Is £40,000 a fair wage for driving a petrol tanker?

Question

That`s about double what all the truck drivers I have asked get. What special skills are needed, how dangerous are tankers?When last did you hear of a patrol tanker spontaneously exploding.Milk tanker as difficult to drive? Sorry, that`s 5 questions ,I`m as greedy as a tanker driver.

Answer 1

I agree with you, double the wage seems an awful lot.  May explain why we pay so much for fuel then!

Answer 2

It's like walking around with a bomb strapped to there ****.

Answer 3

I think it's a pretty excessive wage.  There are lots of other risky jobs that pay less.  Soldiers don't get paid anywhere near that, yet they are working with real bombs.  Nurses don't get paid that, and they often have to deal with abusive/dangerous people.  Do fire fighters get that sort of money?  I doubt it.  I'm sure other people can think of other jobs that are dangerous but don't get paid anywhere near that sort of money.

I live in a very windy part of the UK, regularly hear of lorries been blown over but I can't recall any fuel lorries blown over.  Even if a fuel lorry blows over, I've never heard of it exploding like you say.  Yes the motorway has to be closed & cleaned, but that's not the job of the tanker driver.

Answer 4

a year or a month. if its a year then no but a month yes

Answer 5

the reason why petrol tanker drivers get more wages then the usual LGV drivers is because there is an element of danger as you will be transporting extremly flammable liquids to and from long destinations, there is always a possibility that in high winds that the tanker could tip over, after all you will be driving on very busy motorways, so there will be a chance of crashing etc etc, people arnt gonna give that job a second thought only if they get a good wage for it, my hubby - to -be is concidering doing this and to be honest with you i prefer having less money than him driving such a dangerous tanker.

ive never heard of a petrol tanker suddenly explode before, but i have heard of them turning over in high winds on motorways, if you are a confident HGV/LGV driver than my guess is you wont have a prob driving fuel tankers, but you need to sort your nerves out and read up on fuel driving first, then go for all the relevant tests that you will need to do first.

Answer 6

Yea......Why knock them. I would like to earn £40000 as well. I say good luck to them. The job, as you say, is probably more or less the same as any other truck driver. But they have a good job & by the sound of it it a reasonable employer. Leave them be.

Edit:- I am sure if you had the £40000 job you would not be looking to take a £20000 pay cut just to keep all the jealous people happy.

Answer 7

'Fairness' has nothing to do with it. If these guys can pull down £40,000 for driving a petrol tanker, then fair play to them. 14% was the offer made to them, they are hardly going to turn it down are they?

Answer 8

I agree with you, I think they are being greedy. I am a contract electronics test engineer, I did 2 years of intensive training, I am now very lucky if I can get a job at £15 ph. In '86 I was on £10ph, work that out.

Answer 9

i think all lorry drivers are under paid. Its lonely dangerous horrid hours & sometimes they spend days away from home

put on top of that the no doubt extra training for highly flammable cargo then they should be on £60 000 pa not £40 000. also i find it hard to believe there wages effect the cost of fuel compared to the taxes