So why Trucking?

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi Folks,

I Though i’d post up something a little different in here and ask what made you guys want to drive trucks?

Myself well its always been something I had wanted todo, but different things got in the way, not having money to go for training, talking myself out it going don’t be daft them things are bloody massive and so on. What changed was for me Furlough, being off work, and the massive reduction in stress etc and a lot of time to reflect etc made me think, now there isn’t anything stopping you really, so just bloody do it.
Yes it means spending up the hard saved project car parts fund, it might mean the project car gets sold, probably going to be a pay or very likely a hourly rate cut, its going to a massive change, a lot of work and a dive into the unknown, but at the end of the day going to do something that you enjoy and being happier is worth it.

2

I started my career close to 50 years ago as a coach driver - my dream from being a small boy. Moved into instruction (in hindsight, far too soon) and qualified as a PSV instructor. That was 1971. In 1974, the school I was working for told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was going for HGV. Despite my protests, that’s what happened. 6 weeks after passing Class One, I had my instructor ticket. That’s not a good method - but it’s what happened. (btw, the law now states that you need to hold a licence for 3 years before able to instruct).

So I had no interest in trucks whatsoever. I did, however, move onto a combination of driving/instructing for some years before opening my school in 1985. And, yes, I am now interested in trucks!!

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

3

Got me out of a 4 walls environment and gets me out and about all over

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4

'at’s a good question. I had to sit back and think about it.

I never WANTED to drive a truck. I was kinda herded that way.

Joined the Army at 15, 1972, did 2 years training. Did some technical quals and, as a reward for doing well, was put on a driving course.
Passed me car licence 2 months after me 17th birthday.

Ok, no biggie, never been THAT bothered about it but it was nice to have.
Joined me Regiment in '74.

December 1976, been kicked around the world a few times, done some stuff, back in camp.
MT Sgt, Taffy, asked if I wanted to do the HGV 2 course coming up.
Yep, fine, whatever, I’m in.

He was a newly qualified tester and I think he was flexing his muscles. Wanted to run/operate/control a course to show that he could.
I’m wasn’t over the moon about it, nor was I against it. It was just another one of those things the Army did. You, do this.

Passed me Class 2 on a AEC flatbed 10 tonner. 6 forward gears, no synchromesh, and no power steering.
Yeah, quite proud of meself.
Still not THAT bothered, though.

Until…I got out of the Army in 78 and found out that my highly prized Advanced Army Surveyor, Advanced Signaller, Advanced Driver qualifications were effin useless in civvy street!

Wagons it is, then.

Drove lorries, removals (Hard work)
Slaughterhouse waste skips (God awful work)
Concrete Mixer (Best job ever)

Then binned it all and became a professional guitarist and singer for the next 30 years.
Did ok, living in SPain, credit crunch kicked in, over the next 10 years lost all me work, came back to UK to sign on :slight_smile:
No skillz.
well apart from knowing the phonetic alphabet backwards and the ability to teach you map reading?
No.

Lovely lady at the job centre, mentioned a CPC (Cos I’d mentioned me class 2) and would I like to go on it?
Sigh Yes, I’m in.
Learned a load from the other drivers, and ended up driving 7.5s.
DVLA won’t give me my Class 2 back because
“Although we now accept that you did pass your Cat C test in 1976, we decline to renew your entitlement because, in 1986, you failed to replace the old style licence with the new one”
Ok, paraphrased, but that’s what they said.

Still got Grandfather rights on C1 though, right?

Did a shed load of agency work, then JL for 15 months, then moved to a veh rec firm (Excellent firm, awesome workmates)
Still there now, on the AA contract.

Did I ever WANT to be a lorry driver?
No.

Am I happy that I am now a lorry driver?
No.

5

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6

why did i take up trucking?..probably because i didn’t listen at school :frowning: my dad wanted me to join the RN,as he was a career sailor,back in the day,so i joined a hippie commune :laughing: that didn’t work out,came home and started digging up roads and stuff for the Council.that was hard work,so finally listened to dad,and followed him into Road Transport…and still Trucking after 41 years :sunglasses:

7

I took to truck driving because I’d had enough of working in a (salaried) profession where it was expected you would work weekends, bank holidays and long hours (without remuneration) simply to keep up with those other professionals who had no life outside of work :unamused: I wanted to be able to walk away from work at the end of the day and have time to myself. There are times I miss the intellectual environment of my previous career, but on days like today when my time is entirely my own, I don’t miss it at all :sunglasses:

8

Another memory - from school. I wasn’t a star pupil and I recall a teacher saying “you’ll never earn a living gorping out of the window all day”.

