robroy:
Most of the aspects that attracted me to the job years ago have either gone completely, or changed beyond recognition.
The freedom of being your own boss, and getting away for a week on your own (‘’ Ring me at end of week when you’re empty’')
Being left alone to make your own decisions and initiative, has been changed to being constantly on call by cab phones, and being watched by trackers, …or in the severest terms [zb] cameras.
Parking in the nearest town centre truck parks has been changed to ‘‘Which ind est do I park at’’… or worse which totally unsuitable [zb] lay by am I being forced into parking in tonight by my tacho.
The camararderie of drivers mucking in together helping to fold sheets etc, empathising on the road with each other.
Meeting up for a night out, has all but gone apart from a select few who try and get some social life out of the job…No I don’t mean going out to get rat arsed either.
On the whole many driver’s attitudes today are an I’m alright Jack so [zb] you scenario.
I could prattle on for ages but I’ll spare you as I’m even sounding like Uncle Albert to myself
So… if I was facing the choice of starting off today, the attraction would simply not be there at all, but you just make your own decision mate, there are much worse jobs out there.
Sounds to me like you need to find a company to drive for, yeah you’re still going to be regulated by the tacho but there are jobs which you can pick up a tractor from the yard and off you go for a few days picking up containers/fridges from ports and dropping them off somewhere.
I passed my Class 1 and 2 straight away with Red Rose mate. They are very professional and easy to deal with. They were charging around £40 per hour when I did it around 4 years ago.
Would I do it all again? Would I ■■■■■■■■ Should have spent the money on a good holiday
eagerbeaver:
I passed my Class 1 and 2 straight away with Red Rose mate. They are very professional and easy to deal with. They were charging around £40 per hour when I did it around 4 years ago.
Would I do it all again? Would I ■■■■■■■■ Should have spent the money on a good holiday
To be fair, most people hate their current jobs and wouldn’t recommend them, there are worse jobs out there, you just need to look a bit harder.
robroy:
Most of the aspects that attracted me to the job years ago have either gone completely, or changed beyond recognition.
The freedom of being your own boss, and getting away for a week on your own (‘’ Ring me at end of week when you’re empty’')
Being left alone to make your own decisions and initiative, has been changed to being constantly on call by cab phones, and being watched by trackers, …or in the severest terms [zb] cameras.
Parking in the nearest town centre truck parks has been changed to ‘‘Which ind est do I park at’’… or worse which totally unsuitable [zb] lay by am I being forced into parking in tonight by my tacho.
The camararderie of drivers mucking in together helping to fold sheets etc, empathising on the road with each other.
Meeting up for a night out, has all but gone apart from a select few who try and get some social life out of the job…No I don’t mean going out to get rat arsed either.
On the whole many driver’s attitudes today are an I’m alright Jack so [zb] you scenario.
I could prattle on for ages but I’ll spare you as I’m even sounding like Uncle Albert to myself
So… if I was facing the choice of starting off today, the attraction would simply not be there at all, but you just make your own decision mate, there are much worse jobs out there.
Sounds to me like you need to find a company to drive for, yeah you’re still going to be regulated by the tacho but there are jobs which you can pick up a tractor from the yard and off you go for a few days picking up containers/fridges from ports and dropping them off somewhere.
Who ? Me?
I’ve got a job that suits me at the moment thanks.
It certainly beets sitting in an office for 12 hrs in my opinion you have a degree of freedom on the road. It might not be the job it once was but I have done plenty of ■■■■ jobs like shelve stacking and warehouse operative and this is better. People wing about it being crap pay for a “skilled” trade but to be an electrician or a plumber you need intelligence years of training and low - unpaid work
from what I have read about getting your hgv if you have a spare £3000/£4000 then go for it,can’t believe how much it cost’s now,i swear they are ripping prospective hgv drivers off when it comes to training,mine cost just over a £1000 in 1990,that was bad enough and a loan jobbie,if you decide on a career in hgvs then as others have said make your own mind up about it once you pass,i moan a fair bit about the job but on good days when motorways are good and it’s a beautiful summers day you cannot beat having the windows down,music up.
