their vehicles that are in always on mode, detecting every facial move. Quite frankly, the truck cab is now such an awful place to spend a day !
Cause of shortage of hgv drivers originates from the Department of transport.They are responsible for the bad conditions and restrictive practices operated against the British professional hgv driver.
Hi David yes I agree the working hours and restrictions are down to the DPT me personally I would do a maximum of a 10 hour day be it driving or unloading it’s crazy you can sit around for a back load and then still be expected to drive for maybe 10 hours total it’s crazy 😜
The only reason there is a shortage is that there is simply far too many people in this country. Its the same with the nhs. Housing, congestion on the roads. Less people will cure most things.
I'd love to drive but not in the UK. Total lack of facilities for drivers. RDC attitudes suck, wait times are crazy, car driver attitudes are totally disrespectful and pay (up until recently) was absolute crap, but even with the extra money now until they sort out subsidised facilities where you can buy a decent meal, get a shower in clean facilities and park for free I would not consider it. Laybys are disgusting and its disgusting drivers have to stop there. I know lots of old drivers who said it all went to shit in the late 90s....before that there was CB, plenty of cafes and a sense of comradery which is largely gone now. Also, its just a personal thing, but I prefer a manual box and jakes and that really aint happening anymore, except for maybe a few small hauliers....at least not here in the UK. New Zealand seems to be the place to be for the more trucky trucks.
Hi Kevin I’m with you on that yes the cpc is a complete con if after 30 years of driving hgv I don’t know it I shouldn’t be doing it ..I agree with updates like a refresh on tachometers rules but that can be done by email ect and not a 9 hour sit in a classroom 😁
I salute you sir. Very well said. I am 39, paid 5000 pounds to do my both license. My point is that the hauliers are taking Mickey of drivers. Worked for different companies and finally left at they paid me less than a bartender would earn. Absolutely joke. That's why this country is facing problems. Government should keep only WTD rules. If someone wants to do more hours then it's upto the driver not the hauliers/agency. Here is the other thing, when I was new in driving attics they didn't give me job as I was brand new and now they would hire even a sheep to do the job. I have a lot of respect for you sir and fellow drivers.
Very good video on why they can recruit H G V drivers, it’s all true, i know, in been in the transport industry for over 50 years. He just miss out on one thing about the night out money, it paid to the drivers in their wages and they paid tax on it.
Totally agree with the CPC bullshit, experience of truck driving does not come from a classroom. Mine runs out 2024 and BELEIVE me i am not taking it, f...k lorry driving.
Instead of keeping wages fair and paying the English a good living standard wage we got half of europ to compete with. How did we let tony Blair get away with free movement of people.
The reason that foreign drivers (like me) pushed the wages down is because most of them accepted to work for 65+ hours per week for 10-11 pounds per hour. Companies liked that and didn't want to hire drivers that stand on their feet and refuse to work so long shifts for that money. It's just demand and offer, as long there is somebody who accepts it they will hire him. Now most of us woke up and demand what we have to have, proper shifts (40-50 hours per week) and wages (at least 1,5 times the lower wage)
Would I become an HGV driver today? Well, put it this way; I'm subcontracting for £140 a day doing gardening for 7-8 hours. I'd prefer to just pay an extra few pennies or so on every item I buy and for someone else to do the driving for a proper man's wage. Funny you mention computerised routing... When my friend was doing Amazon deliveries for a year he had a Dora device which told them their routes etc. which was commonly known as "Dora the f****ng explorer".
you are 100% spot on, i'm retired now after 43yrs in the industry , i had the best years of companies and being self-employed , my answer now would be NO.
I work for goods-in in a warehouse and I see what you mean a lot of drivers have complain about some places that thy deliver too. We use to have a box toilet for drivers only and it's horrible. but now we have a proper toilet now for drivers and it's nice. thanks mate for shearing with us.
what i have not heard mentioned recently is that , when i first started driving HGV ( class 2 ) i was given my list of drops for the day and would say good buy to my boss but now he is on the phone constantly asking where i am and what i am doing thats why i gave it up
I used to think that HGV drivers earned 20 per hour (matching responsibility, unsociable hours, etc), had special rest stops with good facilities, etc dirt cheap or free even... Couldn't be wronger.
Hi Daily singhson Unfortunately HGV has always been the same long hours / poor facility’s / lower wages can it better only the government and employers can do that 👍
I'm 55 27 years under my belt single father at the moment. Even if I wanted to get back into a truck I dont want to do the cpc and cant afford it. It needs scrapping. Its absolutely load of shit. Money for old rope. Mate I learnt nothing time off work and paid 250 for the pleasure. I'm one of the younger drivers at 55 many into their 70s. However they are retiring in there 1000s. No one to replace them. I asked my son how many of your mates from school are truck drivers he laughed said none. Who wants that shit job. Over the past three decades I've worked my heart out. Abused used mistreated. It's an absolute disgrace. You reap what you sow my man. It's not going to get any better soon. Seen lots of trucks with L plates on recently. However its impossible to catch up. And experience my friend takes years. So good luck with that. I was told many years ago class 1. Your ten a penny. Now who's crying into your cornflakes. Things change. Greedy logistics companies slashed rates I lost a home threw it. Anyway if you want to keep your gf or bride dont become a HGV. Because as sure as shit it wont last. The divorce rate for truck drivers is unreal. No life bad diet no sleep No Life
@@richardshomemechanics5566 hi mate yes 27 years I have had my class one. Packed it in a year ago I was that fed up. Absolute shit job at the moment totally agree with you in your video am 52 now. And there’s nothing worse than some kid in a office telling you what to do and they have never been on the road.
I was an Adr class 1 HGV driver but have been deprived of a spinal fusion operation for 7 years but if l had it could have been delivering fuel myself.But the government have put in place a Triage system to deny me the operation. So l paid for a Harley St Spinal Specialist from whom said l should have had this operation years ago.I feel like l have been to Hell & back wit tramadol, morphine, OxyPro etc. So the Tory Government now need people like me who had to the DVLA under false pretences. My friend who is 10 years older than me had the same operation and is still driving Hgvs.l tied to complain but the Tory Government has made laws for the Government Onbusman to close all complaints as you can see on Trust pilot reviews there are 99% bad reviews. I think it is disgusting working 6 or 7 days a week of which l have wage slips of which l spoke with my old M.P the beast of Bolsover who had great respect for me & we would speak for up to 20 minutes. I feel l have been done a great injustice and lf Dennis Skinner was still in charge would have held those accountable to pay for my injustice of the most severe pain has made me think the only way out was to take my own life l am ashamed to say.
I absolutely agree. But what about all these immigrants living full-board in 4 star hotels at your expense. Have YOU ever been financed by the government to live such a life?
Im 56 , been driving hgv since i was 22 , got a class one but the last few years ive just been driving 8 leg tippers and grabs , its a hectic way of earning a living , if thats what you can call it . Poor facilities , poor wages , badly maintained trucks , early starts and late finnishes , overtime at flat rate , no home life , poor on the go meals and i could go on , struggling to keep a car on the road just to get into work early while gaffers drive brand new range rovers and live in huge houses who plead poverty and cant afford to pay you a living wage , no sick pay and basic 28 days a year holiday , working saturday for flat rate just to be able to afford fuel for your car , stress of working long long hours and sleeping in a cramped smelly cab with no air con or night heater , the list is endless , no wonder there is a driver shortage , its an absolute disgrace , i would not encourage anyone to do this for a living , im too old now at 56 to do anything else but in hindsight i would have chisen a totaly different proffession
i am dutch and started tucking in 1990 to 2001 I earned 3700 euros (compared to the guilder) per month including nightly allowance and various allowances. That for 80 hours a week 4x80=320 3700/320=11.5 euros per hour. Now I have been a maintenance engineer for 20 years and earn 3100 euros net for 40 hours a week and sleep next to my beauty every night. i listen to richard's story and i recognize everything he says. it's slave work, really it is
Hi Thijs Thank you for your detailed account of the comparison of wages of a driver and a maintenance engineer it made great reading thank you for taking the time to comment on my channel 👍
Get rid of the cpc. its a waste of money, my hard earned taxed wages and just so can get more "training" by video. Ive learned more road craft doing the job.talking to other drivers, get rid of the cpc.
