stringy:
Health and safety wise you should also take into account the maximum design weight for the drivers seat, our fleet department checked with Merc, Scania & MAN and the standard issue design weights were between 17.5 & 23 stone, if you employ a driver who is overweight for the seat you must take every effort (& cost) to ensure it’s suitable, that’s another reason to consider before taking on the BIG drivers
Well said…
Roymondo:
dieseldave:
When I was in Holland, Dutch food came on Dutch plates and I have a very good impression of that.
For similar reasons, I was always a bit nervous when my pen-friend sent correpondence from Paris. Never knew what the postman would make of it…
Hmm, let’s see… a letter from France would be… a French letter… 
Oh, you finally sussed it Dave 
(now where’s that icon for ROTFL?)
Thing is, they haven’t been called that for 20 odd years have they? The young’uns will be scratching their heads now 
Ive always tried to look smart…again something to do with the army…Ive worked for agencies and was always the first to be called as I made an effort in my appearance…looks good for the customer…If making a bit of an effort to look good gives you the edge over someone that looks like a tramp then its obviously worth doing. ( driving in bulled Household Cav boots was a bit of a bind though…spurs kept getting caught…)
I must also agree that there are no tracky bottoms that look smart!!!
Any job Ive gone for Ive always done the best suit and tie bit. It shows you have made an effort and shows some respect to those that are interviewing you.
Clinically obese drivers do have health problems but then some drivers that look ‘normal’ may be raving sociopaths… 
MacDoog like you I’m ex Houshold Division (Welsh Guards) and the training has stayed with me for almost 40 years but we have drivers who are ex forces who’ve really let themselves go since leaving and definitely have a personal hygiene problem
Im am ‘obese’ driver, who until recently had no choice but to wear tracksuit trousers, due to not many places selling big mens clothing. And when they did it was always older mens clothing like cardigans and pullovers etc.
I have had no problems doing any kind of work that ive been given, ranging from heavy handball , to just nice easy trunking jobs. I always try to make myself presentable, Clean clothes each day, plenty of deodorant / anti-perspirant - as its known us bigger people do sweat a bit more than our smaller counterparts. I have my own seat-belt extender, as some seatbelts arent long enough.
I find I only have a problem with older trucks that dont have an adjustable steering wheel, but even this isnt a problem, as my belly only just touches the wheel in older trucks (if it wasnt a problem for VOSA / DSA when i was doing my training / test , there shouldnt be a problem in the real world)
I dont eat a lot of food, and have been losing weight again since recovering from broken ribs in june last year (broken from fall from loadbed of truck, finished my shift and was back at work 4 days later… cant call me a lazy git 
) after i broke them i did put weight on due to not being able to move easily.
Just my 2 cents as no other big drivers seem to have replied so far
Governor!:
There is no such thing as smart tracky bottoms
Unless your a scouser going out for sunday lunch
Thats a bit harsh isnt it 
I wear black work pants black Tshirt and black sweatshirt and black boots.The grease off fifth wheel and susies doesnt show up when you get it on you. I also shave and i have a skinhead ,so im always smartly dressed. 
I bourght all of my workwear myself,we dont get any issued.
stringy:
MacDoog like you I’m ex Houshold Division (Welsh Guards) and the training has stayed with me for almost 40 years but we have drivers who are ex forces who’ve really let themselves go since leaving and definitely have a personal hygiene problem
Probably nasty horrible REME or other various grease monkeys mate!!! I think Im ill when Im still shining me boots and starching creases in…HELP!!!
I am a fat ■■■■■■■ and have been for years. I have been driving for most of them. 
Mac Doog have you ever had a proper job between the army, agency and VOSA?
Wheel Nut:
I am a fat [zb] and have been for years. I have been driving for most of them.Mac Doog have you ever had a proper job between the army, agency and VOSA?
Ive posted somewhere on here my credentials…but yes Ive had loads…I even used my hands once…
With regards to the issue of clothing i think sometimes it can be an issue of budget with some drivers and bad taste with others, of course you have the couldn’t care less type aswell but the thing that gets me more than scruffy looking drivers are the ones who stink to high heaven,there is no excuse for poor personal hygiene.
