I’ve no kids myself, but when my nephew was off school for hols, he used to come with me and I found small firms were usually ok about it, but, as you pointed out so you already know, it’s not always your company as much as the places you deliver to.
I had to leave him in the security office once whilst I was at a delivery for 3hrs, came out and the female security guard was fussing all over him, was tempted to leave him there
You’re right with trunking being the best bet, also if you can find a delivery job where you’re not going through security, that’d be ok.
I used to do Marley drain pipe deliveries and nobody cared he was with me then - as long as he had his hi-vis on when out of the cab.
I won’t post a picture as he’s not my child but he had to put my hi vis on once and it buried him so I still tease him with the picture
So, anyway, that sort of job, so jobs like that I’ve done in the past are Marley (fraikin do it up North), cormar carpets, polyflor, and then you’re down to night trunks really, pref for a small firm that has a few depots and it’s inter-depot trunking where nobody else cares.
Good luck and turn the picture over so she’s not fell over
Presumably you’ve thought about doing things a bit more normally (well as normal as this situation can be), get a normal job with regular hours (maybe even the dreaded multi drop for TNT or similar), it won’t be fantastic pay (though you may be ultimately better off because) but will give you regular hours without the early starts being at unearthly hours, then top up your money with family credits childcare allowances etc, then in due course she’ll be able to go to normal school but you’ll probably need some sort of help to look after her before and after school and to get her to and from.
Probably you’ve been through all the scenarios, 25/30 years ago you’d have been fine taking her with you, indeed at most places she’d have been welcomed and looked after (and spoiled rotten) by big soft hairy arsed gorillas like us, but those days are gone forever and we’ve all lost something because of that.
The very best of luck mate, hope you and your little girl do well.
I’ve no kids myself but have 2 nieces that I love to bits. I’ve got pics off them at a few month old sat on my steering wheel and the eldest is almost 2 and as soon as I walk through the door to see her she says ruck ruck (she hasn’t learnt to put a t on the front). My sister often brings her up the yard if in cleaning it on a weekend and she loves it and as soon as she’s old enough my boss said she can come out on a sat morning. It’s one off the reasons i feel lucky working for a family firm maybe that’s your best bet someone that’ll respect your situation and help you. All the best your obviously doing a cracking job she looks like a very happy girl that’s the best thing you can give her. Good luck.
Yes I’ve thought about doing something outside of transport although I’m not so sure I’d rush to put her into a school. But that’s a can of worms that is for another time.
Karl.
I am looking towards family firms as I agree that they tend to be more sympathetic/apathetic to the situation.
Again I’m grateful for all the support, praise and compliments.
I know it’s wrong but we used to hide my nephew in the bunk at deliver points he was fine. Hats off to you and what your doing. Greatest reward being a daddy. Good luck all the best
I think a lot of us on here have fallen in love with that girl in the photo.
I agree with hiding her under the duvet.
I have never known security to get inside a cab although they have the right to carry out a search.
For me,it is only opening the trailer door when leaving sites.Good luck.Hope it all works out.You can tell she loves going in the lorry.She is learning new things looking out of the window.
Wish I could come up with a magic wand and make that dream job come up for ya , Hope that you find something Dean , that little girl is one lucky little lady ■■
With some breeze blocks to sit on and wooden poles to reach the foot pedals, i can not see why she can not to a double driving shift for you.
Double bubble.
If stopped by Vosa/Police just say the Digi/licence is the post and she looks small for age and on you go.But no one hitters to Gibraltar and back on her first week at work.Ease her in gently with a one hitter to Milan.
If leave now,back in time for Toby’s travelling circus on the kiddie channel
Good luck to you both it would be fantastic and I hope it works out.
On the security note I have had my cab searched twice when delivering to nuclear fuel sites and they are quite rigorous
Fair play and an applause from me. It may sound daft and maybe not what you really want ideally but have you thought about public coverage, ie the local paper, Commercial Motor…? Could be a good appeal/story.
As NiceRoadTrucker said pop an email to the local paper with a job request adding in your circumstances for the classified section and one of the reporters may pick up on the story
Good call that from Nice Road Trucker, might well prove fruitful.
For what its worth i’d be inclined to keep any publicity in the haulage field and not as gossip for a local paper…thats only my tuppence of how i would feel, and i may well be wrong as usual.
