Lorry driver shortage

smcapstick · Aug 24, 2021

Hilly said:
They could fastrac us farmers through to class one ! We are used to large vehicles.

The driving is the easy bit - any fool can turn a steering wheel.

The trickier bit is getting your tachograph hours and breaks all right, whilst still getting the job done.
The other is vehicle checks and maintenance. You have to crawl over that thing daily, weekly and monthly with increasing scrutiny.
You can't get away with 'it'll be reet'... it has to be bloody perfect for every journey, every time. That's where a lot of tractor drivers will fall down. It took me ages to get it all right but actually getting in and driving the thing was a doddle from the get go.

nonemouse · Aug 24, 2021

D14 said:
Not just this country. Its all over europe as I've friends in Italy, France and Germany and they are all reporting the same.

That can’t be true

they haven’t had brexit, and all these labour shortages are our own fault for having a democratic vote to leave the EU

Still Farming · Aug 24, 2021

90,000 drivers short apparently????
Won't want to be in a traffic Jam behind them when recruited ?

Ashtree · Aug 24, 2021

Won’t be easy get the de-rigeur, daily latte with smashed avocado on sourdough toast pretty soon.

Still Farming · Aug 24, 2021

https://www.facebook.com/40526249862/posts/10160818157039863

Bet a few dairy farms won't mind selling milk direct at those prices with a squirt of strawberry or something???

roscoe erf · Aug 24, 2021

smcapstick said:
The driving is the easy bit - any fool can turn a steering wheel.

The trickier bit is getting your tachograph hours and breaks all right, whilst still getting the job done.
The other is vehicle checks and maintenance. You have to crawl over that thing daily, weekly and monthly with increasing scrutiny.
You can't get away with 'it'll be reet'... it has to be bloody perfect for every journey, every time. That's where a lot of tractor drivers will fall down. It took me ages to get it all right but actually getting in and driving the thing was a doddle from the get go.

That’s as an operator the driver only does a walk round check and isn’t required to climb under the truck

betweenthelines · Aug 24, 2021

Part of the trouble is how long (physically) the various supply chains have become.

If there were more slaughter houses, for example, there'd be less need to move cattle a hundred miles to slaughter, then move the meat a similar distance to the shops.

I know of a factory that makes pies, sarnies etc. It is literally next door to a Tesco, but everything has to go 3 hours up the motorway to the Tesco RDC, before it makes the return journey to the store.

Similar store with dairy products-Cornish milk trunked to Severnside, bottled then sent back down the M5.

Think local!

unlacedgecko · Aug 24, 2021

capfits said:
Heard a neighbour got papers from army about rejoining.
Lad has gulf war system would struggle to climb 3 storeys of stairs. When he queried it told him he would get an office job.
I presume those in the offices are going to be heading off lorry driving.

Prisoners for food processing sector and now the unfit for the army.

Those with a reserve service liability have always been at risk of being called up. Specific terms and conditions of service will vary depending on when you joined.

unlacedgecko · Aug 24, 2021

betweenthelines said:
Part of the trouble is how long (physically) the various supply chains have become.

If there were more slaughter houses, for example, there'd be less need to move cattle a hundred miles to slaughter, then move the meat a similar distance to the shops.

I know of a factory that makes pies, sarnies etc. It is literally next door to a Tesco, but everything has to go 3 hours up the motorway to the Tesco RDC, before it makes the return journey to the store.

Similar store with dairy products-Cornish milk trunked to Severnside, bottled then sent back down the M5.

Think local!

The Tesco in Lincoln sells chips made of Lincolnshire potatoes. Of course they don't mention that those potatoes are shipped to the Netherlands for processing, then bought back over as frozen chips. They go from Immingham dock to a 3rd party cold store in Boroughbridge, then to the Tesco RDC at Doncaster, then to stores from there.

It's all driven by money and profits.

Henarar · Aug 24, 2021

unlacedgecko said:
It's all driven by money and profits

why do they need drivers then ?

roscoe erf · Aug 24, 2021

Henarar said:
why do they need drivers then ?

How do the potatoes get to all those places

Henarar · Aug 24, 2021

roscoe erf said:
How do the potatoes get to all those places

The money and profits take it

unlacedgecko · Aug 24, 2021

Henarar said:
The money and profits take it

You see @Kiwi Pete avatar is a troll? You should change yours to s West country version. Maybe holding a can of scrumpy instead of a club?

