Best job you've ever done

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

As some of you may know I’ve recently come off class 2 tippers and onto class 1 fridges. It’s not amazing if I’m totally honest but I can’t turn the money down. I enjoy the nights out and it’s a decent dedicated lorry which I can take pride in.

But it’s set me wondering what my favourite job was (I’ve been on 4 different firms in 8 years doing mostly tippers)

I’d have to say bulk tippers out of Whatley to wherever was my favourite and is consider going back despite only being in fridges for about a month.

Why did I like it?

Varied work
Phone only rang once a day (with tomorrow’s work)
Decent bloke to work for
Decent dedicated lorry
Decent money (nut as much as on fridges but more than enough)
Tidy office lady
No worries about load security while parked up.
Home every weekend
No surprises on a Friday night.

Why I left.

The former Mrs TT wanted me home to moan at every night.
Similar money on class 2 and home every day (night work)
Fairly lonely work (seldom ran with other folk from same firm)

So what was your favourite job and why?

2

taking trailers of “markies” dog biscuits from pedigree in birstall to corby once a night,knowing you will be back in good time and getting paid 8 .

3

Household removals when I was 17-21 years old. Lots of fun, lots of nights out, getting drunk with mates.
Then I had to grow up a bit.

4

Working for W P Twibell in the 80s why Hard work, best boss and planner I’ve ever worked for, some of the best blokes I’ve worked with lots of fun and nights out, worked hard play hard miss that job so much. Funny how times change only chat to a few people at work now and never run with people anymore, must have turned into a grumpy old man now. But that just seems how the job has gone in general now. Still wouldn’t do anything else thought.
Why I left became owner driver worked as a subby there for 5 years still great, Bill Twibell used to run us (there were 4 xdrivers who went as ods)as if we were one of his own lorries if there was one load and I was tipped first I’d get the load and he would stand his lorry same for the rest. Then after an illness he passed away and his son took over left soon after never the same few years latter firm went under.

5

What I’m doing now, 4 on 4 off with 2 nights out, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be doing it. One thing I’ve lived by, at work, is never go back, any job I’ve left has been for a good reason, if there wasn’t I would still be there.

6

Current employers , decent men to work for , half decent money ( in my opinion mega money never lasts) one lorry one man , phone only rings if things change , never ever bother how you do the job , run by yourself , run with a gang the choice is yours , keep your truck showroom condition or don’t care if you never clean it you’ve got to sit in it you live with it! Been here since Christmas 96 so I guess that says a lot.

7

I like my present job, excellent employer and will not leave this voluntarily, but the most enjoyable of my driving life was Kwik Save supermarkets, all hours paid very well straight through including breaks, plus proper OT, night and weekend rates.

Mostly used those little day cab 2/3 series Scanias with windows all round so perfect urban tractor for tight blind siders, because the lorries had no big trucker kudos we had no glory boys applying to carve the job up which was great.

Job took as long as it took, most of the stores friendly enough, make tea for everyone plus meself when i got to the first store in the morning before they opened, all on the clock, highest paid tea boy in the land.

Home every night and usually a different journey every day, I’d have seen me time out there if Somerfield hadn’t taken them over, that was that job buggered.

Had other financially better jobs, hardest graft and best paid of which was on car transporters, it set me up financially but at the cost of injuries and joint wear which i now feel increasingly.

Also enjoyed the rolonoff skip work many years ago, mainly civic amenity to landfill sites, good bunch of lads to work with, used to take my little lad (who’s now been on the lorries a good few years) he’d sit on the machine drivers lap and drive the compactor on the tip…those were the days eh, somehow we managed without all that H&S bull or even a hi vis.

Same company did a lot of artic bulker mainly grain and farm work, met nice people on the land and the job was fun most of the time.

Hated the few times i’ve been into a modern RDC more recently, how blokes do this all the time i don’t know, i couldn’t.

No regrets.

8

I would have to say, that my present job is the best job I have ever had. I think thats because:

  • I dont get hassle from the office.
  • I feel part of a family.
  • My colleagues are by and large the best ever and we always have a laugh.
  • My boss is “cool” and gives us scope to be who we are.
  • The kits good and all R & M.

I have worked at places where the atmos was sh*t and no one gave a ■■■■. We have had that in my present job, but touch wood they have all gone now!

