Petrol Hauliers threatened strike in the UK

to me that seems a good wage to drive a truck,

 

£45000 per annum appears to me to be rather high basic rate for a tanker driver and it appears to be at variance with rates I see posted for vacancies.This figure i would think, is the total pay including overtime and shift rotas and is not a salary.

There are a large number of owner drivers now in the industry and have been put down this path by companies seeking to reduce their overheads by employing the self employed who would be outside this discussion.The other aspect to this is the involvement of agencies in the hiring of drivers and the "take off" these agencies are able to load on to labour costs.Agency pay seems to be the bottom of the market rates.

Looking at calculating the hourly rate from a salaried income of £45000, the figure used in industry to calculate the hourly rate of such an employee.It assumes that the annual hours worked would be about 1900 hours per annum based on a 40 hour worked week.The remaining 4 weeks of the year would be covered by statutory annual holidays and bank holidays.

So calculating the hourly rate of a tanker driver based on a basic income of £45000 will give about £23.5, a rate which I cannot see being paid by the haulage companies as a basic rate.

I think the £45000 income quoted must be basic +overtime +additions such as shift enhancement pay.Income such as this is only attainable by working up a basic rate by working unsociable hours,the latter being the norm and demanded by the fuel haulage companies reflecting their contracts with the refineries or fuel depots.

 

Harry
Are you saying that the figure quoted by the boss of Wincanton is not correct? I accept that when you look at the rates for tanker drivers they do seem lower than the ones his drivers are getting. There are tanker drivers (which do get a lower rate) and then there are FUEL tanker drivers, who do get a better rate of pay. I think the 45k figure he is quoting is for his most experienced and long standing employees. HGV drivers GENERALLY DRIVE a 90 hour fortnight ie 45 hours per week. This is DRIVING hours not hours on duty. I would say that they probably work 5 x 12 hour shifts ie 60 hours per week, so their rate of pay is around 14.42 per hour. HGV drivers usually work around 60 hours per week.


Lesley

 

I love the way loads of people have been spun into a frenzy by politicians and there own stupidity. My brother is in hospital at the moment and the moronic Daily Mail reader we must beat the unions at all cost even though we no nothing about the dispute. Made sure getting petrol last week and into this week a nighmare and from what I have seen at the stations round where i live in really is the saga louts that have done it. Well done getting trolled by the govenment who have got away with taxing your pentions and made you get angry at people who you know nothing about. Rant end

 

Lesley,

The head of Wincanton states that his drivers are paid £45000 without overtime,whether this correct or not, it has not been validated by those on those employed on these contracts.I would think that the drivers are not salaried but are on the clock or by completion of a worksheet and are paid by hourly rate.The employment contracts/basis pay rates will be privy to both parties.

For Wincanton to cover their refinery or fuel depot delivery contracts,the company would have to have drivers working work patterns coving 168 hours a week.Drivers working these patterns would include Saturday and Sunday working but weekend working would count as part of the normal work and draw enhanced rates.To achieve a working week of say an agreed 40 hours,the driver would be off his rota for at least a day during the week.However,I would think that this practice would not be adopted since it requires an increased number of drivers to cover the work pattern.More than normal, it will be a case of maximising the hours of drivers, respecting driving regulations, than employ more drivers which would increase overhead costs such as the employers national insurance contributions.

Wincanton can say that their drivers achieve the given income by not working overtime.However any hours worked on a work pattern involving weekend work is subject to enhanced rates, could be time and a half rate for Saturday or double time on Sundays.In other words, by a working pattern involving Saturday and Sunday working has overtime rates built into it. So if a work pattern,say 5 x 12 hour shifts,covering weekday working would involve 20 hours overtime,usually at time and a half rates and if the work pattern involved Saturday and Sunday working would involve time and a half for Saturday and double time for Sunday.

Overall, I cannot see drivers, working unsocialable hours without enhanced payment.For Wincanton to cover their operations they would have to roster drivers to cover the 24 hour day and the 7 day week through individual work patterns.From what I understand some companies do not pay the rates of these work patterns when the driver is on annual holiday....it seems also to have caused labour problems in other industries.

 

I must be doing something wrong HGV or LGV drivers or what ever you wish to call them in my area are lucky if they can get £8.50 per hour. And as a Owner Driver most Oil and Gas related companies want to pay £30 per hour and pay in 90 days for that you have to supply a artic and trailer with a driver and fuel, Maybe I should kick it in the scrap yard and go as a tanker driver very happy to receive such a huge salary for a very easy job. Holiday pay, work ware, no crawling under a truck at the weekend plus regular pay. Some people are just Bloody greedy ?.

 

I must be doing something wrong HGV or LGV drivers or what ever you wish to call them in my area are lucky if they can get £8.50 per hour. And as a Owner Driver most Oil and Gas related companies want to pay £30 per hour and pay in 90 days for that you have to supply a artic and trailer with a driver and fuel, Maybe I should kick it in the scrap yard and go as a tanker driver very happy to receive such a huge salary for a very easy job. Holiday pay, work ware, no crawling under a truck at the weekend plus regular pay. Some people are just Bloody greedy ?.

