mathy1:
If I had the cash I would be a pilot tomorrow.
What a career.
Isn’t becoming a pilot one of those things that regardless of how much time and money you put into it - you’ll never get a job out of it.
Airline pilots have to be ex-forces with 2000+ hours flying time? - You’re not gonna get that flying a cessna out of biggin hill at flying school methinks…
At the other end of the spectrum (‘Our’ end if you like) you can put yourself through LGV 1&2 nowdays, and unlike 10 years ago where you had zero chance of getting onto agency straight out of driving school, nowdays they’ll take anyone providing they’re over 25 for insurance purposes, and have 2 years “relevant experience” (warehouse picker will do!) in the transport industry…
tamarman:
I would like to be Nigella Lawson house keeper , free use of expense account and credit cards for my own personal use to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds …i think i could put up with her cooking for that too.
mathy1:
If I had the cash I would be a pilot tomorrow.
What a career.
Isn’t becoming a pilot one of those things that regardless of how much time and money you put into it - you’ll never get a job out of it.
Airline pilots have to be ex-forces with 2000+ hours flying time? - You’re not gonna get that flying a cessna out of biggin hill at flying school methinks…
At the other end of the spectrum (‘Our’ end if you like) you can put yourself through LGV 1&2 nowdays, and unlike 10 years ago where you had zero chance of getting onto agency straight out of driving school, nowdays they’ll take anyone providing they’re over 25 for insurance purposes, and have 2 years “relevant experience” (warehouse picker will do!) in the transport industry…
Ex forces pilots can have trouble getting work flying civilian commercial aircraft. Fighter pilots especially so. Risk takers and all that nonsense.
Regarding commercial airline pilots. They may well sit there for hours appearing to do nothing but the reality is they are there in case anything goes wrong as much as anything. Much pilot training is about dealing with the what ifs and not about actually flying.
It’s a great job in some ways (and one I would love to do.) But it isn’t that well paid (relatively, unless you’re on for BA or another top firm) and the responsibility is pretty high. Also, a lot of drivers would baulk at the ongoing training and assessment I would imagine.
I’ve found, when I meet people for the first time and have that “so what do you do?” conversation, that saying “I drive a lorry” usually makes other blokes quite envious. Most of them will say something like “do you drive one of those really big ones?”, then go slightly weak at the knees when I say that I do. It’s also one of the few professions that people write songs about.
I still think it’s a pretty good job. I know the money’s not as good as it could be, and I’d very much prefer it if full sick pay was available in more haulage jobs (including mine), but by and large it’s not bad. I still enjoy it, which is more than I would if I was a shelf stacker or even an office worker. Incidentally, as an experiment I recently went online looking for non driving jobs I could earn my current salary in, and all the usual jobs people say are better paid than driving - cleaner, shelf stacker and so on - are about ten grand down on what I earn now, for the same sort of hours. So the grass is very much not always greener.
Rhythm Thief:
I’ve found, when I meet people for the first time and have that “so what do you do?” conversation, that saying “I drive a lorry” usually makes other blokes quite envious. Most of them will say something like “do you drive one of those really big ones?”, then go slightly weak at the knees when I say that I do. It’s also one of the few professions that people write songs about.
I still think it’s a pretty good job. I know the money’s not as good as it could be, and I’d very much prefer it if full sick pay was available in more haulage jobs (including mine), but by and large it’s not bad I still enjoy it, which is more tha I would if I was a shelf stacker or even an office worker. Incidentally, as an experiment I recently went online looking for non driving jobs I could earn my current salary in, and all the usual jobs people say are better paid than driving - cleaner, shelf stacker and so on - are about ten grand down on what I earn now, for the same sort of hours. So the grass is very much not always greener.
This is very true. Many on here would come back screaming to get back into a lorry if they had to put up with some of the [zb] that people doing all sorts of other jobs out there have to put up with. In every job (airline pilots included) you will always get those who moan their face off about how underpaid and undervalued they are (I thought truck drivers were a bunch of whingers until I sat in a school staffroom every day for a few years!) but at the end of the day, a job is often what YOU make it. YES, some of the driving jobs out there offer poor money and conditions, but there are also some drivers who (if you believe some of them on here ) are getting paid probably more than they’re worth! YES, drivers are often treated like morons, but then many actually behave like morons. There are a miriad of jobs out there where human beings are treated like dog pooh, and while I’m not saying we should just shut up and get on with it (every working person, including lorry drivers, should be treated with respect) I am saying that we’re not alone in that regard.
