You may be right 
Thereās no stress/pressure in lorry driving.
EVERYTHING about the job is out of your control.
Turn up Monday morningā¦and go with the flow.
My lad started not long ago with TEF at Scarborough for his first job. Thankfully heās had to listen to me whinging and ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā from the day he was born and heās been out with me plenty enough so he was under no illusions. Also told him the importance of growing a pair of balls and telling them heās not happy with things, something which he now does probably to an extent that was a bit more than Iād actually meant him to take. 
His first job was Class 2 on pallet network multidrop and sure as eggs are eggs he stood his ground even though it was his first job, strapped his load down every morning, ran it by the book. I guess by the end of the first week the yard forkies realised he wasnāt going to just let them chuck the pallets on and send him off down the road so they used to help him strap the load down. He also learned the āno Iām not paid to put it on your soddin shelvesā line at drop offs too.
6 months in he was doing way better than they expected for a new starter and they offered him tramping on Class 1 which he was wanting to do and he seems happy enough except for whining like some on here about the state of the truck if a night trunker ever gets it or he comes back after holiday. Sadly he appears to have joined the frilly curtain polished tank brigade but at least it gives me something to take the ā ā ā ā out of. He doesnāt sleep in laybys because he found out like I told him that its crap, only took the first week to figure that out so over the last few months heās found his own collection of places to park and also found out that at some truck stops you can book a parking place so he often turns up to a truckstop around 7pm with a place waiting for him even though its rammed full much to the annoyance of seasoned veterans. He also does shopping on a weekend and takes advantage of the fridge in the truck so thanks to that and the truckstops he manages to eat well (heās even actually LOST some weight) and get a shower every day so he doesnāt climb out the cab looking like Stig of the Dump with a swarm of flies following him.
Drivers around here tend not to be over enthusiastic about TEF and heās heard some of the moaning before he applied. I said to him that yeah compared to other work its not the best and there are easier jobs than pallet network and general but as heād never done it before he had nothing to compare it against so to take it how he found it, decide for himself and just make sure that he kept on the right side of doing things no matter what the office said and ultimately if he doesnāt like it use it to get 6 months experience and go elswhere. So he has taken that on, heāll quite happily say no to something if he doesnāt think its right and heās made a spot for himself there. Of course he whines about the job but nothing different than we all do because god do truck drivers like a whinge and almost all his whinging has to do with what happens on the road, not his bosses.
Interesting point Iād like to make though. Over the years Iāve come to the conclusion that the reason many drivers are unhappy with firms and say they do/donāt do something is because the driver themselves have just kept their gob shut and done whatever was asked or accepted the situation presented instead of opening their mouths. Most traffic offices will take advantage of you if YOU let them. The choice is yours, learn to say no. THE JOB IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. If youāre happy to be treated like crap you will be. If youāre happy to accept kipping in laybys and living like a tramp eating crap all week, ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā in bushes, peeing in bottles and not seeing soap from Monday to Friday you will because YOU MADE THE CHOICES THAT ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN. You, not anyone else. The bosses cannot stop you from stopping at services to use a toilet, they canāt stop you from stopping at an eatery to get a decent meal, they canāt stop you from parking up in a truckstop or somewhere decent. The only person stopping any of that from happening is you. After all youāre the one with the vehicle controls and ultimately you choose where to stop.
You constantly surprise me Conor; not only did your post hook me enough to read it all the way through, which is something I seldom do with long posts, but I found myself agreeing totally with you!
Getting away from driving has obviously done you the power of good. 
Son of Conor
The king is deadā¦long live the king.
Iām agreeing with Conor. Again. What is going on?!
A.
