Used to absolutely love anything to do with trucks and trucking when I first started, keen as mustard.
Later on managed to own my own and expand to a few.
Somebody mentioned bling…I had all the bling on some of mine, but no way in hell I would buy it for a truck that did not belong to me
(apart from in cab functionals)
I know of definite examples where bosses just see it as a licence to take the ■■■■, as they know these guys who spend half their wages on their truck 9 times out of 10 are deluded, and will do any old thing asked, so they take full advantage of it…that’s fine when it does not affect me but when it does I do get a bit ■■■■■■ with some drivers who tend to ■■■■ up the job a bit.
Nowadays cynicism and seeing the true picture has set in with experience, so now it’s a job…end of.
Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy it to a point, and it’s better than factory work.
I preferred running Euro for the foreigners, but now I like the little number I have sorted for myself with my UK only firm, but I aint too keen on the firm it’s self, due to their cynicism towards their drivers, (although my local depot aint too bad tbf) so I have to juggle that with trying to do the job to the best of my ability…which I manage.
I try and make the best of things by not getting stressed out or succumbing to pressure, so I tend to be left alone unlike some of my colleagues.
No 15 hr days/9s off unless it suits me (you don’t HAVE to do them despite what they may tell you) but lately I’ve done one a week to ensure an eary finish on a Saturday or something similar.
I also try and get a bit of social life out of the job when parked up, that definitely helps, but not every night (yeh shock horror, not everybody parks in msa.s or ■■■■ lay bys.
) but maybe a couple of nights a week if I meet up with mates.
If I had to do the tramping job like some do on here, a rush around work/sleep pattern endurance excercise
, I’d simply jack, it would just ■■■■ me right off within a week.
So on the whole I still kind of enjoy it, but I don’t have the rosy specs anymore and see things beyond official lines and crap.
That has just come about by past experiences both good and bad, but tbf mostly good on the whole.