Just wondering what’s the score with Heavy Haulage?
what’s the job like? is the money decent? what sort of hours do ya do?
Have any of you guys done it, or are doing it, and what’s the decent firms to get on with, I mean the ones that will teach you all you need to know and let you learn… do you think you get more respect in that type of work than you do on your average general job? obviously respect has to be earnt, but I mean maybe treated better than a super market waiting room
I think the last time a thread like this occured the opinion was that the best companies to work for never need to advertise, like any decent job for that matter, or in other words “Dead mans shoes”. But to wet your appetite this thread is worth a revisit if you have never seen it before.
I’m not necessarily looking 4 a job doing it, just wondered what it was like to do it? N thanks for posting that, most interesting read, I dint find a lot when I searched heavy haulage!
It is not fantastic money- and to get to the top of the tree will take many years
Bottom end start on plant and wide loads/cabins etc you wont earn a lot more than any other driver- but it is a place to start . a few years on plant/cabins may get you a look in at the serious guys, and maybe a start - but then you start at the very bottom , you will be making the tea, doing the chip shop run, lugging the chains about and watching the ballast pumps while everyone else is in the pub,If you think thats beneath you, after all you have been driving for years, then leave now, because you are no use to the guys . you will be doing that crap for a few years, until the guys trust you. it is a very small world once you get to that end of heavy haulage, and your own reputation is everything, if a known bloke doesn’t vouch for you, you have almost no chance of getting in, even if you get a start tomorrow you are years away from driving a Faun or Unipower - its is a different world from anything that most folks call normal trucking and a very small tight world
Unlike your mates at work in the local RDC , screw up on the big moves and people will die , don’t do your job people will die screw ups wont be forgotten and will come back to haunt you where ever you go ( small world remember) |there is a very close knit community of real heavy haulage drivers (of which I am lucky that despite having less experience than most I am accepted into) and its not something that you get as a right, you have to earn your peers respect- to get there, start at the bottom be the best where you are, and when you do get a start at a real heavy haulage firm, know you are at the bottom of the food chain again
No matter what you think you no completly diffrent ball game as ricki says have to make a name for yourself and get the respect not unknown to spend few years steering trailers on manual mode or chaining down while driver reads the paper and has a brew while you think hat a prat he is but he would of done same when he started learning how the trailers work getting used to all the necks etc takes time and may pairs of hydraulic coverd gloves it certanitly not a clean job .
takes a lot of effort before you even come close to big stuff but then you could get lucky and if face fits can move up quicker than expected .
when it goes wrong its not just case of call highways agency and they sweep it up start of on the 60t 80t work your way up and get a break and it sure aint easy work
As for money you can earn decent but the resposabilty that comes with it aint always worth it lugging rail about for locos is no fun
Very much a similar thing in recovery really, having 2 start from the bottom… Sound very interesting though and also appealing… Working ur way up is cracking cause it helps u fit in and learn all u need 2 learn! Definitely something I think I would consider… Thanks 4 the input chaps much appreciated!
Charge the company by the hour, stuck at 40 mph and routed via dual carriageways rather than a quicker more direct route. What would take 10 hours for a normal load would take the best part of 2 days. As much work as I wanted due to their contract, I don’t think any invoice I billed was less than £700 a week.
The job itself was great. Intresting things to move, no rush or pressure to get there, generally in a convoy with one or 2 other motors, a cracking bunch of lads to run with.
There’s jobs going on STGO 2 with a firm we deal with. Wag and Drag pulling a road planer. They have low loaders as well. a good place to start if you want to move forward.
roadrunner:
I think the last time a thread like this occured the opinion was that the best companies to work for never need to advertise, like any decent job for that matter, or in other words “Dead mans shoes”. But to wet your appetite this thread is worth a revisit if you have never seen it before.
Thank you, roadrunner, for posting this link! Must have missed it or been too late to the party the first time, but what a rig, what a team and how proud does it make you feel that good old ALE (yes, I know what it stands for!) are doing the business all the way over in Africa, world wide in fact? Love those lo-pro Fauns.
roadrunner:
I think the last time a thread like this occured the opinion was that the best companies to work for never need to advertise, like any decent job for that matter, or in other words “Dead mans shoes”. But to wet your appetite this thread is worth a revisit if you have never seen it before.
Thank you, roadrunner, for posting this link! Must have missed it or been too late to the party the first time, but what a rig, what team and how proud does it make you feel that good old ALE (yes, I know what it stands for!) are doing the business all the way over in Africa, world wide in fact? Love those lo-pro Fauns.
I’ve been working in heavy haul for the last 6 years, pretty much after passing my class 2, where I started out on an 8-wheel hiab for a rail plant hire company. Made bloody good money (+£50K/year) then moved up onto the low loaders, working for various other companies. Money has stayed pretty much the same, stay out all week, work unsociable hours, etc and it can be pretty messy work but it can be a good laugh. I will say, however, from experience, that the companies out there can be very ruthless.