I’ve left the fridges (not quite 3 rest days and 3 days holiday) yesterday to drive a Volvo wag and drag with a crane on brick and block work 15 minutes away from home as opposed to an hour for the fridges…
Not too bad in the summer but wouldn’t fancy that sort of work in the wind, rain or snow.
Buy yourself a big coat. 
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Not too bad in the summer but wouldn’t fancy that sort of work in the wind, rain or snow.
Buy yourself a big coat.
Quite glad it’s starting to warm up a bit now 
I could never…
Leave the fridges now but that’s cos I’m a wuss.
Mate of mine is on blocks (I call him Bob the Builder which I’m sure he finds hysterical). He’s been flat out right through last year and this year.
Good luck.
yourhavingalarf:
I could never…Leave the fridges now but that’s cos I’m a wuss.
Mate of mine is on blocks (I call him Bob the Builder which I’m sure he finds hysterical). He’s been flat out right through last year and this year.
Good luck.
To be honest it was a no brainier for me, 15 minutes up the road from me as opposed to an hour so saving an hour and a half’s driving to/from a day, Monday to Friday, get your own allocated truck and it’s still a family owned firm albeit getting bigger through expansion etc AND the bosses sons still get their hands dirty doing servicing, maintenance on a Saturday etc…
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work. 
Hiab work on agency was one of the closest commutes I ever had and more or less the worst job of them all apart from even worse scaffolding and shuttering which wasn’t a much further commute either.
Anything to do with the building trade is usually local runs interspersed with loads of scope for aggro from site foremen and handball lots of handball labouring both on site and back at the yard between deliveries possibly having to breakdown and make up packs of blocks/bricks from to stock and especially paving slabs etc, regardless of having the crane which can be a load of aggro in itself.
On that note at least ask them if the job involves any yard labouring duties and if there is any paving slab work in the loads because they don’t usually like Hiabs and vice versa and they are bleedin heavy.If either of those is a yes run back to the fridge job and don’t look back.
With the money you’re going to save on fuel you’re going to need to spend on big coats!
Ya could always tap the old man up for some of his old combat jackets though. 
I can see the attraction if a short commute, but I want to go the other way as I’m sick of getting soaked, frozen, more soaked and muddy on curtainsiders.
Good luck with this venture. Btw, beyond the above I’d invest in a lot of cleaning products as construction sites are muddy.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
With the money you’re going to save on fuel you’re going to need to spend on big coats!
Ya could always tap the old man up for some of his old combat jackets though.
I doubt he’ll know where they are now
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.
Hiab work on agency was one of the closest commutes I ever had and more or less the worst job of them all apart from even worse scaffolding and shuttering which wasn’t a much further commute either.
Anything to do with the building trade is usually local runs interspersed with loads of scope for aggro from site foremen and handball lots of handball labouring both on site and back at the yard between deliveries possibly having to breakdown and make up packs of blocks/bricks from to stock and especially paving slabs etc, regardless of having the crane which can be a load of aggro in itself.
On that note at least ask them if the job involves any yard labouring duties and if there is any paving slab work in the loads because they don’t usually like Hiabs and vice versa and they are bleedin heavy.If either of those is a yes run back to the fridge job and don’t look back.
Both jobs have positives and negatives. Fridges is often long hours and there comes a point where there isn’t an hour in the day you’ve not worked Not to mention often multi drop
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.
Hiab work on agency was one of the closest commutes I ever had and more or less the worst job of them all apart from even worse scaffolding and shuttering which wasn’t a much further commute either.
Anything to do with the building trade is usually local runs interspersed with loads of scope for aggro from site foremen and handball lots of handball labouring both on site and back at the yard between deliveries possibly having to breakdown and make up packs of blocks/bricks from to stock and especially paving slabs etc, regardless of having the crane which can be a load of aggro in itself.
On that note at least ask them if the job involves any yard labouring duties and if there is any paving slab work in the loads because they don’t usually like Hiabs and vice versa and they are bleedin heavy.If either of those is a yes run back to the fridge job and don’t look back.
If its a wagon and drag it’ll be bulk full pallet loads to sites and merchants yards, no making up packs or other handball work. Never came across paving slabs or other paving that couldn’t be unloaded with a block grab. As for all local runs, was out 4 nights most weeks, and it wasn’t uncommon to take bricks from Newcastle to the south coast. Did it for 40 years and enjoyed it, apart from the end when we were TUPE’d to Wincanton!!
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.
Hiab work on agency was one of the closest commutes I ever had and more or less the worst job of them all apart from even worse scaffolding and shuttering which wasn’t a much further commute either.
