HGV driving 6 months in - Myth VS. Reality

It’s been quite a year for me. Got my class 2 licence in Jan, started with an Agency in Feb and I’m now nearly two months into a permanent position, giving me a very different perspective on the industry to the one I had at the start of the year, so thought I’d share a bit (more) of what I’ve learned on the way.

Now i’m probably as big a fan of this forum as anyone, but spend a bit too much time on here and you could be forgiven for believing the following Myths:

Myth 1 - You’ll struggle to find a permanent job untill you’ve got 2 years experience (I found one with 6 months experience)

Myth 2 - it’s best to avoid agencies if you can, they will mess you about and lie to you about the amount of work available (I signed up with 1 agency as a new pass, they got me an average of 4 days work a week over 6 months and they got me into where I now work)

Myth 3 - Tachos - if you are not very careful you’ll end up running up against the clock / working your unpaid breaks / building up infringements and (gawd knows what) penalities with VOSA (I typically drive no more than 6 hours in a day, get paid for my breaks and in 6 months I’ve never seen VOSA - at a guess they are alot more interested in artics)

Myth 4 - Cameras are everywhere ! - you’d better not pick your nose / wander slightly into a bus lane / creep over 30mph / park 3 feet outside of a loading bay - 'cos it’s all on camera ! (Erm, no they aren’t. I’ve driven for around 10 companies only one had driver facing cameras. I’ve parked on pavements and double yellows to my hearts content with no issues. Quite a few bus lanes you can use anyway [or use between certain times] and as for speed cams - restricted to 55mph you’d have to be trying very hard indeed to get caught when out of town AND in town most of the time you’ll be well under the usual 35mph prosecution threshold plus they are MUCH easier to spot from a truck cab )

Myth 5 - Weight restrictions - you’d better not ever enter a 7.5T limit or gawd knows what will happen !!! (For bridges then YES DEFINITELY do not ignore,) but for normal roads, yes of course they are best avoided but it’s not the end of the world if you happen to enter one. obviously a decent sat nav helps alot here.

Myth 6 - other road users - there is just so many of them holding you up (in general congestion) and most of them are tw*ts just waiting to pull out in front of you , cut you up, beep at you from behind at the lights if you make a slow getaway and not give you room to proceed when you need it (I do motorway runs on the M1, M62 and A1 every week and significant congestion is very rare, just as it is in the major urban centres I enter during the day typically between the hours of 10am and 3pm. The vast majority of other motorists I find to be patient and courteous. But then I’m in the North, London and the South East may well be a bit different Some Manchester pedestrians are like lemmings though, expect them all to do something stupid and then hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised when they don’t

Myth 7 - With height restrictions weight restrictions and traffic congestion to contend with, I’d better get a £300 Sat Nav (I paid £80 for my second hand TomTom truck on ebay and it has done everything I need. Even with a £300 satnav you will occasionally need to use google maps on your phone once you are half a mile away.)

Myth 8 - You can expect to have to get up before five, drive 20 miles to an industrial estate and arrive home exhausted around eight, half dreading having to do it all again tomorrow and all for a whopping £8 an hour. (Tuesday to Friday, I get up about 7.30 or 8 depending on which run i’m doing and arrive home usually feeling pretty good somewhere around 4 and all for a weekly wage that some people are apparently doing nearly 50 hours for)

Myth 9 - your T.M. will be a moron with a personality bypass who generally talks down to you and harrasses you on the phone all day (My T.M. feels like a mate - in fact i’m quite looking forward to having a few beers with him at Xmas - he leaves me to get on with the job and between them my TM and GM have averaged a phone call to me while driving of about one a month)

Myth 10 - sitting idle in a truck cab and out on the road all day you’ll pile on the flab through the lack of exercise and an unhealthy takeaway diet.
(I’ve lost nearly a stone so far through the regular daily exercise and [usually] a hummus or tuna wraps and nuts and raisins diet)

As you can probably tell I love my job, so do not be put off by all the MYTHS surrounding an HGV career. For sure some of the things I’ve highlighted will be issues for some people some of the time, but definitely not for every driver all of the time !

Great, interesting and insightful post. Reassuring to read as I start my cat C practical training tomorrow.

On the subject of myths and this forum. I think I’ve learnt a lot here. But I also think there’s a core of users with a jaded glass half empty view of trucking, nay life in general. My advice to any new members would be to take most of what you read with a pinch of salt.

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In fairness though on here (or any forum as such) you’ll always find a higher proportion of ‘moans’ because it’s a way for people to express themselves and life would be dull if everyone posted ‘yeah good day today, no drama’ or whatever.

It’s inherent in every workplace up and down the country because deep down everyone likes to vent and where there is common ground then it’s spirals. Add in that you have loads of time where all you do is drive and think and it’s amplified.

