This is one for all you Mid east/European boys during the 70s 80s. Ive been driving for a living for 10 years now, all the time I have had a mobile, on numerous occasions, I have been enroute to a collection/delivery and had the call “forget that its been cancelled” or “can you divert to?”
How did you go on? How did you keep in touch with your planners? Surely you never got to Iraq or Turkey only to be told that the load had been cancelled, or was planning just better in those days?
These days we take them for granted, but are they really for the better? Or a modern menace and just another spy in the cab? Personally I cant remember the amount of times Ive missed “popmaster” because of a phone call, important or not
Any amusing tales about lack of communication over the years? Would you not answer or use your personal phone for a work related matter?
A phone plays a major part in my world. Without it i wouldn’t be able to do what i do at work or within the charity. Somedays it drives me potty. Last monday was manic, it dint stop from 7.30 till late that night. Thank god for hands free
I’ve had a mobile since 1996 and whilst it’s been useful on occasions, but I prefer the peace and quiet and not some ■■■■ phoning up every two minutes asking stupid questions . What I did get issued by one courier firm in 1997 was a radio pager, at least that was sort of bearable as you could use more excuses
I’ve got a hands free in the cab, but since the boss is in bed when I’m out he never bothers me. It does mean that the other night trunk and I can have a chat though, as we have free calls to other company phones.
Agency drivers are always given a company phone when they work for us, and I know that during the day the lines are quite busy arranging collections and telling the office when drivers will be back!
I think they are essential in this day and age, but there is always the option to turn them off if you don’t want to be bothered.
Years ago before the days of the mobile we had to use the good ol public phone…4 pennies in the box…push button A to connect…or B to get your money back. Of course this was very handy if you didnt want to phone the boss…when you did, you just told him there wasnt a phone that was working.
On International work the boss would expect a call when you got there, and you would normally use the agents phone (free) and book the call on your expenses…by nicking some agents headed note pads, and filling them out yourself…
We also used the Telex machine… which really was a glorified fax…but it use a ticker tape to prepare the message.
On route to the middle east we would envariably not inform the boss of where we were, unless of very long delays…but the telex was used as a way of communicating without getting the bollocking for running late cos you`d been on the beer every other day…
Of course the telex was a legal document and would give you all the return load details etc printed on a piece of paper…and was accepted worldwide as proof that you were the haulier, bit like the ref number today.
So all in all you can stick the mobile…in your trailer…for the world still went round and round without it. I personally can do without it…i hate phones full stop, i rarely answer the phone at home, and have been told off many times for not using it at work…although i have a perfect excuse now that you can get 3 points for it when on the move. The only downside for some people is the fact they dont know where the switch off is…i do …and when i park up i use it…and i dont give my personal number to any company…my time is my time…end of.
truckyboy:
Years ago before the days of the mobile we had to use the good ol public phone…4 pennies in the box…push button A to connect…or B to get your money back.
truckyboy, you surprise me - would have thought you would have tapped it out on the bar and saved the 4d !
Was difficult on mainland Europe though if you didn’t speak La lingo. But…planning was much much better, leave these shores and one was on their own til tipped.
