Is freight driving still considered not a secure job? There was a huge number of redundancies over the last few years with the loss of the coal trade but all i see now is FOCs advertising for qualified drivers. Will things not settle down now?
The reason there are jobs, is that so many have left the industry to move to a TOC, you also get contracts that move from company to company.
In my experience, if you're at a TOC, you need your head testing if you want to move to a FOC.
I'm now at a TOC and I will be totally honest, "the work is ****" but most jobs start around 7am, my last job finishes at around 00:15 and I only have a few night turns.
I get looked after in some sense. We have nice mess rooms, lovely recliner chairs, free tea and coffee....A much better pension, and they also kept my Brass pension matched !!!!
Not like Freightliner, that piggyback off of other people mess rooms, and then made to feel like lepers from the other companies drivers.
Freightliners own mess rooms are rubbish, we even had to pay for our own TV and license !!!! and also made to sit in a **** tip at Wembley.
Anyway less of the moaning !!!!, but on the other hand, Intermodal driving was good. I covered loads of distance, I went to different places and every day was a different job.
I enjoyed poodling around, looking into people's windows (I'm not a pervert by the way) with no care in the world, not like now..... driving around on a high speed milk float at 150mph everywhere.
If you want some sort of security, Intermodal where I was is the best option.
What you have to remember, contracts only last around 5 years, maybe less but not to sure, I was never at a company like GB or HH.
If say Tarmac does not like the way a FOC operates, or price hikes they will move. It's a big vicious circle and at the end of the day, you could be TUPE'd, asked to move to another part of the country or just binned.
With what's happening to DBC with conditions, I could also see other TOC's looking at this and try and implement these over the next coming years, and then blame the change on climate !!!!
Freight will always be around, but as a driver, there could be uncertainty when you will be in years to come.
I've seen many changes over the years, Including freight under British Rail....All I say, is to be careful of your choice. You could be doing yourself out of a job 10 years down the line. Also don't think if you do get made redundant, that you could walk back into your old job.
I left on my own accord, because I had enough, but I was lucky I new the boss in the company I'm now at !!!
Best of luck for anyone who wants to become a FOC driver.