Hi
Just thought I would introduce myself as I am new to the forum. I’m 39 and a class2 recovery driver for a company just outside London…only passed my class 2 last march and have worked here since August… mainly driving small stuff (by your standards )12ton tilt and slides but am occasionaly let loose in 26 ton plants trucks which is fun. Spent 18 years as a builder and love the change in career.
I am an Ex - Recovery driver.
I presume by your name your at Lanterns? Hows Craig, Lee & Ryan these days?
Spot on there mate Craig and His Brother are fine …Lee’s missus has just had another girl so that makes it 6 girls and 1 boy (Craigs) so it looks like the next generation of owners will be women !!
Im in recovery 
Hi Thecoder what do you do and what do you drive
thecoder0:
Im in recovery
Lantern-Driver:
Hi Thecoder what do you do and what do you drive
Its a Jameson … bottle green with a slender neck
sorry couldnt resist
well I walked right into that one 
i used to do recovery with a spec before the job i am in now.
Lantern-Driver:
well I walked right into that one
I would like to just point out that whilst behind a wheel I am fine
just in case any former police officers in the room 
I did recovery for 5 years but gave it up a few years ago. Was based in South Wales.
I’ve worked at lantern and ontime over the years, pretty much seen it and done when it comes to break down and recovery, i done my class 2 and 1 while i was at lanterns but no positions came up so i moved to ontime, spent a few years doing class 1 stuff at ontime and then changed to other things.
WoW nice Pics Paul I can see you went to “the Dark Side” of heavy recovery…Lanterns now quite good about promoting from within the ranks…Know 3 drivers that did their class 1 and then were heavy trained
Yeah there a lot bigger now then when i was there, i left in 2001 i think it was 
Things were very different back then, working 12 days without a day off wasn’t uncommon and working 24+ hours without a break was also a common occurance but i luckily didn’t get caught out to much 
As a company they always had top spec kit and also some of the best contracts locally.
I have thought about going back to it as its addictive work but i just have to remember lying under trucks on the M25 in minus temperatures either raining or snowing while trying to get prop shafts off some of the decrepid pieces of crap we had to tow about lol
Yes Very true it can be cold and wet out there but I do enjoy the challenge plus only met one customer who was a rude g*t. Shifts have changed a bit now ,us lowly transporter drivers do 6 days on then 2 days off , shift times are 6am till 6pm first 6 days then 9am till 9pm next six and finally 12 til 12 midnight last 6 days but heavy drivers only seem to do 1 weekend in 3 and the management seem pretty flexible as I Know at least one driver who only does Mon - Fri