I have recently had my first brand new motor. However, it gets used on my days of (fact of life apparently)
I love my job, and the company I work for, however the one thing that would drag me away would be my own exclusive motor.
I’d maybe do a few little touches to it, bang in a CB for a laugh (got one in a box at home) possibly air horns. But other than that it’d be nothing more than seat covers and carpets.
I didn’t think I’d like driving an Actros, but it’s quite a competent thing, unlike some of the “things” that use it on my days off
At the end of the day, that motor is allocated to me, and I don’t get a new one for 5 years.
As I told the fella in the office last weekend, if they won’t look after it, why should I?
“Because it’s your truck”
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I have heard speculation that SNT drivers are on a pittance
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I’m 27 and own my own unit daily. Have worked for companies previously and still enjoyed it. However a good position came up for good work for drivers with their own equipment. I do spend a lot (praps too much) on the cleanliness of my wagon but all I have is some LED beacons in the grill. All I need but I like to think my unit doesn’t need it. The FH4 is a lovely looking wagon not to be ruined but saying that i’ve seen plenty of FH4s looking nice. I guess it all depends on the kind of person you are. Myself i don’t have anyone else using my unit (unless i’m on holiday and I have a close family member doing a few loads here and there).
Myself I don’t see why companies want to fork out on 4 grands worth of lightbars but pay their drivers 8ph. Mind boggling really 
I think there’s a lot of confusion here. The Kelsa bar, spots, light racks and crap pay or the bland Looking by comparison but well equipped new tractor with money spent on things such as a fridge, air con, decent power supplies, connectors, furnishing, air sprung front end coupled with a decent pay and time off package.
The two are not always rent asunder. More so, the bull bar road train look a likes are often owned by smaller firms who do not offer a decent package, whereas there are some firms that invest in decent modern tackle and pay well. A case of hunting with mark 1 eyeball and being up to scratch yourself. Which many divs are not.
Freight Dog:
I can say there’s only a few fleets where I’ve seen pride being shown by way of personal add ons. In the past there were a few icons but these days the B747 is the only icon left. 747 blokes are still proud of “the whale”
Its almost always limited to a “Boeing 747-400” sticker on fight bag or case. Maybe a sticker slapped above a bar in somewhere weird. Although a bloke I worked with the other day did have one of these!
The only times I’ve ever flown were with BA on I think the 747 100 on Heathrow/NY route and 747 200 with the RB 211 engines on the Heathrow/LA route all during the 1980’s.I knew about the under powered nature of the former but it was only when I saw it for myself that I realised just ‘how’ under powered it really was during its take off run.It couldn’t have been much slower getting off the ground if it was a turbo prop. 
While the latter I’d imagine is the pilot’s version of a classic Pete with a 450-500 CAT and 13 speed Fuller in it. 
Carryfast:
While the latter I’d imagine is the pilot’s version of a classic Pete with a 450-500 CAT and 13 speed Fuller in it.
What a fantastic analogy. I might nick that 
Carryfast, I think you may want to reconsider the Pete and the 13spd, have a butcher’s at this beauty and I think you’ll agree that you have just seen the truck of your dreams.
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Ooops it would be better with the link!
m.youtube.com/watch?feature=you … hp69sDA4JA
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switchlogic:
Kerragy:
Fleet Spec? What is that exactly? I remember the first generation FH’s could be bought with N Trim. That is the last nasty trim level I remember can even being available in a distance truck and next to nobody specced that twenty odd years ago.
It’s a bit of a running joke to Irish truck drivers, the ‘beano’ (English) obsession with ‘poverty spec’ trucks. They still exist. Was only this week thinking about the amount of full time trampers I see with a massive coolbox strapped to the passenger seat because the boss won’t fork out for a fitted fridge. Which would probably add a handful of pennies to the monthly finance payment.
At least you can take your coolbox home, when they start taking the ■■■■ with conditions and shi-tee wages.
