Noremac:
there isn’t an ideal driving job.
Proper truck driving can only possibly be ideal.
Everything else is waiting or aggravation. 
youtube.com/watch?v=feA_NUzLOH4
Not buying into the jealousy thing. When I go out my door at 0430 I have yet to see my neighbours curtains twitching and them saying ‘look at that lucky barsteward, all day on the open road seeing the country’.
Unfortunately,our job does require professional attitude and olympian levels of focus as you near the end of a 15hr day, but is wrongly regarded as a low status occupation by many.
There is also the ‘tang’ factor. Have you ever been in an RDC and went into an office looking like a cheap whores bordello, or seen an FLT personalised, and them saying ‘I do this job as a lifestyle choice mate…I’m living the dream me’. Most unlikely that you have, but throw a stick in a truckstop and it will hit a lardy guy polishing his tang even in the rain, a man not interested in what he earns, as long as he is ‘looking good’.That is the problem. It should be a job of work that earns professional respect and wages that reflect it. Not a lifestyle choice for sociopathic metal polishers.
Unfortunately I have to disagree Janos, I would prefer to deal with someone who looks half respectable, not someone who walks into an office covered in grease and a nameplate stuck to there windscreen saying “rat” it is a vicious cycle though, people in dead end jobs they hate coming to every day, simply to make enough to pay the bills and if there lucky a cheap holiday in Spain every year. On another note I have never really experienced this in mainland europe, most drops I went to i was treated well with coffee on tap, maybe it’s a social problem within the uk??
The amount of drivers dressed like tramps and stinking of BO probably doesn’t present the best impression when going into someone’s premises, a bit of pride in your personal appearance will help in getting a better attitude towards you. Always be polite if it’s not reciprocated well that is their problem not yours agree with Young Trucker that it does appear to be a UK problem. On a side note if I employed drivers it would be written into their contract that the wearing of tracksuits would be a sackable offence, sportswear is for sports not to cover up your lardy bulk because you can’t fit into a pair of jeans or trousers.
Carryfast:
Winseer:
“I’m sick to death of office politics” - and am glad I’m out of it now.Just seems to confirm what I said.
How does a truck driver end up embroiled in ’ office politics’ unless they are spending too long off the road in the ‘office’ type environment.
My own experience of being drowned in office politics - comes from incidents such as “Full timer screws up, near miss incident, gets reported by agency scumbag (me) but I get the bullet on the first pretence that comes along for putting the job of a hallowed full timer at risk, rather than the firm using camera footage to ascertain that I was telling the truth all along, and upholding my accusation against said full timer”.
As opposed to out on the road on their own getting on with the nice long run or runs they’ve been given to do.
I like nice long runs, always have done. My perfect job would be going straight out at the start of the shift, and not getting back until it was time to go home. My worst duty would be “local runs” or worse “Shunting duty” where there are more opportunities to get wound up by others, more opportunities to be distracted in a dangerous manner by others, and of course - more opportunities to be pulled over the coals by some acting manager because a full timer wants to get away with something THEY have gone wrong…
That will keep them away from everyone for most of the shift.Other than the 45 minutes break in an empty canteen between a trailer swap.
Then the run back.Put the trailer on the dock, post trip checks, fuel up, hand in keys go home. Amen to that.As opposed to short runs.Too much time off the road ■■■■■■■ at hubs or loading unloading points etc.
In an alien environment where drivers have no place followed by the all too predictable aggro of friction between two sectors of workforce that should never mix.
Drivers are supposed to be loners by trade and by nature not in any place long enough for any such issues.That’s why we do the job.
A mistake I’ve made in the past:
Me: “I take H&S very seriously”
Them: "Oh oh - we’ve got a bloody whilstle blower here. See if you can arrange some incident in the yard for him, like parking the shunt tug across the footpath momentarily, so he has to leave the path to go around… Move away the Tug, and then report him “not using the walkways”.
or
Me: “There’s just been a near miss incident on Bay 1 - Just kissed trailer upto the bay, but light went straight red, and PPM goes onto back of trailer before I’ve even had time to alight cab and wind down legs… I reprimanded full timer for going on back before I’d dropped and pulled off, but they just gave me some lip about me being worthless rather than them.”
Them: “We find in favour of the full timer’s version of events. No camera footage will be looked at, because that is there to protect us and not you, the casual contractor minon. We’ve plead guilty on your behalf to the near-miss drive-off incident on Bay 1. If you do it again, You’re banned from site for life.” WTAF?
or
Me: Out on run, street on official route completely closed, divert using roads in London that don’t carry weight limit signs to get around blocked street.
