Passed my class 2 almost a year ago and class 1 in March - maybe because I’m old(er) at 50 plus I’ve been almost continuously working via two agencies since April.
Mostly artics - first on milk tankers driving the “liners” up to the dairy to tip and collect cream. Lots of unsocial hours (hated the 2.30 am starts) and £85 or £90 for a 12 hour shift, but good experience (and luxurious new volvo 500s). Quite a lot of 15 hour shifts, and learning to juggle my 9 and 11 hour rest periods.
Have done several weeks of parcel trunking up to a “hub” overnight, sitting around for up to 4 hours waiting for the return load. Every now and then a box trailer full of mattresses up to an RDC, back on the bay and drop the trailer, pick up an empty trailer and return. Mixture of volvos mercs and scanias and a good selection of manuals and automatics and semi automatics to try out!
A number of “one off” jobs, some with rigids for a couple of firms delivering cardboard and packing cases, fridge units etc, and an introduction to curtainsides and strapping loads down. Some other short term jobs driving a selection of vans, much easier and paid better than the milk tankers!
Only one overnight run, so just the one night in the truck at a truckstop. Naively parked next to a fridge unit, but the drone lulled me to sleep and I overslept and nearly missed my fried breakfast.
Managed to get an assessment with a local company delivering building supplies, scania rigids on day time multidrops to sites and builders merchants, night time trunk runs in an artic, managing to scale up my limited knowledge of curtainsides to big ones! Tried day time multidrops in an artic but really found that tough (I posted on here about it and got some very sensible replies - decided to carry on working nights on the trunk runs instead but did some day time multi drops in a rigid to keep the company and agency happy).
Spell on sludge tankers collecting - well, ■■■■ I suppose - which was entertaining. Wouldn’t mind doing more of that although the thought of switching the wrong valve at the wrong time kept me on my toes.
In all about 48,000 kilometres in my diary driving trucks since April.
And now a six month contract to keep me going over the quiet period delivering dangerous chemicals. Had my ADR, so have been doing confined space training, escape kit, respirators etc. All good training (paid for by someone else) and experience on the CV.
It’s a bit daunting making a career change in your fifties from a well paid desk job. I had a good idea that drivers were badly paid and worked long hours and found out that it was true! Driving a milk tanker full of cream round the North Circular on less an hour than my daughter was getting for flipping burgers…
Found it quite challenging sometimes getting up in the small hours to go and do something new, again, and being given the keys to a different truck and told to get on with it. I’ve felt stupid a lot of the time when I haven’t known what to do or been slow or bad at something.
On the plus side other professional drivers have been brilliant. Almost every time I’ve asked a question or been out of my depth, whether on this forum or on the road or loading or unloading someone has come along and patiently helped, and told me that everyone has been there and not to feel bad about it.
Passing that test a year ago really was a first step, I’m still a newbie but still learning!
