Mood swings and leaving the job

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi all, first of all I apologise for posting this here…wasn’t sure on the best spot for this one.

I’ve decided, at least for now, to walk away from driving. I’ve discovered it’s literally driving me nuts and bringing me down. In fact, I’ve become quite angry and irritated.

Has anyone else got to this point at all? If so, what did you do?

That’s the reason for posting, I’m certainly not looking for any kinds of sympathy here :unamused: but a possible solution, because I want to be able to enjoy the job like I used to.

2

Hi Adam.

Don’t want to try and teach you to ■■■■ eggs, but which part is winding you up?

I fell out with my job 2 years ago. I had been at it for over 20 years, and it really started ■■■■■■■ me off. In the end I realised it was because I was over promoted. I hated being management. so now I am back behind the wheel.
The job I am doing isn’t great and I am looking at moving back onto artics, but the change for me was what I needed. It still rattles my cage with TM incompetence,but now I can chuckle (sometimes) and just get on with the job.

Might just be worth coming at it from a different angle.

Cheers

Smudge

3

If you can get out of a job your not happy with and do something else, then that’s the best thing to do.
There’s nothing worse than waking up knowing you have to go into work, hating your job.
You’re doing the right thing, good luck. :smiley: :smiley:

4

your working for the wrong company whoever they may be.if you like driving,then work for a company that does the work you like…if its by the book/jobsworth stuff,then agency and Tosco for you…if its not,work for a cowboy outfit flatout on trip money,or just some other aspect of driving. take a load to spain and back if you’ve never been abroad,and open up a different aspect whilst kakking yourself as you go.( remember you can get approx. 40 cases of wine in each bunk on the way back,so you get an extra weeks wages there).drive a bin lorry/great fun to be had with that,or try some low loader plant work etc. if you like the driving but hate the job,keep driving in the proper job.( you don’t get the same buzz murdering hitch hikers,squashing lycra clad cyclists,and strangling prozzies when your driving a minicab on the dole)… :smiley:

5

You sure it’s the job? Sometimes other stuff in your life rattles.
If it is the job then try and work out what aspect of it jars then change it.

6

Oh yea just a thought, I get well fed up this time of year November - December, the deminishing daylight and the cold. Would be happy to hibernate till spring. Few years back taught myself to avoid important decisions in November and December.

7

Cheers guys, the thing is, I want to enjoy it and I want to stick at it. But for sanity sake, it’s probably a good idea to call it a day…for now.

I think it’s because I can’t settle in Norwich with anyone, I hear the usual horror stories of various companies and there are some I just won’t work for. Agency work just gets on my wick, and whilst it’s good of there’s nothing else, I can’t be doing with the ridiculous random jobs and times here there and everywhere.

I know there’s work further afield, like Felixtowe, but that’s over an hours drive, and so a 4am start means up at 2am latest. No thanks, I do have a life outside work.

Any suggestions folks? (Apart from relocating back to Teesside).

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dieseldog999:
your working for the wrong company whoever they may be.if you like driving,then work for a company that does the work you like…if its by the book/jobsworth stuff,then agency and Tosco for you…if its not,work for a cowboy outfit flatout on trip money,or just some other aspect of driving. take a load to spain and back if you’ve never been abroad,and open up a different aspect whilst kakking yourself as you go.( remember you can get approx. 40 cases of wine in each bunk on the way back,so you get an extra weeks wages there).drive a bin lorry/great fun to be had with that,or try some low loader plant work etc. if you like the driving but hate the job,keep driving in the proper job.( you don’t get the same buzz murdering hitch hikers,squashing lycra clad cyclists,and strangling prozzies when your driving a minicab on the dole)… :smiley:

Must admit, that made me chuckle fella.

9

I had a heart attack three years ago and was out of driving trucks for eight months (more down to the DVLA than my health but that’s another story).

It gave me a whole new take on the job I was doing. Now I look on the positive sides of the job and I truly do not care where I’m sent or what I do.

Sent on an extra run - great more money.
Sent to a difficult drop - no problem, it’s a challenge and a test of my skills.
London - bring it on.
M1 closed - OK, nothing I can do about it, rubbish happens. A chance to listen to something good on the radio.
Another night out! - I’ll find a good place to park up and go for a walk or just watch the world go past my window.
Difficult security guards - no problem. They hate their job but I love mine.

4am driving over Woodhead in the summer. Just me and my truck. Best job I’ve ever had.

