PaulNowak:
I had never sat in an artic in my life, one Monday morning, by the same Friday I was licensed to drive one.
Didn’t sit in one again for nearly 3 years, did a 15 minute assessment and interview with a biggish local company, and a week later I set off tramping in one.
There are jobs out there buddy. Don’t tie yourself to someone for 3 years when at the end of the day, you’ll still be ending up paying for it.
I drove 7.5s for 2 years, then a year on class 2, got fed up of getting the “dirty” end of the stick after a while, so put my backside into gear and went class 1 tramping, best career decision I have ever made, bar none, and I’ve been a suit-wearing manager (18 years) and then ran a smaller hands on company for 6, but what I do now is the only job I’ve ever truly loved, and actually enjoy getting up to start my working week.
That’s good to hear Paul!
I suspect the fact that you knew a different life before trucking, gives you a better perspective of the pro’s and con’s of trucking. I’m sure you don’t love every minute of it, but you probably only have to think back to what you were doing before, to put a smile to your face. (Which quickly turns to disgust when you see a class 2 driver has replied to your post! )
As for the OP, I’d be very wary of tying myself to a company for 3 years…
It may be sweetness and smiles now, but you could end up looking like the black gang boss in Pulp Fiction!
Beez, my old mucker, I continually find things to moan about, but I was born moaning, I moan if my washer bottle isn’t full, or mr A. Gencykunt has been adjusting my seat and not left the armrests level, or pointing the blowers at the screen, instead of my feet. That’s just me!
My biggest moan about class 2 drivers is them hiding at the back of parking spaces. I can understand they would rather avoid a reefer unit next to their head, but I parked on Washington services last night and there were artics (myself included) overhanging bays all over the place, because of rigids and 7.5s sat in bays twice as big as they needed.
Oh, and they never wait to be flashed in!!!
I’ve got a pretty high unit, and I’m on the tall side, but I still want a safe gap, and to be able to see what’s happening ahead of me.
I drove class 2, as well as 7.5s for a long time, even though I had a class 1 licence. Was nerves that stopped me applying for class 1 work, cacked myself at the thought of reversing one. A local agency was offering me work all over the place. But what if I’d been hopeless? I’d have given up regular money and been on my backside. It was by chance that I pm’d a guy in here that worked where I work now, (he might still do, but I’m yet to meet him) and he calmed my fears a bit about applying, as he was also a newbie, and the fact that the company would rather support me (which would lead to loyalty from me) than leave me high and dry with a unit/trailer/load/reputation in jeopardy
Driving an artic forwards is WAAAAAAY easier than a rigid. I used to drive 18s and 26s around Central London, and provided there was somewhere to park, I’d be far happier to do it in an artic.
eagerbeaver:
A rigid has a similar turning circle to a Maersk container ship. You can spin an artic round quite easily.
Also all Artic’s come with a Quantum wave generator that bends space and time, meaning you can get through gaps that otherwise would be impossible. However, sometimes these Quantum wave generators fail, and hence why you see bridge strikes… You also need to be aware of cyclists, as the wave generator scrambles their brain and causes them to involuntarily become lemmings. If you look closely, those cyclists in the know wear tinfoil under their helmets to combat this!
Hope that helps!
P.S. This post was brought to you by the ministry of misinformation!
PaulNowak:
Beez, my old mucker, I continually find things to moan about, but I was born moaning, I moan if my washer bottle isn’t full, or mr A. Gencykunt has been adjusting my seat and not left the armrests level, or pointing the blowers at the screen, instead of my feet. That’s just me!
My biggest moan about class 2 drivers is them hiding at the back of parking spaces. I can understand they would rather avoid a reefer unit next to their head, but I parked on Washington services last night and there were artics (myself included) overhanging bays all over the place, because of rigids and 7.5s sat in bays twice as big as they needed.
Oh, and they never wait to be flashed in!!!
I’ve got a pretty high unit, and I’m on the tall side, but I still want a safe gap, and to be able to see what’s happening ahead of me.
I drove class 2, as well as 7.5s for a long time, even though I had a class 1 licence. Was nerves that stopped me applying for class 1 work, cacked myself at the thought of reversing one. A local agency was offering me work all over the place. But what if I’d been hopeless? I’d have given up regular money and been on my backside. It was by chance that I pm’d a guy in here that worked where I work now, (he might still do, but I’m yet to meet him) and he calmed my fears a bit about applying, as he was also a newbie, and the fact that the company would rather support me (which would lead to loyalty from me) than leave me high and dry with a unit/trailer/load/reputation in jeopardy
Sounds like you have a mild case of “Lookius Downious”, as I am also now a sufferer since passing my Class C…
I was driving around yesterday minding my own business, and I could help but feel a bitter disdain and loathing every time I saw a C1 driver. I became overwhelmed with a feeling of hate and animosity to the way they were driving, and (to be honest) the fact they were breathing and consuming the same oxygen as myself. However, aside from that condition, I did find myself thinking “Really? You think that’s an appropriate way to drive a brick on wheels?”, and realized I also have a touch of shaken head syndrome…
I think I’ve recognized my conditions early enough, and know I need further treatment, probably in the form of a C+E test. So with a bit of luck, my symptoms of “Lookius Downious” should pass. And if not, I can always become an agency driver!
Yes go for it buddy and get your class 1 and get out there. It will be like getting freed from a Zimbabwe jail after been a postman. You will never look back and by the way there are loads of training companies saying you can earn £35000k as a Class 1 driver so really good money in it too. Postman is a dead end job going nowhere but lorry driving is a real skill and as far as comfort goes we have air suspension seats as eagerbleeder will confirm so the journey does not take it out on your bottom. Most lorries are automatic and some of them can make hot drinks and even exotic meals like beef and tomato pot noodle Yep definitely go for it and oh by the way the two years experience is not so enforced as it was and non existent leading up to xmas
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