Just been reading on the euro forum and the question of money against enjoying your job came up.
I’m not saying would you work for less to have a blinged up top of the range truck but would you take a pay cut or take a lower paying job if it was work you enjoyed more.
I do a job I don’t really enjoy anymore but the hours fit around my personal commitments so I stick with it.
My circumstances will be changing soon and I have already made moves towards changing jobs still trucking but different work and paying less. Still enough to pay the bills but less disposable income.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t do supermarket work or work for Stobarts but given the choice of something more interesting I know where I would be.
Is it just me or is there more to work than money?
at the min its money for me , i’ve been through all the driving big flash motors for no wonga but times changed for me now , plus i’m wiser than i was so i dont give a crap what i drive just give me the money .
p.s legal of course … 
In my opinion, work is like anything else, the more you put into it, the more you get out.
I used to work with several people whose only aim in life was to screw as much money out of the company as they could in return for as little work as they could get away with.
Most of them were as miserable as sin with huge chips on their shoulders and obsessed with making sure they “earned” more than their greedy rivals.
The net result was that in the end they priced themselves out of a job.
I have always taken the view that a day’s work for a day’s pay is a fair exchange.
I doubt very much that I will be seen to be right, but I still have my job.
To me, so long as I can live on the wage,being reasonably happy to get up and go to work every working day comes a very close second to the money.
Regards,
Nick
ncooper:
In my opinion, work is like anything else, the more you put into it, the more you get out.I used to work with several people whose only aim in life was to screw as much money out of the company as they could in return for as little work as they could get away with.
Most of them were as miserable as sin with huge chips on their shoulders and obsessed with making sure they “earned” more than their greedy rivals.The net result was that in the end they priced themselves out of a job.
I have always taken the view that a day’s work for a day’s pay is a fair exchange.
I doubt very much that I will be seen to be right, but I still have my job.To me, so long as I can live on the wage,being reasonably happy to get up and go to work every working day comes a very close second to the money.
Regards,
Nick
I have worked with several drivers like that, some are on this forum, lurking 
It was part of the reason I left a bloody good job for a lesser one, the ones who said I am not doing this, that or the other, spoiled a great job where the only request was to be flexible, on rest days, on destinations and on vehicles.
Someone who tells me that they don’t do UK work and only go to Spain, others who don’t do Sundays, although that suited me as it was £16 per hour at the time 
it has been all about chasing the money for me for nearly the past 3 yrs while my better half was going through uni my wages supported the family and quite well to b fair but now she has almost qualified with a decent paying job waiting for her i changed jobs the money does not work out more really but the work is a doddle and i dont feel like im ready for bed as soon as i get home unlike i did at the last place so its all good for me at the mo 
Having been made redundant just on a year ago I spent quite some time thinking over this very subject.
The job I lost had averaged £1000 a wk from the start of the tax year to being laid off at the end of august. This was due to a combination of working my arse off mostly 6-7 days a week and a wage settlement by a village idiot who thought he was getting one over on us but never realised what he had signed up to if work picked up.
Anyway with my p45 in my hand I looked at what was around in the way of work. Basically I had the choice of getting a local job mon-fri (8 wheeler tipper and just about enough to cover the bills) and then having to go out working on the railway at weekends to make the money up or going back to tramping which would obviously pay better than the local work therefore not needing to work at weekends.
Now although I’ll admit I could have pulled in more money doing the local plus railway work I opted to go back on tramping to give me some quality time back with my family.
Now everybody needs to draw a certain amount to cover there own circumstances and you cannot drop below that amount plus it’s always handy to have something left over for the nice things in life.
I’ve taken a hell of a drop in money but have regained my home life and wouldn’t go back to the other job if they doubled the money.
I have always enjoyed my work but until I was forced to think about it didn’t realise that I had let my life away from work slip.
Now I have a job I enjoy and also time at home to enjoy with my family. Also I realised that although I couldn’t pay my mortgage off quite as quickly as I’d planned we don’t really seem any worse off financially.
Cheers
Neilf
Money, every time. That should be the only reason why you go to work. Too many mugs, glory boys and ‘yes’ men in this industry.
I never meant work for a pittance to drive a flash truck. The truck I drive has never really bothered me as long as it’s up to the job that’s ok for me.
I was talking about the actual job you do. My job pays pretty well but i do the same 26km round trip atleast six times a day on and off landfill sites and it’s non stop breaks while loading meals on wheels etc.
I can’t complain to much as other than my mortgage which is fairly modest by modern standards I’m debt free and have a few quid put by and my wife has a good job but I have worked hard to get to this situation. But it is quite soul destroying at times, I still enjoy truck driving but would like more variety and not so much tearing about but is it just because I’m not stuck for every penny I can get.
Used to chase the money, I made the money, bought a few houses, few cars rented out taxiing and lost my social life and some friends because I took work over being social (inc weddings, christenings etc). Now I have took a drop in wages to go Mon-Fri 8-5 as I dont need to chase the quid anymore, things are paying for themselves and then some.
As for the blinged up motor, while your polishing away I will give you a wave and a nod from the pub whilst counting my rent 
Job, but obviously there’s a line on the money.
I’ve given up better paid jobs to do easier jobs.
When I’m doing the easy jobs (like now) I do sometimes wonder why I’m not doing the other work which’d pay me more for less hours and I’d be home everynight.
Then it rains and blows a gale and reminds me why I’m a container driver.
For me it’s happiness every time, but I’ve found that the more money I have, the happier I am 
It’s all about balance, I’ve had some fantastic jobs in the past, if you’re talking about money alone, but I had no time to enjoy the fruits of my labour, I’ve also had jobs I really liked, but the money was crap.
