What is the longest some of you drivers have left HGV driving to do something else, and what was your
personal experience coming back to it?
Were you treated like a newbie… as essentially after many years away from it ( 8 years in my case! )
a lot has changed, and as usual the rules and regs & working procedures become ever more stringent,
so it feels like been back at the start all over again!
I’ve an assessment for a simple supermarket job next week and wouldn’t be lying if I said I’m a little
nervous, even though I’ve done everything from containers to car transporters, flats to fridges in a
20 year career… it’s just been a bloody while! Lol 
What was your experience coming back into the industry? Was it a struggle or did you get a lucky break
& feel like you’d never been away in your new job!
I had 10 years off for Ehhh consultancy work.
Noticeable changes for me where the dCPC, digitachos, drop in driving standards, increased traffic, auto boxes, loss of truck stop strippers and apparently some form of Alien invasion by health and safety nutters.
Nice to see wages had stayed the same though… 
Easy to get back in the swing of things.
Just like riding a bike. (Well apart from acting like a ■■■■, ■■■■■■■ everyone off, making a drama off everything and constant overreacting at other road users)…
I was away for about 5 years and came back and thought WTF!!! H&S gone nuts, whole carry on with new drivers that are looking for huge wages for nowt…something bout a driver shortage. I’ve done loads of agency work but found That’s like stepping into a pool of sharks, its gone nuts. Even getting started was weird as I was classed as a new driver and some agencies wouldn’t touch me. Couple years down the line I’m settled and as if I never been away. Driving is the easy part!!
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EddieMD:
I was away for about 5 years and came back and thought WTF!!! H&S gone nuts, whole carry on with new drivers that are looking for huge wages for nowt…something bout a driver shortage. I’ve done loads of agency work but found That’s like stepping into a pool of sharks, its gone nuts. Even getting started was weird as I was classed as a new driver and some agencies wouldn’t touch me. Couple years down the line I’m settled and as if I never been away. Driving is the easy part!!
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Do us a favour bud ,Can you define what you think huge wages are ?
Beetlejuice:
EddieMD:
I was away for about 5 years and came back and thought WTF!!! H&S gone nuts, whole carry on with new drivers that are looking for huge wages for nowt…something bout a driver shortage. I’ve done loads of agency work but found That’s like stepping into a pool of sharks, its gone nuts. Even getting started was weird as I was classed as a new driver and some agencies wouldn’t touch me. Couple years down the line I’m settled and as if I never been away. Driving is the easy part!!
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Do us a favour bud ,Can you define what you think huge wages are ?
They reckon they can walk into 35k +
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EddieMD:
Beetlejuice:
EddieMD:
I was away for about 5 years and came back and thought WTF!!! H&S gone nuts, whole carry on with new drivers that are looking for huge wages for nowt…something bout a driver shortage. I’ve done loads of agency work but found That’s like stepping into a pool of sharks, its gone nuts. Even getting started was weird as I was classed as a new driver and some agencies wouldn’t touch me. Couple years down the line I’m settled and as if I never been away. Driving is the easy part!!
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Do us a favour bud ,Can you define what you think huge wages are ?
They reckon they can walk into 35k +
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With a 40 hr week Mon-Fri i might add. That’s the way its been advertised the past couple years …get you LGV, earn 35k…
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Well i walked into a 42k a year tramping job after 2 months .so it is possible .P.S i left soon after as he wanted blood ! 
My question was regarding hourly pay to be fair .
What do you think new class 1 drivers should be payed per hour ?
Beetlejuice:
Well i walked into a 42k a year tramping job after 2 months .so it is possible .P.S i left soon after as he wanted blood ! [emoji38]
My question was regarding hourly pay to be fair .
What do you think new class 1 drivers should be payed per hour ?
I’m payed by the hour now. Personally I’d rather be payed by the hour. I’ve been salaried in the past and any hours over your contracted were given back as time. Its nice to know you can work more and earn more…ie…Christmas, holidays etc.
Not sure if its a good or bad thing. I do know I’m wary of jobs offering x amount per shift, lot of these want long shifts so moneys not as good as it looks on paper
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I didn’t use my license for twenty years. Cut a long story short, went out with a mate for the day shared the driving for a day. Good to go. Worked on my own next day for the company he worked for. Apart from a few w@nky reverses all was good. I don’t tell anyone I’ve been away and no one says anything.
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Also chuckle when I hear drivers slagging the kit off.
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