10

Diesel-truckin:
I’ve decided, at least for now, to walk away from driving. I’ve discovered it’s literally driving me nuts and bringing me down. In fact, I’ve become quite angry and irritated.

Has anyone else got to this point at all? If so, what did you do?

I was in pretty much the same boat not so long ago, I was really starting to hate the job I once really enjoyed so I tried to find another one but no success, I’ve since stopped driving HGVs & I’m much happier in myself, too bad my wallet isn’t so happy…:frowning:

11

Diesel-truckin:
Hi all, first of all I apologise for posting this here…wasn’t sure on the best spot for this one.

I’ve decided, at least for now, to walk away from driving. I’ve discovered it’s literally driving me nuts and bringing me down. In fact, I’ve become quite angry and irritated.

Has anyone else got to this point at all? If so, what did you do?

That’s the reason for posting, I’m certainly not looking for any kinds of sympathy here :unamused: but a possible solution, because I want to be able to enjoy the job like I used to.

Jesus, that’s exactly what I’ve had in the last week or two, can you tell? I can feel your Pain from here. Deja Vu.

With me it was Chronic, close to the Claymore trip wire money worries as most of these stupid Rich firms pay on 60 days plus (should be illegal to pay on more than 30 days, if more, send the tax man in to put one up them, I’ve been told they don’t like it up them apparently :slight_smile:

There is a Government Honourable payment scheme for firms to join.

Then the blessed RELIEF of a big payment going in & me thinking unless this Owner Driving Lark improves by January, I’m just going to drive for other Firms on piece of ■■■■ work for £20 an hour. Be leagues ahead of some of the useless Imbeciles they get through the door on a regular basis.

I then went in to one of my customers & put my price up by 50% I told them i’d sort their Base out if they agreed (I find Muppetry personally offensive). They agreed.

Couple this with complicated Family Issues & I was feeling almost uncontrollable RAGE for the first time in 38 years.

I ain’t going down to punish these C’s, they ain’t worth my Freedom.

I asked my mate, Cameron McDonald or Macdonald, i’ll confirm that next time I see him as I’ve always held people at arms length before, he’s my blood Brother now & also SCOTLAND’s finest export. (NFT Crick). (side bar, how can you refuse Scottish Independence because of £ worries, show some PRIDE FFS, i appreciate that may not be a popular view but it’s a Free country last time i checked) How to deal with C’s as he’s a No Fear Warrior & you know what he said:

“You Punish them”.

Me: Simple as that? (I was expecting a Seminar).

Him: Yep.

I have never challenged Low Life behaviour before. Always choosing to sit on the fence & avoid confrontation which would be “Hassle” for me. This has contributed to my Weariness for the Road lately,

I have always LOVED the Road but I was on the verge of writing the Road off here & emigrating.

I have since found peace with the Money & my Family & have decided to take the fight to the C’s, wherever I witness C behaviour.

My Bruce Lee training programme has begun, may take a while as i’ve never been in a fight before, in the past I see Trouble from ten miles out & alter course, now i’m going to alter course for the assist.

If you turn your back & do nothing, the burning Shame will eventually destroy you. Recent gobby C Road incident where I turned my back contributed greatly to my RAGE making an unwelcome appearance, the RAGE is now my Friend rather than my Enemy.

Speak your mind always, don’t hold Reason back. I now call a spade a spade & a C, a C if anyone is giving it the Disrespect Needle.

With proper Geezers it’s all about showing Respect & expecting Respect in return.

I’ll take a kicking, you never know I might like it :slight_smile:

That Jax fellow out of Sons of Anarchy said recently that Exercise is like an oil change for your body. He’s bang on. My vision is so bright now, it’s almost painful, i was night motorwaying with shades, a peaked cap
& the night light on this eve.

The secret of Happiness is to exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, truth speak always, never break your word, if you’ve said you’ll do something then do it & challenge C’s with words first then the Police or orchestrate a Self Defence put down, no offence for Honour’s sake, no Camera’s or Witnesses, your word against there’s for the win. Try your best, if you fail then no Biggy.
Watching too much Telly is like you’re trying to live someone else’s life, get out the house more & go Hard or go home. Have the Craic with People.

Oh & you need to get a Legion behind you, you can 't fight them all on your own & always win.

There’s a quote from the poet David Gemmel (RIP, we would have been Brothers had we met) about Druss the Legend’s unbreakable code, Goggle it for now, i’ll post it when I get chance.

