Will the shortage eventually sort the job out

Sorry to start another driver shortage thread, but this one is from a different angle.

It looks like wages have gone up and are continuing to do so across the board at long last, prompted by this driver shortage we continuously hear about via the media.
Because of this blanket coverage, people are getting to hear about (and taking on board) all the crap we have to put up with…especially on the tramping side of the job, chronic shortage of ‘proper’ parking places for example.

I’ve spoken with many people both socially and during work time, who have actually started these conversations with me , with stuff like…
…‘‘I didn’t know you lads regularly had to…
(Fill in the blank ranging from…)
‘‘Work 15 hour days’’
To the fallacy (afaik ) and old chestnut.
…’‘Crap in a carrier bag’’.

So at least something good is coming out of all this, people are if not sympathising at least empathising on things that have gone a long way in ■■■■ ing up and causing a vast decline in the job from when I personally started it all those years ago.
A lot of people have been apparentlly unaware of stuff we have had to put up with over the years…I’m fully aware that is because they didn’t care btw.

So saying that, do you think this sudden realisation of actually WHY there is a driver shortage, will find it’s way gradually up the food chain to those who are able to do something about it to make the job attractive again as it once was, such as…

Reduce the ■■■■ stupid hours, that we are not only allowed to work, but are expected to work,)
Kick into touch the ridiculous 9 hour rest in 15 rule for starters,
The heroes among us will not agree but in this day and age a 12 hour day (spreadover)is more than enough for anybody, or even 12 and a half as it was when I started, with a wage structure of paid overtime working in conjunction with it…after 8hours for example.

Sort out facilities for drivers both through the day and at nights for trampers.

Stop the harassment of parking tickets on industrial estates,… whilst providing truck park sites on them as a matter of course.
And generally any other thing you can that has made this job unattractive to those with an ounce of sense…as illustrated in the famous DRIVER SHORTAGE.
Those amongst us with a brain can see why this shortage is a thingi, so will those in authority eventually see it, and sort it do you think…or carry on ostrich like blaming every ■■■■ thing else under the sun.

I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

Funnily enough one of our agency drivers said that to someone in the office.

Driver got handed a run last minute that was around 15 hours long, to which he said - ‘what’s this’ ?

Transport Office - don’t worry you can work up to 15 hours…

Driver - so can you, but you ■■■■■■■ don’t do you?

toonsy:

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

Exactly right, these LIMITS and extended 15 hrs days with reduced rests are looked upon as routine TARGETS by hauliers, planners,…and tragically quite a few retarded drivers. …who will give you the usual rhetoric crap of…‘‘Nature of the job’’/‘‘Way it’s always been’’ and such brainwashed b/s,.when you try and point out to them their first heart attack is around the next corner…

Unfortunately the opinion and willing lifestyle of these f/whits will probably prevent change.

This job has also attracted men who are hard up with debts and they have found a career that gaurantees them a lot of hours. Just last week we had a chap who left us because the company couldnt offer him max hours. He basically needs to work all hours just to keep his head above water. What a way to live!

This has become a problem to those of us that want the work/life balance and value our time at home with our family. As we push back and say no to the crazy hours, we have the in debt guys crying because they are not banging in 70 hours a week!

robroy:

toonsy:

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

Exactly right, these LIMITS and extended 15 hrs days with reduced rests are looked upon as routine TARGETS by hauliers, planners,…and tragically quite a few retarded drivers. …who will give you the usual rhetoric crap of…‘‘Nature of the job’’/‘‘Way it’s always been’’ and such brainwashed b/s,.when you try and point out to them their first heart attack is around the next corner…

Unfortunately the opinion and willing lifestyle of these f/whits will probably prevent change.

This is one of the major problems with the haulage industry.
Honestly who the ■■■■ wants to work 15 hour days 5 days a week? Yes I know it’s 3 days but you will still have drivers having split rests and quite happy doing 5 x 15 hour days. 75 hours a week over 5 days is ridiculous and running in on a Friday on the 14hour and 46 min mark.
Trying to get it into people’s heads if you reduced the hours to 12 and paid time and a 3rd or half after 8 hours you would be better of than doing 15 hour days at a flat rate or £1 extra a hour.
But then they would still want to do 15 hour days at the enhanced rate or crying about hours been cut.
Me personally would like 12 hour days can work 6 days a week. one rest day every 6 days.

