Chunkzilla:
I’m going approach this under the assumption that this is a serious post, since I’ve come across other drivers with similar complaints.My first question is, at any point before acquiring your license did you actually ever look at a wagon? I mean, the fact that you’ll have to secure the load is self evident!
Did you not realise that there would be paperwork involved?! Or did you assume that suppliers would just take your word that you’d delivered their goods?And for goodness sake!! You didn’t want to drive from highbridge to Scotland?! I know many drivers who’d kill for that run.
Yes, we are overworked and underpaid, especially with companies like keedwells, but you pay your dues and work up to the better jobs.
Honestly you come across as workshy and you’ll never be a lorry driver, sorry to be blunt but it’s the truth
No, I’m quite impulsive, I was living in an old ambulance at the time and thought to myself that I could live in a wagon quite easily and didn’t think about the job involved at all.
There are many ex wagon drivers on the taxis and all but one told me that I already had the best job in the world and they all say that they wish they had come into taxi driving years ago when I did (I have been doing it for 24 years) I rang a trainer and booked myself in for the following week, did my class 2 and then it went to the back of my mind.
Six months later i suddenly decided to do the class 1 and booked myself in for the following week. The lessons and tests were fun so I don’t regret spending the money, also I was doing 80 hours a week and taking home nearly 900 quid and living in an ambulance, so the money wasn’t a problem, I wouldn’t have that money now because money has never really meant anything to me, I put the hours in when I want something (like a wagon licence) and when I don’t need it I will just do a Saturday and Sunday night and just chill the rest of the time just jumping into the taxi when I feel like it.
As for the strapping of the load. On it’s own it wouldn’t have been a problem but I had just done an 8 hour induction where we had just been watching videos and signing forms. I was told that I would be with a trainer for the first week to learn the ins and outs of the job. Then I was given the key to a wagon and told to collect it from another yard.
Then I was told I wasn’t gonna be trained and I was going to scotland immediately, I didn’t even know how to use the tacho card, it was just saying DRIVING WITHOUT CARD. I was pressing all the buttons but couldn’t seem to get it to work. I didn’t know how to fill in the paperwork for hours/miles/defects I was hoping for a week on minimum wage to get to know all of this.
Then Chris Drake (good bloke) took me outside to show me how to strap the load and it just gave me time to think… And I said “it’s not for me mate”. So it wasn’t one thing. It was everything. I’m an old dog, I can learn new tricks but it takes time. It’s a shame for keedwells really because I dont like change, so a week of training would have landed them with a driver for life.
Never mind eh.