Why is the driver paying for CPC? Any half decent job in any sector the employer pays for courses for their staff. If you are an employee of a firm the employer should pay.
Hi Michael I do believe your right if your employed as a driver the employer will pay for your cpc normally… but if like me I wanted to go back to driving I would normally be expected to pay for it myself.. some employers are paying as a perk to encourage old drivers back 👍
I have worked for a company where they didn’t provide a pallet truck my boss was not from a hgv background they expected me to drive without my card in order to fulfill the run first day in they didn’t provide me with a fuel card the conditions as well as the salary this job being the worse of them no wonder no one wants to be within the industry
Hi Gary In the old days it wasn’t unknown to run 2 tachos ( paper ones ) on same shift of leave tacho out for 1st hour of duty it was ok until you broke down or had a accident 👍
It’s a shit job used to go with my uncles on holiday times to England my uncle died in his truck while as sleep left two kids and a wife no exercise etc eating shit food no home life Washing in a service staton waiting while some asshole takes for ever to tip you or load you sitting around terrible job I have Hgv licence never used it no life so every time a delivery comes to my Bussiness I make they get away with no delay respect to all who drive thanks for your blog
Hi Stewart sorry to hear what happened to your uncle unfortunately what you are describing is the life of a HGV driver then and I still now .. all other industries seem to have moved on with better hours/ conditions but HgV driving seems to have stayed in the dark ages and not moved with the times
Most everyone complaints about wages and do fuck all . Get unionised get unions to work with eachother just pissing and moaning does nothing except let bosses get away with it again. Unite stand up and be counted
I started driving a lorry in 1973 and of course I am retired now. But I have seen the job change over these years, the lorry's have got better but the job hasn't. If any driver says he has had a big pay rise lately because of the shortage of drivers, he must ask himself this question has the governor been taking the Mick out of me because up until now he has been paying me crap money but all of a sudden I get a massive increase. How long will it be before the money goes back to what it was.
Hi Keith I’m old school like you driving on flat bed rope & sheet when curtain siders came out it really did make driving a lot easier even today rope & sheet is still needed for some loads ( obviously not food ) I to also feel ithe pay rise like the carrot 🥕 and donkey how and where has this money come from time will tell 👍
I have just given up my HGV license (Aug 21) 4 days ago I had a letter from DVLA asking me to continue, how can I do that when the DVLA still has my license? I am 65+ and will not pay the DR'S exorbitant fee for the medical!!
Hi James Thank you for commenting on my channel… I’m 55 and even though I don’t drive HGV now I still like to keep my medical up unfortunately the cost for me to see a dictator our surgery is £198.00 that’s criminal if you include CPC …my licence / digi card update and my ADR packages and tankers it’s touching a grand £1000.00 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I find it shocking to learn that you, the driver, has to come up with all that money yourself ! I think in the Netherlands we pay for the medical but CPC (called CODE95 here) and ADR are normally paid for by the company.
Hi Sacha In the U.K. the cpc and the adr are normally paid by the employer but at the moment drivers who are not actually driving for a job would normally have to fund themselves to get back into the industry but not always 👍
2:42 there have already been Polish drivers in the UK - but Brits decided to kick them out ... sorry voted to leave - so they left, that's a pure consequence of Brexit and that's not true they earn more in Poland
I hope that less HGV drivers from Europe will help England out, after 5 years of Brexit, i hate the English government, they have to solve their problems by themselfs.
As a kid I was obsessed with truck's got my class one at 24 been in the industry nearly 30 years, Ridiculous hours crap pay terrible management vastly over regulated and treated like crap by all and sundry, Still enjoy actually driving truck's but the industry is absolutely horrible, I advise no one to get into it far better options available.
Firms should go back to vacancy boards , and stop using the leeches called agencies . IF firms can afford to pay agencies , they can pay the drivers what they pay the leeches. I started as drivers mate back in 1969 , I have a class 1 and now in 21 i' m 67, and part retired , if there was an 8 hour day driver job , i would do it . We have been abused for to long. THE CPC MUST GO . I want to work , don't need to work . Lots of people like me out there. And iv just had a letter from D OF T , asking me to return to work . D of T need to make it more attractive , and do away with the CPC
Follow the money.....see who makes millions out of the dcpc....and you will see that they will never get rid......certain people will lose too much money.
@@richardshomemechanics5566 It's one of those cases like Nigel Farage pointed out when Cameron was allowing the land to be covered with wind turbines.....Of course he was, his father in law, was making a thousand pounds a week from the ones on his land...many other government people were becoming very rich on the same thing......There is always a hidden agenda with these people, one of them or several of them are getting rich on the dodgy government schemes they come up with.
No I Wouldn't. Too much red tape with my neck on the line. Too many lazy unskilled inexperienced bosses giving orders. Really enjoyed listening to you as you being a time served experienced long distance lorry driver. Hope you don't mind me saying? Same with me in my trade/skill. That's why I also work in a warehouse easy peasy. Tony
Class one test cpc test adr test digi card medical provisional pep I wonder why not bad for 15 quid an hour oh vosa speeding fines digi cards who are the muppets
Poor drivers pay isn't a new thing. Back in the mid 70s I was earning £64 a week, when I was offered a job, erecting steel, I wasn't sure, but as a married man with a mortgage I thought I best give it a shot. First day out I earned £65. I still did the odd day driving, but when the CPC came in I gave up, no 12yr old can tell me how to rope and sheet a load.
This is spot on. 100%. 40 years driving HCV and PCV. UK and Continental. 30 years then I have to take a CPC At £ 500. You should be a consultant. This is just so true. All passenger transport managers should spend at least 2 years on the road. Instead we get a university student/graduate. Clueless. I will save this to pass on.
I did it for 26 years pasted my class 1 at 22 in 1984 over the years had some good jobs and crap jobs. In 2010 I got made redundant from a tile distribution job after 17 years pay was good it was heavy work but enjoyed it. I got a job the day after being made redundant 1/03/2010 class 1 £8.00 an hour 60 hours on nights lasted a few weeks told them to stick it up there arse. Got a class (c) 2 multi drop in the St post code area this job was crap £5.98 an hour minimum wage gave that up as I got a job driving a transit connect for £6.50 an hour for an engineering company. I now work for the same engineering company as a nigh controller route planner love his job £15.00 an hour plus overtime. Until the conditions drive drastically not much will change.
Hi Martin You’ve certainly had a varied amount of jobs in the driving sector and it sounds just like the route I took when I was younger I’m pleased your happy in your present job not many people can say that 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 years ago my dad said to me if you can find a job you enjoy you will never work a day in your life because you enjoy going there which is what I did with my trucking career I also have operator cpc national international run a small distribution depo for a few years you with think that a operator cpc would far out way the driver cpc but it doesn’t. It’s a shame the trucking industry came to this. I think the early to mid 80’s was the best time decent trucks f10/f12 Volvo decent conditions and slowing went down the pan. Good luck for the future a great video. Anyone who doesn’t understand the problems just just go on the road for a week with a trucker. Thanks.
Hi Martin You are spot on with the late 80s / early 90s I drove a F10 a great motor proper truck .. driving trucks was great then … it’s a shame it’s gone down hill since then … it’s going to take a lot of doing to get the truck driver respect they deserve time will tell 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 You only need to look at the constuction industry all sub contractors no employment costs then the big house builders have record profits . All bogus employment ontop of the they had eastern European workers keeping price work down . The result many bricklayers joiners plumbers coming upto retirement age and no one coming through . For years its been to easy to use foreign labour instead of investing in apprenticeships and training . House builders dont care its all profit you only need look at the lease scandal to see the mentality your dealing with .
