Shouldn’t this be Who is the daftest oldest truck driver still working! I officially retire tomorrow, a little early at 64 but I took advantage of an early retirement package. Although I stopped driving distance at the end of the 90’s that time was enough for me, a thankless task that had long lost its appeal by then and being regarded as King’s of the Road had long past in fact we were and still are thought of as a nuisance to other road users and even most of the places you collected and delivered to couldn’t be bothered to pass the time of day with you, I can’t imagine its any better today and I just wouldn’t have the patience anymore.
The last twenty years I’ve spent back in the workshop for the Emergency Services, the hours and routine suited fine for my final working years and although I did plenty HGV driving around our operational area I had no compulsion to spend hours in the cab, not that Fire vehicles take much handling on routine runs, I even flicked the switch on the gear stick to manual just so it felt like I was doing something. My only regret was I never got to use my Class One in anger since hanging up my ropes and that finally runs out next year. I might sound negative on this but the choice of retirement or driving is a no brainer and as far as sitting at home bored is concerned then that couldn’t be farther from the truth. My best memories will be as a youngster sitting in the passenger seat while Dad did all the driving and when they were more thought of. Franky.