Let’s have a positive thread; My best time was after a few months as a newbie; We were still running lorries from a time when I was at primary school…Sat in a new G reg Foden (G160 BLM the 4000th 4000 series built) and years later I spent 10 days driving it when my motor was in for mot. Talk about boyhood dreams coming true. That Cat 250 could growl… 
When I was in my early twenties (no not in the early twenties) I worked for Pirelli construction as a fibre optic test engineer. I was sent with a good workmate to Bude and told “Don’t come back till its finished”. It was when BT were putting in the first digital telephone lines and the Bude to Bideford contract was running way behind schedule for many reasons. When we got there our guys were doing their best but the installation was going very slow, also the BT engineer that had to witness our testing of the installation was on a work to rule, he had to come up from Plymouth every day.
As a result of this, during one of the hottest summers, I spent 6 weeks all expenses paid with a good mate in Bude, only working a couple of hours every few days. I had a great sun tan, loads of rock climbing and many, many free hangovers.
Good times!
My best time was when I started out at the tender age of 11 as a Saturday van boy at the Wonderloaf bakery in Birtley, which later became Homepride Bakeries. I continued in the game after they closed with Mothers Pride, later British Bakeries, until I moved to Yorkshire aged 22. I was driving Leyland 550FG’s at 14 on the streets of South Shields!!! (Allegedly.)
Wonderful times, great craic, and a job where you started at 5am and were home by about 12 noon.
Ken.
Tramping in the late 80s and 90s with John Stamper, Cardiff Bros, Bergen etc 
Leaving a large firm and starting with a small company, bliss! 
Pete.
Best working time was when I was a self employed service engineer.
Got paid per mile and per hour and service fee to drive from brighton to stockton on tees to change a 13A fuse. Came back the same day still chargin per mile and per hour.
Andy smg:
Tramping in the late 80s and 90s with John Stamper, Cardiff Bros, Bergen etc
My dad worked with Stamper and Cardiff Bros in Rutherglen.
damoq:
Andy smg:
Tramping in the late 80s and 90s with John Stamper, Cardiff Bros, Bergen etcMy dad worked with Stamper and Cardiff Bros in Rutherglen.
Yep, Quay Rd Rutherglen. I started with Stamper in 1987, was there about a year then left for Connals in Maryhill.
Got a a start with Brian Cardiff a wee while later. My old motor, M.A.N reg A404 TGA. Left to try the private hire taxis.
BIG MISTAKE… 
Andy smg:
damoq:
Andy smg:
Tramping in the late 80s and 90s with John Stamper, Cardiff Bros, Bergen etcMy dad worked with Stamper and Cardiff Bros in Rutherglen.
Yep, Quay Rd Rutherglen. I started with Stamper in 1987, was there about a year then left for Connals in Maryhill.
Got a a start with Brian Cardiff a wee while later. My old motor, M.A.N reg A404 TGA. Left to try the private hire taxis.
BIG MISTAKE…
My dad done nights down to Seaforth with them. All different trucks but the one I seem to remember was V363FGG. An EC11. He moaned about the job, but it couldn’t have been that bad. He was there for a long time.
My best job which i enjoyed very much, and got me interested in driving for a living, was when i was working for clean away as a bin man. I loved everything about it, the early morning starts, problems with the dust carts, breaking down, and dragging those bins to the back of the truck. The best part of it was in the summer with the lovely smell coming from the back which was rather sweet
damoq:
Andy smg:
damoq:
Andy smg:
Tramping in the late 80s and 90s with John Stamper, Cardiff Bros, Bergen etcMy dad worked with Stamper and Cardiff Bros in Rutherglen.
Yep, Quay Rd Rutherglen. I started with Stamper in 1987, was there about a year then left for Connals in Maryhill.
Got a a start with Brian Cardiff a wee while later. My old motor, M.A.N reg A404 TGA. Left to try the private hire taxis.
