English driver 1970:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
English driver 1970:
As I say you Grumpy sod don’t give a toss what you think.You obviously do or you wouldn’t keep replying to my posts.
From reading your OP you are the epitome of all that’s wrong with this industry.
24 hours and you’ve damaged a truck, sitting in a lay-by crying for 5 hours because you’re homesick and turning round and running home to your bed sit without completing your deliveries.
Even worse than that, you’ve felt the need to embarrass yourself by posting how daft and immature you are on a public forum.
I suggest you request your username be amended and remove the word “driver” from it as that’s something you most certainly are not!
Go dust off your trowel and spirit level, although I would doubt you’re competency with those tools.Bedsit Lol……your the one who’s earnings over last 10 years has been below a tenner an hour. Luckily being highly skilled I can choose what I want to do.
You sound very bitter over your career thus far. My house is paid for from hard graft and great earnings. I now want an easy job, like driving, especially as pay has now gone over the poverty threshold. After 30 years of a working career I’ve never jacked in on the job. But as they say you learn from experience.
Although I understand nobody’s experienced in life as you.
ROG:
WARNING
This is getting a bit personal so a little reminder of the rules - you may attack the post but not the person who posted it
Point taken ROG but read this guys OP, he’s either a troll or someone that shouldn’t be let within a mile of a truck.
I haven’t decided which of those he is yet.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
ROG:
WARNING
This is getting a bit personal so a little reminder of the rules - you may attack the post but not the person who posted itPoint taken ROG but read this guys OP, he’s either a troll or someone that shouldn’t be let within a mile of a truck.
I haven’t decided which of those he is yet.
I’ve decided what you are Grumpy….the same as most others on here.
You need to get away from driving, it’s made you a sad bitter and twisted old jobby.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
ROG:
WARNING
This is getting a bit personal so a little reminder of the rules - you may attack the post but not the person who posted itPoint taken ROG but read this guys OP, he’s either a troll or someone that shouldn’t be let within a mile of a truck.
I haven’t decided which of those he is yet.
How very sad Grumpy, looking back at my old posts.
Haven’t you anything better to do than Troll me……?
As if anyone cares what you decide….
This is the new and wannabe section so we should not mock people otherwise it discourages newbies from asking questions.
That being said, your responsible for the truck when you leave the depot. You need to know where your going. Invest in a decent phone which you can use as a sat nav or buy a truck sat nav or buy a truckers atlas.
I’d also would not recommend tramping as a first timer. Ideally probably wanna stay local and make your mistakes locally 
.
Unfortunately that’s how it works. Swim or sink.
Anyway, I bought my own satnav before even getting my first job [emoji16] it’s kind of rude to say you should’ve had it, but it’s too late now. I’d recommend a Garmin of any hgv type. They’re really good !
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No one can knock what you did, good decision!
I still carry a road atlas in my car, even though I have had three vehicles fitted with Sat Nav.
A sat nav cannot work out a scenic route A to B without adding lots of weighpoints, via’s, stops and attractions.
Wheel Nut:
I still carry a road atlas in my car, even though I have had three vehicles fitted with Sat Nav.A sat nav cannot work out a scenic route A to B without adding lots of weighpoints, via’s, stops and attractions.
Oh yes they can! I just tell mine to plan winding and/or hilly routes (with three levels of each attribute to choose from) and enjoy the ride!
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It’s odd that a couple of posters are abusing the OP when the main section is full of posters bemoaning how companies take advantage of drivers and treat us like mugs.
Yet here’s a guy who, albeit a couple hundred miles and many hours to late, realised this and said no. The only criticism is that he should have said no before he turned over the engine. Still, it’s better to grow a pair, than to never have any.
As for mocking him damaging the truck… Pretty sure some of the same posters names show up on occasion in the many “worst accident you have had” type threads.
For the benefit of ANY genuinely interested in learning the job, here are my thoughts…
I’m relatively new to wagon driving, about 7 yrs Class 1&2. Being thrown in at the deep end in haulage is the norm, and I have worked for countless haulage outfits and the one thing that I have always found is that they are constantly busy and the phones never stop ringing.
- Office staff/planners etc. Too busy to be interested in your problems and in fairness 90% have never even sat in a truck so you are wasting your time seeking help/advice.
- Shunters. Generally also very busy and have a habit of shaking their head in a very elitist fashion (Think they own the yard & are God’s gift to haulage, in the main not very patient or helpful).
- Drivers. These ladies & Gentlemen are the way forward. I am yet to see a new/young driver ask advice & get mocked, certainly if I did the offender would receive my ‘wisdom’ in their ear
We have ALL been new and inexperienced in this game and we have ALL at some point felt a ■■■ asking questions which we believe we should know.
The honest truth is that this job is a CONSTANT learning curve and I would implore new passes to ask EVERY question that they want an answer to. NO question is a stupid one, what IS stupid is getting into territory that you are not comfortable with & trying to brave it out.
eagerbeaver:
For the benefit of ANY genuinely interested in learning the job, here are my thoughts…I’m relatively new to wagon driving, about 7 yrs Class 1&2. Being thrown in at the deep end in haulage is the norm, and I have worked for countless haulage outfits and the one thing that I have always found is that they are constantly busy and the phones never stop ringing.
