I was on a break in the dead of night at Gordano services when some tramp bailed out of a livestock wagon and needed a lift back to the same town as where I was going. He was clearly a nutter and I didn’t want anything to do with it, but he kept loitering around in the end I felt a bit sorry for him. It was against company policy to carry passengers, but I made a judgement call. In actual fact he was just ‘NFB’ (Normal For Bridgwater) and quite harmless. I even did a small divert when I got back to base so that I could get rid of him in town. I just remember he smelled of cows and would swear like nobody I’ve ever met before, or since.
Continuing my musings on this subject, in my car I would often pick up a gaggle of impossibly hot eastern european veg pickers on their day off, seeking a lift to town. God knows what they were talking about though. It was a trick of theirs to put the ladies on the roadside, only for the men to appear once you had stopped. But ultimately I was the one with the keys to the motor vehicle, so it was ladies only.
Muckaway:
Did anyone see the hitchhiker in Leicester Forest East this morning? Several drivers were having a laugh by slowing down to pick him up, cue him running, then they sped off.
Made me chuckle anyway.
What goes around etc. Maybe one day someone will do similar to you, wonder if you’d be laughing then?
Sidevalve:
Muckaway:
Did anyone see the hitchhiker in Leicester Forest East this morning? Several drivers were having a laugh by slowing down to pick him up, cue him running, then they sped off.
Made me chuckle anyway.What goes around etc. Maybe one day someone will do similar to you, wonder if you’d be laughing then?
I inadvertently did a similar thing, as I had to pull up to re-set an ABS warning light by stopping and re-starting the engine.
The spot I chose was the on ramp of J29 Chesterfield, Id spotted the hiker at the top of the ramp, so I gave him the thumbs down before stopping at the bottom of the ramp. The next thing I knew he was running down the ramp towards me, by the time he was 2/3rd down the ramp Id re-started the engine and started rolling
mjallby:
Anyone give lifts to hitchhikers ?
would I ■■■■!
I have been a tradeplater in the past. The surprising thing is, most of the people who picked me up were women drivers.
Very few truckers stopped, most of those that did were Polish working for British operators.
A lot of Joe public stopped too. Tradeplaters never or rarely stop to pick up fellow tradeplaters I noticed. 
I wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker because, quite frankly, I don’t want anybody in the cab with me.
One of the joys of this job is the peace, just me and the radio trundling down the road. I will happily chat away with staff at my drops and back at the yard etc., but once I shut that cab door and start the engine its me time. Sorry!
I take no exception to trade platers either. Your choice to sign up to a job that has ‘being left up ■■■■ creek’ in the job description, there is no need to be doing it.
rob22888:
I wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker because, quite frankly, I don’t want anybody in the cab with me.One of the joys of this job is the peace, just me and the radio trundling down the road. I will happily chat away with staff at my drops and back at the yard etc., but once I shut that cab door and start the engine its me time. Sorry!
I take no exception to trade platers either. Your choice to sign up to a job that has ‘being left up [zb] creek’ in the job description, there is no need to be doing it.
strongly agree with every word here 
rob22888:
I take no exception to trade platers either. Your choice to sign up to a job that has ‘being left up [zb] creek’ in the job description, there is no need to be doing it.
I’m glad it’s not just me who believes this. Trade platers get given cash for travelling, so use it and stop sponging. Can’t wait until Christmas, telling carol singers to sod off or just saving electric by turning off the lights when the round table “Santa” comes around. 
Not all companies give you “expenses” for travel. But pay you more to use your initiative. Investigate the facts first maybe? 
Not allowed to in the wagon, company policy, gross misconduct, sack, blah blah; on the bike if pechance they have a lid or in the car no problem. Hitched much when I was younger and always swore to pay the kindness back. Met some very nice people, some nutters and rsoles but as yet not been put off.
Interesting insight into trade plating if you have half an hour to spare:
Sounds like a bit of a mugs game to me, but each to their own I suppose…
I have hitched to lots of places over the years, I would pick up hitches in the UK, I would never stop for one here, you don’t know-who the person is or what is in their mind, I was once parked in a rest area on I-95 in Georgia and some bloke came up to me truck with a back pack asked if I could give him a lift south, I said no and he became quite nasty, I said I would call the cops and he walked off swearing. I think I could have been seriously hurt by this man, as I left I saw the same bloke sitting at the wheel of a car at the exit, so the hitch hiking story was fake, I wonder how many he has killed by now ?
As for women, I hear so many stories about calling ■■■■ etc.
I used to give the occassional lift because I used to thumb down to London for parties & gigs when I was a kid. I stopped picking up people after I gave a lift to a couple of dodgepots who stank worse than a MSA lorry park in the hot sunshine!
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.
I’m very fickle
When I was doing a bread run, it was about 5am and the sun was just starting to come up. I was driving through a village to get to the next drop where I drive past a guy in flip flops, wearing a tracksuit wrapped up in a duvet. Upon parking up in the old empty pub carpark across if the Co-op waiting for the manager to come open up I saw the same chap, duvet and all come to my cab window. Turns out he was partying a little too hard and missed his train home and was wanting a lift to Doncaster which was 30 odd miles away!
NOVE:
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.I’m very fickle
Coolbox in a day cab,wtf for
seth 70:
NOVE:
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.I’m very fickle
Coolbox in a day cab,wtf for
Cool drinks?
Ste46:
seth 70:
NOVE:
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.I’m very fickle
Coolbox in a day cab,wtf for
Cool drinks?
So your gunna mess about with a coolbox in a day cab for a cold can of pop 
Never pick them up now
Have done in past picked up a squaddie Cattrick area he never spoke a word not even a thanks & wanted a lift all the way to his