Them: “Why were you illegally off-route?”
Me: “Illegally? If there’s no weight limit sign, I’m legal. If I was illegal, why were the police not called?”
Them: Are you arguing?
Me: “Sure I am. Don’t say things are “illegal” which implies they are against the law of the land, when in fact you’re merely ticking boxes on your own ruleset.”
Acting Manager Hugo Drax, speaking to fellow driver I’m unpopular with:
“Look after Mr Winseer. See that some unemployable harm comes to him.”
msgyorkie:
Truthsetyoufree:
Why do companies want you to work 70 hours per week when they wouldn’t do it. Any bitter drivers on here keyboard warriors leaving smart arse comments I’m not interested.Any one with brains know why drivers are treated the way they are? Is it no unions ? What?
Drivers that dont have the balls to say NO its what has led to the poor conditions. I’ve seen the sorts, all mouth in the yard but melt like butter on a hot day when standing in front of the gaffer.
You need to set your stall out from day 1. If you dont want to work more than 12 hours then tell them. Its no good coming on Trucknet and crying that your job is crap. Mine is good but then again I dont let them take the mick out of me!
Could not agree with you more,two many “brown nosers” willing to do as they are ordered irrespective of being right or wrong instead of giving a firm NO
Some people are c***s and the sooner you accept that the better. I try and get on with everyone and even if I’m having a crap time away from work I never bring it to work with me. For years I expected the same of everyone else and would fall out with anyone who talked to me like crap and acted like an ***hole.
Now I just breeze on past it all. Our yard is full of some of the slimiest brown nosers you could ever meet. Out on the road the customers are mostly fine, never row with anyone. I just come in, get my keys and go. Not interested in the rest.
We’re unionised and fairly well paid to which is why those who constantly berate the company never ever get round to doing anything about it. They know they have it good they just have a pathological need to moan. Let them drown in their own misery and crack on with your life.
Harry Monk:
msgyorkie:
Truthsetyoufree:
You would get back after 12 hours out and they would send you out again saying ng oh u can do 15 hours.Its at this point you put your big boy pants on and declare that 12 hours is plenty in the year 2020 and you are now on your way home.
I find that with many jobs, in the first week or two they assess you to find out if you are willing to bend over and take it without lube, and if you make it clear from the outset that you aren’t they generally do accept it. Although I do sometimes end up working a 12 hour day, once I’ve been on duty for 10 hours I do not take another trailer out of the gate.
Don’t you nip and pop anymore Harry?
Wheel Nut:
Harry Monk:
msgyorkie:
Truthsetyoufree:
You would get back after 12 hours out and they would send you out again saying ng oh u can do 15 hours.Its at this point you put your big boy pants on and declare that 12 hours is plenty in the year 2020 and you are now on your way home.
I find that with many jobs, in the first week or two they assess you to find out if you are willing to bend over and take it without lube, and if you make it clear from the outset that you aren’t they generally do accept it. Although I do sometimes end up working a 12 hour day, once I’ve been on duty for 10 hours I do not take another trailer out of the gate.
Don’t you nip and pop anymore Harry?
“Nip” and “Pop” the AroundTheCorners?
Cousins of “Quick One” and “Easy One”?
Related to “I Saved This One For You”?
And “You’re the Only One I Trust With This”.
Truthsetyoufree:
Now almost every single place that I would deliver to spoke to you and looked at you with hatred and like you was a peice of [zb] or had no brain. The big rdc places were really bad. The office staff in the places were really really bad. And shunters before you parked up loads of them were [zb]s and they were once drivers. The security hated drivers , the flt drivers, office staff , warehouse staff.
Not my experience but then again when I go up to them I have a smile on my face and a cheery hello and treat them as human beings. You should try it if you’re capable of it, you’ll be surprised just how much easier it makes things go than turning up with a face like a wet weekend and attitude to go with it. I learned that trick years ago working on Hull docks and turning up at a shed at 10 to dinner time to get loaded. I’d turn up, they’d have long face on when I gave them the notes and say something about it being dinner, I’d reply with a smile “no problem mate, I’ll see you when you get back - might go get a bit of dinner myself” and nine times out of ten they’d load you even though it meant them going into their dinner to finish it. If you do the " foook sake that knackeres me right up, I need to get it on now…blah blah blah" they’ll just dig their heels in.
Harry Monk:
Probably because most people you encounter aren’t happy in their jobs themselves, and misery loves company.
Which is why if you can bring a bit of light and humour into their day, even if just for a few minutes, you’ll get treated a whole lot better and get things done than the driver who turns up and brings their own cloud of misery along to make theirs even worse.