MacDoog:
stringy:
MacDoog like you I’m ex Houshold Division (Welsh Guards) and the training has stayed with me for almost 40 years but we have drivers who are ex forces who’ve really let themselves go since leaving and definitely have a personal hygiene problemProbably nasty horrible REME or other various grease monkeys mate!!! I think Im ill when Im still shining me boots and starching creases in…HELP!!!
not all us ex army grease monkey types are dirty smelly things Royal Engineers at least we have some decency
At work we get a nice set of green polo shirts,trousers, fleece jackets and hi viz’s which have to be kept clean to get part of the bonus and a set of overalls for doing dirty jobs in and my work boots are still polished regular
I might be carrying a few extra kilo’s at present but am dieting like mad, I put a shed load of weight on since I stopped smoking a few years back
I’ve actually lost weight since I started driving a truck but thats because I’m on class 2 distribution, no handball though thank God. We’re issued uniform but I supply some of my own stuff, I don’t like the company drivers jacket because it has to be worn with a high viz vest so I use my own standard hi-viz rain jackets, and I’ve replaced the company body warmer with a high-viz padded type thing. And I didn’t like the trousers so I wear plain navy blue combats, much more suitable more pockets for stuff.
Why are so many of you apparently obsessed with the way people look and dress?, as long as the man/women is friendly and decent I could not care how they look, I may do a bit of a wind up now and again but I really dont care about appearance as long as they are not filthy or unhygienic.
Fat people are being made whipping boy’s for everything, not all overweight is down to eating cream cakes you know, and there is a constant Government led propaganda about how much they cost the NHS and in some cases they are refused treatment as it’s self inflicted and they should lose weight, but if you take that to its logical conclusion, smoker’s/alcoholics/drug users should all be refused treatment, so logically should sportsmen, after all no one forces them to break their legs playing football/be paralysed playing rugby (I know two)/fall off mountains, how much do “fit” people cost the NHS each year in injuries I bet we would be surprised.
Leave people to go to Hell in there own way, it’s a short, and for some poor buggers, miserable life.
If it came to shagging Posh Becks or Nigella Lawson I know who I want.
Simon71:
Santa:
I sacked a driver once for being too fat:He wasn’t just a bit overweight though - the steering wheel disappeared into his gut when he was driving and we considered it a danger that he wasn’t in proper control. This was for the Health Authority and we did everything by the book.
First he was given advice by a nutritionist and given six months to demonstrate that he was losing weight. Then he was suspended on full pay for a month to have a final effort. Then he was dismissed.
My lot had to get rid of driver for being overweight. Turned out that he weighed 28 stone, on contacting the truck manufacturer (no names!) they stated that the seats could cope with a 22 stone max weight. The driver concerned did little if anything to lose weight so we had to get rid for reasons of health & safety. And now he (is trying to) take us to a employment tribunal
If we had retained him as a driver and the seat had collapsed due to him being overweight I wonder if he would have put a claim in…■■ Sometimes you just can’t win whatever you do.
Best hand my keys in then i weigh 23 stone 
Blunder Man:
Why are so many of you apparently obsessed with the way people look and dress?, as long as the man/women is friendly and decent I could not care how they look, I may do a bit of a wind up now and again but I really dont care about appearance as long as they are not filthy or unhygienic.Fat people are being made whipping boy’s for everything, not all overweight is down to eating cream cakes you know, and there is a constant Government led propaganda about how much they cost the NHS and in some cases they are refused treatment as it’s self inflicted and they should lose weight, but if you take that to its logical conclusion, smoker’s/alcoholics/drug users should all be refused treatment, so logically should sportsmen, after all no one forces them to break their legs playing football/be paralysed playing rugby (I know two)/fall off mountains, how much do “fit” people cost the NHS each year in injuries I bet we would be surprised.
Leave people to go to Hell in there own way, it’s a short, and for some poor buggers, miserable life.
If it came to shagging Posh Becks or Nigella Lawson I know who I want.
If Nigella was unavailable I would settle for Kirsty Allsop.
In my job we have to wear uniform,the company provide shirts, overalls, fleeces coats, ppe, and pay for trousers shoes,boots ect.
some however try to wear non complient kit, Why?? but as we spend most of our time in hospitals, and the public eye I feel it is a reasonable condition of my employment to have polished shoes, and well groomed appearance. at all times.
I will though carry on drinking and eating as much as I like, because not overwieght myself, a few collegues that carry a pound or two can not only do the job as well as me, but look as proffesional as I do.
However if driving a tipper/dustcart, would wear something that should have been thrown ages ago.
Everyone gets more than enough exercise on TruckNet UK. Jumping to conclusions, flying off the handle, pushing their luck, running down the boss & workmates, knifing friends in the back and dodging the issue.
Wheel Nut:
Everyone gets more than enough exercise on TruckNet UK. Jumping to conclusions, flying off the handle, pushing their luck, running down the boss & workmates, knifing friends in the back and dodging the issue.
QUALITY