First of all I must thank Coffeeholic for his help in getting me onto this new-style forum. I was getting a tad peeved at being asked for a forum password when I didn’t know one existed. But I’m here now and intend to stay that way.
Perhaps that last statement is a bit misleading, I’ve not become a trucker once more, but I do intend to pop in a bit more frequently.
So, it is fast approaching six months since I last drove a truck and there’s not a day goes by without me reminding myself of that fact. When I hung up my keys to join Rolls Royce I fully intended to drive at some point, perhaps at weekends, holidays or the like. Unfortuneately the reality is always somewhat different to the dream. For one reason or another the nearest I’ve got to a truck is sitting next to one at the traffic lights and that saddens me.
I think I said many months ago in one of my first posts that I realised my vocation in life. It was to be a trucker. I still stand by that, but the fact of the matter is that I daren’t give up what I have at the moment to fulfill that vocation once more. And that causes great inner conflict.
Still, I’ll work something out. Or maybe I have already you may be asking yourself? Why else would Popeye rear his ugly head after all these months? Well, you might just be onto something there, you clever people. I knew I couldn’t fool you lot.
I have in my head an idea - it’s lonely in there, I’ll grant you that. But it’s in there all the same and it won’t go away, not unless I have another idea which will take it’s place, but that would mean thinking and that hurts me. The idea involves Popeye, a nice uniform, a tooting horn with a nice shiny fire engine attached. No, I’m not joining the fire brigade - too old, but I am contemplating buying a fire engine to use as a limousine for hen-party’s, stag do’s, children’s parties even weddings. It’s still an idea at the moment but I plan to develop it after Christmas and New Year, but I need help.
The help is not in locating an engine - I’ve seen a couple on ebay and know of a few others I could lay my hands on for not too much money (about a £1500 will get you a half decent one - seen a lovely 3 series Scania, but it was £5500 too rich for my blood). No, what I need is some basic advice. For instance what responsibilities will I have as the owner of a truck? I’ve driven for various companies but never contemplated what their duties are. Would I need an operators licence? Do tachograph laws apply to me if I’m driving for my own financial gain? Another thought I had was whether my class 2 licence would be sufficient for the driving of an ex-fire appliance? Fire engine drivers were put through their PSV according to my dad, who was a station officer and training commandant in the fire service.
I really don’t have the first clue about this, but it seems like a good idea in principal. In saying that, I don’t intend charging headlong into this thing without the benefit of some knowledge. If the outlay is going to prove to substantial then I’ll probably put it on the back burner for a couple of years, but the notion of having my own truck is extremely appealing. The idea that it could make me some money is also pleasing, but the best thing about it is that I might be able to continue working in Rolls Royce AND get to drive a truck.
Should this idea blossom I will be as happy as a sand-boy (does anyone know what a sand-boy is?). Any advice from you good people will, as always, be greatly appreciated.
I hope this post finds you all well. For those who remember me I would like to pass on my best wishes and hope that you are going from strength to strength. For those that don’t have the first clue about who I am, then may I just say that as a truck driver you have picked the best site to join and that I wish you all good luck in your big adventures out on the highways and byways.
I look forward to your replies. Take care.
Kind Regards,
Popeye.
aka Paul.