- Office staff/planners etc. Too busy to be interested in your problems and in fairness 90% have never even sat in a truck so you are wasting your time seeking help/advice.
- Shunters. Generally also very busy and have a habit of shaking their head in a very elitist fashion (Think they own the yard & are God’s gift to haulage, in the main not very patient or helpful).
- Drivers. These ladies & Gentlemen are the way forward. I am yet to see a new/young driver ask advice & get mocked, certainly if I did the offender would receive my ‘wisdom’ in their ear
The honest truth is that this job is a CONSTANT learning curve and I would implore new passes to ask EVERY question that they want an answer to. NO question is a stupid one, what IS stupid is getting into territory that you are not comfortable with & trying to brave it out.
eagerbeaver:
2. Shunters. Generally also very busy
Taking the ■■■■ right?
Where I work they wait at the gate for drivers with empty trailers so they can tell them to throw it on the bay. (Saves them having to pick up an empty and do it themselves.
Half the time I see a shunter they are either in a cluster of 4-5 tugs chatting to each other or on the phone or reading a newspaper.
adam277:
eagerbeaver:
2. Shunters. Generally also very busyTaking the ■■■■ right?
Where I work they wait at the gate for drivers with empty trailers so they can tell them to throw it on the bay. (Saves them having to pick up an empty and do it themselves.
Half the time I see a shunter they are either in a cluster of 4-5 tugs chatting to each other or on the phone or reading a newspaper.
What’s the point in blocking the yard up having a driver drop his trailer only for another guy to pick it up and put it on a bay? The driver has to get out to get his reg plate anyway, at which point he can open the doors if it has them, so it makes complete sense for him to put it on the bay. At places where drivers are allowed to put trailers on the bays themselves, it’s the no.1 rule that all shunters have to make sure any earlier trailers are cleared and parked up so that when the incoming drivers arrive they all have an empty bay to reverse straight onto. Why have a dog and bark yourself?
DCPCFML:
adam277:
eagerbeaver:
2. Shunters. Generally also very busyTaking the ■■■■ right?
Where I work they wait at the gate for drivers with empty trailers so they can tell them to throw it on the bay. (Saves them having to pick up an empty and do it themselves.
Half the time I see a shunter they are either in a cluster of 4-5 tugs chatting to each other or on the phone or reading a newspaper.What’s the point in blocking the yard up having a driver drop his trailer only for another guy to pick it up and put it on a bay? The driver has to get out to get his reg plate anyway, at which point he can open the doors if it has them, so it makes complete sense for him to put it on the bay. At places where drivers are allowed to put trailers on the bays themselves, it’s the no.1 rule that all shunters have to make sure any earlier trailers are cleared and parked up so that when the incoming drivers arrive they all have an empty bay to reverse straight onto. Why have a dog and bark yourself?
There is logic in it. My point is they can be lazy Speaking as someone who used to shunt.
No doubt some shunter jobs are a lot more fast paced compared to others.
Like if I get a message on my screen saying a empty trailer needs putting on bay 30 I know I can just wait 2 minutes for someone to come back with an empty. Despite being like 15 empty trailers within 200 meters of me.
It really depends on the place. I remember when I worked at Tuffnells the shunter would very rarely shunt he would just wander round the yard and ask drivers waiting to for their lorry to be ready to do it. But that was quite a small depot. (like 30 trucks).
When I started truck driving, sat navs were relatively new and I took advice from someone on a truck driver’s forum 
who said not to use one and get a bunch of A-Zs etc. Two weeks into the job I was cursing myself for listening to him. As a newbie you get a lot of pressure for being in an unfamiliar role. Using maps means stopping to check them when your “planned route” turns out to be wanting. In all the agency work I’ve ever done no transport planner ever said “Have you got your maps?” but plenty of then have said “Have you got your sat-nav?”
I know a training school in the north east where a sat-nav, (inexpensive Chinese one but that’s by-the-by) work boots etc is bundled in for every trainee with the cost of the course.
First day is hard, harder on agency: the company won’t invest much help in you because they may never see you again. Even harder if you aren’t prepared.
Youre always going to get chucked in the deep end, but that company did stitch you up a bit.
There are a lot of vloggers out there. Some of them have a lot of rubbish punctuated by useful nuggets of wisdom. However you do it, you’ll need to learn or work it out yourself: I’ve not seen much decent training in this industry post test.
The best advice remains to take you’re time. Before you do something, think it through. Then after you’ve done it, think it through again in case you missed something. Eventually it becomes obvious. I’ve never met a driver who wasn’t helpful when asked, but you’ll need to ask.
At the end of the day, one of the things you are paid to do is solve problems independently. Hard to do on the first day, but keeping calm helps.
English driver 1970:
I don’t have a decent phone as I have a habit of dropping and smashing screens.
Would rather just have a Chepo that takes calls and texts.
…
I have a smartphone which i use as a satnav and keep it fixed to the windscreen. I divert all calls to a 2G basic phone usually in my pocket. I can then answer calls at any time even if I am at a truck stop shop (and at home). I find this very useful as I broke my last smartphone… I find them a bit big and so this works well I find. I just have a PAYG simcard in the basic phone for just receiving calls (also backup for making calls if no signal on the smartphone). Mostly make calls from my smartphone as it’s on contract. [Network providers try and force you to have a bundle BUT you can still have the old fashioned PAYG… £5 does me for about a year.]