If i was younger and single then yes no problems whatsoever and I cannot see why the younger ones wouldn’t want to do it (if they wanted to get into haulage seriously), especially if they are getting as such a good offer as you are proposing or considering a) to employ a few of them b) give them decent training which would hopefully set their career up for the rest of their working life.
However if my wife ever gets sick of me and doesn’t want me around the house, which she must be getting close to that by now Then I know who to send a CV too and ask if any potential vacancies are available.
They should be biting at the bit to help you achieve your goal too. Bit of back scratching helps the world turn and you seem quite reasonable by offering to show them the world of trucking, whilst taking the risk of putting them on the road by keeping the nasty insurance brokers at bay in return for them being away from their homes for a working week or a weekend or more where necessary of course being paid and looked after.
Unfortunately for me in our area shifts are more plausible and available so these would be what I am thinking of doing either permanently or (I hate to say this as they destroyed the construction industry - Agency (but not forever!!!) )
However I digress my main thoughts recently is to go freelance and try and establish myself that way as supplying my services in a professional manner to a number of companies in our area to meet their needs.
In return can I ask a question back, how come the more experienced/greater drivers don’t want to do this anymore for companies?
This includes my old man, he switched to night shifts (and this month to days only) in the last 5 years and said he would never go back to tramping now (at the age of 58 after doing it for the majority of his career). Well he gave it up when i was 25 but done it through all my childhood and I used to see him every fortnight when he picked me up from Mum’s and it seemed to work for all parties including me!
Hope all goes to plan and that you are very successful in achieving that Harry, be great to hear more good news on this forum and get people to stop being so (zb)ing negative in this country as they have been over recent times!
I don’t think I’d be into tramping, I know in a driving job like this you can’t usually clock out at 5pm every day. I wouldn’t mind the odd night out but wouldn’t want to live that way for weeks on end, I work for the family, there’s no point if I never see them.
I personally wouldn’t mind what days i worked or how long i was away for. As already mentioned, as long as the cab was half decent to live in for best part of a week etc, then i’d have no problem.
If it goes ahead, count me in as im not toooooo far away!!
Well, considering I’m just getting on the road quite literally. When I finally get behind the wheel of a truck, tramping & Euro work is the main thing that interests me and will be what I shall be looking for mostly. Sunday & Saturdays aren’t a problem. So long as the wheels are turning and I’m earning that’s what will keep me happy Also someone to pay for my HGV training would be nice but I’ll be paying for that in due course
And good luck Harry for when you do put the trucks on the road.
I’d love to do that. Just need to get C+E on my licence, though at the moment that is a struggle financially - just earn enough to pay bills and rent at the moment.
In return can I ask a question back, how come the more experienced/greater drivers don’t want to do this anymore for companies?
This includes my old man, he switched to night shifts (and this month to days only) in the last 5 years and said he would never go back to tramping now (at the age of 58 after doing it for the majority of his career). Well he gave it up when i was 25 but done it through all my childhood and I used to see him every fortnight when he picked me up from Mum’s and it seemed to work for all parties including me!
Hope all goes to plan and that you are very successful in achieving that Harry, be great to hear more good news on this forum and get people to stop being so (zb)ing negative in this country as they have been over recent times!
Dan G
I will try to give a reasonable answer to this, as people get older and the kids have either run away or got married, the prospect of spending the final days with the mother of those kids gets easier. The job was never difficult, but it got too easy when the borders came down, from being able to plan two weeks work and plan every days stops to being told where to park, where to be and at what time.
Most of the old hands had fun, and the money was reasonable, the times have changed and Europe is expensive for a British driver.
I enjoyed myself, but would I go back? probably not, except for an odd trip maybe.
Thank you for taking the time to give a decent answer.
I suspect that’s the best and reasonable reason for the experienced driver! When it comes down to it, the older you get, the more you want to spend time with those around you, which is fair enough and a good reason too.
So tramping is the young man’s game as i thought. Gosh even I may be too old for it now then…
Cheers for that, I’ll wind up the “old man” when I see him tomorrow that’s he’s too long in the tooth now for hauling a! That’ll cheer him up with Christmas spirit!
Thanks for all the answers, if I do sort something out next year I will definitely offer any work I have on here. I agree it is more for someone who has few ties and either no children or children who have grown up.
I have in the past been away for months at a time but gave that up when my own children came along, although I am still out all week. That would be the format of the work I did if I do end up putting vehicles on the road and in fact this week I’ve been discussing a job which goes away for six weeks next summer, touring round Mediterranean resorts and ending up in Turkey which I might well do.
This would be The ideal oppertunity , with no ties no kids no wife or g/f to moan but yeah sounds like the ideal opportunity , I am planning on doing my class 1 within the next month or so , see how the funds go =) and availability of the training in the area for dates etc .
Well at the moment I can’t find a single thing for me to gain any experience on class 1s so, if you had this going right now i’d take whatever you could offer, if it means I am away for a while then so be it, after 2 years with you, then I could find myself “normal” work which would fit around my family.
If I do get anything, or hear of anything, I’ll post it on here. I do hear of a few roadshows and similar during the season, 'tho that doesn’t start until about Easter.
Harry Monk:
If I do get anything, or hear of anything, I’ll post it on here. I do hear of a few roadshows and similar during the season, 'tho that doesn’t start until about Easter.
Driven all over Europe in my campervan, 20 odd countries, 1,000’s of miles.
Just about to get my LGV and then ill be specifically looking for Euro work, hopefully ill get something, although i gather ill need to work my way up first.
Then I know who to send a CV too and ask if any potential vacancies are available.
Bit of back scratching helps the world turn and you seem quite reasonable by offering to show them the world of trucking, whilst taking the risk of putting them on the road by keeping the nasty insurance brokers at bay in return for them being away from their homes for a working week or a weekend or more where necessary of course being paid and looked after.
)
as we all know transport runs 24/7
Also someone to pay for my HGV training would be nice but I’ll be paying for that in due course 
That’ll cheer him up with Christmas spirit!
