Harry Monk:
It’s irrelevant what a plumber can or can’t earn, how interesting can it be soldering bits of copper together all week?
agreed harry, but if you listen to there “plumbers tales” they are at it like rabbits, and get all the tea and bikkies they can eat and theyve even fitted the queens new loo"
In my experience, most just whinge about Poles carving the job up… so perhaps it’s not so different to truck driving 
think your misunderstanding the plumber post i made, but as am not a plumber and probably none of us are i couldnt comment on what they earn but i can almost guarantee they dont work 15hrs days and dont get offered stupid hourly rates, ive never seen a poor plumber maybe a divorced one after all his romping, but if he has 2000 to splash out then unless its his dream to drive a truck i would think of alternative avenue’s and as for the plumbing game being dead its about to explode because of the goverment schemes for boiler scrapage and cost effective heating systems, its better for the lad to no the truths about what he will face in our industry if he chooses to go for it, as for me i always wanted to be a trucker and that was enough of a reason for me to do it, get a trade, get a trade like what all are dads told us and we all ignored him 
C-Kay:
6am - 3pm everyday
Only until some smart [zb] transport manager wanting to make a name for himself changes it. Enjoy it while you’ve got it youngster!
Harry Monk:
A couple of random thoughts…My relationship with my boys hasn’t suffered at all because of my being away a lot, in fact if anything it is stronger because the time we spend together is always quality time.
It’s irrelevant what a plumber can or can’t earn, how interesting can it be soldering bits of copper together all week?
Sorry Harry, I think you blokes are kidding yourselves…
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies. I seem to have got a little more information than I asked for 
I take on board what you have all said, although no matter how much I think about what else would I like to do, I keep coming back to wanting to drive! I know the hours are long, I know it’s hard work and I know you get the mini Hitlers who run the show.
However, do you feel more negative towards this work because you’ve seen it change so much over the years? Now the wages aren’t as good as they used to be and more regulations have been brought in? etc
As I’m wanting to come into the industry, I don’t know any different to all these rules and regs, they are just part of what’s involved in learning the job to me or any new driver coming in the industry.
My original question about my little girl has been answered though. It seems its down to each individual company and I’ll have no way of finding out what work I can get and what sort of shifts until I hold the license 
Martyn
Just like you I had £150 burning a hole so paid for my own tuition and test. There are times I wish someone had pointed me in another direction.
OK, if you’re determined to drive start on a non-hgv vehicle. You’ll learn how to load a vehicle, secure the load, etc. You’ll learn about the drops, H & S, miserable security blokes etc. which I knew nowt about when I first started. Even tried ropin’ before puttin’ the sheets on!
My advice is that if you are so hell bent on doing this, start with driving for agencies. Driving for agencies has three benefits for a new driver. Firstly, you’re expected to be crap so there’s no pressure. Second, and in my opinion the most important, you’ll get to experience a wide range of different types of job in haulage so you can decide what you like best. Finally, you have some degree of control over how much you work and if you find the average 55hr working week is a bit too much, you could opt to take odd days.
MrMartyn1984:
‘…do you feel more negative towards this work because you’ve seen it change so much over the years?..’
That isn’t the work’s fault, that is to do with crap/non-existent leadership from our Government. It seems that those so far would rather flog their Grandparents, ingratiating themselves to Johnny Foreigner by giving us diversity and strangulation that we didn’t vote for and don’t need whilst smarming their shiny butts into a cosy retirement job on an EU committee in a Brussels brothel at my expense. Completely at random I’ll cite Kinnock as the EU Transport dude who did diddly-squat to benefit the UK - the very hand that he and his (also un-elected) family gorged from.
Any politician actively enabling Britain to come first (for a change), whether in general or in transport specifically would doubtless do us huge favours - how could they do worse? But I stress that is in general, not just in transport.
As a new driver and working under all of this regulation i don’t see what the problem is… Just do the what they want you to do and take the money.
