Viking’s Retiring

Well I’ve had enough, Travis Perkins have done it for me, since I’ve been on this contract with DHL, the money’s been ok & the hours are not too bad, no weekends with Rest days 2 weeks out of 3, good Contributory Pension, reasonable holidays etc etc-
but Travis Perkins !
WTF ?
All the BS H&S, the sitting around at depots, waiting/hoping that they might unload you within the next hour or two, starting at 04.00 or 05.00 & 06.00 & recently still waiting most mornings for an hour or two for a load. Regularly Routing for 14/15 hours, although we do get the odd easy day.
Sitting on the Bloody A14, A34, M1, M25, Dartford, Heathrow M27, M3 blah blah blah for hours on end (even though I’m paid for it)

Lady V & I have been playing with the spreadsheets & we’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t need all this BS any more, we’ve got a brand new Motorhome & want to enjoy using it, (away from the south east [emoji6]) & I’ve got loads of decorating to do, not done because of all the hours I’ve been doing for the last 10 Year’s.

It’s been a pleasure having the Crack on here for the last few years although I’ve not been on here much the last few months & I feel that I’ve made a few friends on here & a few that I’ve met on the road.
Hope to keep contributing to Trucknet although not from a professional position.

Last working day will be Friday 27th October.

Get out and enjoy life while you still can.If you’ve got enough to live on there’s a world out there to enjoy.

It’s a shame that you’re going Martin. I had noticed your absence recently which is a pity as you’re definitely one of the good 'uns. Whatever, have a great time buddy, I wish you all the best.

Remember, it’s better to regret something you have done rather than something you haven’t done.

Good luck with it all mate, there’s deffo more to life than enduring all that crap.
I’m quite ok with my present job at the minute, but if I suddenly came into money you wouldn’t see me for dust.

It’s always been my dream to buy a decent camper, retire and tour around Euro for a few months.
I’m a bit of a modern history buff, I’ve been around many WW1 and WW2 sites already, but there are many others I would like to visit. (and maybe take in a few shopping centres just to keep the Mrs happy. :smiley: )
Hope it all goes ok with you mate.

Hello mate, Excellent rant and you obviously needed it :laughing: By posting it on here, you most certainly needed it :laughing: If you drink, then enjoy a few with your good wife, talk it over again and if it’s still retire, then go for it. As for contributing on this site in the future, you have experience and knowledge that you can impart to other’s, whether working or not. Wish you the best for the future :smiley:

Hey martinviking sorry to hear you are leaving the industry :confused: , I don’t blame you for wanting a break though & going off with Mrs v to enjoy your lives in your motorhome. Don’t forget to come back & tell us about your travels :smiley:

:bulb: You can put your trucker name plate in the motor home windscreen so we can give you a wave en route !! :laughing:

It’s been a while since I posted on here seems like I’ve got a lot of catching up to do :smiley:

All the best martinviking :smiley:

Thanks for the replies Guys & Gals, it’s an Autotrail Imala & I’ve got ‘VIKING’ in the front screen so give us a wave if you see us [emoji106]

Maybe can take a trip up here to the ‘‘far north’’.Then you will be a ‘‘real Viking’’ :slight_smile:
In the last few years the volume of people in campers travelling up here to Lappland and going right up to North Cape has really exploded.

All the best for your retirement mate.

Enjoy your retirement, having read your reasons I can’t blame you,
I love my job at the moment, this year has probably been one of the most interesting and enjoyable years work ever and got a few more years yet, but if I was stuck on the UK motorway network day in day out I’d be looking for a way out as well.

happy retirement martin! still got a few years to go myself…but thinking of getting a camper for that time :slight_smile:

martinviking:
Well I’ve had enough, Travis Perkins have done it for me, since I’ve been on this contract with DHL, the money’s been ok & the hours are not too bad, no weekends with Rest days 2 weeks out of 3, good Contributory Pension, reasonable holidays etc etc-
but Travis Perkins !
WTF ?
All the BS H&S, the sitting around at depots, waiting/hoping that they might unload you within the next hour or two, starting at 04.00 or 05.00 & 06.00 & recently still waiting most mornings for an hour or two for a load. Regularly Routing for 14/15 hours, although we do get the odd easy day.
Sitting on the Bloody A14, A34, M1, M25, Dartford, Heathrow M27, M3 blah blah blah for hours on end (even though I’m paid for it)

Lady V & I have been playing with the spreadsheets & we’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t need all this BS any more, we’ve got a brand new Motorhome & want to enjoy using it, (away from the south east [emoji6]) & I’ve got loads of decorating to do, not done because of all the hours I’ve been doing for the last 10 Year’s.

It’s been a pleasure having the Crack on here for the last few years although I’ve not been on here much the last few months & I feel that I’ve made a few friends on here & a few that I’ve met on the road.
Hope to keep contributing to Trucknet although not from a professional position.

Last working day will be Friday 27th October.

Are they not keeping you to the 48 hour average? Happy camping for you and the good lady!

Mate of mine worked for TP in the transport office, been there years, proper old school, just couldn’t hack all the carp that came in his way, including trying to explain to some graduate twerp why the mileage might be equal between Chester and Aberystwyth, and Chester and Leeds, but the first was going to take a lot longer, no matter what the computer said.

Enjoy yourself, I look at some of the clips on youtube of people in their campers mooching around, looks like a good way to spend retirement.