How wrong he was! I’ve done little else LOL

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

9

I took it to work on my own. I did IT before the Millenium bug. Worked in Africa for years as a consultant. Came back gave it up for staying at home. I am home by 6 everyday. I dont take my work home.

10

I always enjoyed driving.
I did go to college then Uni and got an alright degree (IT) but I’m not great socially and being stuck in an office dealing with all the ‘office politics’, or having to sit through meetings, or work in teams etc doesn’t really fit my personality type nor interest me.

When I left Uni I was looking at jobs I could do and the only qualification that I found particularly useful was my driving licence. So I did van delivery driving for Tesco.
This young girl came and I was out with her on her first day, but she was a better driver than me tbh, she was an ex-bus driver just looking for a stop gap job after getting sacked and she really put the idea in my head (“Why don’t you do bus driving?”). More money I thought… and it wasn’t much longer after that that I did.
The passengers wore me down after a couple of years but I still liked the driving and the extra money… lorry drivers seemed to have it a bit better… so I thought why not.
No regrets so far!

11

I always loved the idea of being paid to travel and driving big vehicles.
My Dad drove Buses then C1s and vans and I used to go out with him and just loved it.

Had my share of factory and retail jobs. Done sales because again I enjoyed being paid to listen to the radio, travel , drink tea and talk to people, as Zac A said though lots of unpaid hours and taking work home, but I did control my diary and where and when I went.
Also lucky my to have had large sales areas, (sometimes half the UK and odd bits of EU!).

Lorry driving does it for me because I enjoy the challenge of driving something that’s not a mondeo, right amount of meeting people and time on my own ( I’m not anti social but like my own company) lots of gawping out of windows (Pete s) and walk out of Depot no work to catch up on at home !

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12

To turn the thread on its head, what do I hate about lorry driving!
Loading and unloading, especially in bad weather,
Having to manouvere the ####### around idiots and badly parked vehicles to load and unload,
Having to work weekends to earn more money,
Would I swap it for 9-5 in one place? NO.

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13

Wanted to drive lorries from since i was a small boy, and i do mean actually drive not just steer.

Other lads at school used to read New Musical Express or similar, whilst i consumed Commercial Motor and Headlight.

14

For me, it simply doesn’t feel like “work” in the same way working in an office or in a factory does (I’ve experienced both).

Maybe I’ve been lucky, but a typical day for me is turn up and exchange a bit of banter with the lads, do vehicle checks, get loaded up and get on the road. As long as I’m doing things right I am left to my own devices.

It honestly doesn’t feel like work. It’s like I go to work as a hobby and money coincidentally appears in my bank :smiley:

PS agree with Steviespain … concrete mixer - best job ever!

15

I did HGV 16 years ago to buy myself a trade as a way out of working in my families woodyard which was driving me nuts trying to get a 90 year old business thinking like a modern one (and largely failing)

I figured it would be a relatively quick and cheap way of gaining a new skill that expanded on the 7.5t experience I had and would fill some time before doing something else. I’ve now ended up in the situation where I earn far more money than my skill set / qualification / experience could get me doing other things and have settled in to it.

Although I am a HGV driver, it’s regular weekday hours and not maxing out driving time or distance. I work for a small plant company on own account transport of haulage of other people’s equipment. There is a lot of variety involved as I’ve moved most types of plant and had anything and everything else on too. Tanks, bits of aircraft, telephone boxes, industrial ovens, boats and christmas trees being some of the oddest. Plus containers, cabins and building materials.

I’ve also been enlisted for site installs with the Hiab, using it to lift bits of machines on / off for repair and when not driving, I’ll end up getting involved with other varied jobs such as a bit of light mechanical maintenance on the plant or general dogsbody jobs around the yard. Yesterday was patching some concrete.

It’s hard and dirty but the job stops at the gate.

16

My dad took me to truck racing when I was a toddler

I still remember the giant diamond on a '88 Magnum

Became a mechanic after school then went to a truck n trailer rental company As an admin… spent more time shunting than doing my job. I knew my true calling.

Got licences and been driving 15years now. UK,EU,AU&NZ

Still love it.

17

Became apparent that manual labour…wasn’t for me.
Plus the money was cack,plus I hated being stuck indoors all week,hence never seeing daylight…in winter.
12 hour shift today will earn me(gross)what I earned,all week(net)…the last time I worked in a factory.

All for driving along whilst listening to football.