Are lorry drivers (or lack of) having an effect on any of your regular supplies?

[Dan]

HGV driver shortage: UK firms embark on the long road to plug the gap

Logistics sector ups its recruitment and training effort but big obstacles lie ahead

www.theguardian.com

Food, beer, toys, medical kit. Why is Britain running out of everything?

Poor pay and conditions for HGV drivers and the loss of many thousands of EU workers are plunging the UKs supply chain into crisis

www.theguardian.com

Minister urges firms to invest in UK-based workers in HGV driver shortage

Business secretary reported as saying foreign labour only offers ‘temporary solution’ as companies face supply chain crisis

www.theguardian.com

I keep reading news, hearing on radio and seeing on telly that the lack of lorry drivers is having more and more of an impact on our daily lives and wont stop any time soon. I was wondering if any of you guys and gals have felt this with suppliers running out of anything you use regularly?

Heard anything through the grapevine?

Started to stock up on basic things you use often to help get around this over Christmas etc?

 

[UNG]

Agree with a lot of what you say. I do believe that management consultants have grown fat on ripping off the public sector. As for sales, that’s quite a niche job and would argue that a good sales team is essential to any business. Put it this way, none running a business would have a business with some sort of sales input.
The government has just raised NI to raise extra funds for the NHS. Funny how they’re not looking at extra taxes on the high earners and those who salt away their millions off shore like the Rees Moggs of this world.

Management consultants very very rarely understand the business and products of the companies they provide their services to
As for sales there are very few good salesman but there are plenty that will sell you the undeliverable and rely on others to get them out of the mire
The best sales team are the guys on the ground doing a good job as that is what brings in the repeat business

I get your point, but think about the motor trade as an example. From a customer's perspective there are three main components to it: Sales, service and parts. Biggest bucks go to sales, service is next and parts a big drop down to very low wages. This is simply because car sales generate most income and parts generally the least - some garages almost resent having to operate a parts department, despite the fact it is essentail to the efficient running of their service department and could (if funded and managed properly) provide a reasonable income stream in itself.

Service and parts staff are essential - while salespeople encourage the public to part with their cash, they don't actually contribute anything useful. They sell aspiration and, while it's definitely a skill (and not a job I'd want to do), it's not a job that could be considered essential. If manufacturers made better quality cars, they'd sell themselves and salespeople would be redundant.

As for tax increases... rich people are, for the most part, happy to pay their taxes. What they aren't is happy to be treated as a cash cow, simply because they worked hard or were clever/lucky. Squeeze them too much and they won't take it - no different to anyone else, in that regard

The parts departments of most dealers lose out on price to the pattern parts market when it comes to servicing and repairs even the OEM parts supplied by the motor factors are more expensive at a dealers

 

[DPG]

Management consultants very very rarely understand the business and products of the companies they provide their services to
As for sales there are very few good salesman but there are plenty that will sell you the undeliverable and rely on others to get them out of the mire
The best sales team are the guys on the ground doing a good job as that is what brings in the repeat business

The parts departments of most dealers lose out on price to the pattern parts market when it comes to servicing and repairs even the OEM parts supplied by the motor factors are more expensive at a dealers

Absolutely. That's why a good technical sales team is essential. Otherwise you get people promising the impossible just to get their commission.

 

[telectrix]

about the only thing labour party did anything useful was the creation of the NHS as a free service, but it's now been swamped by managers and consultants (financial, not medical) and non-productive top management. sack the lot and increase nurses' pay , and make layabouts on benefits that are above average wage pay for their prescriptions.

 

[UNG]

That's the problem - if Labour don't behave how you want then they 'aren't proper labour'. It's like when people realised how much Neil Kinnock was earning as an MEP - ah, was never proper labour him.

And the 1970s?

Mmm, so - when exactly was the 'good labour' then? I'm struggling to see it to be honest

They left the working man in the dark with the power cuts and the pittance pay rises called wae restraint

 

[telectrix]

Management consultants very very rarely understand the business and products of the companies they provide their services to
As for sales there are very few good salesman but there are plenty that will sell you the undeliverable and rely on others to get them out of the mire
The best sales team are the guys on the ground doing a good job as that is what brings in the repeat business

The parts departments of most dealers lose out on price to the pattern parts market when it comes to servicing and repairs even the OEM parts supplied by the motor factors are more expensive at a dealers

good post, but these main agents (backed by manufacturers) are ripping customers off on servicing and parts. recently had a broken bowden cable on the boot release of 'er indoors car. cable is 15" long and a replacement should be under £20. nope. you have to buy the cable and the boot lock as a complete part, £124.00. when there's nothing wrong with the lock assembly.

