Short answer is ‘yes’, but I knew the writing was on the wall when my last boss picked me to try out the new tracking device with a big screen which gave me my reload in writing before my eyes. I thought that was great, no more struggling to understand the ‘fraiteur’s’ patois and constantly saying to him ‘repeat’ and ‘spell’. But then I had just pulled up at a favourite routier for my customary when the phone rang and a voice told me he was the engineer testing the equipment and that I had just left the highway at such and such location and stopped. I looked around, and that’s where I was.
Time to go.
At least my phone was a big brick of a thing fixed in the cab. In the last months I was there I was surprised when eating with a mate to hear his ‘mobile’ ring and him talking to the office. When he was eating - sacrilege
‘Why on earth did you give them your mobile number?’ I asked.
‘Oh, this isn’t my mobile, it’s the new cab phone the’ve given me’.
Time to go.
Spardo:
At least my phone was a big brick of a thing fixed in the cab. In the last months I was there I was surprised when eating with a mate to hear his ‘mobile’ ring and him talking to the office. When he was eating - sacrilege
‘Why on earth did you give them your mobile number?’ I asked.
‘Oh, this isn’t my mobile, it’s the new cab phone the’ve given me’.
Time to go.
If it was a cab phone why was it in a restaurant and not in the cab?
I used to switch mine off during 45’s if I took 45 in the cab and always switched it off at the end of the day.
When the boss complained, I told him that if I answered the phone during a break, then that was work and the 45 would start at the end of the phone call.
Go back for old time’s sake? You got to be joking!
It takes me 3 weeks now to do the same hours and miles I used to do in a week. In my own bed every night, better money and time and energy for life rather than just work.
It would take some really serious money now to go back into Europe and I’ve been around long enough to know that if anybody offered that sort of money, there would be a long jail term waiting on my return.
Longwayround:
Go back , I did go back , fudgeable paper logs , double crunch gearboxes,drum brakes and 90mph trucks.Driving in N.America.
Yep aint that the truth
Your catching up though New HOS (well until that changes back again), Paperless logs (thanks for that one mr Werner ) and now you’ve got your own Willi Betz’s AKA Jose Pepi and all a comin thru
We still do. In the last three months, we’ve done two Russias, two Ukraines, and had trucks go to Greece, Macedonia, Poland, Italy and Spain as well as several “local” trips (Germany, France etc).
id be happy to go back 10 years on general,never mind 20 on europe,or 30 on m/e,but apparent progress has killed it(mobiles,sat trackin,and now digi tachos)it would take you twice as long to do owt,but gaffers would expect it done 3 times quicker…by my maths,it just wouldnt add up
Yes I would like to go back just once more.Maybe to meet up with old friends many of whom are no longer with us.Mind you there are a lot I dont miss at all.Perhaps all because i,m now 67 and know its all in the past, Excuse the waffle.Must away.Matron says its time for my horlicks.
I suspect we’re looking at it through rose tinted specs…
Yes I also recall the ‘good old days’ when I started age 22 and went almost straight to Euro trucking (1986), looking back I probably wasn’t even insured. I recall one occasion in a Scania 111 heading down a hill to a red light in France and thinking ’ this ■■■■■■’s not gonna stop’!!(it did, just about). I’m 6 foot 3 and glad that I no longer have to try and drag my jeans on while sat on the bloody document box of a Volvo F10! But then I remember Coslada and Prato and the Zona Franca and Billys and the steps at Mont Cenis etc etc and wish I was back there. Just with a modern tractor…
I came off European in 2001 or 2002 and I’ve missed it ever since. My Mrs died in 2015 and I looked at doing it again but couldn’t find anyone that goes abroad any more.
I had 25 years at Hargreaves Fuel Oil until the whole lot of us were made redundant in 1984. (the ‘suits’ took over and made a monumental b alls of the company). If my creaking bones and joints would stand it I’d go back tomorrow, we had all new motors (replaced regularly, ERF, Mk 5 AEC, V8 ■■■■■■■ Fords, and in the beginning a couple of wonderful old 8 wheeler Thornys).
Yes I still miss it, but in todays environment it’s a whole different ball game so…I’ll enjoy my retirement and survive on my wonderful memories.
