How Long Is Your CV

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

So as many of you will know i nearly died in a very serious car accdent earlier in year, probably because I dont stop going on about it! But trust me being flown to hospital dying is a fairly significant event in anyones life :slight_smile:

Anyway on the the more minor things I suffered was massive memory loss stretching back at least a decade. Not all of it thank god and it is slowly returning. I do brain exercises every day to help. Its fascinating how the brain works. For instance I cant remeber many of the regular plces Ive delivered to the past year but I’ve worked out that I can by driving there in my mind. So I follow the route in my head and bit by bit the whole route and destination comes back to me. Im so relieved its coming back as losing a decade of memories wasn’t nice, memory is everything.

So, another exercise I’ve been doing is to recall my career, companies I’ve driven for, types of vehicle I’ve driven and countries I’ve driven a truck or coach too. I knew it would be a long list but didnt expect it to be quite this long! Much of the entries are from my few years on agency which was great for experience. So, here goes!-

BUS & COACH COMPANIES

Davies Bros
First Bus
Phil Anslow
The Londoners
Golden Tours
Creative
The Glider
Parnhams
Clarkes of London
Selwyns
National Express
Ffoshelig

TRANSPORT COMPANIES

Harries Plant Hire
Nolan Transport
HSF Logistics
Tesco
Sainsburys
M&S
Gist
LondonWaste
DTS
G2
Biffa
Bibby
Wickes
DHL
GoldenWest McDonalds
Leggets
Parker Knoll
Arla
B&Q
Virginia Transport
Ray White
Bull Transport
Gibson Transport
Broughton
Mansel Davies

COACHES DRIVEN

Mini & Midi Buses & Coaches
12 & 15 Metres
4 & 6 Wheelers
Single & Double Deck
With luggage trailers

TRUCKS DRIVEN

Rigids, Artics, Drawbars
Single/double and triaxle trailers, all lengths
Rear Steer Traliers, passive and positive
Curtainsiders, sliding roof, double deck rigids & artic
Fridges, hanging and 2/3 compartments, rigids & artic, single and double deck
Low Lowder & stepframe flat
Flat
Container skellys
Demount drawbars
Boxes, inc garment boxes
Tippers
Walking Floor and ejector, both artic and rigid 6 wheel bin lorry
Tankers single and multi compartment
Vans, 3.5t 7.5t 12t 16t 26t 32t 38t 44t (& higher :slight_smile: )
Tractor units of 4x2, 6x2, 6x4
Tag, midlift, twinsteer, double drive
LHD/RHD/Centre Drive
6x6 Off Road Articulated Dump Truck

COUNTRIES
Ireland
UK
France
Belgium
Holland
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Czech Rep
Slovakia
Austria
Hungary
Slovenia
Italy
Greece
Crete
Switzerland
Luxembourg
Spain
Portugal

So thats it! Took a while to remember all that as you can imagine and there still might be stuff Ive not remembered! I was actually looking at my fridge door the other day, Ive covered it in photos and got to thinking if my time really had been up earlier this year I could have been satisfied that I packed a ridiculous amount into my 43 years! Its been exhausting at times but never boing. You wont hear many drivers say this but Ive had a fantastic time in this and the coach industry and looking back there isn’t a single thing about my life I’d change, even the accident believe it or not. Just got to try and fill the next twenty now.

N.B - Note to the disgruntled! This is not me boasting, I dont boast as I see no reason too. 25 years I’ve been a driver and if you’ve been a driver a similar time and only worked for one company then my experience is no more or less valid than yours or anyones, we all do things our own way and being happy with our own lives is all that matters, its not a competition. I think that even more now. Have a great evening all.

2

Blimey Luke that’s one hell of a CV, wouldn’t fancy filling out a application form with that lot to fill in :laughing:

3

Rookie…

Haven’t even got the seat warm have you. :smiley:

4

How the hell do you manage so many? I can count only 8 since leaving the army in 87, I thought that was a lot.

5

Only ever drove for the same one :laughing: man & boy :laughing:

6

What brain exercises do you do I have some memory loss ( first 9 years of my life ) might be nice to get some back

Hope you car retrieve some more of your memory but you can read about some on here as you have documented some as well as other social media platforms

7

has dozy sent you a pm yet?? :laughing:

8

Surely Bertie will help you out? :laughing: :laughing:

9

Bonus points if you can ( more like a deal breaker if you can’t ) put present contact names and addresses to every entry.
That’s what I was recently asked to do when applying for a zero hours NHS path lab courier driver job.
When I asked them how do I provide contact details for long dead managers and addresses for long ago bulldozed bases from more than 30 years ago I was effectively told that’s your problem.
Oh and the recruitment process window will close early like in 24 hours instead of a month because of too many applicants already.
That’s what happens with a 24 year work history covering just a few employers followed by a 21 year gap.

10

That’s pretty impressive
Is there one among us that has worked for the same company and been to all of them countries truck or coach
They say that change is always good you never know what’s around the corner it’s the spice of life
The other way is security staying put been content and happy to just plod along
Whatever floats your boat
Great post hope it all comes back to you

11

Of the top of my head…

In the Netherlands 90-92

GPdW (Dutch driving agency)
Van Gend en Loos
HST
Local concrete firm

UK 92-present

David Thomas and Son
Merlin Transport
John Pearce Transport
FIRST Group (local bus)
Woolworths
Aldi
Ken Jones Transport
Robin Fowler International
Wincanton
Turners (milk)
Gregory (milk)
Arla (milk)
Next
Savilles Freights
Aldi (second stint, 1 week…)
Downton
Keedwell (incidentally for the old Ken Jones depot, which
Keedwell took over about 20 years ago :open_mouth: )

Theres also a few companies I worked for occasionally, in my agency period.

