Gotta say I’m still waiting for that time where I find going to work a drag. Sure I have bad days but on the whole after near 20 years driving various vehicles professionally all over the UK and Europe I have to say yes I still enjoy the job.
What about you lot?
toonsy:
Gotta say I’m still waiting for that time where I find going to work a drag. Sure I have bad days but on the whole after near 20 years driving various vehicles professionally all over the UK and Europe I have to say yes I still enjoy the job.What about you lot?
Yeah i’m with you there.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
I used to love the job back in the day, when I never knew whether my next trip would be to Kiev, Istanbul, Stockholm or Rome, now all of that has gone the way of the flip-flop and I just barely tolerate it while I save up enough money to go off narrowboating for a few months. If I could afford to, I’d never so much as look at a truck again.
I still enjoy it most of the time, and the particular job I do now.
Not too keen on the firm I work for though. 
I have really come to the end of my tether with it all in the last couple of months. but I have to wait at least another couple of months to sort out what I can do financially. I still have a mortgage, but with only eight months worth of payments left. I cannot claim my state pension for another year so looking at taking a small part of the pension and paying off the house. I aim to take three months away to visit the USA, australia and New Zealand after that.
Once that is done then I can look at 3 days a week driving car spares vans or working a part time job doing whatever I can. The wife will still work for another 7 years yet (always marry someone younger!) As for driving trucks, once this gig is over then that is that, DCPC and licence run out next June anyway, and I will not be sitting any more modules to keep it.
I cant wait to get out of it.
There are good days and being chosen to cover the shunter over dozens of employed drivers does make me feel appreciated but it isn’t what it used to be
Some days more than others. And some days not at all.
toonsy:
Gotta say I’m still waiting for that time where I find going to work a drag. Sure I have bad days but on the whole after near 20 years driving various vehicles professionally all over the UK and Europe I have to say yes I still enjoy the job.What about you lot?
It’s good to see you are happy in your work.
I have had many jobs over the past 40 of years, some good, some bad, some I have hated so much I walked out in disgust, I swore that by the time I reached 40 I would not be driving a truck but here I am. I have been driving for Foodliner for 11 years and they have been dam good years, I loved my old job back in the UK when I worked in promotions and shows. Foodliner is without doubt the best job for someone like me who is looking to retire in a couple of years, it is so easy to do, although it involves a lot of driving, my main delivery makes me cover over 600 miles a day, it only takes me 30 to 40 minutes to unload and get back on the way again. I am happy to think I will be retiring in a cushy job 
Wait until you have been doing any job for 30 years then see how you feel.
Especially if you have had kids and got rid of the little sods and realise theres more to life than work work work.
Trickydick:
Wait until you have been doing any job for 30 years then see how you feel.
Especially if you have had kids and got rid of the little sods and realise theres more to life than work work work.
Thing is I hear a lot about truck driving being anti-social hours and that but what I do now is Monday to Friday with an occasional Saturday morning run (20 miles round trip) as overtime if I want it. If I’m on a night out then I’m in a night out, if not I normally start about 5am and finish by 5pm. I don’t get monitored, I get left alone and generally the bulk of the drops aren’t to RDC/H&S infested sites although obviously sometimes I do get them.
Now in my old job, I was working most weekends, start tines ranged between 01:00 being the earliest and 23:45 being the latest. You were tracked at all times and pulled in for the most minor thing.
I took a pay cut to get away from my old job because I’ve got kids and I was missing too much so I guess I’ve already seen there’s more to life than work.
Been doing the job for just over 40 years now and yes I do still enjoy it. Only do nights now as too many idiots on the road in daytime.
My theory is that whether your job is something you look forward to doing or whether it becomes an ordeal to be endured is totally a mindset thing. My idea of purgatory would be being subjected to micro management every minute of my working day, that scenario would have me running away quicker than a player in a game of Isis pass the parcel.
I’ve proved time and time again that I’m more than capable of doing my job perfectly with zero outside interference and as such that is how it has worked out wherever I’ve worked. Contrary to popular belief planners and management don’t really want to micro manage drivers as it’s very time consuming, but sadly that is their default setting due to the large number of morons employed in this industry. If they know that they can leave you alone whilst they concentrate on other matters then leave you alone is what they’ll do.
Once you are left to your own devices the job turns from an ordeal into basically being paid to drive around having a laugh with people, looking at the scenery, listening to music and choosing which roads you fancy having a bit of a drive on. Perfect.