And my career all started with dear old Fred Chappell at Batley. He was a good man.
I never nighted out but I would happily go back to how things were when my driving career ended 16+ years ago. It wasn’t exactly hard work, the hours could be long admittedly but I worked with a decent bunch of lads who were all in the same boat so we just cracked on with it. What does amuse me slightly is when I read on the ‘professional’ forum about drivers complaining that they haven’t been paid for walking to the office to get their paperwork etc or talking to the gaffer after work, I would be a millionaire if I had been paid for all the time spent either washing the truck or adjusting the brakes/greasing it/ changing wheels etc! It all seems (to me anyway) that it is all ‘take take’ from many drivers nowadays and there isn’t a lot of interest or pride in the job? Do drivers still talk to one another, or even socialise after work like we did? Maybe it is because I always wanted to be involved with lorries and road haulage and wish I could be still, perhaps nowadays it is ‘just a job’ and solely a means to earn a good wage? Maybe I’m completely wrong!
windrush:
Do drivers still talk to one another, or even socialise after work like we did? Pete.
Hi Pete,
It can be hard sometimes with some drivers to get a conversation going, I even had one recently who sat in his cab whilst waiting to load & had no interest in having a conversation, just wanted to seethe at the delay on site.
I mainly miss the ■■■■ taking when someone cocked up including myself, nowadays you stand a good chance of being reported for bullying, some are just bloody snowflakes.
for the cameradrie…yes
for the wages…yes
for the hassle compared to nowadays…yes
for the truck cab comfort. yes
for the ability to fiddle hours,earnings and get lost now and again ( ie get bladdered and make up the time later to suit yourself as and when the mood took you) …yes.
for the lack of freedom and control from employers…no
the difference was that if you could do the job,then you got left to crack on with it and get it done unlike todays version of kebab meat in a seat operated by wassoks that know nothing about road haulage.
dieseldog999:
for the cameradrie…yes
for the wages…yes
for the hassle compared to nowadays…yes
for the truck cab comfort. yes
for the ability to fiddle hours,earnings and get lost now and again ( ie get bladdered and make up the time later to suit yourself as and when the mood took you) …yes.
for the lack of freedom and control from employers…no
the difference was that if you could do the job,then you got left to crack on with it and get it done unlike todays version of kebab meat in a seat operated by wassoks that know nothing about road haulage.
And that was one of the attractions of the job back in the day…you had to think for yourself, you set off with your notes and your load (no mobile phones etc) with the words of your TM ringing in your ears…“give us a ring when you’re tipped”.
grumpy old man:
And that was one of the attractions of the job back in the day…you had to think for yourself, you set off with your notes and your load (no mobile phones etc) with the words of your TM ringing in your ears…“give us a ring when you’re tipped”.
Or if you were several of my bosses, ‘give us a ring when you’re tipped, found another load, and when and where will you be?’
funny thing about the old days, when i filled my log book in drive time and brakes were always spot on ,my weight was allways correct to ,but no i would not go back
Different class of driver these days both sides of the pond
Would I go back in time? Yes but not for nostalgia jobs not what it was attitude, volume of traffic, parking,& a host of other things to numerous to mention.
On night shift out & backs for last four & half yrs after 28yr tramping dont think I could manage dayshift Id probably blow a gasket
WELL I HAVE READ YOUR POSTS WITH INTEREST AND FOR ME YOU CANT GO BACK BUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE THERE IN THE SO CALLED GOOD OLD DAYS WE CAN LOOK BACK AND WEAR THE T SHIRT WITH
PRIDE AND LIKE THE OLD PIONEERS IN THE WILD WEST BOY DID WE
BLAZE A TRAIL
I looked around, and that’s where I was. 
New HOS (well until that changes back again), Paperless logs (thanks for that one mr Werner 
) and now you’ve got your own Willi Betz’s AKA Jose Pepi and all a comin thru 
Do drivers still talk to one another, or even socialise after work like we did? Maybe it is because I always wanted to be involved with lorries and road haulage and wish I could be still, perhaps nowadays it is ‘just a job’ and solely a means to earn a good wage? Maybe I’m completely wrong! 