This is one of the main reasons it’s finding it hard to attract young lads n lasses into the industry. Honestly look at your 20-21 sons and daughters can you honestly see them sleeping in a cab all week doing 60 and 70 hours every week?
This was probably the biggest way or recruiting in the 70s through to 90s is drivers kids done the job there dads did. not anymore thou.

toonsy:

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

The hours problem can be squarely directed at the trampers. Whilst they are always the first to bleat on here about the long hours, the moment you take them away is the moment when they all go storming in the office to complain about it because they’re all debted up to their eyeballs and need 84 hours a week to pay the mortgage, feed the kids, keep the wife stocked up on new shoes and have a <1 yr old white Audi TDI S-line on the drive. Oh and how someone else is driving “their” wagon in their time off - can’t be having that.

msgyorkie:
This job has also attracted men who are hard up with debts and they have found a career that gaurantees them a lot of hours. Just last week we had a chap who left us because the company couldnt offer him max hours. He basically needs to work all hours just to keep his head above water. What a way to live!

This has become a problem to those of us that want the work/life balance and value our time at home with our family. As we push back and say no to the crazy hours, we have the in debt guys crying because they are not banging in 70 hours a week!

It has only got that way because drivers in the past handed back those particular t s &c s on a plate back to their bosses, …in favour of an increased rate paid ‘right through’ without ever being increased in later years, or very little anyway…and they fell for the trick.
Not b/s either,.I was there at the time, but not bothered as I was an owner driver at that time, but could still not believe how gullible they could be.

Sadly the chattering classes of the public don’t seem to have an opinion of their own but make loud noises consistent with the consensus of the day, its just a case of waiting a while before drivers return to public enemy number one and held mostly responsible through their greed and union led? uncooperative attitudes (you can already guess how this will be portrayed) of the now overpaid drivers have led directly to the coming shortages in the shops, as well as the rapidly increasing prices within.

You know very well that whilst a driver’s take home income can look attractive, inviting envy when figures like £50+k will be bandied about as the new normal incl subsistnce ex’s, few of those who will look at us through their green lenses will have the slightest interest in how many hours we work or when we work or what we have to do to make that sort of pay, they will be following the coming narrative totally unaware that most drivers are at work hours before and hours after the envious hordes plus weekends and bank hols which the gold plated pensioned in charge have never worked.

The job is changing for many, but it’s pure economics that are driving things, on a current thread we have a Norfolk general family haulier selling 30% or so of their small fleet apprently unable to get a single driver, i feel sympathy for these operators because they simply don’t have the volumes contracts or clout to raise rates to up their game, and by virtue of geographical base unless they employ drivers prepared to stay out all week can’t take advantage as so many in the central belt are doing of hiring out tractor units plus driver for lucrative day rates to the logistics giants in order to keep their big clients happy…traction work has always been volatile, wouldn’t want to be a driver reliant on traction for my living.
I’m not aware the haulier in question was depending on now vanished EE’s working cheaply to man their vehicles but happy to be put right if that was the case.

They won’t be the only operator in trouble, their problem is they are dependent on carrying goods for others…larger operations may well be contract transport or even own account for supermarkets or manufacturers who, all being in the same boat, can raise prices of their goods to cover increasing transport costs, or hire in subbies which probably comes under another budget, the client is going to pay whatever is needed rather than see whole consignments of perishables going rotten or the shelves empty with disgruntled shoppers changing allegiance.

The current media interest in driver shortage is going to be short lived, the next virus unrelated to covid is already being warned about with the politicians and media having a new crusade so we’ll soon be back to being the unwanted evil we’ve been for decadse.
So no, in the long term the current shortage (of those prepared to work competently for low pay) won’t make much difference to the job as a whole, but many of us will have swapped jobs in the interim chasing possibly temporarily better t’s and c’s, those who have will find out if that’s worked out for them in due course.

DCPCFML:

toonsy:

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

The hours problem can be squarely directed at the trampers. Whilst they are always the first to bleat on here about the long hours, the moment you take them away is the moment when they all go storming in the office to complain about it because they’re all debted up to their eyeballs and need 84 hours a week to pay the mortgage, feed the kids, keep the wife stocked up on new shoes and have a <1 yr old white Audi TDI S-line on the drive. Oh and how someone else is driving “their” wagon in their time off - can’t be having that.

