I gather trucking is quite safe at night for females (and men too) if you park at truck stops and service stations
Who’s given you that impression…whilst the roads are less busy than the day time, still got to have ya wits about ya and theres… still the scum bags out there that will target vehicles at truckstops,laybys slashing curtain’s to get at the load…stealing fuel, theres have even been cases where truckers have been flagged down by persons impersonating the police and DVSA to steal trucks… so dont be under no illusions of complete safety…
I gather trucking is quite safe at night for females (and men too) if you park at truck stops and service stations
Who’s given you that impression…whilst the roads are less busy than the day time, still got to have ya whits about ya and theres… still the scum bags out there that till target vehicles at truckstops,laybys slashing curtain’s to get at the load…stealing fuel, theirs have even been cases where truckers have been flagged down by persons impersonating the police and DVSA to steal trucks… so dont be under no illusions of complete safety…
Agree completely. Always remember, the truck and contents are insured, you’re not!
I gather trucking is quite safe at night for females (and men too) if you park at truck stops and service stations
Who’s given you that impression…whilst the roads are less busy than the day time, still got to have ya whits about ya and theres… still the scum bags out there that till target vehicles at truckstops,laybys slashing curtain’s to get at the load…stealing fuel, theirs have even been cases where truckers have been flagged down by persons impersonating the police and DVSA to steal trucks… so dont be under no illusions of complete safety…
Agree completely. Always remember, the truck and contents are insured, you’re not!
Indeed. If you hear or see someone messing around at the back of your trailer don’t even think of getting out, you don’t know how many there are. While you may of collared one, you haven’t seen his mate coming round the front with a bat or something such as. It is scary when it happens, I had it done to my curtains at London Gateway services, felt the whole truck shift as he stood on the bars. Still didn’t get out, jumped in the drivers seat, started the engine and drove it 5 feet forward. Seemed to scare them off.
Multiple peep cuts. Same height as my freaking mirrors!
I gather trucking is quite safe at night for females (and men too) if you park at truck stops and service stations
Who’s given you that impression…whilst the roads are less busy than the day time, still got to have ya whits about ya and theres… still the scum bags out there that till target vehicles at truckstops,laybys slashing curtain’s to get at the load…stealing fuel, theirs have even been cases where truckers have been flagged down by persons impersonating the police and DVSA to steal trucks… so dont be under no illusions of complete safety…
Agree completely. Always remember, the truck and contents are insured, you’re not!
Perhaps I didn’t make myself entirely clear, what I meant was it’s safer to park in a truck stop or service station, than to possibly be the solitary truck parked in a lay by. OH yes I agree you still need your wits about you. I think I was getting at more the aspect of physical or ■■■■■■ violence, rather than maybe getting your load nicked. I think the initial opposition from my Mum to me becoming a trucker was more about the European runs, and migrants trying to get in the back of your truck, but I’d imagine it would be more experienced truckers who do those runs.
How do you tell if someone is really from the DVSA or is a real copper or is pretending. I do volunteer at a heritage centre/museum, and often see trucks parked up on the road, of course many factories/warehouses near there including one giant Amazon one. Mid December was a Stobart spotters dream!!!
I gather trucking is quite safe at night for females (and men too) if you park at truck stops and service stations
Who’s given you that impression…whilst the roads are less busy than the day time, still got to have ya whits about ya and theres… still the scum bags out there that till target vehicles at truckstops,laybys slashing curtain’s to get at the load…stealing fuel, theirs have even been cases where truckers have been flagged down by persons impersonating the police and DVSA to steal trucks… so dont be under no illusions of complete safety…
Agree completely. Always remember, the truck and contents are insured, you’re not!
Perhaps I didn’t make myself entirely clear, what I meant was it’s safer to park in a truck stop or service station, than to possibly be the solitary truck parked in a lay by. OH yes I agree you still need your wits about you. I think I was getting at more the aspect of physical or ■■■■■■ violence, rather than maybe getting your load nicked. I think the initial opposition from my Mum to me becoming a trucker was more about the European runs, and migrants trying to get in the back of your truck, but I’d imagine it would be more experienced truckers who do those runs.
How do you tell if someone is really from the DVSA or is a real copper or is pretending. I do volunteer at a heritage centre/museum, and often see trucks parked up on the road, of course many factories/warehouses near there including one giant Amazon one. Mid December was a Stobart spotters dream!!!
I worked for one company that carried high value loads (very high value!) The drivers were under instruction to stop for no one. They had cards produced that they could hold to the window that said they would follow the police/ministry to the next police station. As far as I’m aware, that isn’t a problem.
As for random warrant card flashers, any police or ministry official will be happy for you to verify their identity before expecting you to get out of the cab.
I gather if it was a genuine copper/ DVSA official the’d be happy if you held up a sign “I’ll follow you to the nearest police station” where as if thet were fake theye’d do a runner!!
