Something that interests me in the future. Anyone on here do it or has done it before?
Is pay pretty similar to everything else?
Are you expected to have experience handling livestock if you want a go at it or can you get your foot in without?
Is it mainly a driving position or are you expected to be a driver for some of the time and a farm worker for the rest?
Oh and anyone know if companies in the Lancashire or surrounding areas that do this? Companies or one man bands?
I’m mainly interested in the livestock experience bit because if you do need experience in farm work then I might as well forget it now and put this idea to bed! Ha
I’ve never done it, but I do deliver to farms. I’d suggest that livestock experience is at least desirable, as you need to have a working understanding of how animals can behave, or misbehave as the case may be. Bear in mind that much of the work will be delivering to slaughterhouses, and you will need a very strong stomach. You also need a formal qualification; read this particularly part 4.
With that in mind, I would recommend that you try doing deadstock recovery first, what used to be known as knacker’s ; if you can hack that you can hack livestock!
There was a thread last year about this and the upshot was basically it’s easier to train a livestock handler to drive a lorry than train a lorry driver to handle livestock
Livestock, something I’ve considered too. I worked in farming years ago - but you don’t have to be from this type of background to work with livestock. So long as you’re keen to learn, treat animals with respect and understand that their welfare is your priority, you should do fine.
But you do need to treat them with respect. The obvious dangers are kicks from the larger animals; a broken jaw, or even death can result. Bulls can be a challenge. Pigs are very clever and bite. Even goats and sheep can be quite fierce if they want to be!
Take things steady too. Yes the animals are a product and that product still needs to reach its destination in good shape. Too many end up with needless injuries and suffer due to careless driving.
you are welcome to it.i know animals are part of the food chain, thats fair enough, but I would not want to be the driver who takes them to their death, thats supposing they are going to a slaughter house, they know they are going to die and it is terrible to see let alone transporting them to the fate that awaits them,if it was the last job on earth I would not do it
possibly. im not sure. personally i wouldnt mind it. its just too far away and also a pay cut from what im on. would just be the same as putting the mice the cats fetch in out of their misery
truckman020:
you are welcome to it.i know animals are part of the food chain, thats fair enough, but I would not want to be the driver who takes them to their death, thats supposing they are going to a slaughter house, they know they are going to die and it is terrible to see let alone transporting them to the fate that awaits them,if it was the last job on earth I would not do it
truckman020:
you are welcome to it.i know animals are part of the food chain, thats fair enough, but I would not want to be the driver who takes them to their death, thats supposing they are going to a slaughter house, they know they are going to die and it is terrible to see let alone transporting them to the fate that awaits them,if it was the last job on earth I would not do it
I feel exactly the same as you.
1991 I went to a slaughterhouse with my Dad (He was ministry and they ran trucks - badly). I was only sat in the car outside for a couple of hours and I have been a vegetarian since then
I also used to do the CPC for a local slaughterhouse who went bust in December last year. I visited the place once and couldn’t go back What a soft git I got the impression their drivers were very hardened to it all and just saw the animals as a load.
And any driver should 100% refuse to delivery to the religious inspired slaughter houses, hoisting an animal up by its rear legs when it is fully conscious then slitting its throat until it bleeds and kicks itself to death is totally unacceptable. 2.5million sheep killed every year in the UK without pre stunning just for religious bollox telegraph.co.uk/news/religio … first.html
Bluey Circles:
And any driver should 100% refuse to delivery to the religious inspired slaughter houses, hoisting an animal up by its rear legs when it is fully conscious then slitting its throat until it bleeds and kicks itself to death is totally unacceptable. 2.5million sheep killed every year in the UK without pre stunning just for religious bollox telegraph.co.uk/news/religio … first.html
Totally agree, animal welfare should be absolute not optional.
Halal is utter bollox as it was obviously put in place pre refrigeration so meat was eaten fresh in hot middle east countries. As such it should be consigned to history as our own pre animal welfare practices were NOT hidden behind some “I do this because my storybook says so” way of life agenda.
truckman020:
you are welcome to it.i know animals are part of the food chain, thats fair enough, but I would not want to be the driver who takes them to their death, thats supposing they are going to a slaughter house, they know they are going to die and it is terrible to see let alone transporting them to the fate that awaits them,if it was the last job on earth I would not do it
I feel exactly the same as you.
1991 I went to a slaughterhouse with my Dad (He was ministry and they ran trucks - badly). I was only sat in the car outside for a couple of hours and I have been a vegetarian since then
I also used to do the CPC for a local slaughterhouse who went bust in December last year. I visited the place once and couldn’t go back What a soft git I got the impression their drivers were very hardened to it all and just saw the animals as a load.
that’s a coincidence,often wondered why my father never ate meat,i found out that his father took him to a slaughter house when he was young,put him off meat soon after and was like it till the day he passed away
I was a slughterman from from 1977_88. A group of eight of us. Best 10y of my life. But the guys trucking in the animals all had farming backgrounds. An old guy called Pearce croston. From blackrod . Had his own truck. And it was always covered in crap.even though he did his best keep it clean. and it’s dangerous cos you never know when one of the animals was going to bolt at you.not the best of jobs .don’t know what the money is like though.
I joined the M18 from the M62 today about 2:30pm and started overtaking what looked like a ancient 7.5tonner high sides but no top, then I noticed it was full of dead pigs? Unless they was all fast asleep on their sides…
I had to look twice just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, surely they is strict guidelines on moving dead animals around??
truckman020:
you are welcome to it.i know animals are part of the food chain, thats fair enough, but I would not want to be the driver who takes them to their death, thats supposing they are going to a slaughter house, they know they are going to die and it is terrible to see let alone transporting them to the fate that awaits them,if it was the last job on earth I would not do it
I feel exactly the same as you.
1991 I went to a slaughterhouse with my Dad (He was ministry and they ran trucks - badly). I was only sat in the car outside for a couple of hours and I have been a vegetarian since then
I also used to do the CPC for a local slaughterhouse who went bust in December last year. I visited the place once and couldn’t go back What a soft git I got the impression their drivers were very hardened to it all and just saw the animals as a load.
As a child I watched my pet lambs and piggies being slaughtered on the farm aged 7 first time and it was my last too I was allowed to watch and it was a long time after that before I tasted meat. There is no humane way to slaughter an animal and they know what is going to happen to them I can still hear the pigs squealing as they were hung up that day on the long pole before their throats were slit. Imaging e being a pig listening to this and knowing it was you next I still cant eat lamb or pork of any kind I strongly disagree with live animals being transported it is very traumatic for them and we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. If you had a dog you wouldn’t want that happening to it.
As for the Halal slaughterhouses I would slaughter those who insist on that sharia law be humanely put down or send them back to whence they came or their parents came drom if they were norn here. Same with the kosher slaughterhouses.
I don’t know how anyone wants to do that job you would need to be hard case to do it.
It’s a struggle getting a driver for livestock- I need one.
There’s a fair bit of waiting round in auctions and slaughter houses sometimes if there busy or lairage is full, then there’s the crawling under the decks with sheep and washing out.
Most farms and older auctions weren’t made for artics and are tight.
Every days different tho so it keeps it interesting!
gez28:
It’s a struggle getting a driver for livestock- I need one.
There’s a fair bit of waiting round in auctions and slaughter houses sometimes if there busy or lairage is full, then there’s the crawling under the decks with sheep and washing out.
Most farms and older auctions weren’t made for artics and are tight.
Every days different tho so it keeps it interesting!
What a soft git 
I got the impression their drivers were very hardened to it all and just saw the animals as a load.