As time has gone on, it’s become easier, the mortgage that hurts you in your early 20s becomes easier in your 40s, you’ve got a decent car or two, saved a few quid, so you’re not chasing after every pound note all the time, you also have much more experience and should be able to walk into any job on your reputation and experience, so you can pick and choose to a degree, even in a recession, good drivers will never be out of work, in my experience anyway, but then location plays a part in that too.
On the subject of blinged up motors, most of you know that my favourite colour is chrome, but in the past I took a job driving a banged up old Transcon over a job doing the same sort of work, but in a nearly new 142, all for an extra 50quid a week, I certainly earned that extra nifty.
Again on the subject of top of the range tackle, I’m of the opinion that you should be paid more to drive a new lorry, blinged up or not, after all, if you’re good enough to be considered to get the newest truck on the firm, you’re obviously doing something a bit better than those that don’t get offered, so you’re worth more money, well, either that or you’re a cab happy fool who’ll work for less just to get a new lorry
There has to be some sort of job satisfaction, you spend so many hours of your life at work to only do it for money would just be miserable. Of course not earning enough is no good either doesn’t matter how good the job is.
Job satisfaction doesn’t have to be a blinged up high power truck or easy work, it can just be somewhere you are treated with respect by the boss and can work with a good bunch.
It’s one of the reasons I like the Motorsport work, it can be hard work, long hours and some extreme conditions, but the high points far out weigh the many lows. When that doesn’t work out my first port of call for work is a haulage company I’ve been working for and off for years. The trucks are a bit old and all Reanult Premiums and it’s mostly flatbed work onto building sites or timber, also used to be tilt work, but just a good bunch to work for.
I can’t agree that money is the only reason to go to work. For me the fun in work also count.
So: Lots of money in interesting job driving fancy vehicle? Well, that would be great
Lots of money in interesting job driving some bangers? Still good, I do it now.
Boring job for good money vs interesting job for less? I will go for latter as long as I can afford it…
Less money for driving blinged up vehicles? No, thank you, I will stick to more money and then bling up my own car if I like it.
Happiness every time.With my circumstances I can choose happiness over money so it’s easy for me to say. But in my opinion I don’t see the point in having money if you’re just going to be miserable. I’d rather do a job for less money if it was something I enjoyed over a job for more money if it was something I didn’t enjoy.
I stand by the saying ‘If you enjoy the job you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life’ all the photography I’ve done for my college assignments, I’ve never classed it as work because I’ve enjoyed every second of it considering I worked on it every day even on Thursday’s when photography wasn’t on my timetable, and I’m carrying it on to A-level because it’s something I enjoy doing and something besides trucks that I am passionate about and even better that I can combine the two. I could have chose to go into full time work but while I can still afford to go to college and choose happiness over money I’ll kindly do so
&&& with the truckfest being next weekend, I’ll have plenty of pictures for this year to use if need be && If I chose money over happiness, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve been given. No doubt it will be the same for other people who chose happiness over money. But that’s my opinion, no doubt many will dis-agree but I couldn’t care non the less. I’d advise everybody the same, if you can afford to do it go for happiness
Cheers
Jonny
kr79:
I never meant work for a pittance to drive a flash truck. The truck I drive has never really bothered me as long as it’s up to the job that’s ok for me.
I was talking about the actual job you do. My job pays pretty well but i do the same 26km round trip atleast six times a day on and off landfill sites and it’s non stop breaks while loading meals on wheels etc.
I can’t complain to much as other than my mortgage which is fairly modest by modern standards I’m debt free and have a few quid put by and my wife has a good job but I have worked hard to get to this situation. But it is quite soul destroying at times, I still enjoy truck driving but would like more variety and not so much tearing about but is it just because I’m not stuck for every penny I can get.
Well get a different job then. I don’t understand drivers that moan about their lot but aren’t prepared to do anything about it. You openly admit to rushing about and not taking proper breaks, but whose fault is that? The only person you’ve got to blame for that is yourself.
It’s not that hard to find the best of both worlds if you keep your eyes and ears open.
jonnytruckfest:
But in my opinion I don’t see the point in having money if you’re just going to be miserable.
Wait until you’ve got a shed load of bills and no money, bet you change your answer then
newmercman:
jonnytruckfest:
But in my opinion I don’t see the point in having money if you’re just going to be miserable.Wait until you’ve got a shed load of bills and no money, bet you change your answer then
newmercman:
jonnytruckfest:
But in my opinion I don’t see the point in having money if you’re just going to be miserable.Wait until you’ve got a shed load of bills and no money, bet you change your answer then
That is true I speak from experience. It’s just trying to find the balance between the two before I go on the rampage down the a13
Doing a job that you don’t get any satisfaction from will grind you down as fast as not being able to pay your way.
I need to earn a certain amount to keep my standard of living and no matter what anyone says you tend to live to the amount you earn,therefore having been on good money for the last 8 years ,i couldnt afford to drop money,unless of course i had no choice ,but il cross that bridge when i come to it
my job can be bloody hard work at times but unlike some of our drivers i dont whinge and whine about it ,i just get on with it meet ,some decent people and some tossers everyday,you only live once ,so dont see the point of being a miserable git all the time.
we get paid salary 12hours a day and thanks to the WTD you cant do that everyday so i just bowl along do my drops and get back when i get back and after a few weeks the transport supervisor has to give me shorter runs to keep my average down ,Happy days.
Dont see the point in doing a cushy job for crap money tho,hard work dont bother me ,unless of course you live at home with your parents and dont have to worry about bills.