You also highlight another aspect of the truck driver’s dilemma i.e. PAY - for all that truck drivers bemoan the low hourly rate that often comes with the job, most on here would suffer a massive pay cut if they took what skills they have out there into the current jobs market.
Rhythm Thief:
I’d like to be a train driver, but I’d have liked it more if I’d been born in, say, 1931 and could have driven steam locos. In the absence of that, driving lorries suits me fine.
Although not a driver yet, I work on steam loco’s at a preserved railway as a hobby. Should hopefully pass my firemans test this year or early next year.
Getting the mild impression that “the grass is always greener” saying is being slightly misunderstood here? Its a cautionary word of wisdom about looking upon other peoples lots as much better, when the realities are often that they are no better at all. There, I feel better now!
Don’t know what I am doing yet but yes I am quitting this year round about July.I am selling my truck closing my business and I am going to have a go at something down on the south coast like a little cafe or something similar .No dcpc can’t be bothered to do it like I said all a long,I’ve had some really good jobs in my 27 years but I really can’t see a good future for me in this industry
I you can find me an equally well paid job, for sitting around on my backside, for the same hours, and for same amount of mental stress and exhaust, then I would consider it. But I doubt it. I looked.
I fantasise about fixing/inventing/tinkering, but that’s all it is because I know hand on heart they will not meet my above criteria.
Do I dream of more money? Who doesn’t.
Do I envy my friends who went to university? Sometimes. But most look pretty strung out.
Am I happy? ■■■■ right I am. I fell into driving, I’m still learning the ropes really, but I sure hope I don’t fall out of it anytime soon.
Every job has it price and not just wages. This I know.
i’m happy to be driving.like a previous poster said,some of the wages/conditions at some of the places i collect from is soul destroying for the poor folk who have the mis-fortune to work there
however,if the job of public hangman became available,i’d be after it like a shot
Rhythm Thief:
I’d like to be a train driver, but I’d have liked it more if I’d been born in, say, 1931 and could have driven steam locos.
Although I too have an interest in railways, and particularly in steam motive power, I once heard a programme on the radio about dieselisation, and engine drivers universally considered the introduction of diesel motive power as the best thing that had ever happened in their job. A driver who did not want to be moved off of steam was unheard of. While a steam engine may be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, I would imagine that the footplate was a pretty filthy, noisy and uncomfortable working environment.
Rhythm Thief:
I’d like to be a train driver, but I’d have liked it more if I’d been born in, say, 1931 and could have driven steam locos.
Although I too have an interest in railways, and particularly in steam motive power, I once heard a programme on the radio about dieselisation, and engine drivers universally considered the introduction of diesel motive power as the best thing that had ever happened in their job. A driver who did not want to be moved off of steam was unheard of. While a steam engine may be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, I would imagine that the footplate was a pretty filthy, noisy and uncomfortable working environment.
Rhythm Thief:
I’d like to be a train driver, but I’d have liked it more if I’d been born in, say, 1931 and could have driven steam locos.
Although I too have an interest in railways, and particularly in steam motive power, I once heard a programme on the radio about dieselisation, and engine drivers universally considered the introduction of diesel motive power as the best thing that had ever happened in their job. A driver who did not want to be moved off of steam was unheard of. While a steam engine may be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, I would imagine that the footplate was a pretty filthy, noisy and uncomfortable working environment.
but you could cook your food fresh
it is had a go at firing a friends small tank engine for the day try shoveling coal into a 12" hole that is bouncing around like a six year old after a packet of smarties its hot dirty and back breaking was fun for a day but couldnt do it day after day
i did 28 years as a railway worker box boy porter and signalman would go back tommorow if i could loved the comradrie with your fellow workers but that all went by the board with the advent of Railtrack and the introduction of HR just became a souless company
do love driving tho after 14 years of being cooped up in a signalbox for 8 hours a day with little or no company its nice to be out and about meeting people going to new places shame about the ■■■■■ wages tho
Sounds ordinary, but I’d like to have a go on curtainsiders again. I liked having the choice of order of drops, unlike tippers where it tends to be backwards and forwards.
if i knew at 17 what i know now about driving lorries then yes,i do not really enjoy driving hgvs anymore, all it is to me now is a means to an end as i do not know any other way to make a living
) are getting paid probably more than they’re worth! YES, drivers are often treated like morons, but then many actually behave like morons. There are a miriad of jobs out there where human beings are treated like dog pooh, and while I’m not saying we should just shut up and get on with it (every working person, including lorry drivers, should be treated with respect) I am saying that we’re not alone in that regard.