On the job front I think much depends on geography. I’ve got DIRFT, Rugby and Magna Park less than five miles from my front door so there’s no end of work for Class 1 (hence why I’m going for that licence) but to set myself up I’m leaving a job I’ve had driving coaches for the past eight years to go back to Class 2 to get a foot in the door for if/when I pass my Class 1. It’s been a long time since I’ve done HGV work (sticks and splitters back in my day - I’m only 35 lol) but my heart has always been in it.

Naturally in the spirit of this forum I should point out as I did my test in a split manual gearbox I will forever be better than you. That’s a joke by the way…

IronEddie:
Great, interesting and insightful post. Reassuring to read as I start my cat C practical training tomorrow.

On the subject of myths and this forum. I think I’ve learnt a lot here. But I also think there’s a core of users with a jaded glass half empty view of trucking, nay life in general. My advice to any new members would be to take most of what you read with a pinch of salt.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

Thanks.Hope these strong winds we’re currently having in some areas aren’t causing you problems.

There’s definitely a common theme to a fair few of the opnions expressed in the main forum which boils down to “trucking was better in the 70s / 80s / 90s”

That may well be true, however when you start looking for work you will find 80s style trucking is no longer available. My experience is it can still be pretty good in 2017.

toonsy:
In fairness though on here (or any forum as such) you’ll always find a higher proportion of ‘moans’ because it’s a way for people to express themselves and life would be dull if everyone posted ‘yeah good day today, no drama’ or whatever.

It’s inherent in every workplace up and down the country because deep down everyone likes to vent and where there is common ground then it’s spirals. Add in that you have loads of time where all you do is drive and think and it’s amplified.

On the job front I think much depends on geography. I’ve got DIRFT, Rugby and Magna Park less than five miles from my front door so there’s no end of work for Class 1 (hence why I’m going for that licence) but to set myself up I’m leaving a job I’ve had driving coaches for the past eight years to go back to Class 2 to get a foot in the door for if/when I pass my Class 1. It’s been a long time since I’ve done HGV work (sticks and splitters back in my day - I’m only 35 lol) but my heart has always been in it.

Naturally in the spirit of this forum I should point out as I did my test in a split manual gearbox I will forever be better than you. That’s a joke by the way…

Yes, moaning is the national passtime and forums a very easy way to indulge it. I posted the above in a bid to try to redress the balance a little especially for those forum members currently wondering whether or not to go for their licence. Whether anyone’s been moaning about it on here recently or not, it can seem to the novice that there are alot of different ways an HGV driver can be hassled - but find the right job (and agencies are great for getting a flavour of the different types of work around) and these hassles can be largely eliminated.

Yeah it makes sense that geography is key, I remember reading an article that said they were desperate for drivers in Grimsby for example.

@ KTM rider, has nobody taken you round the back of the lorry park and had a quiet word you? We’re trying to put people off the job, so we can actually create the much talked about driver shortage. .
By the way, Nice to read of a newbie thats dropped into a decent job, they are out there.

KTMrider:

IronEddie:
Great, interesting and insightful post. Reassuring to read as I start my cat C practical training tomorrow.

On the subject of myths and this forum. I think I’ve learnt a lot here. But I also think there’s a core of users with a jaded glass half empty view of trucking, nay life in general. My advice to any new members would be to take most of what you read with a pinch of salt.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

There’s definitely a common theme to a fair few of the opnions expressed in the main forum which boils down to “trucking was better in the 70s / 80s / 90s”

That may well be true, however when you start looking for work you will find 80s style trucking is no longer available. .

Oi, here at Albion trucking we’ve barely crawled out of the 70s into the 80s If it wasn’t for these new fangled digital tachograph things, you wouldn’t know

Maybe it is an age thing and you’ll don rose tinted glasses in a few decades, but I am pretty confident that pre mobile phones and tablets, drivers did talk to each other more and the volume of traffic makes the actual driving infinitely less pleasurable - everyone is more stressed. And there was more freedom and control when you weren’t tracked and monitored.

Here endeth the lesson!

Good post OP.

AMEN!

Pete

there not all myths, some of those you posted are somewhat true for some and not for others. My experience has been somewhere in the middle.

@Albion, The thing is for a new driver they can’t relate to times gone by, rose tinted spec or not, and I can think of things I don’t miss from my relatively short compared to many, 25 years, driving experience.

So for a new driver they’re seeing it all with fresh, eyes, no doubt the same way most of us saw it on our first few exciting trips when we were let loose on our own. That said I’m heading down to Spain this week and still enjoying it.

I know muckles. Like I said, I’m pretty sure they will look back to their younger years sometime in the future and reckon it was better then.

Driving beats sitting behind a desk.

Roads were definitely quieter though

We all look back with rosey tints surely. Roping and sheeting was hard, but satisfying in pleasant weather, but hard and physically punishing in the wet and cold and ice.
We may remember the camerarderie and good times in the TIR parks more than the long days to get there, and the big hits up to get home.
Some parts of the job are better, some worse.
Getting a first start as a newbie wasn’t easy forty years ago, and I guess it ain’t now. Some of us find that opening easier than others of course, and can only speak as we find. I’d say that difficulty is no myth.
Albion is certainly correct in that the more densely populated roads are no good for anyone though.