Keeping your truck clean is one thing but spending your own money on the bosses wagon is a step too far for me. £5k on Kelsa goodies is just insane 
On someone else’s truck it is personally I wouldn’t spend on a truck that wasn’t mine. However the boss likes to bling ours up himself. So we keep them tidy
switchlogic:
Kerragy:
switchlogic:
Each to their own eh? What harm does it do any of you?
My tablet just restarted itself randomly and I lost a post that started “Each to their own”.
The reason is that it reflects on all of us. It makes us look like a cabal of immature, amateur, messers who are playing at working.
Complete rubbish. I’ll let you into a secret, people don’t care. The average person won’t be able to tell one truck from another (Customised or otherwise) and don’t have any opinion of us let alone a bad one because of some spot lights. In fact the closest many people come to engaging with trucks is when the Coca Cola lorry does the Christmas rounds, and they don’t come much more customised than that.
would that just be a seasonal contract for the zero hours limpers,or do they just keep the same trucks and spend January stripping off all the lights every year?
There is no degree of truck customisation that is tasteful, unless it is functional. Stainless Mirror Guards etc. OK. Cut down mudflaps emblazoned with Hino on each side of a front bumper, less so. Airline Pilots, Captains of Ships and Train Drivers do not add tassels and shiny to their rides. They tend not to add 747-400 to their sunvisors either. When did you last see the driver of your plane wearing a Roll-Royce Trent 1000 Power ■■■■■■■, T shirt? You probably wouldn’t want to get stuck at the bar with one that did.
ahem…this is the pride of the fleet if your flying for Bangladeshi airlines…
I know a firm who put AEC badges on their Daf XFs. I know AEC are very distantly related to Daf via Leyland but come on? I’ve seen a couple of Dafs with “Leyland” grille badges (which don’t look bad tbh), but I’m yet to see an Iveco wearing a big A on its’ front.
I would guess MAN operators would be too embarassed to put ERF back on their cabs after the abortion that was the ECX/ECS?
bigvern1:
switchlogic:
Kerragy:
Fleet Spec? What is that exactly? I remember the first generation FH’s could be bought with N Trim. That is the last nasty trim level I remember can even being available in a distance truck and next to nobody specced that twenty odd years ago.
It’s a bit of a running joke to Irish truck drivers, the ‘beano’ (English) obsession with ‘poverty spec’ trucks. They still exist. Was only this week thinking about the amount of full time trampers I see with a massive coolbox strapped to the passenger seat because the boss won’t fork out for a fitted fridge. Which would probably add a handful of pennies to the monthly finance payment.
At least you can take your coolbox home, when they start taking the ■■■■ with conditions and shi-tee wages.
I have a special household fridge so I don’t need to take the coolbox home…
dieseldog999:
There is no degree of truck customisation that is tasteful, unless it is functional. Stainless Mirror Guards etc. OK. Cut down mudflaps emblazoned with Hino on each side of a front bumper, less so. Airline Pilots, Captains of Ships and Train Drivers do not add tassels and shiny to their rides. They tend not to add 747-400 to their sunvisors either. When did you last see the driver of your plane wearing a Roll-Royce Trent 1000 Power ■■■■■■■, T shirt? You probably wouldn’t want to get stuck at the bar with one that did.
ahem…this is the pride of the fleet if your flying for Bangladeshi airlines…
It’s, erm lovely. I am totally converted. I am going straight from here to google to find something with tassels on.
dieseldog999:
job done…nice poundage 
Dad’s lost his hair since this was taken! 
newmercman:
Ooops it would be better with the link!
m.youtube.com/watch?feature=you … hp69sDA4JA
Scania V8 killer. 
I don’t think the 18 speed was available in the day so couldn’t fit the analogy of an RB 211 BA 747 200 though.Blimey that thing could pull at over 300 t gvw though.I’ve never forgotten it at take off.
