After 3 years of being literally stuck in the office as a planner, I’ve decided to jack it in & go back driving.
I’m taking a pay cut & will do more hours but I’d rather that then sitting in an office bored off my head, dealing with little Hitlers on power trips, phone constantly ringing, people pulling you from pillar to post, having to be pleaseant & cooperative to the miserable f*ers your sat next to day in day out, talking about the same old boring ■■■■■■ Going fking crazy!!
I can’t wait to get back into the driving seat. I know it has its problems like anything but at least you can get in ya truck, turn on radio 2, drink your coffee & be on your merry way - away from the contained chaos and mayhem. Enjoy the open air & freedom of the road & just left alone to do your job (to a certain extent). Shout out loud, swear & let of steam without anyone hearing. Looking forward to pulling over for a bacon butty in a layby anytime I want & chilling for 15 minutes. Bring on the traffic jams!!
Office work might suit some people but not for me!! Never again.
Just wondering has anyone here drove, gone in the office (hated it) then gone back on the road again■■? I caught the bug, never really got over it & its got me again!!
I work for a fairly small local haulier (15 vehicles, ranging from a couple of 3.5s up to 8 artics). I started there about a year ago, and have been asked to go in the office to cover our planner when he goes on holiday - have done 3 weeks so far this year, got another week coming up at the end of the month.
Personally I’ve found it interesting to see the other side of the outfit, particularly the financial side, but I still get a twinge of jealousy when I talk to the other drivers as they’re all over the country - watching somebody drive out of the yard in my unit was very strange!
I’m always glad to get back behind the wheel though - but seeing the other side does make me more aware of the issues when I’m driving. For example, I used to get a bit wound up when I’d call the office with a query, and have to wait ages. When I’m in the office, you realise what’s going on behind the scenes, and you can easily see how it can sometimes take 30-40 minutes to get a reply back from a customer, by the time you’ve gone through the various people involved.
Gary
Not really the same as you, but I was a transport clerk/planner in my last job, my place did something called “a day in the life” and you could pick any job role is the depot and follow a person doing that role for the day.
I remember the drivers always moaning about this morning about that so, I went out with one, ok it was an easy run on nights trunking store deliverys Nottingham - Oxford -Nottingham self tip and reload a decker.
The job was easy however I did see some issues of bad stacking, 3 wheeled cages, etc.
One thing that stuck in my mind was watching the sun rise on the way home and thinking this is what I want to see every day, from that moment I knew if there was ever the opportunity to do it I would.
I found out I could take redundancy and did my tests the rest is history.
Would I go back?
For the right job yes, but I would like to keep my hand in hand with the driving still.
I hear ya dude, I currently work in the public sector looking after bus services, bored witless, most of my job over the last two/next five years was/will be cutting services due to budget cuts and dealing with the public fallout afterwards. At least you don’t have to deal with the public and their unbelievably unrealistic expectations tho. I lose count of the number of complaints about the lack of buses at times when they’d never be viable in places so rural only one person and a horse lives there. Many of these people recently moved in from a city and expect the same services 
. Then there’s the councillors and senior managers and their shenanigans, I’d better not go into that 
. Our place just shafted most of the (low paid) employees with a ‘job evaluation’ excercise in which many lost four-figure lumps off their salaries - the suspicion being it’s really a cost cutting trip whilst others get raises 
.
I only drive occasionally for a mate these days but I’m now desperate to get back to it full time, for ALL of the reasons you describe.
I thought being in the office is far superior as you’re looking down on the drivers @ talking ■■■■ about them behind their backs etc…!? I’d love to spend a day in the office just to see what it’s like.
+1
I would like to spend some time in the office to see the other side, but I know I would miss the driving, I worked in a factory for just over a year. when I would have a ■■■ break outside I would watch the trucks going past on the A13 flyover and miss the freedom but I didn’t miss the traffic though.
Driv3r:
After 3 years of being literally stuck in the office as a planner,
I’ve decided to jack it in & go back driving.
.
.
Do you really wanna swap tailgating the office girl for
tailgating 44 Tonnes of cold steel ? ? ? 
.
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I got a job in a courier firm in Letchworth as a controller, had company car as a perk, Didnt even last a month I was bored senseless. Managed to get back on the road within a week of jacking it in
I love my job in the office…not long before I take my tests though 
Cheers
Jonny 
I used to be in charge of about 15 people in a pallet yard. Got to the point I got so fed up listening to people moan & dealing with BS not to mention the fact I was doing the work of 2 people, I left & went O/D.
It really depends what job you are doing in an office.If it is a boring one which many are then you soon get fed up.
On the other hand if you are doing an interesting job which you like and you get job satisfaction then it can be great and probably less stressful than being on the road.Hours are better too.
As far as driving is concerned a lot of the pleasure now has gone with the roads being so busy and some of the stupid rules that have been brought into force.
My biggest pleasure now is riding my motorbike on a quiet twisty country road but put me in a truck on a congested motorway or any motorway and it is pretty horrendous and very monotonous.
Like anything there are good jobs and bad jobs.