New drivers ambitions?

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

I am just interested to know of the ambitions of the new drivers currently taking their HGV.

Career , stop gap, or neccisity like when I became a driver.

I’m only asking as I don’t see many young drivers on the road and often wonder what it’s going to be like in a few years, especially when the driver CPC comes into force for all drivers , not just the ones passing after 2009.

I wouldn’t drive one if I didn’t have to and I don’t suppose many would , so what’s the future of this industy.

I do like driving a truck , I love it, but the wages , the hours and the conditions are all pretty awful so how are we going to get good quality drivers in the future ?
Just a thought :smiley:

2

We will import them like we do with cameras, washing machines and cars.In fact just like everything else.

3

When I took my lessons and tests it was a bucket list ambition as always loved lorries and was a birthday prezzie from my hubby , when passed my class 2 found a company that hours fitted in with my current job and did that for 2 years and loved it until the company unfortunatly went bust
since passing my class 1 have been trying to keep the couple of days a week up but in the last month the hours have been too much for me and have made a decision to just do the odd day here and there , I could not fit the hours in required now as most jobs that I have done are more like 12-15 hr shifts and was making myself ill , didnt want to refuse too much work frm agency as thought they would just stop calling , but have had some real hard thinking over last month or so and need to keep the balance of home life and work sensible so putting myself first for a bit and see how it goes,
As you say if the money was better I might consider going full time but unfortunatly thats not an option ,

4

That’s the problem with transport, when I was full time with the company I couldn’t plan to go to school plays, sports day or even parents evening. Even having a night out with the wife was a problem, getting back in time etc. I know transport is unpredictable but is made a lot harder wih the conditions we have to put up with. Un loading conditions. A career is meant to be something that you do for life and something you enjoy as well as giving you and your family a decent living. Transport won’t necessarily do that unless you wrangle your way into th office.
Not sure what the answer is but I’m only commenting on the reality of transport as I see it and not offering a solution.

Me being freelance helps a bit as I can say no but I agree that you can only say no so much and then they can just ring somebody else :open_mouth:

5

Excactly :exclamation:
most of the work agencies need is at weekends and my hubby works mon to fri and wasnt having any quality time with him or my kids, too knackered to enjoy myself , you have to have a balance in life and have to put yourself first money is no good if your too knackered to spend it lol, the way I see it if I need to drive I can as have the licences for life now , my dream was forfilled , and I have my cpc till 2019 , if a job comes in similar hours to the one I had I can do it but for now my health and home life are a priority at the moment , there is one comapny that dont use agengy drivers very much but always ask for me first so can mabe keep my driving skills up with them as wont be every week :bulb: in fact doing a couple of evenings next week for them running bobtail as they have just got some new motors and im taking the old ones back to birmingham and riding back with the other driver , this way im hoping will satisfy my hgv driving without it becoming too much to handle only time will tell :wink:

6

Jennie:
Excactly :exclamation:
most of the work agencies need is at weekends and my hubby works mon to fri and wasnt having any quality time with him or my kids, too knackered to enjoy myself , you have to have a balance in life and have to put yourself first money is no good if your too knackered to spend it lol, the way I see it if I need to drive I can as have the licences for life now , my dream was forfilled , and I have my cpc till 2019 , if a job comes in similar hours to the one I had I can do it but for now my health and home life are a priority at the moment , there is one comapny that dont use agengy drivers very much but always ask for me first so can mabe keep my driving skills up with them as wont be every week :bulb: in fact doing a couple of evenings next week for them running bobtail as they have just got some new motors and im taking the old ones back to birmingham and riding back with the other driver , this way im hoping will satisfy my hgv driving without it becoming too much to handle only time will tell :wink:

Sounds like a good balance.
I’m lucky as well as my old firm have me a few days a week when sickness and holidays leave them short, I get the odd late one and a few last minutes but it keeps me and mine clothed and fed for now without being full time :smiley: the industry’ needs to sort something out though because this attitude of flogging a dead horse will burn out decent drivers eventually and as drivers age, new ones will be in short supply.

