Let the Licence Go

[lawrence_dunbar]

Bassman:
Hi,

I retired 2 years ago after 40 odd years on the road . My licence has now expired and I 'm pretty certain I’m not going to renew it.
But I still have a strong interest in the transport scene and don’t want to lose all contact with it.
So what I.m suggesting is that if some multi-million pound Lottery winner would like to purchase an old airfield and some trucks from our era I and ,I’m sure, many like me would help him pass the time of day reliving the good old days. But not before 8.00am and only on warm sunny days, I remember just how good (or not so good ) those heaters,if you had one ,were.
At the moment most days are full but best of all , what gets done is done at my pace and instigation.

Cheers Bassman

TYou are No 1 on my list should I have the good fortune to win Eh, wouldn’t it be great If we could pull this off before all the old mems of the haulage game disappear forever, Heres hoping, Regards Larry.

[lawrence_dunbar]

Lawrence Dunbar:

Bassman:
Hi,

I retired 2 years ago after 40 odd years on the road . My licence has now expired and I 'm pretty certain I’m not going to renew it.
But I still have a strong interest in the transport scene and don’t want to lose all contact with it.
So what I.m suggesting is that if some multi-million pound Lottery winner would like to purchase an old airfield and some trucks from our era I and ,I’m sure, many like me would help him pass the time of day reliving the good old days. But not before 8.00am and only on warm sunny days, I remember just how good (or not so good ) those heaters,if you had one ,were.
At the moment most days are full but best of all , what gets done is done at my pace and instigation.

Cheers Bassman

TYou are No 1 on my list should I have the good fortune to win Eh, wouldn’t it be great If we could pull this off before all the old mems of the haulage game disappear forever, Heres hoping, Regards Larry.

PS,I will make sure your motor will have a Norwest Heater in for sure, With a riostat switch of course, If you are like me you will enjoy turning it on to full blast Eh, The good old days, Reards Larry.

[swellbelly]

bullitt:
Im in a similar situation having held my licence for 32 years.
Do I fork out X amount to take the driver CPC or just hang up my HGV licence. Im not using it (at the moment) and I hope I wont have to again in the future but it is nice to have as a fall back option “just in case”. However, if I don’t take the driver CPC then it wont be any use anyway!!

So either I let it go, or I pay out and take the ■■■■ DCPC but hope I wont need to use it!!

you wont lose your licence just your ability to drive as a job you can take the cpc anytime in the future when you need it to drive again for a living if you need to

[zzarbean]

Six weeks into retirement now, I did think I might do a couple of days up to September but why waste a summer working. Being pragmatic, when you reach retirement age you don’t know how many summers you have left so why waste one working?

My last night shift was a wet start and a long wait for a donkey to return, so late that the plan run was reduced from a tip in Elstree and a trailer change at Wisbech to just tip and return from Elstree.

The return trip went OK until I got to the Oxford by-pass around 4:00am and it dawned on me this was my last run. The further along the A40 I went the slower I got, passing all the old cafés, remembering what it was like before the Witney by-pass opened. Giving a toot of respect at places where drivers didn’t make it and trying to spot the place where I jack knifed back in the 70’s.
The A40 was the first road I regularly drove on and it was fitting it was also the last. When I got back I carefully parked the trailer up, dropped it and parked the unit up. I took a few extra minutes to soak in the occasion, gave the interior a good wipe down and a squirt of Fabreeze (like all good agency drivers should ) Locked it up and walked away. I won’t say without a backward glance because I did stop to take a quick photo.

In the traffic office I said a few goodbyes and that was it. I called in at my Agency office who I’d worked 4 years for where I was given a thank you card. That was it I’m free.

Six weeks later I’m still on holiday, trying to readjust from night work to days and knowing I’m going to have to start on ‘the list’ soon. But why do today what can be put off until tomorrow. After years of only being as good as your next job it’s great not to have to worry, this summer of sport has certainly helped. I’m following my aunt’s mantra in that once you’re retired you only have to do what you want to.

I can still drive trucks for another six weeks and my licence doesn’t expire until next January. Am I bothered? Bothered I’m not.

