Okay, so I’ve chosen the right week off but having done the most driving I’ve done in the last few days since going in the quarry, it’s made me realise how much I miss lorry driving.
I’ve got a 3-month trial in the quarry which means I can go back on the road if things don’t work-out, and I’m almost certain to ask for a return to the road.
Anyone else packed in driving, to soon come back to it?
came off the road nearly 4yrs ago after 16yrs of trampin to run a pub with the now ex wife lol
after being married 24yrs lol we only lasted 2 yrs working together
new a should of never come off the road lol i missed every moment of the job
took me nearly 2yrs to get back into it but now loving it
dont miss the ex wife as much as i missed the road lol
i dont miss the job being ■■■■■■ about all the time
I miss the job, and cant really admit to being an ex driver yet.
I have had a couple of spells away from it in the past, but always got back, this time it may be too late.
I know I could probably get a cheapo medical away from the area, but that is only cheating the system and myself.
My lorry driving finished after a bad RTA many years ago.Always been involved in transport ever since.Could never have seen myself packing it in,because it was all I wanted to do.My Dad was a driver and I grew up with lorries.To some its just a job.For others its a way of life.
I would say you fall into the latter group Nathan.
Cheers Dave.
Since retiring I miss driving trucks but not the job.
If I was offered a couple of easy trips a week I would probably take them on a casual basis just for the fun.
But I wouldn’t want to be bothered with all the hassle on the job that appears to have crept in over the last 2-3 years.
Seems to me that the hassle in driving isn’t just related to trucks though, just taking the car out nowadays seems to be a constant battle against authority.
And maybe just my imagination but using the A63 out of Hull regularly there seems to be more ■■■■■■■■■ driving trucks than a few years ago. The business of not letting other trucks off slip roads, or allowing to pass quickly is an issue that is more noticeable.
I’ve never stopped driving since I started, and on the bad days I have thought about it at length.
I stil don’t know exactly what i’m about, but I know myself well enough to be pretty certain there isn’t much else I could tolerate doing to earn money. To pretend otherwise would just be a very bad idea. Sitting in the one place each day with the same faces would soon drive me crazy. Crazier than I already am, anyway.
I still enjoy the ‘driving’ aspect, everything else I could do without, but the driving is what I like to do.
Is it a lot more money to go off the trucks and onto the quarry?
I came off the road nearly 13 years ago and miss it every single day!
I was 35 at the time, had done 17 years driving ( I was an original Young Driver… 
)and had an opportunity so took it - at the time it was the right thing to do and I don’t regret a moment of it…
I still see the guys most days and have time for a natter occasionally to find out how things are. I still have the license, haven’t yet decided about the DCPC and keep thinking I would like to get back behind the wheel…
The problem is that I miss what the job WAS, not what it IS! Most of the craic has gone and there is far too many site rules and regs now, apart from the legal stuff…
Nathan, I was exactly where you are, 12 years ago. If I was you, I would stick with what you have now. You may be able to do the odd Saturday for your lot, just to keep the yearning at bay and that may be enough. I would say that there is more stability working internally, especially with a young family…
You’ll never get rid of the diesel in your veins… 
I couldn’t see a day that I wasn’t driving! I love it! I hate all the bullshine that surrounds the job now! But I go out the gate and forget it till the next visit! H&S is the main ruination of the job nowadays!
But is only when affected while on a site who have a hard-on for rules! I’m currently Trunking overnight and the “Rules” are a little more “relaxed” compared to days!
Had 12 years out on plant with the odd few days on the road, operating plant in 1 place is about as dull as it gets.
The only good thing about it was it was near where I live and set hours which suited me at the time, did I miss the driving, no not really.
Then again would I go back to operating this piece of junk, what do you think!!!
I came off the road 11yrs ago 56yrs old due to accident i was ret injured,loved the job,done it for 34yrs home and abroad.I still miss it but looking at the job today with all the r&gs added in the past 11yrs i cant see any fun in the job anymore,I used to watch the steady eddie progs and i aint going to slag him off but i could never work for someone with all the technolegy attached to it,tracking systems,responsible to a planner who has never done the job hands on,always on your tail,not for me,but good luck to all you lads and lasses still doing the job.
regards dave.
I stopped driving two years ago and it was the worst decision I’ve made for a long time. I now work in a recycling plant driving heavy plant machinery, earn £4k a year more and work 8 hour shifts…but I would go back to driving in a heartbeat. And it doesn’t help matters that the wagon I drove last (a brand new DAF XF when I had it) regularly delivers to our place. Makes me feel sick every time I see it 
I’ve gone from driving this
to driving this and those grapples behind it
Must have been mental 
Nearly ten years since I last drove a truck and I still miss it. Had a chat to one of the local tipper lads that I worked with when they were resurfacing our road the other day, even the lads on the tarmac gang still remembered me after all that time, and that made me miss it even more! 
Pete.
I’ve had a couple of spells away, last time being when my children were born, driving a taxi. It meant I saw the first 18 months of them after they were born but then I had to get back up the road, firstly because I missedit and secondly through financial necessity.
I have never been able to make up my mind what I like doing best. When I was truck driving I wanted to be back at sea and like now when driving a ship I want to be back on the road. Obviously the money is far better where I am and all there at the end of the month with no worries about that but even when I go on leave I like to do a bit of agency driving. Drives the wife mad sometimes but there you go. My class 1 has to be renewed as soon as I next go home so who knows?
woody2808:
I’ve gone from driving this
to driving this and those grapples behind it
Must have been mental
Arrrgh! JCB shovels!
…You have my deepest sympathies my friend. I await the outcry from the “buy British” brigade but I’m sorry, I do not see why JCB is so highly rated; Always found Cat and Case were better than a 3cx anyday.
WildGoose:
I’ve never stopped driving since I started, and on the bad days I have thought about it at length.I stil don’t know exactly what i’m about, but I know myself well enough to be pretty certain there isn’t much else I could tolerate doing to earn money. To pretend otherwise would just be a very bad idea. Sitting in the one place each day with the same faces would soon drive me crazy. Crazier than I already am, anyway.
I still enjoy the ‘driving’ aspect, everything else I could do without, but the driving is what I like to do.
Is it a lot more money to go off the trucks and onto the quarry?
Quarry rate is 50p/h more and time/half after 8hours. This means I’d need to earn £65/week load bonus to match it. There are the half Saturdays so the scope to earn more is there, but I miss the freedom (despite trackers) and seeing different places.
I await the outcry from the “buy British” brigade but I’m sorry, I do not see why JCB is so highly rated
With you there sadly, whilst I reckon a JCB telehandler takes some beating their 360’s seem to be nothing but trouble. My boss won’t buy any more as he’s had so much aggro with the ones he’s had. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than to buy all British gear but it’s just not doable.
We have a pair of JS220’s that are about 5 years old, since starting with us at the end of March our fitter has spent approx 30% of his time on them, JCB have also been out to them numerous times. 1 has been sold but is still out and last I heard the track motor had just failed the other one (which were supposedly keeping) failed today in a fairly major way, the dipper arm is now in two pieces 
I think it is going to be repaired and sold.
And the really bad news is that it is in Kidbrooke and needs to be replaced by another 20t machine tomorrow. That’s bad news as our regular lowloader driver is on holiday 
The Teletruk forklift is a great design which saves openinh both curtains and makes taking pallets out of panel vans easy. No idea what reliability is like though.