I am 60 in march and will be giving up HGV/PSV pretty soon after I think, although I have done 21 hours CPC I do not think I will bother with the rest.
Got me thinking to nearly 40 years ago when I started at 21, there were some lovely old drivers where I worked, and they would say how the job had changed and us younger drivers would laugh and take the p**s, but now I am one of the old drivers and it is me that is moaning.
It is still a good job in lots of ways, but I have become increasingly set in my ways, all these new phones are beyond me, a few weeks ago I was in a RDC waiting room and this young driver tried to teach me all these tricks on his phone, he must have thought I was thick, but he was a nice chap and didn’t let it show.
Anyway, enough rambling from me, I will go back to my rocking chair and dream of Guy Big Js and Atkinson Borderers.Happy New Year.
Roger! 
out! 
sorry to see another old hand give it up 
but it’s red tape for ■■■■ all! 
Happy New Year Leslie. Enjoy your retirement pal
Yes, Happy New Year and of course returement
Good on yer! Don’t stop doing things though - B&Q love us old duffers and it will keep you out of trouble! Enjoy!
Enjoy your retirement, your,'re the same age as me. I can’t look back dewy eyed at Atkis and Guys and cold noisy awful stuff like that! Give me a modern auto truck with an aux_in radio and a curtainsiders any day!
Remember cutting frozen ropes off the load after sleeping across the seats, first thing on a cold winters morning? There wasn’t anything good about that.
Enjoy the retirement Leslie.
I’m 49 and have had enough of it, as I posted on another thread on here about a week ago. The job is gradually getting harder, and is not what it used to be. While I accept progress as it is inevitable, some parts of it, in my opinion, are not relevant and have no place in the job.
Can’t wait to get out myself at some point, but if you do get it right, the money can be good, and I would be hard pressed to get to that level outside of the industry, but if I could, then the extra time I would have on my hands, wouldn’t be wasted, and I could spend more time on my hobbies.
Ken.
Its a pity that good skilled older drivers are being lost and increasingly disillusioned.
There are still some good jobs about but increasingly rare, i was at the end of my tether when i finally packed in the transporters, about beeding knackered to tell the truth, found another niche though with very good terms and conditions, giving me a fresh start again and just over half my previous working hours.
You’re not old at 60 for goodness sake…enjoy your retirement but keep the licence though, you never know whats round the corner.
As you are 60 in march 2014 then how about keeping the entitlements until age 65 just in case and for only about £25 = IDEA?
If interested then, whether it needs it or not, submit a new photo for your licence now - or at least by the end of next month
That will get you a new style licence which validates the LGV to Jan 2019 (if you do it this month) and you will not need another photo until 2024
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=106565&p=1598322
DCPC
Your hours remain valid provided they are not more than 5 years old so if you did this example …
7 hours in feb 2011 = valid until feb 2016
7 hours in apr 2012 = valid until apr 2017
7 hours in mar 2013 = valid until mar 2018
Perhaps if the young 'un quieted down a bit he would realise he probably could have learnt more from you, than you could have about a phone. Enjoy your retirement you have earned it, another experienced bod lost from the industry 
F-reds
Good luck in your retirement.
I retired 3 years ago at 65 after 40 years at it.
I now go (with the good lady of course) to Spain for February and March, then May and finally September. 4 very
enjoyable months and it’s not too expensive to do it either.
Reading this forum there seems to be less and less pleasure and more red tape by the day, glad I’m out of it.
Once again enjoy your well earned retirement.
Hi Leslie, I am also 60 in March and like you seen quite a few changes over the years. I have thought about packing up but I still have quite an easy job, if I do it will be more likely due to all the h&S bull and mountain of daily paperwork.
The lorries are so easy to drive now but drivers attitudes and consideration for others has taken a fall, still I have my dcpc now and know what I am doing now after 40 yrs 
.
Enjoy your retirement chap, you’ve earned it.
Best bit of advice I was ever given, was by a 65 year old BRS driver I met in a truck stop some 20 odd years ago.
It was a horrible,cold, and miserable rainy November night; I was running MT back from Stockton on a Thursday night, F12, with night heater, a decent truck. I parked next to this fully freighted Scania 80, no sleeper, no night heater. Old boy gets out and we walk across to the wash room together to get cleaned up and go for something to eat. He told me had a delivery in Gloucester and Bristol, then re-load Avonmouth for back home to Southampton, he’d get home Saturday morning.
That night he was sleeping across the seats. He’d had enough of the job by then.Putting his knife and fork down in the middle of his meal he said :-
"What ever you do lad, get out of driving by the time you’re in your early 40’s,
(I was 44) do something else, and you can you know if you really want to, I’ve left it to late, should have got out years ago, but you’ve still got a chance, don’t still be driving at 65 like me"
Had a pretty profound effect on me, within a year I’d quit driving, and never regretted it. I’ve a few mates that are still driving now, all around retiring age, to a man they hate it, can’t wait to finish and wished they’d got out earlier.
Glad I took the old boys advice
Fergie, what line of work did you go into instead ?
Thanks for all your good wishes.
Cheekymonkey, you are right, modern trucks are better and much easier to drive, its just that I associate the older trucks with when I was young and virile, ha ha.
I probably will keep my licence as it will come in handy one day I am sure.
Dav1d:
Fergie, what line of work did you go into instead ?
Went into a truck garage as a service receptionist, lost half my earning, but had a home and social life after 25 years driving UK / EUROPE. After a few years worked up to being a manager / director.
You’d be suprised what you can do, and what you can achive, other than driving…
leslie g heath:
I probably will keep my licence as it will come in handy one day I am sure.
Then I suggest changing your photo before the end of february
Best of luck, Mr Leslie G Heath.
I’m going the other way - into LGV driving at the age of 60. (Madness, you say.)
I’d done over 11 years driving buses, but the passengers, city centre driving and the Company finally drove me away. However, after a few months of watching my hard earned savings leak away, I fancied a bit more driving, but couldn’t face stage carriage again.
So, after going through the usual DSA hoops and filling in my DCPC gaps, I now have Cats C & CE, giving me a “full house” licence. (Doubt I’ll ever need track-laying vehicles or road rollers, so shan’t bother with those.)
I only want a few days work a week, so I’m doing a bit of agency, mostly on rigids. The artics can wait until I’ve got more experience and better daylight.
I won’t pretend it’s easy, but I think I’m making progress. I’ve no ambitions to be a super-hard, hero trucker, but I think there are some types of work that will suit me. There’s still a bit of work left in me, to help keep goods moving and the wheels of industry turning.
One really striking thing I’ve found is that without exception, every other driver I’ve met has been really supportive and helpful. Sometimes I’ve asked for a bit of advice or help, sometimes another driver has come over and helped without being asked. It’s really, really appreciated. Thanks guys, young and not so young, it’s a great community to be part of - see you all on the road, safe driving.
Good luck and enjoy, put yer feet up for a while, I think you deserve it.
Major Road, no its not madness, I have done bus driving on and off over the years when I have needed settled hours.
Truck driving will be far less frustrating and as you can see from this forum there are lots of decent people in road haulage.