PottyPott:
I gather if it was a genuine copper/ DVSA official the’d be happy if you held up a sign “I’ll follow you to the nearest police station” where as if thet were fake theye’d do a runner!!
I’ll be honest, it only ever happened to “friends of friends” and they never had problems. But the cards are genuine.
Basically it’s common sense. Would you do it if you were driving alone in your car?
PottyPott:
I gather if it was a genuine copper/ DVSA official the’d be happy if you held up a sign “I’ll follow you to the nearest police station” where as if thet were fake theye’d do a runner!!
I’ll be honest, it only ever happened to “friends of friends” and they never had problems. But the cards are genuine.
Basically it’s common sense. Would you do it if you were driving alone in your car?
Especially if it was a male copper I’d say how about I follow you to a police station, as if he’s genuine he’d know where the local cop shops are!!!
PottyPott:
I gather if it was a genuine copper/ DVSA official the’d be happy if you held up a sign “I’ll follow you to the nearest police station” where as if thet were fake theye’d do a runner!!
I’ll be honest, it only ever happened to “friends of friends” and they never had problems. But the cards are genuine.
Basically it’s common sense. Would you do it if you were driving alone in your car?
Especially if it was a male copper I’d say how about I follow you to a police station, as if he’s genuine he’d know where the local cop shops are!!!
But you wouldn’t get a chance to say anything, because you wouldn’t be stopping that’s the potentially dangerous bit. It’s a bit like anything, you have to just be a bit streetsmart. i used to drive round Europe in my late teens/early 20s in a van or a 7.5, sleeping in the back ( no luxury like a sleeper cab! ) and never had a problem, just got to be sensible where you park up.
We have the signs that say that we will follow to a safe location and a phone number. For a standard VOSA check with all the people around, we wouldn’t use it, but would do if it looked iffy in any way.
I could not tell you if it’s safer In a truck stop or not… My OH does no thinks so as you still get your curtains slashed etc. in the 4 months I have been out on the road with him we have not had any issues, that’s not to say we won’t. We don’t transport high value goods and to be honest it’s very rare that we have a load on when we are parked up. When we don’t have a load on we usually open doors over night to show we are empty and we sleep with our doors locked. The only truck stop we stay in is the one in Heywood… The others we have been to leave little to be desired, they are very costly for the service you get. And the showers are disgusting and the food not great… We try and park where it’s well lit and where there are cameras or other trucks… As for being stopped we have not yet been stopped while I’m with him.
These days nothing is safe… Not even walking to the shops or taking the dog down the fields etc. Just keep your wits about you, if you are on your own walking back to your truck and worry about the ■■■■■■ harassment side of things, wear a hoody and cover up, take a whistle with you, try not look like a women. But there again… I have had no issues with this side of things, no side remarks or anything…
You will soon learn what to do and what not to do…
As a female, I’m not! I’d have thought the best of advice is: If you see something or someone suspicious, draw as much attention to yourself as possible the split second you feel threatened. An attacker doesn’t want the attention, and the majority of “US MEN” would go and investigate if we heard a female in distress…
If your going to park up, try to aim for services. Yes they are expensive but there is almost always someone up milling about at any hour so if you lean on the horn someone will come to you.
Yes that’s wise, I gather that fear comes from my parents esp my Mum, as if being female and being out late at night is somehow asking for trouble. Tho when I lived with my parents sometimes I’d defy instructions and cycle home from my then boyfriends, later husband’s home, I’d always try to make myself look as blokey as possible , as that’s what I learned to believe that blokes wouldn’t get the aggro!!! As regards ■■■■■■ harassment/assaults an attacker is someone likely to be known to you rather than a stranger, something I found out a number of years ago.
Re driving I did what Debbie my employment advisor said and researched truck driving. I said I felt like ■■■■ after the appointment last week, and she said when I said about it that she was trying to put me off LGV/HGV driving, she said she wasn’t but trying to warn me of the pitfalls, or that the hours can be long. I’ve seen a vacancy for TNT I think 39 hours pw, Eddie Stobart seem to guarantee their drivers 50 hours pw. I think Debbie was getting at some firms break the law. I thought the max permitted was 56 hours pw , and 45 of those driving, unless rest breaks bump the hours up. I don’t see how breaking the law is possible with tachos as they must record everything. I know must be some leeway for genuine cases if you’re stuck in a traffic jam , and by doing so exceed your driving hours, or are late to a break.
Debbie found this job driving delivery vans for Ocado 16 hours pw, I think at next appointment in 2 weeks I have to give her feedback, tho gone one better than this applied for it. I know it’s not HGV, but tests out the water for multi drop work. I know I’m interested in history, and transport (especially railway locomotives), did see a vacancy a few years ago for the Science Museum , transporting exhibits between various locations, if I remember I think this would sometimes involve driving a 7.5t. I think for me it would be great if I could shadow a HGV driver for a few days to see what their working day or night is like, I gather tho the problem would be insurance, even if I sign a waiver that it’s at my own risk.
