| The f**tards are at it again... 10:32 - Sep 24 with 9561 views | SitfcB |
...big queues at all the petrol stations I’ve seen in and around Ipswich/Suffolk this morning. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 16:58 - Sep 24 with 2268 views | TIB |
Just managed to complete Nottingham deliveries this afternoon with 15 mile range left in van. 3 stations with no fuel, 4 others I passed were all backed up queuing. Not sure what’s more infuriating…the media creating this carnage or the people lapping it all up!?! |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 17:07 - Sep 24 with 2235 views | swede |
I was nearly on red so went to Morrisons in Felixstowe at 9am this morning. I had no idea there would be queues and should have filled up the previous evening on way home from work but was running late.
The woman in front of me squeezed every drop of fuel she could into her car and the total came to £7.34. Unbelievable!
Thankfully it only took me 20 minutes. |  | | |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 17:14 - Sep 24 with 2218 views | LeoMuff |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 17:07 - Sep 24 by swede |
I was nearly on red so went to Morrisons in Felixstowe at 9am this morning. I had no idea there would be queues and should have filled up the previous evening on way home from work but was running late.
The woman in front of me squeezed every drop of fuel she could into her car and the total came to £7.34. Unbelievable!
Thankfully it only took me 20 minutes. |
Ffs £7 !! Theron lies the problem. |  |
| |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 17:19 - Sep 24 with 2219 views | SouthBucksBlue |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 13:26 - Sep 24 by GlasgowBlue |
I can only repeat the facts as presented by the ONS.
the loss of EU drivers is only a minor cause of the shortage. At the start of 2020, before the pandemic hit, there were 37,000 EU drivers in the UK. Now, there are 24,500. This represents just 18% of those who exiting.
Over 55,000 domestic drivers left the industry during the last 18 months. Retirement, a lack of driving tests during Covid, and tax changes have all been cited as the cause.
Retirement has certainly played its part. Less than 1% are under 25. In 2019, the number of drivers over 50 exceeded those under 50 for the first time. 4% of the workforce is retiring each year.
In pre-pandemic times this was more than offset by new entrants to the industry. Between 2015 and 2019, there were three times more test passes each year than retirements.
There are now more than 230,000 HGV licence holders under the age of 45 alone in the UK deciding not to work in the commercial haulage sector. To put that in perspective, there are more 30 to 34-year-olds that fall into this category than there were total EU drivers in the UK before the pandemic. |
Copied from my local FB group:
So, you are running out of food on the shelves, fuel in the garages, you can’t buy things you need, because the shops can’t get their supplies.
Why is that?
A shortage of goods? No
A shortage of money? No
A shortage of drivers to deliver the goods? Well, sort of.
There isn’t actually a shortage of drivers, what we have, is a shortage of people who can drive, that are willing to drive any more. You might wonder why that is. I can’t answer for all drivers, but I can give you the reason I no longer drive. Driving was something I always yearned to do as a young boy, and as soon as I could, I managed to get my driving licence, I even joined the army to get my HGV licence faster, I held my licence at the age of 17. It was all I ever wanted to do, drive trucks, I had that vision of being a knight of the roads, bringing the goods to everyone, providing a service everyone needed. What I didn’t take into account was the absolute abuse my profession would get over the years.
I have seen a massive decline in the respect this trade has, first, it was the erosion of truck parking and transport café’s, then it was the massive increase in restricting where I could stop, timed weight limits in just about every city and town, but not all the time, you can get there to do your delivery, but you can’t stay there, nobody wants an empty truck, nobody wants you there once they have what they did want.
Compare France to the UK. I can park in nearly every town or village, they have marked truck parking bays, and somewhere nearby, will be a small routier, where I can get a meal and a shower, the locals respect me, and have no problems with me or my truck being there for the night.