To the OP, if you can 't find peace on the road then give up. Cruise control set at 50 may help you for now!

BOOM, have that you beautiful ■■■■■■■■■

Patrick O’Gorman

surestep-transport.com

12

they say that you should do something different ,a total change of direction ,at least once in your life, to get peace of mind. it happened to me , i did, and am glad i did too

13

Diesel-truckin:
Cheers guys, the thing is, I want to enjoy it and I want to stick at it. But for sanity sake, it’s probably a good idea to call it a day…for now.

I think it’s because I can’t settle in Norwich with anyone, I hear the usual horror stories of various companies and there are some I just won’t work for. Agency work just gets on my wick, and whilst it’s good of there’s nothing else, I can’t be doing with the ridiculous random jobs and times here there and everywhere.

I know there’s work further afield, like Felixtowe, but that’s over an hours drive, and so a 4am start means up at 2am latest. No thanks, I do have a life outside work.

Any suggestions folks? (Apart from relocating back to Teesside).

I lived in Norwich till 1st of May and I have to say I was getting wound up by the lack of decent work! Nobody seems to move! That’s why the pay is so bad!
I moved out to the sticks and have adapted to a slower pace of life and work for a family outfit who are the best firm I’ve ever driven for!

My only gripe now is tramping! Can’t find any day work worth chasing?

14

A week off usually puts me right again when I get ■■■■■■ off, have a look around for something else and makes me realise my job is one of the better ones about for my circumstances

15

Re Silver Surfer…’ quote
‘‘Then the blessed RELIEF of a big payment going in & me thinking unless this Owner Driving Lark improves by January, I’m just going to drive for other Firms on piece of ■■■■ work for £20 an hour. Be leagues ahead of some of the useless Imbeciles they get through the door on a regular basis.’’ unquote/

You’d think that would be the case, in practice, and this is a growing and frustrating problem, some of these well paying companies want the job doing properly and want the old school to keep the job running tickety boo, but by adhering to the current H & S diversity etc climates (and presumably covering their corporate arses against the claims crew) instead of training the useless and incompetent Darwin candidates up to the required standard (Heaven forbid getting shot of the sometimes well connected little squits) they instead retrain the good reliable mjority down to the lowest common denominator, some recent training has been nothing short of insulting, both to equally embarrassed trainers and victims…hmmph…no better illustration of this than the DCPC farce.

As for useless imbeciles and the majority of good people, in practice many even good companies take their best staff who perform constantly year in year totally for granted, getting the discipline book out the instant they put the slightest foot wrong, for some unfathomable reason they want to robotise/lobotomise the very backbone of the job…WHY?

Whilst if the useless actually turn up and manage to complete a single shift without killing themselves or the equipment, company think the sun shines out their arses…i’ve seen this in so many places and it just beggars belief.

The problem in big company world is that transport men and common sense are vanishing faster than a speeding bullet.

16

I’d say don’t walk away from driving totally, but look for another driving job somewhere else. Maybe doing a different type of work, this will take your thoughts and focus them on something constructive rather than chewing over the dismal situation you are in at the moment. You may enjoy doing a different type of driving work, & a new start with new people around you & hopefully it will give you a boost.

17

for me i would say until you link what is making you feel like this (lets face it we all have parts of our days that we hate or wind us up). nothing will change even by changing jobs.

18

bazstan009:
Oh yea just a thought, I get well fed up this time of year November - December, the deminishing daylight and the cold. Would be happy to hibernate till spring. Few years back taught myself to avoid important decisions in November and December.

have you considered that you may be suffering from this?

19

Sidevalve:

bazstan009:
Oh yea just a thought, I get well fed up this time of year November - December, the deminishing daylight and the cold. Would be happy to hibernate till spring. Few years back taught myself to avoid important decisions in November and December.

have you considered that you may be suffering from this?

Overview - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - NHS

Yea mate but I just take it out on other people till spring comes around. :sunglasses:

20

If it gets you down that much them you need to get out,but good driving jobs are out there.
A was at my last job for over 4 years and after the first year I hated it,On a Sunday evening my mood would change as I knew I was going back to work the next day,I couldn’t sleep properly or eat properly and the strain was taking its toll on my relationship.
I got out and found a job with a small family haulier not many nights out and they treat you with respect,and I quite enjoy going to work now.
We all have bills to pat and all need to earn money but life is too short to be unhappy at work.
Best of luck to you.