I read several posts a week about how badly done to new drivers are being treated and the cost of their training. I did some research and found out that you have never had it so good!
1976 was, according to a new report, the year when we were happiest. But as the sun shone, the economy was crumbling along with the dried-up riverbeds. The seeds of the winter of discontent were sown. And it was the year when the party really was over.
It was the year of the endless summer, when we danced to Abba, could walk the streets in safety, and have a good night out for a fiver and still have change.
Average wages were £72 per week
1976
It is not good enough for the Minister to say, as he has just said, that the Secretary of State made it clear that he did not envisage that this work would become registered as dock work but that there might be some cases where classification may be sought. The members of the truck driving industry feel, rightly or wrongly, that they are the poor relation. They see themselves as highly skilled men, in that the vast majority of them have to hold an HGV Class 1 licence. You do not pick up such a licence by sending £1 to the Post Office; it can cost a man or his employer £300 or £400 to get that licence.
Perhaps I may quote from the August 1976 issue of Headlight, the independent journal of road transport: We can only judge what the dockers will do from their record in the past. Such as at Chobham Farm container depot, in East London. Once the dockers moved in, they soon elbowed out the people who were already working there". These men may arrive at a dock having driven a long distance over many hours. I have known of drivers waiting outside a dock to get in for as long as two days, for a variety of reasons, without enjoying any kind of facilities bar the street. Why should these men work under the threat that one day their job will be taken away from them and given to somebody else, or that they may be required to join either another union or another section of a particular union?
Ive probably had it better than most but since passing class1 in may last year ive had three class 1 driving jobs including my current one.
Im earning only slightly less than I did when I was a plumber (pre recession).
I love the lifestyle, because I think it is more of a way of life than a job.
I find the work to be a doddle and competely stress free (just driving round all day delivering stuff). I would say ignore the old ■■■■■ and if you think it is for you then go for it
OVLOV JAY:
It costs far to much these days to get the licence. You will have a love affair with the lifestyle, and it is a lifestyle not a job, for about 2 years. But after a dozen or so missed birthdays, football matches, docs appointments, parents evenings etc, the novelty wears off.
Worse when you’ve got a new born. You miss all the firsts. When you come home they’re in bed. They’re in bed when you go to work. You get to see them on weekends where at first they’ll scream their head off because they don’t know who you are.
Now im sure this has been asked countless times in one way or another. But I wanna know what the new kids think about the job itself. I’ve heard all the old timers say it aint what it used to be and its ■■■■ etc etc.
But for a new lad, he aint gunna know the difference and I fancy a change so I’ve been cosidering doing this. Since ive left school ive worked in motorsport starting from karting to formula ford, from the BTCC to F1. I’ve done a lot and im only just turning 24, at the moment im actually a car salesman but the absolute retarded customers are getting on my nerves and I can’t deal with the stress of the job anymore (nearly lost me hair!)
So I fancy driving a truck as I’ve always fancied it, I enjoy my own company and it would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out life. I don’t mind long hours and weekends as I’ve always always done it. But I would like some time at home as Im looking to start a family. Also I know wages have fell in recent years but Im not a greedy person, I just want to live comfortably but have a home life. Now I know your guna say trucking is long hours blah blah, I realise this but for me it wont be as long as being away from home for 8-9 months of year. A couple of nights out a week aint gunna phase me or the other half.
All i want to see is the new lads on the block voice there opinion to see what they gotta say.
Hi Drew, I’m 26, I passed my CE 8 weeks ago, and started driving for a living 5 weeks ago. Best thing I’ve ever done. I left a decent job with a very decent company, many people thought I was mad, but I’d rather be happy in my work than earning more and being miserable. I look forward to starting work everyday and even miss it on my rest days.
The job’s brilliant if you want an easy life. It’s everything I thought it would be and more. So far the only bad thing I’ve come across about driving for a living is all the wildlife you will kill. In 5 weeks I’ve destroyed 6 rabbits, 2 birds, a badger and an owl.
I would not have bothered if there was all of the hoops and rigmarole about getting the licence. I passed class 2 15 years ago .The training will cost you about £2000 then its hard to actually land a job. As you have motor experience talk to all of the hgv drivers that you meet and find out what their jobs are like.
SmashedCrabFace:
Hi Drew, I’m 26, I passed my CE 8 weeks ago, and started driving for a living 5 weeks ago. Best thing I’ve ever done. I left a decent job with a very decent company, many people thought I was mad, but I’d rather be happy in my work than earning more and being miserable. I look forward to starting work everyday and even miss it on my rest days.
The job’s brilliant if you want an easy life. It’s everything I thought it would be and more. So far the only bad thing I’ve come across about driving for a living is all the wildlife you will kill. In 5 weeks I’ve destroyed 6 rabbits, 2 birds, a badger and an owl.
Nice to hear mate!!! Glad your enjoying it tbh! Happy with the wages?
