Well-known haulier Jack Richards and Son has 190 vehicles manned
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by 252 drivers, mainly employed on general haulage curtainsider work involving full truck loads.
“The majority are paid an hourly rate with premiums for weekends, Bank Holidays, and ‘dark money’,” MD Peter Brown tells us. “There’s also a good meal allowance, which is a very tax-effective way for us to increase pay. We have a small number of drivers on a productivity-type deal for historical reasons, and all the drivers are allowed to choose between the two systems, although they rarely change away from hours.
“Drivers like hours because it’s nice and simple. They clearly understand their pay and there’s no incentive to break laws. Inevitably some – not all, but some – will take advantage, hanging out delivery times and finding every traffic jam, but technology is helping in the management of that.
“The main change we’re starting to look at is grading drivers on performance, with a standard grade to start, then higher for the good drivers with no accidents, who work flexibly and earn fuel bonuses, and lower for those with tacho infringements and damage issues. Some drivers are simply better than others, and we want to recognise that.”