Agricultural contractor tells FarmLand his concerns on sourcing skilled drivers

Meath based agricultural contractor voices his concerns regarding sourcing skilled drivers for his contracting business

[@shanemurphy277]

Anyone I ever seen stuck for men were lads that wouldn't ring ya until they were stuck and are slow to pay, any contractor which keeps the lads middlein busy and pays on time has no issue's getting men

[@tomk4418]

An apprenticeship in what? Just another way of getting a young lad in for 4 years and pay him with hardship and €150 a week

[@jdig1984]

My sentiments too. Those young lads be better go and get a proper apprenticeship

[@rorybuggy0318]

Any young lad would love this job

[@nicklad9463]

The annual poor mouth season . Cant get drivers but can purchase new tractors and machinery that depreciates by half in 5 years . Just pay lads fair and you'll have good drivers a little common sense

[@ajclose9987]

It's not hard to find young lads that are welling to help like myself. It is the farmers and contractors that are not giving the next generation of drivers the opportunity and chance.

[@tiernanswords9720]

AJ Close true but you have to see where the contractor is coming from too, if you had a 120k tractor and trailer would you be willing to let a 16yr old who just got his license out with it? I don’t think so... It is hard though to get the experience, when everywhere you go, you need experience. I think he’s onto something with having an apprenticeship for contracting etc

[@ajclose9987]

@@tiernanswords9720 I totally agree. It is a shit ton of money and every tractor and digger I have ever driven I have treated it like my own. There should be an apprenticeship course.

[@tiernanswords9720]

AJ Close it’s shocking hard to get out there and get a name for yourself, especially when you don’t come from a farming background and you’ve no one to show you the ropes

[@ajclose9987]

@@tiernanswords9720 I started farming from 12 years old. On a family friends farm milking there cows. That is how I started tractor driving. Got a good amount of hour behind me now at age 23 working every summer with them. I have also just done my pa2 sprayer course this year.

[@valleyboy2099]

Exactly ...this is all for the cameras!!!!!

[@jonathanwaugh5216]

Good man. Like the way he treats his workers with a bit of respect

[@alanoneill9961]

I'm 32 driving diggers full time sence 17.. work Monday to Friday would gladly sit in a tractor any Saturday or Sunday for a days wage.. from the West so hit me up 😁

[@DaveG7920]

Sell both of those tractors and buy one big one that will run the 3 mowers . There you go, save you a driver already.

[@paddyk2535]

yeah 8 euro an hour who would work for that

[@michaelwalsh9145]

@@paddyk2535 a slave?

[@gregj7916]

as with everything in Ireland pay and conditions lacking for employee's,

[@siongoodier5330]

Pay better wages , treat your men like a person , and stop making out your always skint , you'll get good driver willing to work long hours

[@jeffjefferson3364]

150euro/acre? Never ever be paid

[@markjackson1390]

I'm from Northern Ireland and we paid £58 per acre mow rake lift

[@goldfire1676]

Back to more hay lads

[@berniec781]

@@markjackson1390 contractors getting 110 an acre here in the midlands of Ireland.

[@Kt-ro2fm]

2 tractors mowing and a big M sitting idle

[@johnmccasthy6153]

Hard to find drivers cause farmers and contractors won't pay that's why same story every year

[@fordford9133]

Spot on

[@peterburke9052]

The money is one thing, the hours they work for a month or 2 is madness..

[@456Brian]

I've got 42 years experience would love to come over from England tho

[@mrrooter3630]

Plenty of young lads with experience looking for work just contractors won't hire them because they know them young lads won't spend the rest of their lives working for a contractor that pays them peanuts.

[@everythingagri8232]

Ah now good young lads are scarce and hard to find, lads who respect you and your machines not your "experienced" ones that hop the tractors off walls and give back lip to their boss

[@mrrooter3630]

@@everythingagri8232 They are not. There would be no lip if they were getting more than 5 euro an hour.

[@seanbreen5122]

Hours aren’t the problem the money is its fine for a while but money isnt their

[@andrewwoodhead8305]

Men with their own tractors the way forward??

[@paulfogarty1034]

i know lads that have there own tractors and if they have a problem with a framer or any family member of said framer they will not go near them no matter what the job is with the contractor that has them hired in

[@michealodonovan95]

Pay a decent wage on an hourly rate. Who wants a job for 6 weeks of the year. An apprentiship 8lis a load of crap only way to learn is in the machine

[@JohnDeere-pi3ez]

Jesus I looking for work hard to get it

[@michaelwalsh9145]

The trouble with working for an agri contractor is not the long hours but when it rains or it’s off season there’s no work, that’s the main problem, a lot of older lads with plenty of experience could do the work but you’re either working day and night or not working at all, the young lads will only work when they feel like it and will take off at a moments notice. All the government wants is to get rid of farmers, why do you think they go to those WEF meetings aka the unelected psychopaths that have bought out all governments worldwide.

[@farmcentralohio]

Oh no, poor Peter might have to get off his lazy butt and do something. Maybe spend more money on your workers and not so much with Mother Deere and you might get somewhere. It's not hard to find employees, it's hard to find employees you can treat like dirt and pay pennies lol

[@edwardcarpentryandagri]

I would drive for you if you need drivers

[@tommyriordan870]

Use would try work a lad from 7am to 1 or 2 am then try hand a lad 70 euro and wonder why use cant get lads

[@thefedsarewatching4815]

Is that what they do?

[@flynncontracting6131]

If you want 5 years time I will head up to you

[@jackhunter4341]

FLYNN CONTRACTING that’s abit to long kid

[@garethsinnamon4401]

Just looking slave labour. Any good contractor,can get good drivers.BECAUSE THEY DONT TREAT WORKERS LIKE SH.TE

[@JohnSmith-sw6uv]

What's the paying rate for agricultural driver?

[@tiernanswords9720]

John Smith depends on experience, between 10-20€

[@mrrooter3630]

Peanuts and big new tractors for young lads

[@damo4559]

Who the hell wants to work 22 hour days?????????

[@gregshearer423]

Sure why not make decent chunk of money so you will

[@seamusmcmahon1182]

Dont bother taking foreners in peter

[@johnfoley9617]

Im coming

[@chrisfastrakdavies2598]

I have always had great drivers and not just Drivers operators and we put them in Fastrak and Fendt I don't think u Irish don't know wat fuck your talking about!