One year in review

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Not mine, but yours.

If you have about one year in the job would be interesting to know the following:

What industry you left to become a trucker and why,
What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency,
Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why,
What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons,
Whether you are considering changing industry again,
What you think needs changing in the industry,
Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker,

And anything else you can think of!

2

I’ll turn your question round a bit if I may.
I’m nearly one year OUT of driving after 33 yrs. I’m now working a 40hour week in a completely different industry. Do I miss the 03:30 alarm clock, the 15hr days and all the other bull crap that goes with the job nowadays?
Do I hell
Will I return to driving again?
No plans to at the moment. I’m quite enjoying being a normal human being again lol

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3

I passed my C+E test almost a year ago to the day so here goes…

What industry you left to become a trucker and why - Not left it yet - I’m currently in sales/print so drive every other Sunday that I’m available/required. I always wanted to drive a lorry as a kid, after going out with my father on Saturday mornings mainly doing bakery deliveries. I bit the bullet and went for it a couple of years ago, firstly driving vans for a brewery on Sundays to save up for Class C. I ended up working there for a couple of years and saved enough to do Class C+E too.

What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency - Class 1 with an agency (supermarket work)

Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why - Pretty much as expected - the acceptance by some that 13-15 hour shifts are normal is still a bit crazy to me, but if I didn’t have a young family I’d probably be tempted myself.

What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons - Supermarket work is all I have done so far and whilst lots say it is boring, I think it has been a great start for me to learn. There has been very little time pressure. I’ve not found it boring at all, but as I say it has all been a learning curve and I’m still learning new bits and pieces on every shift.

Whether you are considering changing industry again - No

What you think needs changing in the industry - Same for any industry I suppose - shorter hours and more money :smiley:

Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker - Yes, as long as it was something they wanted to do. I think it takes a certain type of person.

4

GOG47:
I’ll turn your question round a bit if I may.
I’m nearly one year OUT of driving after 33 yrs. I’m now working a 40hour week in a completely different industry. Do I miss the 03:30 alarm clock, the 15hr days and all the other bull crap that goes with the job nowadays?
Do I hell
Will I return to driving again?
No plans to at the moment. I’m quite enjoying being a normal human being again lol

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What was the straw that broke the camel’s back when you were driving and what industry are you in now?

5

Passed Class 1 in Jan 2022.

What industry you left to become a trucker and why
Left the Bus industry in Oct 2021, was a controller/supervisor for 5 years. High stress, low wages. Most of the “senior” management where a bunch of idiots who had no managerial skills but guess its cheaper to promote bus drivers to managers than recruit appropriately skilled people from outside the company. Covid was used as an excuse to rip up the terms and conditions of employment and Unite just sat by and let the drivers get screwed.

What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency
Permanently employed Class 1, managed to avoid agencies. Two different employers, been with my current one 9 Months.

Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why
The biggest surprise is the amount of sitting around on bays waiting to be loaded/unloaded. I spend more time watching Netflix/Youtube than driving. Hauliers are getting screwed over because RDC’s / Warehouses refuse to employ enough staff or pay their existing staff a decent wage (pay peanuts, get monkeys). Another surprise was the amount of non-English drivers/warehouse staff, It’s quite rare I see another English speaking driver. I don’t mean to sound racist, I guess it’s a result of our beautiful benefits system encouraging people not to work.

What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons
So far, I’ve only done refrigerated trailer work. Mostly Food stuffs and Pharmaceuticals, although back loads can be pretty much anything. Spent my first 3 months night trunking, basically no life, sleeping all day and up all night over the weekends. Not ideal but needed the experience to find something better.

The next 3 months Mon-Fri out and back day job. Long days and seemed to be always rushing around to make it home before I ran out of hours. Constantly tired, very little sleep. Got greedy and asked the boss if I could try tramping and am currently doing Mon-Fri tramping. Tramping is a lot easier in my opinion, it really doesn’t bother me if I’m stuck in traffic or sat on a loading bay for 6 hours (Except Fridays). Surprisingly even the wife is happier now I’m tramping we get quality time together every weekend.

Whether you are considering changing industry again
In a few years I’m hoping to go part time once the mortgage is paid off. Hopefully I can find somewhere to drive a truck 3 days a week, if not I guess I’d consider a school run on the buses twice a day.

What you think needs changing in the industry
Simplify the ■■■■ driving hours and get rid of this EU ■■■■■■■■. Maximum driving per day, minimum rest per day. Why make it so complicated? Also £30 to park overnight at motorway services / truck stops, basically another tax on drivers / hauliers.

Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker
Only if you enjoy driving / watching Netflix. Decent money for one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever done.

