A question I am regularly asked...What attributes for a lorr

[grumpy_dad]

robroy:

Grumpy Dad:
Thinking about this and reading the comments and without wanting to edit anything I’ve previously posted, I think the main attributes needed to be a driver especially a tramper, is a strong and understanding wife who can deal with the lengths we are away, without that then the difficulties at home soon become difficulties in the cab, the job becomes a bind and a hard slog.

I’d go with that, along with a wife you can trust without question, and who will stand by you when maybe sometimes you don’t deserve it.
I won the lottery on that score.

Mines an absolute star

[dieseldog999]

Grumpy Dad:

robroy:

Grumpy Dad:
Thinking about this and reading the comments and without wanting to edit anything I’ve previously posted, I think the main attributes needed to be a driver especially a tramper, is a strong and understanding wife who can deal with the lengths we are away, without that then the difficulties at home soon become difficulties in the cab, the job becomes a bind and a hard slog.

I’d go with that, along with a wife you can trust without question, and who will stand by you when maybe sometimes you don’t deserve it.
I won the lottery on that score.

Mines an absolute star

^^^^^^^^^^^
mine was looking forward to me telling her i was going to treat her like a princess…till i showed her the newspaper with dianas merc in the tunnel…

[commonrail]

Best job in the world.
As juddian says…an industry where a working class bloke can earn a useful lump of money each week.
Long hours aren’t anything new.
I remember my old man"doubling back"when he worked down’t pit.
Better not make a noise…when he’d come off nights.
I know what I’d rather do.

Do I enjoy my own company?
Not really.
No problem though.

Genuinely looking forward to tomorrow.
Nice steady day…should be done for dinner/mid afternoon.
Maybe have a go on my new lawn mower.

[peirre]

commonrail:
I remember my old man"doubling back"when he worked down’t pit.

We called it “tick, tack, toe”
Which was usually Saturday morning (6-12) Saturday night (6-6) and Sunday afternoon (2-10), then on top of that we’d be back on 12hr days at 6am Monday-Friday. This is what I did for 12yrs after leaving school at 16 and becoming an apprentice “Colliery Blacksmith” dealing with the maintenance of the lift shafts and winding gear, which could only be done between shifts or at the weekend. It also meant that I worked every summer shutdown doing skip and winding rope changes.

So the 50-60hr week driving trucks is a doddle compared to this

[commonrail]

Aye
And me mother worked in a shop.
Had to get me own tea…when I got home from school.
■■■■■■■ snowflakes now.

[mrginge]

The ability to not turn into Rain Man when delayed or told there is a change of plan.

[win-stone]

What attributes… These days?

Simples, With the preponderance of morons on the roads these day:- Patience of a bloody saint!

[alamcculloch]

Well if you have a young family and prefer to go of tramping (caravanning to some) A divorce may well be on the cards either you will go off piste or she will ,two divorce lawyers will be eating your lunch and enjoying family holidays that you have worked for. I would go for the happy families bit until the youngest goes to high school.

[conor]

alamcculloch:
Well if you have a young family and prefer to go of tramping (caravanning to some) A divorce may well be on the cards either you will go off piste or she will ,two divorce lawyers will be eating your lunch and enjoying family holidays that you have worked for. I would go for the happy families bit until the youngest goes to high school.

This. Seen a lot of divorced trampers including my mate. His missus went off with someone else after she gave up telling him for 6-7 years she wanted him at home more. His boss even said he’d put him on a 4 day week and he kept at it. I pointed out to him she’d been telling him for years, a few of us had, so he only had himself to blame.

[tc_trans]

robroy:
You’re ok with being away from your lass and your 2 year old, yep so was I, along with my other 3 kids, enjoying my job and the lifestyle.
However in about 20 to 30 years time, and your 2 yr old has suddenlly grown up …(unbeliveably rapidly so btw ) and you look back on just how much of the valuable time you lost with her/him (that you can never get back ! )… and the same applies if you are still in love with your Mrs after all that time, then you’ll have massive regrets about doing the job mate …
Trust me on that one, I know what I’m on about on this.

