Energy crisis

Swedish Paul

Member
Messages
1,807
Almost.
It’s really just Brexit that has forced the European drivers to avoid work in the UK that has lead to the shortage of drivers in the first place.
Covid is everywhere, and everywhere doesn’t have a shortage of fuel, HGV drivers, co2, chicken, pork…

Luckily our Government had the foresight to implement fantastic public transport infrastructure that we can rely on, and to not neglect it, run it into the ground, or leave it operating at excessive loads…
It’s not just brexit. iR35 has also had an impact.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,699
We install it for a living i have 5 bed houses 80% 0ff grid for electric / hot water & heating over a 12 mouth period
I would be interested in discussing this more with you as I run electric hot water and oil boiler for heat currently. If I could heat the water by other means that and use any residual generated that would be good.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,699
It’s because, when someone in the government says “don’t panic buy” the only bit the public hears is “panic buy”.

We have become a country mistrustful of our leaders.
But why do the supermarkets announce they are getting short due to deliveries and then say dont panic buy. What do they expect will happen! Just keep quiet ffs....
 

gb-gta

Member
Messages
1,130
It’s not just brexit. iR35 has also had an impact.
Yes, this is a comical ******* shot in the foot by the government.
Drive everyone’s wages down with cheap imported labour, then all the cheap labour goes home, ageing uk drivers then told by rishi that he’s going to slash their take home pay by 20-30% to their already squeezed wages.
Guess what, drives just say b@lls to this job, i might as well work at Tesco’s or do a bit of gardening.
Hence 10’s, probably 100’s of thousands of over 50 experienced drivers jacking it in.

I think the government won’t be happy until everyone on minimum wage (apart from their city mates of course).

Rant over. Sorry!
 

Scaf

Member
Messages
6,512
Don't they have a limit on how much you can fill up with? Particularly the number of plastic containers.
However he might be a farmer or groundsman...
I have just walked to my local station to get a coffee and they have put a 50ltr limit and no cans, I then witnessed someone paying for just over £12. Of file for their Toyota 4x4 can’t tell me they weren’t just topping up for the sake of it.
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,102
Yes, this is a comical *** shot in the foot by the government.
Drive everyone’s wages down with cheap imported labour, then all the cheap labour goes home, ageing uk drivers then told by rishi that he’s going to slash their take home pay by 20-30% to their already squeezed wages.
Guess what, drives just say b@lls to this job, i might as well work at Tesco’s or do a bit of gardening.
Hence 10’s, probably 100’s of thousands of over 50 experienced drivers jacking it in.

I think the government won’t be happy until everyone on minimum wage (apart from their city mates of course).

Rant over. Sorry!
About right.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
HGV driver wages have risen on between 2 and 2.7% per annum over the last few years. And as there was already a shortage of 50,000 drivers in 2018 there were plenty of reasons for pay to increase before the “cheap” labour went home, so I’m not sure it has been a historically badly paid job.

I do agree that that IR35 rules will have made some drivers move on, some would say allowing this tax wheeze for so long created the problem in the first place.

I think one of the other reasons is conditions. Traffic gets worse so deliveries leave earlier or drive overnight. I imagine this would put many drivers off. I wouldn’t want to do it.

Then there is the career situation. I guess there is a limit to the career progression available to a lorry driver. This has led to the reduction in new entrants into the labour market.


I understand that there is a need for 300,000 drivers in the U.K. and that there are 600,000 qualified drivers in the system, the majority of whom it seems have found more gainful employment.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,699
HGV driver wages have risen on between 2 and 2.7% per annum over the last few years. And as there was already a shortage of 50,000 drivers in 2018 there were plenty of reasons for pay to increase before the “cheap” labour went home, so I’m not sure it has been a historically badly paid job.

I do agree that that IR35 rules will have made some drivers move on, some would say allowing this tax wheeze for so long created the problem in the first place.

I think one of the other reasons is conditions. Traffic gets worse so deliveries leave earlier or drive overnight. I imagine this would put many drivers off. I wouldn’t want to do it.

Then there is the career situation. I guess there is a limit to the career progression available to a lorry driver. This has led to the reduction in new entrants into the labour market.


I understand that there is a need for 300,000 drivers in the U.K. and that there are 600,000 qualified drivers in the system, the majority of whom it seems have found more gainful employment.
The cpc did not help as the 50+ just could not be bothered with it. Although it is easily manipulated.
I saw that the fuel haulier that is struggling put up wages by 25%. So I guess it was low pay.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
The cpc did not help as the 50+ just could not be bothered with it. Although it is easily manipulated.
I saw that the fuel haulier that is struggling put up wages by 25%. So I guess it was low pay.

I don’t disagree, but I am left wondering why, when there was a deficit of 50k drivers for the last 5 years, wages hadn’t already gone up.
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
I don’t disagree, but I am left wondering why, when there was a deficit of 50k drivers for the last 5 years, wages hadn’t already gone up.

Because wealth re-distribution isn't the solution to making the wealthy business owners and share holders happy.

The (current) British way is to squeeze those at the bottom so those at the top can continue to have growing and unearthly sums of money that there is no way they need or can consume. They just wear it like a badge instead.

Odd perhaps that we hit breaking point where those at the bottom have simply gone somewhere else (or in the case of Brexit, just don't come here anymore before we hit a revolution.

See also wages for those who look after our health, teach our kids, deliver our parcels...
 

Geo

Member
Messages
616
I was going to go flying tomorrow but have reconsidered it as I have fill a 20ltr jerrycan at my local station for my aircraft. Can you imagine the abuse that I would receive!
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
I was going to go flying tomorrow but have reconsidered it as I have fill a 20ltr jerrycan at my local station for my aircraft. Can you imagine the abuse that I would receive!

I had a similar thought, my lawnmower can is empty!
 
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