[archie_paice]

Well that’s it. My licence runs out today. I’ve been a part time driver for the past Ten years, since coming home after nearly twenty years of International driving. I have been doing many different jobs during this time from Night Trunks, through normal day jobs and deliveries to RDC’s and on to Roadside Recoveries. Now I am a full time retiree, no sudden urgent phone calls, no early mornings, no ■■■■■■■■ in a traffic office to bother me, just have to please myself. I shall still have plenty to do though, as I’ve just started a complete refurbishment of a Mini Thirty, That used to be my Wife’s. I shall be more able to keep the garden in tidy order. And of course I shall still continue to follow the Sun traveling abroad during those cold Winter months.

[zulu1512]

Hello hope you guys are all well and enjoying your retirement. I have another perspective on this. I got my class 1 licence in the very early 80’s courtersy of the company I worked for though I was not employed as a driver and only drove a few times a year but one of those trips was to Kayseri in southern Turkey.By the late 80’s I had a total career change and have not been envolved in driving lorries since 1988 that changed about 5 months ago. Mid last year I sold the business and took a forced retirement as part of the condition of sale was that I cannot work in the same trade. The money I got for the business would hopefully with carefull planning see me through until my pension kicks in, so money was not the main concern in my desicion. After 6 months of holiday and generally doing nothing apart from stuff around the house, I was board out of my box. I went from being out in the office seeing and speaking to people everyday to being in or around the house 24/7 with the occasional game of golf or drink with friends. It effected my whole personality and my relatioship with my wife, it got to the stage that I had to do something or I was going to go mad. It was my wife who suggested that I should possibly do some driving as I still had entitlement on my licence, though I did not know if it was still valid as I had never renewed it. I phoned DVLA and they told me I need a medical and provided I passed it would be renewed but I would also need a digi tacho card (new one to me). I had the medical passed got my licence and digi card, though I was pretty aprehensive about driving a lorry after not having driven anything bigger than a car for the last 26 years. So with this concern I booked myself on a 3 day refresher course with a training company, started of in any 18 ton and then on artics suprising how much came straight back to me (bit like riding a bike you never forget) had to relearn digi tacho’s and then biggest shock lorries now are like driving cars auto box, semi auto box, quite, comfortable (my test on a SA 400). So with this done I went and registered with an agency and I have been working 2/3 days a week ever since, I pick my work and some jobs I won’t do, but most is 18 ton multi drop local within 100 mile radius I do the occasional artic job. I have driven lots of different vehicles but mores he point its kept me sane and bought some normality back to my life. I have to do a CPC by September which I am going to do, wether I continue to drive after Jan next year when I can legally go back into my proffesion I do not know but at the moment this suits me fine. So what I would say to you guys from my perspective is you never know whats around the corner and only give it up if your sure you will not drive again, but other than getting to old to drive how many of us can say 100% we won’t want to or need to drive again. I had a 26 year sabatical and came back to it for my sanity (truth stranger than fiction sometimes) good luck in what ever road you take with your decision.

[windrush]

Not sure as yet whether to renew mine next year or not? Haven’t driven a truck for 11 1/2 years but have kept it on just incase anyone wanted a truck moving somewhere sometime and I wasn’t bothered about getting paid for doing it, just for the pleasure really. Alas I didn’t get the chance to say ‘goodbye’ to either driving or my workmates, what turned out to have been my final day never happened as my load was cancelled so I finished a day early and at about 7.30 pm (late stone delivery!) when everyone had gone home. I did go back later to see some of the lads but was told that I was no longer insured to be on the premises so had to leave, so ended 27 years working from one quarry! I might just renew it though, but wont bother with the classroom lecture unless someone else pays!

I did actually return, very briefly, a few years later to get some Foden brake shoes for a lad I was doing some occasional fitting for, I got picked up on CCTV before I had even stopped my van at the workshop and had a rollicking for not halting at the office and getting signed in and given a Safety Lecture! Never bothered going back since.

Pete.

[dave_the_renegade]

windrush:
Not sure as yet whether to renew mine next year or not? Haven’t driven a truck for 11 1/2 years but have kept it on just incase anyone wanted a truck moving somewhere sometime and I wasn’t bothered about getting paid for doing it, just for the pleasure really. Alas I didn’t get the chance to say ‘goodbye’ to either driving or my workmates, what turned out to have been my final day never happened as my load was cancelled so I finished a day early and at about 7.30 pm (late stone delivery!) when everyone had gone home. I did go back later to see some of the lads but was told that I was no longer insured to be on the premises so had to leave, so ended 27 years working from one quarry! I might just renew it though, but wont bother with the classroom lecture unless someone else pays!

