darkseeker:
Could be worse but in all honesty I don’t intend to stay long, if I sit and think pro’s and con’s they’re about 7bad to 1 good. Ive even started to wonder about training for some different profession.
I get left alone though and have a steady income, beats 3am phone calls from agencies wanting me to do jobs I’ve asked never to do again - followed by a quiet week for telling them (as politely as possible given the circumstances) no thankyou.
I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what are the ‘bad’ and ‘good’ points? I’m asking cos they are looking for Drivers in my area, 7.5t, class 1 & 2. Not sure if they just want the one driver to cover all 3
I had a beautifully crafted and well written, thouroughly objective reply to the original post. Clicked preview.
And pooooooooof, it disappeared into the ether!
In short mate don’t, as it seems they ain’t changed much in the 20 odd years since I had anything to do with Heightfreight with an ‘S’! I wouldn’t work for them if it was the second last job left in the whole world, I’d take the last! In my time they didn’t even do good grub at the Willenhall hub, the kit is crap the trailers are crap, the loads are crap, and I would never ever send anything by Heightfreight with an ‘S’', not if I wanted it to reach it’s destination in one piece. This was the Basildon depot by the way, the warehouse manager was a good bloke but had his arse run ragged, the only decent bloke in the traffic office was a bird! Swore like a trooper but had the most gorgeous pair of tanned legs that I can visualise now, mid thigh tight skirts with high heels and those pins…
Don’t just don’t!
‘Crazyperson who used to drive a truck!’
What I’m doing isn’t normal nightfreight, it’s a seperate contract so I can’t really comment on them - yes, I’m employed by nightfreight but not doing what they normally do.
Why am I not happy?
It’s boring! I go to Bristol once a week, up to glasgow and night out, back the next day and the same the last two days of the week - same every week and mine’s the most interesting run!! I don’t have anything to do with anyone except the manager once a day as it’s just trailer swaps. I feel under enormous pressure to get there and back asap, no-one puts any on me except myself - All I want to do is get home and do something more interesting. To my mind, it’s taken the “fun” out of driving.
The kit’s not that bad, I quite like my unit except the fact that it’s automatic and the trailers are all nearly new so there doesn’t tend to be any issues with them. The problem is, if there’s a problem you’ve a fight to get anything done about it - being an ex-mechanic I’ve done a few things but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere
There’s nothing but bulbs on site so oil and screenwash need do be bought at fuel places which is fine - if you can find somewhere that’ll sell you it on the fuel card (I bought some with cash and didn’t get re-emburssed). I’ve no idea what to do about washing it; I heard something about booking it in somewhere and starting an hour early to take it (not great on salery).
There is more but that’s the worst of it.
Positives? Well, I’m respected for what I know and what I do, I’m left to it, know what I’m doing from one day to the next and I get paid
It’s boring! I go to Bristol once a week, up to glasgow and night out, back the next day and the same the last two days of the week - same every week and mine’s the most interesting run!! I don’t have anything to do with anyone except the manager once a day as it’s just trailer swaps. I feel under enormous pressure to get there and back asap, no-one puts any on me except myself - All I want to do is get home and do something more interesting. To my mind, it’s taken the “fun” out of driving.
Fella thats the game for you, with all that distance you have a doddle of a job. I get the impression from your post that after what 2 years in the game youve had enough already? Surely it beats sitting in a RDC everyday for 3/4 hours or store/shop deliverys. Can you vary your routes etc, I do Scotch twice a week but generaly go up east side as have drops there then into fife and tayside then return back down 74/66, makes a good couple of days of it.
Being seasonal I do it march to October then do other work nationally and locally.
darkseeker:
What I’m doing isn’t normal nightfreight, it’s a seperate contract so I can’t really comment on them - yes, I’m employed by nightfreight but not doing what they normally do.
Why am I not happy?
It’s boring! I go to Bristol once a week, up to glasgow and night out, back the next day and the same the last two days of the week - same every week and mine’s the most interesting run!! I don’t have anything to do with anyone except the manager once a day as it’s just trailer swaps. I feel under enormous pressure to get there and back asap, no-one puts any on me except myself - All I want to do is get home and do something more interesting. To my mind, it’s taken the “fun” out of driving.
The kit’s not that bad, I quite like my unit except the fact that it’s automatic and the trailers are all nearly new so there doesn’t tend to be any issues with them. The problem is, if there’s a problem you’ve a fight to get anything done about it - being an ex-mechanic I’ve done a few things but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere
There’s nothing but bulbs on site so oil and screenwash need do be bought at fuel places which is fine - if you can find somewhere that’ll sell you it on the fuel card (I bought some with cash and didn’t get re-emburssed). I’ve no idea what to do about washing it; I heard something about booking it in somewhere and starting an hour early to take it (not great on salery).
There is more but that’s the worst of it.
Positives? Well, I’m respected for what I know and what I do, I’m left to it, know what I’m doing from one day to the next and I get paid
There’s a lot worse jobs out there. Frying pan and fire come to mind. if your not being constantly hassled there is lot to be said for it.
darkseeker:
What I’m doing isn’t normal nightfreight, it’s a seperate contract so I can’t really comment on them - yes, I’m employed by nightfreight but not doing what they normally do.
Why am I not happy?
It’s boring! I go to Bristol once a week, up to glasgow and night out, back the next day and the same the last two days of the week - same every week and mine’s the most interesting run!! I don’t have anything to do with anyone except the manager once a day as it’s just trailer swaps. I feel under enormous pressure to get there and back asap, no-one puts any on me except myself - All I want to do is get home and do something more interesting. To my mind, it’s taken the “fun” out of driving.
