It’s an amazing world out here. Pass your test and find a job to suit you.
I jacked in two jobs in the first 24 hrs. Not the jobs problem but me, am just sayin, try to slot into a job that is right for you but in 99% of cases everyone is supportive and will train you into your role and your wagon.
The final job I applied for, I have stuck with them for four months, it’s a banging job. Night Trunking with a double-decker but it’s the same old, same old routes so no bashed bridges. Am using a Tom Tom Expert which is the second thing I bought with my last money after training. It’s been like gold dust and if you marry it to your phone by Bluetooth you’ve got a live Nav system. Backed up with Collins Truckers Atlas.
My mottto of the day, if you’re not sure, stop and look.
Reversing. My reversing was probably the worst in the world but you do get a lot better with practice!! A tip. Don’t have curtains flapping about or anything have clean lines to reverse. Take your time and pretend you’re on your own. Get out and look. If you are not sure, get out and look, is a real good piece of advice, better to get out and look than tap another unit.
Senior drivers are really helpful and full of very cool tips and advice and are generous with their knowledge, it’s like being a university - not that I went to Uni but you get my meaning.
Here’s a tip from me - if you are manuevring around the yard to reverse etc make sure your curtain handles tensioners on the front corners of your trailer are stowed or they will rip off one or more of your Suzi’s.
When you’re driving don’t worry about other trucks passing you doing 50 when you are trucking along at 40 or less, they are invariably light or empty and if you are heavy don’t speed around - take your time, I learned take your time on here. Do your thing, if others want to pass you going faster than you just leave them to it. Heavy braking if you are going too fast will just overheat your brakes, it you are heavy then take it steady, take your time.
The great thing is you will be learning all the time. Like coupling, different units couple differently - the Renault likes low in then raise the axle to the max before you reverse onto the king pin or you can miss it and damage the fairings. As I said, senior truckers are generous with their knowledge.
Have fun, it’s a banging job in a cool industry and the pay is good if you hunt around for it.
You will know the best company for you, it will just feel right.
Good luck and pass your test as soon as you can and get into it - it’s well worth the blood sweat and tears of training, tests, retests and the whole nine yards of getting the training done and qualified.
Tip number 497 make sarnies at home, don’t buy stuff to eat at garages if possible, or it will cost you a fortune. Same with coffee and tea, either buy a flask or make your brew in the wagon, eating out is expensive. If you’re working nights, switch off everything in the daytime like phones and iPads and tablets and sleep, not shop, lark about but sleep. It’s the basis of everything if you’re on Nights.
Good luck. It’s fun, do it. Thank you to all you senior drivers who have helped get me this far when I was stuffing my test and applying for a Season Ticket to take my test with - LOL.
