We are without doubt, a strange profession, many postings recently are of truckers out of work, warnings of poor payers, owner drivers asking about what this firm and that firm are like to work for, and generally the dire state of the industry etc.
Yet at Truckfest there will be no doubt row upon row of “blinged up” trucks. Those trucks belonging to owner drivers I can possibly understand. Although they are obviously on far better rates than I have ever found!
The trucks that mystify me are those belonging to companies which have been embellished by their drivers, cleaned and polished with no pay.
Drivers who with good reason complain about their poor pay manage to find the money for light bars LED’s and all the other adornments which they happily fit to a truck that doesn’t belong to them.
An engine driver doesn’t go to the depot all day Saturday and clean his diesel engine, nor does a British Airways pilot pay for loads of chequer plate to smarten up his beloved 747.
I have heard all the reasons, “Well I live in my truck”, “I take a pride in my truck” etc.
I would appreciate if someone out there could explain to me what the real reason is.
L’escargot:
We are without doubt, a strange profession, many postings recently are of truckers out of work, warnings of poor payers, owner drivers asking about what this firm and that firm are like to work for, and generally the dire state of the industry etc.
Yet at Truckfest there will be no doubt row upon row of “blinged up” trucks. Those trucks belonging to owner drivers I can possibly understand. Although they are obviously on far better rates than I have ever found!
The trucks that mystify me are those belonging to companies which have been embellished by their drivers, cleaned and polished with no pay.
Drivers who with good reason complain about their poor pay manage to find the money for light bars LED’s and all the other adornments which they happily fit to a truck that doesn’t belong to them.
An engine driver doesn’t go to the depot all day Saturday and clean his diesel engine, nor does a British Airways pilot pay for loads of chequer plate to smarten up his beloved 747.
I have heard all the reasons, “Well I live in my truck”, “I take a pride in my truck” etc.
I would appreciate if someone out there could explain to me what the real reason is.
Les zizis des routiers sont sympas.
TIN HAT TIN HAT, RUN RUN RuN INTO THE TNUK FALL OUT SHELTER AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND CLOSE THE DOOR AND BOLT IT :!:
just because a driver who works for such abody has kelsa lights,horns or what ever else doesnt mean he/she paid for it i know loads of companies that have them put on there self who also pay for the truck to be entered into these competitions and some even pay drivers more money to keep them looking that way but yes there are some who spend there own cash on bling oh yes i forgot this post dont really answer your question i just felt like saying it
fozzie:
just because a driver who works for such abody has kelsa lights,horns or what ever else doesnt mean he/she paid for it i know loads of companies that have them put on there self who also pay for the truck to be entered into these competitions and some even pay drivers more money to keep them looking that way but yes there are some who spend there own cash on bling oh yes i forgot this post dont really answer your question i just felt like saying it
I dont pay for my bling…I wont pay for the “over-the -top aftermarket curtains”, etc, but I keep it clean shiney and nice cos I like it, it presents a “proffesional” image of the company and me.
Summers transport at buckhaven in fife are a prime example,their drivers go in at weekends/time off and wash truck inside and out.They polish it take wheels off and polish them.they are part of the curtain and bling brigade and the drivers pay for it themselves.I think i’m right in stating that the drivers also pay for entry into truckfest at edinburgh.( i may be wrong) As long as the wagon is clean and tidy inside that will do for me.
L’escargot:
We are without doubt, a strange profession, many postings recently are of truckers out of work, warnings of poor payers, owner drivers asking about what this firm and that firm are like to work for, and generally the dire state of the industry etc.
Yet at Truckfest there will be no doubt row upon row of “blinged up” trucks. Those trucks belonging to owner drivers I can possibly understand. Although they are obviously on far better rates than I have ever found!
The trucks that mystify me are those belonging to companies which have been embellished by their drivers, cleaned and polished with no pay.
Drivers who with good reason complain about their poor pay manage to find the money for light bars LED’s and all the other adornments which they happily fit to a truck that doesn’t belong to them.
An engine driver doesn’t go to the depot all day Saturday and clean his diesel engine, nor does a British Airways pilot pay for loads of chequer plate to smarten up his beloved 747.
