AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Not enough time...

30th September 2004
Page 9
Page 9, 30th September 2004 — Not enough time...
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Pen! Barry P. ,or wonders how he will cope with the Christmas rush now that the Working Time Directive limits the overtime his drivers can do...

It's been a few weeks since we wandered through the gate marked Working Time Directive'. Nothing has changed, rules-wise, in the intervening weeks but recent changes to the operation have begun to bring its potential impact home. Principal among these the fact that we have started working for one of the major supermarkets taking loads from its RDC at Stoke to stores around the Midlands. It's not a huge amount of work; it was only ever intended as a few weekend shifts, but ff's been sufficient to get me behind the wheel of a truck again and, with Christmas on the way, things can only get busier.

The run-up to the festive season is always busy but there is a second factor that makes me think things will be doubly frantic this year. I'm told that to keep the depot functioning as it should requires around 180 drivers. Currently it boasts 140, hence my involvement. Now add to this volatile mixture the fact that I'm preparing a talk about how the VVTD will affect my business and I started wondering on the consequences for the country as a whole. Where's the connection? Well, my drivers work an average of 55 hours per week. By my reckoning to keep them working the same number of hours would mean them taking every seventh week off. To cover these gaps I will require an extra five drivers or I can cut my fleet to 16 trucks and keep the same number of drivers and reduce the amount of work.

I foresee problems with either option: finding new drivers will be such a headache I can barely bring myself to think about it. The only option seems to be Eastern Europe. On the other hand to reduce my fleet risks alienating my existing drivers as one of the chief attractions of working for Barry Proctor Services is the fact that drivers each get their own truck. Take that benefit away and I've got another recruitment crisis brewing. Meanwhile the large retailer down the road is equally desperate for drivers, but such is its buying power that it can afford to pay top dollar in order to get the staff, thus scuppering the chances of any local operator getting any new drivers.

If everybody plays by the rules with the WM there will be no winners; GB plc is in serious danger of grinding to a halt.

Tags


comments powered by Disqus