Ready steady Queue

[optimusprime]

 

[Jukie]

A clue here from my local paper?

''UK Government ‘trying to poach’ ambulance drivers to fill HGV roles​

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An ambulance driver has criticised the UK Government over letters sent to thousands of staff encouraging them to take roles on heavy goods vehicles.''

Thanks.

Clearly there is a surfeit of ambulance drivers that we are not aware of...............

 

[Bellow]

Thanks.

Clearly there is a surfeit of ambulance drivers that we are not aware of...............

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is the expression we're looking for I suspect....

As far as I can make out, along with the above, the army (soldiers) are driving commercially owned tankers and the army's tankers are being driven by civilians (from out-sourced army transport functions?).

I'm told that the fuel distribution network is prepared for all contingencies and that ''Only an idjit would think that an industry capable of distributing a billion litres a week would be disrupted by a spot of panic buying.'' But I possibly read that too fast and failed to understand it.

 

[st13phil]

An ambulance driver has criticised the UK Government over letters sent to thousands of staff encouraging them to take roles on heavy goods vehicles.

I can't read the article as I don't want to register, but I assume that the complaining "ambulance driver" also has an HGV licence?

If so then I understand that all HGV licence holders have been sent a letter asking them to consider taking an HGV-driving job - even if they're currently employed in that role. If that's the case then their current occupation hasn't been considered so why shouldn't an ambulance driver holding an HGV licence be contacted?

 

[Bellow]

I can't read the article as I don't want to register, but I assume that the complaining "ambulance driver" also has an HGV licence?

I can't read the whole piece either.

If so then I understand that all HGV licence holders have been sent a letter asking them to consider taking an HGV-driving job - even if they're currently employed in that role. If that's the case then their current occupation hasn't been considered so why shouldn't an ambulance driver holding an HGV licence be contacted?

Fair point re contacting all HGV licence holders but that ''thousands of'' ambulance drivers have been approached and the implications of them all leaving their current jobs is so significant that it casts doubts on the competence of the scattergun approach when to solve one problem without creating another requires a more targeted strategy. Could the government not have first checked the employment status before issuing the letters to ambulance drivers? And, if contacting all HGV licence holders is what is occurring (not only retired drivers as was initially suggested) then the same scenario of drivers leaving one necessary driving job for another remains - aka poaching.
Grocery shopping earlier this week in a supermarket, some of the shelves - the bread ones especially - were very bare. There really isn't any scope for taking drivers from food delivery roles to drive tankers. And in any case, as has been previously discussed, only a fraction of the drivers being contacted will have the necessary qualifications to drive fuel tankers. Making this scattergun tactic an ineffective waste of resources and tax payers money, potentially creating problems in other sectors and a distraction from whatever the real solution ultimately is.

 

[Dryce]

I'm told that the fuel distribution network is prepared for all contingencies and that ''Only an idjit would think that an industry capable of distributing a billion litres a week would be disrupted by a spot of panic buying.'' But I possibly read that too fast and failed to understand it.

Well the retail part was disrupted. Presumably refining and delivery just went on as normal. Maybe some opportunties for overtime and increased margins in some parts of supply chain.

And most of the public went on as normal.

The media had a whole pile of fun with it.

And the public get to whinge.

And foreign media gets to dis the UK.

mbclub gets a 21+ page topic.

Seriously .... what's not to like .... apart from the few who were seriously inconvenienced .... and the Labour conference which was eclipsed by the 'crisis'?

 

[Bellow]

Well the retail part was disrupted. Presumably refining and delivery just went on as normal. Maybe some opportunties for overtime and increased margins in some parts of supply chain.

A chain with a missing link is worthless.

And most of the public went on as normal.

The media had a whole pile of fun with it.

And the public get to whinge.

And foreign media gets to dis the UK.

mbclub gets a 21+ page topic.

Seriously .... what's not to like .... apart from the few who were seriously inconvenienced .... and the Labour conference which was eclipsed by the 'crisis'?

You forget the distraction from the rocketing price of gas - as winter approaches..... Skirmishes on the forecourts a temporary blip ahead of what could be a difficult winter for many.

 

[Dryce]

A chain with a missing link is worthless.

The chain didn't actually fail.

The public overreacted - effectively lost hold of their end of it.

Had there been a similar rush to the pumps any time in the last 20 years do you think the outcome would have been much different? The real difference now is that there are fewer outlets (so poissbly less retail stock) and a higher population - exacerbate things.

 

[Trickythemerc]

I fuelled up twice yesterday M6 Sandbach south and M6 Knutsford north £45.00 limit on both. My other van going to Cardiff struggled to get diesel and was below 1/4 tank when he finally got some at Strensham M5 on the way back north.

 

[BPD07]

I can't read the article as I don't want to register, but I assume that the complaining "ambulance driver" also has an HGV licence?

If so then I understand that all HGV licence holders have been sent a letter asking them to consider taking an HGV-driving job - even if they're currently employed in that role. If that's the case then their current occupation hasn't been considered so why shouldn't an ambulance driver holding an HGV licence be contacted?