I did actually return, very briefly, a few years later to get some Foden brake shoes for a lad I was doing some occasional fitting for, I got picked up on CCTV before I had even stopped my van at the workshop and had a rollicking for not halting at the office and getting signed in and given a Safety Lecture! Never bothered going back since.

Pete.

If I was you Pete, I would definitely renew the licence. Something might turn up in the future and you would still have the option of driving LGV’s.
I think the quarry were very petty, not letting you in ,but I suppose that was the rule.
Cheers Dave.

[punchy_dan]

Dave the Renegade:

windrush:
Not sure as yet whether to renew mine next year or not? Haven’t driven a truck for 11 1/2 years but have kept it on just incase anyone wanted a truck moving somewhere sometime and I wasn’t bothered about getting paid for doing it, just for the pleasure really. Alas I didn’t get the chance to say ‘goodbye’ to either driving or my workmates, what turned out to have been my final day never happened as my load was cancelled so I finished a day early and at about 7.30 pm (late stone delivery!) when everyone had gone home. I did go back later to see some of the lads but was told that I was no longer insured to be on the premises so had to leave, so ended 27 years working from one quarry! I might just renew it though, but wont bother with the classroom lecture unless someone else pays!

I did actually return, very briefly, a few years later to get some Foden brake shoes for a lad I was doing some occasional fitting for, I got picked up on CCTV before I had even stopped my van at the workshop and had a rollicking for not halting at the office and getting signed in and given a Safety Lecture! Never bothered going back since.

Pete.

If I was you Pete, I would definitely renew the licence. Something might turn up in the future and you would still have the option of driving LGV’s.
I think the quarry were very petty, not letting you in ,but I suppose that was the rule.
Cheers Dave.

Yes Pete you never know who or what will turn up ,you’ll do for me but I want plenty of wind rushing !

[rondavies]

Archie Paice:
Well that’s it. My licence runs out today. I’ve been a part time driver for the past Ten years, since coming home after nearly twenty years of International driving. I have been doing many different jobs during this time from Night Trunks, through normal day jobs and deliveries to RDC’s and on to Roadside Recoveries. Now I am a full time retiree, no sudden urgent phone calls, no early mornings, no [zb] in a traffic office to bother me, just have to please myself. I shall still have plenty to do though, as I’ve just started a complete refurbishment of a Mini Thirty, That used to be my Wife’s. I shall be more able to keep the garden in tidy order. And of course I shall still continue to follow the Sun traveling abroad during those cold Winter months.

Well done Archie, you had a good innings! Welcome to the full time retirees club.
rgds Ron

[cja1]

Rootin In"t Garage the other day, like u do found this the old black book, well more brown this one. the very first was black,cheers Chris.

[archie_paice]

rondavies:

Archie Paice:
Well that’s it. My licence runs out today. I’ve been a part time driver for the past Ten years, since coming home after nearly twenty years of International driving. I have been doing many different jobs during this time from Night Trunks, through normal day jobs and deliveries to RDC’s and on to Roadside Recoveries. Now I am a full time retiree, no sudden urgent phone calls, no early mornings, no [zb] in a traffic office to bother me, just have to please myself. I shall still have plenty to do though, as I’ve just started a complete refurbishment of a Mini Thirty, That used to be my Wife’s. I shall be more able to keep the garden in tidy order. And of course I shall still continue to follow the Sun traveling abroad during those cold Winter months.

Well done Archie, you had a good innings! Welcome to the full time retirees club.
rgds Ron

Hullo Ron, and Sawaded Ruang,
Thank you mate, I am really enjoying this lark. I have no worries, I sleep like a Top, and I work when and how I want to. I’ve never had it so good. I am off to Brasil again soon, Maria’s Mum is not so good and needs caring for. We are though going up to Belem and the Amazon for a week or two before Christmas. Then off to Goania near Braziia for a week after New Year then back home in March. We will though be going over to L.O.S. this time next year. So I look forward to buying you both a few Beers. Hope you have a very Merry Chrismas and New Year.
All the best, Archie and Maria Lucia. Chokdee.

[xdriver]

CJA1:
Rootin In"t Garage the other day, like u do found this the old black book, well more brown this one. the very first was black,cheers Chris.

