Ok, I’m 33 and I’ve been driving Class 1 since I was 26, almost 8 years. I worked for a bakery and did a run from near Wigan to Bellshill four or five days per week for 6 years.
I left that job and since I have Tramped, multi-dropped and worked at different companies, (including 3 months Tramping at Stobarts) with different pay and work etc.
I’ve driven in high winds with 16’ 3" trailers and the worst snow in Scotland for decades in 2010 with a double decker and brown undies. I also came fourth in the UK Finals of the Scania Young European Truck Driver 2012 (age limit 35.)
By no means have I done it all, but I would say I’m fairly experienced for my age.
At the moment, I’ve had enough. I’m completely fed up of it and looking at agency jobs in factories and warehouses instead of driving for agencies.
The pay is less, but not much. I’ll know my start and finish times and can plod on with the work. Sure it can be boring but so can the M6 at 3am past Penrith and falling asleep in a warehouse won’t kill me or shut the Motorway.
I went for a job in a local factory, £8.04 per hour. I’ve just done a few months at Kammac on £8.42 per hour, no overtime rate and start times up the wall.
I wonder if it’s worth the extra 38p per hour to drive a 44T Artic around the country, being treated like ■■■■ and made to wait in RDC’s for hours on end with woeful facilities. I personally think not.
The average wage seems to be going down. The amount of legislation we have to know and abide by is getting worse. The standard of driving is getting worse and there’s traffic everywhere. None of this will get better.
I still love driving HGV’s, it’s everything we’re expected to do and put up with that’s got to me.
I know this makes no difference to any of you, one less driver to compete for jobs with if anything! I suppose I just wondered if it’s just me?
Good Luck with that Mike! Thought about it myself at times but… I don’t let the muppets get to me! 
No it’s not just you i have been looking for another job for the last 6 months. I like the driving just fed up with all the hassle that goes with it. What i have found is that when you apply for a job companies just don’t want to know when they find out you are a truck driver.
Not just you mate…I couldn`t do it full time, especially not for the money on offer.
Its working for poor rates that gets you down, you can put up with it for a while whilst learning the job but that Kammac rate is bloody ridiculous, depending on area it wouldn’t be too bad a basic for 8 hours plus dark money plus 1.5 OT and X2 Sundays plus meal etc but not for all hours worked, thats taking the P.
If my present job dried up, i’d probably stay on the road but i’d get a local job, skip, dustcart that sort of thing, even motor factor work and do regular shortish hours, probably able to nip home for dinner too…sod going up the road for all hours God sends to have the ■■■■ taken.
Things were very different when I passed my HGV class 1 (now CE) in 1988 at age 30 - been driving 7.5s for 10 years prior to that
At that time a driver with a new class 1 could skip from job to job as there were plenty around in my area - most were fairly well paid as well 
Nearly 25 years later and the whole thing is different … its a situation where there are generally more people than jobs available which means the employers have the upper hand to dictate wages and conditions
I now consider myself lucky to have had 30 years in the ‘transport industry’ to use the term loosely and all of those years were generally good ones but I really feel for the young of today who are trying to get ahead in this or any other industry
The rules have changed a lot since I first started and I am not so sure that has been for the better
I’m in the warehouse now and I’m sick of it, I’d rather take a drop in pay and drive trucks lol. I suppose it depends which warehouse you work in, where im at now I’m with a reputable large food company (trying not to name names). Im sick of being lied to, usually treated like a number, being worked to the bone (physically) to meet rediculous hourly rates. Sure I drive the forklift some days which some would love to do but I’m sick of it. Where I work the jobs been ruined by the bonus scheme, too many people cutting corners and acting dangerously to achieve that extra move to get and extra 50p or whatever and pushing people like me off the job who do an honest days work. It’s like, why should I do a good job when people are doing a crap job, doing more work and looking like the better employee? Just my luck that I would start to cut corners and get caught by management. I just do me own thing now, if I do the job to a good standard I won’t get into any bother, sure I might not look as good in management eyes but at least I won’t endanger anyone.
Do you want to swap jobs lol
Go for it mate. Two many PARASITES (agencies). Two many people who come from the east of Germany and the west of the Ukraine, (although I have worked with these guys and most are good workers) but they are still driving the rates down. I am 58 but if was 33 I would do the same. Good Luck !!!
The problem is every hour in a factory or a warehouse seems like at least four of driving a truck for a living.You won’t believe how slowly a clock can move.
MikeCunn:
Ok, I’m 33 and I’ve been driving Class 1 since I was 26, almost 8 years. I worked for a bakery and did a run from near Wigan to Bellshill four or five days per week for 6 years.
I left that job and since I have Tramped, multi-dropped and worked at different companies, (including 3 months Tramping at Stobarts) with different pay and work etc.
I’ve driven in high winds with 16’ 3" trailers and the worst snow in Scotland for decades in 2010 with a double decker and brown undies. I also came fourth in the UK Finals of the Scania Young European Truck Driver 2012 (age limit 35.)