I can sort of see a trampers point of view aswell.
If they want to work away mon to Fri. Sat scratching there arse in a cab after 9 or 10 hours everyday not getting paid. no one would tramp except the deluded few that include night out money in wages.
I suppose it’s finding a happy medium with everybody and it’s upto the driver on days to tell the office to stick a London to Newcastle day run up there arse.

DCPCFML:

toonsy:

Londontrucker123:
I think if the government dropped the max 15 hours a day to 12, dare I say even 10 or 11 that might go some way to hitting home with the general public just what the job entails.

Can you even imagine showing up for an office job interview and they tell you the start time is 9am and finish time is midnight?

You would think they were insane.

I used to have this at my old place a lot with the “could you nip/pop here/there” normally after I’d fulfilled my hours and had already gone beyond the contract only to he told about “reasonable requests” to which I always asked them their finish time, then said no it isn’t, it’s x hours later. Reasonable request and that. They normally laid off then.

Problem is there are people who almost cry if they’re not making out their hours. Look at people like Winseer with his “I’d rather do 3 x 15 than 5 x 8” which I get in terms of weekly work amounts. But if uts allowed on one day you can sure qs hell bet firms will use it for all days as they do now.

I said to my old boss a few weeks back that the hours (all at flat rate too I’ll add), every week, would kill me eventually and he just said “that’s what general haulage is like” and that was the key for me to leave because in that sentence right it just showed me how entrenched this attitude is within some sectors of haulage.

The hours problem can be squarely directed at the trampers. Whilst they are always the first to bleat on here about the long hours, the moment you take them away is the moment when they all go storming in the office to complain about it because they’re all debted up to their eyeballs and need 84 hours a week to pay the mortgage, feed the kids, keep the wife stocked up on new shoes and have a <1 yr old white Audi TDI S-line on the drive. Oh and how someone else is driving “their” wagon in their time off - can’t be having that.

The first line of his post?..I incredibly agree with him. …as much as that pains me to say.
However as usual everything is generalised by him, …sure a lot of guys are like that, but equally many are not, me personally fir example, I saw the light and I volunteered to cut my weekly hours to a sensible limit, best thing I ever done.
The rest of the symptoms he mentions are a result of what I covered in my previous post, hours right through, needing to max out because no extra rate paid after 40 hours.

The last bit is usual day man bull crap, not a problem anybody driving ''my… truck when off, I realise it needs to work and pay, …but a big problem some dirty Iill mannered 2hat messing up needlessly what is essentially my ‘home’ and me coming back to a mobile ■■■■ hole., …is that really being unreasonable ?

Drivers are their own worst enemy…….Fact.
Deny it all you like but we’ve all done it, parked up on 14 hours 55 and set the alarm for just short of 9 hours and sat watching the tacho click over to 9 hours before pressing the button to other work and setting off 2 mins later!
Whilst we’re doing that the gaffer is still asleep cuddled up to his Mrs.
So who’s to blame for the state of the industry? Look in the mirror and there’s your answer.

I’m fortunate I’ve at long last seen the light, tried shelf stacking, lasted one 8 hour shift but now found myself a van driving job delivering car parts to local garages 9am till 2pm Monday to Friday,
So carry on pulling your bollox out guys because as much as you want the haulage industry to change, it never will, there’ll always be the drivers that I described at the head of this post and unfortunately unless you do as I have you’ll be stuck with it, you know I’m right.

msgyorkie:
This job has also attracted men who are hard up with debts and they have found a career that gaurantees them a lot of hours. Just last week we had a chap who left us because the company couldnt offer him max hours. He basically needs to work all hours just to keep his head above water. What a way to live!

This has become a problem to those of us that want the work/life balance and value our time at home with our family. As we push back and say no to the crazy hours, we have the in debt guys crying because they are not banging in 70 hours a week!

THIS ^ all day long. Just written basically the same thing myself as you were writing yours.

The place I’m working at has some good spec kit with big cabs. Nearly every time he gets someone wanting a job, the first thing they ask is if it’s tramping. It’s not, as the wagons are double-shifted and 10 hours is about the most you’ll get. None of them are interested as they all want max hours and their “own” wagon to sleep in all week. These aren’t fresh-faced young pups either, they are usually older guys who have been doing the job a long time.