TiredAndEmotional:

martinviking:
Well I’ve had enough, Travis Perkins have done it for me, since I’ve been on this contract with DHL, the money’s been ok & the hours are not too bad, no weekends with Rest days 2 weeks out of 3, good Contributory Pension, reasonable holidays etc etc-
but Travis Perkins !
WTF ?
All the BS H&S, the sitting around at depots, waiting/hoping that they might unload you within the next hour or two, starting at 04.00 or 05.00 & 06.00 & recently still waiting most mornings for an hour or two for a load. Regularly Routing for 14/15 hours, although we do get the odd easy day.
Sitting on the Bloody A14, A34, M1, M25, Dartford, Heathrow M27, M3 blah blah blah for hours on end (even though I’m paid for it)

Lady V & I have been playing with the spreadsheets & we’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t need all this BS any more, we’ve got a brand new Motorhome & want to enjoy using it, (away from the south east [emoji6]) & I’ve got loads of decorating to do, not done because of all the hours I’ve been doing for the last 10 Year’s.

It’s been a pleasure having the Crack on here for the last few years although I’ve not been on here much the last few months & I feel that I’ve made a few friends on here & a few that I’ve met on the road.
Hope to keep contributing to Trucknet although not from a professional position.

Last working day will be Friday 27th October.

Are they not keeping you to the 48 hour average? Happy camping for you and the good lady!

Yes, 48 hour Average, but you never knew when you was gonna get finished, 14/15 hour days once or twice a week & days off towards the end of the period. I know that’s Transport but I’d just had enough of the whole thing, especially the Corporate Nonsense.

Good for you nothing better i should imagine than to have no commitments to anyone but yourself.

Enjoy.

albion:
Mate of mine worked for TP in the transport office, been there years, proper old school, just couldn’t hack all the carp that came in his way, including trying to explain to some graduate twerp why the mileage might be equal between Chester and Aberystwyth, and Chester and Leeds, but the first was going to take a lot longer, no matter what the computer said.

Enjoy yourself, I look at some of the clips on youtube of people in their campers mooching around, looks like a good way to spend retirement.

That sums TP & DHL up, run by Puppets who’ve got no real on the road experience & a few ex drivers who’ve fallen into the ‘Easy Way’ Trap (Computer says NO).

We had a bloke in the office who’s only job seemed to be Looking for Misdemeanours, he would walk round checking for SatNav marks on windscreens, then have arguments with ‘Naughty Drivers’ even though the tractors were ran 24 hours a day & it could have been any number of full time or Agency Drivers.

If we needed to get on the back of a trailer, we had to get a branch manager to do a risk assessment, then, after all other routes had been dismissed he/she/it had to get in touch with our office, who would ask a million questions ‘Why’, before they would Fax a ‘Permission to get on the back of the trailer’ form, which would then need be signed by the branch manager, then we would have to secure the area, put Fall Bags all around, wear a harness, Pray to God, Close the Gates, inform the Fire Brigade, Ambulance, Police, Coast Guard & the Local Infant School, ooo & most important WEAR A HELMET, before I could get on the trailer—needless to say I never got on the back, just left anything that was in the way exactly where it was.

use a name:
Good for you nothing better i should imagine than to have no commitments to anyone but yourself.

Enjoy.

Cheers,
getting used to this Retired Lark, Nice long Lay Ins, eating at proper times, loosing weight, getting fitter, garage is tidier, house is being decorated & I’m in the middle of planning a Road Trip to Wales with friends next June, hopefully using my knowledge of deep Lay-bys & quiet stopping places to keep costs down, we only need to use Sites every 3 or 4 days to refill the water & empty waste.

Best advice to all you younger drivers is Save, Save, Save & if you get offered decent Pensions from Good Employers, put as much as you can afford in. I had one with Biffa, used to put about £60 per week in & they doubled it, worth £91k now, I was with DHL for a year, put about £110per month in the pension, they doubled it & it’s worth £4K now.
Pay your mortgage off as quickly as you can & don’t take expensive holidays every year & always-always-always Pay your credit cards off every month 20+% APR [emoji15] you’d be better off Robbing a Bank & doing the time before paying these ‘Financial Crooks’.

Martin Lewis Money Tips- https://www.moneysavingexpert.com for good sound financial advice.

Go for it Martin , I was retired with heart problems at 62 . Heart sorted in 6 months and since then has been the best years of my life . Do what I want when I want and hook the wobble box up in May and tour for for 3 or 4 months . I’m a lot older than you so you’ll have more years to enjoy life , good luck with it . Dave

martinviking:

use a name:
Good for you nothing better i should imagine than to have no commitments to anyone but yourself.

Enjoy.

Cheers,
getting used to this Retired Lark, Nice long Lay Ins, eating at proper times, loosing weight, getting fitter, garage is tidier, house is being decorated & I’m in the middle of planning a Road Trip to Wales with friends next June, hopefully using my knowledge of deep Lay-bys & quiet stopping places to keep costs down, we only need to use Sites every 3 or 4 days to refill the water & empty waste.

Best advice to all you younger drivers is Save, Save, Save & if you get offered decent Pensions from Good Employers, put as much as you can afford in. I had one with Biffa, used to put about £60 per week in & they doubled it, worth £91k now, I was with DHL for a year, put about £110per month in the pension, they doubled it & it’s worth £4K now.
Pay your mortgage off as quickly as you can & don’t take expensive holidays every year & always-always-always Pay your credit cards off every month 20+% APR [emoji15] you’d be better off Robbing a Bank & doing the time before paying these ‘Financial Crooks’.

Martin Lewis Money Tips- https://www.moneysavingexpert.com for good sound financial advice.

For all you younger lads take heed of Vikings financial advice!