 

[UNG]

Absolutely. That's why a good technical sales team is essential. Otherwise you get people promising the impossible just to get their commission.

Technical sales is a whole different ball game, but I have met a lot of supposed tech sales people who are out of their depth and I knew more about their product than they did

 

[UNG]

good post, but these main agents (backed by manufacturers) are ripping customers off on servicing and parts. recently had a broken bowden cable on the boot release of 'er indoors car. cable is 15" long and a replacement should be under £20. nope. you have to buy the cable and the boot lock as a complete part, £124.00. when there's nothing wrong with the lock assembly.

I think I would have been looking to fix that a bit cheaper than that

Bowden Cable Outer Per Metre

Nice quality outer cable OK for throttle, choke, door, bonnet or boot release and light clutches. Sold by the metre from a roll. Maximum length in one piece 15 mtrs. PVC covered 5.2mm O.D. 3.2mm I.D BOWDEN CABLE OUTER #CAB52OUT

www.carbuilder.com

Bowden Cable Inner Per Metre

Nice quality inner cable OK for throttle, choke, door, bonnet or boot release and light clutches. 2mm diameter. 19 strands of 0.44 plated wire. Maximum length in one piece 15 mtrs. Sold by the metre from a roll. BOWDEN CABLE INNER #CAB2IN

www.carbuilder.com

 

[telectrix]

it was the end cap of the outer broke. where it clips into the clamp. no maker of cables i found was able to repair.

 

[FatAlan]

about the only thing labour party did anything useful was the creation of the NHS as a free service, but it's now been swamped by managers and consultants (financial, not medical) and non-productive top management. sack the lot and increase nurses' pay , and make layabouts on benefits that are above average wage pay for their prescriptions.

Problem is, despite what the Tories are saying (very unlike them to lie and mislead) the NHS will continue to be mismanaged and by default, we’ll end up with a private system as per the good old US of A.

 

[nicebutdim]

The parts departments of most dealers lose out on price to the pattern parts market when it comes to servicing and repairs even the OEM parts supplied by the motor factors are more expensive at a dealers

Generally they'll sell aftermarket parts at aftermarket 'retail' prices, which works for the parts dept as they may make a better margin than on OE parts, but franchised garages would generally only offer aftermarket parts for older cars or used vehicles that are from a different manufacturer than they represent.

I don't think anyone expects to receive the best parts prices when having their vehicle serviced at a main dealership. Those big sites have huge overheads and service business is attracted by convenience or having a dealer stamp in the service history.

The real point I was driving at was the fact that the least essential part of those businesses are most profiable and best paid - by 'least essential' I'm looking at this from a societal perspective, rather than that of a garage owner.

 

[FatAlan]

Everyone knows that Blair was a ‘red Tory’.

Labour haven’t been looking out for their supposed core voter (the labouring person), the normal working person, for decades now.

The unions got too powerful at one time which killed old Labour and they switched to identity politics to try and compete with the Tories. Most people in this country want nothing to do with identity politics. They just want to be paid and taxed fairly and have good public services. They don’t care if the public service is full of balding white males or transsexual Muslims, they just want the job done properly.

Labour have missed their opportunity to pivot back to being a party for the working man or woman, they are full of lunatics now. We desperately need a proper opposition to the Tories in this country.

Agree re Blair. Compared to now, the Blair years look pretty good. Unfortunately he tied his shirt tails to the yanks re Iraq. Did a good job with Good Friday agreement. Tories are laughing at the moment as the opposition is split and fighting amongst itself. If you look very carefully in the media, when ever the government comes under threat the media seek to divert the blame. NHS failing … it’s the doctors fault. Police and Justice Failing …no mention of the fact that half the courts have been sold off, cuts in legal aid, barristers leaving in droves, cases being listed 2-3 years down the line then cancelled due to no barristers available. Trade issues with the EU… the EU’s fault….we came to an agreement, it’s not our fault if they stick to it.

