There’s a thread on the driver’s board asking why you drive and another asking why you gave up driving if you have. So I wondered why any of us started either as an OD or branched out to buy a couple more vehicles.
Very simply, I like being my own boss too much, even if you are forever at the beck and call of a customer. Completely different to nsmith’s spreadsheet approach, I’m more of a jump in and see what happens person. If I’d thought too much or analysed figures, I’d probably never have taken the plunge. So what motivated you to sell your soul to a finance house?
Anyone that gave up (some days I’m sorely tempted), why did you?
albion:
There’s a thread on the driver’s board asking why you drive and another asking why you gave up driving if you have. So I wondered why any of us started either as an OD or branched out to buy a couple more vehicles.
Very simply, I like being my own boss too much, even if you are forever at the beck and call of a customer. Completely different to nsmith’s spreadsheet approach, I’m more of a jump in and see what happens person. If I’d thought too much or analysed figures, I’d probably never have taken the plunge. So what motivated you to sell your soul to a finance house?
Anyone that gave up (some days I’m sorely tempted), why did you?
Health Reasons! I couldn’t cope any more [emoji23]
It was a childhood disease that caught up with me.
I gave up because I was at the point where the truck needed replacing, but I had bought my narrowboat by then and was spending increasing amounts of time on that. At the same time I split up with my partner, plus my children were at an age where they were more interested in cars, girls and alcohol that hanging out with the Old Man, and I decided life would be a lot more agreeable and far cheaper if I went to live on the boat, spent six months a year cruising around the canal network in the Summer and six months doing agency work in the Winter saving the pennies, where I can throw the keys back over the counter at the end of the day, go back to my mooring and forget all about trucks.
I don’t regret putting my truck on the road and I don’t regret getting out either. Both were the right decision at the time.
Wheelnut, don’t think this job does anyone health favours even if you start out well!
SteveH, I can remember your indecision, glad you decided what to do. I am lucky at the minute with drivers, well aware it’s a finely balanced thing. Just one dodgy bloke and you start to question everyone.
Harry, if you don’t regret either, then it must have been the right decision. Take it you would finish altogether with the driving if you could?
albion:
I am lucky at the minute with drivers, well aware it’s a finely balanced thing. Just one dodgy bloke and you start to question everyone.
I don’t think you would, you’ve got too much sense to let the barrel be ruined by a rotter or two.
But that is what happens in some places that have the wrong management types for our industry, one size fits all, dumb it down to the lowest common denominator, treat them like idiots (where the real idiots need a boot out the door), which demoralises your good staff more than most TM’s might imagine, and once you destroy morale you are on a slippery slide which takes some halting.
There are still drivers out there who take a pride in what they do, leave them alone pay them well and treat them with a bit of respect and they will repay it in spades.
People that simply couldn’t be arsed to do the job they were being paid to do.
People that stood and looked at you like you were some sort of mug for daring to ask them to do something a little bit out of the box.
People that thought the world revolved around them and that we all owed them something.
People that thought nothing of decimating a £60,000 vehicle, taking thousands off of it’s value & life expectancy.
Managing the machine, maintaining the machine, managing the workload = Simple.
Finding a decent, respectable human being, for an honest days work - forget it.
1 ^^^
I call it whack-a-mole…you get rid of one idiot, someone who is an absolute ■■■■-plug causing trouble amongst the other lads, giving the customer lip and expecting everything to go their way, and then another one starts once the clown has left the stage…
Its as if they think you need an official company clown
Stanley Mitchell:
Its as if they think you need an official company clown
Juddian, it’s usually the other lads that get twitchy if a muppet comes along and I soon hear. Makes it sound a cliquey place to work, when really everyone pretty much gets on with each other.
