Bit of an odd one this, but I have noticed recently more and more drivers who refuse to do any distance driving.
I might be wrong in saying this, but I have always been of the opinion that I get in the motor on Monday morning and get out again on Friday night or Saturday morning and I go where dispatch tells me, as long as its all legal and I can make it home at the end of the week.
At the firm I work for, I constantly hear drivers (who are 4/5 night a week trampers) moaning about having to drive any distance work, in fact I know my boss struggles to get drivers who will work on contracts that involve a lot of driving.
We are based in Milton Keynes and I have witnessed on more than one occasion drivers, kicking off about having to take a load up to Birmingham. When I returned a few weeks ago after working in North Yorkshire and North Wales on a contract for 6 days, 4 drivers told me they would have flat out refused to work up there.
What is becoming of this once proud industry? I would much rather be doing distance driving and getting to see the country, than using the same roads day in day out and sleeping about an hour from my house every night.
Maybe I am wrong, and will happily except all criticism that comes my way.
Cant say Ive noticed this myself, but you do raise some interesting points.
Are we all a bit too precious and ready to moan than before? With social media etc its too easy to find someone better off than you, and become upset about it? (there is ALWAYS someone better off). Maybe thats just me moaning about the moaners tho?
I get bored with driving long empty miles on mways (not around Birmingham of course) but agree doing the same few routes is mind numbing in spite of differing traffic etc. Variety is the spice of life. Nights out close to home always seems a wind up to me: If Im far away then sleeping in the cab is fine, if around the corner then it does seem a bind.
YouTube videos posted by drivers showing their daily lives doing distance work have one thing in common there is no interaction with anybody .
They tend to talk to themselves .
Each to their own of course but bugger being handcuffed to a wagon for a week at a time.
I am guilty of doing it and being away for weeks on end but I saw the light and hung my keys up June the 15th 2015 after 27 years.
Do I miss it No .
We are based in Gloucester and there is a couple of guys that find 1.5hrs drive in any direction is their limit. But, that’s fine with me and other people that like going on jollies further up the road. My boss is fine with it as 99% of the time the ‘local’ drivers can be left on that work so as long as all the loads are moving he is not fussed who is doing it.
Birmingham from Milton Keynes, that’s not distance! Arctic Circle in Sweden or heel of Italy, that’s distance.
I used to prefer being long distance when I drove, seemed more interesting. As most of our Euro runs are double man, it makes a pleasant change to just have your own company.
Most drivers aren’t real truckers anymore most have been lured into the industry with promises of big wages for doing next to nothing, then the reality hits and their stuck because of debts bills that need paying etc. Nothing left for them to do but moan and ■■■■■ about everything and ■■■■ up the job for those that actually want to do the job.
I can’t think of anything worse than sleeping in a cab all week. Likewise there are plenty of others that wouldn’t want my job on local work. I’d do an odd night if we had a sleeper cab and it was necessary.
McGurke:
Most drivers aren’t real truckers anymore most have been lured into the industry with promises of big wages for doing next to nothing, then the reality hits and their stuck because of debts bills that need paying etc. Nothing left for them to do but moan and ■■■■■ about everything and [zb] up the job for those that actually want to do the job.
I completely agree mate, I also feel that a lot of drivers are also very ‘precious’, they don’t actually want hard work anymore and simply want to pick up a trailer driver to a RDC and sit playing on their phone for 3 hours, then simply repeat at the next RDC.
I will confess that I have never been to a RDC as I deliver to building sites, farms and storage yards. I know I could have an easy life delivering to RDC’s but yesterday as I walked across a site covered in mud, I actually though to myself, I would’t want to change a thing, crawling around securing chains and straps on awkward and often overhanging loads is what I love doing.
Maybe I am stupid and should take the easy route, but where’s the fun in that.
i must confess i do prefer to be home in my own bed at night but if the job or circumstances requires it im ok with having nights out
used to do two weeks away in europe in the nineties and loads of domestic weeks away
i strikes me that finding anywhere half decent to park up with decent facilities etc etc is harder and harder to find
Everybody ( Ok most ) wants the big lorry and the shiny trailer but few seen to realise that the bit behind the seats is for sleeping in and not just somewhere for your hi-vis and and sandwiches.
I always knew and accepted that for a good wage I’m going to be sleeping out the odd night or for that matter a week at a time , to me its part and parcel of the job and something that you sign up for when you take the job on . Saying that I have a great wife who can manage to keep a house and look after 2 kids and is happy enough to be at home by herself.
I don’t like driving distance, much happier doing local work rather than distance suffering all the endless roadworks and delays on our hapless motorway network.
McGurke:
Most drivers aren’t real truckers anymore most have been lured into the industry with promises of big wages for doing next to nothing, then the reality hits and their stuck because of debts bills that need paying etc.
Nail on head mate.
Once over this job was virtually vocational, those that started it (including me) wanted to do nothing else, and/or your Dad was a driver before you (again like me) or your mate was, who you spent time away with (and again)
Nowadays many drivers are car drivers who happen to have taken a course to get a licence, but it is just another job type.
That is why there is very little driver to driver empathy, and virtually no cameraderie any more…not to mention a lot of ■■■■ poor truck drivers.
Sorry in advance to offend some on here (really!) but as I have said before, to me being a day man and going home is just like playing at it, a bit like being in the Army and not going on tour but home every night.
I look upon being away from home as part of the job, but can see it not suiting everybody, so fair do.s.
The tramping job is as good or as bad as YOU make it, a work/sleep only pattern, sat in your cab in ■■■■ lay bys, minimum rest and away again, is an existence bordering on an endurance test, and has never been for me, …I would not last 6 months let alone the time I have done it.
I used to actually love all of it, but nowadays just crack on and make the best out of a bad job, in as pleasant a way as possible.
McGurke:
Most drivers aren’t real truckers anymore most have been lured into the industry with promises of big wages for doing next to nothing, then the reality hits and their stuck because of debts bills that need paying etc.
Nail on head mate.
Once over this job was virtually vocational, those that started it (including me) wanted to do nothing else, and/or your Dad was a driver before you (again like me) or your mate was, who you spent time away with (and again)
Nowadays many drivers are car drivers who happen to have taken a course to get a licence, but it is just another job type.
That is why there is very little driver to driver empathy, and virtually no cameraderie any more…not to mention a lot of ■■■■ poor truck drivers.
Sorry in advance to offend some on here (really!) but as I have said before, to me being a day man and going home is just like playing at it, a bit like being in the Army and not going on tour but home every night.
I look upon being away from home as part of the job, but can see it not suiting everybody, so fair do.s.
The tramping job is as good or as bad as YOU make it, a work/sleep only pattern, sat in your cab in [zb] lay bys, minimum rest and away again, is an existence bordering on an endurance test, and has never been for me, …I would not last 6 months let alone the time I have done it.
I used to actually love all of it, but nowadays just crack on and make the best out of a bad job, in as pleasant a way as possible.
Im our yard we have guys who know that they are going to be out 3 nights a week . They have no way of making themselves a bite to eat - no coooker no kettle no nothing . As a result for the 4 days 3 nights out they rely on KFC/ McDonalds Burger King etc . I have the gas stove , kettle pans fridge in the lorry and a coolbox for the summer time and all the bits and pieces to make MY life as comfortable as possible - its no luxury but when I’m hungry I can at least heat up a tin of soup , make a cup of tea / coffee . Nothing worse than not being prepared for what you know is going to happen .
use a name:
Because it’s no fun down the road anymore.
YouTube videos posted by drivers showing their daily lives doing distance work have one thing in common there is no interaction with anybody .
They tend to talk to themselves .
Each to their own of course but bugger being handcuffed to a wagon for a week at a time.
.
That’s not really true. As an example go up to people you meet and ask ‘would you like to be in a YouTube video?’ and see what they say. It’ll be no and I’ve no intention of filming people without their permission. Don’t fall into trap of thinking everything you see on the screen is how it is
I can’t stand or handle day work (3663,brakes,P&H,etc) as the I can’t handle the stress of a day work deadlines picking stock and Grumpy chefs who don’t not like getting the delivery when they want it not when I can actually do it
Where as now it’s 5 ave amount of drops and if builders merchants or trade counters then if I cant do it that day park up some where as there’s always tomorrow ,
P/s the only thing that stresses me out know is London Zb hole
I’ve just gone the other way, local work, short days Tesco store deliveries was doing my head in, so now I’m plodding round Europe again and despite not having done any European work for 18 months the first trip out sort of felt like coming home in a way Tesco work never could