 

[nicebutdim]

Everyone knows that Blair was a ‘red Tory’.

Labour haven’t been looking out for their supposed core voter (the labouring person), the normal working person, for decades now.

The unions got too powerful at one time which killed old Labour and they switched to identity politics to try and compete with the Tories. Most people in this country want nothing to do with identity politics. They just want to be paid and taxed fairly and have good public services. They don’t care if the public service is full of balding white males or transsexual Muslims, they just want the job done properly.

Labour have missed their opportunity to pivot back to being a party for the working man or woman, they are full of lunatics now. We desperately need a proper opposition to the Tories in this country.

I didn't know that about Blair and thought he was 'blue Labour' ?

Fully agree with your thoughts about the modern day Labour Party.

about the only thing labour party did anything useful was the creation of the NHS as a free service, but it's now been swamped by managers and consultants (financial, not medical) and non-productive top management. sack the lot and increase nurses' pay , and make layabouts on benefits that are above average wage pay for their prescriptions.

While Labour did indeed create the NHS, it was off the back of a policy formed and pushed by the prior Conservative government.

Problem is, despite what the Tories are saying (very unlike them to lie and mislead) the NHS will continue to be mismanaged and by default, we’ll end up with a private system as per the good old US of A.

I don't have confidence in either party where the NHS is concerned. We've had 10 years of hearing people tell us that the Tories are going to privatise the NHS, yet the vast majority of NHS privatisation, thus far, happened under the stewardship of the last Labour government.

While I don't support the idea of further privatisation, it is beyond all doubt that our health service is long overdue a complete overhaul. Is this something the average voter would entrust to the Labour Party? I certainly wouldn't as they seem to offer either madness or indecisivness.

 

[nicebutdim]

Agree re Blair. Compared to now, the Blair years look pretty good. Unfortunately he tied his shirt tails to the yanks re Iraq. Did a good job with Good Friday agreement. Tories are laughing at the moment as the opposition is split and fighting amongst itself. If you look very carefully in the media, when ever the government comes under threat the media seek to divert the blame. NHS failing … it’s the doctors fault. Police and Justice Failing …no mention of the fact that half the courts have been sold off, cuts in legal aid, barristers leaving in droves, cases being listed 2-3 years down the line then cancelled due to no barristers available. Trade issues with the EU… the EU’s fault….we came to an agreement, it’s not our fault if they stick to it.

They really don't.

Blair inherited a booming economy and funded his ongoing electoral success to the detriment of that. Public/Private Partnerships that have been a huge burden on public services. Changes to health care that meant some huge salaries for considerably less work. Blair bought popularity and deftly, but belatedly handed over to Brown when he knew the good times were coming to an end.

The Belfast Agreement should have been the jewel in his crown but, while it was a significant achievement, it subsequently transpired that many underhand deals were done that (had they been known about) many fewer would have voted in favour of and no agreement would exist.

I do agree that (Brexit aside) the Labour party are currently responsible for Conservative successes. Where they not in complete disarray, there's every chance that the Tories would have to be much more careful.

 

[UNG]

The problem with the NHS is that it thinks it is free for allcomers from around the world, actually charging health tourists for treatment is an alien concept to some working in the NHS, most other countries in the world if you are lucky you might get basic treatment until you can prove that you can pay but in the UK they walk in get treated and when it comes to payment they shrug their shoulders and walk out and fly home
I wonder how many millions that costs the NHS

 

[UNG]

They really don't.

Blair inherited a booming economy and funded his ongoing electoral success to the detriment of that. Public/Private Partnerships that have been a huge burden on public services. Changes to health care that meant some huge salaries for considerably less work. Blair bought popularity and deftly, but belatedly handed over to Brown when he knew the good times were coming to an end.

The Belfast Agreement should have been the jewel in his crown but, while it was a significant achievement, it subsequently transpired that many underhand deals were done that (had they been known about) many fewer would have voted in favour of and no agreement would exist.

I do agree that (Brexit aside) the Labour party are currently responsible for Conservative successes. Where they not in complete disarray, there's every chance that the Tories would have to be much more careful.

Got to agree the GP contract less hours and much more pay, the reason why it has been so difficult to get a GP appointment for over a decade

You forgot to include Brown's sale of the gold reserve when the market had fallen to it's lowest in years