I’m interested in driving jobs with a special twist, those that combine the ability to drive a truck with a passion for something else. I don’t imagine supermarket drivers are where they are because they simply love grocery shopping, but there must be plenty of examples where a driver feels like they’ve found the dream job, killing two birds with one stone as it were.
I suppose somebody could be a massive horse-lover and end up driving racehorses around the country. Maybe the best car transporter drivers are those that get turned on by new motors. Could a music lover find himself at plenty of free gigs by becoming a driver in entertainment and showbiz?
I’m looking for the LGV equivalent of being a bus driver and a Liverpool FC fan and landing the job of driving the team coach on match days.
At the same time, can anyone think of examples of driving jobs that require an audio-visual/technical/media background?
What about working for the RAF if you live anywhere near a base. You are employed by the MOD get an well above average salary and a very good pension.
The job itself is far more than being a driver. You will drive various types of trucks doing various types of work including refuelling planes. You will also drive coaches and mini buses taking squadrons out for trips eg Skiing and you can join in if you want and all your meals are paid for. You have trips away (in trucks coaches and even cars) and are not expected to sleep in the cab. You stay in the best hotels with all expenses paid.
Obviously there is a lot of training that has to be done but it is all done in working time after you get the job. The only downside for me was the shift work. It 4 days 4 off 4 nights 4 off etc. There are also other shift patterns depending on the base. The work is very varied and at times very interesting.
Definitely worth a go if you live near a base and they are looking for staff.
I’m a part time video engineer for a charity and one of three class 1 drivers that sometimes drive an outside broadcast unit and other ‘normal’ trucks.
It normally entails getting the truck(s) to a remote location (that is usually not ideal for trucks), spending a day doing handball that some on here would definitely not get out of bed for, moving flightcases, building truss, running cables, rigging lights, sometimes building the stage, then sorting out a power supply from somewhere (the most creative was running three phases to three adjacent houses cooker feeds), fixing whatever has broken in the OBU since it last moved. Then anything from a day to 2 weeks doing the actual filming. Then at the end it all packs down. Overall it’s quite hard work with time away from time, but very satisfying when it goes right.
Unless you can land a job with one of the bigger TV companies it’s hard to get into and you won’t get rich doing it either.
1979 I was living in London and driving for a firm called Capital Coaches. Anyway I got to know this other driver who was on army contracts same as me taking the guards from Pirbright to wellington barracks to practise trooping the colour. He worked for this posh coach company in the west end. He was just minding his own business sat in St James park on this sunny afternoon having a picnic lunch when this smart gentleman approaches him and they had a chat. Apparently this guy was head of security for Michael Jackson and he had been watching the troops practising from the gates of wellington barracks. He went off with this guy and was gone for about an hour and told me when he came back that he had met the tour manager and they needed a coach driver for Destiny tour of Europe. To cut the story short the coach driver had timed it perfect to walk over to St. James park to have his lunch as this guy offered him the job of driving one of the tour coaches with the backing singers. Thing was this was perfect for him as he was divorced and had no ties, I would have had to refuse as I was married with kids. So he went off on a tour of Europe with Michael Jacksons entourage and later I found out from the posh firm (I had called trying to get a job 2 months later ) he had gone to America to live.
) he had gone to America to live.