Getting a class 1 license is the way to do it as there are so many different jobs you will find one that suits you. When you are single a job weeks away at a time might be what you are after and people that want to be home everyday can do so easy enough.
robroy:
Most of the aspects that attracted me to the job years ago have either gone completely, or changed beyond recognition.
The freedom of being your own boss, and getting away for a week on your own (‘’ Ring me at end of week when you’re empty’')
Being left alone to make your own decisions and initiative, has been changed to being constantly on call by cab phones, and being watched by trackers, …or in the severest terms [zb] cameras.
Parking in the nearest town centre truck parks has been changed to ‘‘Which ind est do I park at’’… or worse which totally unsuitable [zb] lay by am I being forced into parking in tonight by my tacho.
The camararderie of drivers mucking in together helping to fold sheets etc, empathising on the road with each other.
Meeting up for a night out, has all but gone apart from a select few who try and get some social life out of the job…No I don’t mean going out to get rat arsed either.
On the whole many driver’s attitudes today are an I’m alright Jack so [zb] you scenario.
I could prattle on for ages but I’ll spare you as I’m even sounding like Uncle Albert to myself
So… if I was facing the choice of starting off today, the attraction would simply not be there at all, but you just make your own decision mate, there are much worse jobs out there.
Sounds to me like you need to find a company to drive for, yeah you’re still going to be regulated by the tacho but there are jobs which you can pick up a tractor from the yard and off you go for a few days picking up containers/fridges from ports and dropping them off somewhere.
Who ? Me?
I’ve got a job that suits me at the moment thanks.
Most of the greeting faced lot on here aren’t real drivers, they work for the worst of corporate companies doing day shift work and then wonder why everything is crap. Up to you if you want to change but like you’ve said you will struggle to make the money you do elsewhere without qualifications.
Try getting a start on the railway as a lift and shift type goon, hard graft but good money, 30k a year is possible.
I get more than that to cut around Europe having a permaholiday, but each to their own.
robroy:
Most of the aspects that attracted me to the job years ago have either gone completely, or changed beyond recognition.
The freedom of being your own boss, and getting away for a week on your own (‘’ Ring me at end of week when you’re empty’')
Being left alone to make your own decisions and initiative, has been changed to being constantly on call by cab phones, and being watched by trackers, …or in the severest terms [zb] cameras.
Parking in the nearest town centre truck parks has been changed to ‘‘Which ind est do I park at’’… or worse which totally unsuitable [zb] lay by am I being forced into parking in tonight by my tacho.
The camararderie of drivers mucking in together helping to fold sheets etc, empathising on the road with each other.
Meeting up for a night out, has all but gone apart from a select few who try and get some social life out of the job…No I don’t mean going out to get rat arsed either.
On the whole many driver’s attitudes today are an I’m alright Jack so [zb] you scenario.
I could prattle on for ages but I’ll spare you as I’m even sounding like Uncle Albert to myself
So… if I was facing the choice of starting off today, the attraction would simply not be there at all, but you just make your own decision mate, there are much worse jobs out there.
Sounds to me like you need to find a company to drive for, yeah you’re still going to be regulated by the tacho but there are jobs which you can pick up a tractor from the yard and off you go for a few days picking up containers/fridges from ports and dropping them off somewhere.
Who ? Me?
I’ve got a job that suits me at the moment thanks.
Right, sounded like you hate it though.
Didn’t say I hate it I just commented on how it had changed since I started, and that I would no longer be attracted to it as a new driver,.which I aint by any means.
I’ve done most stuff in transport since 1979, except car trans and tanks, …and yeh including the type of work you mentioned,… but cheers anyway.
41 years here and counting, and yes i still enjoy the job, i’m on good pay for short hours and being on shifts less days than normal, home every night, am treated with respect am allowed to take a pride in my work (most important this) and never have to go to RDC’s or deal with the types often found behind the bars at such prisons.
Wasn’t always like this, when the job was harder i was on general haulage handballing roping and sheeting, landfill rolonoffs, bulk tippers etc, then i had a big break mid 80’s and got onto very express night trunking which was in real terms the best paid job of my life, after that i specialised and got onto car transporters and now tankers, the last two i would regard as my niche, suits me but not for everyone.
The industry is huge, there are crap jobs out there, middling jobs and superb jobs, don’t expect to run before you can walk and do expect to have to work your way up and earn yourself a reputation before you can hope to find your own niche place.