The kit’s not that bad, I quite like my unit except the fact that it’s automatic and the trailers are all nearly new so there doesn’t tend to be any issues with them. The problem is, if there’s a problem you’ve a fight to get anything done about it - being an ex-mechanic I’ve done a few things but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere
There’s nothing but bulbs on site so oil and screenwash need do be bought at fuel places which is fine - if you can find somewhere that’ll sell you it on the fuel card (I bought some with cash and didn’t get re-emburssed). I’ve no idea what to do about washing it; I heard something about booking it in somewhere and starting an hour early to take it (not great on salery).
There is more but that’s the worst of it.
Positives? Well, I’m respected for what I know and what I do, I’m left to it, know what I’m doing from one day to the next and I get paid
im sure i used to get the screen wash/oil from either gonerby moor services or donington services.
on diesel card.
used to wash it at irlams old yard on harlaxton road,pressure wash services i think,think there up spitalegate level by car garages,used to also have a account at truck wash at back of stockyard,used to drop in on way back from heywood,or brian did on way back from scotland,few years ago so may not have a account there now.
pressure-never felt any,most nights it was easy, but odd night it went ■■■■ up big style,motorways shut etc,etc, thats just part of driving
I know what you’re saying i.e. it could be worse and most jobs are similar. I think part of the problem is that I’ve been on agencies up to now and it was somewhere new nearly every night, even the last six months or so when I was at brakes nearly full time.
I suppose one of the things I enjoy most about driving for a living is going to new places and new challenges but I don’t get any of it in this job. Messing about trying to find somewhere to buy screenwash on the fuel card (though it’s nothing really) is something that’s really starting to chaffe if I’m honest, and paying £25 plus for 4ltrs of oil is rediculous when the tight [zb]s won’t pay me £4 that I spent on screenwash for their lorry What’s so wrong with a barrell of each somewhere in the yard - screenwash/oil/antifreeze?
Anyway, rant over but I’m keeping an eye open for something a bit more interesting.
44 Tonne Ton:
Lesson for other youngsters. Night trunking is not interesting…
It’s as interesting as you make it, imo. Also good for ‘noobies’, regardless of their age. It’s all about, learning as you go along, the more ‘along’ you go the more you learn.
Cheers for the extra info darkseeker, I might give it a go.
darkseeker:
I know what you’re saying i.e. it could be worse and most jobs are similar. I think part of the problem is that I’ve been on agencies up to now and it was somewhere new nearly every night, even the last six months or so when I was at brakes nearly full time.
I suppose one of the things I enjoy most about driving for a living is going to new places and new challenges but I don’t get any of it in this job. Messing about trying to find somewhere to buy screenwash on the fuel card (though it’s nothing really) is something that’s really starting to chaffe if I’m honest, and paying £25 plus for 4ltrs of oil is rediculous when the tight [zb]s won’t pay me £4 that I spent on screenwash for their lorry What’s so wrong with a barrell of each somewhere in the yard - screenwash/oil/antifreeze?Anyway, rant over but I’m keeping an eye open for something a bit more interesting.
That’s probably due to the number of subbies helping themselves, I know cos I was one of those subbies! I started off doing 7.5 tonner stuff for this geezer who had two motors in that depot, he drove one I drove the other, and if I thought that was a heap it was nothing compared to the signwritten ones! At least I could drive round in fair obscurity, but those other poor sods, it was embarrassing! Heightfreight with an ‘S’ only owned a couple of the 7.5 ton motors, and the drivers who were actually employed by them, even the two units, Dafs if I recall were Dawson Rentals done up in Heightfreight with an ‘S’ colours, at least they got serviced regularly, the rest were subbies who’d bought their motors off them and gone self employed. So by rights the oil tank was only to be used on the two units, the two motors that they owned and a couple of Astra/■■■■■■ vans that they used for ‘flyers’, we basically just helped ourselves!
About a year after I left for the final time they were just getting into that logistics nonesense cos a mate of mine came off the road to get it up and running, but the Guvnors or rather the Guvnors son was a complete arsewipe and Tony, my mate, lumped him a right good un, in fact gave him a right pasting to the cheers of all the other blokes in the depot who did nothing to stop him and promptly got the boot! Boot? They should have given that man a bonus! We’d all wanted to do it but…
But being as you seem to have got a ■■■■ easy job with them, stick it out until something else comes along, personally I’d sooner drive at night when most of the arswipes that usually spoil your day are in beddie-byes!
‘Crazyperson with a dose of the Galloping Lurgie!’
Robin_A:
tell the boss you will get 4 quids worth of screen wash on the fuel card, and keep it for yourself if hes to tight to give you the money.
are there no other class 1 runs there with more of a change that you could do?
I would mate but I cant find anywhere that’ll sell me it on the card Wonder if they’ve guessed where the toilet cleaner’s going yet fpmsl
CrazyT; that’s what I was saying all along - I don’t intend to stay long, as soon as I can get a more interesting job, I’ll be gone. Aye, it’s ■■■■ easy though at least half of the driving’s during the day, but it’s mind numbing - I can tell you when I’ll get to my destination by looking at the time at any of about 10 landmarks, I see that as a bad thing.
What’s so wrong with a barrell of each somewhere in the yard - screenwash/oil/antifreeze?