Just watched our local Yorkshire evening news.There was a piece about a 90 year old man who still turns out in his 4 wheeler flatbed doing rope and sheet work.He looks younger than his age and he must be fit.I retired when the DCPC came in and glad to be out.There can’t be too many of us who want to carry on to that age surely?
Gidders:
Just watched our local Yorkshire evening news.There was a piece about a 90 year old man who still turns out in his 4 wheeler flatbed doing rope and sheet work.He looks younger than his age and he must be fit.I retired when the DCPC came in and glad to be out.There can’t be too many of us who want to carry on to that age surely?
Fair play to that man. Lets hope he uses ratchet straps as well . . . just to keep Vosa happy 
This guy?
m.truckerworld.uk/2022/03/90-ye … -birthday/
Born the same year as my dad.
That’s the man.He’s remarkable.
Good on him. Back in 2006 when I was picking up something or other, there was a 92 year old doing the same, but only with a ute. Taxi truck as they’re called here.
Wow, he probably used to drive Leyland Octopus wagon & drags up and down Shap. I did wonder recently if there are any drivers still driving who drove in the 50s, and there’s the answer. I love reading about people like him. The changes he must have seen…
I was in Screwfix at Stoke a couple of years back and there was a Downton driver in there who looked… adorned with much life experience… myself and another driver both wondered to each other how old he was when he got up to speak to the office so when he git back we got talking to him and turned out he was 86, and still working Monday to Friday tramping banging in 60+ hours a week 
I thought fair play to him, but then I felt sad. I mean working to that extent at that age goes a bit beyond “staying active” or “alleviating boredom” surely?
toonsy:
I was in Screwfix at Stoke a couple of years back and there was a Downton driver in there who looked… adorned with much life experience… myself and another driver both wondered to each other how old he was when he got up to speak to the office so when he git back we got talking to him and turned out he was 86, and still working Monday to Friday tramping banging in 60+ hours a weekI thought fair play to him, but then I felt sad. I mean working to that extent at that age goes a bit beyond “staying active” or “alleviating boredom” surely?
Some possibilities spring to mind none of which are positive but reflect today’s society: a widower, or no surviving family, or alienated from family for some reason, or savings gone and unable to live on state pension, or wife with Alzheimers in a care home and desperately trying to pay for her care without having to sell the family home, or simply homeless.
90 years old? Must have the reactions of a sloth
cav551:
toonsy:
I was in Screwfix at Stoke a couple of years back and there was a Downton driver in there who looked… adorned with much life experience… myself and another driver both wondered to each other how old he was when he got up to speak to the office so when he git back we got talking to him and turned out he was 86, and still working Monday to Friday tramping banging in 60+ hours a weekI thought fair play to him, but then I felt sad. I mean working to that extent at that age goes a bit beyond “staying active” or “alleviating boredom” surely?
Some possibilities spring to mind none of which are positive but reflect today’s society: a widower, or no surviving family, or alienated from family for some reason, or savings gone and unable to live on state pension, or wife with Alzheimers in a care home and desperately trying to pay for her care without having to sell the family home, or simply homeless.
Yeah I put those bits in Quotation marks because that’s what he said, that he did it so he didn’t get bored and wanted to stay active.
Which is fine. I understand that.
But to go to that extent? To not slow down at all? Based on his own reasonings? Nah not for me.
toonsy:
I thought fair play to him, but then I felt sad. I mean working to that extent at that age goes a bit beyond “staying active” or “alleviating boredom” surely?
Have you ever watched “Shawshank Redemption” where the elderly Brooks Hatlen ended up hanging himself because after a lifetime in prison, he couldn’t cope with being a free man?
Who knows?
Maybe he enjoys the job? Getting around meeting different people etc? Why not?
Better than walking down the same old pub discussing the finer points of kicking balls around a field.
Harry Monk:
toonsy:
I thought fair play to him, but then I felt sad. I mean working to that extent at that age goes a bit beyond “staying active” or “alleviating boredom” surely?Have you ever watched “Shawshank Redemption” where the elderly Brooks Hatlen ended up hanging himself because after a lifetime in prison, he couldn’t cope with being a free man?
Yeah I agree. I even hammered my dad to not just stop when his time came to retire just to “keep active” and avoiding sitting waiting to die.
But I did also suggest a day or two a week, not 60+ hours, away all week. Each to their own but not for me.
I’m 63 now and although I’m already semi-retired in that I only work six months a year, I will probably carry on doing the current thing when I reach 66, provided I can still pass the HGV medical. I actually enjoy going to work, mostly I suppose because I do a regular run around a dozen or so places so I know everybody at the places I deliver and collect from and am quite friendly with most of them. And they’re a nice bunch of lads in our yard too.
I also don’t do a great deal of work, so far in three days this week I’ve done less than seven hours driving, the rest of the time is just spent sitting around surfing the internet or reading a book which is pretty much what I would be doing anyway if I retired so I might as well tick away like a taximeter being paid 25p a minute for doing it.
Plus also I’m keeping warm using the gaffer’s diesel rather than my coal.
I couldn’t imagine just stopping work after 50+ years working full time. I’m only 43, but I’m planning to never completely stop, and hope to work in some capacity for 1-2 days per week for as long as I can - HGV driving or not. I think there’s meaning in being productive, it gives a person purpose, it’s more psychological than anything. Perhaps this driver feels purposeful carrying on. I’m on his side and think it’s great he’s still going. He’s choosing it. I’ve known one or two people who have died a year or so after retiring.
stu675:
This guy?
m.truckerworld.uk/2022/03/90-ye … -birthday/
Born the same year as my dad.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s … e-63296814
free version.
drover:
90 years old? Must have the reactions of a sloth
Unlike most truck drivers who are known for their nimble reflexes. 
A good truck driver is great at forward planning at predicting what might happen. Which I imagine helps quite a bit
Our oldest driver in the yard is 76. He looks young for his age. He retired went away for 2 months and came back. The missus was doing his head in she is the Nora Batty type. I am 48 and the youngest in our yard.