Nicely put Conor
Connor has wrote his article in a format that gets the point across better than mine, the whole point I was making is as he has put it across. It is us the drivers that either accept our own fate or do something about it. It is down to the more experienced drivers to help out the new drivers without them having to throw their keys back. I am not complaining about the job as I actually like my job. I donāt see it in the ways some others do, it isnāt hard or even a hard way of life. It is what you make of it, that was my heading on this post. I do not want to see the new drivers having to have the ā ā ā ā taken out of them by thinking they have to meet the unreal expectations of the TM. They can feel worthless by not meeting all of their tasks set or by making mistakes. I have a lad who I would not want to enter the industry but if he did I would want some experienced hand to look out for him. After all if everyone tries meeting the TM unrealistic targets and living worse than dogs, it then makes us all worth 10 a penny. Rant over!!!
uktrampā¦i know where your coming fromā¦back when i started there was always someone in the yard who i could turn too to explain what i have to do, what i need to knowā¦until i learned the ropes ( literally ) and as time went on i was happy enough to pass on my knowledge, and i still do. Sadly the industry has changed, too many up their own jacksies, too many who are happy with their lotā¦and i dont blame them one bit.
I agree that the only way to iron out the problems in this industry, is by uniting, to be a part of a union, and to cause disruption where needs be, BUT, there are many in this industry why are happy with their lot, even those on Ā£7.50 an hourā¦its the norm in any industry for those who want job satisfaction before wagesā¦wants and needs as they sayā¦and because of this they are not likely to want a union, let alone join one, and so the circle is never endingā¦i spoke to a mate of mine the other day, said he took home over Ā£500 a weekā¦and thats with 4 nights outā¦not a decent weeks work by my standards, but that is the problem, many drivers include the nights out as part of their wage, yet will happily say they are fed up with nights outā¦now if say the average wage was Ā£600 take homeā¦with no nights out, and an extra Ā£100 for nights outā¦what percentage of drivers would stop doing nights outā¦and what percentage will still chase the money, and volunteer for nights outā¦thats what we did years agoā¦International work was the creme de la creamā¦we could go days with the same load on our backs, and we would prefer to be away from home on the continent, than to have nights away in the ukā¦job satisfaction as they sayā¦but the money was crap for what we did, and the hours we worked, often running bent, for our own sakesā¦one hit from barcelona to dover for egā¦to get home for 2 nights ( if we were lucky ) to do it all again the following weekā¦so after we were regulated, tachosā¦nice modern trucks, heaters, a/c an increase in the nightout money to Ā£25 abroad, as against Ā£20 for the uk, we were better off, and much happier with out lot than ever before, and all without a unionā¦we began to fight for our own rights, and if you were a good worker, you could approach the boss, and tell him why you wanted to leave, and negotiate your own wage structure, and many drivers would ask from within your companyā¦( how much are you on) and be surprised when you lied to them ā¦no one told each other what they were earningā¦ha ha its a secretā¦so the way i see it, some drivers are fighting back ( i always have ) but drivers are individuals, some want to work a 15 hr dayā¦others like me dont, i want a 12 on 12 off system, and a decent wage to go with it ( that what i get now ) at 71 im still working the international route, and get Ā£2000 in the bank every month, so im happyā¦some earn more, some earn less, and theyre happy tooā¦and i dont see any changes anytime soon, and dont expect it.
the maoster:
You constantly surprise me Conor; not only did your post hook me enough to read it all the way through, which is something I seldom do with long posts, but I found myself agreeing totally with you!Getting away from driving has obviously done you the power of good.
Like you wouldnāt believe. I donāt think as drivers you realise just how much of an impact the hours and daily stresses of the job have until you go do working like normal people do, even when you think youāre working at a good spot for a driving job as I was.
UKtramp:
I have a lad who I would not want to enter the industry but if he did I would want some experienced hand to look out for him.
It looks like the trampers at TEF have done that with my lad. I see the odd post on facebook from them and I think they look out for him, especially the two women drivers there. Like your your lad would if he started driving trucks, mine has his dad on the end of the phone to ask if heās ever in need of any advice.