Go out onto the motorway services, and I can park for no cost, go into the service area, and get a shower for a minimal cost, and have freshly cooked food, I even get to jump the queues, because others know that my time is limited, and respect I am there because it is my job. Add to that, I even get a 20% discount of all I purchase. Compare that to the UK £25-£40 just to park overnight, dirty showers, and expensive, dried (under heat lamps) food that is overpriced, and I have no choice but to park there, because you don’t want me in your towns and cities.
Ask yourself how you would feel, if doing your job actually cost you money at the end of the day, just so you could rest.
But that isn’t the half of it. Not only have we been rejected from our towns and cities, but we have also suffered massive pay cuts, because of the influx of foreign drivers willing to work for a wage that is high where they come from, companies eagerly recruited from the eastern bloc, who can blame them, why pay good money when you can get cheap labour, and a never ending supply of it as well. Never mind that their own countries would suffer from a shortage themselves, that was never our problem, they could always get people from further afield if they needed drivers.
We were once seen as knights of the road, now we are seen as the lepers of society. Why would anyone want to go back to that?
If you are worried about not getting supplies on your supermarket shelves, ask your local council just how well they cater for trucks in your district.
I know Canterbury has the grand total of zero truck parking facilities, but does have a lot of restrictions, making it difficult for trucks to stop anywhere.
Do you want me to go back to driving trucks? Give me a good reason to do so. Give anyone a good reason to take it up as a profession.
Perhaps once you work out why you can’t, you will understand why your shelves are not as full as they could be.
I tried it for over 30 years, but will never go back, you just couldn't pay me enough.
Thank you to all those people who have shared this post. I never expected such a massive response, but am glad that this message is getting out there. I really hope that some people who are in a position to change just how bad it is for some drivers, can influence the powers that be to make changes for the better. Perhaps some city and town councillors have seen this, and are willing to bring up these issues at their council meetings. It surely cannot be too much to ask of a town/city to provide facilities for those who are doing so much to make sure their economies run and their shops and businesses are stocked with supplies. I never wanted any luxuries, just somewhere safe to park, and some basic ablutions that are maintained to a reasonable standard. I spent my nights away from my home and family for you, how much is it to ask that you at least give me access to some basic services.
There are tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of licence holders just like me, who will no longer tolerate the conditions. So the ball is firmly in the court of the councils to solve this problem. | | | |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 17:31 - Sep 24 with 2193 views | Ryorry |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 17:19 - Sep 24 by SouthBucksBlue |
Copied from my local FB group:
So, you are running out of food on the shelves, fuel in the garages, you can’t buy things you need, because the shops can’t get their supplies.
Why is that?
A shortage of goods? No
A shortage of money? No
A shortage of drivers to deliver the goods? Well, sort of.
There isn’t actually a shortage of drivers, what we have, is a shortage of people who can drive, that are willing to drive any more. You might wonder why that is. I can’t answer for all drivers, but I can give you the reason I no longer drive. Driving was something I always yearned to do as a young boy, and as soon as I could, I managed to get my driving licence, I even joined the army to get my HGV licence faster, I held my licence at the age of 17. It was all I ever wanted to do, drive trucks, I had that vision of being a knight of the roads, bringing the goods to everyone, providing a service everyone needed. What I didn’t take into account was the absolute abuse my profession would get over the years.
I have seen a massive decline in the respect this trade has, first, it was the erosion of truck parking and transport café’s, then it was the massive increase in restricting where I could stop, timed weight limits in just about every city and town, but not all the time, you can get there to do your delivery, but you can’t stay there, nobody wants an empty truck, nobody wants you there once they have what they did want.
Compare France to the UK. I can park in nearly every town or village, they have marked truck parking bays, and somewhere nearby, will be a small routier, where I can get a meal and a shower, the locals respect me, and have no problems with me or my truck being there for the night.
Go out onto the motorway services, and I can park for no cost, go into the service area, and get a shower for a minimal cost, and have freshly cooked food, I even get to jump the queues, because others know that my time is limited, and respect I am there because it is my job. Add to that, I even get a 20% discount of all I purchase. Compare that to the UK £25-£40 just to park overnight, dirty showers, and expensive, dried (under heat lamps) food that is overpriced, and I have no choice but to park there, because you don’t want me in your towns and cities.