Son of a rat
I bet you don't work a 40 hour week either! I have worked for an owner-driver doing accounts and wages and I know how hard you guys work for little pay-he had his head stuck under a unit and trailer at weekends too. The overheads for owner-drivers are ridiculous and I do agree that the companies tend to screw you down for low rates and expect to take 90 days credit before you get paid. You have my sympathy!
Oh and don't get me started on the foreign drivers who come over here with their big tanks full of cheap fuel and work over here

Lesley

 

Anyone know when this strike might kick-off if it comes ? I've got a UK trip planned and I need to know if I've got to get the family out burying jerrycans.

 

Hi Lesley As you can guess I would not like to write the hours I have done and the conditions I have worked in. All said and done I have looked after my money and worked hard my choice of work suits at my time of life, I’m not far away from Father so I can keep a eye on him that’s what’s important to me. But just cant understand some peoples expectations and selfishness. I spoke with a very nice Veteran in Normandy last June, He said to me how he felt so many men gave all to give the world a clean slate and look what we have done with it.
Best Wishes Andy and Frederick.

 

It's the same everywhere

 

And as usual the real middle men will be at it...the commodity traders will be exploiting the market.

The Government will have 2-3 months of strategic stocks.I saw the report about a month ago of a meeting between the US and the UK where it was agreed that in order the flatten the effects of demand that they were to trickle feed the market from strategic stocks which would reduce the impact of price spikes.

Perhaps a better approach would be to reduce the effect that commodity traders have on the price of petroleum products.

Talking to a friend of mine recently, we both experienced the war years and the shortages,postwar.We agreed that the word profiteering,which was in common use during that era, appears to have vanished from the English language

 

My personal favourite.

Regards,

Marco

 

I've just started checking my business accounts as the tax year is coming to an end.

Digressing slightly about the cost of the product being transported, I thought this might be of interest in regard to to the cost I've paid for diesel since last April. The price in my local garage yesterday was £1.499. I gave them the proverbial finger and found it cheaper by 2 pence a litre.
elsewhere.

21 April 2011 - £1.4090
12 May 2011 - £1.3790
05 June 2011 - £1.4090
27 June 2011 - £1.3690
29 July 2011 - £1.3890
30 August 2011 - £1.3490
30 September 2011 - £1.4090
30 October 2011 - £1.3890
18 October 2011 - £1.3690
28 October 2011 - £1.3790
22 December 2011 - £1.3890
28 January 2012 - £1.3990
09 March 2012 - £1.4290
03 April 2012 - £1.4790

At it's lowest at the end of August 2011 and seen at it's highest yesterday, it has gone up by 15 pence a litre. I wonder whether the price will settle back down again to what it was at the beginning of March, or stay at the high price caused by the shortages since this dispute began.

 

Rob
Are you living in cloud cuckoo land?
I don't reckon it will go down, plus there is a fuel duty price rise coming up in August of 3.02 pence per litre. Dream on !!!

Lesley

 

Maddington Woolworths Petrol/Gas Station Tanker Fire - YouTube
Coming to a Petrol station near you ..... but with a properly trained Tanker driver hopefully not.
I have Been a HGV as was for 25 years and the tanker boys earn every penny .
Its a bit short of an MPs earnings and fiddles whose only danger is being punched in the face in a MPs drunken brawl caused by cheap subsidized beer .

 

I disagree why should a tanker driver command more pay then any other LGV/HGV driver they should try some of the abnormal and hazardous loads every day truckers get thrown at them and work under real financial pressure I’ve been at it since 1976 with Log books, no sleeper cabs no night heaters. I just get on with it and enjoy it
. If they want more and are that Bloody Good why don’t they p--- off they must be able to get a better job better pay any were if they are so good, And stop giving us a headache.

 

This was sent to me by email what do you guys and girls think?

 

I chose to be a soldier as they chose to be tanker drivers if we do everything just for money then we end up with well paid people who hate their jobs - there are plenty of them. From highly paid mechanical engineer to infantryman and back to engineering because I wanted it that way. Would I drive a petrol tanker for 45 grand - quite frankly no.However, I have no desire for anyone tanker driver or other to moan about what I earn as a semi retired consulting engineer, hopefully we work in a free market, or are we advocating a fixed wage for all? Thinking about industry I have never met anyone yet that said hey I earn too much, yet when you read forums in newspapers everyone is up in arms about what other people earn - WHAT - all that for doing that? One might think that rather than complaining they would be posting off a CV! Perhaps some would say that because I get paid for what I know and not what I do being sat on my arse earning more money than.......! Where does it stop?

 

I think they've realised they're are in a very strong position and are using it , just like the miners USED TO .

 

hopefully we work in a free market

Unfortunately as soon as a union enters the picture the free market disappears in that job/sector as they manipulate labour/wage supply and demand. Unions throw the market out of equilibrium, restricting the amount of labour and forcing the wage above what a free market would determine the job is worth.

Then the extra labour costs trickle down to the consumer, who in the final analysis are the ones who get shafted. Unfortunately this bit happens with non-union as well.

Drive a lorry for £45000, if I had to for my family.That's $65,000 CDN which is a living wage in many Canadian cities. Not sure if one can survive on £45000 in Britain.

W