I’ll be even worse tomorrow I am on my own 
Graham, if you are the driver who sent his CV to Helsinki, then good on you and you deserve a break just for the initiative you have shown. Take it easy next week, there’s no race to win and if you need more help from Paul or any of the other drivers don’t be afraid to ask as all drivers, no matter how experienced they are now, went through exactly the same fears and emotions. Andy (ex Elite and glad to be with you at Containerships)
wow. lucky break by the sound of it graham. andy sounds almost as nice as my boss 
mutual respect, you can’t beat it I reckon. 
Hi Andy yes I was the driver who emailed Finland I am so happy to be given a break and would like to thank you
Hi Graham. No need for thanks and hopefully we’ll meet up in the not too distant future. Good luck for next week and shout up if you need help with anything. Andy
decides AFrost is who he says he is (you can never be too sure on here, anyone can register a name and claim to be someone, after all), says “hi” to him as well and apologises for the lack of acknowledgement in her earlier post - as I said, you can never be too careful on this 'ere t’interweb! 
And on that note, I’d better go to work! 
I start at 8 today you local or do you do tramping Lucy
I tramp, although I tend to scuttle off home if I’ve got less than an hour to run out with these days, becasue a) after 12+ years away the novelty’s worn off and my priorities changed and b) I’m going soft in my middle age!
Graham, I’ve sent you a Private Message with my mobile number just in case you get stuck. You never know, I may be able to help, or at least pass you onto someone competant who can! 
Lucy:
I tramp, although I tend to scuttle off home if I’ve got less than an hour to run out with these days, becasue a) after 12+ years away the novelty’s worn off and my priorities changed and b) I’m going soft in my middle age!
Not soft, its because there is always something at home thats more important than driving a ■■■■ truck…you have just learned that quicker than most thick skinned daft guys…Now i am at home permanently I cannot think why I tramped for so many years…all those missed nights, days weeks …lost to a cab for not enough money!
BUT…A little bit of me still misses it !
TBH I’d give my eye teeth to get off the road, but I’m not exactly overflowing with other skills, so on we go. My hand’ll be forced at some stage anyway - I have MS and am on a short-term licence that one of these years DVLA will refuse to renew, at which point I’ll have to do something else. But in the meantime there are bills to pay so I can’t justify walking away. A familiar story among drivers, I know.
It must be said, one of the reasons I’m so pro this company is the way they’ve handled my diagnosis and subsequent limitations. I need more rest than most, for starters, so tend to get 11 off most nights, a pain in the arse for any transport operation in itself. Most haulage firms would’ve found a reason to get shot of me by now, but Conships have stuck by me, and 7 years on I’m able to continue to work as a result, something I’m more grateful for than you can possibly know. No job is perfect, but it’s when the chips are down that you find out which side your bread is truly buttered. In my case it’s liberally and on both sides.
Wow yer I am grateful for the help they have given me getting me on the job and training they have given me really nice for them to spend time supporting new drivers
Lucy:
TBH I’d give my eye teeth to get off the road, but I’m not exactly overflowing with other skills, so on we go. My hand’ll be forced at some stage anyway - I have MS and am on a short-term licence that one of these years DVLA will refuse to renew, at which point I’ll have to do something else. But in the meantime there are bills to pay so I can’t justify walking away. A familiar story among drivers, I know.It must be said, one of the reasons I’m so pro this company is the way they’ve handled my diagnosis and subsequent limitations. I need more rest than most, for starters, so tend to get 11 off most nights, a pain in the arse for any transport operation in itself. Most haulage firms would’ve found a reason to get shot of me by now, but Conships have stuck by me, and 7 years on I’m able to continue to work as a result, something I’m more grateful for than you can possibly know. No job is perfect, but it’s when the chips are down that you find out which side your bread is truly buttered. In my case it’s liberally and on both sides.
I do miss being out in some ways, but at 50 i caught a cough and within 2months the virus had wrecked the left side of my heart, ( thats a twenty million to one outside chance ) now I live on a drug cocktail and am half a step in front of a transplant…With no LGV licence , taken away for good…And i cannot blame them , i struggle to climb one flight of stairs. 51 and on the scrapheap…Lucky the better half is keeping me and can afford to as the dreaded ATos lot give me nothing and never have !
Moral of the story, get some ■■■■ good life insurance !!!
Hi if i get the chance i would do night out but would need to know how to manage my breaks between shifts ect and what to take ect like sleeping bag or anything like that
I would like to thank Andy for coming on here, its not often the MD of a company puts his head over the parapet on here (although I suspect many members here would be surprised at how many CEO’s do read this forum)
I will put my own hands up here, I am a Containerships fanboy, not because they employ my wife ( although that helps) but is one of the few companies around here that value and go the extra mile for their drivers. they are not the best payers in the land, but in the North East , where pay is historicaly low, they pay a decent wage, the tackle is spot on - if your doing nights away you will get an XXL or Megaspace- as to running bent or loading and tipping “off the chart” - god help you, its quickest way to being an ex-employee - they are 100% down the line legal. - getting a foot in through the door is not easy and all credit to Graham who took an inventive route and it paid off.
Managing your hours is easy enough, but you’re asking the wrong person about what to take… I self-cater and carry everything including the kitcken sink - a good friend hopped in here the other evening, surveyed the scene and declared I am, in fact, living in a mobile jumble sale!
LOL what you like
Got lucky graham wouldn’t mind being on for con ships like keep it up mate you soon pick it up
Hi Graham. How did you get on this week? Trish tells me she put you on dock shunting to give you some experience of the dock and a chance to practice reversing in a no pressure situation. We’ll have another newly qualified driver starting in a week or so and by that time you’ll be an old hand at it. Andy
No other jobs Andy lol