The problem is not insurance. It’s getting someone to bother with you in all honesty. The insurance/health and safety cards are just easy ways out of helping you out really.
Home delivery van work would actually be a good idea as it gets you into the swing of making timed drops. Plus the vans the supermarkets run aren’t that old/knacked. Do you not have Grandfather rights on your license?
F-reds:
The problem is not insurance. It’s getting someone to bother with you in all honesty. The insurance/health and safety cards are just easy ways out of helping you out really.
It is in most big companies. The insurance companies have hauliers over a barrel when it comes to this.
I am a lone parent (female) working full time in a school on low pay and decided to make some more money and possibly a total career change. I had grandfather rights to drive 7.5 tonne lorries so I did the cpc, (£300) sent off for a digicard (tacho) and then signed up at a couple of agencies. I was lucky to be offered work weekends/school hols with a parcel delivery company in Dec 2014. I went out as a passenger for a day to learn the ropes (scanning device etc) and then the second day I drove but was accompanied by another driver. I have to say it was very nerve wracking as I’d never driven anything bigger than a car. I have always loved driving and it’s also a hobby as I own 2 muscle cars. The next time I was let loose on my own in a crappy hired manual truck which was all good despite the fact that it was pitch dark when I left and snowing and I had a 15 second lesson how to use a tail lift Since then I’ve driven the company vehicles. Although doing 7.5t work gave me some experience driving lorries and an insight into this area of work, I decided 7.5t is not what I want to do full time, at this particular company it is handball all the way and very physically demanding and the money is low. One or two of the couriers I delivered to were right arses and I took it to heart but I thought you know what I just have to develop a thicker skin and let it go over my head. I was on this journey to make a better life for me and my kids instead of scraping by on tax credits. The first few weeks I would drag myself through the front door physically exhausted, and pass out on the sofa still in my boots and hi vis! I sold my Mustang to fund my licence. I passed the theory and booked the practical training for cat C (class 2). I took the test in January and passed first time; in an auto but I have since had extra instruction in a manual (4 over 4) as I am hoping to get a job driving a tipper. I went out for two days with a tipper driver and enjoyed the work. I drove the 8 wheeler for half hour and did struggle a little with getting the gears right after only driven autos but after extra manual tuition I’m feeling more confident, it’s not rocket science I know but like anything it is down to practice. So I would say if you enjoy driving, don’t mind your own company and aren’t afraid of hard work or getting dirty then go for it. Its not like on the telly which is glamorised and edited. It is a male dominated environment but I enjoy the banter and to be honest I’d rather work with men any day! My full time job at the moment is in an office of 7 women and I see tears and tantrums on a daily basis lol (although saying that the men can be just as bad!). And yes you can use the fact that you are female to get a little help if you need it I would say start with 7.5t work and that will either put you off for life or it will be the starting point of your life as a truck driver. Good luck! Ooh and sorry for the long post!!
that’s the potentially dangerous bit. It’s a bit like anything, you have to just be a bit streetsmart. i used to drive round Europe in my late teens/early 20s in a van or a 7.5, sleeping in the back ( no luxury like a sleeper cab! ) and never had a problem, just got to be sensible where you park up.
I’d have thought the best of advice is: If you see something or someone suspicious, draw as much attention to yourself as possible the split second you feel threatened. An attacker doesn’t want the attention, and the majority of “US MEN” would go and investigate if we heard a female in distress…
Since then I’ve driven the company vehicles. Although doing 7.5t work gave me some experience driving lorries and an insight into this area of work, I decided 7.5t is not what I want to do full time, at this particular company it is handball all the way and very physically demanding and the money is low. One or two of the couriers I delivered to were right arses and I took it to heart but I thought you know what I just have to develop a thicker skin and let it go over my head. I was on this journey to make a better life for me and my kids instead of scraping by on tax credits. The first few weeks I would drag myself through the front door physically exhausted, and pass out on the sofa still in my boots and hi vis! I sold my Mustang to fund my licence. I passed the theory and booked the practical training for cat C (class 2). I took the test in January and passed first time; in an auto but I have since had extra instruction in a manual (4 over 4) as I am hoping to get a job driving a tipper. I went out for two days with a tipper driver and enjoyed the work. I drove the 8 wheeler for half hour and did struggle a little with getting the gears right after only driven autos but after extra manual tuition I’m feeling more confident, it’s not rocket science I know but like anything it is down to practice. So I would say if you enjoy driving, don’t mind your own company and aren’t afraid of hard work or getting dirty then go for it. Its not like on the telly which is glamorised and edited. It is a male dominated environment but I enjoy the banter and to be honest I’d rather work with men any day! My full time job at the moment is in an office of 7 women and I see tears and tantrums on a daily basis lol (although saying that the men can be just as bad!). And yes you can use the fact that you are female to get a little help if you need it I would say start with 7.5t work and that will either put you off for life or it will be the starting point of your life as a truck driver. Good luck! Ooh and sorry for the long post!!