I’ve spent 3 years driving now mainly class2 palletways but the last few months been permanent class1 only recentley (3 weeks) I started with ARR Craib , full time tramping I’ve enjoyed it its been different , but I got a call for a job down at the steel works (Redcar) and I’m going for it , I like driving always have done but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office side, so whilst I’m still young (24) I’ve decided I no longer want to get into driving once I leave craibs, I may not have done 20year or so but 3 years is still long enough. I will still have a look on the forums and keep upto date with things just Incase I have to use my licence again !! Respect to the people who are doing 15hour days and out all week to earn a decent wage just to keep the nation running whilst taking [zb] from jumped up hitlers n alike !!
Good luck with the new job hope it works out well for you
best of luck
Keep your licence handy!
Once a driver…
Ken.
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office side
Well thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
Good luck and well done mate. I know the feeling. I’m on the lookout for something away from driving for a living too. It is a dead end job that just isn’t worth doing anymore. I love driving, but it’s just everything else that goes with it that’s spoils it for me now.
damoq:
Good luck and well done mate. I know the feeling. I’m on the lookout for something away from driving for a living too. It is a dead end job that just isn’t worth doing anymore. I love driving, but it’s just everything else that goes with it that’s spoils it for me now.
And the mundane trip to Huddersfield every day… 
Ken.
switchlogic:
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office sideWell thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
I mean you can’t work your way up the ladder, I don’t want to be stuck at the bottom all my life, sure you can earn good money with some company’s but it is a dead end job.
Smoggie89:
switchlogic:
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office sideWell thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
I mean you can’t work your way up the ladder, I don’t want to be stuck at the bottom all my life, sure you can earn good money with some company’s but it is a dead end job.
I understand where you are coming from but don’t insult yourself and everyone else by saying driving a lorry is “stuck at the bottom” because its not.
nice 
Smoggie89:
switchlogic:
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office sideWell thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
I mean you can’t work your way up the ladder, I don’t want to be stuck at the bottom all my life, sure you can earn good money with some company’s but it is a dead end job.
I’d disagree. How many of the people/positions you might aspire to can go home at night and totally switch off? Very few I reckon. How many go on holiday and don’t call in on ocassions? How many have to put the job before their families?
I’ve seen drivers from my own depot go for, and get promoted to, management grades not all can hack the additional crap that goes with it. I’ve seen drivers from my own depot go for driving assessors and give it up because of all the crap that goes with it. At 24 you feel indestructible but just be careful what you wish for, you might just get it…along with all the crap that goes with it. These comments made as a bloke of 55, ex management, health damaged.
Good luck in your new position, sincerely.
Smoggie89:
switchlogic:
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office sideWell thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
I mean you can’t work your way up the ladder, I don’t want to be stuck at the bottom all my life, sure you can earn good money with some company’s but it is a dead end job.
And the vast majority of office people never work their way up the ladder either. If thats what you want to do. To me the idea of spending my life climbing the greasy pole so you can get a bigger car and a bigger house is a nightmare. You’re welcome to it.
Switch am I right in thinking you’re currently studying for a degree?
Is that so you can continue to be a driver?
switchlogic:
Smoggie89:
but its a dead end job unless you can get into the office sideWell thats a load of tripe if ever I heard it. What makes you think an office job isn’t a dead end job? If thats what you want to do go for it but in my 15 years driving I’ve had more fun and seen more than an office worker will have in their entire lives.
That said, good luck.
Totally agree.
I spent 9 years working in the office with Jewson controlling transport for 4
Wagons. Put myself through my class 2 and have been driving ever since. I have no intention of going back indoors. Fair enough, we may get rained on, snowed on and blown all over the shop but once you’ve done it, there ain’t no going back!!!
Once a driver, always a driver!!!
As many of my posts showed 
I’d got disillusioned with driving, and was asked to drive plant in our gravel pit. Now I’m waiting to go back on the tippers after realising it wasn’t bad after all.
cieranc:
Switch am I right in thinking you’re currently studying for a degree?
Is that so you can continue to be a driver?
Not any more I’m not. Because you know what? Earlier this year I stopped and thought ‘why am I doing this?’ and suddenly realised I will probably never be able to walk away from this industry. I’m not sure I’ll drive for ever and maybe one day you’ll find me in a office sometimes but it’ll never be because I want to climb the greasy pole and it’ll never be because I consider truck driving to be at the bottom of the ladder. I don’t, for me it’s been the best job in the world and will continue to be that for sometime yet. I just may need a new challenge some day. One that wont involve a bigger car and/or house.
good luck with your choice, and you’re young enough to make several more changes through your life. But, the steel works in this country have probably took more his than most other industries bar mining, so a dead end job?
Spent enough time in offices (My own and shared) to know that I dont do 'humans'....The politics, the banality of it all, the self importance of others etc. An office is a prison cell....Only you have to justify its occupancy, unlike prison …So in real terms, it is worse 
Give me the road and a set of keys any day…Its about as much freedom as you will get in todays society and still get paid for it! Driving is not about getting to the top of the tree (I got to the top of the tree in a previous life, it aint all its cracked up to be )…It`s about freedom 
Postby Smoggie89 » Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:47 pm
Respect to the people who are doing 15hour days and out all week to earn a decent wage just to keep the nation running whilst taking [zb] from jumped up hitlers n alike !!
I think the more appropiate sentiment would be pity, rather than respect,you’d have to have very low aspirational targets to want to be those doing nights away, you have done tramping but I bet you failed to realise that being ‘celled up’ in something the size of an EU sleeper cab isn’t something that is experienced by convicted murderers, paedophiles, terrorists,etc, the civil rights groups would explode with rage if they were caged like hgv drivers.
Getting out of UK/EU transport is something you can easily do at 24 yrs and looking back at what you are leaving , in the cold light of day, you will probaly have only one regret, you didn’t do it earlier, it is insult laden and ignominous, the longer you stay the greater the danger of you becoming conditioned to the insulting pay and conditions, if you feel the want to drive again go to a ‘free world’ country, you’re young enough.