I was thinking about this the other night… Would you say there is a pecking order between drivers and the different types of work undertaken? For example, there is no comparison between a driver on trunking (from hub to hub) to someone on multi-drop or general haulage in terms of skills and experience. What would you say are the jobs that require a higher level of skill and experience and those that don’t? What order would you put these types of work into?
Does it matter so long as the money’s right. I used to get lambasted for turning up at Frankfurt Airport in a well worn 3 series Scania, when all the other RFS subbies on for Lufthansa were looking down their noses at me from their shiney new, all singing all dancing motors. I simply told them i’d ride a bike down there for the money I was getting.
Same applies for different driving jobs, I was on a good little number doing continental, but when I started freelancing I was raking it in! I didn’t mind at all taking a puddle-jumper out on multi drop C&D work with what I was charging them. I was equally comfortable doing a night trunk at the same rate. (I charged the company a fixed daily hire fee)
I’ve never been one for snobbery, hierachy, or class. I don’t feel the need to flout my skill, I know what I have and haven’t done and don’t feel the need to tell anyone who’ll listen. I snigger at driver BS and those that feel they have to prove something and be ‘accepted’ - not everybody can do everything. I view all professional drivers as equal irrespective of age or experience, although I will bow to someone’s greater knowledge on specialist roles.
At the end of the day, a driver of any sort sit’s down holding a steering wheel looking out of a window all day.
Come to think of it, I would have thought the older, wiser more experienced drivers would be doing the more mundane looking ‘easier’ jobs, as they would have learnt that the perceived ‘glory’ jobs aren’t worth the hastle. A night trunker is generally home by 6 /7 am, gets out of bed just after lunch and has half a day to himself before going to work. When offsetting the lack of night out money he’ll get as opposed to a tramper, and what his expenses are compared to a tramper, he’s probably on similar net money, does alot easier driving , sleeps in his own bed every day and sees the missus alot more.
That’s what i’d call experience 
I am of the same mind, never really bothered what I do as long as I’m happy and the cash is right for me. As it happens I have that night trunking job now, home by 0630-0700, four nights a week and the job is a breeze, down to the hub and back could not be simpler. I’ve never had much time for those that think their sh?t is ice cream because they have the shiney truck working for the big name, it’s all the same to me. I have been told that what I do now should not be considered as trucking though, it’s not hard enough apparently! Laughed so hard I swear a little bit of pee escaped.
Looking down on van drivers ■■■■■■ me off. I drive vans by choice, this makes certain people think we are less important.
I did my share of class1 years ago. So why get slagged for driving vans? There is work to be done, so let’s do it! 
bigvern1:
Looking down on van drivers ■■■■■■ me off. I drive vans by choice, this makes certain people think we are less important.
I did my share of class1 years ago. So why get slagged for driving vans? There is work to be done, so let’s do it!
I used to work on vans before getting my HGV tickets. Let me tell you its a far better job on the vans than the wagons and soon im gunna bin driving wagons and go back to the van…far easier and by far much more fun.
Tanker drivers and rock n roll drivers think they are god everyone looks down at us tipper drivers. Some artic drivers look down there nose at rigid drivers.
I drive whatever pays the best and suits at the time.
msgyorkie:
bigvern1:
Looking down on van drivers ■■■■■■ me off. I drive vans by choice, this makes certain people think we are less important.
I did my share of class1 years ago. So why get slagged for driving vans? There is work to be done, so let’s do it!I used to work on vans before getting my HGV tickets. Let me tell you its a far better job on the vans than the wagons and soon im gunna bin driving wagons and go back to the van…far easier and by far much more fun.
At last,the voice of reason! No tacho, no waiting at RDC’s, overtake comfortably. And this is a bad thing because?
Oh…Excuse my wonky syntax.
Never given it any thought, that there could be a ‘pecking’ order.
Do you really think that people would be so petty?
I have more interesting things to think about, to be quite honest.
kr79:
Tanker drivers and rock n roll drivers think they are god everyone looks down at us tipper drivers. Some artic drivers look down there nose at rigid drivers.
I drive whatever pays the best and suits at the time.
This carries on amongst plant ops; Where I used to work, the drivers who were in the waste transfer station/crushing and screening yard were seen as lesser drivers than those on the hire fleet. It used to annoy the hell out of me as a newbie, I’d be expected to get off the 360 and wood pick as this was below the old time “I’ve driven a D8 and box” crowd.
bigvern1:
msgyorkie:
bigvern1:
Looking down on van drivers ■■■■■■ me off. I drive vans by choice, this makes certain people think we are less important.
I did my share of class1 years ago. So why get slagged for driving vans? There is work to be done, so let’s do it!I used to work on vans before getting my HGV tickets. Let me tell you its a far better job on the vans than the wagons and soon im gunna bin driving wagons and go back to the van…far easier and by far much more fun.
At last,the voice of reason! No tacho, no waiting at RDC’s, overtake comfortably. And this is a bad thing because?
Oh…Excuse my wonky syntax.
Dont forget able to park ANYWHERE…ie need some food no probs jump into the nearest supermarket car park.
No weight limits to worry about.
Any nights away then its in a motel/digs not some ■■■■■ laybye or smelly truckstop.
And be able to put the foor down when running late! 
It get’s better every day. Good job I’m not unemployed whilst living in Torquay!
I wouldn’t say there was a “pecking order” because different people look for different things in a job. One person might prefer to drive long distances, another might want to get home every day. I suppose though that if you did insist in thinking there was a pecking order, then a Formula 1 transporter driver would be towards the top of it.
I thought Scanias with “530 V8” written on the cabsides were at the top; You don’t get acknowledged by them when flashing them in etc…
no thats stobart drivers…none of them will flash me in ever just because im faster than them lol.
honestly couldnt give a rats ■■■ what people think of me or what i drive, i get mocked for working for royal mail…yes mock me but im getting £16 an hour during the week as a basic rate, i get home every night and i dont do more than 10 hours a day so what if i dont drive a big shiney truck with all the toys
i`m agency, which is just higher than a leper 
commonrail:
i`m agency, which is just higher than a leper
Are you sure about that! 
bigvern1:
Looking down on van drivers ■■■■■■ me off. I drive vans by choice, this makes certain people think we are less important.
I did my share of class1 years ago. So why get slagged for driving vans? There is work to be done, so let’s do it!
Same, I’ll drive whatever I’m paid for.
When on recovery, I drove a Renault 10 tonner, looked like a 7.5t though and you could see the difference in attitude, and it was limited to 52mph too, so people really gave you a dirty look because they had to overtake you
gogzy:
no thats stobart drivers…none of them will flash me in ever just because im faster than them lol.honestly couldnt give a rats ■■■ what people think of me or what i drive, i get mocked for working for royal mail…yes mock me but im getting £16 an hour during the week as a basic rate, i get home every night and i dont do more than 10 hours a day so what if i dont drive a big shiney truck with all the toys
£16 / hr?? Seriously, I need that job, where do I apply, who’s boots do I lick etc.
im serious, this agency working thing is good sometimes when you gotta get paid the same as their own drivers 
i did 25 hours one week…came away with 400 after tax
You’re right there is no comparison between the ‘skills’ of someone who ‘chooses’ to do multi drop zb compared to someone who ‘decides’ to do trunking instead.The first thing that shows is that trunk drivers have the ‘skill’ to know that multi drop is zb work. 
Supermarket deliveries obviously!!! particularly those done with a basic German built unit and white trailers.