truckyboy:
uktrampā¦
I agree that the only way to iron out the problems in this industry, is by uniting, to be a part of a union, and to cause disruption where needs be, BUT, there are many in this industry why are happy with their lot, even those on Ā£7.50 an hourā¦its the norm in any industry for those who want job satisfaction before wagesā¦wants and needs as they sayā¦and because of this they are not likely to want a union, let alone join one, and so the circle is never endingā¦i spoke to a mate of mine the other day, said he took home over Ā£500 a weekā¦and thats with 4 nights outā¦not a decent weeks work by my standards, but that is the problem, many drivers include the nights out as part of their wage, yet will happily say they are fed up with nights outā¦now if say the average wage was Ā£600 take homeā¦with no nights out, and an extra Ā£100 for nights outā¦what percentage of drivers would stop doing nights outā¦and what percentage will still chase the money, and volunteer for nights outā¦thats what we did years agoā¦International work was the creme de la creamā¦we could go days with the same load on our backs, and we would prefer to be away from home on the continent,.
Well put & I totally agree
commonrail:
Thereās no stress/pressure in lorry driving.
EVERYTHING about the job is out of your control.
Turn up Monday morningā¦and go with the flow.
What - even the lorry ? 
I think (based on my own limited experience) that the general point you make is a good one though
The EU is the biggest single cause of the job going downhill. Cushy jobs that still exist in the UK are because the talent is āelsewhereā. Freedom of Movement more than anything else meant that anyone can undercut one of us for our jobs. EU red tape rules that allowed this to proliferate - were rigidly enforced upon our own home-grown drivers, but relaxed for foreign talent coming in.
. DCPC - No standard of English required to (not) pass it.
. Licence endorsements - NO carried over details from offences that were committed in country of origin. Has any TM on here ever turned down an migrant driver for having DD/DR/IN etc on their licence, automatically disqualifying them from being employed in many quarters?
. Breaking the rules over here - Too much trouble to put a possibly militant ex-socialist republic driver through the disciplinary mill. So TMs might go easier on them on like-for-like offences carried out. A home-grown one of us doing the same thing - would have the book thrown at them though, 'cos they should know better. Hmm.
. Wages: EU trucker wages are lower in most parts, especially eastern Europe. Once over here, drivers are supposed to be paid the minimum wage - but thatās often not enough to live in any kind of serviceable accommodation. SO you either live shacked up with half a dozen others, live in a shack/shed with bed somewhere, or you Tramp.
. Trampers, despite spending most of their working week on British Roads - do NOT have the UK minimum wage enforced upon them by either UK law (too soft, too ā ā ā ā -licking towards the EU) and itās not in the EUās undemocratic interests to āput offā freedom of movement in any way - so the UK minimum wage gets brushed aside in the interest of exporting more low-paid drivers to Blighty.
I only did my HGV test in the first place because at the time (1986), and particularly where I lived (east Kent), it was possible to pass your test on Monday, and be driving to Italy or Spain on Tuesday. The job Iām suffering at the moment involves loading a trailer in Leamington Spa in the morning, doing four or five drops in Coventry, Birmingham etc and then going back to Leamington Spa to load again to do the same thing in the afternoon, and this is the same five days a week. It does my head in. The agency wonder why I donāt want to do an extra shift on Saturday.
If I was 26 now, thereās no way in the world Iād choose to drive a truck. Thereās just no fun in the job any more.
commonrail:
Thereās no stress/pressure in lorry driving.
EVERYTHING about the job is out of your control.
Turn up Monday morningā¦and go with the flow.
Correct,
Bad drivers = you drive defensively
Your Late = turn up for the first job on time after that go with the flow
Rude goods inward staff unhelpful security = just imagine them on the pot (should bring a smile )
TMs on your back = ask them do they want you to break the law, drive in a reckless manner
As said just chill and go with it
I did nearly 10 years in the army, got my class 1 but like everyone else who leaves the army before their full time is up, itās for two reasons. You get ā ā ā ā ā ā off with it like I did or you get discharged for one reason or other.
The only reason I drive for a living is because Iām not qualified to do anything else apart from stacking shelves in tosco. I like many others ā ā ā ā ā ā around at school and donāt have a educational qualification to my name. Driving for me pays better than minimum wage in a supermarket.
Do I enjoy the job? Not especially. Am I passionate about driving? Not really, to me the job pays my mortgage and puts food on the table for my family. No more no less.