Ask yourself how you would feel, if doing your job actually cost you money at the end of the day, just so you could rest.
But that isn’t the half of it. Not only have we been rejected from our towns and cities, but we have also suffered massive pay cuts, because of the influx of foreign drivers willing to work for a wage that is high where they come from, companies eagerly recruited from the eastern bloc, who can blame them, why pay good money when you can get cheap labour, and a never ending supply of it as well. Never mind that their own countries would suffer from a shortage themselves, that was never our problem, they could always get people from further afield if they needed drivers.
We were once seen as knights of the road, now we are seen as the lepers of society. Why would anyone want to go back to that?
If you are worried about not getting supplies on your supermarket shelves, ask your local council just how well they cater for trucks in your district.
I know Canterbury has the grand total of zero truck parking facilities, but does have a lot of restrictions, making it difficult for trucks to stop anywhere.
Do you want me to go back to driving trucks? Give me a good reason to do so. Give anyone a good reason to take it up as a profession.
Perhaps once you work out why you can’t, you will understand why your shelves are not as full as they could be.
I tried it for over 30 years, but will never go back, you just couldn't pay me enough.
Thank you to all those people who have shared this post. I never expected such a massive response, but am glad that this message is getting out there. I really hope that some people who are in a position to change just how bad it is for some drivers, can influence the powers that be to make changes for the better. Perhaps some city and town councillors have seen this, and are willing to bring up these issues at their council meetings. It surely cannot be too much to ask of a town/city to provide facilities for those who are doing so much to make sure their economies run and their shops and businesses are stocked with supplies. I never wanted any luxuries, just somewhere safe to park, and some basic ablutions that are maintained to a reasonable standard. I spent my nights away from my home and family for you, how much is it to ask that you at least give me access to some basic services.
There are tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of licence holders just like me, who will no longer tolerate the conditions. So the ball is firmly in the court of the councils to solve this problem. |
ðŸ‘🻠ðŸ‘ðŸ»
Pls pass on my appreciation to whoever came out with that great piece of writing from the heart - a great window & insights into reality. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 18:03 - Sep 24 with 2164 views | Lord_Lucan |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 13:16 - Sep 24 by giant_stow |
You haven't read down far enough! Check the under the heading 'What about Brexit?' and the subsequent Haulier survey. |
I posted the other day about false reporting, our industry is going to be two thirds down of stock available this year but despite reports to the contrary it has absolutely zero to do with Brexit.
It seems these days the art of reporting is at an all time low, it seems to be stories to fit the agenda of the news agency or opinionism. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 18:33 - Sep 24 with 2112 views | bazza |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 12:45 - Sep 24 by GlasgowBlue |
The difference between 2000 and now is that back then there was a blockade of the refineries by strikers. Little to no petrol was allowed to leave refineries so there was a genuine shortage.
The supply chain may not be perfect but there isn't a shortage of the product and there is no blockade to stop it reaching the pumps.
So long as people don't drive around on empty there won't be any need for mass storage. |
And we all Still managed to fill up And get by.. |  | | |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 18:50 - Sep 24 with 2078 views | SouthBucksBlue |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 17:31 - Sep 24 by Ryorry |
ðŸ‘🻠ðŸ‘ðŸ»
Pls pass on my appreciation to whoever came out with that great piece of writing from the heart - a great window & insights into reality. |
It makes absolute sense doesn’t it.
