Light Land Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Over the years of reading the forum and farmers weekly UK I can't help but notice the use of titles on farms..... "head tractor driver title" "combine driver role" is it a throw back to a primitive time were titles like "lord of the manor" were something to be in ore of?? I had an English farmer come in the other day to take a load of straw and we go talking while the load was being tied down. He asked me "your boss let you have a go in the combine yet" "what jobs are you allowed to do on farm" etc etc I said there is no formal structure here, I do every thing and when the owner is here at peak times he dose everything as well as no one is special here. The guys jaw dropped and said ow I see and he went on to tell me about being a head tractor driver is the top job in England. Is this a common school of thought in England? The Germans and Dutch I've worked for over the years didn't seem to worry about titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roberthenning Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 There's no titles here in Northern Ireland, but seems to be an ego thing, some fells would be wetting themselves to drive the binder or the forage harvester were others who are probably better don't really care what they're droving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The head tractor driver was the role for the person that takes on the role on some farms as a foreman. He would be the one working closely with the manager/ owner and if there are any other tractor drivers working with him, he will relay the owners/ managers orders to them. This position has a lot to do with the pay structure that existed on farms which has now gone, as the a w b has been abolished. The adverts you see for combine driver, sprayer operator etc, etc are to attract the correct applicant for the job, it won't state it on your first pay slip though. Many farms in this country have staff that do mainly the same tasks. On the arable farm I work on, I cart the corn and work the grain store/dryer, I do the ploughing and all cultivations,I cut all the hedges ,the boss likes the spraying and top dressing and the combine driving and the drilling although I have to do a bit of combine driving and spraying and drilling to keep my eye in so to speak. When the lorrys get loaded, the gaffer drives the forklift and I am on the shovel, this is because I am 44 and he is 60, not him pulling rank. On the cattle farm I work on, I do all the mucking out with the teleporter, I spread the fertiliser, I cut the hedges, I do the spring ploughing and drilling. We don't have students on our farms, but if we had one, we would give them some training in what we do to help them learn new skills. If my gaffer broke his leg tomorrow, I could do all of his tasks if needed, which is why I do some of his tasks at some point during the year. I hope this all makes sense Ol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorboy Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 it was a lot little that in my time 70s to the 90s , the farm foreman got all the best jobs drilling & driving the combine , he d never clean any thing at all which was left to me , there was 3 of us on that place & we all had set roles , as I moved on to 2 other farms I got to have a go at more of the work , but they still like to keep what id say was the best jobs for the boss ha ha! - now adays seems to depend on the farms some share the work others seem to have different rolls for each chap , all depends on the size of the staff or farm . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 The head tractor driver was the role for the person that takes on the role on some farms as a foreman. He would be the one working closely with the manager/ owner and if there are any other tractor drivers working with him, he will relay the owners/ managers orders to them. This position has a lot to do with the pay structure that existed on farms which has now gone, as the a w b has been abolished. The adverts you see for combine driver, sprayer operator etc, etc are to attract the correct applicant for the job, it won't state it on your first pay slip though. Many farms in this country have staff that do mainly the same tasks. On the arable farm I work on, I cart the corn and work the grain store/dryer, I do the ploughing and all cultivations,I cut all the hedges ,the boss likes the spraying and top dressing and the combine driving and the drilling although I have to do a bit of combine driving and spraying and drilling to keep my eye in so to speak. When the lorrys get loaded, the gaffer drives the forklift and I am on the shovel, this is because I am 44 and he is 60, not him pulling rank. On the cattle farm I work on, I do all the mucking out with the teleporter, I spread the fertiliser, I cut the hedges, I do the spring ploughing and drilling. We don't have students on our farms, but if we had one, we would give them some training in what we do to help them learn new skills. If my gaffer broke his leg tomorrow, I could do all of his tasks if needed, which is why I do some of his tasks at some point during the year. I hope this all makes sense Ol. Thanks for taking the time to reply Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I will probably get killed for saying this Ol but the UK is pretty much living in the past (a hundred years or more) when it comes to such things. Especially on farms I reckon. But, it is part of it's charm and if you don't mind it you can get along fine. The situation your sketching is pretty much as I bumped into it when I started working on a UK farm five years ago. There was only the two of us on the farm and it was a family business so a big difference. I didn't end up in the hierarchy of a large estate or farming unit. A Dutch friend of mine did and he got mad. As you say, we Dutch aren't used to it at all. Very much free thinking spirit whilst the English like everything to be regulated very tightly to make it run smooth. As farms are changing, increasing in size and less personal, these fixed lines will slightly diminish but it will take a long while. I don't know if the people themselves want it. It has its charm like I said but can often be discriminating as well. Those arrogant farm managers and foreman's still annoy the hell out of me whenever I come across one. Sadly it's much to often! However, I should point out 99% of the English farmers (big or small) are very friendly people and have an open attitude. Western and Southern Germany will have a similar business structure like we do. However things change in Eastern Germany when the farms grow larger and sometimes have up to 100 people working for them. The further East you go, the more it changes. As I am always over the place in Europe taking pictures I get to visit a lot of farms. If you visit a farm in E-Germany for example and ask to photo their tractors the driver will say go ask the chef. If you do the same over here all personal will have authority and grant you permission. Much the same in the UK only a lot of people are scared stiff of elf 'n safety and won't let you near kit or in a field. Some insist you wear a high vis jacket but that is beyond my dignity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IH885XLMAN Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 well you cant have anyone just turn up and do the job ...... experience on some machines is critical I bet all industries follow the same pattern just look at the armed foces (wots left of it ) its qualification and experience everyone wants the best in the job sector market too just like head stock person or shepherd ...cow man ect it works too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I bet all industries follow the same pattern just look at the armed foces (wots left of it ) its qualification and experience everyone wants the best in the job sector market too The armed forces. Well known for their organising talent, common sense and down to earth state of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordconvermad Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I know it's not farming related but from my last year and a half working in christchurch newzealand on the re build I find majority of people here wants a title regardless of its meaning they just seem to need something to make them feel superior to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 reminds me of my, shall i say, snobby mother in law,who had a grand title,cant think what it was,but boiled down to her being a cleaner,nothing wrong with that,but call a spade a spade please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.