The way I look at it, I take home an ok wage packet for what I do so am quite content with that. I have no real aspirations to do anything else for the time being so I just plod on.
From what Iāve seen of the transport industry the last three years Iāve been doing the job, it wonāt improve. Firms constantly trying to undercut each other, pay being the pittance it is and wonāt improve, driving standards by āprofessionalsā ā ā ā ā poor - a new thread almost daily on here. Being tracked and micro managed where ever possible. The list is endless.
I go to work with the mentality that itās going to be a ā ā ā ā shift, anything better than that is a bonus. I let the rest of the crap go over my head.
Drivers who are brought up with transport or have an interest in trucks seem to get on better than others who just fall in to it as a living.
I know a few drivers who hate the job and have no interest in it.
But then I know a lot more who have always been interested in or brought up with trucks that love it,they also seem to have the better jobs and are a lot happier,healthier and less stressed.
The type of job you have in this industry matters as well. 90% of what I do is delivering either argochemicals or fertilizer to farms. So much less stress than doing general, never rushed, theres always someone happy to see you when you arrive. It can get a bit tense when youāre looking for said farm but theres 99% of the time a number on the POD that you can ring to get the farmer to direct you in. If youāre out of time, you can always ask to stay on the farm overnight.
Conor:
Interesting point Iād like to make though. Over the years Iāve come to the conclusion that the reason many drivers are unhappy with firms and say they do/donāt do something is because the driver themselves have just kept their gob shut and done whatever was asked or accepted the situation presented instead of opening their mouths. Most traffic offices will take advantage of you if YOU let them. The choice is yours, learn to say no. THE JOB IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. If youāre happy to be treated like crap you will be. If youāre happy to accept kipping in laybys and living like a tramp eating crap all week, ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā in bushes, peeing in bottles and not seeing soap from Monday to Friday you will because YOU MADE THE CHOICES THAT ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN. You, not anyone else. The bosses cannot stop you from stopping at services to use a toilet, they canāt stop you from stopping at an eatery to get a decent meal, they canāt stop you from parking up in a truckstop or somewhere decent. The only person stopping any of that from happening is you. After all youāre the one with the vehicle controls and ultimately you choose where to stop.
When I read UKtrampās o/p my initial thought was that his opinions of the job beared no resemblance to the job that I do, and the way I do it.
What you say is 100% correct, the quality of life as a driver is determined by YOURSELF. 
If you are being treated like crap, pushed to the limits, continually hassled, parking in ā ā ā ā holes with zero facilities, as many doā¦it is YOUR OWN faultā¦end of, it does NOT have to be that way.
I have said many times on here before, āāItās a job not a ā ā ā ā endurance testāā
Tbh I have not got ANY sympathy whatsoever for these guys (of which there are manyā¦ and on here) they only have themselves to blame, and I canāt be arsed with them, but just watch them and laugh to myself.
As for helping new guys in the job, I will, and do, always help themā¦but only if they want it.
The problem is that they can also get help and āāadviceāā from the aforementioned spineless, which just exacerbates the problem as they then multiply.
Conor, Robroy and radar among others have a ll raised good points.
In this industry you cannot allow yourself to become one of the mindless drones that large logistics companies want you to be. If you follow their instructions blindly, you will end up sick and tired of job on no time.
And as radar rightly pointed out, you need to find your niche within the job. General for example can be stressful (if you allow it to be), and although Iāve never minded it myself, Iām far more comfortable within the bulk sector. Whereas many others would hate it. Horses for courses. And if you accept your lot, doing the first job you come across, youāll never know whether you might be more suited to another part of this vast industry. Take Judian for example, he has commented many times on the fact he did transporters for years and although it paid well, it had many pitfalls and is now happy working in a different sector of the industry.
Yorkshire terrier also made a valid point, when pointing out that those who actually wanted to be drivers rather than those who happened to end up in the industry through chance tend to be far happier with their lot. Rightly or wrongly.
At the end of the day , this industry has the ability to chew you up and spit you out if you let it. But a positive attitude and knowledge that you chose to do this job certainly makes the day less aggravating.