I could be imagining it, but I get the feeling that these tramping jobs are becoming harder to fill because of a dwindling pool of drivers willing to do it. I also think that this is a contributory factor to the current shortage as more drivers are needed to do the work of a single tramper.

Again, I could be imagining it, but I’m often in the services around 5am filling up the truck after a night shift and this is around the time the trampers are hauling their sweaty arses out of the truck to start another 15 hour shift. I don’t often see youngsters emerging. Nearly all look to be in their 50s or 60s and some 40s. So maybe the job is naturally sorting itself out as all the old skool retire and die off and get replaced by the youngsters who only want 8 hours for £45k so they can have a home life with their missus and watch their kids grow up?

Tramping maybe is becoming unfashionable, who knows…who cares.
On the whole ignoring for a minute the negative side of it all over the years…missing a lot of the kids growing up, spending time away from my Mrs etc, I have got a lot of pleasure out of it a lot of the time, mainly as I do not do the job as a ■■■■ work/sleep endurance excercise
Running Europe,.weekending in places and enjoying the local facilities as well as visiting sites of interest around war sites in Belgium, France, Holland and Germany for instance (which floats my particular boat)…and yeh, even now 4 days doing Cornwall, summer evenings in a beer garden for example pretending to be a tourist, is quite enjoyable. ,.and could not be described as mundane.

You can condemn it all you like, but the alternative of trunking down the M1 at night, yawn yawn, and spending the day in bed at home , ■■■■■■■■ to that …or daily trips to Tesco rdcs and the like, running back home every ■■■■ day of my life fills me with dread.
A classic case of swings and roundabouts,.and each to his own.

(Somebody embed my quote ffs …our mate is chomping at the bit to have a go at me on this, but he can’t be seen to be reading it due to his derisory and famous ‘‘foe list’’ and lose face .)

Drivers have a degree of power now that they haven’t had for a long time, but it won’t last. Any company that can’t or won’t improve pay and conditions for drivers will lose them, causing an influx of drivers looking for work, meaning that those companies who can offer improved terms don’t have to improve by much, or for very long. Just look at how many companies have been offering joining bonuses to new drivers, but sticking them on crap hourly rates, because they hope that by the time a driver has been with them long enough to qualify for the bonus everything will have settled down and they won’t have to offer anything better than before.
With regards to tramping, I think it is an older man’s game these days. When you’re younger, especially when you have a young family at home, you miss so much by being away all the time. It also puts a massive burden on their partner, singlehandedly having to run a household, raise kids, all while usually having a full-time job of their own.
The stress and pressure that puts on relationships means people are massively put off from tramping, especially as the financial reward for doing so is so poor, what does 4 nights out a week get you, maybe £100? Not worth it for all you miss out on.
Would reducing the number of hours you can work in a shift solve that? No, because you’re still away and still missing out. The only thing that might would be drastically increasing the rate payable for nights out, but that won’t happen any time soon

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robroy:
Sorry to start another driver shortage thread, but this one is from a different angle.

It looks like wages have gone up and are continuing to do so across the board at long last, prompted by this driver shortage we continuously hear about via the media.
Because of this blanket coverage, people are getting to hear about (and taking on board) all the crap we have to put up with…especially on the tramping side of the job, chronic shortage of ‘proper’ parking places for example.

I’ve spoken with many people both socially and during work time, who have actually started these conversations with me , with stuff like…
…‘‘I didn’t know you lads regularly had to…
(Fill in the blank ranging from…)
‘‘Work 15 hour days’’
To the fallacy (afaik ) and old chestnut.
…’‘Crap in a carrier bag’’.

So at least something good is coming out of all this, people are if not sympathising at least empathising on things that have gone a long way in [zb] ing up and causing a vast decline in the job from when I personally started it all those years ago.
A lot of people have been apparentlly unaware of stuff we have had to put up with over the years…I’m fully aware that is because they didn’t care btw.