9

The 3 years on Concord roadshows before moving to the USA were the best for me…
Prepare equipment over a couple of day’s (really do virtually nothing but take very long tea and lunch breaks LOL). Drive to destination which could take anything from a couple of hours to a few days depending where the show was, spend a day building the show and sit back for a few days or a week or even longer at the venue, eg; race track, exhibition or show ground rtc, spend a day taking the show down and move on, all paid by the hour for every hour including the day’s sitting in hotels… Great life, great work mates, working with lot’s of famous people and some very beautiful model type females and earning lot’s of dosh :smiley:

10

Best job I had was driving tanks for Blue Circle cement. At the time I was set up as a one man agency, used to go in and do a back shift. Load and tip yourself, 4 loads a night job and knock. Money was good and mostly worked without seeing anyone else. The only niggle was the full time drivers who had never worked anywhere else, they didn’t know what a good job they had.

11

Pat Hasler:
The 3 years on Concord roadshows before moving to the USA were the best for me…
Prepare equipment over a couple of day’s (really do virtually nothing but take very long tea and lunch breaks LOL). Drive to destination which could take anything from a couple of hours to a few days depending where the show was, spend a day building the show and sit back for a few days or a week or even longer at the venue, eg; race track, exhibition or show ground rtc, spend a day taking the show down and move on, all paid by the hour for every hour including the day’s sitting in hotels… Great life, great work mates, working with lot’s of famous people and some very beautiful model type females and earning lot’s of dosh :smiley:

You win! Lol.

12

I’d say my current one too, nice and easy clean supermarket work. Pretty good money too.

Get to store, park it up and sit in the canteen/have a paid sleep. Very rarely get a call from the office.

Can’t fault it!

13

Brucewillis:
Best job I had was driving tanks for Blue Circle cement. The only niggle was the full time drivers who had never worked anywhere else, they didn’t know what a good job they had.

I’ve worked with ex BC lorry drivers and quarrymen and they said the same.
My best job was a temporary job last December. I drove a 6wheeled Daf tipper for a local haulier and JCB hire company, just father and son run with a semi retired JCB driver. All the work was for small local builders and landscapers, no rushing around and I got to visit different quarries and tips depending on what I was doing.
Sadly a job that would’ve kept me going through January and February was nicked by one of the big companies and so I was never made permanent.
I’m starting on for a small haulier in January who normally run artic tippers but are expanding by buying some 8wheelers. I’ve worked for the two main quarry operators around here so I know the score should I haul for either of them.

14

lightning:
I would have to say, that my present job is the best job I have ever had. I think thats because:

  • I dont get hassle from the office.
  • I feel part of a family.
  • My colleagues are by and large the best ever and we always have a laugh.
  • My boss is “cool” and gives us scope to be who we are.
  • The kits good and all R & M.

I have worked at places where the atmos was sh*t and no one gave a ■■■■. We have had that in my present job, but touch wood they have all gone now!

■■■■ me, you have swallowed the pink pill!

I’ll be sure and let your other former colleagues know how much they were valued!

15

Airfreight for Taft International.

First 5 weeks I wasn’t even sure I was working for them, stayed at home on a retainer for any flights coming into Manston, when they did it was just an early evening run to LHR and back. Then I got a left ■■■■■■ doing a dead easy weekend run from Heathrow to Paris with a reload (and all day sunday off) in Brussels with the odd run to Frankfurt or local day work mid week.

Money was the top end of what drivers were earning at the time, loading and unloading was flicking 4 switches (roller beds), no waiting around as they were scheduled runs with the airlines (tip / load as soon as I arrived at the cargo centres) and I spent more time at home than I did in the cab.
Happy days.

16

Driving petrol tankers in London in the 80’s.Brilliant conditions and excellent pay.On more then than most drivers are on now!
Set me up really.

17

My current one, dropping turf in and around London. Self tip with a Manitou, so no messing around twiddling my thumbs. Job and knock, and paid by the hour and encouraged to do each job how the customer wants it done, that makes every tip feel easy as the customer is 99 times out of 100 happy.

18

My current one, so far, not for the money albeit more than back home nor the colleagues as its like a bloody kindergarten but for the challenge & enjoyment of the job and I get to spend time in towns and cities I wouldnt have doing general haulage. Plus its good fun dragging 70t of crane ballast through London lol

19

see my post in bully’s re chauffeur :wink:

20

Bond trucking,subbing for Mat Transport.
3x Belges a week and plenty of time to do a “bit of shopping” :stuck_out_tongue: