So how hard of a job is driving a truck?

Originally Posted by wheelnut

If you get done for speeding, or god forbid using a mobile phone while driving, HGV drivers are subject to further punishment by the TC and will have the driving licence suspended for up to 3 months.

Damn right!


You can have your pay increase on one condition...







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You stop trying to overtake!

yeah............ why does a lorry doing 55 mph think its a good idea to overtake another lorry doing 54mph?

Originally Posted by hovis

yeah............ why does a lorry doing 55 mph think its a good idea to overtake another lorry doing 54mph?

Yeah, beats me too.

i dont think safety alone is a good enough reason to have the wages that high, im pretty sure its a lot less safe in afghanistan and some of those guys are on around 13k.

Originally Posted by stewie

Yeah, beats me too.

And me, its not big or clever. I think there are good and bad everywhere and I will agree we have a lot of bad apples in our game, most of them came from other jobs thinking anyone can drive a truck

Drivers are treated like crap in this country, even being refused showers and toilets in supermarket warehouses on elf and safety grounds. If we park up on a night we either get clamped and charged 250 quid for release or we have our loads stolen, diesel nicked and even drivers gassed in their sleep.

Ed, Im not complaining about my own job, I took a step back from all this big money stuff to be home more. I dont have kids, but if I did they would be 30 plus and I would have never have had chance to see them grow up or bail them out of jail, because I was never at home. My daughter would have had her twins at 14 and my grandkids would be pregnant by now.

Still. I have seen the world and been paid lots for it. A different view out of the office window every day

Originally Posted by jamesrichardson

i dont think safety alone is a good enough reason to have the wages that high, im pretty sure its a lot less safe in afghanistan and some of those guys are on around 13k.

Then they chose the wrong job, We dont have national service in this country & I dont think they use pressgangs any more.

I know people who are driving fuel tankers in Irag for 75k tax free

[Biker Biggles]

OOH where to start?
Theres an essential bottom line here and that is the truckers have enough industrial muscle to command that level of pay.Obviously one reason for that is because they can influence the supply of such an important commodity,but it goes deeper than that.They have another essential strength and that is a union (Unite I believe)that is willing to fight for its members pay in a way that gets results(it seems).Many truck drivers and other professional drivers dont earn anything like that amount because they either dont belong to a union,or belong to a useless one,or are just individuals fighting their own corners.
I often find it interesting that the "professional classes"get so upset when their degrees and other qualifications dont automatically get them into the higher tax band as of right,but wont join a union to assist themselves collectively.I can only assume that unions are seen as too "old labour" or worse still working class,and fighting for your pay and conditions not a suitable thing for professionals to do.
Truth is there will only ever be a small number of individuals who can connand big salaries on their own.The rest of us need to act together to get anything other than taken for a ride.

Originally Posted by wheelnut

Then they chose the wrong job, We dont have national service in this country & I dont think they use pressgangs any more.

I know people who are driving fuel tankers in Irag for 75k tax free

I think you missed my point. i know that they chose to do that job, same as everyone else chooses to do whatever job they are in. my point is that safety alone cannot explain it. however the post about industrial muscle makes sense.

Originally Posted by Ed

I thought that you let me off extremely lightly there Ed.