7

blueroom1:

Jennie:
Excactly :exclamation:
most of the work agencies need is at weekends and my hubby works mon to fri and wasnt having any quality time with him or my kids, too knackered to enjoy myself , you have to have a balance in life and have to put yourself first money is no good if your too knackered to spend it lol, the way I see it if I need to drive I can as have the licences for life now , my dream was forfilled , and I have my cpc till 2019 , if a job comes in similar hours to the one I had I can do it but for now my health and home life are a priority at the moment , there is one comapny that dont use agengy drivers very much but always ask for me first so can mabe keep my driving skills up with them as wont be every week :bulb: in fact doing a couple of evenings next week for them running bobtail as they have just got some new motors and im taking the old ones back to birmingham and riding back with the other driver , this way im hoping will satisfy my hgv driving without it becoming too much to handle only time will tell :wink:

Sounds like a good balance.
I’m lucky as well as my old firm have me a few days a week when sickness and holidays leave them short, I get the odd late one and a few last minutes but it keeps me and mine clothed and fed for now without being full time :smiley: the industry’ needs to sort something out though because this attitude of flogging a dead horse will burn out decent drivers eventually and as drivers age, new ones will be in short supply.

Im hoping it will be , its been a hard decision as felt as if letting my hubby down with him paying for my licences and then not using them, but I made the money back and more so havent lost out financially ,we have sat down and done a lot of talking and he has said they were a birthday present and he didnt expect me to earn the money back for a present :wink:
Im lucky as have been self employed for the last 15 years and have loyal clients so money is coming in , but with alot of drivers its the only imcome and with the state of employment at the moment companies know that they can offer the money they do and people need the job so put up with it ,
this country is called great britain but im afraid with all the bending over backwards we do to europe it has lost that back bone that we once had , but mabe thats another thread eh :wink: :laughing:

all the best

8

blueroom1:
I do like driving a truck , I love it, but the wages , the hours and the conditions are all pretty awful

Ditto mate.

I’m hoping to learn something else so I can leave driving for good before it finally goes to complete pish (it’s well on the way there already).

Loved it when started out, and actually still love the actual driving…

but not the slave labour treatment from agencies, crap wages, bickering among fellow drivers, increasing stress/legislation, being expected to be in 3 places at once or drive at formula-1 pace to finish drops without getting slagged, and general way you’re looked down upon by the rest of society in spite of your best attempts…

Nah this is definitely not what I want to do for life any more, no way.

9

COOKiEEES!!:

blueroom1:
I do like driving a truck , I love it, but the wages , the hours and the conditions are all pretty awful

Ditto mate.

I’m hoping to learn something else so I can leave driving for good before it finally goes to complete pish (it’s well on the way there already).

Loved it when started out, and actually still love the actual driving…

but not the slave labour treatment from agencies, crap wages, bickering among fellow drivers, increasing stress/legislation, being expected to be in 3 places at once or drive at formula-1 pace to finish drops without getting slagged, and general way you’re looked down upon by the rest of society in spite of your best attempts…

Nah this is definitely not what I want to do for life any more, no way.

Im with you there, recently took a 2 week break and went back to driving a van (same company) soo much nicer not having a tacho to worry about etc. But really i will probably get out of driving in a few years.

10

Hi all,

I’m going down to my training company of choice at the end of this month to put a deposit down on my course etc etc.

After reading some of the stories above it nearly put a dampener on it but with me, its been a life long dream to drive trucks for a living ever since I passed my car test when I was 17 (Im 30 in december). To cut a long story short its only now that I’m in a position to pay for it all due to not being restricted by age or points on my license etc etc.

Anyway, I’ve been working at an RDC for the past 7 years in the freezer department as a warehouse opp’ doing order picking and driving the FLT’s, and I HATE it. at first it was good but for the past few years I feel like I’ve been stuck in limbo, running round staring at the same 4 walls, same environment, same artificial lighting, been watching people come and go and people come and rise up the ranks. I feel like everything is passing me by. I don’t want to become a manager as they have to put up with even more crap and to be honest I’m not really one for standing in front of a crowd of people telling them what to do. Thats not me. I could always try and transfer to the transport dept but then I would be stuck behind a desk, hence me going for my LGV license and hopefully being able to drive for them, if not them, then onwards and upwards at some place else.