I would not go through all that for the money they get paid! No fucking way mate, its the same for chefs & hospitality workers! Longs days, shit pay, why do it! No brainer leave the trade and do something else
Hi Ed When I lay in bed and listen to the news before I get up and hear all the roads congestion / accidents going on it really makes me realise I really got out of driving at the right time
@@richardshomemechanics5566 Here's a puzzler. A year ago, Kwarsi Kwarteng, when questioned about possible labour shortages said we'd would be losing low- skilled workers such as ... and he included haulage drivers in his list, but British workers were waiting to take their places. Yesterday, in an interview,Johnson three times used the phrase, '.... low skilled workers from abroad we had become reliant on'. It turns out the those 'low skilled' workers across many sectors are not so low skilled after all. Going back to Kwarteng, he now refers to drivers as high skilled ... perhaps part of the reason we can't find, or even have enough of a UK workforce to cover all the Labour gaps now becoming apparent. In 2020 l had two young Romanian builders working for me. Best workers ever, multi skilled and to the highest quality l've come across. Highly skilled and now gone ... unvalued and made to feel unwelcome. What does it say about the UK (or rather England).
Then you got certain countries drivers filling up their tanks in other countries so they are paying no fuel tax whilst running on our roads. Plus alot of them are not to the same standards as UK.
Brother...even myself eu citizen who lives in the UK I ditched hgv job and I work now in health care industry...with little bit of overtime I'm getting same or better money. No stress. Every night sleeping home own bed. It's a breeze. If someone wants to drive a truck these days they must be insane Great video 💯💯💯
Hi Jedi Thank you for commenting on my channel/ video I gave up driving due to hours / away from home / missing my family/ missing my bed / but I’m a old school driver so was doing long hours to make my money I to swapped jobs to driving’s a forklift truck .. yes I did take a pay cut but I’m happy working 8am-5pm Monday- Friday
Nope ! I was going to 'risk' it and take the plunge , but after your sage comments , I changed my mind 360 degrees angle and thought I'd be better off working as a postman !
Hi Hsissen Personally I would stick with being a postie but driving HGV may be for you unfortunately starting from scratch is going to cost a lot of money to get behind the wheel
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I'm really gutted to be discouraged as I was hoping for a change and get on the open roads instead of being a postman at the mercy of little dogs threatening to shred my ankles to pieces ! Them traffic Police should really go after the Highway robbers who terrorize the poor lorry drivers instead of taking it out of drivers ! Is this still a problem for lorry drivers like me Dad said ?
I was Warehouse, yardman FLT, Lorry Driver Macanic, I went back on the FLT driver,, I use to deliver eggs around Birmingham, A/Z, I had 2 Bad Smashes now I am crippled for Life,
On around 2.45 to 4.00 the narrator states the Polish then Romanian started HGV driving then quit. So if the pay is too low for Eastern Europeans then the pay must be really crappy. The CPC must be scrapped ASAP.
Spot on with this video. Got out of the industry over 20 years ago because of the hours, poor pay and the way you were treated ! Unfortunately nothing seems to have changed in all that time. Its time HGV driving is treated as a real professional career with pay and conditions brought in to the 21st century. Everything people buy, use or consume has only got there because of the HGV industry, this country would not last more than a few days if all drivers just said f..ck it !!!!! Just look at how bad things are after just a few days with limited fuel supply's. Wake up people out there, you need to look after these guys and respect the vital job they provide to this country. All the best to the guys daily driving out there, and I thank you all, from an ex-driver.
It's not just the driving industry it's all industry's, I have been on the same money for 20 years. Cheap labour from Europe has dragged industry wages and conditions down, Managers care little. and no apprenticeships or proper training youngsters accepting lower rates and told if you don't like it go, people bullied and the fear factor added to keep people conforming.. for fear of losing the jobs. every industry and all jobs have degraded over the years, no job satisfaction anymore. The wrong people at the top, jobs for the boys. clicks and so on.. dont forget you only get promoted to your own level of incompetence. BIG life lesson
I educated myself in 2000 to HGV driver here in Sweden (2 semesters). Stopped after some years because the salary just didn't match the work load. And now I CANNOT drive because of the fucking CPC which is called Certificate of Competence here. Same shit as in UK. 😰 Now I'm re-educating myself to heavy mechanic.
All This B+!! S#.The About; " Oh We are SO Desperate for HGV Drivers WE are Giving Them BIG Pay Rises " Enough to Make Me Vomit ! If Driver Pay was Doubled Tomorrow It STILL Will NOT Have Caught Up to Where It Should Be. A Tesco Depot Near Me ( S.E.England ) Offered me a Job in 1994 @ £20k a Year, I Said No. That Same Depot Now 27 Years Later is Offering £26,500/ Year ! They Claim They're Desperate, I Wonder Why ?
Hi Gobble de gook I completely agree with you on this in my prime I was earning ok money but putting in a lot of hours to achieve this .. and night out money also for me 20 years ago was £20.00 even then you couldn’t get decent parking and decent food for that .. if I was in charge I would maximise 10 hour days including unloading / other duties you wouldn’t work over a 50 hour week scrap cpc and simplify the rules .. personally if they fo what they say they are going to do and fast track drivers it can only end badly god help us ..
100 percent agree with you …when I was driving a truck it was that amount but when I came of driving and went on the tools all of a sudden the same firm was more than happy to put me up in a premier in at £50.00 at the time why’s that then ??
Do You Know There are 18 Year Olds Now with HGV1 Licence, Driving 44 Ton Artics ! It's Been Like This for Over a Decade ! When I Started It Was 21 to get HGV Licence & No Decent Company Would Touch You Until You Were 25+ & 2+ Years Experience.
No I went for my HGV licence years and years ago and even agencies even take the piss. Plus your against the tach chart all the time. Plus if you get stuck in traffic how are you supposed to get to your destination in time. Plus service station in the whole the United Kingdom are an absolutely disgrace. Plus tramping you blooming stink for days. ( I could go on and on and on and on )
I got into hgv late in life, I'm 60 now.. too old to change careers. would i recommend it to young lads who fancy being a driver? No.. get some decent quals and find a well paid office or factory job.. driving an hgv is just hassle from shift start to shift finish and your treat like shite.
I started class one in 1988 food distribution until the year 2000 was earning more money through the 1990s from 2000 till now twentytwentyone earning less money on tippers but home every night if I was starting my driving career now I don't think I'm gonna go into it
Hi David It seems many old school drivers like us if we had known would not have got into the industry it is a shame thank you for the great comments on my channel 👍
Well done Richard for this valuable information about how bad is the working condition of UK's HGV drivers and for what reason drivers gave up to drive lorries in UK.
I have 5 kids. None of them looking to become hgv driver. I am in the industry 10+ years. Now have to reduce my availability to 4 days a week,because in 4 shifts I can get 50+ hours. Is good enaugh for me. Cheers.
I am trying to get a job but unfortunately I'm a new pass class 2 and no company wants new pass I've been told go to agency to get some experience if payed just under 2 000 so just a bit gutted I started to get my CLASS 2 about year ago but with lock down it got delayed
Hi Shaun Sorry to hear your struggling to gain a job as a Class 2 HGV driver unfortunately when i passed my test many moons ago I to struggled to gain a driving job they normally wanted 2 years experience…which was hard to get .. ad no one would touch you until you had done the 2 years .. Agency is your best bet .. there are companies who may take you on but they are normally dodgy and won’t pay you the going rate .. do your homework and check out any firms you may fancy working for you will soon find out the good and the bad ones .. keep ringing round firms I would personally bypass the agency and try and get employed direct good luck you will do it 👍
I was recently talking to a Portugese truck driver who told me that when the lockdowns started there was nowhere for the lorry drivers to go to the toilet, shower or eat, let alone fill up with fuel so they were staying at home, this forced the governments to reopen the truck stops. He made the point that many of the facilities were rubbish and the worst in the UK and it was past time that conditions for truck drivers were improved. The truth is whilst the RHA could get in a bunch of cheap eastern European drivers whom they could treat like s##t they had no incentive to improve truck drivers pay and conditions, they and their Remainer friends are to blame for the current mess. The eastern European drivers are leaving the UK because they get well enough paid at home and their housing costs are a fraction of UK housing costs, good luck to them.