Well thanks everyone for your views and opinions. Really is appreciated.
One of things I like about the trucking world is that it seems to offer lots of options in working hours and once gained experience I wouldn’t mind doing an ADR course. I already work with chemicals so seems familiar.
Could I ask, while tramping do you get expenses covered? I know you may get £25 for a night out but is this to cover food and parking or whatever it may be or is it purely for being away from home or both??
chrismollard:
Well thanks everyone for your views and opinions. Really is appreciated.
One of things I like about the trucking world is that it seems to offer lots of options in working hours and once gained experience I wouldn’t mind doing an ADR course. I already work with chemicals so seems familiar.
Could I ask, while tramping do you get expenses covered? I know you may get £25 for a night out but is this to cover food and parking or whatever it may be or is it purely for being away from home or both??
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The 25 or whatever quid is originally and officially subsistence, used in the old days to pay for digs and a meal.
If it had been inflation linked and related to digs today it would/should be about 50 quid…but it aint. mainly due to sleeper cabs.
Some firms pay an additional daily meal allowance and parking, and some don’t.
Do not ever pay for parking yourself out of your subsistence, it is up to the co., and if they don’t pay parking, they can’t complain if things go ■■■■ up in terms of robbery etc.
Hope that answers your question.
chrismollard:
It does answer the question, cheers.
I read on a few job ads they say they pay breaks as well, are there seriously companies out there that don’t pay while you take a break?
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Yeh there is,… mine being one of them.
On the other hand a lot of times that aint a bad thing, as some unscrupulous crews will encourage their drivers to work through breaks, and justifying it by saying ‘‘Well we pay you for it’’
The problem with that is many drivers are so thick they will agree to it, and see nothing wrong with it.
Better to make up the time yourself for breaks taken…or so I am told.
My advice is get your rigid licence and then do your class 1 straight after. At your age you don’t want to be messing about working your way up. It won’t be easy for the first couple of months, but then you’ll be fine.
As to adr don’t bother putting yourself through it, you won’t get tanker work anyway as an inexperienced driver, and if it’s just general you’re going to be doing they’ll put you through it if they need you to have it. I’ve got adr, firm put me through it, and only put the orange plates on twice. It’s not in demand like some training providers say. If they provide it free then fine go for it, but if not save your money.
Hgv driving isn’t the easy money ride it once was (same could be said for many other professions) like many others I signed up in the good times and now see the industry sliding downhill with no sign of getting better. I’m just one of the lucky few who has made and saved enough money from the better times and have now found myself a cushy number that will hopefully see me through to retirement.
Don’t know what your personal circumstances are but if I were making a change of career it would be getting on the railways in some way or another, or getting a CSCS for 360 or telehandler and joining the building/civil engineering game.
This isn’t a flippant choice as I’ve always fancied being a truck driver but reading a lot of posts on here over the last week it sounds like every trucker hates their job (nearly every) so is it just general moaning that all us men do, or is it really that bad??
Don’t pay too much attention to what gets typed onto this 'ere interweb thingy. There are 100’s of thousands of people driving trucks in the UK, just because 20 or so of them post on trucknet that the job is ■■■■ doesn’t mean it is, it just means that they don’t like their job(s). You would no doubt find similar being said for every other industry.
When you pass your test you will be very lucky if you walk straight into your dream driving job, you have to get experience first and that often means doing the crap jobs that no one else wants to do. Some people by the sounds of it are still doing the crap jobs even after getting some experience. Most, however, will find a job or type of work that suits them and their lifestyle and crack on. While the reality may not be “Smokey and the Bandit” (which is a shame ), for me personally I enjoy it 90% of the time which is a lot more than any other type of work I’ve done
I was expelled from school at 15 had no qualifications at all, I then joined the bus service / railways … then moved to the prison service, then into law enforcement … I got a degree now thanks to my current role here in Australia … and soon will be looking for promotion. Don’t let no qualifications hold you back… I’m hoping to be an inspector or higher within 5/10’ years I love my job with a passion but I know loads who don’t each to there own.
The railways pay excellent money for station staff.
Should have spent the money on a good holiday 
mainly due to sleeper cabs.