Something I’ve notice over the years, is that those who moan the most are typically those who have been in the same job for a very long time. I guess when you’ve been doing something long enough you lose touch with reality and forget what it’s like working in other industries / jobs. Life is too short to be doing something that makes you miserable if you hate something that much it’s time to move on. It’s quite sad how many people I meet who seems to hate their jobs, so many grumpy miserable ■■■■■■■ in our industry.

6

Marky-p:

GOG47:
I’ll turn your question round a bit if I may.
I’m nearly one year OUT of driving after 33 yrs. I’m now working a 40hour week in a completely different industry. Do I miss the 03:30 alarm clock, the 15hr days and all the other bull crap that goes with the job nowadays?
Do I hell
Will I return to driving again?
No plans to at the moment. I’m quite enjoying being a normal human being again lol

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What was the straw that broke the camel’s back when you were driving and what industry are you in now?

I had a medical issue and had to inform DVLA so couldn’t drive until they made a decision
In the mean time I got a temp job in agricultural fencing/drystone walling/tree planting and enjoyed the physical work and more normal hours. By the time DVLA allowed me to drive again I’d admitted to myself that HGV driving is crap for your health and social life (we all know this but try and ignore it) so decided not to go back
Obviously money wise I don’t bank as much every week but my hourly rate is actually better than driving but I’m no longer doing a week and a halfs work crammed into 5 days

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7

18 months ago I retired after the best part of 50 years driving- a transit at 17, then a 7.5 and then got my class 1 at 21. Always enjoyed the job, did various things over the years,never really worked for anybody or did anything I didn’t like (except when I worked for myself :wink: ).
After all that time-mainly tramping so very used to my own company I thought I would struggle to settle at home BUT would I go back? Only for financial reasons-I’d go and do a week or so if it meant I didn’t have to dig into our savings but not looking necessary(thank God!)

8

What industry you left to become a trucker and why,

I was in the food manufacturing sector as a production manager. It used to be a good easy job but since Brexit it has been getting worse and worse. Problem is these places have completely alienated themselves by focusing on cheap foreign labour that now no one wants to work for the peanuts money they offer. You used to have a queue of good skilled workers but towards the end of my tenure you were shutting lines down because you couldn’t get the staff. Not only that but they were trying to penny pinch expecting me to be training, HR, H&S all while still getting the same wage. I knew I had to get out as been doing it 15 years and the contrast with the beginning and now is vast. The place I worked at went through redundancy in late 2020 after losing a contract they had for some 20 years. I went to a couple of places after but they were in a even bigger mess so thought what I could do relatively quickly and decided on trucking as I enjoy driving and have driven over the continent plenty of times.

What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency,
Currently a Class 1 driver full time with one of the big firms. Lots of variation. Pay is good for me for the flexibility they offer in shifts.

Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why,
In my old job I used to work around logistics with outloads and had respect for drivers in general. Most of trucking is what I expected but what surprised me the most is the lack of respect drivers get. I always wear a uniform and try to be presentable but sometimes you get treated like a second rate citizen even though you are most likely on double their wages. Saying that when you see the state of some drivers it is of no surprise.

What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons,
4am starts Multidrop all over the country. I love the variety of the work I am given. I might have a two week period going to London and then the next I could be going to the Northwest and Wales. A few local collections now and again. The only con for me is I am a unit jumper. I would love to have my own unit to keep clean and take pride in. I always feel a tad embarrassed turning up in a filthy DAF CF with dents and scrapes all over it. I actually prefer the multidrop with 5+ deliveries than a simple trunk run down to London with a return collection.

Whether you are considering changing industry again,
I have applied to be a trainee train driver and will pursue this. Simply because of the money available. I think I would like trucking better than train driving as it would become very monotonous.

What you think needs changing in the industry,
Accountability at RDC’s. I worked in a very fast paced business in food production where plans needed to be met on time so it can be done with the correct organization. A lot of places take advantage of this at the detriment to haulage firms having to wait around as they do not have enough staff to do the job required or the staff are just bone idle, lazy and not managed. The whole system is also very archaic. In the 21st century we have to wait around for pieces of paperwork. Everything should be done electronically now. I can have days where I do 12-15 hours but when I check my WTD it is something silly like 7-8 hours. If this could be sorted it would attract more people to the business as they would earn similar money to what they are on now but at a massively reduced number of hours. Fining companies would be a start. I can go to one place with a split load and be there for 4-5 hours which should take 45-60 minutes tops. That turns a 8-10 hours day into a reduced rest. My company pay a daily rate with OT after a set period so they are prepared to pay the money to the drivers but if the RDC’s were sorted your hours would put you in the £20/h bracket quite easily as you would be done in 8-10 hours a day easily.

