Followed in your dad’s footsteps…? Always dreamt of being a trucker…? Took advice from a friend or some other person…? Retrained and changed careers…? Family business…? Something else…?
Curious to know. For me it’s quite an unusual one. I never planned on it at all. Was actually at uni at the time on course to for an engineering degree, but I really hated constantly being around people at uni. Especially the ‘group’ tutorials and assignments. Had a part time job in a factory at the time and I hated having to work around people moaning and ■■■■■■■■ constantly. Saw the trucks and their drivers coming in and out of the place and the thought crossed my mind that might actually might be a job where you could get away from people and their constant pish…
Long story short, ended up researching it. Forked out for my licence, passed, and did driving part time while still a student. Then eventually became addicted to the solitude and ditched my degree (although I kind of wish I hadn’t now, with the way this industry is going…).
In a nutshell, it just affords me the distance from people that I crave. I’m a bit of an asocial one me Only time I need to deal with people is loading, unloading, and getting signatures. I can just about deal with that.
I got into it because an old gaffer couldn’t find a driver to do the job in the way he wanted, as I was already trained as a HIAB operator, he put me through my class 2.
I’ve always been fairly ambivalent on how I earn my money, but driving has been an enjoyable way for me to do it so far, I’m coming off the road in December, I just hope I find my new role as enjoyable.
Similar to me. I worked in a workshop for 20 years and recently got bored with people that were intent on upsetting the apple cart. ‘Cliques’ and old boys networks and professional moaners. Plus the fact I didn’t want to be rolling about on the floor in my 50’s and 60’s. So I thought I’d deliver the stuff instead of fix it. Two birds with one stone and all that. I’m a sociable person but after working with some complete spanners it’s nice on the road with just me and the radio. Mind you ten hours a day is enough
I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot, or a train driver, or a ships captain. Didnt quite make it though. Started with a holiday on a coal round. . .couldnt do that now: 1cwt hessian or polypropylene sacks loaded from hoppers, hand on/hand off. Ended up doing a year, 3.5t unladen, non-hgv. Eventually did HGV class one direct, and jumped in with both eyes firmly closed. First proper job was on artics doing locals, then nights out within a week or two. Doesnt happen like that now, I know. Luck, more than any form of judgement, that it worked out.
Left uni and worked at a local nursery (The type that grow plants ) loading trolley’s on/off lorries. They soon had me driving the lorries on/off the bays. Made some decent money so got my licence as an investment so I would never be unemployed (Was out of work Jan-Feb on the angency once and that was crap), 3yrs later that place went under so off I went for the next few years driving at different companies before my current one.
So it was never really planned but it works for me as I still enjoy it.
Like some didn’t do good at skhool , my writing is like a ■■■■■■ spider on speed
Hate working indoors or where the GP are involved shop work etc so got my Cat C went straight in to Dust cart working
Passed all the interviews but failed the medical with poor colour perception.
I’d spent a great deal of time bunking off school and riding around with a local haulage firm doing farm deliveries. It was handball, ropes sheets and log books back then. By the time I officially left school, I’d been up and down the country as a drivers mate in Marathons, Clydesdales, F7s, F10s, Scammels and various other late 70s/early 80s motors. I did a stint as a drivers mate on heavy haulage, that included rear steering work, single and double dolly work as well as hydraulic low loader work. Great fun and all over the country again. Not so much fun jacking up and blocking an Andes crane in the wind and the rain though. I was shunting trailers in the yard, changing wheels and keeping all the kit in good order if we weren’t out on the road. Got my car licence and got a job driving a Ford D series locally and overnight in the UK. Also drove for Avis collecting and delivering cars in the local area.
My father paid for my HGV1 lessons for my 21st birthday present. 4 days lessons and one day for the test…£440. Passed first time on a Friday and was out the following Monday with an F86 and twenty footer on a short skelly into London. That was for a company that knew me as a drivers mate on the heavy haulage outfit and took me on straight away. (I was hoping to get a shiny new F10 but they’d sussed me out and I got a crappy little F86)
My grandfather was a driver, maybe it’s in the blood?
Always been interested in trucks. After passing my car test found out how much I enjoyed driving and the open road. Studied to be an electrician then when the recession hit nobody was taking on apprentices. Got a job working nights at a hotel. Knew I wouldn’t be able to afford my hgv license on that wage so applied for a job at the ASDA CDC in Erith. The wage was great. Started to save up then my life took a dramatic turn. Decided to move to Colchester to be with my missus (now wife) got a job at the cash and carry as a relief van driver. Became a full time van driver then my boss put me through my class 2. Wages went up saved and paid for class 1. Now I’m just building up the experience.
Left the army , had a HGV license so did it as a temporary stop gap job that was supposed to last 6 months. Almost quarter of a century later I’m still doing it.
It was a mate of mine who got me interested in the job,after a few trips to euroland in vans and puddle jumpers, i thought easier than manual work, and there was those few perks like cheap cigarettes back then, iirc a carton of 200 B&H (200)was £11 on the boat, duty free when i started, i got a job full time driving after i had proved myself.After being dropped in at the deep end, sat navs back then were not as common as they are now and were probably a lot more expensive So it only maps and common sense and eyes
same as most really, warehouse work, then went out as second man, always seemed to enjoy that bit of freedom,then van driver, on to seven half ton vans, passed me class 2,got about the country a lot, then got me class 1, and i never looked back,love the driving (hate the snow) never even thought about changing my profession still enjoy the driving now just a few years off retirement now.
Saw the job advertised in the paper for a van driver, family run business.
I thought I can do that, so it started out on transit vans subbing to the council.
Then doing the odd distance job then doing transit flat work where I learnt rope and sheet. Onto 7.5t doing the roads then pulling a small roller then caravan. Finally took my class 1 and that was that.
Total and utter ■■■■■. Talking to a mate at 5am outside his office and his mate pulled up in a brand new scania. He’d only just passed his test and asked didn’t we have a go. I thought truck was massive and I’d never be able to do it. Passed classed 2 then 1 and off I went.
Ps. Looked forward to driving a scania until I did then found I didn’t like them
For me, I was always surrounded by wagons, my dad was a driver and my uncle is (both day men) and my great uncle ran a small fleet of tippers back in the 90s and early 2000s, though I wouldn’t have ever touched one on the road, to call them death traps was an understatement!!
I started my working life in retail and if I’m honest I did enjoy and I excelled at it, but the road was calling my name, so at 21 I became a bus driver to try my hand at driving larger vehicles, I enjoyed the driving side of things but hated the public, but it gave me the confidence and enabled me to afford to progress onto lorries.
I passed my class 2 and jumped in head first on the agency route… Dear lord, was I unprepared. 2am starts, learning to operate a fridge and multi drop.
I later went through a lot of jobs on both class 2 and class 1, multi drop on curtains and fridges, farm collections, concrete mixers, night trunking etc. Until I settled into tramping late last year, I found a company I relished working for and spent 8 great months working for them until it was announced that they were being bought out, so I left so not to tarnish the great experience I had with the firm.
Now I’ve started working on bulk haulage work and in honesty I enjoy it, it’s just a rather steep learning curve.
Sorry for the essay, I’m sure you’re all asleep by now!
Gang pressed at the age of 8. Escaped and managed to hide for two years working in an office, but was eventually found and put on milk tankers for 10 years. Once you’re branded there’s no way out.
Chunkzilla:
Now I’ve started working on bulk haulage work and in honesty I enjoy it, it’s just a rather steep learning curve.
One of the Barnsley companies?
No, don’t fancy working for a company (or companies) in the midst of family drama!
Currently, the big walking floor firm. First time I’ve worked for a large firm.
Chunkzilla:
Now I’ve started working on bulk haulage work and in honesty I enjoy it, it’s just a rather steep learning curve.
One of the Barnsley companies?
No, don’t fancy working for a company (or companies) in the midst of family drama!
Currently, the big walking floor firm. First time I’ve worked for a large firm.
When in my late teens I used to go to sea during the summer and drive a puddle jumper during the winter, in actual fact I took an old Commer to the driving test center the day I passed my car test and then down to Redruth with Helmsman lockers from Bury St Edmunds after I passed, just as well I did as got stopped by the police for having no ‘A’ license or tax disc in the screen and had to show them the pink pass slip.
I started at aged 17 through an agency (1997) working for an airline caterers in the food store, unloading wagons every day, was on about £3.60 an hour, another local firm were advertising for warehouse staff (they packed cd’s and later dvd’s) so got on with them again loading/unloading wagons and stayed there for a year, driving was all I wanted to do, so found myself working for a parcel firm doing multi drop, hated every minute of it!
Next up was a couple of electrical wholesalers doing driving/warehouse/trade counter work, but all I wanted was to drive trucks. I called a local courier to seek work there, and started in vans, a few weeks in, a guy was off on hols and the TM asked if I would mind driving his 7.5t daf, I jumped at it and after being given a very brief run down on taco regs I was off, soon after I was given my own 7.5t merc! I can still remember my first night out, stopped near Newark in a layby, hardly slept as I was living my dream, that and being rocked back and forth by passing traffic.
The gaffer put me through my class 2 in 2006, and I left them in 2013.
Now with a good family run firm delivering our own goods, started as class 2, then they asked if I would be interested in taking class 1, I said sure, boss booked it for w/c 7/9/15 and 1 year ago today I passed at the first attempt with zero minor faults.
Only time I need to deal with people is loading, unloading, and getting signatures. I can just about deal with that.
) loading trolley’s on/off lorries. They soon had me driving the lorries on/off the bays. Made some decent money so got my licence as an investment so I would never be unemployed (Was out of work Jan-Feb on the angency once and that was crap), 3yrs later that place went under so off I went for the next few years driving at different companies before my current one.
