Our lot have 4 artics on a dedicated contract to a company near Middlesbrough that makes lamp posts.
The trailers are loaded by overhead crane in the factory by their own loading team, the slings are parcel taped in place, and the trailers dropped on the trailer park by their shunter driver. All our drivers have to do is hook up to the trailer, strap the load down then away they go. At the delivery point they simply set up their hiab, hook 2 slings on and offload the relevant posts. When they’re empty, they come back to Middlesbrough, no back loading. I go in sometimes and in truth it’s a doddle, but monumentally boring.
Compare this to today - I’m onsite near East Kilbride to load a 40’ container for Teesside. I was told that it has about 1 ton in it, making it about 5 ton in total. There’s nearer 4 ton it , it’s a tight confined space lift and my crane won’t touch it so our lot are trying to get another Hiab unit in for a tandem lift. As the lead on the job, I’ll be expected to be slinger, rigger, signaller, lift supervisor and general go-between for our lot, the site, and our customer.
For all this, I’m on exactly the same rate as the guys on the lamp post job...
The trailers are loaded by overhead crane in the factory by their own loading team, the slings are parcel taped in place, and the trailers dropped on the trailer park by their shunter driver. All our drivers have to do is hook up to the trailer, strap the load down then away they go. At the delivery point they simply set up their hiab, hook 2 slings on and offload the relevant posts. When they’re empty, they come back to Middlesbrough, no back loading. I go in sometimes and in truth it’s a doddle, but monumentally boring.
Compare this to today - I’m onsite near East Kilbride to load a 40’ container for Teesside. I was told that it has about 1 ton in it, making it about 5 ton in total. There’s nearer 4 ton it , it’s a tight confined space lift and my crane won’t touch it so our lot are trying to get another Hiab unit in for a tandem lift. As the lead on the job, I’ll be expected to be slinger, rigger, signaller, lift supervisor and general go-between for our lot, the site, and our customer.
For all this, I’m on exactly the same rate as the guys on the lamp post job...