By no means have I done it all, but I would say I’m fairly experienced for my age.
At the moment, I’ve had enough. I’m completely fed up of it and looking at agency jobs in factories and warehouses instead of driving for agencies.
The pay is less, but not much. I’ll know my start and finish times and can plod on with the work. Sure it can be boring but so can the M6 at 3am past Penrith and falling asleep in a warehouse won’t kill me or shut the Motorway.
I went for a job in a local factory, £8.04 per hour. I’ve just done a few months at Kammac on £8.42 per hour, no overtime rate and start times up the wall.
I wonder if it’s worth the extra 38p per hour to drive a 44T Artic around the country, being treated like [zb] and made to wait in RDC’s for hours on end with woeful facilities. I personally think not.
The average wage seems to be going down. The amount of legislation we have to know and abide by is getting worse. The standard of driving is getting worse and there’s traffic everywhere. None of this will get better.
I still love driving HGV’s, it’s everything we’re expected to do and put up with that’s got to me.
I know this makes no difference to any of you, one less driver to compete for jobs with if anything! I suppose I just wondered if it’s just me?
You’ll be back Been there and done it,warehouse/dredgers/kitchens/building sites/bog cleaner/hospital porter/■■■■ star etc: etc: Always came back to driving.
Sounds like a break will do you good.
I’ve just got a job driving loading shovels and dump trucks on the steelworks near me I was the same sick of all the ■■■■■ ya have to put up with and the poor wages I now work less hours I’m home everyday and I’m picking up the same as what a tramped picks up in the northeast for doing 10+ as many hours ! I’m not nocking drivers each to their own but personally I don’t want to go back driving you have to much rubbish to put up with now cpc vosa etc … You will find somewhere if you are desperate
MikeCunn:
I still love driving HGV’s
that’s why you’ll be BACK! Arnie, I mean mike! 
joking aside, as we are expected to do this and do that, plus we get spoken/ treated like ■■■■■, WE AS DRIVERS NEED TO TURN IT BACK ONTO THEM! the DCPC tells us to be professional, by the book do this and do that! 
I’d of thought you would’ve learnt your lesson after three months at Appleton, probably Mr Richard head Morgan himself getting on your BRISTOLS? 
Dont ya need certificates to drive loading shovels and dump truck?
Carryfast:
The problem is every hour in a factory or a warehouse seems like at least four of driving a truck for a living.You won’t believe how slowly a clock can move.
I agree, at a firm with a decent traffic office no other job gives you so much time, hour for hour, sat in a chair listening to the radio with constantly moving scenery to look at.
I do also agree that if you’re constantly being pressured to press on it’s no fun and the radio and scenery might as well not be there.
I think it’ll be great to get into the workshop for a change but after the fourth consecutive day of MOT prep on an identical trailer to the day before I’m more than ready to get back out there again
Carryfast:
The problem is every hour in a factory or a warehouse seems like at least four of driving a truck for a living.You won’t believe how slowly a clock can move.
CF that’s the most sensible post I’ve seen you make 
and I’m in complete agreement
The job isnt like it was yrs ago…too many rules and regs and bullshine, but i couldnt go in a warehouse for 10 or more hours a day, the traffic gets worse…the cost to keep driving is a joke , new guys wanting to be truck drivers it costs a fortune, i dont think i would choose the job nowadays…too much crap as well to get a job cv …cpc …2yrs experience all barriers that wasnt there before…having said that i still enjoy driving…great in the summer crap in winter…its a lifestyle choice that sticks to people …but not all, good luck with your quest for another job.
Bye then.
Carryfast:
The problem is every hour in a factory or a warehouse seems like at least four of driving a truck for a living.You won’t believe how slowly a clock can move.
Agreed!!! When they let me loose in the works van I can easily clock up a few hours and the time flies by. When you’re on the forklift moving pallets across the warehouse all day it gets VERY repetitive, plus always in the confines of the warehouse walls/yard boundaries. Give me the open road any day. Can’t wait to drive for a living but then again I’m new and very naive lol
Tarrman:
Carryfast:
The problem is every hour in a factory or a warehouse seems like at least four of driving a truck for a living.You won’t believe how slowly a clock can move.Agreed!!! When they let me loose in the works van I can easily clock up a few hours and the time flies by. When you’re on the forklift moving pallets across the warehouse all day it gets VERY repetitive, plus always in the confines of the warehouse walls/yard boundaries. Give me the open road any day. Can’t wait to drive for a living but then again I’m new and very naive lol
The job is only as stressful as you make it, aslong as you dont end up like some of the drivers on here who remember that one person who cut them up this morning then posting about it on here in the evening you get on alright.
SHYTOT:
Dont ya need certificates to drive loading shovels and dump truck?
No mate because we don’t go off the site all we have to do is 40hours of training per machine , company policy even of you have cpcs you still do the 40hours