Hi all, I’m thinking of getting back into trucking after 10 years away and was wondering what has changed the most ?
My previous experience (before my 10 year break) is pretty vast, 12 years doing various jobs, low loaders, wide loads, refers, curtain siders, store delivery’s, hiab’s, etc.
So how much has changed- having read some of the excellent threads on this forum I have noticed some of the arguments are the same i.e. the pros and cons of switching the tacho to break whilst on RDC bays/unloading, young bucks spoiling the job, crap wages, security guards with hitler complexes and so on.
Any help much apprecited and for what its worth I’m in my early forty’s and my 10 year sebatical was due to a career change rather than spent at her majestys pleasure. Oh and digital tacho card on the way, one thing I will definateley miss is the frisby tacho charts.
Do you have your 35 hours of dcpc as if you don’t you need to start it now as of 9 September 2014 you can’t drive commerically without the card just bear that in mind if you are getting back into driving
10 years? lots has changed.
SatNav now is the must have the costlier the better, they’re bloody useless will lead you straight up to 7.5 ton limits and try to stuff you under low bridges and down narrow streets, but throw your maps in the bin together with your common sense and follow it regardless, if it directs you down a track a Landcruiser in full off road prep would struggle to negotiate go down there anyway, just shrug and say SatNav directed me.
Digi cards now on anything post 06, pray you don’t get a Stonebridge tacho in the lorry else Christ knows what you’ll do, none of us have got a bloody clue either and its as much as we can do to get the bloody card back out, in the words of Mr T…‘‘yur on yur own sucka’’.
You’ll have to learn to tell convincing (to 5 year olds) tall stories about chalk marks around tyres and fines calculated depending how many windings of the landing leg handle left, about how you told this gaffer and that copper to eff off, and how you cleverly tie the VOSA geezers up in knots cos they don’t know anything, what it was like coming over the Blanc in 2 metres of black ice and how many girlfriends you’ve got in every town…tell all any poor sap who’ll listen to the bull at the RDC’s posh seating area you’ll have your arse glued to for many hours.
Get the Mrs to run up some ■■■■ frilly curtains with tassels and a pelmet to display in your cab, preferably purple, pull the drivers window curtain right past you leaving a ■■■■■ in the top left hand corner to peer round, get lots of fairy lights fitted to the front preferably blue then park in dodgy laybys and meet new friends.
There’s many more changes and if you’re still reading this you’re as daft as i am… 
Seriously you’ll be fine once you’re back in the saddle, same crap different day… 
After 10 years away some things have changed a lot,but you will be pleased and no doubt comforted to know that the pay has stayed the same.
Juddian:
10 years? lots has changed.
SatNav now is the must have the costlier the better, they’re bloody useless will lead you straight up to 7.5 ton limits and try to stuff you under low bridges and down narrow streets, but throw your maps in the bin together with your common sense and follow it regardless, if it directs you down a track a Landcruiser in full off road prep would struggle to negotiate go down there anyway, just shrug and say SatNav directed me.
Digi cards now on anything post 06, pray you don’t get a Stonebridge tacho in the lorry else Christ knows what you’ll do, none of us have got a bloody clue either and its as much as we can do to get the bloody card back out, in the words of Mr T…‘‘yur on yur own sucka’’.
You’ll have to learn to tell convincing (to 5 year olds) tall stories about chalk marks around tyres and fines calculated depending how many windings of the landing leg handle left, about how you told this gaffer and that copper to eff off, and how you cleverly tie the VOSA geezers up in knots cos they don’t know anything, what it was like coming over the Blanc in 2 metres of black ice and how many girlfriends you’ve got in every town…tell all any poor sap who’ll listen to the bull at the RDC’s posh seating area you’ll have your arse glued to for many hours.
Get the Mrs to run up some ■■■■ frilly curtains with tassels and a pelmet to display in your cab, preferably purple, pull the drivers window curtain right past you leaving a ■■■■■ in the top left hand corner to peer round, get lots of fairy lights fitted to the front preferably blue then park in dodgy laybys and meet new friends.
There’s many more changes and if you’re still reading this you’re as daft as i am…
Seriously you’ll be fine once you’re back in the saddle, same crap different day…
That was a great reply !!! Accurate and Funny.
I’ve got a Stoneridge Tacho in my new motor, one of Exact Duo ones. It’s absolutely fab, knocks spots off its predecessors and I prefer it to the Siemens/VDO units.
Counts down, so you don’t even have to do any mental arithmetic. Even after 2 x 45 breaks, it works out your remaining driving time, even alerts you if you’re going to drop into a 10 hour day.
Just my thoughts.
I came back after nearly 20 years last year. Trucks are nicer but I miss a proper gearbox. Loads of stupid rules. Lots more aggression on the roads. Public and comrades (sarcastic)
Thanks for the replies, glad to know even with all the crap thrown at truckers by the EU over the last few years we haven’t lost our sense of humour (sure they will try and find a way to take that off us).
Seen this whole dCPC stuff and will get my 35 hours in by next September.
I’m already preparing my stories of 3 days stuck on Shap with a broken flask, STGO load that broke an axle and we had to chain it up and keep rollin, Police escorts at speeds above the legal limit, strippers at the truckstop (preferably female but not essential), given nights out on day cabs and having to paper the windows up, carrying a load of portaloos and some of the contents finding its way into a nice convertible trying to undertake me on a roundabout.
