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seasoned drivers.... clear something up please

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rob12

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hi as a newbie still in training i understand i am scum at the moment :D however some of the old boys tell me varying and conflicting tales of how much they earn
my question is my basic will eventually be 43, rising to 48+, or so i am told.... but how much can you earn or potentially earn with overtime etc? i have heard of fellas earning 65-70 a year
what are you doing at the moment and does working lots of overtime pay off or is it not worth it taking into account the 40% tax etc
cheers
 
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455driver

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£65k is certainly possible (very easy with some TOCs) but you won't have a very good work/home balance.
I just do my booked shifts but will help out if they are in the doodoo and was on about £3k overtime on top of my £45k basic.
It is up to you how much you do but as a newbie the chances of you making an error are quite high so make sure you pace yourself, they won't give you overtime if you are sat in the messroom while they investigate a mistake of yours.
 

Minilad

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I just do my booked shifts. I enjoy my time off enough to do RDW (not that I can at the moment due to a RDW ban!!) But the are certainly some guys at our depot that absolutely cane the OT. It's OK if you need a few extra bob but remember it's not a right so it's best to live within your means on basic pay therefore any OT you get is a bonus
 

GNER 373

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Take your time with OT just break yourself in gently, don't just chase the £££'s as how are you supposed to earn your bit when you've been sacked for falling asleep at the controls or the likes because you're not taking your R/D's. It's all a balancing act really.
 

Gemz91

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I'd concentrate on passing your training first, and becoming a good professional driver before worrying how much you can earn working rest days.
 

driver9000

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There is more to life than money. Concentrate on getting passed put and pay little attention to those who like to wave their payslips around in the messroom. We give up enough for this job as it is, do you really want to be working every rest day under the sun to hit £60-70k? I will work the odd RD when it suits me, never at weekends, I make myself available to work but I don't do many. Value your time off and pace yourself, this job is antisocial and can be tiring especially as a new driver. Don't go mad but by all means make a bit extra if you like, just be aware of what you're working. As has already been mentioned you don't get RDW when they're investigating an incident.
 

TOCDriver

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Don't even think about earning as much as you can in your position. The basic is more than enough for anybody, even for a boil-in-the-bag. Pass-out first and do what you're given to the best of your abilities for that 1st year. It's only when you work your way up the links (i.e gaining the experience) that you can even contemplate earning that bit more.
 

HSTfan!!!

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75k is apparently easily doable at my company (FOC) I appreciate time away from work though so not for me!
 

trevzx6

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Some drivers at my depot have worked 40 odd rest days already and we're just over half way through the year. I don't see the point personally when nearly half of it goes in
tax and ni but each to their own.
 

TOCDriver

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Some drivers at my depot have worked 40 odd rest days already and we're just over half way through the year. I don't see the point personally when nearly half of it goes in
tax and ni but each to their own.

In my experience, they tend to be the singletons or the divorcees
 

red2005

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I'm in training myself at the moment mate and much like the others I won't be worrying about the coin at the moment!....the truth is with the basic we are going to get it's more than enough to tide mr average over!

my concentration will be to get through as many shifts incident free as possible and everything else will take care of itself......besides do you really want to be spending ALL you're time at work because of the money? remember there's working to live and there's living to work.........it's about finding the balance!...what's the point in earning the money if you spend every waking hour at work unable to enjoy it?
 

rob12

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Yeah i totally agree with everything that has been said, As a trainee your right i am not thinking about any of that at the moment to be honest just thought it was interesting to hear other peoples thoughts on it
There are varying pay packets from what i have gathered so far, one guy told me he hit 69,000 last year which considering the basic i thought was unbelievable, but i am more than content with the money at the moment..
The main reason for me in this career is job security and the pension plus the obvious that i get to drive trains all day, well at least until i am replaced by a robot of course :D just hope them 455's run for ever!!!
 

oxoneil

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Going slightly off topic, but it has been mentioned, what percentage of newly qualified drivers "make a mistake" in their first 12 months and do many trainees get the boot through continually making errors?
 

HarleyDavidson

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I don't do rest days anymore, not since they cut the ROP for a rest day working to basic pay and then when you take away tax & NI, you're working for less than a days pay, it's not worth it.

