I’m now 41, Been driving trucks for 20 years, and grew up in an f7 and an erf b series. A bit of an anorak when it comes to the haulage industry, love truck shows trucks etc. Done general haulage containers tramped etc., even had my own lgv training school, up until the birth of my daughter 8.5 years ago. For the last 9 years, I’ve been working for a supermarket, very well paid home every night, biggest downside, is the shift pattern. Won the Sainsbury’s driver of the year in 2016, which meant I got my own high specced actros to drive.
Anyway, just over 2 years ago, we found out that our depot was closing, and relocating to Northampton. I was devastated, but come to terms with, it was inevitable that I would stay with the haulage industry.
I even thought about investing my redundancy in a second hand tractor unit and going alone.
However, a cracking little cafe in our town has come up for sale. Plenty of footfall, excellent turnover, and a good opportunity for my wife and myself, to start new careers in the catering industry.
So 25 with driving shifts left, Will this be the end of my career, because as much as I love trucks, I think the job as gone downhill , there is nothing to attract new , young drivers
Out of 68 full time drivers on our place there is only one driver younger than me.
The catering game is full of E.Es. and agency. Envirnomental Health inspections by a$$oles who have never and could never do the job. Sound familiar? hope it works out for you.
Do what you think is right otherwise you will regret it. I gave up full-time lorry driving in 1978 and I still haven’t regretted it. As you say it has gone downhill and I believe it still has some miles to do before things improve. Good luck and always look to the future, you can change it if you want to but you can’t change the past so why worry about it.
Best of luck in your career change, you can always go back to driving if it doesn’t work out. If cashflow a bit tight you could always do a odd agency shift to keep your hand in
alamcculloch:
The catering game is full of E.Es. and agency. Envirnomental Health inspections by a$$oles who have never and could never do the job. Sound familiar? hope it works out for you.
I don’t wish to seem negative but there was something on the tv recently that said the lifespan of a Resturant/cafe start up is 12-18 months before they fail. I’m aware of 2 cafes in my village that have closed recently despite the footfall, the typical customers where pensioners who stopped by after doing the shopping, but most only bought a cup of tea and rested their feet before dashing home to watch Jeremy Kyle.
Nothing ventured and all that plus your still a spring chicken at 41, so hopefully it’ll work put for you.
One thing i would say about cafes is a good way to make extra would be takeaway and local delivery. One here is run by 2 sisters and suspect they make mlre from the breakfast roll deliveries than anything else.
Defo got plenty of pensioners sitting in although many do seem to be having their brekkie in morning. Lots just having tea later and they’ll be first to moan if you add 2p to the price. Only thing is we only got this and Tesco cafe which is independent and horrific so no competition.
Btw, think of environmental health as VOSA. They have a PG9 if they find certain things and a notice that you’ve been closed by them is deadly to the business…unless its a kebab takeaway it seems.
Got to keep the tacho clean but you can and will work more than 4.5 hours at a time.
If you’ve run all those businesses you’ve got your head screwed on but just remember to take the rose tinted glasses off before signing. You wont be able to see the red ink if you dont.
Oh yeah, is there a 10% TNUK discount if we mention our username and a 25% one for anyone who can identify an Eaton Fuller? Everyone will be after “mates rates” you know.
PS: dont forget to tell us where the cafe is when you open!
peirre:
I don’t wish to seem negative but there was something on the tv recently that said the lifespan of a Resturant/cafe start up is 12-18 months before they fail. I’m aware of 2 cafes in my village that have closed recently despite the footfall, the typical customers where pensioners who stopped by after doing the shopping, but most only bought a cup of tea and rested their feet before dashing home to watch Jeremy Kyle.
Very true but this is already established which helps.
Also don’t knock those cups of tea and coffee, when I worked for Sainsbury’s we all went on a course that said there was more profit in selling 2 coffees than someone coming in and having a full breakfast with no drink
peirre:
I don’t wish to seem negative but there was something on the tv recently that said the lifespan of a Resturant/cafe start up is 12-18 months before they fail. I’m aware of 2 cafes in my village that have closed recently despite the footfall, the typical customers where pensioners who stopped by after doing the shopping, but most only bought a cup of tea and rested their feet before dashing home to watch Jeremy Kyle.
Very true but this is already established which helps.
Also don’t knock those cups of tea and coffee, when I worked for Sainsbury’s we all went on a course that said there was more profit in selling 2 coffees than someone coming in and having a full breakfast with no drink
Yes you make better money on all the flash coffees and diluted pop than on food
peirre:
I don’t wish to seem negative but there was something on the tv recently that said the lifespan of a Resturant/cafe start up is 12-18 months before they fail. I’m aware of 2 cafes in my village that have closed recently despite the footfall, the typical customers where pensioners who stopped by after doing the shopping, but most only bought a cup of tea and rested their feet before dashing home to watch Jeremy Kyle.
Very true but this is already established which helps.
Also don’t knock those cups of tea and coffee, when I worked for Sainsbury’s we all went on a course that said there was more profit in selling 2 coffees than someone coming in and having a full breakfast with no drink
also depends on if it’s popular,cafe I go to when I have days off are very good,always packed out,good well cooked food and nice tea and coffee.
Could imagine there being quite a bit of money in coffee, just look at Costa and Starbucks, although I always figured they’d be better off doing purely drive through. That way you have unlimited capacity effectively and no worrying about clearing up.
Thought about buying a McDonalds or Costa and making a truck friendly lane? Or just open your cafe up with a HGV drive through…we promise to come by if you open 24 hours.
As long as the figures addup and the council aren’t stupid using rates to pay for the executive cars or visits to their twin towns, it should be nicer than RDCs and peeing in a bottle (not sure enviro health would approve).
trevHCS:
Thought about buying a McDonalds or Costa and making a truck friendly lane? Or just open your cafe up with a HGV drive through…we promise to come by if you open 24 hours.
Some knuckle dragger’s bound to stick it on a break…
if youre english born and bred and you make sure your staff are too youll do good serving traditional fare . im not racist but iv eaten in many cafes in recent yrs where turks or similar are running em or even just carrying the plates and something gets lost when theyre running the show. i cant quite put my finger on it but a bacon roll with cheese cooked or dished up by someone not of 100%british heritage IS different.
As I poste earlier on the thread. Most employees in the foo, beverage and general hospitality trade are foreign nowadays. I needed a job 20 odd years ago and went to a recruitment event. I eventually pinned the men down to the wages issue. The sum he offered was insulting!! I told him that I needed a wage and not pocket money. We agreed that there was nothing for either of us to gain from me staying at the event. Roll on Brexit. Prices will go up but we will be paying British people a British wage for working in Britain.