Also the standard of learning needs to change. I do not think the current system is enough. Luckily the company I work for gave me two weeks with another driver to show me the ropes but it is not until now 1 year later that I truly feel like I am a professional driver. I think that’s why there is a lot of negativity towards the industry from motorists as some are just not capable of doing the job but get it because of how easy it is to get a licence. The difference with train driving is stark in what in reality is a much easier job than truck driving.

Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker,
At this very moment in time you have to be a certain type of person. I am very happy in my own company, I have incredibly thick skin and enjoy driving immensely. If you have these qualities then it is a job for you. I do wish I had done it sooner too be honest because even with the rubbish I am thoroughly enjoying it.

9

This time last year I had just passed my theory and hazard perception and was waiting for my Class 2 training to start. Good thread. It’s always nice to read about what others are doing.

What industry you left to become a trucker and why
Hospitality. I ran my own cafe/businesses with my other half for over 20 years. I just had to get out before I had a breakdown. People say do what you love, so having hated what I did for many years, I applied that principle when thinking about what to do instead. As I couldn’t see a way to make money out of watching box sets, knitting or eating crisps, I alighted on driving. It was a knee-jerk reaction in desperation but it’s worked out pretty well.

What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency
I have both on my license but I currently drive Class 2 for an agency. I’m happy to drive anything if the money is right and I like the sound of the job. I intend to stay on agency long term as I like the flexibility it gives me and the variety of work. I’m with one agency and I’m pretty happy with them so far.

Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why not
I didn’t really have any expectations. At the beginning I was very focused on the driving in an idealistic way – it represented an escape for me. When I actually started to think about the reality, TNUK was a really good resource in learning about the industry and helping me get my game plan together.

What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons
I’m a bit limited by my location and my agency is based a little way from me so they didn’t have any/many clients near where I live when I came on board. The work I have enjoyed the most has been own account. I did a lot of 7.5t and van work to begin with, mainly delivering plumbing products/bathrooms for builders/plumbers merchants. Pros: own account, working hours, variety of locations, good bunch of people, happy in their jobs. I found I really like working on the periphery of the construction industry. Although I had imagined myself trunking, I actually really enjoy local driving. I live in a beautiful area and its nice to get to explore it every day. Cons: less driving and more other work than I would like long term.

I’ve done 3 days of tipping. Pros: it’s all driving and no handball. Cons: a bit too fast paced sometimes.

I did a job recently which I didn’t think I would enjoy that much but I absolutely loved – delivering boxed meat to butchers in Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Pros: own account, outbased, just the right combination of driving and other work, town and country, scenery, variety of delivery locations etc. freebies (pies and sausages), driving a Volvo. Cons: 50 minute commute for a 4am start, getting used to going to bed with the kids. The handball was much easier than say cages. Although the boxes are heavy, they are all a similar size so pretty easy to handle.

I’ve just got my HIAB ticket so I’m back in construction working for one of the firms I delivered the plumbing stuff for providing their holiday cover. Pros and cons same as first paragraph. Although it’s less driving than I’d like, I do like operating the crane. Where I live, I think driving crane lorries is a bit like driving dust carts – it gets you used to manoeuvring and reversing in tight spots.

Whether you are considering changing industry again
No

What you think needs changing in the industry
The road surfaces need attending to.

Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker
No, they wouldn’t be good enough and I want to keep it all to myself. :smiley:

And anything else you can think of!
Everyone I have met through work has been either nice and helpful or very nice and helpful. Like any industry there are those working in it who shouldn’t be or aren’t suited to it and those that are. The transport office can make or break a job, just those 5 minutes at the beginning and end of each day. It’s also such a vast industry with so much variety.

10

GOG47:
I’ll turn your question round a bit if I may.
I’m nearly one year OUT of driving after 33 yrs. I’m now working a 40hour week in a completely different industry. Do I miss the 03:30 alarm clock, the 15hr days and all the other bull crap that goes with the job nowadays?
Do I hell
Will I return to driving again?
No plans to at the moment. I’m quite enjoying being a normal human being again lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And there is a big problem… this industry attracts a lot of people, like myself, who don’t like to be around other people to much. For me, working on my own, doing what I like, is priceless. Doing it for 15 hours, getting paid, is no hardship. It’s better than working in a factory, on 12 hour shifts, or surrounded by colleagues all day, even for 8 hours.

Transport doesn’t work on the “normal” office hours of 9 to 5, 8 hour days, principle.

Thank god.

If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch…

11

I left being a HGV mechanic after 13 years to start driving full time. Had meant to do it earlier but didn’t. Decided a few years ago to give it a crack full time and never went back to spanners.

Drive Class 1 & full time with employer. Did about 6 month on agency when first started.

Pretty much what I expected it to be. No real shocks or surprises other than what some other drivers put up with that I wouldn’t.

