Well played sir :)Originally Posted by robert75
I heard that a lot of polish have returned because things have got a lot better back home re jobs and medical treatment. Not because of Brexit to which they just needed to apply for status didn't they?
Anyway there seems to be loads of wanna be truckers waiting for paper work and tests. DVLA dragging their feet big time. This is a problem short term but long term Im sure it will be fine.
Brexit was always going to take years to sort out but chuck a bit of worldwide pandemic in the mix and.....
Cars will be targeted soon along with businesses own supplies, if it hasn’t already
Herd mentality is strong.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
How have we coped if we’re even 90,000 short? I just don’t get it sorry. Surely we would have had empty shops and fuel shortages for years. These numbers can’t be right.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Pandemic has a role to play
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
There was a shortage of drivers then when all the idiots scrapping in petrol stations were busy buying up all the toilet roll, pasta and bread only to throw most of it away a few weeks later.
Radio today gave a good example, if everyone tomorrow rushed to the bank and took out all their money the ATM machines would soon be out.
Probably shouldn’t have said that they will all be down the banks next.
The Road Haulage Industry states the industry is about 40000-50000 shy of what they need, but the industry has 85% of the companies classed as small to medium and it's those that are suffering with availability - most of which are not contracted fuel delivery companies.
The media are pretty poor at fact checking and have got worse lately.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I did my HGV driver training back in the late 90's when I was in the army. Never once thought I would have to use it again, but my renewal came through earlier this month. It was the fastest ever turnaround I have experienced with the DVLA.
Not quite
There were undoubtedly a number of (mainly) Polish drivers living in the UK and making up the numbers needed. But a lot of the (international) transport needs were covered by other Polish drivers who were NOT living in the UK. Those are the ones who do not come back and create the deficit. The ones living here may or may not have left but even if they were driving tankers they will have been poached just as easily as the British drivers.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Make the minimum spend at the pumps £50, "that stops topping up"
What a great idea….Spock moment…
Even at 50,000 short why haven’t there been shortages of everything for years? Surely 50,000 haven’t left since last year? 50,000 more trucks on the road?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
The conditions for HGV drivers in the UK are appalling vs the continent. Go to France and there are Routiers cafes along routes, places for drivers to shower, sleep etc. They get priority in queues as they do a vital job. They are respected. In the UK the facilities are terrible in comparison and people don't want trucks coming near their properties. That's one of the main reasons.
The Eastern European drivers were doing the job at lower wages and the greedy employers were taking advantage of this. So a bunch more qualified UK drivers left the industry. Now it is the Supermarkets and Amazon poaching the fuel drivers. Basically pay proper money, build proper facilities and treat them with the respect they deserve for doing a vital job and that's the way back.
That’s very true, a truck driver once came near my house, gave him the broom so I did then released the hounds.
Saw one in Tesco’s once, made him stand in the back of the line until I finished buying avocados, volovants and little sausages on sticks with bits of pineapple.
Now back in the real world….,,,,
That would be deemed sexist as women only ever put £20 worth in.
Cabotage.
It would also stop small economical cars and motorbikes from being able to get fuel at all. Way to go for the environment.
Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk
Plus the herd has had one hell of a tough 18 months or so, 3 lockdowns, endured a lot of thinning and mixed messaging from their 'leaders', they're understandably more jittery, especially prone to over reaction. The JITM/ last minute .com old way of doing things, running the UK show is being tested by the dual, overlapping impacts of the pandemic and Brexit. ANY among the herd paying attention might even have noticed the laisssez faire way management have been operating lately, in truth for years now while in the lee of the EU, the resilience of many aspects of the system are now being tested. It's an interesting and depending on the individuals needs and vulnerabilities, a challenging, even frightening time...thus safety in numbers, the stronger herd behaviour.
Also the cognitive dissonance engendered by the falsity of the Brexit promises in contrast to their lived reality, it's bound to rattle a few, raise their distrust, angst...see the reports of GP's and their staff receiving threats and abuse whilst trying to help people...sure it's marginal but the mood of the herd is beginning to get febrile.
Last edited by Passenger; 28th September 2021 at 09:33.
Are motorbikes good for the environment?
No vehicles are good for the environment, but in general motorbikes are more fuel efficient.
No vehicle is, obviously not. But they don't form mile long queues at petrol stations.
Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk
Well I don't even queue to fill up if there's one car in front. I just wait until next time. I figured once all the idiots had topped up I could just drive right up. More fool me. Everywhere around here is now empty. Ihave under 1/4of a tank in the van so that puts me out of work. Maybe one day left. I hope all the idiots with full tanks on the drive that don't even use their cars are feeling smug right now. Probably.
Many are used for recreation (just riding, where cars wouldn't be used as an alternative). Nothing wrong with that of course but being more fuel efficient is irrelevant.
Looking for a couple of gallons of diesel. Willing to swap for a Doctor's appointment.
Well I'm trying to avoid politics, so won't mention anything political, but we are on our own now our of choice , this is our problem to solve . A haulage on the news set up his own training centre to try and cope, he did this a year ago as he knew there was an issue . He says it will 2 years to see that work come through due to skills involved .
Sky now reporting from a sh1tty truck stop 2oth one shower for 50 drivers . Apparently on the continent they have better facilities
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
This fuel malarkey is genuinely turning into a real crisis now.
My mother-in-law is staying with us at the moment and we don't have enough fuel to drive here home!
Brexit I can deal with...
Bog roll shortages I can deal with...
Food shortages I can deal with...
Global pandemic I can deal with...
But enough is enough, my mother-in-law needs to be gone! Bring in the army NOW!
Phone consult or in person appointment?
Panic buying of Iphone 13 Pro Max as well, long wait for delivery.
Saw a video yesterday of a van and a car which had a hole in their tanks under the car and all the fuel gone. Madness.
Also this guy is a grade-A clown. https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCar...icker_baskets/
Average lead-time for semiconductors is currently 104 weeks, Apple aren't helping by queue jumping at TSMC
Love the way he puts the lid back onto the basket, as though that will make a difference!
I blame it all on the decline of the Yorkie Bar. Seriously when did you last see one? - terrible times indeed
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It will stop the petrol evaporating, right?
Clearly still keeping his eye on the health and safety aspects....
Besides, he doesn't want to waste any more! ;)
One of the problems that’s coming back to bite is the amount of agency drivers company’s have. We need 13 class 2 drivers and 36 class 1 drivers a day 6 days a week, we’ve always needed that but we only have had until last month 3 class 2 and 11 class 1 drivers on the books as employees the rest were agency drivers, when things started to get tight and money went up a pound an hour of course every agency driver jumped ship so it’s been a perpetual round of who’s going to pay. We still do over 55 hours a week minimum.
As for the driver shortage, it’s been there for a while !! The slack is taken up by the rest of us working stupidly long hours constantly within the framework of legislation. With DVSA being self funded they are strict and there aren’t to many falsifying records, with the new tacho they can drive beside you and download all your driving data, they can’t automatically fine you but they can stop you then fine you. We’ve put all our agency guys on 6 month contracts now to keep them and given them a £5.50 an hour pay rise, Our employee drivers got 2% and some wonder why they are saying bye. Oh and another thing the agency’s go through a company agency scheme so the scheme gets 12.5% on the drivers cost, so another part of the company creams of what is already an expensive job.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Yep, supermarkets themselves to blame, wanted cheaper costs than employed drivers so quite happy to screw down costs through contracting
It's karma , the agencies can now take their drivers to who pays most, and it's a lot more than the cost of keeping drivers employed
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
Working conditions and wages are poor, it's not an attractive job, long hours , away from home nights and weekends and poor facilities on the road , same applies to hospitality and the care sector. We've chose to cut the supply of cheap labour that put a huge sticky plaster over that.
Time for proper training, decent conditions and wages , just you know, simple stuff
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
A friend has just posted this up elsewhere:
I've no idea what the hourly rate is now for National Express, but I doubt it's that much more.A lot of comments on social media regarding the shortage of drivers, here's my two penny worth. Around six and a half years ago I took a job with National Express driving coaches around the country for £9 an hour, fifty foot coaches into the centre of London with fifty odd passengers on board for £9 an hour, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen hours a day on £9 an hour. Oh and I was told that if I felt tired and had to stop then don't tell anyone or you will get the sack, for £9 an hour.
