Straight out of school I worked in a zip factory for 45mins
Then I worked in a yard cutting up Lancahire Flats with a cutting torch until I got my car licence, a week later I was in a Transit, then a puddle jumper, then at 18 I started on artics, I have the ban on my licence to prove it too went back on the puddle jumpers until I passed my class one and then apart from a sabbatical while I was at TRUCK mag and a year in the office I drove lorries until the year before I emigrated to Canada, my final year in the UK was at Mercedes selling lorries, hence the username, now Iām going to drive until they nail the lid down or I win the lotto
RAF then joined current job as casual litter picker then got a full time litter picker with van!!! (exciting!!)lol then bin lorry loader then finally they paid for my class 2 so now am bin lorry driver wots next I do not know
Worked in a office from school, never worked out how to steer the desk round properly, then van at 19 delivering car parts
Passed Class One in 1987 at 21 and 5 months. Still got the little āBrown Bookā that you used to get. Never looked back, no really always wondered what life would have been like if I had stuck with the desk Probably crashed and burned by now somewhere behind the filing cabinet
Deep-Sea fisherman from 16-21, a job I loved, but having grown up in a transport family, I left the sea to pound the highways and bi-ways. fifteen years ago, I purchased a trawler(hence my username) with the intention of giving up European driving and three week trips, but as yet, I still prefer life on the road, though my sons would be more than happy for me to return to a life on the sea, and hand the transport side of the business over to them. But sod em, the buggers can wait.
āGovernment Servantā for 25 years up til nearly 3 year ago. No way was I rejoining civvy street just to sit on my arse behind a desk or on a bone production line. Keys drawn, checks done, decent CD in, press goā¦much rather sit on my arse watching the world go by!
wee_gus:
As above just wondering if folk on here had other jobs before becoming a hgv driver?
i mad Threeandahalf Year vocation as Mechanic and worked on HGV for 20 Year.
Moved over when GF made Practica at Hotel for Business License and found there a Chef for Love
Shelf stacking, welder(for about 6 weeks), hgv mechanic (for about 6 months) Driving. Been at it 6 years never looked back! What I wanted to do since I was in the womb.
Electronic engineering - four years.
Programming, systems design and consultancy - thirty years - oil-n-gas, banking, telecoms, academia and logistics.
Iāve driven grouse and pheasant - and I can hammer weld.
My list of jobs is as follows,all for the same company
Warehouse floor sweeper and tea boy at 15 1/2
warehouseman at 16
forklift driver at 17
van driver at 18
class 2 at 22
class 1 at 24
assistant warehouse manager at 28 (children came along)
warehouse manager at 29
Transport manager & relief driver at 30
and man would I give anything to go back to driving now, but wages & hours stop me from doing it.
worked as bouncer in mothercare,did 5yrs in the secret service, 7 yrs as aircraft pilot, was the first man into iraq during the first invation, got offerd the primeministers job before tony blair but turned it down. wen,t into land development made 2million. now just driving a truck for a hobby.
5 years a car sprayer and before that was a computer engineer, just started lorry driving got stiched over well long story but still doing it for agencies. Liked car spraying (was told was a good sprayer an an idiot to give up) but all bonus crap today and no money
hmmm 3 years doing IT at college and got board. then went on to be a burger flipper then got job on council as a grass cutter / bin wagon loader during the summer then past my class 2 and within two days got sent off for an assesment drive and have been driving sinceā¦ so much easier than running after it
Aircraft Artificer First Class, Royal Navy 12 years.
Service Engineer, Rolls Royce, Leavesden 1 year
Hated it. Four walls. Yuk!
Went HGV driving. Loved it.
Three times tried to break away to save relationships by going self employed:
Garage Forecourt dried flowers distribution 1 year
Print Production Manager in an Advertising Agency 9 months
City and Guilds qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineer 3 years
Still went back to HGVs until I lost my licence (Speed cameras on the A1 north of Newcastle), and then ran a hire boat and restaurant boat business on a canal. 5 years.
Agri mechanic, milkingmachine salesman, milking machine fitter (didnāt sell enough on the sales, so let someone else do it), back to agri mechanic, hgv driver for 12yrs until parents passed away. Now Iām a beef farmer/agri contractor. I still drive occasionally, but wouldnāt go back full time unless very desperate
went back on the puddle jumpers until I passed my class one and then apart from a sabbatical while I was at TRUCK mag and a year in the office I drove lorries until the year before I emigrated to Canada, my final year in the UK was at Mercedes selling lorries, hence the username, now Iām going to drive until they nail the lid down or I win the lotto 
Probably crashed and burned by now somewhere behind the filing cabinet 
