Class2ldn:
I’m a train driver in London.
I do miss driving on the road I must admit but in terms of the life I have now I could never have that on the road.
35 hour week, no Sundays( if I do its around 37ph)
Final salary pension.
4 day week.
Clear 2600-2700 without overtime each month.3k with 1 rest day.
Downside is its extremely boring and it’s a lot of responsibility.
If I could earn 51k a year driving on the road I’d do it but I don’t think jobs like that exist or if they do I bet they dont see home much.
Il probably jack it in once I’m around 45 and go back driving depending on mortgage situation etc.
It’s a great job don’t get me wrong but it’s not for everyone.
Firstly I’d guess that we’d need to compare like with like in terms of the best and worse train driving jobs ( distance/international freight train work for example v London Underground or local city commuter services ? ).As opposed to same in terms of trucks IE distance/international C+ E v C1 or C local/distribution type work.
In which case it’s then logically a just case of trading more money and less hours but a relatively more rigidly controlled,more boring work environment.As opposed to less money for more hours,but relatively more freedom and less boredom.Although ever decreasing opportunities regards the former type of work and as Robert 1952 rightly says things like trackers and more vehicle automation etc are closing that gap regards freedom and boredom in the job.
Class2ldn:
I’m a train driver in London.
I do miss driving on the road I must admit but in terms of the life I have now I could never have that on the road.
35 hour week, no Sundays( if I do its around 37ph)
Final salary pension.
4 day week.
Clear 2600-2700 without overtime each month.3k with 1 rest day.
Downside is its extremely boring and it’s a lot of responsibility.
If I could earn 51k a year driving on the road I’d do it but I don’t think jobs like that exist or if they do I bet they dont see home much.
Il probably jack it in once I’m around 45 and go back driving depending on mortgage situation etc.
It’s a great job don’t get me wrong but it’s not for everyone.
That’s not bad. I started as a First Officer on £1300 take home on turboprops. Moved onto regional Embraer Jet and cleared £2800. Max 2900. Duty wise hard to say as we had no fixed pattern. 3 earlies, then 3 lates then 2 off, then maybe 4 lates, 2 off, then 5 on 3 off. 9 days off a month. In a “week” you’d start it with 0530 reports and switch to 1300 reports. Duty days were 9ish hours. Downside was constant changes and you finished at 10pm prior to your 2 days off and started 0530 so meant getting up at 0400 which gave only 1 useable local night at home. Union squabbled with the firm for ages about that.
Moved on since and sure pay is a lot more, but lifestyle is crap on LH. Duties and fatigue that leaves haulage in the shade. Work weekends. 11-14 days off a month but a lot lost to recovering. You find out what you’re doing the following month in the 20th of the previous month. We have to ask for our holiday for a whole 6 months period 6 months in advance. Standard for industry. No final salary anymore. 11.5 percent from Co.
Being a pilot has been a dream of mine and I’ve been on prune researching about it extensively.
The pay once you’re settled in a decent airline is eye watering even for a train driver but like you say the work balance is difficult.
I think the thing is though that being a pilot is about really enjoying flying, it’s almost like a hobby while you’re at work. It’s a passion.
I don’t get that from train driving.
The training costs for a pilot are astonishing and there’s no way I could get 100k lol.
I know some firms sponsor but I don’t have the academic requirements so it’s something il have to accept il never do.
Maybe I’ll get my ppl one day instead lol.
Class2ldn:
Being a pilot has been a dream of mine and I’ve been on prune researching about it extensively.
The pay once you’re settled in a decent airline is eye watering even for a train driver but like you say the work balance is difficult.
I think the thing is though that being a pilot is about really enjoying flying, it’s almost like a hobby while you’re at work. It’s a passion.
I don’t get that from train driving.
The training costs for a pilot are astonishing and there’s no way I could get 100k lol.
I know some firms sponsor but I don’t have the academic requirements so it’s something il have to accept il never do.
Maybe I’ll get my ppl one day instead lol.
It is a passion but like cocaine if you take too much of it, it will kill you. And long haul flying will shorten your life span. That is a fact. We’re in an unknown in the industry. No one has worked has hard as the current generation of crews and no one knows quite what it does to the body. I love flying. Yes but it’s one of those things that’s all or nothing. Not much room for anything else. So for me, a short haul command, part time would be the ticket to have anything of a life. But it’s like hens teeth.
The training costs these days are bonkers!
Don’t let academics put you off. If your judgement and IQ is enough to pass train driving which isn’t the easiest of things I’d imagine, you’d do well with it from the starting block over most. Also a good career to discuss in interviews. You’ve had high responsibility, pressure, real emergency management - all that. A lot of very bright buttons lack the basics. It’s not about being clever. You have to be an all rounder. Good under severe pressure, judgment, management, decision making, hand eye coordination, character skills. All that crap. If you did happen to get your PPL, West Atlantic take on trainees occasionally with a PPL and I think they don’t even ask for the GCSEs anymore. Maybe it’s 5 GCSEs A-C but certainly no more if any. I started with what was their former and they were more interested in the person. Academia alone is a poor reflector in this job.
I’m 33 now though, I doubt many airlines would take on a newbie at that age.
Class2ldn:
I think the thing is though that being a pilot is about really enjoying flying, it’s almost like a hobby while you’re at work. It’s a passion.
I don’t get that from train driving.
I think that also applies in the case of truck driving especially in the case of being given the preferred choice of truck to drive and given the ‘right’ preferred type of work.In my case I’m sure that train driving would always have been second best not first choice in that regard.With just the better money and conditions as compensation.