I’ve been around machinery including trucks before I could walk. My Dad has operated every type of construction machine you can think of, bulldozers, motor scrapers, graders, loading shovels, draglines, tower cranes, mobile cranes, crawler cranes, tunnel boring machines etc,etc. He is a Tower Crane driver now. I used to go with him in my school holidays. I remember driving his NCK 22RB on a building site that was to become Stacey Bushes in Milton Keynes when I was about 4 or 5. I also remember sitting in his dragline at London Brick when I was a kid. I’ve been around machinery all my life and I have many, many happy memories as a kid sitting in and driving all these types of machines. I also used to go with my grandad (RIP) in his artic when he worked at Bell and Websters Concrete all over the country.
It’s a very sad time we are living in, as all the kids now wont experience anything like that because of all this health and safety 'ollocks. I did it since I was about 3 and nothing ever happened to me. But I have memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a shame kids of today can’t have the same experiences. I mean what does a young lad love more than massive earth moving machinery, cranes and trucks?
Yep my ol’ man musta been a right barsteward. I used to go all over the country with him. I learnt how to rope and sheet, how to load just about anything, use chains and dogs, etc, etc. I used to love going to Marston Valley brickfields, where I was real proud of the fact that I could put four bricks at a time in the right place. I’d just be left to build the back wall, so the others could work along and meet it. No cranes or palletts in those days. Then there was portsmouth for spuds and tomatoes. Always took salt with us. I was reversing artics when I was big enough to see over the wheel (about nine I think).
It’s how you learn. That’s being taken away from kids now.
Cheers . I used to be the same when I would go out with my brother in law when I was at school. I was proper gutted if he didn’t get a job to run out with and if we weren’t away for a couple of weeks. Now I’m driving I understand why he didn’t share my enthusiasm !.
I would never have got where i am (Tramping with a big mortgage!) had it not been for going with my dad.
My old fella was a single parent from me being 18 months old. We had a nanny in the week and if dad had to do Saturdays, off we went.
Although its funny, my big bro was 18 months older and showed NO interest (God bless him he passed away at 18 so no idea if he would have ever made a trucker!).
School holidays all i wanted to do was go in the truck. By 5 i suppose i could tie dollys, fold a sheet on my own, operate the EPS box on a 1644 (Even finding reverse!!!), and understand a SAMT box on an ERF. I even used the removable centre briefcase on a Turboliner 385 as a school bag!!!
By 15 i was able to sheet, strap, and rope a full load, shunt a 45 into any gap (ish), hitch and unhitch etc etc.
Not wanting to sound like a smart arse, but when i passed my test at 21 and got sent down the road in a 44t 113-360 the boss knew me, he KNEW that i’d in a way been there and done it! I knew more of the tips than him, I HAD BEEN TO THEM ALL! He hadn’t!!!
But i still was as green as a green thing and had to learn fast.
My boy will never get this chance. How the hell will this generation learn?
Had i been sent down the road after passing my test without the knowledge i had gained all hell would have broken loose! I would have killed myself or woese still someone else!!
But of course the govenment have this all sorted, the driver CPC will replace all real world experience, wont it!?
my two girls love going in the wagon with me (8,11) theyve been all over the country ,the boss has just paid for a top bunk in the wagon to make life more comfy when they are there
its good to work for nice people
my boys come with me quite often both have been over the water with me and the oldest one cannot wait until he is twelve so he can come on the shuttle with me . my wife uses it as a warning ie if you dont behave you are not going with dad next time !!
when i was a kid i used to pretend i was the 2nd man and used to use the 2nd man mode !! could tie a dolly before i could tie my laces and was used as a lid lad when he went on tanks as soon as i was strong enough to open the lid
I’ve got no kids of my own but I’ve taken my 2 Godaughters out a few times. Needless to say they loved every minute (and so did I). Pulling the bunk curtains and making spooky noises/poking their head out and whatnot when we’re waiting to tip… Then spreading their beanie toys all over the cab/dash
Funniest though was when the little un was about 2 she used to sing along with the horn!! Paaaarrrp… maaaaarrrrrfff!!!
. I used to be the same when I would go out with my brother in law when I was at school. I was proper gutted if he didn’t get a job to run out with and if we weren’t away for a couple of weeks. Now I’m driving I understand why he didn’t share my enthusiasm !.
