Earlier today, I read a comment by a certain poster on another thread that suggested that it was a bad thing to be a “one trick pony company man”, as apposed to someone who has ‘done it all’ over the years working through agencies and job hopping.
This got me thinking, at this stage in my time as a truck driver I probably fall under the category of “one trick pony” to a degree in that all I have ever done is retail deliveries & trunking with box vans & fridges. I have rarely pulled a curtain sider, never pulled a flat, never pulled a tanker, never pulled a tipper, never done any ‘look at me’ loads, never done Europe. And, I am really not that bothered. I wouldn’t mind giving different things a try, but quite frankly I don’t think I am that in love with truck driving that I would ever chase the experience. I do enjoy driving, but I just want an easy life with my feet under the table knowing exactly what I am doing. So long as the money and hours are right, i’m going no where. I’ve been fortunate to always be in full time employment apart from 1 week on agency. Besides… I don’t want to tramp, I don’t want to work 70 hour weeks, I don’t want to work for £7ph & I don’t want to start at stupid o’clock in the morning so that’d limit my options anyway.
There’s a difference between a job hopping agy driver and a job hopping employed driver. I’m the former and I have a mate who’s the later. He can’t stay in 1 place for more than 1-2yrs. I get asked for on different contracts and sometimes stay in 1 place 2-3 week and up to 6 months. IMO a job hopping employed driver will get himself a bad reputation, where as a job hopping agy driver will build up either a good/bad reputation
Id love to give different things a try but the problem is to get into the type of things id like to do you have to start at the bottom and work up. Id like to give ab-loads and heavy recovery a crack but the money at the bottom would fall far short of what im used to. By the time the mortgage is paid off I’d most likely be too over the hill to start again.
I love the fact that I’ve done so many different disciplines in the industry.
I’ve never done Europe, but would love to, but other than that, I don’t know many - even old hands - who’ve done as much variety as I have.
HOWEVER, this does backfire when you see ‘that job’ that you want, especially if it would involve the company training you up.
Swings and roundabouts, but to be fair, I’m usually out of work when I decide to try something new, rather than leave a job to go and do it, so I’d be changing job anyway.
I did a fair bit of job hopping in my younger days, I was going over the water and most companies specialised in one country, so to tick all the boxes I had to move about a bit. It was all tilt or fridge work mainly, the odd box van occasionally, so pretty mainstream.
Prior to that I did flat work, both on rigids and artics, earning my stripes.
Other than that I’ve done a bit on tippers, 8 wheelers and artics, but nothing out of the ordinary, it’s never really been about what I’m driving or carrying, but where I’m going. I struck lucky with lorries, a lot of the time that was because I chose it and bought the biggest and best I could afford.
Now it’s different, I am doing something very different and even though I’m in Canada now (wanderlust again) it’s not about where I’m going, what I’m doing it in is again my choice and I went sensible for once, in fact this lorry is the lowest powered one I’ve bought since 1993. Now it’s all about working less and earning more and to do that I’ve had to specialise.
peirre:
There’s a difference between a job hopping agy driver and a job hopping employed driver. I’m the former and I have a mate who’s the later. He can’t stay in 1 place for more than 1-2yrs. I get asked for on different contracts and sometimes stay in 1 place 2-3 week and up to 6 months. IMO a job hopping employed driver will get himself a bad reputation, where as a job hopping agy driver will build up either a good/bad reputation
Guess I would be classed as a Job Hopper at the age of 46 I now have 34 P45’s to my name - Found it easier to now be a limited company driver so keeping all my tax affairs in one place lol
have to agree to me as an agency driver i had done everything other than tippers (far too intelligent ) and car transporters.
have to admit some of the jobs i hated others i loved, prior to that was an owner driver so ticked lots of boxes (europe, flats, etc.) that said if i went back to driving it would be on agency just for the variety.
but if you are happy and a 1 man company man who am i to judge?
rob22888:
I don’t think I am that in love with truck driving that I would ever chase the experience. I do enjoy driving, but I just want an easy life with my feet under the table knowing exactly what I am doing. So long as the money and hours are right, i’m going no where.
Having spent my life in farming, I can turn my hand to pretty much anything and quickly get bored with the ‘same old’ so agency suits me fine. Have Livestock, ADR, Tanker HIAB & FLT tickets as well as a load of agri related stuff.
I sometimes envy the folk that can stick with routine but it would drive me crackers, 3hrs on the M6 at night has me yelling things like ‘mint sauce’ at the sheep coming over Shap.
This got me thinking, at this stage in my time as a truck driver I probably fall under the category of “one trick pony” to a degree in that all I have ever done is retail deliveries & trunking with box vans & fridges. I have rarely pulled a curtain sider, never pulled a flat, never pulled a tanker, never pulled a tipper, never done any ‘look at me’ loads, never done Europe…
) and car transporters.