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muckles:
@ KTM rider, has nobody taken you round the back of the lorry park and had a quiet word you? We’re trying to put people off the job, so we can actually create the much talked about driver shortage. .
By the way, Nice to read of a newbie thats dropped into a decent job, they are out there.

oops sorry didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag… erm…oh yes that’s it ! - The decription of my job above is a complete fabrication designed to wind up the vast majority of forum members who all of course have an utterly thankless trucking existence because that is the only one available in 2017 in the UK

albion:

KTMrider:

IronEddie:
Great, interesting and insightful post. Reassuring to read as I start my cat C practical training tomorrow.

On the subject of myths and this forum. I think I’ve learnt a lot here. But I also think there’s a core of users with a jaded glass half empty view of trucking, nay life in general. My advice to any new members would be to take most of what you read with a pinch of salt.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

There’s definitely a common theme to a fair few of the opnions expressed in the main forum which boils down to “trucking was better in the 70s / 80s / 90s”

That may well be true, however when you start looking for work you will find 80s style trucking is no longer available. .

Oi, here at Albion trucking we’ve barely crawled out of the 70s into the 80s If it wasn’t for these new fangled digital tachograph things, you wouldn’t know

Maybe it is an age thing and you’ll don rose tinted glasses in a few decades, but I am pretty confident that pre mobile phones and tablets, drivers did talk to each other more and the volume of traffic makes the actual driving infinitely less pleasurable - everyone is more stressed. And there was more freedom and control when you weren’t tracked and monitored.

Here endeth the lesson!

Good post OP.

In simple terms I don’t compare modern trucking, to trucking in the past, because I wasn’t there. What I do compare it to is the modern workplace in general and I think it compares very favourably.

I agree with your general point about traffic volumes, I’ve been riding motorcycles long enough to know it was alot better in the 80’s & 90’s - I rode through much of the UK and my general rule was I would overtake untill there was clear road ahead, something that no longer seems to apply on too many roads these days As the only truck driving I have known is up against a limiter, then at least your progress is not really affected by the heavy traffic volume - which is what I meant by “significant congestion is very rare” - the major routes are of course generally fairly congested much of the time, it’s just not bad enough to particularly affect journey times.

thehig:
there not all myths, some of those you posted are somewhat true for some and not for others. My experience has been somewhere in the middle.

You are of course quite correct, so my apologies to anyone currently working 60 hours a week on multidrop for minimum wage, if my post has made them feel even worse.

I did put this at the end of my post:

For sure some of the things I’ve highlighted will be issues for some people some of the time, but definitely not for every driver all of the time !

and that was really the point I was trying to make, that the idea that HGV driving has to mean dealing with most of these issues week in week out is a myth.

Although I’m not allowed in this section often due to grooming members (can’t beat a nicely groomed member), it’s always refreshing to read a post from a fresh perspective.

For me I’m still as cab happy as the day I started almost 30 years ago, can’t believe I’m paid to do this job.

But with time some of the myths may raise their ugly head but I welcome pain and pleasure as equal friends, usually at the same time with a safe word.

Tis true misery loves company but life’s what you make it, if life gives you lemons make lemonade, if life chucks you a curve ball grab it with both hands… etc

Never forget how precious your licence is and keep on trucking…

Now back to the miserable buggers in the main forum, don’t tell em I popped in.

i passed my ‘Class 1’ 38 years ago this week,in 1979,and i still think it’s a great way to earn a living.yes,there are days when you get totally peed off with the job…but it beats working for a pittance in some warehouse,or office
most TM’s and planners are totally clueless,and i’d prefer an old 143,or 2800,or Transconti…but it’s not a bad life

KTMrider:

albion:

KTMrider:
There’s definitely a common theme to a fair few of the opnions expressed in the main forum which boils down to “trucking was better in the 70s / 80s / 90s”

That may well be true, however when you start looking for work you will find 80s style trucking is no longer available. .

Oi, here at Albion trucking we’ve barely crawled out of the 70s into the 80s If it wasn’t for these new fangled digital tachograph things, you wouldn’t know

Maybe it is an age thing and you’ll don rose tinted glasses in a few decades, but I am pretty confident that pre mobile phones and tablets, drivers did talk to each other more and the volume of traffic makes the actual driving infinitely less pleasurable - everyone is more stressed. And there was more freedom and control when you weren’t tracked and monitored.

Here endeth the lesson!

Good post OP.

In simple terms I don’t compare modern trucking, to trucking in the past, because I wasn’t there. What I do compare it to is the modern workplace in general and I think it compares very favourably.

.

I did say it beats being at a desk! Most of my lads wouldn’t do anything else and if it wasn’t for having dogs, I’d be happy driving again.