BIG MISTAKE…My dad done nights down to Seaforth with them. All different trucks but the one I seem to remember was V363FGG. An EC11. He moaned about the job, but it couldn’t have been that bad. He was there for a long time.
That was after my time. they didn’t do night trunks when I was there. If you weren’t overnighting then the trucks were parked up in the yard. Was in Seaforth regularly as well as Bootle and Widnes. Other Regular jaunts south were to Teesport, Immingham and Felixstowe.
some of my best memories are working for a place called chicpak,chicken processers, in carlisle when id just left school,in the live section,the guy who was employed as the shunter had to get the unloaded truck out and a full one in to prevent a break on the moving line,but often he would go walkabouts and couldnt be found,as a kid id learn to drive tractors and had good clutch control so i would do his job as well as my own,i didnt even had a car license,anyway after awhile the manager offered me the shunter job,magic off the stinking line and in the fresh air,7 seddons with 19,000 chickens all i had to do was get the first one in get the next ready then swop them wash the bed off and load the empty creates back on,even had time to get to know the guy who collected the offal bins and he learnt me to operate the grab on his volvo 86 and tandem trailer,ah happy days
…hasn’t come yet. But I’m pretty certain it’ll be the day I’ve acquired a skill that enables me to finally leave driving behind. Goodbye to being treated like ■■■■… and paid less than it in return for all your effort
Home time.
Working as a Mechanic at A One transport late eightes to early nineties . Best job I ever had and a good laugh with a good bunch of drivers and workshop staff.
Mid 20’s and ■■■■■■ off with driving, I jacked my job, sold everything we owned and me and my ex spent 6 months in Tenerife. Basically went on holiday and didn’t come back.
I got a job in a kitchen of a busy restaurant in Las Americas as a pot washer/dogsbody, 4pm til midnight. It was hard work but bloody good craic with some great people. You got paid daily, so at half past midnight we’d be down Veronicas with 4 mil pesetas and ■■■■ it up til dawn, and then catch the first bus of the day back home, sleep til 2 then do it all again. We’d rented a room in a pension in place called Buzanada which was up in the hills outside of Los Cristianos, and the last bus left about 11, so unless I could get a lift I was stuck in Las Americas Taxi’s were expensive.
Thursday was bonus day, which paid the rent and you had one meal free per day in the restaurant which I had before starting work. But towards the end of the shift I’d cobble together some supper with whatever handn’t sold well that night and eat on the go.
Wednesday was my day off and was the only time I saw my ex. Her job was 8 til 4. It was brilliant!
In the end though the lifestyle was killing me so it was time to stop. She wasn’t happy either so we came home, and before I knew it I was back behind the wheel again.
For me it wasn’t strictly working life but after school, going down to my stepdads garage and getting the coaches & minibusses cleaned & washed off from the contracts and ready for the evenings works (darts & doms, rugby matches, stag & hen parties etc), dirty hard graft but enjoyed every day, especially when I got to drive, I could park a 52 seat Leyland Tiger to within an inch at 12 years old., I learnt to drive on the ind est in a Ford A series. Happy days.
Worked for T Baden hardstaffs, East Leake in Leicester early nineties to 98. Was on contract to Tarmac Topblock along south coast based at Ford Arundel and Ninfield near Battle. Away all week in my 8 wheel Foden crane motor. Great times. Then i got married and it all went Pete Tong 
philberg182:
Working as a Mechanic at A One transport late eightes to early nineties . Best job I ever had and a good laugh with a good bunch of drivers and workshop staff.
Very similar to that myself.
Worked as a fitter for BRS, didn’t realise it at the time and took it all for granted but looking back it was a great time. Things seemed so much more laid back durring the late 80’s anything HGV related, everyone had a good laugh and managers were putty in ya hands.
Happy days they were.
Working for my parents carpet cleaning and helping with general day to day running of the business. I remember (wasnt that long ago really) when a 10hour day was a long day and would only work more than that if it was absolutely necessary.