Hi white van man Very well said you are quite right they can up the money but the actual working conditions/ hours / facility’s will be the same so we are not always talking about money here but the overall package the drive has to deal with 👍
Your forgetting really bad greedy bosses, wanting the truck at 3 different places at the same time, RDC that if your 15 minutes late turn you away, though if your on time ,you can sit in there for 4 hours plus, RDC that think having a vending machine that serves a type of watery soup that's providing you with a hot meal that's costs you. CPC I had the same l module for the entire 36 hours, medical that's another issue at 67 if I wanted to go back 65 it's a medical every year, at our practise that's £200 which many drivers have to pay sometimes the company pays about £50.00p towards it, HGV driving and all that goes with it would have to change dramatically for me to go back to it all the point you mentioned been there got the T shirts.
at the end of the day it all boils down to the greed society which as a country we all jumped on the bandwagon , you now have the conscequences of this , it goes right across the board , agencies are one paeticular problem with trades , also no unions , no rights as workers , we gone back nearly 100 years , well done thatcher
If not for you guys we would all have starved over the last few years.
I never heard anyone clap for you and get behind supporting a pay rise.
Hi Jim your comments and appreciation is greatly appreciated 👍
My dad was an HGV driver, he drove all over Europe, it caused my parents to get divorced, he was so much happier when he retired from driving HGV.
Hi Sean thank you for commenting on my channel my video is just to portray how hard the life of a lorry driver can be unfortunately it does affect people’s personal life as you have just mentioned but some drivers love the life style it really is individual decisions
There seems to be 5 main things that attract people and retain people in a job. 1) Salary. 2) Working conditions. 3) Location. 4) Company benefits and extras. 5) Kudos. The Industry must do more to attract people to the job.
Hi campervan Dave
Those points you’ve made are spot on
👍
There's never been a better time to be an HGV driver, moneys up, job availability's up and people need us more than ever, I've just had a 40% pay rise, Do away with the drivers CPC, never been asked for mine since day 1 see how many drivers want to come back and start making some serious money. Foreign drivers have forced wages down for the last 10 to 15 years, so they can do 1 as far as I'm concerned, the amount of money they send "home" is a scandal, they contribute very little to the British economy.
Hi Steve it’s very true what your saying I personally do not feel the wages increase will be enough to entice the drivers who have left the industry.. the main reason I feel they won’t is because of the age .. the drivers who have left are not going to be youngsters they are going to be in there mid 50s - 60s there is going to be a new generation of young drivers chasing the money unfortunately most would not have done much or any commercial driving before time will tell ☺️
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I'm 67 in December I work for a local firm who realise I can't do what I used to do, I'm home every night and don't work weekends, leave the heavy graft to the youngsters and we''ll pick up the slack, after all it's a drivers market now and will be for some time, I see agency's are having to pay up to £54 an hour for Sunday working, £25 an hour is normal at these trying times.
Hi Steve
Thank you for the update 👍
Steve looks like you have got a good balance there 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 Thanks Richard, life's very good atm, (as it should be).
This country could learn a hell of a lot from the states and Canada when it comes to HGV driving. They have massive truck stops with proper rest areas and restaurants, an online app dedicated for truckers that can tell you where stops are and you can book your parking space for the night. Over here you'll be lucky to find one that even has HGV parking and if you do it will cost £20+ for parking and £5 for a cold tasteless sandwich.....
Hi fear me
Very good comments especially about the parking and food
And dirty toilets and no shower.
Dirty toilets.. scuzzy showers.. food thats been reheated and then reheated again overpriced at that.. same crap over here- total disrespect for drivers from general public, shipper receivers and the company you work for..im 54 and seriously looking at getting out of it, hell i can make the same hourly rate driving a delivery van for amazon than driving an 80 000lb tractor trailer !!! If i knew back 20+ years ago what i do now id NEVER EVER have gone for that licence
Hi Darf
Your comments on the Way the USA 🇺🇸 look after truckers is spot on 👍
Dirty toilets.. scuzzy showers.. food thats been reheated and then reheated again overpriced at that.. same crap over here- total disrespect for drivers from general public, shipper receivers and the company you work for. Remember not too long ago we were "heroes" for bringing everybody all that stuff they needed? What happened.?.I'm 54 and seriously looking at getting out of it, I'm so done with the long hours and the crap that goes with it. I cant blame the young ones for not coming into this industry .
Another reason is harassment and time wasted by vosa and dvsa , why can they not go to the yards and test the trucks and trailers could be inspected.
Hi Tom that would definitely be a better idea just let the drivers get on with there job
I’m sure the reason for this is that they have no enforcement until the vehicle is on a public highway then they will uphold the law for prosecution if needed 👍🏻
Government think that HGV drivers sit in a warm room all day while looking out a window and twiddling a wheel.
I have my HGV but drive skips because my hours are more social and I'm home in my own bed every evening.
Something big needs to change and I fear it actually won't happen. They'll be allowing car drivers with 10 years driving experience to drive a Class 2 soon..
Hi Jack
I’ve also done skips for the same reason being in my own bed every night thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
Romanian driver here👋
Literally tomorrow on 5th I'll celebrate my first year driving containers (new starter, previously paint sprayer) for a company I'm not gonna say the name, but it kinda feels like I want to go back on spraying. Your video says exactly the reasons why 👏
Hi constantin
Thank you for commenting on my channel and your honest response 👍
Spot on and well presented.
I've been driving hgv now for 3 years.
I can honestly say even now it's horrific.
I have developed anxiety since starting.
My main work is multidrop.
No time to eat and no where to go to toilet.
Currently driving in Central London at weekends.
Delivering to hotels.
Unable to get to most of them due to large flower boxes in the middle of the road and constantly sat nav stops working.
Central London at the moment is one big construction site.
If you manage to eventually get to your location you are welcomed with a stinking attitude.
Nobody wants to help with delivery.
Apparently it's my job.
The mayor wants people to go to London and spend money there.
Have a coffee, meal, site seeing, stay in hotels, feed the ducks, shop etc etc.
But surely hgv, s need to deliver to keep this going.
So why is the mayor and community making this impossible.
I don't understand maybe I'm missing something.
Maybe a solution is to ban non commercial vehicles from the city and allow commercial vehicles to do their job.
And why so many buses in London lol. Seven buses in a row with six people on.
Wow.
I could go on all day.
Hi John
Thank you for the kind comment and very interesting writing you’ve done 👍
Brilliant response
You forgot driver behaviour software that spies on everything you do in that cab, and report all of that back to the traffic office. In what other job would staff tolerate this lack of trust ?
Hi Dover
When I was driving it did not have a spy in the cab fortunately 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 Me neither. But I know drivers that have. Its becoming very advanced since the early days of trackers. As an example there are now packages available that detect backsides on seats ( no more passengers or dogs) seat belt wearing detection, harsh braking, erratic gear change, geo fenced routes which alert when the driver strays from designated route, engine stop start times with location, and...... driver facing cameras which in the event of detecting a collision will record the 12 seconds before, and 12 seconds after. Some local authorities are also installing cameras to their vehicles that are in always on mode, detecting every facial move. Quite frankly, the truck cab is now such an awful place to spend a day !
Cause of shortage of hgv drivers originates from the Department of transport.They are responsible for the bad conditions and restrictive
practices operated against the British professional hgv driver.
Hi David yes I agree the working hours and restrictions are down to the DPT me personally I would do a maximum of a 10 hour day be it driving or unloading it’s crazy you can sit around for a back load and then still be expected to drive for maybe 10 hours total it’s crazy 😜
The only reason there is a shortage is that there is simply far too many people in this country. Its the same with the nhs. Housing, congestion on the roads. Less people will cure most things.
In my opinion there is no shortage. All this is a political game
Hi Marvin
Time will tell on this one .. thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
Bingo.. you are 100% right
Thank you Nikodem 👍
They are definitely under paid
Hi James thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
I'd love to drive but not in the UK. Total lack of facilities for drivers. RDC attitudes suck, wait times are crazy, car driver attitudes are totally disrespectful and pay (up until recently) was absolute crap, but even with the extra money now until they sort out subsidised facilities where you can buy a decent meal, get a shower in clean facilities and park for free I would not consider it. Laybys are disgusting and its disgusting drivers have to stop there. I know lots of old drivers who said it all went to shit in the late 90s....before that there was CB, plenty of cafes and a sense of comradery which is largely gone now. Also, its just a personal thing, but I prefer a manual box and jakes and that really aint happening anymore, except for maybe a few small hauliers....at least not here in the UK. New Zealand seems to be the place to be for the more trucky trucks.
The c p c needs to be scraped it a complete waste of time and money 💰
Hi Kevin I’m with you on that yes the cpc is a complete con if after 30 years of driving hgv I don’t know it I shouldn’t be doing it ..I agree with updates like a refresh on tachometers rules but that can be done by email ect and not a 9 hour sit in a classroom 😁
Thankyou for your window of experience !!!! The CPC should be scrapped as it is another money earner for the government not intended to help drivers.
Hi John I couldn’t agree more thank you for your comment on my channel 👍
I salute you sir. Very well said.
I am 39, paid 5000 pounds to do my both license. My point is that the hauliers are taking Mickey of drivers. Worked for different companies and finally left at they paid me less than a bartender would earn. Absolutely joke. That's why this country is facing problems.
Government should keep only WTD rules. If someone wants to do more hours then it's upto the driver not the hauliers/agency.
Here is the other thing, when I was new in driving attics they didn't give me job as I was brand new and now they would hire even a sheep to do the job. I have a lot of respect for you sir and fellow drivers.
Hi Heren
Thank you for commenting on my channel and your honest reply 👍
Very good video on why they can recruit H G V drivers, it’s all true, i know, in been in the transport industry for over 50 years.
He just miss out on one thing about the night out money, it paid to the drivers in their wages and they paid tax on it.
Hi Frank
if I remember they kept it under a certain amount you wasn’t taxed on .. obviously things have moved on now 👍
Totally agree with the CPC bullshit, experience of truck driving does not come from a classroom. Mine runs out 2024 and BELEIVE me i am not taking it, f...k lorry driving.
Would you drive your car for this number of hours? Thought not. Why? Too dangerous
Transport and General workers let's strike no drivers things are crap show people u ar men Gov never done it it was blair
Instead of keeping wages fair and paying the English a good living standard wage we got half of europ to compete with. How did we let tony Blair get away with free movement of people.
Hi Richard
Thank you for commenting on my channel it’s greatly appreciated 👍
The reason that foreign drivers (like me) pushed the wages down is because most of them accepted to work for 65+ hours per week for 10-11 pounds per hour. Companies liked that and didn't want to hire drivers that stand on their feet and refuse to work so long shifts for that money. It's just demand and offer, as long there is somebody who accepts it they will hire him. Now most of us woke up and demand what we have to have, proper shifts (40-50 hours per week) and wages (at least 1,5 times the lower wage)
Would I become an HGV driver today? Well, put it this way; I'm subcontracting for £140 a day doing gardening for 7-8 hours. I'd prefer to just pay an extra few pennies or so on every item I buy and for someone else to do the driving for a proper man's wage.
Funny you mention computerised routing... When my friend was doing Amazon deliveries for a year he had a Dora device which told them their routes etc. which was commonly known as "Dora the f****ng explorer".
Hi Red head forester
I agree computer routing was poor and good luck with the garden work looks one you have made a good choice 👍
you are 100% spot on, i'm retired now after 43yrs in the industry , i had the best years of companies and being self-employed , my answer now would be NO.
Hi Peter
Thank you for commenting on my channel and your honest answer
I work for goods-in in a warehouse and I see what you mean a lot of drivers have complain about some places that thy deliver too.
We use to have a box toilet for drivers only and it's horrible. but now we have a proper toilet now for drivers and it's nice.
thanks mate for shearing with us.
Hi Abrahim
Thank you for sharing your comments on my channel 👍
Treated like crap , crap hours crap pay !!
what i have not heard mentioned recently is that , when i first started driving HGV ( class 2 ) i was given my list of drops for the day and would say good buy to my boss but now he is on the phone constantly asking where i am and what i am doing
thats why i gave it up
Hi Allen the normal phone call from transport boss is … where are you ??? … can you get there …tell them your late because you had a flat tyre lol 😂
i got my class 2 in 2007 and only lasted 3 years ,for me it was the rediculous hours , i had no family life -i definatly would'nt go back -
Hi Scooner
Yours is the same reason I gave up driving 👍
I used to think that HGV drivers earned 20 per hour (matching responsibility, unsociable hours, etc), had special rest stops with good facilities, etc dirt cheap or free even...
Couldn't be wronger.
Hi Daily singhson
Unfortunately HGV has always been the same long hours / poor facility’s / lower wages can it better only the government and employers can do that 👍
I'm 55 27 years under my belt single father at the moment. Even if I wanted to get back into a truck I dont want to do the cpc and cant afford it. It needs scrapping. Its absolutely load of shit. Money for old rope. Mate I learnt nothing time off work and paid 250 for the pleasure. I'm one of the younger drivers at 55 many into their 70s. However they are retiring in there 1000s. No one to replace them. I asked my son how many of your mates from school are truck drivers he laughed said none. Who wants that shit job. Over the past three decades I've worked my heart out. Abused used mistreated. It's an absolute disgrace. You reap what you sow my man. It's not going to get any better soon. Seen lots of trucks with L plates on recently. However its impossible to catch up. And experience my friend takes years. So good luck with that. I was told many years ago class 1. Your ten a penny. Now who's crying into your cornflakes. Things change. Greedy logistics companies slashed rates I lost a home threw it. Anyway if you want to keep your gf or bride dont become a HGV. Because as sure as shit it wont last. The divorce rate for truck drivers is unreal. No life bad diet no sleep No Life
Hi Andy
That’s so true about relationships 👍
Cpc needs to go asap
Hi John
I agree cpc is what I believe is what’s stopping ex drivers coming back apart from conditions ect 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 hi mate yes 27 years I have had my class one. Packed it in a year ago I was that fed up. Absolute shit job at the moment totally agree with you in your video am 52 now. And there’s nothing worse than some kid in a office telling you what to do and they have never been on the road.
Hi John
Thank you for commenting on my channel I’ve not driven commercially for 7 years now I enjoy my own bed to much now 👍
I was an Adr class 1 HGV driver but have been deprived of a spinal fusion operation for 7 years but if l had it could have been delivering fuel myself.But the government have put in place a Triage system to deny me the operation. So l paid for a Harley St Spinal Specialist from whom said l should have had this operation years ago.I feel like l have been to Hell & back wit tramadol, morphine, OxyPro etc. So the Tory Government now need people like me who had to the DVLA under false pretences. My friend who is 10 years older than me had the same operation and is still driving Hgvs.l tied to complain but the Tory Government has made laws for the Government Onbusman to close all complaints as you can see on Trust pilot reviews there are 99% bad reviews. I think it is disgusting working 6 or 7 days a week of which l have wage slips of which l spoke with my old M.P the beast of Bolsover who had great respect for me & we would speak for up to 20 minutes. I feel l have been done a great injustice and lf Dennis Skinner was still in charge would have held those accountable to pay for my injustice of the most severe pain has made me think the only way out was to take my own life l am ashamed to say.
Hi Dean
Thank you for commenting on my channel and telling how it is 👍
I absolutely agree.
But what about all these immigrants living full-board in 4 star hotels at your expense.
Have YOU ever been financed by the government to live such a life?
Hi John
Good string point you’ve made
Thank you for your comments 👍
Im 56 , been driving hgv since i was 22 , got a class one but the last few years ive just been driving 8 leg tippers and grabs , its a hectic way of earning a living , if thats what you can call it . Poor facilities , poor wages , badly maintained trucks , early starts and late finnishes , overtime at flat rate , no home life , poor on the go meals and i could go on , struggling to keep a car on the road just to get into work early while gaffers drive brand new range rovers and live in huge houses who plead poverty and cant afford to pay you a living wage , no sick pay and basic 28 days a year holiday , working saturday for flat rate just to be able to afford fuel for your car , stress of working long long hours and sleeping in a cramped smelly cab with no air con or night heater , the list is endless , no wonder there is a driver shortage , its an absolute disgrace , i would not encourage anyone to do this for a living , im too old now at 56 to do anything else but in hindsight i would have chisen a totaly different proffession
Hi David
Thank you commenting on my channel it’s greatly appreciated 👍
i am dutch and started tucking in 1990 to 2001
I earned 3700 euros (compared to the guilder) per month including nightly allowance and various allowances.
That for 80 hours a week
4x80=320
3700/320=11.5 euros per hour.
Now I have been a maintenance engineer for 20 years and earn 3100 euros net for 40 hours a week and sleep next to my beauty every night.
i listen to richard's story and i recognize everything he says.
it's slave work, really it is
Hi Thijs
Thank you for your detailed account of the comparison of wages of a driver and a maintenance engineer it made great reading thank you for taking the time to comment on my channel 👍
Get rid of the cpc. its a waste of money, my hard earned taxed wages and just so can get more "training" by video. Ive learned more road craft doing the job.talking to other drivers, get rid of the cpc.
Hi Simon
Yes the cpc should👍 go
Why is the driver paying for CPC? Any half decent job in any sector the employer pays for courses for their staff. If you are an employee of a firm the employer should pay.
Hi Michael
I do believe your right if your employed as a driver the employer will pay for your cpc normally… but if like me I wanted to go back to driving I would normally be expected to pay for it myself.. some employers are paying as a perk to encourage old drivers back 👍
I have worked for a company where they didn’t provide a pallet truck my boss was not from a hgv background they expected me to drive without my card in order to fulfill the run first day in they didn’t provide me with a fuel card the conditions as well as the salary this job being the worse of them no wonder no one wants to be within the industry
Hi Gary
In the old days it wasn’t unknown to run 2 tachos ( paper ones ) on same shift of leave tacho out for 1st hour of duty it was ok until you broke down or had a accident 👍
It’s a shit job used to go with my uncles on holiday times to England my uncle died in his truck while as sleep left two kids and a wife no exercise etc eating shit food no home life
Washing in a service staton waiting while some asshole takes for ever to tip you or load you sitting around terrible job I have Hgv licence never used it no life so every time a delivery comes to my Bussiness I make they get away with no delay respect to all who drive thanks for your blog
Hi Stewart sorry to hear what happened to your uncle unfortunately what you are describing is the life of a HGV driver then and I still now .. all other industries seem to have moved on with better hours/ conditions but HgV driving seems to have stayed in the dark ages and not moved with the times
I live in Barbados 🇧🇧 and I and I drive a ten wheeler tip I would love the opportunity to work in England
Hi Carlisle
Hi 👋 from the U.K. there’s never been a better time to do that mind you the weathers not as good as yours 👍
Most everyone complaints about wages and do fuck all . Get unionised get unions to work with eachother just pissing and moaning does nothing except let bosses get away with it again. Unite stand up and be counted
Hi Iron sights
I’m with you on that one ☝️
I started driving a lorry in 1973 and of course I am retired now. But I have seen the job change over these years, the lorry's have got better but the job hasn't. If any driver says he has had a big pay rise lately because of the shortage of drivers, he must ask himself this question has the governor been taking the Mick out of me because up until now he has been paying me crap money but all of a sudden I get a massive increase. How long will it be before the money goes back to what it was.
Hi Keith
I’m old school like you driving on flat bed rope & sheet when curtain siders came out it really did make driving a lot easier even today rope & sheet is still needed for some loads ( obviously not food ) I to also feel ithe pay rise like the carrot 🥕 and donkey how and where has this money come from time will tell 👍
I have just given up my HGV license (Aug 21) 4 days ago I had a letter from DVLA asking me to continue, how can I do that when the DVLA still has my license? I am 65+ and will not pay the DR'S exorbitant fee for the medical!!
Hi James
Thank you for commenting on my channel… I’m 55 and even though I don’t drive HGV now I still like to keep my medical up unfortunately the cost for me to see a dictator our surgery is £198.00 that’s criminal if you include CPC …my licence / digi card update and my ADR packages and tankers it’s touching a grand £1000.00 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I find it shocking to learn that you, the driver, has to come up with all that money yourself ! I think in the Netherlands we pay for the medical but CPC (called CODE95 here) and ADR are normally paid for by the company.
Hi Sacha
In the U.K. the cpc and the adr are normally paid by the employer but at the moment drivers who are not actually driving for a job would normally have to fund themselves to get back into the industry but not always 👍
Europe has a form of CPC. In the Netherlands it's called CODE95 but that's generally paid for by the company which employs the driver (as is ADR).
2:42 there have already been Polish drivers in the UK - but Brits decided to kick them out ... sorry voted to leave - so they left, that's a pure consequence of Brexit
and that's not true they earn more in Poland
Hi Aaa aaa
Thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
Driving HGV was crap in the 70's when I was driving. I lasted 20 years and left the industry for good.
Hi Robert you’ve got a few years in me I didn’t start driving till late 80s it wasn’t to bad then but has deteriorated over the years 👍
I hope that less HGV drivers from Europe will help England out, after 5 years of Brexit, i hate the English government, they have to solve their problems by themselfs.
I will definitely not be coming back as a HGV driver
Hi Stephen
At the moment I can’t see my self driving no mater what money they offer .. the jobs still the same 👍
Simple 100% reason 1 only....
After 8 hrs in a factory u get time + half
On a lorry after 8 hrs still on £11.
This is bollocks.
Hi Ab
That’s a great point you’ve made there 👍
This video should be put on the news might stop all the knobheads who are panic buying and blaming brexit
Yes its shortage because most of the company wont give a chance for a young new driver who recently passed their hgv license .
I left the industry in June after 24 years. I’m 48. I’m retraining to become a surveyor. I now have my life back and my health has improved massively.
Hi Adam
Well done for retraining I wish you all the best with your new chosen career 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 thanks. Well said in your video. Exactly why the experienced drivers are leaving or have left the industry. All the best.
Hi Adam thank you for the kind comments it’s greatly appreciated 👍
Brother want driver from dubai i have experiance 9 year lorry truck i see job in uk
As a kid I was obsessed with truck's got my class one at 24 been in the industry nearly 30 years, Ridiculous hours crap pay terrible management vastly over regulated and treated like crap by all and sundry, Still enjoy actually driving truck's but the industry is absolutely horrible, I advise no one to get into it far better options available.
Hi Dc
Very good write up on being a driver thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
Firms should go back to vacancy boards , and stop using the leeches called agencies . IF firms can afford to pay agencies , they can pay the drivers what they pay the leeches. I started as drivers mate back in 1969 , I have a class 1 and now in 21 i' m 67, and part retired , if there was an 8 hour day driver job , i would do it . We have been abused for to long. THE CPC MUST GO . I want to work , don't need to work . Lots of people like me out there. And iv just had a letter from D OF T , asking me to return to work . D of T need to make it more attractive , and do away with the CPC
Hi Teddy
Well spoken I do agree it should be a shorter working week and good bye cpc ..
Follow the money.....see who makes millions out of the dcpc....and you will see that they will never get rid......certain people will lose too much money.
Hi Stephen
Absolutely your spot on 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 It's one of those cases like Nigel Farage pointed out when Cameron was allowing the land to be covered with wind turbines.....Of course he was, his father in law, was making a thousand pounds a week from the ones on his land...many other government people were becoming very rich on the same thing......There is always a hidden agenda with these people, one of them or several of them are getting rich on the dodgy government schemes they come up with.
HGV drivers can only drive for nine hours per day.
Yes i will become hgv driver. Where is the money?.
