End of my first week driving the big bendy lorries

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Well its Friday evening and as i have been on nights for my first week and my agency hasn’t rung today i am assuming my weekend has started so time for a little reflection on the past seven days. As i have said it is the end of my first week driving artics around this green and pleasant land of ours (well i think its green, i’ve been on nights you see) and i have loved it. Its all been supermarket distribution deliveries (the size of those places) and yes its a bit scary as my reversing needs some improvement, especially those tight loading areas when you almost have to start of at 90* to the space you need to get into to, but i’m getting there. I wont go into boring details of over complicated procedures like hang your keys on the hook by the loading door, what hook, oh the hook is inside by the loading door, why did’nt he say that. Trying to find the delivery office’s has been fun, signs everywhere, no smoking, wear hi-viz, stick to pedestrian walkways only, 10mph only but never a sign saying DELIVERY DRIVERS OFFICE HERE. Went to Chepstow Tesco just after the bridge last night to be greeted by a stressed or just a lunatic gate man who barked out the orders to me “go here then go there and after that go around there untill you get to here and when you are in your bay DO NOT STAY IN YOUR CAB I REPEAT DO NOT STAY IN YOUR CAB, GO TO THE REST ROOM AND WAIT and by the way never leave your unit parked there, your blocking the entrance” as he said that two artics went passed mine “alright, your not blocking the entrance but it is in the way”. As i left he was shouting at his phone “STOP RINGING YOU ■■■■■■■■■ I kid you not. So i got to my bay went to the rest room and asked one of the fellas in there “how do i know when i’ve been unloaded mate” inwhich he said “stay in your cab and wait for the green light” aaarrgghhhh!!!

I have to say i have never asked so many questions to so many people before in my first week in a job and everyone has been really helpfull and polite, fellow drivers have been brilliant, warehouse staff, shunters, most gate staff the list is endless and my advice to anyone starting out is just ask someone if your not sure.

A few nosey people i know ask me how much are you getting paid. I have just realised i have know idea. I must love it.

By the way does anyone have any advice on trailer changing without getting covered in s**t.

Thanks. Jon.

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kikat:
A few nosey people i know ask me how much are you getting paid. I have just realised i have know idea. I must love it

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

First rule on agency work is to get the rate before doing the job.

Second rule on agency work is to get the rate before doing the job

Third rule on agency work is to get the ra … well you get the idea :wink:

Having said that they probably won’t charge you too much for letting you drive for them because they’ll want you to do it again next week :laughing:

Seems like you’re enjoying it and getting some useful experience :smiley:

Good luck.

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Yeah it could end up being a school boy error but at the moment it’s the only opportunity of earning some money and more importantly gaining some experience on how it all works. Saying that if i go to my bank later only to find fifty pounds in it they can go f**k themselves.

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£50.00, that much :grimacing: , looks like you’ve enjoyed the experience. Make sure that the agency pays you, I had a bad deal with one of my local ones, went for a job, finished the job got the time sheet signed and then the person signing it wrote ‘FOC’ on it. I assumed that the agency won’t charge them but still pay me, silly me. No money and did a days work for free, been trying for a year to get the cash (I know it’s not much), few weeks ago went to the agency to tell them to get me off their books and would you believe it the door is locked and a sign telling all that the locks have been changed is on the door. The agency went bust or should I say was closed down after beingn taken over by another one.

Keep your fingers crossed for more work…

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Sounds like you had a good time and achieved a lot in your first week, Kitkat! :smiley:

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kikat:
‘…man who barked out the orders to me…’ etc.

Smile at them but always consider your principles - including your principle of learning. Be prepared to stand your ground when necessary by knowing legislation, etc.

E.g., I got told yesterday to ‘hand my keys’ in to which I responded that I needed them to put my tacho onto break. The dude said ‘sure …then bring them to me’ at which I politely smiled (but effectively raspberried him) and declined since traipsing back & forth across his yard is ‘work’. However, I said that I’d be prepared to pass them out of my unit window & into his hand but he didn’t accept.

The often petty empires of these poor souls rarely extend beyond their imagination or an ill considered & flawed ‘risk assessment’ - a frequent occurrence within transport. We have the road, fresh-air, young mums to gawp at & a radio whilst they have, er, a window & a radio if they’re lucky…

The full story after that got boring - but a conclusion is that liberties frequently get taken and that many peripheral workers in this industry are not fully clued-up - with the driver often at the brunt of folly. It’s often caused by political, poor interpretation of H&S legislation, not enough consideration of welfare reg’s & ignorance type issues …so stay alert as you have been, matey.

kikat:
‘…does anyone have any advice on trailer changing without getting covered in s**t…’

1). Learn where it lives - usually in areas where one is delving & grunting around hooking, looking, checking, reaching, winding & connecting, etc.

2). Wash your kit regularly until one learns 1). …to both avoid ‘that look’ whilst maintaining a reasonably high standard.

See you out there, fella…