@o/p…
So how did it all go then,.the first run out ?
Thinking why did I bother worrying? 
Or…
Went that bad you dont want to tell us? 
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Maybe no internet, my sister tells me the mobile network there is crap, for such a small place with so many people.
A bit of both 
I’ll update at the weekend. Nice quiet yard for my first reverse onto a bay though, only 1 or 2 shunts 
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That’s good 'nuff, you got it on and didn’t hit anything. They haven’t sent you home, so they’ve gotta be satisfied with you.
Good to see that your driving career is progressing (it least it looks like it) as you wanted. If the 4/4 works out, then is this the sort of long term job you were always after? I hope so.
If it all goes OK, then after a few years you might feel the need for a change, or might just settle in for years to come. It sounds like a good step anyway up.
Thank you franglais. Yes, this is the kind of opportunity I have been wanting as it ticks a lot of my work preferences, more driving than other work and minimal load interaction, box trailer so no faffing about with curtains…I’m going to give it a good go and do at least 1 x 8 week cycle so I can experience how the 4on 4off pattern works for us as a family. It feels like a good step up.
I’ve never worked a 4on/4off pattern so can’t say, but I imagine it could work out very well for many people, although maybe not all. There seem to be others on here who are happy with it.
As for the job itself? Sounds like a good gig.
After a couple of years it might be a bit boring? But that is the least of your worries at the moment! After all no job is perfect.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
So…a quick first 4 days update. On Monday my timesheet was 19.5h. I had just dropped my trailer of cheese and collected my empty fridge to go and collect my backload when there was an air leak which caused the trailer brake to lock on, which caused a bit of tyre shelving. 
I waited 6h for a tyre fitter, ended up getting rescued and driven back, clocking off at 0245 Tuesday. No work for me on Tuesday.
Days 3 and 4 were much better, although still doing annoying things like backing on to the bay without opening my doors or removing my number plate or both and pulling away from the bay but needing to have pulled forward an inch more in order to shut my doors because I’m still an inch too close to the trailer on the next bay 
On the two days I returned to the yard I had to park up as the forkies weren’t ready to unload me straightway (I pick up palletised frieght on the way back but as it’s in a box trailer, they take it off with a ramp) and I was pretty pleased with my reverses all things considered. Perfect environment as no one was watching and I had a nice big gap on my blind side.
On the whole, the 4 days ended positively and I’m looking forward to honing my routine next week, and settling down into it.
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Yeah that would be my only concern, that it might get boring, but you are right, no job is perfect and if variety and being off every weekend are things I miss, I hope the other positives make up for those. I don’t know what other day trunkers would say but I think that even though I’m doing the same route, the road and traffic conditions are not the same, and sometimes I’ll be doing it at weekends, sometimes weekdays, sometimes I might have to find a detour etc so I’m hoping it’ll be a while before the boredom gets to me.
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Is it the same 4 days a week or does
it rotate
When you get into a routine you will be flying, by flying it will be Second nature to you
It’s 4 days on 4 days off so this week I worked M T W Th and I’m off yesterday, today, tomorrow and M, back in again for T W Th F and so on.
i think it depends if your weekly paid or monthly or fixed amount. I know several people that jumped onto 4on 4 off pattern and regreted it when 4 of the 8 weeks they lost a days pay as they had only worked 3 days in the pay cycle. its all very well thinking you will save the money but you can bet your bottom dollar that the mortgage/rent and what ever else happens monthly comes out on the wrong week
Not ideal but a lot better than doing the 4 in 7 and having different rest days in between, at least your getting 4 together every time
In an ideal world we could work the same 4 days a week, preferably M T W T
I meant see how it works from a time/weekend point of view as my kids are used to me being around every weekend. I’m paid hourly and weekly as I’m agency and I worked it all out before I accepted it. I get an enhance rate for weekends so almost every week I’ll get different pay but I’ll still earn as more doing 45h in 3.5d per week than I did doing 45h in 5d so I think it’ll be ok financially.
If possible check with the warehouse staff that they are happy with the level and position of the trailer with the loading plate/ramp in place before and after dropping a trailer on the dock.A small difference in landing leg height or trailer angle can make a big difference between the dock and trailer deck.
^^ you don’t need to do that.
Look who posted it, the master of outdated, wrong and misinformation.
Hi
Good luck to you.
As your aware you need to be driving class 1 regularly for it to gel properly. There’s no substitute for sitting in that seat and turning that wheel.
Sounds a steady job which will help settle you in to the job. Last thing you want is extra pressure in rushing.
I’d worry about shift patterns down the road.
Get your experience then you can pick and choose what suits you. Even though your working weekends your still home every night so that’s a positive. I still make mistakes now after 25 years. Think of what you’ve learnt in your first week already about the job. Give it 6 months and you’ll be flying.
And most important thing…just bloody ask someone if your unsure about anything. Never struggle.
A tight reverse…?? Just ask another driver to watch you in. They will.
Good luck 
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It’s called ‘getting experience’…and there’s no substitute for it. We’ve all been there.
Exactly what was ‘wrong’ and ‘outdated’ in that advice.Bearing in mind that even in my time some docks had docking buffers and/or height variable extending loading ramps.Others didn’t.It was just a short plate of metal with vertical locating slats thrown across the dock and trailer which needed an accurate small gap and square alignment and deck height to be safe.