No I Wouldn't. Too much red tape with my neck on the line. Too many lazy unskilled inexperienced bosses giving orders. Really enjoyed listening to you as you being a time served experienced long distance lorry driver. Hope you don't mind me saying? Same with me in my trade/skill. That's why I also work in a warehouse easy peasy. Tony
Hi Tony
Thank you for commenting on my channel and the great input 👍
Class one test cpc test adr test digi card medical provisional pep I wonder why not bad for 15 quid an hour oh vosa speeding fines digi cards who are the muppets
Hi Karl
It soon adds up is it worth it ??? 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 truth no
Poor drivers pay isn't a new thing. Back in the mid 70s I was earning £64 a week, when I was offered a job, erecting steel, I wasn't sure, but as a married man with a mortgage I thought I best give it a shot. First day out I earned £65. I still did the odd day driving, but when the CPC came in I gave up, no 12yr old can tell me how to rope and sheet a load.
Hi Trickie dickie I started working at Tesco in the 80s on £58.00 per week gross 😀
Fuck me I have a twin. Who is your dad? Ha ha
This is spot on. 100%. 40 years driving HCV and PCV. UK and Continental. 30 years then I have to take a CPC At £ 500. You should be a consultant. This is just so true. All passenger transport managers should spend at least 2 years on the road. Instead we get a university student/graduate. Clueless. I will save this to pass on.
Hi Henry
Thank you for commenting on my channel and thank you for sharing 👍
I did it for 26 years pasted my class 1 at 22 in 1984 over the years had some good jobs and crap jobs. In 2010 I got made redundant from a tile distribution job after 17 years pay was good it was heavy work but enjoyed it. I got a job the day after being made redundant 1/03/2010 class 1 £8.00 an hour 60 hours on nights lasted a few weeks told them to stick it up there arse. Got a class (c) 2 multi drop in the St post code area this job was crap £5.98 an hour minimum wage gave that up as I got a job driving a transit connect for £6.50 an hour for an engineering company. I now work for the same engineering company as a nigh controller route planner love his job £15.00 an hour plus overtime. Until the conditions drive drastically not much will change.
Hi Martin
You’ve certainly had a varied amount of jobs in the driving sector and it sounds just like the route I took when I was younger I’m pleased your happy in your present job not many people can say that 👍
@@richardshomemechanics5566 years ago my dad said to me if you can find a job you enjoy you will never work a day in your life because you enjoy going there which is what I did with my trucking career I also have operator cpc national international run a small distribution depo for a few years you with think that a operator cpc would far out way the driver cpc but it doesn’t. It’s a shame the trucking industry came to this. I think the early to mid 80’s was the best time decent trucks f10/f12 Volvo decent conditions and slowing went down the pan. Good luck for the future a great video. Anyone who doesn’t understand the problems just just go on the road for a week with a trucker. Thanks.
Hi Martin
You are spot on with the late 80s / early 90s I drove a F10 a great motor proper truck .. driving trucks was great then … it’s a shame it’s gone down hill since then … it’s going to take a lot of doing to get the truck driver respect they deserve time will tell 👍
Did the same in construction , cscs card .
Hi Michael
Yes the cscs and the cpc
@@richardshomemechanics5566 You only need to look at the constuction industry all sub contractors no employment costs then the big house builders have record profits . All bogus employment ontop of the they had eastern European workers keeping price work down . The result many bricklayers joiners plumbers coming upto retirement age and no one coming through . For years its been to easy to use foreign labour instead of investing in apprenticeships and training . House builders dont care its all profit you only need look at the lease scandal to see the mentality your dealing with .
I would not go through all that for the money they get paid! No fucking way mate, its the same for chefs & hospitality workers! Longs days, shit pay, why do it! No brainer leave the trade and do something else
Hi James you are exactly right about the others trades chefs / hospitality they are all in the same boat as the drivers 👍
...and the UK motorway network is roadworks, queues, stressful ...not a chance.
Hi Ed
When I lay in bed and listen to the news before I get up and hear all the roads congestion / accidents going on it really makes me realise I really got out of driving at the right time
@@richardshomemechanics5566 Here's a puzzler. A year ago, Kwarsi Kwarteng, when questioned about possible labour shortages said we'd would be losing low- skilled workers such as ... and he included haulage drivers in his list, but British workers were waiting to take their places. Yesterday, in an interview,Johnson three times used the phrase, '.... low skilled workers from abroad we had become reliant on'. It turns out the those 'low skilled' workers across many sectors are not so low skilled after all. Going back to Kwarteng, he now refers to drivers as high skilled ... perhaps part of the reason we can't find, or even have enough of a UK workforce to cover all the Labour gaps now becoming apparent.
In 2020 l had two young Romanian builders working for me. Best workers ever, multi skilled and to the highest quality l've come across. Highly skilled and now gone ... unvalued and made to feel unwelcome. What does it say about the UK (or rather England).
Hi Ed
Very good points you made
👍
Then you got certain countries drivers filling up their tanks in other countries so they are paying no fuel tax whilst running on our roads. Plus alot of them are not to the same standards as UK.
Brother...even myself eu citizen who lives in the UK I ditched hgv job and I work now in health care industry...with little bit of overtime I'm getting same or better money. No stress. Every night sleeping home own bed. It's a breeze.
If someone wants to drive a truck these days they must be insane
Great video 💯💯💯
Hi Jedi
Thank you for commenting on my channel/ video I gave up driving due to hours / away from home / missing my family/ missing my bed / but I’m a old school driver so was doing long hours to make my money I to swapped jobs to driving’s a forklift truck .. yes I did take a pay cut but I’m happy working 8am-5pm Monday- Friday
Nope ! I was going to 'risk' it and take the plunge , but after your sage comments , I changed my mind 360 degrees angle and thought I'd be better off working as a postman !
Hi Hsissen
Personally I would stick with being a postie but driving HGV may be for you unfortunately starting from scratch is going to cost a lot of money to get behind the wheel
@@richardshomemechanics5566 I'm really gutted to be discouraged as I was hoping for a change and get on the open roads instead of being a postman at the mercy of little dogs threatening to shred my ankles to pieces ! Them traffic Police should really go after the Highway robbers who terrorize the poor lorry drivers instead of taking it out of drivers ! Is this still a problem for lorry drivers like me Dad said ?
Hi Hsissen
Give it a go my friend you won’t know until you try 👍
i was expected to do my cpc on a saturday unpaid !!!!!
then had a massive row with em when they wanted me to work the saturday after
There taking the Micky … no other trade / job would expect you to do it in your own time it’s so wrong 😑
No thanks !.we are treated like crap
I was Warehouse, yardman FLT, Lorry Driver Macanic, I went back on the FLT driver,, I use to deliver eggs around Birmingham, A/Z, I had 2 Bad Smashes now I am crippled for Life,
Hi Paul I’m sorry to hear of your accidents yours is a sad story about driving I hope you get better 👍
Is a smell of balls common in a hvg cab?
On around 2.45 to 4.00 the narrator states the Polish then Romanian started HGV driving then quit. So if the pay is too low for Eastern Europeans then the pay must be really crappy. The CPC must be scrapped ASAP.
Hi Gerald
Thank you for commenting on my channel and I also agree cpc should be scrapped 👍
I did it for 30 years this man is spot on
Hi 419 Brian
Thank you for the kind comment👍
Spot on with this video.
Got out of the industry over 20 years ago because of the hours, poor pay and the way you were treated ! Unfortunately nothing seems to have changed in all that time. Its time HGV driving is treated as a real professional career with pay and conditions brought in to the 21st century. Everything people buy, use or consume has only got there because of the HGV industry, this country would not last more than a few days if all drivers just said f..ck it !!!!! Just look at how bad things are after just a few days with limited fuel supply's. Wake up people out there, you need to look after these guys and respect the vital job they provide to this country. All the best to the guys daily driving out there, and I thank you all, from an ex-driver.
Hi Alan
Your right hgv driving needs to be brought up to the 21st century working less hours would save a lot of marriages 👍
It's not just the driving industry it's all industry's, I have been on the same money for 20 years. Cheap labour from Europe has dragged industry wages and conditions down, Managers care little. and no apprenticeships or proper training youngsters accepting lower rates and told if you don't like it go, people bullied and the fear factor added to keep people conforming.. for fear of losing the jobs. every industry and all jobs have degraded over the years, no job satisfaction anymore. The wrong people at the top, jobs for the boys. clicks and so on.. dont forget you only get promoted to your own level of incompetence. BIG life lesson
Hi Rod
Thank you for commenting on my channel and your views 👍
I educated myself in 2000 to HGV driver here in Sweden (2 semesters). Stopped after some years because the salary just didn't match the work load. And now I CANNOT drive because of the fucking CPC which is called Certificate of Competence here. Same shit as in UK. 😰 Now I'm re-educating myself to heavy mechanic.