I really love driving, thats where my real passion is, getting out and about, seeing different cars/trucks/vans/panes etc etc, anything automotive is of interest to me, especially big diesel engines, just summat about them being noisy and powerful and smelly lol.

I’ve got a wife and 2 kids (aged 3 & 4) and I love them all dearly which is why I have to be careful with what hours I would work, although I completely understand that when first setting out in a new career you basicly have to take all the crap for the first couple of years or however long it takes to settle into a routine. But you gotta start somewhere.

I’m quite lucky to live in quite an idustrial area (North West) and Trafford Park is about 10 miles away so I’m confident that there is driving work to be had, just a case of sifting through sh*te to get a foot in the door somewhere half decent.

I know one thing is for sure, I can’t carry on where I am now for the sake of decent money alone, its just not enough anymore. I’ve got to start getting some sort of job satisfaction somehow amnd driving is where its at for me.

Hopefully when the DCPC cuts in in 2014 the majority of good drivers will Jack the job in making way for the people like me with a year or 2 of experience. Hopefully anyway. It might sound crude on the drivers who genuinely love driving but dont like the way its changed, but I gotta look out for my best interests in the long run and for me the industry hasn’t really changed as I’ve never been in that line of work where I drive for a living (done various van jobs in the past with (…) so not a complete newbie to delivering/driving).

I hope this doesnt upset anyone, just giving it from my point of view, although everyone is entitled to their opinion so I stand ready to be shot down :open_mouth: :smiley: :wink:

11

Well as a new learner car driver (Only had about 12 lessons I think!) wanting to become a truck driver which will maybe happening sooner rather than later (Something I shall reveal closer to the time if things pan out :slight_smile: ) But my ambition to be a lorry driver started as a little kid. I did an article in T&D last year about how dads not being able to take their kids with them due to company policies etc is imo a contributing factor to the lack of enthusiasm about the industry. That’s how it all began for me, a trip in the lorry with my dad and in a sense the ambition never stopped growing since that day!

Days of going with dad and granddad in the lorry were what I lived for when I was growing up through the school/college days. Being able to go to school telling folk where i’d been in my summer holidays or at the weekend and all the truckfests i’d gone too (Hence the name Jonnytruckfest :laughing: :laughing: ) And my uncle who sadly i never got to go with was a bloke I admired who loved this job with no end and was the only person who encouraged me to go for what I wanted to do was something I always admired. Being able to help more as I grew up too made me more enthusiastic about the job because I liked all the other bits you do besides driving i.e the loading/unloading of the trailer, swapping trailers, planning the route you went on. As with the ■■■■■ you have to deal with both on the road and in offices makes no difference to the ■■■■■ I have to deal with at work or what I had to deal with at other places I’ve worked so that doesn’t bother me much. Made it seem more ‘exciting’ and to be fair not many folk my age have their heart set on what they want to do in life. But in my mind there isn’t any other jobs out there you get paid to travel distances see new places pass by and you can go to other countries to do the same thing.

The dream for me started at driving a lorry, to owning one, to driving a lorry in canada to owning one in canada…seems silly maybe but i’d rather die trying than to think what if for the rest of my days. And well thanks to an ex of mine making me want to leave college i’m closer to my dream than I ever have been and well my theory is being booked in 2 days (long time in the making but things have come in the way of that!) and well due to circumstances I want to have my license before the worst should happen with my uncle. Sorry for the chapter and a verse but thought I’d give my two penneth worth.

Cheers

Jonny :sunglasses:

12

blueroom1:
I am just interested to know of the ambitions of the new drivers currently taking their HGV.

Career , stop gap, or neccisity like when I became a driver.

I’m only asking as I don’t see many young drivers on the road and often wonder what it’s going to be like in a few years, especially when the driver CPC comes into force for all drivers , not just the ones passing after 2009.

I wouldn’t drive one if I didn’t have to and I don’t suppose many would , so what’s the future of this industy.