Love it worked for same boss over fifteen years ,flat out in truck from August till may three to four nights out a week,then now summer comes a mix of jobs a day out in truck van deliveries setting show stands up tractor driving and home nearly every night ,sad to say but looking forward to sit in tractor planting grass seed tomorrow ,it’s not work when you enjoy it but as any job we all ave a few off days
I still love it and I’m glad I do as it makes getting out of bed to go to work a damned sight easier, I work for a great company who do not examine everything I do and they seem to realise that I actually do know what I’m doing.
the maoster:
My theory is that whether your job is something you look forward to doing or whether it becomes an ordeal to be endured is totally a mindset thing. My idea of purgatory would be being subjected to micro management every minute of my working day, that scenario would have me running away quicker than a player in a game of Isis pass the parcel.I’ve proved time and time again that I’m more than capable of doing my job perfectly with zero outside interference and as such that is how it has worked out wherever I’ve worked. Contrary to popular belief planners and management don’t really want to micro manage drivers as it’s very time consuming, but sadly that is their default setting due to the large number of morons employed in this industry. If they know that they can leave you alone whilst they concentrate on other matters then leave you alone is what they’ll do.
Once you are left to your own devices the job turns from an ordeal into basically being paid to drive around having a laugh with people, looking at the scenery, listening to music and choosing which roads you fancy having a bit of a drive on. Perfect.
Although I’ve only done casual driving, once the “Team” found I could do the job without constant supervision they left me to it and there were never any complaints.
the maoster:
My theory is that whether your job is something you look forward to doing or whether it becomes an ordeal to be endured is totally a mindset thing. My idea of purgatory would be being subjected to micro management every minute of my working day, that scenario would have me running away quicker than a player in a game of Isis pass the parcel.I’ve proved time and time again that I’m more than capable of doing my job perfectly with zero outside interference and as such that is how it has worked out wherever I’ve worked. Contrary to popular belief planners and management don’t really want to micro manage drivers as it’s very time consuming, but sadly that is their default setting due to the large number of morons employed in this industry. If they know that they can leave you alone whilst they concentrate on other matters then leave you alone is what they’ll do.
Once you are left to your own devices the job turns from an ordeal into basically being paid to drive around having a laugh with people, looking at the scenery, listening to music and choosing which roads you fancy having a bit of a drive on. Perfect.
+1 especially bottom paragraph
Trickydick:
Wait until you have been doing any job for 30 years then see how you feel.
Especially if you have had kids and got rid of the little sods and realise theres more to life than work work work.
29 years for me and a still really love it, carnt think of a day when I think that I carnt be bothered to go to work. I Love lorries & Transport When im not working im on trucknet reading about it. Yes before you say it yes I am really sad. 
the maoster:
My theory is that whether your job is something you look forward to doing or whether it becomes an ordeal to be endured is totally a mindset thing. My idea of purgatory would be being subjected to micro management every minute of my working day, that scenario would have me running away quicker than a player in a game of Isis pass the parcel.I’ve proved time and time again that I’m more than capable of doing my job perfectly with zero outside interference and as such that is how it has worked out wherever I’ve worked. Contrary to popular belief planners and management don’t really want to micro manage drivers as it’s very time consuming, but sadly that is their default setting due to the large number of morons employed in this industry. If they know that they can leave you alone whilst they concentrate on other matters then leave you alone is what they’ll do.
Once you are left to your own devices the job turns from an ordeal into basically being paid to drive around having a laugh with people, looking at the scenery, listening to music and choosing which roads you fancy having a bit of a drive on. Perfect.
That is the best part of a job, being left to your own devices and to be allowed to use your initiative by being left alone.
Unfortunately today many drivers do not know what this is like as they are being constantly watched monitored and hassled, mostly by those who know the far end of jack ■■■■ about the job in real terms.
The firm I work for are moving more and more towards the modern style of management, mostly at the head depot but it’s starting to filter down to ‘satellite depots’.
The job creation of ‘non jobs’ like Compliance Manager 
, and such bullcrap are a good example…
It’s getting more to the stage at our place where they are just showing their authority by agitating drivers and making bloody stupid rules. The latest one is their ‘‘No shorts policy’’ (as far as I’m concerned they can shove that right up there 
) instead of trying to concentrate on sorting REAL problems, which long term would be far more productive for both parties.
Point I’m trying to make is all that type of ■■■■■■■■ just ■■■■ drivers off for the sake of it, and cause many to no longer enjoy the job.
The rest just comply as usual instead of questioning all that type of crap, and never notice,.and carry on in blussful subsevient ignorance. .
Iam living the dream 
and definitely let alone to get on
2 years on tuesdsy i have been trucking after leaving coaching and i still enjoy it…get your good and bad days but mostly good and enjoyable tbf