Hi all;
Having wafted in on a breeze from twitter I hung around long enough to check out some posts and have just signed up.
Couldn’t find an intro forum and didn’t want to jump in without introducing myself. So Hi.
I did have an account once before but it was seldom used and TBH I couldn’t even tell you what the account name was.
Anyhoo, I’m a keen writer, 29 years class 1, based in South Wales.
Nice to be here. 
Welcome
Welcome, who you on for if you don’t mind me asking? (or just ignore me if you do 
)
What a nice refreshing post…welcome buddy !
Reef:
Welcome, who you on for if you don’t mind me asking?
Not at all. 
I’ve given up being an employed driver in South Wales. I value my services higher than the local transport industry does. Rather than complain about it I decided to act. So I gave up my job, working for a small operator out of Bridgend, away all week on containers for under 500 in the bank, and now I sell my services to the highest bidder through an agency and go home at the end of every shift.
I’m also trying to set myself up in a small business so the agency gives me the flexi time (4 on 4 off nights) I need to look into doing other things.
Hiya mate. What kind of work do you do?
Are you a Tramper …or part timer? 
Scribe:
Reef:
Welcome, who you on for if you don’t mind me asking?Not at all.
I’ve given up being an employed driver in South Wales. I value my services higher than the local transport industry does. Rather than complain about it I decided to act. So I gave up my job, working for a small operator out of Bridgend, away all week on containers for under 500 in the bank, and now I sell my services to the highest bidder through an agency and go home at the end of every shift.
I’m also trying to set myself up in a small business so the agency gives me the flexi time (4 on 4 off nights) I need to look into doing other things.
I hear you, not exactly the best paying area is it.
robroy:
Hiya mate. What kind of work do you do?
Are you a Tramper …or part timer?
I was a tramper. Have been all my adult working life and up until about 4 weeks ago. I’m one of those strange breed who remembers what it was like to enjoy being a lorry driver. So I don’t want to stop altogether. I just want to do it on my terms.
Reef:
I hear you, not exactly the best paying area is it.
Been that way since God were a lad sadly. I’ve always said we’re the poor relations of the UK transport industry. A lot of my mates have crossed the bridge and now work out of Avonmouth. If they’re away all week it doesn’t matter where the car is parked right?
Scribe:
Been that way since God were a lad sadly. I’ve always said we’re the poor relations of the UK transport industry. A lot of my mates have crossed the bridge and now work out of Avonmouth. If they’re away all week it doesn’t matter where the car is parked right?
I’ve thought about leaping the bridge (even more tempting once the tolls go) and I’d probably be more likely to go for it in a 2 or 3 yr old car, my biggest issue is my car is nearly 17 yrs old and though it’s a cracking car and in excellent nick for its age I fear the weekly trudge up there and back would be a ‘bridge to far’ for the old girl so to speak, the thought of being stuck on the hard shoulder of the M4 at 3am wondering how the hell I’m going to get to work from then on if the car perma-died is a bit unnerving and off putting tbh.
You’re not the only one on here who rates yourself highly fella 
We have expert traffic collision investigators who are also aviation experts. In fact there is one member who is an expert in both as well as socialism and air suspension. One member even knows more about tachographs than the makers do.
We have the worlds greatest refrigeration engineer, the world’s greatest driver (actually about 50 of those), we have an expert on ■■■■■■■■■■■■ and bizarre ■■■■■■ relief methods (Evening Dave) and the worlds only talking donkey.
There are many other notable contributors too. One member has the worlds largest uniform collection, another works out of Salford with a Euro haulage gig (the other 7 working inhabitants are taxi drivers), there is one fella who even calls himself The Maoster (big fan of Chairman Mao 
).
There is a bloke who often wears a Superman onesie, a flour tanker bloke who probably IS the worlds greatest driver, many old people who tolerate the more outspoken ones and then fire a simple one liner like a verbal sniper, oh and an actual Caveman.
Other members include an IT guru, a tipper driver who gets more recognition than an ANPR camera (evening Tim), another tipper driver who has the best DAF CF around Oxford, and a chap who gave up Class 1 to drive an Iceland van (weirdo).
Various others are lurking too. A scouser who sleeps in a hammock, a large bloke who actually calls himself ’ Large bloke ', numerous ex special forces, several survivors of a ferry sinking and a chap named after a coral reef . We even used to have a Monkey that smoked, but someone in an ERF ran him over 
Step away from the keyboard EB, we’ve told you before, beer and internet forums don’t mix
Excellent summing up Beav…and thanks for the mention.
(Not admitting which bit applies to me. 
)
btw…You forgot to mention the guy with the Clingfilm fetish.
Reef:
I’ve thought about leaping the bridge (even more tempting once the tolls go) and I’d probably be more likely to go for it in a 2 or 3 yr old car, my biggest issue is my car is nearly 17 yrs old and though it’s a cracking car and in excellent nick for its age I fear the weekly trudge up there and back would be a ‘bridge to far’ for the old girl so to speak, the thought of being stuck on the hard shoulder of the M4 at 3am wondering how the hell I’m going to get to work from then on if the car perma-died is a bit unnerving and off putting tbh.
