HI Albion, in answer to your question, like i said in the post, back in the 60s you could blag your way in to a job, just tell them you been working for so and so, ( a company who had gone bankrupt and they would believe you ) today they would want to phone everyone up whos on your cv. So for example when i first started i approached the transport office ( even back in those days, there was a little window where you had to speak through ) so as i asked them if they need any drivers, a guy asked how old i was , so when i said 17, he said if you told me 19 you could have a job, then quickly closed the window, so thinking what an ignorant barstewardand nearly walked away, the window suddenly opened again, and the same guy asked what i wanted, i could have answered, but suddenly grasped what he was saying, so after giving him the right answers, gave me a form to fill in, and told me to start 0700 the following monday. I started, had a choice of a Thames trader, or a tk Bedford, so seeing as it was winter, and seeing as the TK had better heaters, thats what i got, so after a 2 minute induction, like heres the diesel pump, that was about it, so i followed another driver over to Rainham in kent, and was onShip to Shore, which meant stacks of timber, straight off the boat, and taking them a few miles, into the storage area, i hadnt a clue about roping, dollies, or whatever, you was shown, or you had to ask, and no one minded, they were glad to show you, today, they frown upon it, I DONT, I help anyone if i can is my motto, but i learned over the years many aspects of this industry, sometimes there was no one to help, just work it out yourself, routes, or how to do this, how to do that. I happened to be in the yard, when drivers were talking in a group, amongst them was a bod from the office, so as each driver asked the other Can you drive an artic and each answered yes or no but when they asked me, i said yes, mainly to sound a bit big headed, well i was the youngest there, and the greenest, but thought it would give me some standing, anyway, all was forgotten, until a few weeks later, there i was standing nattering in the yard, when this bod came out of the office Hey Chalkyyou can drive artics cant ya i couldnt say no, so i answered yes, Well, take that Maggie over there, get yourself a trailer, and come and see me, Maggie, looking at the front grille, soon taught me why it was called a maggie, well that was the easy part, hooking up, plugging in the lines was easy too, obviously forgot to take off the trailer brake ( which was a ratchet type back then ) And eventually got told to go to Croydon and load 2 machines ( they were car wash machines ) and i was going to Liverpool ( wherever that was ) no night out gear, no money, ( well how was i to know ) just thinking about it now, brings a smile to my face, had a huge problem in Croydon, it was the main A23, and i eventually found the company i wanted, and it was the rush hour, so i waited for a gap in the traffic, indicators on, pulled across the road, past the entrance, and thought i had cracked it, now i had to reverse in, oh my god, and it was only a 27ft trailer, and a single one at that, well there wasnt many twin axles on general haulage, or even longer ones, only low loaders, anyway, after about 20 minutes, motorists were getting, fed up, impatient, and one old boy started walking towards the cab, after parking his morris 8, Been driving long drive he asked, No first time ok then, dont worry, move over ( into the passenger seat ) and he got in, Now watch me , and i did, every move, and we had a good chin wag whilst loading, and he told me he was a lorry driver too, and we all have to start somewhere, i learnt a lot, over the next few hours, knots, dollies, double dollies, transport cafes, en route, headlight flashes, how to say thank you, and most of it learned from listening, from asking, but i got through it, the same as International work, been to spain on holiday, so at my first interview, told them the truth, been to France, Spain ( didnt tell them on holiday ) and those days your passport was stamped ) so theres the proof, all i wanted was a foot in the door, which i certainly got, then the confidence grew with every job, and talking to other drivers you soon learn, there was quite a bit to learn, how to fiddle ( plus ) how to do this, do that, T forms, T1 T2 and later Carnets, ATA, TIR, Open TIR/Closed, Borders, who wanted what, what forms, what windows, etc, etc, but we learned as we went along, even asking foreigners what we have to do, and getting help as we needed it, so im not going to talk anymore, its time to wrap it up, but hope ive answered your question…ha ha