Who’d want to be an HGV driver in the U.K? | | | |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 18:56 - Sep 24 with 2070 views | solomon |
Can’t help but think Elon is sat in front of his TV with a big grin whilst making slow w4nker hand gestures. Smug git. |  | | |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 19:23 - Sep 24 with 2048 views | Guthrum |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 13:28 - Sep 24 by Basuco |
An HGV driver training company said on TV this morning it is taking 10 weeks to get a provisional HGV licence and 12 weeks to get a test, so no new HGV drivers this year then. |
Costs a couple of grand, too. Big investment if an employer isn't covering the cost. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 19:57 - Sep 24 with 2001 views | Bluedicea |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 13:26 - Sep 24 by GlasgowBlue |
I can only repeat the facts as presented by the ONS.
the loss of EU drivers is only a minor cause of the shortage. At the start of 2020, before the pandemic hit, there were 37,000 EU drivers in the UK. Now, there are 24,500. This represents just 18% of those who exiting.
Over 55,000 domestic drivers left the industry during the last 18 months. Retirement, a lack of driving tests during Covid, and tax changes have all been cited as the cause.
Retirement has certainly played its part. Less than 1% are under 25. In 2019, the number of drivers over 50 exceeded those under 50 for the first time. 4% of the workforce is retiring each year.
In pre-pandemic times this was more than offset by new entrants to the industry. Between 2015 and 2019, there were three times more test passes each year than retirements.
There are now more than 230,000 HGV licence holders under the age of 45 alone in the UK deciding not to work in the commercial haulage sector. To put that in perspective, there are more 30 to 34-year-olds that fall into this category than there were total EU drivers in the UK before the pandemic. |
Totally agree with you about the reasons.
But you forgot one, the DVLA have been on strike over Covid work conditions for a while. This is one of the main reasons there is a backlog on new HGV drivers getting through, as everyone's paperwork is being held up.
HGV drivers are more affected than normal motorists, because although a lot can bs done online, an HGV driver has to send his medical records and driving license by post before they can progress.
https://www.nationaldrivingcentre.co.uk/why-is-there-a-lorry-driver-shortage/ |  |
| What is the use of knowing about everything else, when you do not yet know who you are. |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 20:08 - Sep 24 with 1987 views | StochesStotasBlewe |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 17:14 - Sep 24 by LeoMuff |
Ffs £7 !! Theron lies the problem. |
Came past my local garage on the A140 this evening, queues to turn right meant I had to stop and could clearly see some drivers filling up petrol cans as well as the car. Tossers. |  |
| We have no village green, or a shop.
It's very, very quiet.
I can walk to the pub. |
| |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 20:23 - Sep 24 with 1955 views | Bluedicea |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 20:08 - Sep 24 by StochesStotasBlewe |
Came past my local garage on the A140 this evening, queues to turn right meant I had to stop and could clearly see some drivers filling up petrol cans as well as the car. Tossers. |
Something most people don't know about petrol, is it has a shelf life. Supermarkets buy lower grade fuel from the main suppliers, often this is towards the end of it's best before date, which is why people who own high performance cars should never fill up at supermarkets as the quality can end up causing performance issues.
So anyone storing petrol runs the risk of damaging their cars because it will degrade faster in a small Jerry can, not to mention the fumes buildup risk when stored in the garage. It's illegal to store it in the boot(only transport it).
Why do you think the car industry(read your hand book) tells you to drain the tank if you're not going to use the car for a few months, it degrades too much. | |
| What is the use of knowing about everything else, when you do not yet know who you are. |
| |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 20:41 - Sep 24 with 1926 views | Mr_J |
Just made it home with my range showing "0 miles". Either no fuel wherever I stopped or the queues were so big I had to take a detour. The media has alot to answer for, honestly the front page of the S*n should incur them a massive fine, tossers.
Really worried about tomorrow now, if I go out to get fuel and I'm unsuccessful I'll be screwed. All because we learned nothing from building loo roll fortresses 18 months ago. |  | | |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 20:51 - Sep 24 with 1902 views | monytowbray |
| This is an interesting perspective about HGV driver shortage on 17:19 - Sep 24 by SouthBucksBlue |
Copied from my local FB group:
So, you are running out of food on the shelves, fuel in the garages, you can’t buy things you need, because the shops can’t get their supplies.
