Its not £39000, the basic is a lot less than that. Anyone who thinks its easy "GIVE IT A GO !" and you will realise its not just driving you have to do, you have to take into account other road users and their idea of "sensible and safe driving". In my opinion truckers dont get enough appreciation !

Andy , Glouc., uk

You want to become a tanker drivers? You'll need your Cat C+E which will cost about £1500 if you pass first time, and an advanced course: £300. Get job driving regular LGV's for less than tanker drivers earn for few years experience then sit your ADR, eventually you can haul 30000l of explosive fuel

Abo, Stockton on Tees, UK

27 per cent in the last four years and now another 13.5 per cent. They will be able to keep up with the rise in the cost of living, which is more than the rest of us can do.

Veronica Green (Mrs), Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

Whne you look at the pay Nurses and teachers get, what are they complaining about. Why bother getting a good education, studying for years and working hard when all you need to do is drive a tanker and get paid vastly more than you would if you studied at university for 4 years and became a teacher.

Clive Evans, Oxford,

To W Jones, Liverpool - I spent 6 months in Afghanistan last year often working 20 -28 hour days (yes, 28!!), 7 days a week and didn't see my family any day of the week. I didn't complain, I just got on with my job, doing my bit for the country. Tell your Dad to do his bit and supply us our fuel.

Chris, London,

What a fantastic emergency power plan. Lets use our under paid, over stretched, battle hardened weary soldiers to drive big lorries of fuel up and down the country. That wil show the Army that we really appreciate their sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Gary, Plymouth,

The union says that the £36,500 average salary includes a lot of overtime, and accuses Shell of putting pressure on the haulage companies to keep pay down.

A lot of overtime from what?, a 10 hour week? HGV drivers' hours are limited by law and tanker drivers even more so.

C Byrne, Pinner, UK

Any tanker drivers who are unhappy with their lot, join up, drive a tank in Afghanistan for £20K. Any soldiers unhappy with their lot in Afghanistan, resign, drive a petrol tanker in the UK for £36.5.K Problem solved

C Byrne, Pinner, UK

Sorry No 10, I've gone against your expert advice and just told my parents and my extended family to topup their petrol.

After all, there's nothing to worry about, so we don't lose anything, right?

Howard, Manchester,

why is it that everybody begrudges someone for earning a living wage delivering a product we all need. i have done this thankless task in the u.s. as one writer said it is mostly night work seven days a week all the holidays as this is when most of the driving is done by the public.

lawrence holt, port republic new jersey, usa

Yes Emergency Powers. I wondered what all the money and training of the paralmilitary Police force was for!!!!

Mark, Gateshead, tyne wear

if you belive that they keep to the regulations for HGV operating times, your living in cloud cookoo land.
they all have spare and fake tacho cards/rigged meters. they run without preheater caps, they all speed.
any wonder there are so many accidents on the roads
the EU HGV drivers are the worst

simon, torquay, uk

Surely it would be better for No.10 to tell us TO panic? No-one believes anything he says.

Rob, Sevenoaks, UK

Why should they go to ACAS. Look what happened to the police!

Mike, Gravesend, England

Will we be needing a new Thatcher again soon? Strikes are increasing due to a old style Labour government, I will say one thing for Blair - he was the most conservative like Labour PM in history. Good luck Brown! If the truckers are striking because they get paid neigh on 40k Im gonna become one too

Craig, Colchester, essex

LIke the comimedy Dad Army, the current cabinet is behaving in the same manner, unfortunately that was funny, this is not. Calamity Brown and all his clowns are reducing Britain to ruin. Like Nero playing the "fiddle" whilst Rome burnt.
What is going to take to call a general election?

loris, Milan, Italya

Mr W Jones....Lorry drivers may not drive for more than nine hours a day, 56 hours a week or 90 hours a fortnight.
They must have uninterrupted rest of at least 11 hours per day - or one period of nine hours and another of three hours - and must rest for at least 45 minutes every 4.5 hours.!!!!!..

kirk, Rotherham, UK

Thats it then! If we are told not to panic...guess what..........panic!

ken, Stoke-on-trent,

To W jones of Liverpool, if dad wants more money, he should find a different job like the rest of us. Wages must be set by labour supply and demand, not by unions holding consumers to ransom. Please don't insult the military, police force, fire crews or nurses by complaining about undesirable hours.

JDS, london, UK

Just don't buy Shell petrol anymore, even after this strike!,
Then these £39,000 lorry drivers will be on £0.00 per anumm.
That'd be one in their eye!!

David Diggins, Derby., England.

Simple solution, petrol companies should subsidise the cost of learning to drive those great big lorries, with more competition for their jobs, the current drivers will be less likly to demand more for less work.

Robert, Northampton, England

The Goverment have yet to realise that when people are expected to endure massive council tax, car tax, petrol tax, utility bill rises, food cost increase - and they hear about the MPs claiming for food, light bulbs and Sky TV - they get a little upset and understandably want more pay.

Richard Garland, Manchester,

To thouse who say they are paid to much wont you dont understand is that this work is mainly a nights and is at least a 12 hour shift if not 15 hour one 6 days a week, I never see my dad as he is all ways in work.

He gets week days off not weekends so never gets social life ether, unlike you.

Mr W jones, Liverpool, England

Don't panic? Isn't that what they said before Northern Rock got bailed out.

James, London,

You've the Armed Services fighting and dying for their country ..for a pittance..and these gits earn this much for driving a lorry. Madness..uttter madnes. Sack every one of 'em.there's enough unemplyed people to take their place.Let the banks call in their mortgage loans maybe they will think twice

kirk, Rotherham, UK

Labour's punative tax policy is driving inflation. When are Labour going to u-turn?

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

All people will read is the word "Panic" in these headlines.

That's just eachy peachy! Price'll fly through the roof. Gotta go now and put on some lotion. My hands are red raw from rubbin them together.

Earl Barron, Texas,

Don't Panic... of course we're going to panic... stupid idiots... It'll be everybody for himself at the pumps this afternoon... I wouldn't be surprised if the queues weren't forming right now... hmmm... best I go and top my tank up right now...

paulc, gloucester,

So now we are begining to see the effect of weak government and lack of leadership from the Prime Minister. Everyone believes that he will cave in with to slightest of pressure and soon we will be back to 1979 because Gordon Brown is OLD labour and bereft of any forward thinking.

A.Williams, Cradley Heath,

£39,000 to drive a truck? Im quitting my grad job and becoming a truck driver. Jeez, they better be doing 70 hours a week at least for that. People complaining cost of petrol is high? Maybe that is part of the reason, although a small one.

Sakib, Manchester, UK

By telling the public 'not to panic' will have the exact opposite effect. This is only the start of a long summer of strikes, public protests and disruption to petrol supplies, entirely justified by this disgraced Governments high tax and spend policies causing untold damage to family finances.

pip, sutton, uk

I have 30 years postdoctoral experience and work as a clinical trials analyst in the pharmaceutical industry - I would like to earn the same amount as the drivers have been offered for a far less stressful life.

Peter, Cambridge,