I do night work, 4 nights. A decent mix of trunking, general haulage, containers, fridges, tanks, occasionally supermarket store deliveries and unfortunately fedex crap. I’m trying to get onto tanks full time at the moment.

Not considering another change in industry. Suits me at the moment.

As for things that need to change I can only speak from a personal point of view. I don’t really have that many complaints doing night shift work, worst I have to deal with are road closures and waiting times at some rdc’s, not really a big deal. I’d imagine trampers and day lads have a list as long as their arm!
Obviously wages are never enough.

I wouldn’t say I’d recommend becoming a driver but at the same time I wouldn’t talk anyone out of it. Can only try something and see if it’s for you.

Edit. Anything else you can think of…
Met some real genuine nice people in the industry since I started. Drivers who are willing to help you out with advice and just respectful in general. Been worth it for that. Just ignore the retards out there, stick up for yourself and be kind was the advice I was given by my dad lol. Worked so far :slight_smile:

12

I have been driving class 1 just over a year so I’m going to have a say as I had a break and came back to the industry.

What industry you left to become a trucker and why

I was making fence panels for 9 years for my current employer. Before that I drove a 26 tonne rigid for them after passing my class 2 test in 2005.

What you currently drive (class 1 or 2) and whether you are with an employer or agency.

I currently drive class 1 and work full time Mon-Fri day shifts for my employer.

Whether or not trucking is what you expected it to be, if not why

I actually missed being out on the road having been cooped up inside a metal shed for 9 years but when I returned to it I have to say things had changed since I left. The standard of peoples driving around the M25/M40/A1M is shocking compared to what I remembered. Stupidly slow speeds, only using the outside 2 lanes when doing slow speeds forcing undertakes from impatient drivers. The list is endless it seems. There seems to be a never ending 40 sign between the M4 and the A41 when there is no need for it and there is always a pedestrian or incident that you never seem to pass as justification for it. It can take me 2hrs - 2.5hrs to get from Hatfield, Herts round to Gilford some days.

What type of work you do i.e trunking, multi-drop etc and the pros & cons

Usually I do 2 drops in a day but occasionally I will have a split load on which ups it to 3 or 4. I cover from Norwich, Kings Lynn, down to Dover or Folkstone including inner London.

Whether you are considering changing industry again

I love driving most of the time and I like the fact that nobody gets on my back if something happens to prevent a delivery being made. The firm I work for are great and will pretty much not interfere in anything route wise. I won’t change again unless something prevents me from doing the job.

What you think needs changing in the industry

Wages. We don’t get paid enough for what we do in my opinion. I don’t do bad at all but I know other drivers that could earn similar money stacking shelves. We are professionals and as such we should be rewarded for our professionalism.
The wages haven’t risen much since I first passed my class 2 years ago and yet the cost of living…In addition you run the risk of having accidents/incidents where you will be blamed. It doesn’t matter how great you are it can still happen and your going to jail. Common sense doesn’t always prevail and it seems that the cards are getting stacked more and more against the lorry driver. You only have to look at the new hierachy of the road to see how problematic that becomes in real life terms. Have a drive around central London for a bit, it soon becomes apparent when cyclists are undertaking/overtaking at the same time while your trying to manouvre.

Whether you would recommend anyone to become a trucker

I always let people know how much I love my job and the company I work for so that’s a definate yes. I also explain that it takes a certain type of character to do a certain type of driving job and people have to find the area that they love. If you find that then it isn’t working.I get to take my youngest son out with me in the school holidays so I hope that one day he will drive lorries, but he wants to be a quantity surveyor. My advice was pass your lorry license as a back up. He loves it on the road with me, so I live in hope!

13

the nodding donkey:

GOG47:
I’ll turn your question round a bit if I may.
I’m nearly one year OUT of driving after 33 yrs. I’m now working a 40hour week in a completely different industry. Do I miss the 03:30 alarm clock, the 15hr days and all the other bull crap that goes with the job nowadays?
Do I hell
Will I return to driving again?
No plans to at the moment. I’m quite enjoying being a normal human being again lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And there is a big problem… this industry attracts a lot of people, like myself, who don’t like to be around other people to much. For me, working on my own, doing what I like, is priceless. Doing it for 15 hours, getting paid, is no hardship. It’s better than working in a factory, on 12 hour shifts, or surrounded by colleagues all day, even for 8 hours.

Transport doesn’t work on the “normal” office hours of 9 to 5, 8 hour days, principle.

Thank god.

If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch…

After 34yrs of driving all over U.K./Europe I hadn’t realised that transport wasn’t a 9 to 5 job
Thanks for educating me “big dog”
Meanwhile I’ll just sit here quietly on the porch (insert rolling eyes emoji here)

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