Henarar · Aug 24, 2021

unlacedgecko said:
You see @Kiwi Pete avatar is a troll? You should change yours to s West country version. Maybe holding a can of scrumpy instead of a club?

Indeed

Wolds Beef · Aug 24, 2021

@D14 I am pleased it is a problem all over europe. They may realise they have caused it!! Or maybe not!!!
WB

Ffermer Bach · Aug 24, 2021

unlacedgecko said:
The Tesco in Lincoln sells chips made of Lincolnshire potatoes. Of course they don't mention that those potatoes are shipped to the Netherlands for processing, then bought back over as frozen chips. They go from Immingham dock to a 3rd party cold store in Boroughbridge, then to the Tesco RDC at Doncaster, then to stores from there.

It's all driven by money and profits.

these long supply chains are often great for saving money, but are subject to insecurity and make our food supplies quite precarious. I think that is why Mike Everly the Health and Safety trainer (who I did part of my NEBOSH with) said every company that is run by accountants goes bust!

Courier · Aug 24, 2021

unlacedgecko said:
The Tesco in Lincoln sells chips made of Lincolnshire potatoes. Of course they don't mention that those potatoes are shipped to the Netherlands for processing, then bought back over as frozen chips. They go from Immingham dock to a 3rd party cold store in Boroughbridge, then to the Tesco RDC at Doncaster, then to stores from there.

It's all driven by money and profits.

The scope for cost saving in food processing is simply immense when haulage is efficient and cheap -

kfpben · Aug 24, 2021

unlacedgecko said:
The Tesco in Lincoln sells chips made of Lincolnshire potatoes. Of course they don't mention that those potatoes are shipped to the Netherlands for processing, then bought back over as frozen chips. They go from Immingham dock to a 3rd party cold store in Boroughbridge, then to the Tesco RDC at Doncaster, then to stores from there.

It's all driven by money and profits.

It’s madness really. Food direct from the farm gate is so cheap compared to processed stuff shipped half way round Europe.
Pre covid my local livestock market sold fruit and veg from local farms/smallholders. I could pick up a 25kg sack of spuds for £6.50, and a bunch of carrots for about 80p. A brace of pheasants for £1. My wife and I reckoned if necessary we could eat happily for a week on a tenner.

We keep being told the consumer wants cheap food. What most of them actually want is ready prepared food, convenient that they don't have to put any effort into.

Just look at Deliveroo- if there wasn’t enough evidence that the idle West isn’t rotten to the core it’s that you can use a phone app to pay some overworked immigrant kid on a bike to bring you a slice of pizza and a beer while your backside doesn’t even leave the sofa.

unlacedgecko · Aug 24, 2021

kfpben said:
It’s madness really. Food direct from the farm gate is so cheap compared to processed stuff shipped half way round Europe.
Pre covid my local livestock market sold fruit and veg from local farms/smallholders. I could pick up a 25kg sack of spuds for £6.50, and a bunch of carrots for about 80p. A brace of pheasants for £1. My wife and I reckoned if necessary we could eat happily for a week on a tenner.

We keep being told the consumer wants cheap food. What most of them actually want is ready prepared food, convenient that they don't have to put any effort into.

Just look at Deliveroo- if there wasn’t enough evidence that the idle West isn’t rotten to the core it’s that you can use a phone app to pay some overworked immigrant kid on a bike to bring you a slice of pizza and a beer while your backside doesn’t even leave the sofa.

Really are we so different from the UAE and Saudi Arabia? Native population paid to sit at home while immigrants are exploited in low paid jobs to make the economy work.

betweenthelines · Aug 24, 2021

kfpben said:
It’s madness really. Food direct from the farm gate is so cheap compared to processed stuff shipped half way round Europe.
Pre covid my local livestock market sold fruit and veg from local farms/smallholders. I could pick up a 25kg sack of spuds for £6.50, and a bunch of carrots for about 80p. A brace of pheasants for £1. My wife and I reckoned if necessary we could eat happily for a week on a tenner.

What's for tea luv?

Chips, grated carrot and 1 slice of pheasant.

Same as fecking always then.

Lorry driver shortage

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0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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