I guess the title speaks for itself. Would you recommend someone straight out of school/college to get into HGV driving.
Me, personally I would not.
I think the system is set up to penalize the driver. I think a lot of us are quite lucky we did not have as much health and safety and cameras on the road when we started out.
Then there is the slow thud of automation that will likely be here within the next 30 years.
No, once the present issues are over things will revert to as it was before.
I gave up full-time HGV driving in 1978 because of the poor pay and conditions. I did two five year periods of casual work between 1995-2001 and 2008-2013 and they convinced me that I had made the right decision.
Having the licence is a useful back up if things necessitate earning extra money.
I would, but only if the young person actually wanted to be a lorry driver.
I wouldn’t advise it to anyone of any age as just another career choice.
As for automation, i believe drivers will be sitting behind the wheel long after so many others jobs for working class people have automated them onto the dole.
adam277:
I guess the title speaks for itself. Would you recommend someone straight out of school/college to get into HGV driving.Me, personally I would not.
I think the system is set up to penalize the driver.
I’ve only ever paid two fines totalling £120 in 27 years and the thick end of 2 million miles driving them, £60 FPN for no rear numberplate, £60 FPN for contravening a box junction (that I do feel aggrieved about). Never had an issue with wheeltappers or when getting stopped at VOSA/DVSA checkpoints. If you feel like you’re always getting penalised then you may want to take a look in the mirror for the cause and re-consider how you do the job or even if it really is for you.
I think a lot of us are quite lucky we did not have as much health and safety
Things like back injuries, life changing injuries and death were much more common. Health and safety has quite rightly seen the end of some quite stupid practices and many of those who get injured today do so doing stuff “the good old way we used to do it”. Whenever something is brought in it’s usually because some poor sod hasn’t ended up going home from work that day in the same state they started.
Personally I never really saw it as a career ‘choice’.It was more along the lines of couldn’t possibly get my head around the sheer soul destroying nature, of working in any of the inside type of job alternatives.
I also really like and enjoy driving.
Looking forward to another day at work is as good as it gets to the point of being paid for it is a bonus.
Having said that in this country at least it’s a degenerating industry operating in a toxic trading environment.
Which is often now reflected in terms of the quality of work which can obviously defeat the object for anyone who does it for the freedom of the open road.
I would yes,its hassle but then,I think most jobs are more difficult than they look
Conor:
adam277:
I guess the title speaks for itself. Would you recommend someone straight out of school/college to get into HGV driving.Me, personally I would not.
I think the system is set up to penalize the driver.I’ve only ever paid two fines totalling £120 in 27 years and the thick end of 2 million miles driving them, £60 FPN for no rear numberplate, £60 FPN for contravening a box junction (that I do feel aggrieved about). Never had an issue with wheeltappers or when getting stopped at VOSA/DVSA checkpoints. If you feel like you’re always getting penalised then you may want to take a look in the mirror for the cause and re-consider how you do the job or even if it really is for you.
I think a lot of us are quite lucky we did not have as much health and safety
Things like back injuries, life changing injuries and death were much more common. Health and safety has quite rightly seen the end of some quite stupid practices and many of those who get injured today do so doing stuff “the good old way we used to do it”. Whenever something is brought in it’s usually because some poor sod hasn’t ended up going home from work that day in the same state they started.
In the 70s and 80s there were between 400 and 650 workplace deaths annually. Since 2008 there has never been more than 200 a year.
statista.com/statistics/292 … nt-y-on-y/
(These are total numbers. There are more peple in employment today, but fewer in heavy work. Swings/roundabouts etc?)
Of course the “It`ll never happen to me” gene remains widespread.
Absolutely.
Show me one job, where you get paid well for sitting on your ■■■, staring out of the window, listening to your choice of music, at your choice of volume.
Most drivers probably “work” less than 1 to 2 hours a day…
Yes for
serial killers.
Nomads.
Mentally insane.
Depends on the location of the person, some areas it gives opportunity to escape, starts with Tramping and exploring other cities and places to eventually move to. In a situation like this would say one of the best ways to escape and explore so would recomend…
Other than this situation then NO I would not recomend it …
adam277:
I guess the title speaks for itself. Would you recommend someone straight out of school/college to get into HGV driving.Me, personally I would not.
I think the system is set up to penalize the driver. I think a lot of us are quite lucky we did not have as much health and safety and cameras on the road when we started out.Then there is the slow thud of automation that will likely be here within the next 30 years.
Absolutely no. The one good thing i have achieved in life is guiding my lads into careers, far away from the transport industry
No. Young people today would not want the typical truck driver lifestyle of long hours, short breaks, lack of respect for their role, and pay which is not commensurate with responsibility. It’s fine as a fallback for when other income fails for some reason, but I could not recommend it as a long term option.
I think we’d all like to see our kids into better careers.
But define better?
My mate from school got top grades, went onto A Level and got top grades, then went to uni and done well, then qualified as a pilot and now works in a garden centre 
In fact out of all of my cohort there’s not many that are in jibs that earn what I do.
Of course that doesn’t make it ‘better’ but it softens the blow somewhat and a lot depends on the job you do. I used to look down at “supermarket plobber” types while I screamed around the country in a flash motor running ragged for a minimum of 60hrs a week, now I’m a plobber myself I do far less hours for much more money so I think a lot of a person’s outlook will depend on the job they’re in. If someone is unhappy in their work they’re not likely to give someone a good word about it, likewise the opposite is also true.
keepthefaith:
Absolutely no. The one good thing i have achieved in life is guiding my lads into careers, far away from the transport industry
Same here, I managed to talk both my lads out of it too, they both have now far better jobs better pay and better t s and c s than I do.
A few years ago I may have recommended it, but on the whole it’s now become an over regulated, micro managed rat race ran by f/wits who have neither done the job, nor know anything about it.
Then there is the totally ridiculous amount of hours that you are expected to work, not to mention the advent of in cab cameras and crap like that,.
As for tramping and the lack of proper parking, unless you know what you are doing or have a bit of initiative you are destined to spend your life off duty in ■■■■ lay bys and MSAs,.which ain’t good for your well being.
An experienced driver can work around all that type of sh, but a new driver will be expected to ■■■■ it all up.
Not good.
So in a word…
NO
Franglais:
Things like back injuries, life changing injuries and death were much more common. Health and safety has quite rightly seen the end of some quite stupid practices and many of those who get injured today do so doing stuff “the good old way we used to do it”. Whenever something is brought in it’s usually because some poor sod hasn’t ended up going home from work that day in the same state they started.
In the 70s and 80s there were between 400 and 650 workplace deaths annually. Since 2008 there has never been more than 200 a year.
statista.com/statistics/292 … nt-y-on-y/
(These are total numbers. There are more peple in employment today, but fewer in heavy work. Swings/roundabouts etc?)
Of course the “It`ll never happen to me” gene remains widespread.
[/quote]
It’s a totally unrepresentative comparison.
Many of the most hazardous jobs have been sent East.
There is no mining industry.
Manufacturing has been decimated what remains is now subject to rules like guarded machine tools.Doubt if anyone will get hit by a flying chuck key been left in a lathe etc for example now.
On balance HandS laws have been a good thing.
As for back injuries the rules state use mechanical handling equipment where possible.
But if anyone wants to replace forklifts and pallets with all hand ball that’s fine.They couldn’t make it up.
As a career choice - No, I don’t think so.
As a job to pay the bills, especially as you get a bit older - maybe.
Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk
On the other hand, there will always be the unusual companies, often those carrying on with own account transport of their own products to keep control and quality, who still value appreciate and respect their staff, the same applies with certain often smaller hauliers who again value their staff.
They haven’t all fallen hook line and sinker for the one size fits all religion based on the lowest and cheapest common denominator mantra that has ruined so much of our industry.
If you want to be a lorry driver and want to skill yourself up and are honest and reliable and have an aptitude for lorry driving, it won’t be a million years before good (especially younger) drivers find themselves welcomed with open arms into those places because they stand out from those who have no interest in the job other than as a means to a slightly better wage than any other job they could find, those who take an interest look after kit naturally, they get noticed as a cut above, note how its always the dead wood that get removed when a company is cutting back on staff 
This job can still be enjoyable if you have an interest, one can still take a pride in their work, not all employers expect 2 weeks work for just over a week’s pay, yes those jobs are out there and if you have to take such a job use it and once something better comes along bugger off soonest.
Arguably if anything i think those who want to be good lorry drivers will find themselves in increasing demand in the future, cherry picking is a two way street, good employers don’t need to employ incompetents good also drivers don’t need to work for poor employers once they’ve reached a certain stage of skill competence and experience.
There will always be a learning curve, good drivers don’t become good overnight and not all apprentice time will be great, same as almost every other job then.
Wasn’t there some clown on here who ridiculed me on a choice of word…ie’‘career’',.when I applied it to describe this type of work long term?
And looked down his snout at me for both using it and working in it. 
Absolutely not.
Kids today want all the money without the strings. They want 9-5 and a social life and I can’t blame them.
A guy asked me 3 years ago as he was just starting his tuition, would I recommend it. When I told him the pitfalls, he thanked me for my honesty. I told him to keep his money in the bank, and do something else.
Ken.
Quinny:
Absolutely not.Kids today want all the money without the strings. They want 9-5 and a social life and I can’t blame them.
A guy asked me 3 years ago as he was just starting his tuition, would I recommend it. When I told him the pitfalls, he thanked me for my honesty. I told him to keep his money in the bank, and do something else.
Ken.
good call that
Quinny:
Absolutely not.Kids today want all the money without the strings. They want 9-5 and a social life and I can’t blame them.
A guy asked me 3 years ago as he was just starting his tuition, would I recommend it. When I told him the pitfalls, he thanked me for my honesty. I told him to keep his money in the bank, and do something else.
Ken.
Totally agree.
Maybe you can get lucky and find a job that is actually an 8-9 hour trucking job. Kinda rare though.
Chances are you will be doing 12 hours + a day.
It’s very hard to have any type of social life with this job.