I have been driving class 1 just over a year so I’m going to have a say as I had a break and came back to the industry.
What industry you left to become a trucker and why
I was making fence panels for 9 years for my current employer. Before that I drove a 26 tonne rigid for them after passing my class 2 test in 2005.
What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency.
I currently drive class 1 and work full time Mon-Fri day shifts for my employer.
Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why
I actually missed being out on the road having been cooped up inside a metal shed for 9 years but when I returned to it I have to say things had changed since I left. The standard of peoples driving around the M25/M40/A1M is shocking compared to what I remembered. Stupidly slow speeds, only using the outside 2 lanes when doing slow speeds forcing undertakes from impatient drivers. The list is endless it seems. There seems to be a never ending 40 sign between the M4 and the A41 when there is no need for it and there is always a pedestrian or incident that you never seem to pass as justification for it. It can take me 2hrs - 2.5hrs to get from Hatfield, Herts round to Gilford some days.
What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons
Usually I do 2 drops in a day but occasionally I will have a split load on which ups it to 3 or 4. I cover from Norwich, Kings Lynn, down to Dover or Folkstone including inner London.
Whether you are considering changing industry again
I love driving most of the time and I like the fact that nobody gets on my back if something happens to prevent a delivery being made. The firm I work for are great and will pretty much not interfere in anything route wise. I won’t change again unless something prevents me from doing the job.
What you think needs changing in the industry
Wages. We don’t get paid enough for what we do in my opinion. I don’t do bad at all but I know other drivers that could earn similar money stacking shelves. We are professionals and as such we should be rewarded for our professionalism.
The wages haven’t risen much since I first passed my class 2 years ago and yet the cost of living…In addition you run the risk of having accidents/incidents where you will be blamed. It doesn’t matter how great you are it can still happen and your going to jail. Common sense doesn’t always prevail and it seems that the cards are getting stacked more and more against the lorry driver. You only have to look at the new hierachy of the road to see how problematic that becomes in real life terms. Have a drive around central London for a bit, it soon becomes apparent when cyclists are undertaking/overtaking at the same time while your trying to manouvre.
Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker
I always let people know how much I love my job and the company I work for so that’s a definate yes. I also explain that it takes a certain type of character to do a certain type of driving job and people have to find the area that they love. If you find that then it isn’t working.I get to take my youngest son out with me in the school holidays so I hope that one day he will drive lorries, but he wants to be a quantity surveyor. My advice was pass your lorry license as a back up. He loves it on the road with me, so I live in hope!