1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
DRIVER'S FATE
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
In many trade publications, yourselves included, you will see employers bemoaning the lack of professional drivers. I feel that I cannot find professional employers anywhere!
I am a 40-year-old FIG Vi driver, 19 years' driving experience, CPC holder etc. I have experience of working with everything from flats to tankers. I consider myself to be fit and active, honest and accident free.
I can honestly say that in most of the time I have been driving I have been treated as an amateur and only as good as my last day. I have had every dirty trick played on me by employers, usually about six weeks before I would enjoy any employee's rights. My most recent employer decided four days before I was going on holiday to make me redundant. As usual this was before I was eligible for redundancy pay.
My point of writing is to highlight the plight of an ordinary driver. We all know the back-street hauliers who you expect to be unprofessional. I have worked for these people, but they are not the problem— at least you know where you stand with them. My problem is the major companies who you would expect better of.
Some will say that I must be the problem, but I don't think so. Every employer that I leave is more than happy to supply a reference, and the agency that I use between jobs is always happy to take me on, usually wanting me to work on the first day I phone them. I have heard many interviewers bemoan damage to vehicles, missed deliveries, unprofessional drivers etc. They then tell me the rate for the job and it is immediately obvious why they have these problems. I should add that this includes nationally recognised logistics companies.
I have yet to apply for ajob that pays more than the agency. The poor payers do not advertise the rate so I end up wasting a shift at the interview. I am totally disillusioned with road haulage and would undoubtedly take ajob in another industry. One less professional driver, several more bashed trucks, more missed deliveries, etc! John McArthur,