I hear its mostly autos now, don’t think i will miss the old eaton twin splitter crash box on my ERF too much.
I’m hoping that car drivers are still pulling in front of us approaching dual carriageway roundabouts and knackering our stopping distance and generally keeping us on our toes with their strange behaviour.
Suppose the more things change the more they stay the same.
Be prepared to witness ineptitude of an almost unbelievable level from other alleged professionals.
Dipper_Dave:
I’m already preparing my stories of 3 days stuck on Shap with a broken flask, given nights out on day cabs and having to paper the windows up,
Brilliant, thats the best one i’ve ever heard the broken flask tale, noted for future use… 
Unfortunately i was one of the silly buggers who really did sleep on two planks over the bonnet (plank on two planks then) and really did sellotape broad sheets (Telegraph doncha know) over the windows for some privacy.
And i wonder why me backs buggered… 
I forgot about auto boxes, oh boy…he he you’ll enjoy nipping out for a pee a pie and a pint whilst your ZF Satan autobox from hell decides what its going to do at every junction, them lurches off at fanstastic revs for a whole yard before slipping in another casual change or two whilst horns blast all round… .
mike68:
Be prepared to witness ineptitude of an almost unbelievable level from other alleged professionals.
I will bear this in mind but after 10 years off I’m sure I will make the odd mistake, I will forgive anything as long as i get the customary flash in after overtaking.
That said as trucks are now limited to 50-56mph depending on which bright spark at the company has deceided the most fuel efficient speed for that vehicle based on a complex calculation of ‘pick a number between 50 and 56’ I’m sure overtaking is now a non issue and I will quite happily wait for a mile long clear lane before commencing an overtaking manouver at 0.5mph faster than the vehicle in front.
Back in my time the speed limiters where just coming in but could be overridden, I like to think I’m older and wiser now and built for comfort not speed.
I also remember overnight parking on services for under a tenner and that inlcuded a meal voucher, does this still happen.
Juddian:
I forgot about auto boxes, oh boy…he he you’ll enjoy nipping out for a pee a pie and a pint whilst your ZF Satan autobox from hell decides what its going to do at every junction, them lurches off at fanstastic revs for a whole yard before slipping in another casual change or two whilst horns blast all round… .
Yep in my early crash box days I had the unfortunate experience of attempting a gear up change on a hill climb and being presented with a box full of neutrals and a nice reasurring crunching sound, them having to stop and start from scratch, I was screaming at the gearbox ‘any one will do’.
Probably the best learning experience I ever had.
You’ll soon pick it up I was away, apart from the odd shift for 12 years surprising how quick it comes back.
Get a digi card first and see how you get on if you like it then look at the D.C.P.C General Haulage is ****** in fact I personally would avoid anything that’s run for profit Supermarkets pay the best if you can get on, good luck.
Dipper_Dave:
mike68:
Be prepared to witness ineptitude of an almost unbelievable level from other alleged professionals.
I will bear this in mind but after 10 years off I’m sure I will make the odd mistake, I will forgive anything as long as i get the customary flash in after overtaking.
That said as trucks are now limited to 50-56mph depending on which bright spark at the company has deceided the most fuel efficient speed for that vehicle based on a complex calculation of ‘pick a number between 50 and 56’ I’m sure overtaking is now a non issue and I will quite happily wait for a mile long clear lane before commencing an overtaking manouver at 0.5mph faster than the vehicle in front.
Back in my time the speed limiters where just coming in but could be overridden, I like to think I’m older and wiser now and built for comfort not speed.
I also remember overnight parking on services for under a tenner and that inlcuded a meal voucher, does this still happen.
Brilliant welcome back - you have sooooooooooo much to look forward to!
mike68:
You’ll soon pick it up I was away, apart from the odd shift for 12 years surprising how quick it comes back.
Get a digi card first and see how you get on if you like it then look at the D.C.P.C General Haulage is ****** in fact I personally would avoid anything that’s run for profit Supermarkets pay the best if you can get on, good luck.
Yep I’m looking for some nice trunking work and digi card on the way (£38 worse off now), GH I would do occasionally but I have earnt my stripes on chaining things down with the old twangers that you needed a piece of scaffold tube to pull on to get tight.
In fact in the good old days i had the tube slip and knock me out whilst collecting some JCB’s from V fest, luckily my gaffer paid me the time I spent in hospital getting my eyebrow glued up, as I was already well over hours anyway. Oh the good old days.
Get the boss to sign up for Snap where the driver does not to pay for parking.
Get a free copy of Truckstop news.It has a list of truck stops and the popular ones fill up early so get the mobile or phone numbers of the security guard or parking man to reserve a parking space in advancep.
You may find the following link useful - interactive tutorials on how to use digi tachos - worth having a play with if you’ve never seen one, even answers questions for those that already use them:
Get a spare set of keys to hand in when tipping so you can go to the cab and have a sleep while they tip you at Rdcs.Some are aware of this and ask you to lock the cab and sign a declaration that you have no spare keys like the car or house keys that i use.
I came back into the industry 10 years ago after being away for 18 years,so I don’t think there will be as many changes now as I experienced.
Having said that,it was no problem,dropped straight back in.
I suppose I was lucky in that digi tacho’s and CPC’s had not come in then,but you seem to be getting up to speed with that,and there’s lots of help available on this BB.
Good luck.