I spent 3 months based at Wrings Transport in Severn Beach and in all fairness it wasn’t that bad. I would wait till my nipper went to bed then jump in the car and have a slow amble over on a Sunday night. Get to Wrings in time for a ■■■ and bed.
I didn’t get paid for it but it meant my drive to Wrings was slow and leisurely and I didn’t have to deal with Newport on a Monday AM. Which can be a challenge.
Horses for courses I suppose. There’s lots doing it too. ECM (car transporters) park about 15 at Wrings and two thirds are welsh lads. Same with a large northern container carrier whose name escapes me (Monaghan?). They must park 15 at wrings and most of them are welsh too.
We’re the eastern Europeans of the British Isles
eagerbeaver:
You’re not the only one on here who rates yourself highly fella…
Thanks for the heads up. I should fit right in. 
Heisenberrg:
What a nice refreshing post…welcome buddy !
RoadRanger:
Welcome
Thank you fellas.
Just for the record EB, my name is nothing to do with Coral Reef, Great barrier Reef (or any aquatic reef bed for that matter) the 90’s band Reef, the alco pop, refrigerated trailers, or Bob Marley roll-ups, it’s actually just my irl nickname (the reasons behind I can’t be arsed to go into).
No problem fella’s. I didn’t even mention that we also have the only computer literate Snowman, a bloke who can’t decide if he’s English or French, a sailor, a pilot, a copper, a womble (not from Wimbledon though), a prostitute, a Greek God (who is probably a fat 2at from Tamworth), a couple of right Colin’s and a fella who names himself after a sophisticated locating device (who according to him only knows half a dozen places).
All in all this place is like a mix between the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and the bar out of Star Wars.
robroy:
Excellent summing up Beav…and thanks for the mention.
(Not admitting which bit applies to me.btw…You forgot to mention the guy with the Clingfilm fetish.
Wasn’t clingfilm mate. It was sophisticated image concealing software.
(Bloody hurt when Mrs B struck me over the swede with it though for behaving like a knob )
Reef:
Just for the record EB, my name is nothing to do with Coral Reef, Great barrier Reef (or any aquatic reef bed for that matter) the 90’s band Reef, the alco pop, refrigerated trailers, or Bob Marley roll-ups, it’s actually just my irl nickname (the reasons behind I can’t be arsed to go into).
If I were forced to name my ten favourite songs of all time Place your Hands by Reef would be on it. So I’ll admit to jumping to that conclusion before any other.
eagerbeaver:
All in all this place is like a mix between the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and the bar out of Star Wars.
Used to drink in the Miles Arms when in Avonmouth. Me and my mates called that the Star Wars Arms. So I got the mental picture thanks. 
eagerbeaver:
No problem fella’s. I didn’t even mention that we also have the only computer literate Snowman, a bloke who can’t decide if he’s English or French, a sailor, a pilot, a copper, a womble (not from Wimbledon though), a prostitute, a Greek God (who is probably a fat 2at from Tamworth), a couple of right Colin’s and a fella who names himself after a sophisticated locating device (who according to him only knows half a dozen places).All in all this place is like a mix between the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and the bar out of Star Wars.
Says the guy who claimed he was going to work for a “Tang Company” and done day shift work for Mark Thompson.
A.
eagerbeaver:
You’re not the only one on here who rates yourself highly fellaWe have the worlds greatest refrigeration engineer, the world’s greatest driver (actually about 50 of those), we have an expert on ■■■■■■■■■■■■ and bizarre ■■■■■■ relief methods (Evening Dave) and the worlds only talking donkey.
There are many other notable contributors too. One member has the worlds largest uniform collection, another works out of Salford with a Euro haulage gig (the other 7 working inhabitants are taxi drivers), there is one fella who even calls himself The Maoster (big fan of Chairman Mao
There is a bloke who often wears a Superman onesie, a flour tanker bloke who probably IS the worlds greatest driver, many old people who tolerate the more outspoken ones and then fire a simple one liner like a verbal sniper, oh and an actual Caveman.
Other members include an IT guru, a tipper driver who gets more recognition than an ANPR camera (evening Tim), another tipper driver who has the best DAF CF around Oxford, and a chap who gave up Class 1 to drive an Iceland van (weirdo).
Various others are lurking too. A scouser who sleeps in a hammock, a large bloke who actually calls himself ’ Large bloke ', numerous ex special forces, several survivors of a ferry sinking and a chap named after a coral reef . We even used to have a Monkey that smoked, but someone in an ERF ran him over
You say that like I’m an afterthought! Well stuff you ‘pal’, next time I go to Vegas, I go alone!!
Welcome to the board Scribe. What sort of stuff do you write?
Captain Caveman 76:
Welcome to the board Scribe. What sort of stuff do you write?
Tried a bit of everything over the years. Searching unsuccessfully for a topic I could write lots of words about, while at the same time occupying upwards of 70 hours a week driving trucks.
Ended up writing about trucks (perhaps unsurprisingly) and I’m now hoping to use that as a basis of a small business.
Not sure the rules on links. But its in my profile if you fancy a peep.