Thats strange, I’ve got one of those as well, proper licence!!

[cja1]

Xdriver:

CJA1:
1Rootin In"t Garage the other day, like u do found this the old black book, well more brown this one. the very first was black,cheers Chris.

Thats strange, I’ve got one of those as well, proper licence!! 0

Hi Xdriver, Like u say a Proper Licence, my first one was a Black cover then when I sent for my renewal it came bak brown never did know the reason why? anyone out there know why the Black Book became a brown one? Cheers Chris.

[truckyboy]

Hi old ■■■■■, twirlys, old timers heres my twopennorth for what its worth, yes i did a few years in the saddle 50 yrs worth to be precise, and was so looking forward to retirement, problem is there are times when you have no time but lots of money, then the other side of the coin is all the time in the world but no money, sadly i still have a mortgage, but my wife had her retirement deferred for another 3 years and she pays it from her money, i have other bills to pay too and we manage between us, she only has 1 more year to go, and then with her lump sum we can pay off the bills and the mortgage finishes next year anyway, the fact we have a home abroad where i am writing this will help us to hopefully enjoy our retirement more, but running 2 homes can be costly, wherever you are bills have to be paid, electricity and gas, phone, tv council tax etc, and thats just in the uk, we have to pay abroad, electricity, service charges, council tax etc, but its a lot cheaper to live here…so you see it depends on your income, my wife wants to work part time and although i dont want to work anymore, i feel a guilt when i see her get up at 05.30 every morning, like the worlds on her shoulders, and i want to help. I have been here for 5 weeks now and feel a bit lonely without her, and especially now the season has ended its fairly quiet.
I managed to keep most of my licences the little red book, the black book and the brown one. If you look at the black one, when it was renewed they merely stuck a new page in on top of the previous one, whereby they didnt do that with the brown, maybe it was the start of the credit card type ?

Ok I too had medical issues, and so am governed by the DVLA medical dept, last year it took 3 months to renew, this year it took 6 months, did i swear at them for that, anyway it was renewed with a late date on it for the delay, and this year was the year of the treadmill test, it renews every 2 years now, but my licence renews every year because of age i am 68, i last worked ( part time ) 18 months ago and they put everyone through the dreaded DCPC, so i have all the fullm entitlements, and i intend to do some part time work when i get home, my last company sacked me for a gross misconduct after 9 years, for writing a driver a nasty note about his hygiene and the stink he left behind, he took the note to the weak college kid transport manager who then followed protocol and took the matter further, not like the old days eh ! A good friend of mine contacted me to ask if
i was interested in training as an assessor, which sounds about right as i can at least pass on some of my experience, so will contact him when i get back, my wife doesnt think i have the temprementfor it, well wait and see, my plan is to earn what i can to spend more time doing nothing, and that gets on her nerves too Your on that computer all bloody day so retirement can turn you into a cabbage and truly believe that 50 yrs of grafting and getting up at god knows what hours, working very long days, 19 or more ( log books ) or Analogue days when we threw them out the window when they were full…lol to the digi today, and still working 15 hours and we need something other than gardening or decorating to occupy the empty space up above, joined a bowling club ( 10 pin ) 1 day a week, not really a gym or sports fan, so theres not much else to do, and i am fed up with cooking every night, so it doesnt look like i will be hanging up my hi-viz and steel toecaps for a while yet, but it could be after the next 2 renewals, as i couldnt face another treadmill, too hard on my legs…so thats about it except to say i wish all those who retired happiness and those contemplating it too, and maybe we can start a new group on here for Retired Truckers

[cja1]

truckyboy:
Hi old ■■■■■, twirlys, old timers heres my twopennorth for what its worth, yes i did a few years in the saddle 50 yrs worth to be precise, and was so looking forward to retirement, problem is there are times when you have no time but lots of money, then the other side of the coin is all the time in the world but no money, sadly i still have a mortgage, but my wife had her retirement deferred for another 3 years and she pays it from her money, i have other bills to pay too and we manage between us, she only has 1 more year to go, and then with her lump sum we can pay off the bills and the mortgage finishes next year anyway, the fact we have a home abroad where i am writing this will help us to hopefully enjoy our retirement more, but running 2 homes can be costly, wherever you are bills have to be paid, electricity and gas, phone, tv council tax etc, and thats just in the uk, we have to pay abroad, electricity, service charges, council tax etc, but its a lot cheaper to live here…so you see it depends on your income, my wife wants to work part time and although i dont want to work anymore, i feel a guilt when i see her get up at 05.30 every morning, like the worlds on her shoulders, and i want to help. I have been here for 5 weeks now and feel a bit lonely without her, and especially now the season has ended its fairly quiet.
I managed to keep most of my licences the little red book, the black book and the brown one. If you look at the black one, when it was renewed they merely stuck a new page in on top of the previous one, whereby they didnt do that with the brown, maybe it was the start of the credit card type ?

