After a couple of years of hell, Personal Bancruptcy after twenty years on my own in a different field, and my missus finding out she had a brain tumour and other complications, I,ve been given a golden oppurtunity to drive again. This is hopefully going to give hope to those who are struggling to find a position.
I rang a local haulage firm Tuesday last week and spoke to the traffic manager. He said come and see me, I did and after a short conversation he told me to come back the next day for an induction. I turned up at 9.ooam and was still there at 5.30. I hadnt driven a bender for twenty years, but took a load to the local Asda under supervision and was soon feeling like I,d never been away. They were obviously impressed enough and to cut along story short I was off the next day [Thursday]at 5.00 and came home Sunday morning with a clean sheet.
I had done eight years tramping in the eighties / early nineties but nothing since, so it can be done.
Bottom line… Just go for it, I was very cautious and told them it as it was, not trying to pretend I,d been driving recently or trying too hard to impress, just careful and the most important thing the tester said I,d achieved was to not clip a single curb… Result!!! and good look to all who are looking for work
Thanks matey it feels great now Ive matured like an old cheese and take things in my stride. I dont get fazed by much now. nothings changed. Some drivers happy some sad some twist and moan at everything, and some dont acknowledge that you exist. Only upside no roping and sheeting in the wind and rain getting loaded is a mission for diplomats if you dont want to be mucked about and the trucks have better technology than the first appollo mission!
Spot on mate hope it goes well for you, keep posting about how you notice how, things have changed since the 80s, we have all seen the changes gradually, where as you will get it full on all at once, so let us know your opinions, better or worse.
robroy:
Spot on mate hope it goes well for you, keep posting about how you notice how, things have changed since the 80s, we have all seen the changes gradually, where as you will get it full on all at once, so let us know your opinions, better or worse.
Your right,its like a fly on the wall situation, but its basically the same as far as the type of people and attitude. The units are out of this world and the truckstop thing is well organised. We used to stop anywhere, laybyes, car parks, any industrial estate was fair game. I once took a load of doors up to Govan for Swindells at Piercebridge. I found a quiet little backwater and another truck, [BRS I think] and parked next to him. He took me to a working mens club in the roughest part of Govan on foot. When we got there I thought it had closed because all the windows were boarded up and it look a mess. He knocked on the door and it opened. It was like the Tardis inside, you wouldnt have known it was full of folk. We walked back later and got some chips at the chippy. Try that nowadays, thats where its changed, we are only allowed to park in designated yards or truckstops, is that fairly universal nowadays?
robroy:
Spot on mate hope it goes well for you, keep posting about how you notice how, things have changed since the 80s, we have all seen the changes gradually, where as you will get it full on all at once, so let us know your opinions, better or worse.
Your right,its like a fly on the wall situation, but its basically the same as far as the type of people and attitude. The units are out of this world and the truckstop thing is well organised. We used to stop anywhere, laybyes, car parks, any industrial estate was fair game. I once took a load of doors up to Girvan for Swindells at Piercebridge. I found a quiet little backwater and another truck, [BRS I think] and parked next to him. He took me to a working mens club in the roughest part of Girvan on foot. When we got there I thought it had closed because all the windows were boarded up and it look a mess. He knocked on the door and it opened. It was like the Tardis inside, you wouldnt have known it was full of folk. We walked back later and got some chips at the chippy. Try that nowadays, thats where its changed, we are only allowed to park in designated yards or truckstops, is that fairly universal nowadays?
I never stop in lay-bys you can still find a lot of places like you mention, I,ve never been one for just working and sleeping, a good walk into town a decent sit down meal and a pint if I feel like one, dont let the bar stewards force you into lay bys, because then they have won
oldsid:
Try that nowadays, thats where its changed, we are only allowed to park in designated yards or truckstops, is that fairly universal nowadays?
No, you’ll find plenty of firms still happy to let their drivers park up in laybys on the A1 with no shower, a toilet to ■■■■ in or anywhere to get a hot meal.
robroy:
Spot on mate hope it goes well for you, keep posting about how you notice how, things have changed since the 80s, we have all seen the changes gradually, where as you will get it full on all at once, so let us know your opinions, better or worse.
Something I have noticed is that obviously there are less independant companies to find and deliver to, and the result is that in " the good old days where you just had a nouse for where the industrial estates were and you could stumble on customers premises, nowadays distribution depots and the like are right on the main routes and well signed, ie black signs with lorry symbols. It all seems so easy from a seek out and find point of view, its just the incredible hours havnt gone away, but I just console myself like many others with the fact that where else will I earn 600 a week to take home even if you have to sacrifice some free time to get it. the poor sods in retail or the care industries cant make 600 no matter what they do, so I try and justify the intensity of work/time off against that.
its good to be doin something
Got an atlas and the iphone gives the final detail if you have a post code 