well my fellow truckers, sorry i haven’t been on here in so long, i hate to brake it like this but i bloody gave up the idea of driving in the UK, i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 times, so sick of it, can’t find a good job anywhere in England and the jobs that i have had doing security ■■■■, no hrs and or they lose contracts so no contract no job and no money, i have a wife and a baby on the way so I HAVE MADE THE BEST DESITION I COULD HAVE EVER MADE AND THAT IS I AM GOING BACK TO AMERICA where i know i can drive trucks for a living since i have my lorry licence there already and been driving for over 10 years, just got off the phone with my old boss and company back in Dallas Texas and i explain everything to him, all he said to me was: son come back home and we will have you a truck ready and waiting for you, will go back to driving 18wheelers by the end of February making between $ 800 to $ 1000 a week which is what i was making before coming to England, sorry peeps if i sound ■■■■■■ off but i think that after trying for 1 and half years to make a decent living in the UK by doing all sorts of jobs and trying to pass that stupid HGV test which cost me £ 2500 and just realised that all i did was waste my time and money the best thing i can do is go back to America and make a proper living doing what i love(driving the big rigs) and be able to provide a good living for my wife and future baby… cheers y’all and i will defo stay in touch with all of you from the states… 10-4
enjoy your flight !
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 times
Phew, glad you’ll only be driving over the pond then - your driving must REALLY ■■■■!
So sorry to hear that YANKTRUCKER.
Can understand you being well miffed and dont think anyone on hear can honestly blame you for feeling that way.
Our situations differ in the fact that I dont have a young family to think of and ultimately you have to put them first. Who knows thou, im back to uni soon with an idea of going out to the US to study for the postgrad so we both might end up in the same place 
Hope you stay safe out there and dont forget to visit us from time to time especially with some diaries.
Catch you on the flip side buddy
Ski:
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 timesPhew, glad you’ll only be driving over the pond then - your driving must REALLY ■■■■!
My thoughts exactly.
I don’t have a problem with people criticising the standard of driving here but it seems a bit strange coming from someone who has failed the test 3 times 
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 times
Ski:
Phew, glad you’ll only be driving over the pond then - your driving must REALLY ■■■■!
tachograph:
My thoughts exactly.I don’t have a problem with people criticising the standard of driving here but it seems a bit strange coming from someone who has failed the test 3 times
I would not make such comments until I knew more…
I had an Aussie with a roadtrain licence (the highest licence in OZ) who really struggled to pass our DSA LGV test but it was NOT due to unsafe driving.
He was one of the most proficient and safe drivers I have ever sat next to so what was the problem ■■?
The problem was in the STYLE of driving that the DSA want.
I did mention to YANKTRUCKERINUK in an earlier thread that this could be a big problem.
The way around it is to forget everything that you know and have been doing for years and pretend that you are a newbie that knows nowt !! - not any easy thing for anyone to do as it means forgetting all those years of experience and changing their whole way of thinking.
THe problem is we turn tight corners here we do not drive on straight roads for hours on end .
Maybe after 3 Tests its not thetest that ■■■■■ it may be something else along with the typical male ego ?
ROG:
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 timesSki:
Phew, glad you’ll only be driving over the pond then - your driving must REALLY ■■■■!tachograph:
My thoughts exactly.I don’t have a problem with people criticising the standard of driving here but it seems a bit strange coming from someone who has failed the test 3 times
I would not make such comments until I knew more…
I have no problem sticking to what I said, in my opinion it’s a bit hypocritical to come here winging about the standard of driving when he’s failed the test three times for whatever reason.
Seems like sour grapes because he’s failed to make a go of things in this country, hardly surprising in the current economic climate but …
ROG:
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i think the standard of driving here ■■■■■ and i can’t pass my driving, tried it 3 times and failed it all 3 timesSki:
Phew, glad you’ll only be driving over the pond then - your driving must REALLY ■■■■!tachograph:
My thoughts exactly.I don’t have a problem with people criticising the standard of driving here but it seems a bit strange coming from someone who has failed the test 3 times
I would not make such comments until I knew more…
I had an Aussie with a roadtrain licence (the highest licence in OZ) who really struggled to pass our DSA LGV test but it was NOT due to unsafe driving.
He was one of the most proficient and safe drivers I have ever sat next to
The problem was in the STYLE of driving that the DSA want.
I did mention to YANKTRUCKERINUK in an earlier thread that this could be a big problem.
The way around it is to forget everything that you know and have been doing for years and pretend that you are a newbie that knows nowt !! - not any easy thing for anyone to do as it means forgetting all those years of experience and changing their whole way of thinking.
thank you my friend for been the only that actually understand where coming from, and i didn’t in any way try to talk ■■■■ about england, all i said was the standard of driving that the dsa people expects out of everyone is absolutely ■■■■■■■ stupid, like i said even if i was to pass the test it will still wont guaranty me a job making enough to take care of my family, now on the other i will be the dumbest man on earth if having the oportunity to go back to a more stable and secure income back in the states i would turn that down, anyone in my boots will do the same thing, i have a wife and a baby on the way that i have to think of first, the wages in england will be never be able to be compared to america, and i’m sure that a lot of us in here on this forum will agree to that, you make a lot more money driving lorries in the states without all that tachograph ■■■■■■ anyways i will be in touch from time to time, at the end of the day i gotta do what is best for me and my family…cheers
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
thank you my friend for been the only that actually understand where coming from
I thought I would be close to the mark having seen the same in similar circumstances.