Surely you are not poaching but this is free market. You’ve got a skill (licence) would you like use it? Or maybe it’s a retraining opportunity (good luck with the DVSA certifying you anytime soon) but irrespective they don’t have to accept or act on any request. It’s like whining about the WBAC offer on your car - you don’t have to accept or do anything.

 

[st13phil]

Could the government not have first checked the employment status before issuing the letters to ambulance drivers?

I'm not sure - could there be a privacy angle to that? I really don't know.

What I am pretty sure of is that if that had been the case the media would would have found an "ambulance driver" who held an HGV licence who would complain that they hadn't been contacted...

 

[Dryce]

Could the government not have first checked the employment status before issuing the letters to ambulance drivers?

No.

There are two blunt seasons

- first off UK government departments don't just operate separate databases they also don't -on principle - share or exchange data on an adhoc basis (it's hard enough on a formal basis).

- secondly the government might know with whom you are employed under PAYE - but they don't know what you actually do or where you actually work. They know even less if you are self employed or contract.

 

[E55BOF]

It seems obvious and simple to me. Shortage of HGV drivers? Send a letter to every driver on the DVLA database with an HGV licence, in the hope that any not currently active may decide to come back, and some are likely to. Quick, cheap and easy, and the end result is more active HGV drivers.

That's not news, though, so the media make it news by emphasising the fact that a small proportion of active HGV licence holders - ambulance drivers - receives the same letter as all the others.

 

[Bellow]

Presumably though, the HGV licence information that the government can access includes the relevant qualifications for tankering fuel - no?
While it is possible that the quoted ambulance driver does actually posses those additional qualifications I'd have thought that the chances of that additional qualification being held by a significant number of the other 'thousands of' ambulances would be pretty slim - ditto any other HGV licence holder being targeted. Scattergun with only part of what's required being successfully targeted. And given the low percentage of HGV drivers qualified to tanker - wasteful - and largely futile. A gesture to be seen to be doing something.

In the talk of why younger drivers aren't embracing HGV as a career one aspect is always overlooked. Ask any older driver why he took up the trade and invariably you'll hear 'freedom of being out on the road not cooped up in an office or workshop with every movement and minute of the day being monitored and micro-managed'. Well done the layer of middle management that changed that. Ask any HGV driver about the deadlines and surveillance and hear what they say.

 

[E55BOF]

Any driver with an HGV I licence can take a course of training as a tanker driver, but that's not my point. The fuel 'crisis' - also largely a construct of the media - leading sheep to panic en masse, will pass, indeed is passing. It is worst in the South-East because the population density, and therefore the sheep density (not necessarily in every sense of the word ), is highest here.

The fundamental problem, which remains, is an overall shortage of HGV drivers in general. Trying to get inactive HGV licence holders back into HGV work does not strike me as a futile gesture at all.

 

[Bellow]

Any driver with an HGV I licence can take a course of training as a tanker driver, but that's not my point.

How many will - come out of retirement to go back to school and drive until the panic is over then be told they are no longer required?

The fuel 'crisis' - also largely a construct of the media - leading sheep to panic en masse, will pass, indeed is passing. It is worst in the South-East because the population density, and therefore the sheep density (not necessarily in every sense of the word ), is highest here.

That, probably is the biggest story here. Reconfirmation that that is how the public behaves. That is the demand scenario for the distribution network to deal with. It's obvious that panic buying by enough deprives those who subsequently need and that that pattern cannot be changed. Deal with it.

The fundamental problem, which remains, is an overall shortage of HGV drivers in general. Trying to get inactive HGV licence holders back into HGV work does not strike me as a futile gesture at all.

Limited shelf life from the retired brought back. New recruits would be better - and this has been obvious for the past decade or more. Get middle management the **** out of the cab and let HGV driving (hard as it is) be a career worth embarking on. Back to what it was. Not cooped up micro-managed but out there on your own dealing with whatever comes your way.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

I have a hgv licence.
To drive a tanker on the road I would need my CPC, ADR and digital tacho, at least.
Probably an eyesight test(and glasses now), fortunately my medical is in date.

I know the cpc is a 50/60 hour course, the ADR will be similar, I think the tacho you just apply for...all at a cost.

Unless this is going to be paid for by someone else(or fast tracked), I'm unlikely to change my career for the short term bonus.

Having a hgv licence doesn't mean you can drive a truck on the road these days, especially a tanker.

It's the same as most construction industries where you have to pay to go to work first.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Thanks.

Clearly there is a surfeit of ambulance drivers that we are not aware of...............

I guess it could depend though - if the limiting factor is number of Ambulances rather than drivers? There could actually be spare drivers in theory (though seems doubtful!)

 

[markjay]

The Esso petrol station near my house is still open only every other day, but on average the queues are now shorter than they used be at the beginning of the week. So possibly things are starting to get back to normal?

 

[Stratman]

Mortar tanker tailed by drivers looking for petrol

A tanker driver has told how he was tailed by about 20 drivers who were dismayed to discover he was not transporting petrol.
Johnny Anderson, who drives for Weaver Haulage, was transporting 44 tonnes of mortar from Bilston, Wolverhampton, to a building site in Northamptonshire.
When he reached his destination, he saw a line of traffic backed up behind him.
"The man at the front... actually said 'You could have stopped and told us you weren't a petrol tanker," he said.
...........