It costs far to much these days to get the licence. You will have a love affair with the lifestyle, and it is a lifestyle not a job, for about 2 years. But after a dozen or so missed birthdays, football matches, docs appointments, parents evenings etc, the novelty wears off. You will just be a reg number, not a person, here to serve a purpose, no personal touch. I’ve been doing it ten years this year, and at 31 I’ve had enough. Yes the old hands were saying it was bad when I started, and guess what, it’s got worse. I dread to think what it will be like in another 10 years. If you like computers, do something like web design, a fraction of the training cost and I saw a job advertised near me paying 55k a year, and I don’t reckon you’ll be working 15 hrs on a saturday for that
i have not passed my test yet but i want to drive trucks because i love driving i have been reading wat has been said on this forum for past few months and it hasnt put me off wanting to drive i earn roughly £1100 per month in my current job that involves working week on days 3 am start and week on nights 9pm start i would rather get paid to drive a truck and be at home at nights for similar or touch more money im just waiting on the dvla to stop buggering about with my medical/licence so i crack on and do my test and like the topic starter i have motor trade experience so nowt stoppin me investing in a 7.5t truck for example and doin vehicle colections or recovery etc ect
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out life
I myself do find it a very chilled out job but be warned you may have some hate directed at you over that statement from a good few drivers who think it’s the most stressful job on earth!
OVLOV JAY:
If you like computers, do something like web design, a fraction of the training cost and I saw a job advertised near me paying 55k a year, and I don’t reckon you’ll be working 15 hrs on a saturday for that
Very over subscribed cut throat industry at best. Not always the best pay in the world too albeit a 55k job you have found is a good one.
I know people that have worked in IT years, all the qualifications going and still only earning mid 30’s pay and not the high 40’s low 50’s they dreamed of, the money isn’t there.
I also know people who run their own business and thats no dream either, they are doing around 6.5 days a week and can only pay themselves mid 20’sk pa at best. Thats not because of the recession, it’s always been like that for them. Enough of that.
If a HGV driver can find the right job you won’t be working 15 hours on a saturday either, and still taking home a respectable pay packet.
All about finding the right job , but be aware new / younger drivers the industry is full of brown nosed back stabbers, tell them nothing and if you are talking to them- only tell them the minimum.
This lot will go running off to the respective managers and tell them everything they know.
Give them a wide berth at best or for a bit of fun tell them lies , they are easy to spot as they will be asking you what jobs you are doing all the time. Lie to them , tell them you have xxxxxxx run <---- whichever runs you have at your place of employment that are easy peasy.
As for the job , depending on what you are doing it can be easy or as hard as you make it , just like any job really.
DrewHughes:
Nice to hear mate!!! Glad your enjoying it tbh! Happy with the wages?
You just doing days? nights?
Poor animals! Move it or lose it
I work nights mate, which is probably why my animal count is so high. The money I’m on now is crap, but then all I do is drive up and down the motorway with the cruise control and radio on, and open and close the curtains twice a night, so it’s a fair trade. I took a pay cut leaving my old job but I didn’t get into this game for the money, I wanted to enjoy what I do rather than selling my soul for more cash. I’m home every night (or day in my case) and earn more than enough to keep a roof over my head until I’ve got that all important 2 years experience and can move on to something that pays more.
I decided to get my licence to get a cheap and easy trade to get away from something else. Nowadays I probably wouldn’t bother with the expense of the extra training.
I never thought of it as a long time plan but it’s looking more and more like it’s heading that way. One reason I decided to head this direction was because of the variety of work available. When I decided to do it I used to look at a groundworks company that had an 8 wheeler hiab with beavertail and thought I’d fancy some of that. It took a while to get there but that’s where I’ve ended up, if I get bored with it I could go and drive a tipper, bin wagon, skips, general haulage etc etc.
There are plenty of drivers moaning about being a driver but they could completely change their day by changing the work they do.
Before i became a lorry driver, i was a bricklayer and certain circumstances made me give up work for 2 years. when i felt i could go back to work, a family member offered to pay for my licences.
Ive always wanted to drive big trucks round the country and my grandad was a driver for over 30 years. I also new that there were long hours involved but thought id give it ago.
Ive been driving trucks now for exactly 1 year (tomorrow) and i have to say its one of the most demanding jobs that i`ve ever had.
My first job was driving for a home delivery, bed company and everyday for the whole time, i never worked no less than 13 hours and to carry massive boxes up flights of stairs aswell…lets just say it opened my eyes alot. not to mention the idiots that are on the roads these days, I dont think people in london were ever taught “legally” to drive!
I recently left that job and started work for a photocopier, delivery firm and although the work can be hard, i do it for the love of driving (same with my last job).
The fact that you get to go all over the country and see things that you wouldntwhilst laying bricks, you cant beat it… the money is quite good too (not gonna say how much)
I always remember me and the mrs having “the talk” about the job and that it would be long hours blah blah blah and dya know what? i love it.
I do understand also when the elder generation say that “the job aint what it used to be”! theres alot of [zb] rules that have been introduced and i can always remember it when my grandad drove, drivers were alot less stressed out then. But on the other hand, alot more drivers were having accidents when they fell asleep at the wheel cuz they thought they`d have the will power to driv for 15 hours straight!
i think my advice would be to not go into it thinking that it was a doddle… its not! maybe get a drivers m8 job first and then see if you get a taste for it…that or spend crap loadsa money getting your licences to find that its not for you