I haven't worked one for over 6 months now, quite happy not to now as it gives me more time to myself. I was pestered a while back to work a rest day as they were up $h17 creek for drivers and they offered me 12hr to work a 7hr day, the answer was no, because it was one of the last one's out of London on a Saturday night, they also offered me a rest day Sunday, which I also declined and they offered me 12hr for that one too. The answer was still NO!

I chucked ~£440-480 (~£280 after deductions) out for two days work, NOT because I don't want the money I'd like it who wouldn't! It's because of the principal of not working a rest day for the appropriate rate & I want at least Tx1¼ which it used to be, as that little extra covers the tax & NI contributions. So they can cancel a train or two AFAIC.

Don't be fooled into thinking that they'll be grateful for you working the overtime or rest day and getting them out of brown stuff, they'll still come down on you like the proverbial "ton of bricks" if you make a mistake whether it's a rest day or normal day.

It's all about striking the balance. Do too many hours and you'll just get more & more knackered and you WILL make a mistake, I find working a true 4 day week more knackering than the old system where you worked between 3 & 6 consecutive, because your body clock adjusted to the shifts on the 3-6 day system.

Don't let money become your GOD, Don't live to work, just work to live.
 

GB

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I understand what you are saying about rest days being paid at normal rate, it does take the pee a little but I factor that in when I decide whether to do it or not. But you could argue that being paid 12 hours for 6 hours work for example does amount to double time....(before deductions)
 

rob12

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Going slightly off topic, but it has been mentioned, what percentage of newly qualified drivers "make a mistake" in their first 12 months and do many trainees get the boot through continually making errors?

Newly qualified are more likely to have spads etc than those who are seasoned i think most incidents occur for a driver in there first two years, But i don't know the %
But i have come to realize that mental fatigue for me anyway is far tiring than any physical fatigue like i have had in my previous career, I don't know if your a driver but i was surprised at just how tiring this job can be hence the reason for the rest periods
Anybody who thinks being a driver is easy for a nice pay packet has the wrong end of the stick the concentration needed is like nothing i have come across before but then again i am a newbie so sure it will become second nature in time
 

oxoneil

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Newly qualified are more likely to have spads etc than those who are seasoned i think most incidents occur for a driver in there first two years, But i don't know the %
But i have come to realize that mental fatigue for me anyway is far tiring than any physical fatigue like i have had in my previous career, I don't know if your a driver but i was surprised at just how tiring this job can be hence the reason for the rest periods
Anybody who thinks being a driver is easy for a nice pay packet has the wrong end of the stick the concentration needed is like nothing i have come across before but then again i am a newbie so sure it will become second nature in time

Ha, no not yet, still trying to be :), I agree, I'm physically very fit but it's always mental stuff (paperwork etc) that is harder to cope with. Tiring in a different way.
 

455driver

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Ha, no not yet, still trying to be :), I agree, I'm physically very fit but it's always mental stuff (paperwork etc) that is harder to cope with. Tiring in a different way.

There isnt any paperwork if you are a (passenger) driver, just your schedule. Any reports are done by the guard! ;)

When you start it is mentally very tiring but it does get easier, just dont get complacent because that is when it will bite you!

Drivers will be sacked if they eff up once too often (NR have to allow drivers back on their infrastructure, and if they say no then you aint driving anymore) but it is more likely that the drivers would be redeployed.

The one thing you will be sacked for is turning up under the influence of drink or drugs, you can legally drive your car to work, fail the railway test and then legally drive your car home. The unions will will make sure the tests are administered correctly but that is all, they will not back you up with your appeals, you are on your own, and rightly so!
 

red2005

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one thing I have noticed is through the concentration levels required I am absolutely shattered of an evening lol......probably something to do with staring at the signals and line like there are naked photo's of Roxanne pallet on them lol.....personally sleeping of an evening will not be a problem for me ha!
 

HarleyDavidson

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one thing I have noticed is through the concentration levels required I am absolutely shattered of an evening lol......probably something to do with staring at the signals and line like there are naked photo's of Roxanne pallet on them lol.....personally sleeping of an evening will not be a problem for me ha!

You need to relax. If you concentrate to hard then you end up with migraines, concentrate too little and you have a high risk of cocking it up!

It's all about balance. I can zing along quite happily under greens and have the odd glance out of the window, but as soon as a station call approaches or I start picking up yellows & red's the the concentration is all there. Then again I do have nearing 30 years "on the plate", so I should darn well get it right.