12

animal:
What brain exercises do you do I have some memory loss ( first 9 years of my life ) might be nice to get some back

Hope you car retrieve some more of your memory but you can read about some on here as you have documented some as well as other social media platforms

Thank you. Nothing very technical, just perseverance, when a random thought pops into my head I stick with it till I remember everything about it.

13

Carryfast:
Bonus points if you can ( more like a deal breaker if you can’t ) put present contact names and addresses to every entry.
That’s what I was recently asked to do when applying for a zero hours NHS path lab courier driver job.
When I asked them how do I provide contact details for long dead managers and addresses for long ago bulldozed bases from more than 30 years ago I was effectively told that’s your problem.
Oh and the recruitment process window will close early like in 24 hours instead of a month because of too many applicants already.
That’s what happens with a 24 year work history covering just a few employers followed by a 21 year gap.

You’re clearly way too honest. There’s no way that at this stage anyone can check up on what you write so just be creative with what you put down :wink: For most of those jobs they were through agency so I’d never have had the number of them anyway as we never had to ring them!

14

Bigtruck3:
That’s pretty impressive
Is there one among us that has worked for the same company and been to all of them countries truck or coach
They say that change is always good you never know what’s around the corner it’s the spice of life
The other way is security staying put been content and happy to just plod along
Whatever floats your boat
Great post hope it all comes back to you

Thank you and exactly. In some ways I wish I didn’t have such an overactive brain and could be content in one job, I had a taste of it with Virginia, 8 years, but other than them I’ve always got bored easily. Like most things is a blessing and a curse

15

SquireT:
Surely Bertie will help you out? :laughing: :laughing:

You’d think, but he just kept shouting names of random Transport companies to confuse me :smiley:

16

switchlogic:

animal:
What brain exercises do you do I have some memory loss ( first 9 years of my life ) might be nice to get some back

Hope you car retrieve some more of your memory but you can read about some on here as you have documented some as well as other social media platforms

Thank you. Nothing very technical, just perseverance, when a random thought pops into my head I stick with it till I remember everything about it.

When a “random thought pops up you stick with it”?
Careful Luke, look around at how that could end up. [emoji3]
.
Good luck with the memory retrieval.

17

It’s an interesting exercise and Switch has had a varied career.

My memory â– â– â– â– â– , but from what is here.

HCA Malcolmson Transport
East Riding Commercials
Bar Manager
Humber Perishable Distribution
Gilberdyke Autos
York Waste Paper Services
MOS Services
United Carriers
Woodbrow Bulk Liquids
MR Bulliment
H Falkingham
United Carriers
Woodbrow Bulk Liquids
Self Employed
Norman Lewis Tankers
Gruber
Self Employed
Chrysler Jeep Dealer
Ontime Automotive
DHL Red
DHL Yellow
Transalliance
Van Den Bosch
Transalliance

From being about 8 years old I didn’t think there was anything more than Road Haulage and Transport. For the last 8 years I have been banging my head thinking how much of a life I have missed. I certainly enjoyed visiting thousands of different places and meeting hundreds of great people. What I did miss out on was life with my wife, we would have had some kids instead of gaining them when I got back with her, our jobs got in the way, she met someone while her oven was on, that didn’t work but I have gained his adult children.

This is like my life has begun again, I have tipped all my groupage and now have a steady run to the yard. :stuck_out_tongue:

18

Franglais:

switchlogic:

animal:
What brain exercises do you do I have some memory loss ( first 9 years of my life ) might be nice to get some back

Hope you car retrieve some more of your memory but you can read about some on here as you have documented some as well as other social media platforms

Thank you. Nothing very technical, just perseverance, when a random thought pops into my head I stick with it till I remember everything about it.

When a “random thought pops up you stick with it”?
Careful Luke, look around at how that could end up. [emoji3]
.
Good luck with the memory retrieval.

I’ve only once been caught ■■■■■■■■■■■■ in Sainsbury’s (other ■■■■■■■■■■■■ locations available)

19

switchlogic:

Franglais:

switchlogic:

animal:
What brain exercises do you do I have some memory loss ( first 9 years of my life ) might be nice to get some back

Hope you car retrieve some more of your memory but you can read about some on here as you have documented some as well as other social media platforms

Thank you. Nothing very technical, just perseverance, when a random thought pops into my head I stick with it till I remember everything about it.

When a “random thought pops up you stick with it”?
Careful Luke, look around at how that could end up. [emoji3]
.
Good luck with the memory retrieval.

I’ve only once been caught ■■■■■■■■■■■■ in Sainsbury’s (other ■■■■■■■■■■■■ locations available)

Oh my!
I was thinking of some memb, um, posters, who stick with any old random thoughts and defend them to the hilt.
.

20

Thank you. Nothing very technical, just perseverance, when a random thought pops into my head I stick with it till I remember everything about it.
[/quote]
When a “random thought pops up you stick with it”?
Careful Luke, look around at how that could end up. [emoji3]
.
Good luck with the memory retrieval.
[/quote]
I’ve only once been caught ■■■■■■■■■■■■ in Sainsbury’s (other ■■■■■■■■■■■■ locations available)
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
was that after a random thought in the fruit and veg section,or did you fancy something cool and delicious from the frozen display??