I was also offered a job driving group one artics around the country, £10 an hour. Leave early Monday morning, travel around the country until you get a load home late Friday or more like Saturday morning, living out of your cab, eating fast food and going to toilet in the bushes because too many transport cafes where you could have a shower etc have been taken over by Little Chef, McDonald's and the like, and the first think they do is put up signs saying 'No HGV'S'.
So there is no shortage of experienced drivers in the UK its just that a lot of them have had enough, rather stocking shelves, etc and being home every night with their family.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
IDIOTS... is all I can say, shouting, road rage, stressing on the TV last night, one woman even said - I'm queueing because everyone else is but I have 3/4 of a tank so thought its worth topping up!!
I just drove past my local Sainsbury's station, looked fine so as I was at 100 miles left just drove in filled up, jobs a good un for at least a month..
My workmate who has just left to go back to coach driving says it has just gone back up to £11 an hour were he has gone still shit considering the hours and responsibilities says he will be starting at 5.30 am and doesn't leave to go home till 7 pm
Taking BP for instance, they sub contracted tanker deliveries to Wincanton who were much cheaper, because they paid drivers less, the driver agencies wont deal with them because they wont pay their rates, now the Wincanton drivers are jumping ship to work for the supermarkets, who pay more and the driver agencies are refusing to deal with Wincanton.
A good friend of mine owns a driver agency, we were discussing driver testing back around Easter because my sons driving test was cancelled, back then he was predicting huge driver shortages before the end of the year because no HGV tests were being carried out and retiring drivers were not being replaced, He was ranting about government incompetence saying they could have managed tests though covid but instead they've cancelled everything, even motorcycle tests, it seems he was right.
Yep, everyone predicted this and it's been ignored
Glad they are getting more money though hopefully that's being passed onto drivers
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
I posted pretty much the same thing last night but robert75 seemed to know better and say that wasn't the real world. He neglected to mention what trucks he drives for a living mind you....
Hell will freeze over before I queue for fuel. I don’t need to travel beyond walking distance for essentials and I can put up with a week of not travelling far. My car’s got around 160 miles worth of diesel in it, I need to travel around 40 miles over the next couple of days, after that the car can stand on the drive.
Just passed the local filling station which has run out of diesel, just super- unleaded petrol left. However, they do sell red diesel and I’m on very good terms with the proprietor (I believe in supporting local traders)..... food for thought!
Wifey filled her car up with petrol yesterday so she’ll be OK for a couple of weeks, unfortunately both our cars like a drink and average less than 30mpg on local driving.
Much as I’d like to blame irresponsible media reporting, a factor which acted as a catalyst for the current crisis, the underlying problems have been clear for a while. Free market forces at its worst, wages for driving work are way too low and that’s been caused by the reliance on foreign workers. Following Brexit and the subsequent loss of this labour pool it wasn’t hard to predict what could happen. Government need to get on top of this and show strong leadership, somehow I doubt they will.
Wages for driving jobs need to rise, these guys need to be paid a sensible rate for the job they do.
Just managed to fill up today, Ive a 300mile round trip tomorrow, still huge queues at the one remaining Shell garage in the area, some poor sod in a Amazon van was being pushed off the forecourt as he had just put petrol in his diesel van. I witnessed for myself the people who only queued in the lanes to get the hose on the correct side of the vehicle, I only had 3 cars in front of me when I joined the pump queue. Madness.
Cheers..
Jase
This government are in denial, on LBC this morning Andrea Leadson said there isn't a problem its all those stupid drivers queueing and the media stirring it up.
The problem is they're saying there isn't a fuel shortage in the UK, which is true, but they're totally neglecting that there is a definite shortage of fuel at petrol stations in the UK.
Remember they did that with PPE?
1. Deny any problems with the supply of PPE
2. Blame the people buying the PPE
3. Blame the supply chain
4. Get the Army in to help
We all know these issues are caused by a lack of planning, or worse - great planning that was ignored.
The government's own Operation Yellowhammer highlights these risks specifically, and we've ploughed on without addressing them.
My feeling is that, following the purge in the Conservative Party, we are left with a lot of folks in leadership positions who see the world as they wish to see it, rather than how it actually is. This is a great example. There's not much point in telling everyone there is loads of fuel somewhere they cannot access it, even if that is true. That does not address the problem.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