If you’re in a good job, the money is good and the hours aren’t bad. 
I put this question to my wife. I thought she would have a valid opinion.
Her answer?
SOMETIMES!!!
philmots:
As a new driver and working under all of this regulation i don’t see what the problem is… Just do the what they want you to do and take the money.If you’re in a good job, the money is good and the hours aren’t bad.
going by your pic you work for sainsburys, and being a new driver you dont no any difference, your one of the lucky ones sainsbury’s still pay good wages, but the original thread asks whether he will be home often, thats were the problem lies it all depends on what job he gets,…i think its safe to say we would all love to work eight hours and get paid a fair wage but its not like that is it, ive worked away for 3 years and too say it hasent effected my kids and home life would be a stupid thing to say but it was my choice to do the jobs i do,
my aim is to do european work eventually and thats because its what i always wanted to do and hopefully pays more, but ive always worked away from home and i love it horses for courses
MrMartyn1984:
I take on board what you have all said, although no matter how much I think about what else would I like to do, I keep coming back to wanting to drive!
Then the bottom line is that you should take no notice of the whingeing old women on TruckNet, and you should go and get your HGV licence.
Hands up, I love the job. Even after 23 years at it.
alix776:
you could look at a 4in4 off shift
dustylfc:
think your misunderstanding the plumber post i made, but as am not a plumber and probably none of us are i couldnt comment on what they earn but i can almost guarantee they dont work 15hrs days and dont get offered stupid hourly ratesl:
well I am a plumber and I can tell you that people said there was a shortage ( just like drivers) poles have carved up the job (just like driving) plumbers are working for the same money that they were earning 15 years ago (same as driving) the only difference is that there is more work driving where I live and the wages are only slightly less for class two. I would far rather drive for the same money than solder bits of coper together because it is [zb] boring
joedwyer1:
dustylfc:
think your misunderstanding the plumber post i made, but as am not a plumber and probably none of us are i couldnt comment on what they earn but i can almost guarantee they dont work 15hrs days and dont get offered stupid hourly ratesl:well I am a plumber and I can tell you that people said there was a shortage ( just like drivers) poles have carved up the job (just like driving) plumbers are working for the same money that they were earning 15 years ago (same as driving) the only difference is that there is more work driving where I live and the wages are only slightly less for class two. I would far rather drive for the same money than solder bits of coper together because it is [zb] boring
well i stand corrected, joe has convinced me…so forget everything i posted and pass your flamin hgv then you can be as happy as us lot
ill even buy you your first yorkie when you do…
philmots:
As a new driver and working under all of this regulation i don’t see what the problem is… Just do the what they want you to do and take the money.If you’re in a good job, the money is good and the hours aren’t bad.
Just out of curiousity, what do you call good money?
well i work for a firm that wont send you more 100 miles from leeds and ive just done 4 nights out and 71 hours and thats meant to be local’s job. i enjoy being away though but to be fair if im home im home or if im away then im away no problem either way. my dad was always a long distant lorry driver and was never home but to fair he wasnt missed that much.
I haven’t got any kids left, but from other drivers, their home life was short, they went out just after the daughter was born and got home just in time to pay for her 18th birthday and a new car for her to go to university in.
At the end of the day its up to you if you wanna do weeks away the odd night out or just days. If a company wants you to do weeks away and you only want days then try to look for jobs that are days only, simples 
on my firm we have guys who do days only and guys like me who do the nights out, Monday to Friday, I may be home once or twice a week but mostly I’m out all week and I enjoy it, not only is the money alot better but the work is far better and you get to see new places a people which keeps it exciting for me. I got into this game for an easy life and found it was completely the opposite, but it’s the excitment and new experiences that keeps me going.
Like most have said it’s a bad time to become a HGV driver, don’t give up your current job just yet if you decide to take your test, and try to take some weekend work with an agency to get the experience that all firms seem to want these days.