I have heard all the reasons, “Well I live in my truck”, “I take a pride in my truck” etc.
I would appreciate if someone out there could explain to me what the real reason is.
Couldn’t have worded it better myself. Something i’ve so often thought about.
Anyone walking around Truckfest, enquire the cost of some of the fancy paint jobs!
kitkat:
Summers transport at buckhaven in fife are a prime example,their drivers go in at weekends/time off and wash truck inside and out.They polish it take wheels off and polish them.they are part of the curtain and bling brigade and the drivers pay for it themselves.I think i’m right in stating that the drivers also pay for entry into truckfest at edinburgh.( i may be wrong) As long as the wagon is clean and tidy inside that will do for me.
muppets! I would happily keep a co. truck clean & polished, but it would surely be in their time!
If you were hauling livestock, would you go in especially, in your own time at a weekend to power wash the box out?
When i took the wagon im using now over a couple of months ago,it was a disgrace.I came in on a Saturday and spent three hours cleaning it,mainly inside the cab.I bourght odds and sods to make the cab more homeley and kept it clean.Its been abused and got bits missing off it but i still tried to make it look OK.I done this because im in it more than i am at home and i dont want to be sat in a crappy cab all night.So we do these things to our trucks because we like them to look good,if your truck looks good,you feel good.
Sorry BR but it just goes to show how soft some of you guys are & employers have learn’t this and take advantage of it.
I would have phoned the office, told them the cab was uninhabitable & that it would take me several hours to clean it. That i wouldn’t be charging them any extra, nor would they be receiving a valeters invoice. However, all the cleaning material bills would be submitted along with my first lot of parking etc. reclaims.
BIGRIG:
When i took the wagon im using now over a couple of months ago,it was a disgrace.I came in on a Saturday and spent three hours cleaning it,mainly inside the cab.I bourght odds and sods to make the cab more homeley and kept it clean.Its been abused and got bits missing off it but i still tried to make it look OK.I done this because im in it more than i am at home and i dont want to be sat in a crappy cab all night.So we do these things to our trucks because we like them to look good,if your truck looks good,you feel good.
When I started my last full time job I told them “I am not going nowhere until I will clean that lorry, if you want me to overnigt in that”, they were moaning, but I did what I planned, put all rubbish to the two tesco bags and dropped it on the boss’ desk saying “This are belonging of the former driving, could you pass it to him, please?”
I am also for clean lorries, I agree, it’s a good thing for the company and is pleasure for me to drive clean lorry, but I would not clean it in my spare time, as keeping lorry in good condition is part of my job - so I can’t see a reason why I should do part of my job outside my working hours?
When I started out in years gone by I would spend an few hours on the weekend touching up the paint on the truck.
It would stand out and people would get to know you for the guy with and old truck that looked half tidy.
Mind I didnt down the road to putting extra lights on it just the extra cleaning and spot of polish when hanging around at the paper mill or docks.
God you could only sleep so much in the day or you ended up awake and knackered all night.
One guy used to deliver at Kemsley mill and while waiting to tip would be doing sit ups pull ups and stuff drove a real ■■■■■ heap of a truck but that was his thing
Some drivers work to live others live to work, what’s the problem? when i started i had no other commitments, driving was my life, i spent any spare cash and all my spare time on my truck, now i’ve got other priorities, i wonder why it seems to get some people so wound up?
i will stick my hands up to spending money on a truck. tradimar gave me a filthy TGX so i washed it at stracartho at my own expense. £4 that i didnt claim for
i wouldnt spend any money on accessories that i cant take home though. i dont mind a few wet wipes but everything comes out when i park the truck up. my money, my kit and im keeping it
I think you’ll find the people who moan a groan are different people to the ones who spend money on their trucks. I fall into the latter category. I love my job, it’s my passion and I do spend time and money on my truck. I’ve dreamed of doing this job for as long I can remember.
I think you have to understand that we are all different. For some people it’s just a job and money, fair enough, but for some of us its a way of life, a passion and a hobby.
oh yes i forgot this post dont really answer your question i just felt like saying it 
