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An owner-driver for an aggregates company has slammed his company's
Page 12
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decision to increase rates for contracted hauliers while cutting non-contract rates, Bardon Aggregates upped its contracted haulier's rate by an average of 2.5% on 1 April at its Derbyshire site, but a similar rise for drivers without a contract was not forthcoming. In fact, the rate was reduced by around 1%, apparently without warning.
One haulier, who has worked for Bardon Aggregates for a number of years, says he feels let down.
"It wasn't an April Fears joke, but It felt like it," he says. "I asked the assistant distribution manager If we were getting a rate raise and he said yes. [But] when I asked for a new rate sheet, I saw it was less than before. We have been told if we don't like it to, go elsewhere."
The driver believes the firm is encouraging drivers to have a contract so as to improve Barden Aggregates' image. But owner-drivers without a contract do not want to be pressured Into signing anything.
However, the firm's Midlands director, Colin Jenkins, says the rate differential has created an incentive for sonic drivers to sign contracts. He adds: "There's a rate review going on at the moment. This [the current rate] is not a reflection of the annual rate review. In fact, when we have done the review they will be going up across the board." Jenkins concedes: "We do pride ourselves on trying le communicate better than our competitors, and obviously we haven't here."
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