Did 33 years in various Transport and Operational management roles. My last Company started to play around with my salary package, and at the same time my Father passed away, who had been a haulier all his life. Decided I had had enough of all the grief of being a Manager and having to deal with people/drivers who made up every excuse not to do something (Although I did have some good ones), so packed it all in and started as an owner driver carrying on my Fathers business. Been doing it for 6 years now and have gone from an 03 unit to an 18 plate.
nyk473l:
Did 33 years in various Transport and Operational management roles. My last Company started to play around with my salary package, and at the same time my Father passed away, who had been a haulier all his life. Decided I had had enough of all the grief of being a Manager and having to deal with people/drivers who made up every excuse not to do something (Although I did have some good ones), so packed it all in and started as an owner driver carrying on my Fathers business. Been doing it for 6 years now and have gone from an 03 unit to an 18 plate.
albion:
Harry, if you don’t regret either, then it must have been the right decision. Take it you would finish altogether with the driving if you could?
Yes, if I could afford to I’d never drive a truck again. I’ve had some terrific moments doing it (for many years I did the sort of work your lads do) but nowadays it is just a means to an end.
I’m 59 now so I have another 7-8 years of it though. As much as anything else, I’d love to have a little doggy companion living on the boat, a little Jack Russell Terrier or something, and at the moment it wouldn’t be fair, working 10+ hour shifts.
My old man set up after Pawsons went bust years back. Got to 3 trucks within 2 years after 18 months things started to go wrong, long story short my auntie was emptying the business account for her self so we had to pack up.
He wasn’t bothered about starting back up but I really wanted to. He was going t sell his house this year and give X amount and that was going to get me set up.
I wanted to do it everyone kept telling me not to but my dad believed in me so with his help I was going to have a crack at it but he unexpectedly passed away this year had some money saved, got a good chunk of his private pension so I took the bulls by the horn and set up
Iam only in it for the money ,there’s numerous other trades I am well up on and I have premises with 3 phase I could let out or run another type of business from although I hate dealing with public/ private customers ,however being my dads slave since the age I could pump the grease bucket it all comes naturally so here I am !
Harry, whilst not a reason to work for myself, it’s a nice side effect that I can have the dogs with me at work. When I started, I swear they were the most travelled dogs in the UK. Suspect there would be more places that don’t let dogs in with Elf &Safety and Allergies and what nots.
SCott, sorry to hear about your Dad but I’d not have done this without mine taking me out as a nipper. Good luck, I hope it continues well for you.
Punchy, yep, Dad’s slave Happy days though. Funnily enough, money was never a reason, it’s turned out well (could have been a lot better but I CBA) despite my disinterest.
Served my time as a truck mechanic,got sick of rolling about under wagons and trailers all day, did a stint at the middle east,crap money.back on the spanners for another fifteen years,the ■■■■■■■■ finally got too much so back driving.OK for 5 years but so [zb] boring.Back on the spanners.One more go at driving.What a load of crap. So back on the spanners and would never go back driving a truck again.
The real killer is that [zb] digi card!!!
WTF ! how does anybody put up with that ■■■■ then you got that joke they call the CPC.
Problem is that now the ■■■■■■■■ are takin over the spanner game.
Been in this “job” over 50 years so I think I have a general idea how it works.
You pick up a load at “A” and you deliver it to “B”
But not anymore.
Same as you have a truck that needs to be repaired so you repair it Simple
Oh no you have to justify some ■■■■■■■■ job in an office who probably is on 2 pound an hour more than you to fill in the [zb] paperwork.
We all know the jobs [zb].
Just glad Im coming to the end of my working life.
But all that said I would not change a moment.
I enjoy what I do and in general the people I work with and I have met some real gems over the years.
Some ■■■■■■■■ as well but they are the minority.
I often think what would other industry or “career” would I have picked if I had the choice.
None I have enjoyed,on the whole, every minute.
Cost me a couple of marriages but the friends Ive made more than make up for that.
And to all the good people I have met in this “game” both with us or gone god bless you all.
The opportunity found me. A guy I knew wanted to stop. I took over his truck ,trailer & work for a price. That was 5 years ago. I also run another company that has nothing to do with transport…