Anything to do with the building trade is usually local runs interspersed with loads of scope for aggro from site foremen and handball lots of handball labouring both on site and back at the yard between deliveries possibly having to breakdown and make up packs of blocks/bricks from to stock and especially paving slabs etc, regardless of having the crane which can be a load of aggro in itself.
On that note at least ask them if the job involves any yard labouring duties and if there is any paving slab work in the loads because they don’t usually like Hiabs and vice versa and they are bleedin heavy.If either of those is a yes run back to the fridge job and don’t look back.
Shock horror … “delivery” driver may have to do something other than just “drive” within his working day.
Are you ever going to give it a rest with your “bulk, full load, distance” whinge
tmcassett:
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.
Hiab work on agency was one of the closest commutes I ever had and more or less the worst job of them all apart from even worse scaffolding and shuttering which wasn’t a much further commute either.
Anything to do with the building trade is usually local runs interspersed with loads of scope for aggro from site foremen and handball lots of handball labouring both on site and back at the yard between deliveries possibly having to breakdown and make up packs of blocks/bricks from to stock and especially paving slabs etc, regardless of having the crane which can be a load of aggro in itself.
On that note at least ask them if the job involves any yard labouring duties and if there is any paving slab work in the loads because they don’t usually like Hiabs and vice versa and they are bleedin heavy.If either of those is a yes run back to the fridge job and don’t look back.Shock horror … “delivery” driver may have to do something other than just “drive” within his working day.
Are you ever going to give it a rest with your “bulk, full load, distance” whinge
Working as a building site/yard labourer is a bit more than having to do ‘something else other than drive’.Might as well get a job as a hod carrier and get paid enough to retire early before something breaks. 
Ok call it a three bulk pallet load drops/collections in a shift sitting on POA or break while they tip/load you.Oh wait you might even be asked to roll it on/off with a pallet truck shock horror.
While if it’s hand ball even 1950’s Smithfield was known for its porters.
trucken:
If its a wagon and drag it’ll be bulk full pallet loads to sites and merchants yards, no making up packs or other handball work. Never came across paving slabs or other paving that couldn’t be unloaded with a block grab. As for all local runs, was out 4 nights most weeks, and it wasn’t uncommon to take bricks from Newcastle to the south coast. Did it for 40 years and enjoyed it, apart from the end when we were TUPE’d to Wincanton!!
You’ll have to forgive me for my misguided notions having obviously been treated worse than a traveller’s dog or donkey during my unfortunate time in the job.I can see how distance bulk building deliveries probably isn’t the same thing as local building materials deliveries.Only one way to find out for sure. 
Carryfast:
You’ll have to forgive me for my misguided notions having obviously been treated worse than a traveller’s dog or donkey during my unfortunate time in the job.
Poor old Geoffrey, beaten down and abused yet again.
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
You’ll have to forgive me for my misguided notions having obviously been treated worse than a traveller’s dog or donkey during my unfortunate time in the job.Poor old Geoffrey, beaten down and abused yet again.
Otherwise known as Post Traumatic Building Deliveries Disorder.
Lol I actually disagree with Carryfast. Too many drivers feel like there only job should be driving. I’ve been to collections in which I had to handball a full trailer by hand which took well over 2 hours. Then I’d have to go back to the depot and unload it.
I’ve had many hard jobs. If I dont like it I quit. But some people do enjoy physical activity. Not all truck drivers like to spend all day and night in a truck.
Actually when I was a warehouse guy. I often had truck drivers come and help me unload. Not because they had to. But they wanted to. Maybe they wanted to chat, or just a little bored. Maybe they wanted exercise. Who knows.
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.
A mix of local drops and longer drops, sometimes on the back with a pump truck sometimes on a bay…
Why do you have to turn things into a negative thing?
DAF95XF:
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.A mix of local drops and longer drops, sometimes on the back with a pump truck sometimes on a bay…
Why do you have to turn things into a negative thing?
Because he’s an idiot that has no clue and thinks that every single job out there now requires you to be “a labourer” or do “warehouse duties” and believes that doing anything other than sitting behind the steering wheel is a heinous crime.
tmcassett:
DAF95XF:
Carryfast:
Please say that the ‘fridge’ work wasn’t mostly palletised, full load, distance work.A mix of local drops and longer drops, sometimes on the back with a pump truck sometimes on a bay…
Why do you have to turn things into a negative thing?Because he’s an idiot that has no clue and thinks that every single job out there now requires you to be “a labourer” or do “warehouse duties” and believes that doing anything other than sitting behind the steering wheel is a heinous crime.
True, he definitely wouldn’t have liked one of the jobs I’ve had driving a 7.5tonner for Miele delivering white goods and fitting them, sometimes up 5 flights of stairs without a lift (have to admit it was a good job).
I only lost the 7.5tonner when it got written off in an accident and I got upgraded to an 18tonner and no home deliveries