We've all been there & when I started, I used to end up with aching arm because I was holding the DSD down too hard & headaches because I was concentrating too hard as well, now it's my legs that suffer from being cramped up in the cab & the DSD being on the floor.
 

red2005

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oh I'll get there eventually I'm sure..........I'm trying to find the line where I'm relaxed and comfortable but not TOO relaxed and comfortable lol.....I've only done 50 hours handling after all lol
 

HarleyDavidson

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oh I'll get there eventually I'm sure..........I'm trying to find the line where I'm relaxed and comfortable but not TOO relaxed and comfortable lol.....I've only done 50 hours handling after all lol

OK, but what I'm saying is & I'm sure your DI will agree, is if you concentrate too hard, it can be almost as problematic as not concentrating enough.

When you're running under green signals try to relax a bit, have the window open or air con on, then when you come to your station call or start running under restrictive aspects, bring your concentration levels up. You won't feel quite so fatigued that way.
 

loco365

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Going slightly off topic, but it has been mentioned, what percentage of newly qualified drivers "make a mistake" in their first 12 months and do many trainees get the boot through continually making errors?
According to my toc's statistics you are more likely to make mistakes between 5th and 8th years of driving, as over confidence and relaxing too much takes its toll.
 

455driver

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What's a guard? Don't think I'll see one of them doing my paperwork for me! :(

Your working for the wrong TOC then! ;)

I like my trains to have 2 fully qualified, safety critical members of staff on board thank you.
Oh lets not go down the DOO v Crew working route again please! :lol:
 

muz379

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All i can really add to this thread that is relevant is that if you are struggling with any aspect of the job , or anything in your personal life make sure your manager/s is/are aware . That way if they still decide to send you out driving without rebriefing you on any aspect your struggling with or giving you some respite for a few days to sort out stuff out of work and you cock up as a result they get questions asked of them too .
There isnt any paperwork if you are a (passenger) driver, just your schedule. Any reports are done by the guard! ;)
I suppose at least one member of traincrew has to be able to write dont they, wouldn't want the driver to wear out his/her crayons :p .
 
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W230

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Going slightly off topic, but it has been mentioned, what percentage of newly qualified drivers "make a mistake" in their first 12 months and do many trainees get the boot through continually making errors?
My intake had 8 trainees and all are between 6 months - 11 months experience on our own. Of the 8, four have been off track since passing out for minor incidents (mainly TPWS overspeed though one has had a few things adding up). Two more had TPWS activations during handling hours.

One of the drivers that has passed out on the course following mine has seen a Cat A SPAD, although in extremely unfortunate circumstances it's still a SPAD.

Us PQA are currently dirt at my TOC! :p
 

HarleyDavidson

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My intake had 8 trainees and all are between 6 months - 11 months experience on our own. Of the 8, four have been off track since passing out for minor incidents (mainly TPWS overspeed though one has had a few things adding up). Two more had TPWS activations during handling hours.

One of the drivers that has passed out on the course following mine has seen a Cat A SPAD, although in extremely unfortunate circumstances it's still a SPAD.

Us PQA are currently dirt at my TOC! :p

It's not big, clever or funny. It's not some medal that you wear with pride! <(

You should be reminded that a CAT "A" SPAD stays on your driving record for life, it can preclude you from getting a driving position on other companies, should you decide to move.

You are in charge of a train, with people's lives at stake, it's not an office job where you can cover things up with Tippex® or use the delete key, your every move is on the OTMR and just remember that can save you or it can kill your career stone dead and the evidence within it, can be used in a court of law should it be required.

So think about it! It's not a game, it's not a simulator... IT'S REAL.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
top advice.....cheers mate

You're welcome.

And if you're wondering why I said concentrating to hard can be just as problematical as not concentrating enough, the reason being that I know a Bomo driver who was following a 159 set up from Woking and he was running pretty close to the 159 set, so whilst he got the occasional green, he slowly started to run on double & single yellows, to the point where he was so focused on cancelling the AWS, it didn't register that one was a red & he went straight through it!

Needless to say TPWS kicked in & the SPADI's lit up like a Christmas tree, but he's now got a SPAD on his otherwise unblemished record. :(
 
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