Hi Nikolaos
Drivers wages have also been low in the U.K. for many years good luck with the mechanics job 👍
All This B+!! S#.The About;
" Oh We are SO Desperate for HGV Drivers WE are Giving Them BIG Pay Rises "
Enough to Make Me Vomit !
If Driver Pay was Doubled Tomorrow It STILL Will NOT Have Caught Up to Where It Should Be.
A Tesco Depot Near Me ( S.E.England ) Offered me a Job in 1994 @ £20k a Year, I Said No.
That Same Depot Now 27 Years Later is Offering £26,500/ Year !
They Claim They're Desperate,
I Wonder Why ?
Hi Gobble de gook I completely agree with you on this in my prime I was earning ok money but putting in a lot of hours to achieve this .. and night out money also for me 20 years ago was £20.00 even then you couldn’t get decent parking and decent food for that .. if I was in charge I would maximise 10 hour days including unloading / other duties you wouldn’t work over a 50 hour week scrap cpc and simplify the rules .. personally if they fo what they say they are going to do and fast track drivers it can only end badly god help us ..
The Average Night Out Money in UK in 2021 is £25 ~ Night.
This was Set in the Early 1970's
It Hasn't Gone Up Since !
100 percent agree with you …when I was driving a truck it was that amount but when I came of driving and went on the tools all of a sudden the same firm was more than happy to put me up in a premier in at £50.00 at the time why’s that then ??
Do You Know There are 18 Year Olds Now with HGV1 Licence, Driving 44 Ton Artics !
It's Been Like This for Over a Decade !
When I Started It Was 21 to get HGV Licence & No Decent Company Would Touch You Until You Were 25+ & 2+ Years Experience.
Yes I did know that it’s crazy 😜
No I went for my HGV licence years and years ago and even agencies even take the piss. Plus your against the tach chart all the time. Plus if you get stuck in traffic how are you supposed to get to your destination in time. Plus service station in the whole the United Kingdom are an absolutely disgrace. Plus tramping you blooming stink for days. ( I could go on and on and on and on )
Hi Ian
What you are describing unfortunately is the typical life of a truck driver 👍
I got into hgv late in life, I'm 60 now.. too old to change careers. would i recommend it to young lads who fancy being a driver? No.. get some decent quals and find a well paid office or factory job.. driving an hgv is just hassle from shift start to shift finish and your treat like shite.
Hi Barry
Good advice .. 👍
I started class one in 1988 food distribution until the year 2000 was earning more money through the 1990s from 2000 till now twentytwentyone earning less money on tippers but home every night if I was starting my driving career now I don't think I'm gonna go into it
Hi David
It seems many old school drivers like us if we had known would not have got into the industry it is a shame thank you for the great comments on my channel 👍
Well done Richard for this valuable information about how bad is the working condition of UK's HGV drivers and for what reason drivers gave up to drive lorries in UK.
Hi Aspet
Thank for your kind comment 👍
I have 5 kids.
None of them looking to become hgv driver.
I am in the industry 10+ years.
Now have to reduce my availability to 4 days a week,because in 4 shifts I can get 50+ hours.
Is good enaugh for me.
Cheers.
Hi Alesksandr
4 days a week is better than 5 I’m glad you still enjoy your driving job thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
I am trying to get a job but unfortunately
I'm a new pass class 2 and no company wants new pass I've been told go to agency to get some experience if payed just under 2 000 so just a bit gutted I started to get my CLASS 2 about year ago but with lock down it got delayed
Hi Shaun
Sorry to hear your struggling to gain a job as a Class 2 HGV driver unfortunately when i passed my test many moons ago I to struggled to gain a driving job they normally wanted 2 years experience…which was hard to get .. ad no one would touch you until you had done the 2 years .. Agency is your best bet .. there are companies who may take you on but they are normally dodgy and won’t pay you the going rate .. do your homework and check out any firms you may fancy working for you will soon find out the good and the bad ones .. keep ringing round firms I would personally bypass the agency and try and get employed direct good luck you will do it 👍
15 hours. Yes hour to work hour back nine off. Down to seven hours to shower eat sleep. Absolutely ridiculous
Hi Andy
Very true what your saying 👍
I was recently talking to a Portugese truck driver who told me that when the lockdowns started there was nowhere for the lorry drivers to go to the toilet, shower or eat, let alone fill up with fuel so they were staying at home, this forced the governments to reopen the truck stops. He made the point that many of the facilities were rubbish and the worst in the UK and it was past time that conditions for truck drivers were improved. The truth is whilst the RHA could get in a bunch of cheap eastern European drivers whom they could treat like s##t they had no incentive to improve truck drivers pay and conditions, they and their Remainer friends are to blame for the current mess.
The eastern European drivers are leaving the UK because they get well enough paid at home and their housing costs are a fraction of UK housing costs, good luck to them.
Hi white van man
Very well said you are quite right they can up the money but the actual working conditions/ hours / facility’s will be the same so we are not always talking about money here but the overall package the drive has to deal with 👍
Same as in hgv workshop's work bloody hard pay shitr for what they expect off you hgv licence needed as well
Hi Red beard
I’ve heard that about the hgv fitters before 👍
Greedy haulage company’s and to much rules revenue raising by authorities long hours poor wages and a lot of responsibility
Hi 👋 Jimmy
It’s strange that all of a sudden haulage firms can find the money to pay better wages 👍
Your forgetting really bad greedy bosses, wanting the truck at 3 different places at the same time, RDC that if your 15 minutes late turn you away, though if your on time ,you can sit in there for 4 hours plus, RDC that think having a vending machine that serves a type of watery soup that's providing you with a hot meal that's costs you. CPC I had the same l module for the entire 36 hours, medical that's another issue at 67 if I wanted to go back 65 it's a medical every year, at our practise that's £200 which many drivers have to pay sometimes the company pays about £50.00p towards it, HGV driving and all that goes with it would have to change dramatically for me to go back to it all the point you mentioned been there got the T shirts.
Hi Paul
Yes your right there in the bosses👍
this guy got that bang on
Hi Jo
Thank you for the kind comment 👍
at the end of the day it all boils down to the greed society which as a country we all jumped on the bandwagon , you now have the conscequences of this , it goes right across the board , agencies are one paeticular problem with trades , also no unions , no rights as workers , we gone back nearly 100 years , well done thatcher
Hi Andy
Thank you for your input on my channel
👍
Well said chap 👍 job gone to shit and an as a ex driver I ain't going back till things improve. No life for a family man.
Hi Ian
Thank you for contributing to my channel what you are saying is being said by many drivers 👍
not enough money and shift work delivering fuel for shell made me leave and go back to plumbing .shame i loved driving a lorry
Hi Andrew that’s some career change 👍
I've been a 7.5t for 6yrs an got the tachograph card before I started so get rid of cpc an do a 6hr class tachograph and teach hrs an tips driving...
Hi Andy
I agree cpc could just be a 1 day refresher 👍
Institutionally Racist Britain, when will we learn?Bad roads, No to your question
Hi Adam
Thank you for commenting on my channel 👍
It would nice if people like yourself, spoke at the Conservative conference.
Hi Sunriser
Now that would’ve interesting 🤨👍
My husband is a diesel fitter and believe it or not but he gets paid less than a driver he is now working for a agency and working weekend great video
Hi Louise
Your husband is a tradesman and should be paid according ..That is so wrong 😑
Many thanks for the kind comments louise 👍
Totally agree with you,cpc is waste of time and money.
Hi Bledar
Yes it is 👍
I wouldn’t sleep in the truck for £100 a night . Sad life
Hi sopo
I’m with you on that one you really can’t beat your own bed at home 👍