I do like driving a truck , I love it, but the wages , the hours and the conditions are all pretty awful so how are we going to get good quality drivers in the future ?
Just a thought :smiley:

I turned 19 back in July, held my Class 1 since I was 18. For me, wanting to drive a truck came from my Dad and my Uncle, they were and are both lorry drivers, and their Dad was too. One of the main reasons you don’t see a lot of young drivers is because of the sheer amount of ■■■■■■■■ hoops that need to be jumped through in order to accomplish the most basic of tasks, and not only that but how hard it is for us to break into the industry. Luckily, I’m turning work down now but it wasn’t always that easy.

Most young gun’s like myself are tarnished with a bad image, it’s no surprise really when you see idiots my age flying around in a sooped up hairdryer, er make that a 1L corsa but you get my drift.

13

Tarrman:
Hi all,

I’m going down to my training company of choice at the end of this month to put a deposit down on my course etc etc.

After reading some of the stories above it nearly put a dampener on it but with me, its been a life long dream to drive trucks for a living ever since I passed my car test when I was 17 (Im 30 in december). To cut a long story short its only now that I’m in a position to pay for it all due to not being restricted by age or points on my license etc etc.

Anyway, I’ve been working at an RDC for the past 7 years in the freezer department as a warehouse opp’ doing order picking and driving the FLT’s, and I HATE it. at first it was good but for the past few years I feel like I’ve been stuck in limbo, running round staring at the same 4 walls, same environment, same artificial lighting, been watching people come and go and people come and rise up the ranks. I feel like everything is passing me by. I don’t want to become a manager as they have to put up with even more crap and to be honest I’m not really one for standing in front of a crowd of people telling them what to do. Thats not me. I could always try and transfer to the transport dept but then I would be stuck behind a desk, hence me going for my LGV license and hopefully being able to drive for them, if not them, then onwards and upwards at some place else.

I really love driving, thats where my real passion is, getting out and about, seeing different cars/trucks/vans/panes etc etc, anything automotive is of interest to me, especially big diesel engines, just summat about them being noisy and powerful and smelly lol.

I’ve got a wife and 2 kids (aged 3 & 4) and I love them all dearly which is why I have to be careful with what hours I would work, although I completely understand that when first setting out in a new career you basicly have to take all the crap for the first couple of years or however long it takes to settle into a routine. But you gotta start somewhere.

I’m quite lucky to live in quite an idustrial area (North West) and Trafford Park is about 10 miles away so I’m confident that there is driving work to be had, just a case of sifting through sh*te to get a foot in the door somewhere half decent.

I know one thing is for sure, I can’t carry on where I am now for the sake of decent money alone, its just not enough anymore. I’ve got to start getting some sort of job satisfaction somehow amnd driving is where its at for me.

Hopefully when the DCPC cuts in in 2014 the majority of good drivers will Jack the job in making way for the people like me with a year or 2 of experience. Hopefully anyway. It might sound crude on the drivers who genuinely love driving but dont like the way its changed, but I gotta look out for my best interests in the long run and for me the industry hasn’t really changed as I’ve never been in that line of work where I drive for a living (done various van jobs in the past with … so not a complete newbie to delivering/driving).

I hope this doesnt upset anyone, just giving it from my point of view, although everyone is entitled to their opinion so I stand ready to be shot down :open_mouth: :smiley: :wink:

I must add that I’ve loved trucks/cars/vans/planes all through my childhood, not just from when “I was 17”. Me and my bro were always giving truckers the thumbs up from the rear windows of my mum n dads mk1 ■■■■■■ van (the days when it was legal to just jump in the back of a van with no seats or seat belts :slight_smile: ). Infact, I’d say that’s where the love for all things driving came from.

