I’ve been driving class 1 full time just over a year, on nights same run, same drops, same roads, I took the job as I’d not driven a truck for a few years and figured it best to take this kind of job to get my head back into driving again.
After a year I’m getting a bit bored with it, it’s a decent enough job with enough pay in the bank to pay the bills and its steady, but I’m thinking I want to go tramping, I keep hearing no two days are the same which is appealing to me, question is though with my limited commercial experiance is it too early?
Well I have only ever done bits and pieces of driving here and there part time. I passed my test at the start of this year, I now start my full time job tramping in January. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong time, if your confident enough and like your own company you’ll be grand I think.
Thanks for the reply mate, on the one hand the job I’ve got is sound, but there’s no room for manoeuvre with the drops, I had a vision of myself in 20 years still slogging down the m6 5 nights a week to the same drop, think it’s time for a bit of variety, I’ve applied to one of the bigger outfits, let’s see what happens and good luck with your new job
The biggest worry I’ve got is keeping track of my hours, at the moment driving/working hours aren’t a problem as I never get near my limits either driving or wtd, I know what I’m limited to daily but it’s the weekly/fortnightly rules that get me, hopefully get a decent planner, keep an eye on things and shouldn’t be a problem
Learn the rules and write down of all your hours to help you remember, they’re your responsibility not your planners. As for too soon it’s no different from any other driving except you don’t go home at the end of your shift. Personally I went tramping only a couple of months after I got my licence. I find it less stressful having no daily commute, start and finish when I want, my own motor nobody else drives, the extra money etc etc.