Juddian:
Much of the problem is those who want to run before they can walk.
Then there’s those who want sociable hours, but unsociable hours money, it never has and never will happen, if you want £37k+ for 40 hours, it aint going to be 7am to 4pm mon to fri chauffering (except maybe London tippers/skips which is where muck and brass starts), it never has and it never will, you can find that money for a 40 hour week but it’s going to involve early mornings or late nights, some weekends and bank hols and some 14 hour days interspersed with some 7 hour ones.
Yes there is a dog end to the industry, and unless you are very very lucky or have someone batting for you to ‘‘get you in’’, you WILL have to learn the job by doing the rough for a time, might be 2 years might be ten, for me it was about 12 or 13 years before i got my first big money break, and that wasn’t driving big uns, i gave up the artics in order to drive vans at night for more money and less hours.
That lasted about 12 months and then a massive increase in fast trunking operations saw me transferred onto artics (4 on 4 off nights) there with quite frankly ridiculous money, however the shifts were rigid, if you were rostered to work Christmas night, you worked Christmas night, no arguments, no sickies, you got and kept such jobs because you didn’t take the ■■■■ and proved yourself totally dependable.
Your reputation in this industry gets you good jobs, good work record, good references, honesty and integrity…the sickie crew need not apply, indeed many of the better long term contracts with major players have been discontinued due in no small way to ■■■■ taking.
I think it is true that when you get a good job it’s easier to replace with another good job, or maybe its the case that you will simply not accept the dross once you’ve had the good other than a very temporary stop gap.
Looking at the lorry has never been the route to a good job, all flash no cash can be as true today as it was when i started out.
So much truth in that post. There’s very good money available for very cushy jobs with very nice hours if you set your stall up right. Most drivers will scoff at the thought, but I firmly believe in “looking after” the planners come Christmas time and also taking the time to have a chat and banter with the managers if I see them about in the yard/smoking hut. Going over and above what’s required of you to get them out of the [zb] when it hits is usually something else that pays dividends when they next have their management meetings and your name gets mentioned in a good light. It soon comes together like a jigsaw and you find yourself on the cream jobs and get the unofficial “nod” from management to add a few extra hours on to your invoice when you get them out of the [zb].
The ‘apprenticeship’ thing is very true in my experience, I did some real carp jobs in my first 2 years just to get work/experience and try to build a decent reputation. Now I choose the work and have set an absolute minimum rate.
cheekymonkey:
But, if I may offer some advice to anyone who isn`t happy…Move on.
Excellent advice. I did just that, studied in the day while working a night job turning a steering wheel, qualified and have not looked back since. Doing something else has further backed up my opinions of the haulage industry and I have no inclination whatsoever to go back to driving, or anything else involving lorries.
The more I read these sort of posts on here, the more I realise how fortunate I am in my job - it also helps that I’ve never seen them slagged off on here either
scaniason:
The more I read these sort of posts on here, the more I realise how fortunate I am in my job - it also helps that I’ve never seen them slagged off on here either
cheekymonkey:
But, if I may offer some advice to anyone who isn`t happy…Move on.
Excellent advice. I did just that, studied in the day while working a night job turning a steering wheel, qualified and have not looked back since. Doing something else has further backed up my opinions of the haulage industry and I have no inclination whatsoever to go back to driving, or anything else involving lorries.
Apart from frequently visiting and contributing to a lorry driver’s forum…
As a newbie I’m enjoying my job. I tell the company what nights I can work, I get paid for being sat in a cab in the warmth, with my own music on. The managers never bother me, I can pick my own routes, take a break when I want, even have an hour or two kip if I need it (as long as it’s not a regular thing). Most people at the depots are nice, helpful, chatty.
Sometimes there’s pain in the arse stuff to do like faffing with broken straps & sorting loads out, waiting in queues, ■■■■■■ yards, but I think that’s a small price to pay for a flexible job where I don’t ever get moaned at no matter what I dress like, look like, swear like, and never will get asked to cover my tattoos, do overtime or have a boss breathing down my neck. And I’d rather be trucking than sat in some ■■■■■■ office somewhere
Face:
As a newbie I’m enjoying my job. I tell the company what nights I can work, I get paid for being sat in a cab in the warmth, with my own music on. The managers never bother me, I can pick my own routes, take a break when I want, even have an hour or two kip if I need it (as long as it’s not a regular thing). Most people at the depots are nice, helpful, chatty.
Sometimes there’s pain in the arse stuff to do like faffing with broken straps & sorting loads out, waiting in queues, [zb] yards, but I think that’s a small price to pay for a flexible job where I don’t ever get moaned at no matter what I dress like, look like, swear like, and never will get asked to cover my tattoos, do overtime or have a boss breathing down my neck. And I’d rather be trucking than sat in some [zb] office somewhere
Face:
As a newbie I’m enjoying my job. I tell the company what nights I can work, I get paid for being sat in a cab in the warmth, with my own music on. The managers never bother me, I can pick my own routes, take a break when I want, even have an hour or two kip if I need it (as long as it’s not a regular thing). Most people at the depots are nice, helpful, chatty.
Sometimes there’s pain in the arse stuff to do like faffing with broken straps & sorting loads out, waiting in queues, [zb] yards, but I think that’s a small price to pay for a flexible job where I don’t ever get moaned at no matter what I dress like, look like, swear like, and never will get asked to cover my tattoos, do overtime or have a boss breathing down my neck. And I’d rather be trucking than sat in some [zb] office somewhere
cheekymonkey:
But, if I may offer some advice to anyone who isn`t happy…Move on.