Ah…[takes a trip down memory lane]

14

All these replies are amazingly honest and personal and I believe every one of them 100%. Driving is the only thing they want to do and have ever wanted to do.
My situation was a bit different, I posted on my main blog page, route to getting my HGV but basically it was a means to any end, my dad drove trucks but told me never to.
No motorways , cab heaters , bunks etc in his day, reversing up hills, three runs to Peterborough and dagenham in a day. All horror story’s designed to make me get a proper job. I ended up driving for the past 5 years now and all those things you all say are true, a brilliant book by an Amercian driver called the proffesional tourist sums it up. You get paid to go to great, beautiful,and interesting places others never will, you see how the whole country works, from it’s arshole to its brain and it’s a great job at times, But and here it is, it’s goodwill that keeps us doing it, goodwill makes us get up at 4 and not see the kids unil 7 , or even from week to week if tramping etc, it’s goodwill that makes us run a little nit longer, drive the defected truck that little bit further , , it can’t be money because that’s dropping to roughly the same as minimum wage for some of our drivers on the puddle jumpers and the class 1 boys don’t get that much more, in fact our young lads are going out of vans and into there own artics after a few months training to fill our driver gap. Young lads need less money than a family man and if you live in a can al week , you need even less :cry: ,
It’s a brilliant job on the right days and it’s right and encouraging to have such ambition at such a young age and I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from following their dream so don’t listen to me, ignore what I say and do it anyway if you hate it , you have a skill for life, and you will get work and earn money from it. If you love it , then lucky you :smiley:
Thanks for the replies

15

Some people drive trucks.

Some people were born to drive trucks :slight_smile:

16

Career for me, although i’m now 38 and have left it late i have always wanted to drive trucks. I have been working in construction but i am now fed up of getting wet, cold, dirty, muddy, injured etc etc so i have finally taken the plunge. Passed my theory and hazard perception a couple of weeks ago and had my free on road assesment which went well. I am all booked up for training beggining 9th Oct after my hols. This will hopefully be my proffesion now until i retire !

17

this is my first post, so sorry if i ramble on. i eventually hope to make it a career, my father is a has been a lorry driver all his working life and also told me not to do it.
(he doesn t want me to make same mistakes as him-multiple relationships over the years etc.) but for the last 8 year i ve been a tbo for my local nhs trust(toilet brush operator) and its not something i want to do the rest of my life.

18

forgot to mention passed cat c in may and start c+e training next week, so wish me luck and all the advice you get on this forum is 1 of the best thing i ve came across on the net. :slight_smile:

19

I’ve started late at 47 but always wanted to drive trucks. Used to be a decorator but after having a few years off to bring up my son I cant face going back to it so thought its time to take up the driving.

20

Tarrman:
I know one thing is for sure, I can’t carry on where I am now for the sake of decent money alone, its just not enough anymore. I’ve got to start getting some sort of job satisfaction somehow amnd driving is where its at for me.

This is the same for me, in a nutshell. I’d only ever wanted to be a lorry driver all through my childhood and into my teens, and even now. Always loved been in and around trucks through my dad and best mate’s dad, and couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else, and I’ve maintained that interest through my adult life. I remember telling myself at school that I would NEVER get stuck in an office job and I got a start in a warehouse at 17 and then van driving after I passed my car test, but got the sack after a couple of years and fell into an office job by accident in 1994. I had a year out in 2002-03 to go travelling as I was sick of it, but ended up coming back on my return as I had nothing else lined up and I was 28 and needed some cash and independence! I wish now I’d taken the plunge at that crossroads in my life!

Yes the money here is good, yes the hours are good (well, they’re unsociable but shorter than driving) but I just can’t imagine myself being here for the next 20 years. I feel like I’ve let myself down by never achieving my ambition, even though it’s not much of an ambition when you think about it, and a few niggles at work lately with other people have galvanised my resolve to do something I really WANT to do with my life and get some satisfaction from passing the tests and getting out on the road. I’m miserable and bored here, and something has to change. I know it’s not going to be easy, and I know I’ve probably got a rose-tinted and romantic view of the industry, but I literally cannot think of anything I would enjoy more than being out and about in a truck and I’m looking forward the challenge of trying.

I’m 38 in January, so I’m not the youngest - but also not the oldest. I’ve got a positive attitude, I’m articulate and intelligent, and aren’t scared of hard work. The way I see it is that I’ve probably done things the “right” way - if driving doesn’t work out for whatever reason then I have some academic qualifications and years of experience in a decent industry (media/news) so could probably go back to that quite easily. I think it would’ve been harder to find I was jaded by driving after 20 years in the job and look to change career. Time will tell if it’ll work out!