Hello and good morning! I was wanting some job advice. I am 24, currently working as a class 1 driver for the past year for a Belfast based store with branches throughout Ireland and Scotland. I have been driving their lorries to their shops and unloading stock, and reloading emptys as well as shipping trailers and collecting and returning containers. However recently I just feel I wanted to earn abit more and learn more about the industry. I was wondering if anyone has any advice, I.e companys to move to, type of work to go towards or if I should move at all? Is the grass always greener?
look forward to responses!
the grass is usually just as green if not worse elsewhere,especially if your in n.i…take a holiday,work for a week or 2 for any of the mushroom brigade lot or as a subby for nfl etc on english work and see how green it looks from there. i wouldnt be burning your bridges if youve a steady enough legalish job where you are.
kf28:
‘… I wanted to earn a bit more and learn more about the industry…’
This industry no-longer pays what it did.
Overtime for more dosh?
What are your priorities - a warm bed at home between shifts or maybe they’e keen to extend to willingly kip-down in a pee-stinking lay-by and ■■■■■■■■ in poly-bags for a few more squid?
One’s own testosterone is frequently a bugger overcome/challege as I’ve met plenty 30 yr olds that look 45 in order to ‘…earn a bit more…’
Some companies that do not do empties are
Mcburney or Nolans.
Breen trans.
Are you after European work ?
Virginia transport.
Thanks for replies guys, yea well current job is 100% legal but only taking home around 350 a week, the trucks are 10 year old and as for what I’m wanting, really anything, currently doing one overnight a week in Ireland, but I certainly do enjoy them and wouldn’t worry about sleeping out longer. I’m young enough that I have no commitments for family etc. I guess I want to move on however have never done England, and am afraid of the unknown, you hear all these stories of boys hitting bridges and getting laughed at in yards for maneovers they ■■■■ up or getting stuck somewhere or lost. Would my fears be unfounded?
kf28:
Thanks for replies guys, yea well current job is 100% legal but only taking home around 350 a week, the trucks are 10 year old and as for what I’m wanting, really anything, currently doing one overnight a week in Ireland, but I certainly do enjoy them and wouldn’t worry about sleeping out longer. I’m young enough that I have no commitments for family etc. I guess I want to move on however have never done England, and am afraid of the unknown, you hear all these stories of boys hitting bridges and getting laughed at in yards for maneovers they [zb] up or getting stuck somewhere or lost. Would my fears be unfounded?
It’s up to yourself, but like others say, why leave a good job, if you want to join the tang brigade and race up and down the a75 on the bang while being kept awake by energy drinks, then go for it, there’s very little jobs where you can run legal now, as the traction money is ■■■■■■ and as you know, with this cpc ■■■■■ now, the buck stops with the driver if your running bent
What ever you do do not start for McBurneys thieving liein barstewards with wages ! 
Again thanks for reponse, it’s a tough call to make. What line of work would be recommended? Fridge work? Or whatever? What’s wrongwith journeys? Any other hauliers to run from or anyone could recommend?
Try sawyers I worked for them for a while ago and they are a good company with good plant and run legal
jay0:
Try sawyers I worked for them for a while ago and they are a good company with good plant and run legal
100% agree 
You run completely legal and can opt for salary so no “chasing the trips”.
£100day home(£500wk) plus fuel bonus.
Some days will be long others will be dead handy.
(The week of the bad winds there couple of months ago when the boats where cancelled for 2days I only did the one trip approx 23hrs “on duty”
and took home £520 on salary wages 
)
90% of the time when you bring a reload back off the boat into NI your “turned” off the boat by another day/late shift driver and its him who delivers the load and you head home for your daily rest 
The aul body clock has to get used to working (legally ) 24hr days though. 
I did Sun night to Fri morn/afternoon, long-trip/short-trip and home for daily rest on Tue or Wed and mostly handy work running to collect-tip just off most of the motorways/A roads.
Ring and ask for Colin Maguire.
£350/wk home is a disgrace 
Big Truck:
jay0:
Try sawyers I worked for them for a while ago and they are a good company with good plant and run legal100% agree
You run completely legal and can opt for salary so no “chasing the trips”.
£100day home(£500wk) plus fuel bonus.
Some days will be long others will be dead handy.
(The week of the bad winds there couple of months ago when the boats where cancelled for 2days I only did the one trip approx 23hrs “on duty”
and took home £520 on salary wages90% of the time when you bring a reload back off the boat into NI your “turned” off the boat by another day/late shift driver and its him who delivers the load and you head home for your daily rest
The aul body clock has to get used to working (legallyI did Sun night to Fri morn/afternoon, long-trip/short-trip and home for daily rest on Tue or Wed and mostly handy work running to collect-tip just off most of the motorways/A roads.
Ring and ask for Colin Maguire.£350/wk home is a disgrace
a sound bit of advice there
Sawyers have just bought out Montgomery Refrigeration this week,
48 trailers arriving into the Lurgan yard on Mon!!!
irishexpat:
there’s very little jobs where you can run legal now, as the traction money is [zb],
Easy answer that then, don’t work for small outfits that do traction. Nearly all the bigger operators run legal now and have been for a good few years.
do blair still run out of limavady way?
I done a few weeks on agency for them and they were pretty decent (just let you get on with it from what I saw).
wages were ok on the agency too.
Fleet of new Scania R450s just went up on Sawyers FB page.
Big Truck:
Fleet of new Scania R450s just went up on Sawyers FB page.
Any day work at sawyers at the minute?
Not sure but hourly rate@ Sawyers for dayshift/nightshift pure DUNG!!!
Too many Taliban only fit for that work so rates are low,
much better to opt for the trips to mainland on salary.
Seen one of the new r450’s at the centra on westbank there, looks well.
Heard the best dayshift rates for NI are working for Premier agency on the DHL contract. Think its £9.50/10hr and time/half after 8hrs and double bubble on Sun!!! Have to be willing to cover all the DHL contracts incl the Iceland dung work.
kf28:
Thanks for replies guys, yea well current job is 100% legal but only taking home around 350 a week, the trucks are 10 year old and as for what I’m wanting, really anything, currently doing one overnight a week in Ireland, but I certainly do enjoy them and wouldn’t worry about sleeping out longer. I’m young enough that I have no commitments for family etc. I guess I want to move on however have never done England, and am afraid of the unknown, you hear all these stories of boys hitting bridges and getting laughed at in yards for maneovers they [zb] up or getting stuck somewhere or lost. Would my fears be unfounded?
Get a decent sat-nav and you’ll not have to worry about hitting bridges or getting lost, any more than in Northern Ireland.
Not been laughed at yet by anyone for messing up a manoeuvre. On the few occasions I’ve found them difficult (usually down to reversing round a corner into a tight spot), I’ve had someone come forward to help. The most recent time, it was supposed to be a two-night booking and the second night was cancelled, which annoyed me as they knew I had trouble with that before they took me on. But never been laughed at.