Excellent advice. I did just that, studied in the day while working a night job turning a steering wheel, qualified and have not looked back since. Doing something else has further backed up my opinions of the haulage industry and I have no inclination whatsoever to go back to driving, or anything else involving lorries.
Apart from frequently visiting and contributing to a lorry driver’s forum…
That doesn’t count. It’s not real life on here, or at least I hope it isn’t…
Contraflow:
I thought Sam Millar loved being a “trucker”?
Has the novelty worn off?
Just a lot ,ive noticed jonnytruckfest is keeping a low profile aswell,them big v8 scanias and volvo 750 are far and few,i bet the posters of trucks are ripped off the bedroom wall now
The reason I’m keeping that ‘low profile’ as you put it, is because I’ve been busy with work and life to even bother with this forum. But if people want to know what ive been doing, I put my notice in to my current driving job due to lack of hours and nights out. I rang mcdowells yesterday morning start of shift at 9am, were more than happy to take me back so id like to think my time there was shown I’m more than upto the job.
Back doing what I enjoy, being down the road doing those ‘long’ hours many dread seeing parts of the country many of my friends will never be lucky enough to see…as for the truck posters…I’m more of a foden man myself The only Volvo & Scania I have on my wall is my Uncle/god dads trucks.
To add to that as well, next month I’ll be putting 10 hours o/t a week away towards the hospice charity fund that my uncle was in in his last days. So as you can gather, keeps me very busy. I apologize Ithat I’ve put the forum on the back burner for so long
Juddian:
Much of the problem is those who want to run before they can walk.
Then there’s those who want sociable hours, but unsociable hours money, it never has and never will happen, if you want £37k+ for 40 hours, it aint going to be 7am to 4pm mon to fri chauffering (except maybe London tippers/skips which is where muck and brass starts), it never has and it never will, you can find that money for a 40 hour week but it’s going to involve early mornings or late nights, some weekends and bank hols and some 14 hour days interspersed with some 7 hour ones.
Yes there is a dog end to the industry, and unless you are very very lucky or have someone batting for you to ‘‘get you in’’, you WILL have to learn the job by doing the rough for a time, might be 2 years might be ten, for me it was about 12 or 13 years before i got my first big money break, and that wasn’t driving big uns, i gave up the artics in order to drive vans at night for more money and less hours.
That lasted about 12 months and then a massive increase in fast trunking operations saw me transferred onto artics (4 on 4 off nights) there with quite frankly ridiculous money, however the shifts were rigid, if you were rostered to work Christmas night, you worked Christmas night, no arguments, no sickies, you got and kept such jobs because you didn’t take the ■■■■ and proved yourself totally dependable.
Your reputation in this industry gets you good jobs, good work record, good references, honesty and integrity…the sickie crew need not apply, indeed many of the better long term contracts with major players have been discontinued due in no small way to ■■■■ taking.
I think it is true that when you get a good job it’s easier to replace with another good job, or maybe its the case that you will simply not accept the dross once you’ve had the good other than a very temporary stop gap.
Looking at the lorry has never been the route to a good job, all flash no cash can be as true today as it was when i started out.
Spot on. I was stoped at a tea stall recentley some clown parked there said i wouldnt drive your motor id want a globetrotter i drive a flat top fh12 i said i dont do nights out he said theres no room in them though and it looks rough which it does now as its getting old.
said i drive it i dont have to live in it and theres not a lit of waiting in my job and its kept legal and we get very little vosa attention.
Anyway ask him about his job on boxes he was maxing his hours and four nights a week out and i was earning 40 quid a week more for mon- fri 6-30 16-30
toby1234abc:
A good post and very accurate.You have forgot the offer of Gareth Hunt’s offer of the finest coffee beans from dumb car drivers that toot their tooters when it is their fault.
Car doodlers toodling along at 42 mph in lane two on a motorway.
Rude and ignorant goods in staff that hide behind their computer and ignore you on purpose.
Snotty nosed fork lift drivers that run off for a ■■■ or tea break when you arrive.
Comments of not booked in.Too late.Too early.Blah blah.
I turned up at a delivery one day and the forkie said you can fxxk off as he didn’t want to unload,i replied ok fella no skin off my nose and drove out,10 min later a phone call to ask why I drove out,when I said what the forkie told me to do I was told to go back and they would make sure he was there ready and waiting,he obviously got a bxxxxxxxxg and was not happy,i said next time think before you open your trap cos if I am told to fxxk off I will even if they need the goods,i thought it was quite funny
I turned up at a delivery one day and the forkie said you can fxxk off as he didn’t want to unload,i replied ok fella no skin off my nose and drove out,10 min later a phone call to ask why I drove out,when I said what the forkie told me to do I was told to go back and they would make sure he was there ready and waiting,he obviously got a bxxxxxxxxg and was not happy,i said next time think before you open your trap cos if I am told to fxxk off I will even if they need the goods,i thought it was quite funny
[/quote] Man after me own heart. Ought to be more of it.
Never drive in to an empty yard with no lorries in it.
If you do ,expect to be told off by the fork lift driver.
He will say “Can’ t you read that sign on the front entrance ?”
It says wait outside on the road and get permission to enter yard.
You are now in the naughty corner.
He will load their own lorries or make you wait.