Nothing makes me miserable like being hurt in my pocket, despite my never hurting anyone else in theirs.
I was never happier than when I was earning the big bucks, and being entirely left alone.
Never had a problem with VOSA or the police, tbh.
I jokingly said to mrs. Transport manager at our place last in first out when we were discussing COVID being the end of many jobs. When she realised I was referring to myself because I’ve only been there 4 years she said “over my dead body”.
My point is because some of us get on with the job and don’t take the urine we get treated with respect. If you are one of these moaning whining miserable so and so’s that bang on about bloody unions all the time and no I won’t do this that and the other then it’s no wonder you get treated like dog dirt.
As for the OP, yes I do think it’s yet another bloody troll/split personality that’s rife on this forum.
Winseer:
Me: “There’s just been a near miss incident on Bay 1 - Just kissed trailer upto the bay, but light went straight red, and PPM goes onto back of trailer before I’ve even had time to alight cab and wind down legs… I reprimanded full timer for going on back before I’d dropped and pulled off, but they just gave me some lip about me being worthless rather than them.”
Them: “We find in favour of the full timer’s version of events. No camera footage will be looked at, because that is there to protect us and not you, the casual contractor minon. We’ve plead guilty on your behalf to the near-miss drive - off incident on Bay 1. If you do it again, You’re banned from site for life.” WTAF?
So they fitted you up with driving a trailer ‘off’ a bay that you were actually in the process of dropping there and they knew you were dropping it there not driving off with it.
Ironically old school in the days before traffic lights on bays were even heard of.Warehouse shutter goes up while you’re backing onto bay.
They open trailer and make a start on tipping it before you’ve even left the cab.
Then you walk to back of trailer if there’s room or if not walk into the warehouse onto the dock and tell em you’re about to drop it after doing lines and legs.They say ok.Similar when picking up a trailer make sure trailer shutter is closed and locked and/or warehouse shutter is closed .Everyone is happy. 
No need for any of the unnecessary weird zb like pointless fail unsafe traffic lights going on these days.
Nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with these people not being punched in the face often enough.
They get away with it because drivers are either terrified to stand up for themselves or can’t be bothered with the aggro. They’ve been getting away with it for so long it becomes the norm. Maybe I’m lucky in having always worked for a boss who will back me up when I speak up about the attitude of these people, even if I hadn’t I would never allow myself to be treated the way some drivers do.
TheUncaringCowboy:
Nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with these people not being punched in the face often enough.They get away with it because drivers are either terrified to stand up for themselves or can’t be bothered with the aggro. They’ve been getting away with it for so long it becomes the norm. Maybe I’m lucky in having always worked for a boss who will back me up when I speak up about the attitude of these people, even if I hadn’t I would never allow myself to be treated the way some drivers do.
I’ve noticed that a lot of fellow agency drivers at any moment, either “woulnd’t say boo to a goose” or are foreign enough that engaging in conversation for both sides, is a bit of a strain on the grey matter…
So trying to see it from a Full Timer’s point-of-view for a moment, If some Agency bod who doesn’t normally speak, let alone speak to moi comes up and ■■■■■■■■ me for opening my shutter door before I’ve even got out of my cab to drop my trailer, then I’m either going to be sheepish about it (if I’m of low-seniority, and/or not a union member) be very apologetic, nothing further done or said OR get all shirty, run to my Union Rep, and make sure this “extra” takes the blame for my mistake, lest I get the bullet instead, and mean one less Union Dues paid…
Personally, I don’t like it much when people perform suicidal unsafe acts anywhere in sight of me, let alone right up my nose, as it were.
If that rubs people up the wrong way, so I keep shuffling from job to job as a consequence, I’d rather that than buckle under, never speak unless spoken to, etc. with the result that one day, something I could have prevented happened and someone got seriously hurt or killed “Because I stayed silence out of fear of critisism/job loss” id I’d piped up…
In my mind, EVERYONE should pipe up if they see, or can prevent an unsafe act unfolding before their eyes…
Maybe if more managers got sacked because someone got actually injured, rather than “near missed”, - the managers themselves would take H&S rather more seriously, rather than use it as a blunt instrument to punish people when “nothing happened, but I nearly lost my reputation” kind of arguments…
Because, we are a
" CASH COW "
we are easily slaughtered
Winseer:
Me: “There’s just been a near miss incident on Bay 1 - Just kissed trailer upto the bay, but light went straight red, and PPM goes onto back of trailer before I’ve even had time to alight cab and wind down legs… I reprimanded full timer for going on back before I’d dropped and pulled off, but they just gave me some lip about me being worthless rather than them.”Me: “Illegally? If there’s no weight limit sign, I’m legal. If I was illegal, why were the police not called?”
