A blog post to far?

As a Lorry driver I get to see a lot of the country.
Mostly its the arse end of the country to be honest , and it can make you cynical and pessimistic.
As an antidote to all that cynicism and pessimism I write this blog and I now also publish Apps.

This gives me some hope that I wont be driving lorries for the rest of my life, and it gives me something to look forward to.

Even though I know I will be driving lorries for the rest of my life, I can at least pretend I wont be when I’m dragging my tired body out of my warm bed at 3.30 in the morning to head down to london in a 32 tonne wagon to moffett 20 tonne of tiles into spaces that were never designed to be accessed.

It pays the bills and it isn’t as hard as being a coal miner or as dangerous as being fireman but its not the best job in the world.

Its also not a difficult job to do either as some would have you believe.

I do however reserve the right to complain about my job.
I have just as much right to moan and groan as much as the next person.

I used to post on the Truckenet UK forum, I even used to write a small piece for them each month.
This blog used to be posted up on the Truck & Driver website so I know a bit about having an online presence.

The sad thing now is that anywhere you write an opinion about anything these days, others jump down your throat and line up to insult you.

If you mention that work gets you down, “Give it up then” , “muppet” they type, or “stop complaining and get another job fool” they post.

If you mention things you see out on the road ," wannabee copper" they put, “get back to your sad blog , ( as if anyone reads it)” they put.

Before you can even get a decent discussion going ,the keyboard warriors pile in and spoil every thread.

I write because I like to write and I like to share what I see out and about and I like to find out that others have the same experience’s as me .

Its good to find out that others feel the same way as you and that you’re not alone.
Basically I write and I publish Apps, I also drive a truck and I don’t care admitting that most days, I hate it.

One day I might be able to sit at home and get paid for it ,using my brain instead of my driving licence and thats what inspires me to get up and go out to work every day. Its called ambition and some of us have it and some of us don’t, a bit like class really.

Heres some pictures and the links to the APPS. thanks for reading

play.google.com/store/apps/deta … .ratmyride

play.google.com/store/apps/deta … t_in_piece

appstore.com/ratmyride

appstore.com/rustinpiece

I can sympathise!

Whilst I don’t share the same opinion about the job as yourself (give me another few years in it and come back to me!) I do agree with your points about message boards and how unless your name fits you become easy fodder for the newer guys trying to increase their e-peen.

I will admit though that I am the type to think “If you hate the job so much, do something else ffs!”. It’s not out of malice or a need to put down a fellow human being that I think that way. In a roundabout way it’s more concern for the individual. I’m firmly in the camp of “You’re only here once and if you’re not happy then change to make it so” although I often forget that it’s not so easy when you have responsibilities. I’ve deliberately avoided them, I want neither a woman or children untill I’m at least in my mid-thirties, maybe later, so that I can do all I want to in life before becoming bogged down and it’s easy for me to say “Is this making me happy? No, right then, time to do something else!”. What I don’t ever want to become, or see anyone else become is THAT guy. We all know at least one in the real world and a few frequent these boards, who find it hard to post anything other than negativity. These guys hate their own lives so much that they need to drag others down to their own level, or mock and abuse anyone who takes enjoyment from something, ESPECIALLY if it’s something they dislike. The internet makes this worse as a sort of bias sphere forms where the angry or negative are validated by the corresponding feelings of others.

This place, really isn’t that bad. It can turn into a bit of a feeding frenzy on the odd topic and it’s almost farcical how you can anticipate the reply and who’s most likely to post it when the regular topics roll around again and again every few weeks but compared to other boards I’ve frequented over the years the mood here is rather amicable in comparison.

Say what you wish to say, you certainly have as much right as the next person to voice your opinion, or vent frustration, but don’t let that take over. You will be a target, the same as other members are, because you have a passion for something, ambition and frankly the balls to give things a go, be it your blog, different lines of work, the apps, whatever. I know it’s like Rule #1 of the internet but just ignore those who would seek to drag you down. We’re all just usernames and text and in the grand scheme of things none of this means anything. Follow the path that makes you happy, even if that path is a little escapism, disregard those who choose to stagnate or wallow. You stop to argue with them and you’ll just get bogged down in the same mire.

Firstly if you’ve been doing the job for long enough you’ll know that if you think someone is moaning at you you’ll just let it go in one ear and out the other or laugh it off and give as good as you get.A bit like when Bewick and myself have a slight disagreement being just like the old fashioned ‘arguments’ which I can remember and that applied in all jobs not just driving. :smiling_imp: :laughing: :laughing: .

As for me I don’t think I’d ever have said the job is no good generally.It’s the specific downsides of certain types of work like you’ve described of early starts just to be involved with zb London deliveries etc etc together with over regulation like tachos and speed limiters.Whereas if someone had said to me they wanted me to start at 03.00 to take a load to Italy in the Summer during the better less regulated days of the early 1980’s that would have been a different matter.

As for doing other jobs even the worst type of driving job involving early starts and local multi drop in London doesn’t get close to the type of soul destroying,grinding,monotony of working inside like in a factory for 40 hours a week let alone adding overtime to that.

Thanks for the replies, all good reads and very good thought out .
When I packed in the truck driving a few years ago and went car delivering with a pickup and trailer, I genuinely missed the lorry, I liked being my own boss and be able to pick and choose what jobs I took , ( within reason ) and it was better at home , seeing the fam more etc, etc. But … I did actually miss driving the wagon. And I still would I suppose even if I were to find other work.
I sit on the left of the M1 most mornings and watch the others fly past ( crawl ) and I realise that they are in the same rat race as all of us , its just that their wheel might be slightly larger than mine, maybe needs more effort to keep it turning maybe!.

Its true the actual specific job I do at the minute is more than likely what I hate and not the driving or being a lorry driver.
I could do with a few weeks sitting on bays at the RDC to bring me back into the fold ! :smiley:

I started using Trucknet forums when I was taking my class 2 and it was invaluable. I learnt so much and gained confidence but coming in the rooms to share any thing usually brings a tirade of abuse and puts you off even bothering.

It is only 1’s and 0’s at the the end of the day though and I will have to get some thicker skin ! ha ha thanks for the platform
and I appreciate the words. Thanks.
I’M Blue , AND I’M A LORRY DRIVER! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: