switchlogic:
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out lifeI 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!
I see you on your Videos just driving on empty Motorways. 
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feet 
.
switchlogic:
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out lifeI 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!
It’s easy for you to say as you’ve got 0 commitments and 0 life other than your camper van and your youtube channel which is why you spend your entire time working and living in the truck (harsh but true). For someone like DrewHughes with his family and commitments then it wouldn’t be a “chilled” job as the vast majority of truck driving work doesn’t have fixed hours, hence quickly becoming a stressful job as he’s required at appointments, birthdays, parties, meetings etc like Jay said :
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
+1
Plus of course the industry is already oversaturated with drivers hence why the hourly rates are nearly £2/hr less now than they were 3 years ago good luck trying to find a job with your 0 experience DrewHughes. And forgot trying to get any C, C1 or C+E driving work at your age as you’ll be constantly fobbed off with “x won’t insure you” until you’re 25, minimum.
Ive had my licence (cat c) for 18 months now , I think if your coming into this industry its something that you really have gotta wanna do for the love of driving not just as a job or your not going to like it , personally i have to work for agencies as my kids have to be priority for me so can turn down work if need to attend parents evening etc also my husband sometimes works away so cant work the weeks he away as need to be around for the kids can t just turn a truck around and come back home if get an emergency call from one of me kids !!!
Saying that me driving a lorry was a lifelong dream something I always wanted to do and have found a way of working that suits me and my lifestyle but had to do a lot of crap before to get myself known and its only recently that have been able to get myself good enough to be able to turn down work knowing that they will still call me back another day for work , but I wouldnt have it any other way when out on the road radio on and just me I love it , you will find it hard to get work at first and have to take a lot of knockbacks but if you keep positive and stick at it you will find a job just gotta get that first lucky break to prove yourself !
all the best
Jen x
DrewHughes:
Hey,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 [zb] 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.
Cheers
Drew
Most of the big Fridge companies take people with no previous exp, its easy and clean work , most of
the time and there is stacks of work out there at this time of year in the run up to Christmas , long
hours but decent money in bank for very little input .
You sound like you have enough life and work exp to impress a boss so getting a foot in someones door
shouldnt be any problem .
On the subject of dealing with retarded customers in your present job this will put you on a good footing
to dealing with 75% of lorry drivers 
at least 8/10 are ex SAS , use to run the middle east ,
earning £75000 a year etc etc.
DrewHughes:
Hey,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 [zb] 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.
Cheers
Drew
Wrong choice then…
I’m a new driver and new to the forum. Managed to land a C+E trunking job after passing, been there 5 weeks now. I’m happy with the job, I work 5 nights a week including a saturday which is good money for the type of work involved.
This does mean I have no social life. Although I’m home everyday I don’t see my partner till me rest days, fortunately she is understanding. I would take a long hard think because it can feel lonely at times, also think about the employer, do they offer overtime? Pension? Legal trucks? I love the job and compared to my last career its clean and easy.
I passed class 2 last October and started driving in December, then passed class 1 at the end of December and started driving them in janurary, I love the job, it’s not always chilled but on my job it usually is, my typical shift is
Pick up run sheet
Check truck
Fill up tank
Get trailer
Drive 35 minutes
Wait 2 hours to be loaded
Drive 2:30
Tip
Drive 30 mins
Trailer swap
Drive 2:45
Drop trailer
Take truck back to yard
Drop off paperwork
Clock out
I can actually do this without speaking 1 word to anyone if that’s the mood I’m in but I’m usually the cheery sod that gets on your nerves lol
Rob K:
switchlogic:
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out lifeI 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!
It’s easy for you to say as you’ve got 0 commitments and 0 life other than your camper van and your youtube channel which is why you spend your entire time working and living in the truck (harsh but true). For someone like DrewHughes with his family and commitments then it wouldn’t be a “chilled” job as the vast majority of truck driving work doesn’t have fixed hours, hence quickly becoming a stressful job as he’s required at appointments, birthdays, parties, meetings etc like Jay said :
Don’t pretend you know anything about my life Rob as you don’t, your as clueless about that as you are most subjects (Harsh but true.) I’ve been a driver for 14 years, I’ve had commitments, house, bills, relationship, up to my eyeballs in debt and my life outside work never changed my view of the job. And now I’m doing an OU course that’s ■■■■■ up most of my spare time. It’s a fairly chilled job. If your stressed about family and money then that is what’s making your life stressful. It’s a pretty easy job. The only difference between me and the stressed out likes of you is I’ve made my life the life I want it to be (and currently in the process of making it something completely different again) where as you clearly haven’t.
But then I’m whistling into the wind with you, you wouldn’t know chilled if it slapped you in the face. Your the most uptight man I’ve never met. Now go back to worrying how much money you’ve invested in the contents of your fuel tank.
switchlogic:
Rob K:
switchlogic:
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out lifeI 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!
It’s easy for you to say as you’ve got 0 commitments and 0 life other than your camper van and your youtube channel which is why you spend your entire time working and living in the truck (harsh but true). For someone like DrewHughes with his family and commitments then it wouldn’t be a “chilled” job as the vast majority of truck driving work doesn’t have fixed hours, hence quickly becoming a stressful job as he’s required at appointments, birthdays, parties, meetings etc like Jay said :
Don’t pretend you know anything about my life Rob as you don’t, your as clueless about that as you are most subjects (Harsh but true.) I’ve been a driver for 14 years, I’ve had commitments, house, bills, relationship, up to my eyeballs in debt and my life outside work never changed my view of the job. And now I’m doing an OU course that’s ■■■■■ up most of my spare time. It’s a fairly chilled job. If your stressed about family and money then that is what’s making your life stressful. It’s a pretty easy job. The only difference between me and the stressed out likes of you is I’ve made my life the life I want it to be (and currently in the process of making it something completely different again) where as you clearly haven’t.
But then I’m whistling into the wind with you, you wouldn’t know chilled if it slapped you in the face. Your the most uptight man I’ve never met. Now go back to worrying how much money you’ve invested in the contents of your fuel tank.
Like it Switch, he is indeed a ■■■■ of the very highest order.
switchlogic:
Rob K:
switchlogic:
DrewHughes:
would make a change for me always being rushed off my feet to just having a nice chilled out lifeI 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!
It’s easy for you to say as you’ve got 0 commitments and 0 life other than your camper van and your youtube channel which is why you spend your entire time working and living in the truck (harsh but true). For someone like DrewHughes with his family and commitments then it wouldn’t be a “chilled” job as the vast majority of truck driving work doesn’t have fixed hours, hence quickly becoming a stressful job as he’s required at appointments, birthdays, parties, meetings etc like Jay said :
Don’t pretend you know anything about my life Rob as you don’t, your as clueless about that as you are most subjects (Harsh but true.) I’ve been a driver for 14 years, I’ve had commitments, house, bills, relationship, up to my eyeballs in debt and my life outside work never changed my view of the job. And now I’m doing an OU course that’s ■■■■■ up most of my spare time. It’s a fairly chilled job. If your stressed about family and money then that is what’s making your life stressful. It’s a pretty easy job. The only difference between me and the stressed out likes of you is I’ve made my life the life I want it to be where as you clearly haven’t.
But then I’m whistling into the wind with you, you wouldn’t know chilled if it slapped you in the face. Your the most uptight man I’ve never met. Now go back to worrying how much money you’ve invested in the contents of your fuel tank.
Ironic post is ironic. Or should that read “clueless”? 
Defend yourself all you like, but you seem to be forgetting that 95% of your life is documented in both written and video form on this site, your blog site and your youtube channel…
I also find it quite amusing how you become the authority on the job not being stressful but yet don’t have any dependent kids or OH/relationship. Perhaps you should wait until you’re actually in that situation before commenting on stuff you clearly know nothing about.
Now if only I’d made my life “how I want it to be” like you… sigh I really must do something about my “stressed out” life which entails approx 30 hours “work” per month, picking up the phone and checking that things are running okay, the occasional site visit when something breaks and a few hours per week on paperwork. I’m so “uptight” with it all and don’t know how I’m going to cope carrying on like this… 
Some interesting opinions, some of which il take with a pinch of salt.
Williams9881:
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feet
I heard Arla take on new passers! You at the Ashby depot? I live near Coavlille and see the Arla lorries about quite regular! You’ve made it sound like a decent company to work for tbh!
Rob K:
Defend yourself all you like, but you seem to be forgetting that 95% of your life is documented in both written and video form on this site, your blog site and your youtube channel…
Oh dear Rob I did actually have you down as being fairly intelligent if a bit cantankerous, but if you believe 95% of my life is on video then maybe your not. Do you believe everything you see on tv too?
I’ve been making videos for just under 2 years. So from that you know what the previous 12 years of my driving career and life contained? You know nothing. You are also showing how bad you are at reading posts again. I clearly pointed out I’ve had the house, the relationship, been buried under a mountain of bills and debts, oh and I had a dog. Can’t believe you still can’t read posts properly.
DrewHughes:
Some interesting opinions, some of which il take with a pinch of salt.Williams9881:
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feetI heard Arla take on new passers! You at the Ashby depot? I live near Coavlille and see the Arla lorries about quite regular! You’ve made it sound like a decent company to work for tbh!
Arla work is always available because it’s a PITA and no-one else wants to do it. Same with food distribution companies like Brakes, 3663 etc. As a newbie it’s good work to cut your teeth on but it can be pretty hard graft and frustrating. No doubt Switchlogic will be along in a minute to tell me I’m “clueless” about that as well and the work is every driver’s favourite kind to do…
Rob K:
DrewHughes:
Some interesting opinions, some of which il take with a pinch of salt.Williams9881:
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feetI heard Arla take on new passers! You at the Ashby depot? I live near Coavlille and see the Arla lorries about quite regular! You’ve made it sound like a decent company to work for tbh!
