Bit of a long one this but basically after eight years in getting back in the HGV saddle.
I used to do Class 2 nights and enjoyed it until one night I was following an Eastern European lorry in the M1 up near Wakefield. I was going just faster than it but he was all over the road and I was coming off at the next junction so held back. Then I saw sparks and brake lights so anchored on. Hed wandered into the hard shoulder hit a Vauxhall Zafira and wiped out an entire family including a six month old child.
Obviously time has passed since then but being first person in the scene only for just a few seconds which felt like hours stuck with me and affected me more than I wanted to admit at the time.
My company at first appeared compassionate and gave me a few nights off but after that I was just expected to get back on with it. I tried but couldn’t face it so gave up HGV work and nights.
Obviously trucking is a generally male orientated world and can be old school, or it was back then anyway. Has it changed since? Was I just unlucky by not having a very supportive company behind me? I sought counselling myself in the end but i feel that had i had that opportunity sooner i wouldn’t have walked away from the industry.
Has time moved on?