so very true this, I missed so much of my kids growing up, its my biggest regret about the job I loved doing.
The kids would ask “will you come to the school sports day dad?” I was even stupid enough to ask the guvnor if he could get me back, knowing darn well he is not going to do anything to assist, and its then another let down for my kid.
We had this new fangled thing called a cab phone, could not use it to dial out only the programmed numbers, but could take incoming calls, then doing homework with my daughter while trundling along some god forsaken motorway when I really would have preferred to be sat with her doing it.
Its all time that I will never get back

[robroy]

tc trans:

robroy:
You’re ok with being away from your lass and your 2 year old, yep so was I, along with my other 3 kids, enjoying my job and the lifestyle.
However in about 20 to 30 years time, and your 2 yr old has suddenlly grown up …(unbeliveably rapidly so btw ) and you look back on just how much of the valuable time you lost with her/him (that you can never get back ! )… and the same applies if you are still in love with your Mrs after all that time, then you’ll have massive regrets about doing the job mate …
Trust me on that one, I know what I’m on about on this.

so very true this, I missed so much of my kids growing up, its my biggest regret about the job I loved doing.
The kids would ask “will you come to the school sports day dad?” I was even stupid enough to ask the guvnor if he could get me back, knowing darn well he is not going to do anything to assist, and its then another let down for my kid.
We had this new fangled thing called a cab phone, could not use it to dial out only the programmed numbers, but could take incoming calls, then doing homework with my daughter while trundling along some god forsaken motorway when I really would have preferred to be sat with her doing it.
Its all time that I will never get back

Yep, I remember about 14 yrs ago, my 6 yr old little girl ringing me to see if I was going to come and see her at her Christmas concert,… and telling me ‘‘All her friend’s Daddys were going to be there’’.
On my way out of Hull on the boat shipping out to Zeebrugge, she told me she’d sing down the phone to me all the songs she was going to sing at the concert, seeing as I wasn’t going to be there, so off she went with me just about in tears …then I lost her signal the further we got out.
It especially rammed it home to me that night, and it just about broke my ■■■■ heart , thinking ‘‘Why tf do I do all this crap’’

Thing is though I still carried on with it …, the word ‘regret’ does not begin to cover it today.

[lonewolf_yorks]

I never really thought about the family thing. I started at 22 and went continental almost straightaway and stayed there for the next 14 years.

I’ve never been married and I don’t have any children. Hmmm theres a possible connection there

I did have a long term relationship mind that lasted best part of 20 years (until her death ) but her father was a wagon driver so she was used to it.

[carryfast]

robroy:
so very true this, I missed so much of my kids growing up, its my biggest regret about the job I loved doing.
The kids would ask “will you come to the school sports day dad?” I was even stupid enough to ask the guvnor if he could get me back, knowing darn well he is not going to do anything to assist, and its then another let down for my kid.
We had this new fangled thing called a cab phone, could not use it to dial out only the programmed numbers, but could take incoming calls, then doing homework with my daughter while trundling along some god forsaken motorway when I really would have preferred to be sat with her doing it.
Its all time that I will never get back

Yep, I remember about 14 yrs ago, my 6 yr old little girl ringing me to see if I was going to come and see her at her Christmas concert,… and telling me ‘‘All her friend’s Daddys were going to be there’’.
On my way out of Hull on the boat shipping out to Zeebrugge, she told me she’d sing down the phone to me all the songs she was going to sing at the concert, seeing as I wasn’t going to be there, so off she went with me just about in tears …then I lost her signal the further we got out.
It especially rammed it home to me that night, and it just about broke my [zb] heart , thinking ‘‘Why tf do I do all this crap’’

Thing is though I still carried on with it …, the word ‘regret’ does not begin to cover it today.
[/quote]
Meanwhile at the same time there was probably a single with no ties ‘inexperienced’ driver lumbered with yet another day on local building/multi drop deliveries,or council refuse bulker or supermarket trunk if he was lucky,saying oh for the chance to be shipping out on a long international run.

[benjie83]

I can’t wait to get on the road, I’ve young children, wife…

Beauty is, now you can enjoy being part of your family’s lives whilst on the road, tec allows us to video call so your never really far away, or lost in the Amazon.

OK so your not sat on the sofa that exact moment but my partner always video those moments IF i couldn’t be there, and we have always made live contact time whilst I’ve worked away, for the chaps who may not be in a settled family life then OFC it must be awful BUT I’d only say suffer it now, and graft for the time to come with them, they will love you regardless, and I speak as a bloke who lost a child whilst being away from home, my clan are stronger than ever so it can be got through well if your all in it together, it’s what we make of it to me.