So saying that, do you think this sudden realisation of actually WHY there is a driver shortage, will find it’s way gradually up the food chain to those who are able to do something about it to make the job attractive again as it once was, such as…

Reduce the [zb] stupid hours, that we are not only allowed to work, but are expected to work,)
Kick into touch the ridiculous 9 hour rest in 15 rule for starters,
The heroes among us will not agree but in this day and age a 12 hour day (spreadover)is more than enough for anybody, or even 12 and a half as it was when I started, with a wage structure of paid overtime working in conjunction with it…after 8hours for example.

Sort out facilities for drivers both through the day and at nights for trampers.

Stop the harassment of parking tickets on industrial estates,… whilst providing truck park sites on them as a matter of course.
And generally any other thing you can that has made this job unattractive to those with an ounce of sense…as illustrated in the famous DRIVER SHORTAGE.
Those amongst us with a brain can see why this shortage is a thingi, so will those in authority eventually see it, and sort it do you think…or carry on ostrich like blaming every [zb] thing else under the sun.

Will it sort the job out?

Maybe. Maybe not. But we’d be fools not to try.
The boss at my place is old school… and has run a decent number into the ground.

Right now I don’t see him lasting much longer and step by step we are gaining benefits

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Juddian:
The job is changing for many, but it’s pure economics that are driving things, on a current thread we have a Norfolk general family haulier selling 30% or so of their small fleet apprently unable to get a single driver, i feel sympathy for these operators because they simply don’t have the volumes contracts or clout to raise rates to up their game

I wouldn’t feel sorry for them. They are exactly the type of bottom-feeder outfit who were driving down pay and conditions for workers.

They can’t charge more not because they’re small, but because there’s already a better employer available who pays better and charges more, and if they match or exceed that employer then there is no need for them to exist. Their strategy was always to steal work from better players, by undercutting on pay and conditions.

The only thing that might would be drastically increasing the rate payable for nights out, but that won’t happen any time soon

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[/quote]
Here lies the problem.
Most other industries are paying £50 a night dig money and pay for expenses including traveling and fuel and meals paid for and when you clock of at 5 or 6pm your not stuck in a truck in a ■■■■ services or layby.

Everything has been fueled with greed from both employees and employers.
Employers not really caring and having cheap security 5 nights a week 24 hours a day.
employees greedy trampers wanting 20 quid a night extra tax free that you end up spending on food anyways.

Everything in transport is done on a shoe string budget and usually the drivers at the brunt of the shoe string budget

Terry Cooksey:
With regards to tramping, I think it is an older man’s game these days. When you’re younger, especially when you have a young family at home, you miss so much by being away all the time. It also puts a massive burden on their partner, singlehandedly having to run a household, raise kids, all while usually having a full-time job of their own.
The stress and pressure that puts on relationships means people are massively put off from tramping, especially as the financial reward for doing so is so poor, what does 4 nights out a week get you, maybe £100? Not worth it for all you miss out on.
Would reducing the number of hours you can work in a shift solve that? No, because you’re still away and still missing out. The only thing that might would be drastically increasing the rate payable for nights out, but that won’t happen any time soon

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I didn’t really intend to get this thread into a tramper v dayman debate, but I do see your point but disagree with a lot of it.
It was BECAUSE i was young it attracted me to it.
It started when I used to go away with mates in the days that drivers all socialised with each other, and to use the term loosely it was the ‘adventurous’ side if me that attracted me to it,.seeing places I would maybe never otherwise go to, and being left alone all week with no hassle, using my own initiative.

Nowadays the job is soooooo different, trackers, phones micro management have just ■■■■ ed it up in many ways.

Today in the job, you get a lot of blokes who are basically car drivers, and just see this job as any other, so in their case the tramping job ain’t for them,.I agree.

I personally just saw tramping and cabbiing out over long distances ‘‘part of the job’’, so it never really bothered me, it amuses me of the perceived b/s that comes out of some day/night men’s gobs, wet wipe washes, never showering bag ■■■■■■■■ , living in a tin box, wife getting shagged silly when you are away (fair comment in many cases btw ) and all the rest if the bull crap that trampers are used to hearing.

I met my Mts while being a driver, and she knew what to expect, it does not work for some but it worked for us, missing the kids was the worst., but they came all over the Continent with me during hols,.as a bit of quality time that I would never have missed looking back, and the wife coming with me before the kids were born.

So looking back it has had it’s down sides, but certainly not the anti christ of trucking jobs as some see it.