Ok I too had medical issues, and so am governed by the DVLA medical dept, last year it took 3 months to renew, this year it took 6 months, did i swear at them for that, anyway it was renewed with a late date on it for the delay, and this year was the year of the treadmill test, it renews every 2 years now, but my licence renews every year because of age i am 68, i last worked ( part time ) 18 months ago and they put everyone through the dreaded DCPC, so i have all the fullm entitlements, and i intend to do some part time work when i get home, my last company sacked me for a gross misconduct after 9 years, for writing a driver a nasty note about his hygiene and the stink he left behind, he took the note to the weak college kid transport manager who then followed protocol and took the matter further, not like the old days eh ! A good friend of mine contacted me to ask if
i was interested in training as an assessor, which sounds about right as i can at least pass on some of my experience, so will contact him when i get back, my wife doesnt think i have the temprementfor it, well wait and see, my plan is to earn what i can to spend more time doing nothing, and that gets on her nerves too Your on that computer all bloody day so retirement can turn you into a cabbage and truly believe that 50 yrs of grafting and getting up at god knows what hours, working very long days, 19 or more ( log books ) or Analogue days when we threw them out the window when they were full…lol to the digi today, and still working 15 hours and we need something other than gardening or decorating to occupy the empty space up above, joined a bowling club ( 10 pin ) 1 day a week, not really a gym or sports fan, so theres not much else to do, and i am fed up with cooking every night, so it doesnt look like i will be hanging up my hi-viz and steel toecaps for a while yet, but it could be after the next 2 renewals, as i couldnt face another treadmill, too hard on my legs…so thats about it except to say i wish all those who retired happiness and those contemplating it too, and maybe we can start a new group on here for Retired Truckers

Hi Truckboy, how come u managed 2keep the Original Black Book? Mine was never returned to me on Renewal Hence the Brown One, Aye and still got the Little red Book, and ur rite about needin somert to keep u busy I"ve been finished a while now, be 68 in a few wks myself, when my renewal forms last came I took the scissors to the lot, Old age Beckons, Cheers Chris

[mrjake]

Hi truckyboy, Bulgaria eh! You and me both, but at least it’s a lot cheaper here and you don’t need to dream about old lorries 'cause they’re still here working.

[lefkasman]

I always feel sorry for blokes who have nothing else but lorry driving in their lives. Its all a bit sad. I always find plenty to do here in Greece and we are in the middle of nowhere. Not a tourist for miles. Learn the language get involved with the locals stuff the trucks.

[truckyboy]

Hi guys, yes i agree, i love it here but sadness beckons, i go back to the uk on Monday night. My wife is Bulgarian and when she first came over to the uk she said she would teach me her language, typical brit answer was What on earth for, were in england, everyone speaks english, and thats how it stayed, all of our children speak bgn fluently, and i can manage in a restaurant, thats about it, oh how i wished i had listened, for now when i look in the dictionary for a new word, it wont stay in my memory ha ha she does get fed up being my translator though, or when i keep asking whats that mean, whats that letter etc and i do understand, but us lazy brits are reluctant to speak a foreign language, or is it just me ?
I am in Pomorie and debating whether to go out for a meal, its absolutelty teaming down, but not far to walk. but language is the key and opens up a new world, but i`ll lose the fun side

[bullitt]

truckyboy:
… but language is the key and opens up a new world…

Very true Truckyboy. I have just got back from a short break in Croatia, first time back there in 22 years. Whilst I was out there first time around, I made a point of learning the language, well trying to anyway!
I haven’t spoken it since but last week it came back really quick and definitely got me a few looks and great service from the hotel staff!! At first I think they were a bit shocked to have this Englishman speak (admittedly very poor ) Serbo-Croat and they kept asking me how / why I had learned their language as they hadn’t had any Brit guests who had before!