I Remembered me dad being gone MONTHS in the 80s no cell phones then, now that was hard on a family, may get a box call once in a fortnight, that were it.

As for the skills needed…

Depends what/who your up to…
Owner drivers gotta be self sufficient 99% as its your arse, chuck in many variables and boom your a road ninja.

Tesco shop droppers…
Different ilk, idiot dodging, and a strong chain round your patience probs be top of the list I bet [emoji1787]

I’d say, be sure all you love know why your doing what you do, and if their well grounded folk, they’ll love you regardless of where/when your about, how YOU cope with it yourself, well long as you ain’t link that BBC3 MEN WHO SLEEP IN TRUCKS CLAN then you’ll be alright, all my own op of course and each to their own [emoji41]

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[windrush]

Almost all replies have been from ‘trampers’ but not every driver spends nights away from home. I only worked days, or occasionally nights and sundays, so didn’t have any problems with a home life as I was usually home by 6pm (5am starts often) unless held up on a surfacing job. Mrs would have a meal ready and then time to relax afterwards before bed around 11pm. Money was pretty good, far more than when I was repairing instead of driving them, and I was happy enough with my own company. Of course the lads I worked with all had time for a chat when we were parked up, and we also had social evenings (darts, dominoes, dances etc) out of working time. Possibly doesn’t happen much now though? Also the CB meant you could natter away to your mates etc when on a journey, I suppose looking back to almost 20 years ago it was a great time to be working and you never felt that you were on your own I suppose?.

Going back to the op’s question, patience and tolerance to other road users as they aren’t always as ‘switched on’ with what is happening around them is something that a professional driver needs “Never use your size to bully other drivers” was something instructors taught!

Pete.

[scraggy88]

I am lucky enough to have a misses who understands and accepts me being on the road all week, I’m lucky in my job that I can easily book days off when I need them so when my little boy is older and doing all the school plays and sports days etc, I can get planners to figure something out or book the day off. I’m also lucky that I do get to get home through my week quite regularly so it does ease the hit a little. Although I do enjoy being on the road, I do eventually want to go to day work or something thereof but for now, it’s a case of having to do what I got to do to keep the bread coming in and food on the table etc. I just make the most of what I have and what I do I guess

[terry_t]

If you’re good enough at driving a car that you can fluke your HGV test and you’re rich enough to buy a car nav off eBay you can now become a modern truck driver.

[scraggy88]

Terry T:
If you’re good enough at driving a car that you can fluke your HGV test and you’re rich enough to buy a car nav off eBay you can now become a modern truck driver.

Wish I could have fluked my class 1, passed first time in England when I was 24 and been driving class 1 for about 3 years over there, had to retake it over here (unfortunately) and managed to screw up my first attempt. Manual truck over here are Eaton 18 speed crash boxes (correct me if I’m wrong) and holy crap what a learning curve that was! I heard a few of the old boys in England who used to curse and reminisce about those things lol. I’m all for a stick but they ain’t got to the point of synchronization in gearboxes yet.
As for sat nav, just a car one will suit me, I know where I’m going most of the time and the fancy truck ones are around $750! Things have built in dash cameras and satellite radio built in as well as the standard maps and bluetooth

[animal]

Grumpy Dad:
Thinking about this and reading the comments and without wanting to edit anything I’ve previously posted, I think the main attributes needed to be a driver especially a tramper, is a strong and understanding wife who can deal with the lengths we are away, without that then the difficulties at home soon become difficulties in the cab, the job becomes a bind and a hard slog.

Behind every good man here is a better woman

Or but I don’t have a wife at home or anywhere else for that matter

I don’t mind my own company don’t think I could stand working in an office never done it & never worked normally hours alway anti social it what suits me for now could I do anything else not sure what but when I leave the yard I am my own boss to an extent I decide on the route to take taking into account road works / accidents as long as in with in reason do I still enjoy the job most days

[ukjamesuk]

So you would rather be staring into a computer screen writing some report for a ■■■■■ boss who hassle’s you all the time. Truck driving is one of the best jobs in the UK