Arla work is always available because it’s a PITA and no-one else wants to do it. Same with food distribution companies like Brakes, 3663 etc. As a newbie it’s good work to cut your teeth on but it can be pretty hard graft and frustrating. No doubt Switchlogic will be along in a minute to tell me I’m “clueless” about that as well and the work is every driver’s favourite kind to do…
What does PITA mean? Hard graft in what way?
Rob K:
DrewHughes:
Some interesting opinions, some of which il take with a pinch of salt.Williams9881:
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feetI heard Arla take on new passers! You at the Ashby depot? I live near Coavlille and see the Arla lorries about quite regular! You’ve made it sound like a decent company to work for tbh!
Arla work is always available because it’s a PITA and no-one else wants to do it. Same with food distribution companies like Brakes, 3663 etc. As a newbie it’s good work to cut your teeth on but it can be pretty hard graft and frustrating. No doubt Switchlogic will be along in a minute to tell me I’m “clueless” about that as well and the work is every driver’s favourite kind to do…
No Rob just clueless about my actual life. Each driver likes different jobs. I actually enjoyed Arla work. Used to run out of Palmers Green to Tescos round London. Back in the days when I was in a long term relationship, with a house, and bills, which was 200 miles from where I worked. 
DrewHughes:
Rob K:
DrewHughes:
Some interesting opinions, some of which il take with a pinch of salt.Williams9881:
I got my license 6 years ago when i was 17, didnt use it until july last year though got a job with gba international and drove around europe for my first 7 months. Then for 8 weeks was in and out of diff jobs ab produce and nyk logistics both them jobs were with blue arrow and there the worst agency ive ever worked. Up at arla now doin dairy work mainly store deliveries to asda. Good money but no longer enjoy all the handballing empties seriously f me off! 16 months on though at 22 years old and on a nice wage things could be worse and i could in the dole que with my mates, long hours do my head in but im on hourly anyway so when they make me work a weekend ill just drag my feetI heard Arla take on new passers! You at the Ashby depot? I live near Coavlille and see the Arla lorries about quite regular! You’ve made it sound like a decent company to work for tbh!
Arla work is always available because it’s a PITA and no-one else wants to do it. Same with food distribution companies like Brakes, 3663 etc. As a newbie it’s good work to cut your teeth on but it can be pretty hard graft and frustrating. No doubt Switchlogic will be along in a minute to tell me I’m “clueless” about that as well and the work is every driver’s favourite kind to do…
What does PITA mean? Hard graft in what way?
Hard graft = HANDBALLING.
(He’s going to come back and ask what “handballing” is)
With Arla it was, in London anyway, a lot of tail lift work and picking up hundreds of empties and having to move them about for each delivery. But if you don’t mind a bit of exercise and acquire a few straps to strap the empties to the sides it’s no that bad a job. Used to get plenty of hours too.
switchlogic:
Rob K:
Defend yourself all you like, but you seem to be forgetting that 95% of your life is documented in both written and video form on this site, your blog site and your youtube channel…Oh dear Rob I did actually have you down as being fairly intelligent if a bit cantankerous, but if you believe 95% of my life is on video then maybe your not. Do you believe everything you see on tv too?
It doesn’t take a genius to put the jigsaw pieces together from the 3 places where you post to see that you have 0 life outside of Virginia Transport. You even admitted in a post a few months back that you’d rather be working and earning money than doing other stuff (or words to the effect of) so you’re wasting your time lashing out at me for pointing out this fact in my OP. You seem to be quite embarrassed and angry by my pointing this out. Why I don’t know; if you enjoy doing that then that’s all that matters isn’t it. However, your blanket statement in this thread saying that the job is not stressful is just absurd. There are so many different factors that define that. Whilst you clearly do a type of work and work for a company that makes your life “chilled” does not mean that it’s the same for everyone. I defy you to say that you are pefectly “chilled” when faced with 100 multidrop deliveries and 50 collections in the same day, for example, and that’s without even touching on how personal circumstances can and do affect the stress level of the job.
Hi all. I’ve been driving 10 months now, got my artic license doing bulk tipper work.
I used to work with BMW, shop floor manager in a factory running an area. Basically I got fed of the idiots and decided with help from a mate (offered me a job) so I’m now driving!
So far I love it, easy work, decent pay, every now and get you get an awkward a hole, or a dodgy tip but all in all, the radio keeps me company!
So… If you fancy it then give it a go. Having the license is also very handy as before long I anticipate a shortage of drivers die to grandfather law now not in effect and older drivers not interested in driver cpc
I am here: maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.801226,-1.638904