Why is that?
A shortage of goods? No
A shortage of money? No
A shortage of drivers to deliver the goods? Well, sort of.
There isn’t actually a shortage of drivers, what we have, is a shortage of people who can drive, that are willing to drive any more. You might wonder why that is. I can’t answer for all drivers, but I can give you the reason I no longer drive. Driving was something I always yearned to do as a young boy, and as soon as I could, I managed to get my driving licence, I even joined the army to get my HGV licence faster, I held my licence at the age of 17. It was all I ever wanted to do, drive trucks, I had that vision of being a knight of the roads, bringing the goods to everyone, providing a service everyone needed. What I didn’t take into account was the absolute abuse my profession would get over the years.
I have seen a massive decline in the respect this trade has, first, it was the erosion of truck parking and transport café’s, then it was the massive increase in restricting where I could stop, timed weight limits in just about every city and town, but not all the time, you can get there to do your delivery, but you can’t stay there, nobody wants an empty truck, nobody wants you there once they have what they did want.
Compare France to the UK. I can park in nearly every town or village, they have marked truck parking bays, and somewhere nearby, will be a small routier, where I can get a meal and a shower, the locals respect me, and have no problems with me or my truck being there for the night.
Go out onto the motorway services, and I can park for no cost, go into the service area, and get a shower for a minimal cost, and have freshly cooked food, I even get to jump the queues, because others know that my time is limited, and respect I am there because it is my job. Add to that, I even get a 20% discount of all I purchase. Compare that to the UK £25-£40 just to park overnight, dirty showers, and expensive, dried (under heat lamps) food that is overpriced, and I have no choice but to park there, because you don’t want me in your towns and cities.
Ask yourself how you would feel, if doing your job actually cost you money at the end of the day, just so you could rest.
But that isn’t the half of it. Not only have we been rejected from our towns and cities, but we have also suffered massive pay cuts, because of the influx of foreign drivers willing to work for a wage that is high where they come from, companies eagerly recruited from the eastern bloc, who can blame them, why pay good money when you can get cheap labour, and a never ending supply of it as well. Never mind that their own countries would suffer from a shortage themselves, that was never our problem, they could always get people from further afield if they needed drivers.
We were once seen as knights of the road, now we are seen as the lepers of society. Why would anyone want to go back to that?
If you are worried about not getting supplies on your supermarket shelves, ask your local council just how well they cater for trucks in your district.
I know Canterbury has the grand total of zero truck parking facilities, but does have a lot of restrictions, making it difficult for trucks to stop anywhere.
Do you want me to go back to driving trucks? Give me a good reason to do so. Give anyone a good reason to take it up as a profession.
Perhaps once you work out why you can’t, you will understand why your shelves are not as full as they could be.
I tried it for over 30 years, but will never go back, you just couldn't pay me enough.
Thank you to all those people who have shared this post. I never expected such a massive response, but am glad that this message is getting out there. I really hope that some people who are in a position to change just how bad it is for some drivers, can influence the powers that be to make changes for the better. Perhaps some city and town councillors have seen this, and are willing to bring up these issues at their council meetings. It surely cannot be too much to ask of a town/city to provide facilities for those who are doing so much to make sure their economies run and their shops and businesses are stocked with supplies. I never wanted any luxuries, just somewhere safe to park, and some basic ablutions that are maintained to a reasonable standard. I spent my nights away from my home and family for you, how much is it to ask that you at least give me access to some basic services.
There are tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of licence holders just like me, who will no longer tolerate the conditions. So the ball is firmly in the court of the councils to solve this problem. |
So s**tty self-interested society and capitalism is to blame.
Surprise. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:05 - Sep 24 with 1882 views | giant_stow |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 18:03 - Sep 24 by Lord_Lucan |
I posted the other day about false reporting, our industry is going to be two thirds down of stock available this year but despite reports to the contrary it has absolutely zero to do with Brexit.
