I am a driver no more, I did my last shift on Thursday.
Passed my test in 1986 and went full time Class1 in March 1987 stayed with the same firm until redundancy in 2000.
Agency from 2000 until last Thursday.
Varied work from 2000 - 2002, 6 months van driving which I loved but a long way from home so not a long term prospect, after that odd shifts of a day or two or a week or two at TNT, Royal Mail, Carlsberg, Brakes along with one or two odd shifts here and there.
2002 passed ADR and spent the last 16 years at Calor on the agency.
Great people to work for and decent wages but the introduction of inward facing cameras and the further prospect of every minute of the day or night having to be accounted for has finished it for me, i’m retiring around 3 years early and am really looking forward to having a life.
I am near retiring age, I think that I will jack it in as well. The job isn’t what it was,in a bad way. Too much regulation and traffic to deal with now.
Hope you enjoy your retirement Dave, I am sure you will. Personally I could not do a ‘normal’ lorry driving job these days and I class my self as semi retired from driving anyway.
Good luck.
Congratulations,Dave.I retired 3 years ago and I hope you enjoy your life as much as I do mine.I finished after doing 10 years ish on nights.On my last shift I clocked on at 1800hrs on DCPC day.The powers that be couldn’t decide whether Sept.9th(?)was tha last day I could drive or the first day I couldn’t.I was sent home with 8 hrs.pay.Result.It was the DCPC requirement that did it for me,although I could tolerate the actions of the general public on the roads it was the behaviour of an increasing number of our so-called professionals that put the tin lid on it for me.
Don’t blame you lads finishing.
I’m lucky in that i have a proper steady job on own account which i still enjoy and work to my own pace, but if i had to put up with all the ■■■■■■■■ (from traffic cos under pressure, to RDC’s run by lucifer, to petty pointless bloody managers) like so many of the lads here have to put up with i’d be joining you.
Good luck for long and happy retirements.
Looking on with envious eyes. At 41 years old, I doubt very much I’ll get to retire.
Enjoy your retirement Dave.
Thanks for the good wishes.
I suppose I have become one of those who said it was better in my day 
I don’t envy the youngsters although that’s only looking at it from my point of view, they are looking from the other direction.
Someone else posted on another discussion the other day to say something along the lines of being comfortable with their own company and enjoying being given a job to do and being allowed to go and do it without interference. That’s how it used to be in both my original long term job, White Arrow Express, remember them?
We knew what we had to do and when, the rest was left up to us provided we didn’t take the mick, full english breakfasts on the trip home with lots of banter between us and Royal Mail and Windmill Bakery over the CB on the way out.
Calor was similar, as long as you got the gas no-one really bothered what you were up to. With the introduction of Digi Tachos and the data being put onto spreadsheets and then examined minutely, inward facing camera’s?? Hmmm happy with outward facing, in fact I suggested that they do that a few years ago.
It came to feel that there was a lack of trust from those high up and I became no more than a small cog in the big machine, no more important or thought of than a wheel on the truck.
The good thing is that I am able to retire and lead a comfortable life and have time to lose over 30 years of truck drivers belly, well one that maybe had too many Full English Brekfasts.
Good luck to those who remain, you have my full respect and always will for a job that in lots of ways has and will only get harder, I’ve had a ball 
Best of luck in retirement. I’m counting down the months until I can finish. Just a bit exited by the prospect. Hope you are too!
Good luck Dave, I’m with you on the inward facing camera thing and I too think the job was better 30 years ago, not just my perspective of it, I’m semi-retired and looking forward to fully retiring though I still have 7-8 years to go before that happens.
Good luck to all you lad’s who are retiring!
Cavey and I will sort your winter fuel payments whilst you are watching Bargain Hunt 
Thing is mate many don’t want good experienced drivers who use brain and initiative, they prefer ‘yes men’ who need to be spoon fed, with an earpiece in saying ‘‘Breathe in breathe out’’
These guys fit in with their way of working.
My lot are heading that way but up to press I’ve managed to deflect it.
We have the cameras that face in but only go off after an impact of sorts (so we are told) mine is tactically covered.
The non jobs like ‘‘Compliance managers’’ 
have emerged recently. but I haven’t been troubled, I just keep my head down and do my job.
If things ever start to get Stobbie/DHL style at my depot, I’ll be away faster than a rat up a spout…just can’t be arsed with unneccessary bull crap.
Good luck with it mate.
eagerbeaver:
Good luck to all you lad’s who are retiring!Cavey and I will sort your winter fuel payments whilst you are watching Bargain Hunt with the Tv licence that we’re also funding
FTFY 
Good luck in retirement Dave. I retired 3 months ago after 42 years on the fuel tankers, Just got fed up with the job and the introduction of the PDP was the last straw. I still cover the odd shift for holidays etc but would never go back full time even although I’ve 3 years to go until I’m 66.
My countdown is still years rather than months, but it’s getting real now. The job here still suits me, but alike Juddian, Rob and others I’d be out quicker if I had to put up with RDCs cameras and similar nonsense.
I can see me trying for a job share later: 2 weeks on and 2 off maybe? Just thinking aloud really. Depends on a lot, including dumping the horrible truck I’ve got at the moment, so we’ll see. Anyways best of luck to those on retirement afore me, and I’ll be sure to claim all my benefits so Beaver and the other kids keep having a reason to turn in every day. Wouldn’t want them not having a purpose to life!
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Franglais:
My countdown is still years rather than months, but it’s getting real now. The job here still suits me, but alike Juddian, Rob and others I’d be out quicker if I had to put up with RDCs cameras and similar nonsense.
I can see me trying for a job share later: 2 weeks on and 2 off maybe? Just thinking aloud really. Depends on a lot, including dumping the horrible truck I’ve got at the moment, so we’ll see. Anyways best of luck to those on retirement afore me, and I’ll be sure to claim all my benefits so Beaver and the other kids keep having a reason to turn in every day. Wouldn’t want them not having a purpose to life!Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Good luck in your retirement Dave you wont regret it.I retired 28years ago this year when i was 51 after 35yrs on the road.I used to miss driving at first but that soon leaves you,as i said you wont regret it.Driving isnt fun anymore.Ted.
Good luck with the retirement Dave . I’ve been retired 14 years and loved every minute , holiday when I want for as long as I want , no getting up at silly o’clock . All the time you have left is yours , enjoy it .
When i moved up here 10 years ago i said i would reduce my workload and start to enjoy what time i had left.For the first 5 years i worked 7days on 7 Days off,then only summers.since last year i have my pensions from UK,Holland and here so i said directly,that’s it no more.After 50+yrs of work nows the time for ME.
Fourteen months to go for me, and yes, I too think we have had the best years of this game.
I’m glad the likes of eagerbeaver will carry on and hopefully keep us all in Werthers originals 
free of course to us poor old pensioners!
Well I ain’t even 40 yet but if my lotdidthis camera thing I’d be off,I’d rather work in a warehouse and be watched than drive and be watched…
Look at firms like maritime now,they completely brain wash drivers in to working their own corporate way,and don’t get me started on the word “compliance” when I hear a bloke use it I just want to kick his fricking head in