Seeking advice, considering career swap! (Long Post)

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
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IronEddie:

albion:

eagerbeaver:
9 hour days and a free van for £30k. You need your head feeling if you want to pack that in to drive wagons mate! :neutral_face:

Yes, that is a lot of money for the hours compared to what you will get for trucking. As per Juddian’s thread on the main board, it’s difficult to work out comparative pay scales in haulage, especially for euro, when everyone has a different set up. My lot will be earning 41k +, but thats doing about two thirds euro, one third UK, so they are away.

As for your question about double manning, that is what we do, but there aren’t many firms that do it. And if you did get a start, it would be unlikely that your mate would as well, or certainly there would be several months before he did unless you dropped very lucky. Having said that, two of my drivers were mates and that is exactly what happened, one got a job and a vacancy arose and the second one got recommended. Been here five years and crew together about 75% of the time - and they are still mates.

Totally expected you to say and now they hate each other and have to double man with other people.

OP gazing into my crystal ball if all the rumours about automation are true 4 million worker, 15% of the current workforce replaced by automation over the next decade. Then having a trade might be one of the few secure unautomated industries.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

No, they are still good mates and go on the lash together. Got a married crew that have worked for me for 20 years and they are still happy. I’d have been divorced, but it’s nice to know some can.

Op, if you think you could deal with management after being on the tools, trust me, by the time you get into your 50s, tolerance for corporate BS is pretty much zero.

If you really think you want to and are going into it with your eyes wide open, then do it.

22

I understand the points you are making Rik. There is almost a great deal of ’ romance ’ associated with driving wagons in my view. On a good day I love driving a 44 tonne artic through North Wales, Yorkshire, Lake district etc.

However, dependant on the firm you work for and the contracts they have, you are rarely driving on a nice sunny day with empty roads, a Yorkie in your top pocket, and not a care in the world.

Horrendous traffic congestion, spy camera’s in your cab, moronic drivers to contend with, long hours, etc are now the preserve of today’s lorry drivers. The money is not great in wagon driving, your health can suffer whether it be through lack of exercise, stress, poor diet/eating habit’s, sensitive eyes, being knackered after concentrating for EVERY minute for hours and hours etc.

It is also a very tough profession with regards to marriages/relationships & time spent (or more to the point NOT spent with children), and the consequences/penalties for making a mistake can be enormous :neutral_face: If you really want to try truck driving, then crack on with it. But don’t get caught up in the idea that it’s a great job, it’s not.

It also costs a lot of money now to get your Class 1 licence (assuming you wish to be an artic driving Jedi Master :wink: ).

23

Been offered a driving job today, over the telephone and no face to face (alarm bells ringing slightly) providing I pass a driving assessment that would have to take place after I had left my current job (alarm bells ringing a lot more).

Currently office based, transport manager, 30k+, took a pay cut for current role, previously warehouse manager. Plan was when I took this to do class 1 and then drive on a weekend (which I have been doing on class 2). Maybe doing that would get the driving thing out my system.

Job offer is with top of the range kit delivering to construction sites, reasonable hours and reasonable money, I could get my current basic salary.

Fed up with all the BS that comes with management but really am struggling to make a decision. Downside is they have asked me to work at a different depot to the one I applied for which is 30 miles away, although use to that and the first months pay will be dog ■■■■.

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Surprising how active y’all are on here, good to know though.

eagerbeaver, cheers for another personal insight to the role - this is exactly what I’m looking for a nice, blunt combination of advice and personal experience.

Take today for example, I had to drive some 30 miles, 1 hour-ish in the morning to my first job - even in traffic it was still enjoyable. Appreciated that’s most likely next to insignificant to the distance you lot drive.

In terms of the list you provided:

Horrendous traffic congestion, spy camera’s in your cab, moronic drivers to contend with, long hours, etc are now the preserve of today’s lorry drivers. The money is not great in wagon driving, your health can suffer whether it be through lack of exercise, stress, poor diet/eating habit’s, sensitive eyes, being knackered after concentrating for EVERY minute for hours and hours etc.

Some of these I had not considered. I too share a deal of these - traffic, ‘spy camera’ (in the form of a tracker), moronic drivers. I can share a degree of empathy there.

Considering that the gas / electric industry at the moment seems to be going through yet another transition period of yet again changing regulations, tolerances, processes, PPE requirements and general code of conduct / practices… a question comes to mind. Is the trucking game similar? Changing of regulations at uncomfortably frequent intervals, wherein, you’re expected to know them ALL at all times?.. unless you want to be out of a job, heh. That’s what the lads and lasses face in this industry.

Regarding Jimmy McNulty, I can’t comment on the nature of that job you were offered having no real experience in your industry ‘n’ all but doesn’t sound like anything you couldn’t handle.

albion, I believe you’re onto something there…

…if you think you could deal with management after being on the tools, trust me, by the time you get into your 50s, tolerance for corporate BS is pretty much zero.

I am really, double-state, REALLY not a people-person… spade’s a spade at the end of the day. Not really management material - I have 0 patience for ■■■■■■■■ and excuses.

Keep em’ coming ladies and gents!

Rik

*edited 13/11/2017, 21:08 due to grammar and punctuation errors.