It seems these days the art of reporting is at an all time low, it seems to be stories to fit the agenda of the news agency or opinionism. |
Fair enough and no ones saying brexit is the only cause, but it's clearly up there. What's wrong with the article out of interest? Seemed like an alright summary, laced with some facts (like the survey thingy) to me. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:19 - Sep 24 with 1867 views | bluelagos |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 20:41 - Sep 24 by Mr_J |
Just made it home with my range showing "0 miles". Either no fuel wherever I stopped or the queues were so big I had to take a detour. The media has alot to answer for, honestly the front page of the S*n should incur them a massive fine, tossers.
Really worried about tomorrow now, if I go out to get fuel and I'm unsuccessful I'll be screwed. All because we learned nothing from building loo roll fortresses 18 months ago. |
If you live North Essex / South Suffolk pm me. Just been from the borders to Colchester -> Frinton - Home and saw a couple of garages without queues, and quite a few with queues. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:35 - Sep 24 with 1841 views | Mr_J |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:19 - Sep 24 by bluelagos |
If you live North Essex / South Suffolk pm me. Just been from the borders to Colchester -> Frinton - Home and saw a couple of garages without queues, and quite a few with queues. |
I'm well over 100 miles from there so that wouldn't work, but I appreciate the offer. | | | |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:36 - Sep 24 with 1839 views | HARRY10 |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 11:46 - Sep 24 by BlueBlueBluex2 |
Newmarket Tesco is limiting the amount of fuel that you can purchase today. |
Another stupid response, as this merely causes some to then go from one station to another - just as a retired retarded) in law did when there was shortages in the shops a year or so back.
The opposite should be done - a minimum price , £30 or more.
That would stop the cretins from 'topping up' | | | |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:40 - Sep 24 with 1830 views | bluelagos |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:36 - Sep 24 by HARRY10 |
Another stupid response, as this merely causes some to then go from one station to another - just as a retired retarded) in law did when there was shortages in the shops a year or so back.
The opposite should be done - a minimum price , £30 or more.
That would stop the cretins from 'topping up' |
I'd definitely ban the filling up of jerry cans.
One way to sort it would be to ration people. Coupons per address with maybe exemptions for key workers. Anyway - we are a long way from that hopefully and would take some organising. | |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:17 - Sep 24 with 1787 views | Plums |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:40 - Sep 24 by bluelagos |
I'd definitely ban the filling up of jerry cans.
One way to sort it would be to ration people. Coupons per address with maybe exemptions for key workers. Anyway - we are a long way from that hopefully and would take some organising. |
Plod at each garage, if you’ve more than half a tank, on your way sunshine. |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:29 - Sep 24 with 1748 views | bluelagos |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:17 - Sep 24 by Plums |
Plod at each garage, if you’ve more than half a tank, on your way sunshine. |
Have we even got enough coppers to place one at every garage? #austerity | |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:39 - Sep 24 with 1727 views | Swansea_Blue |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:40 - Sep 24 by bluelagos |
I'd definitely ban the filling up of jerry cans.
One way to sort it would be to ration people. Coupons per address with maybe exemptions for key workers. Anyway - we are a long way from that hopefully and would take some organising. |
He’ll yeah, I’m all for rationing people! |  |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:51 - Sep 24 with 1715 views | Plums |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:29 - Sep 24 by bluelagos |
Have we even got enough coppers to place one at every garage? #austerity |
Probably not. I think the additional ones the government is recruiting are hiding in then 40 new hospitals. | |
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| The f**tards are at it again... on 22:55 - Sep 24 with 1714 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| The f**tards are at it again... on 21:40 - Sep 24 by bluelagos |
I'd definitely ban the filling up of jerry cans.
One way to sort it would be to ration people. Coupons per address with maybe exemptions for key workers. Anyway - we are a long way from that hopefully and would take some organising. |
....ironically my work van is very low on diesel and I have 2 empty 20 litre containers in the back which need petrol in for machinery....hope nobody sees me filling them up. |  |
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