This quote -
He was one of the most proficient and safe drivers I have ever sat next to
Is probably true of you as well…
I’ll stick my neck out and say that if I sat next to you in an artic (semi) then I would probably feel as safe as I did with the Aussie who had the roadtrain licence…
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
all i said was the standard of driving that the dsa people expects out of everyone is absolutely [zb] stupid
I don’t know that I would go so far as to say stupid BUT certainly different !!
Best of luck to you whatever you decide fella
At the end of the day, you tried.
If you hadn’t tried you would have spent the rest of your life wondoring “what if■■?”
I hope it all works out for you and your’s
In my opinion, i think you have to be more skilled to drive a truck in the UK than u do in America.
More overhangs on our vehicles front and back, yes u have longer trailers but the wheels usally sit right at the back and the same goes for your tractors, wheels right at the front or in front the driving position.
Our country is about 15 times smaller than america with smaller and tighter roads, more busy roads, more street furniture. England is a very old country, what i mean by that is the majority of the main roads in towns etc although refurbed were built years and years ago NOT with the intention of artic lorrys travelling down them.
As u say in America truck drivers are paid alot more, is this because trucks are more respected over there?? Trucks over here are the scum of the road so when any big firm builds a warehouse,shop,supermarket the last thing they worry about is how excessible the loading/delivery bay is round the back and also there is less land over here so it makes it tighter to get in and out of.
In fact this could be cleared up with one sentance… In the UK we understand how roundabouts work 
This isnt a dig at u fella not many people would dive into the unknown like u have and alot of respect where its due. This is only my opinion at the end of the day which to u or somebody else could be a load of crap and rightly so.
all i can say is thank you to all of you that actually understand where I’m coming from, at the end of the day i just feel that gave it a try and couldn’t make it, why waste my time and money here with the economy and situation as it is at the moment when i have the opportunity to offer a better standard of living with a secure and stable job for my wife and little baby on the way, as far as the question about how does America sees lorry drivers, well it is a profession and a career over there, it’s hard but it is a honest living and one that pays very well…
well to be honest
we will be homeless if we stay in England
don’t have enough to pay rent next month
my job ■■■■■ and only gave me 10 day of work for the whole month
i have a baby on the way and a wife i need to be able to provide for
so i made the decision to go back to America where at least i know i can make good money and i can have a secure income
i tried mate for the last year and half to make it here but it is bloody hard
and if i have the opportunity and stability to offer a better living for my wife and baby back in the states then i will be a fool if i dint go back… i will be making between 850 to 1,000 dollars a week, when here I’m lucky to make 850 a month
Can I come with you
Actually, joking aside, I assume that I would need to take and pass the American equivilant of an HGV to drive a semi out there?
Just thinking I could go mooch off my relatives in Nashville while I get a job etc
mikeyb:
I assume that I would need to take and pass the American equivilant of an HGV to drive a semi out there?
Yes you would - only the basic car licence is exchangeable.
Good luck mate. I wonder how many qualified drivers here would pass the USA hgv test.
Failing our test does not make you a poor driver and you don’t say what you failed on. I would be surprised if you had many faults in the vehicle controls section.
Anyway good luck and send my regards to Vegas
mikeyb:
Can I come with youActually, joking aside, I assume that I would need to take and pass the American equivilant of an HGV to drive a semi out there?
Just thinking I could go mooch off my relatives in Nashville while I get a job etc
hahaha hey you are more than welcome to come to America mate, at least you will be guarantied a job driving lorries over there, is not like here mate were you have to pay £ 2500 for training and then hope you pass the test because if you don’t they charge you another £ 300 quid to retake it, in America there is companies that will pay for your training and licence as long as you stay working for them for one year, plus it is a lot easier driving over there than here, roads are way bigger and the places to deliver to( i mean the docking area) are the size of football pitches, if you have relatives in Nashville Tennessee mate i would jump to that opportunity in a heart bit and make your way to the states, best of luck to ya…cheers 10-4
Best of luck for the future.
Please keep us posted on the work front and don’t forget about us!!!
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
i have a wife and a baby on the way so I HAVE MADE THE BEST DESITION I COULD HAVE EVER MADE AND THAT IS I AM GOING BACK TO AMERICA
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CAN I COME BACK TO AMERICA WITH YOU!!!
THIS COUNTRY IS PANTS, END OF!!!
WE LET THE GOVERMENT WALK ALL OVER US AND WE JUST SIT THERE AND TAKE IT!!! ITS ARE FAULT!!!
Just look at the price of GAS/Petrol, 3 increases in 18 months and know one has notice but don`t get me started.
Have a safe journey home mate. GOOD LUCK!!!
Jim
By the way has the UK got anything to say in international politics? used to but now not any more. On the other hand it’s got a lot to say about mounting debt.
a few years more and I’m gonna look for a job in Asia, quite possible