Them: Are you arguing?
Me: “Sure I am. Don’t say things are “illegal” which implies they are against the law of the land, when in fact you’re merely ticking boxes on your own ruleset.”
And so it becomes clear. You are one of those drivers. Those drivers who think they know it all and have a good ■■■■■■■■ at being able to preach the rules and regulations to the office staff to show them your superiority. Those drivers that anyone hates and wish would just [zb] off. Now I understand why you are “not required” at every transport company in the SE.
Mick Bracewell:
Winseer:
Me: “There’s just been a near miss incident on Bay 1 - Just kissed trailer upto the bay, but light went straight red, and PPM goes onto back of trailer before I’ve even had time to alight cab and wind down legs… I reprimanded full timer for going on back before I’d dropped and pulled off, but they just gave me some lip about me being worthless rather than them.”Me: “Illegally? If there’s no weight limit sign, I’m legal. If I was illegal, why were the police not called?”
Them: Are you arguing?
Me: “Sure I am. Don’t say things are “illegal” which implies they are against the law of the land, when in fact you’re merely ticking boxes on your own ruleset.”And so it becomes clear. You are one of those drivers. Those drivers who think they know it all and have a good ■■■■■■■■ at being able to preach the rules and regulations to the office staff to show them your superiority. Those drivers that anyone hates and wish would just [zb] off. Now I understand why you are “not required” at every transport company in the SE.
Many people have come to the same conclusion that perhaps Winseer should inwards rather than outwards.
Many people are also wrong it seems…
Mick Bracewell:
Winseer:
Me: “There’s just been a near miss incident on Bay 1 - Just kissed trailer upto the bay, but light went straight red, and PPM goes onto back of trailer before I’ve even had time to alight cab and wind down legs… I reprimanded full timer for going on back before I’d dropped and pulled off, but they just gave me some lip about me being worthless rather than them.”Me: “Illegally? If there’s no weight limit sign, I’m legal. If I was illegal, why were the police not called?”
Them: Are you arguing?
Me: “Sure I am. Don’t say things are “illegal” which implies they are against the law of the land, when in fact you’re merely ticking boxes on your own ruleset.”And so it becomes clear. You are one of those drivers. Those drivers who think they know it all and have a good ■■■■■■■■ at being able to preach the rules and regulations to the office staff to show them your superiority. Those drivers that anyone hates and wish would just [zb] off. Now I understand why you are “not required” at every transport company in the SE.
I don’t like being lied to. What’s so bad about that?
If I’ve actually done something wrong with regards to actual driving, then bollock away BUT do not EVER tell me that someone else screwing up needs to get away with their sins merely because I’m a convenient one to blame. If I’d remained a full timer over the years, sure - there are things I’ve gotten away with which I wouldn’t have done had I been agency all the way back then - BUT that is still no excuse for managers to find against “outsiders” using lies and spin, merely to protect their own position. It isn’t a question of being a “know-it-all” and never was. It is merely wanting the same deal, same treatment, and same respect in the workplace that everyone is suppose to be entitled to, regardless of race, creed, nationality, etc etc.
Again, when someone says “I’ve broken the law” and it is merely a company RULE that I’ve broken - I’m being lied to.
I asked to be sacked on more than one occasion, “if I have offended”. NO sacking was forthcoming. I was merely refered back to the agency, who then invited me to resign, but wouldn’t sack me. Again, because there might be litigation implications at the time if they did.
If impersonating the police is considered “illegal”, then so should “company managers pretending their rules are the law of the land” as well.
Theft of cash via a unneccesary “card payment system” in-house also abound, along with “no access to personal data held upon oneself”, which is extremely irritating when you need and rely on that “footage” to clear one’s own name from outrageous accusations against OR need to to prove an accusation against another third-party offender as well.
Yes, I’m being someone who stands up for themselves, and won’t go quietly into the night - and why the hell not?
If you let yourself be treated like dirt once you’ll be treated like dirt all the time.
If you push back, then firms are free to get rid of people when they are agency, but FFS they should just have you in the office and say “We don’t like you, you’re sacked” rather than make up lies and spin to “cover their arses in case he sues…” FFS I’m sick to death of people always playing THAT game everywhere I go.
If anyone f–s up, including me - just dish out the punishment with reason, and be done with it. STOP hiding behind “political correctness” and “company rules” being passed off as “third party law of the land” all the time. Is that so much to ask of fellow law-abiding citizens not hell-bent on ruining someone else’s life, just because they can? 