Just curious, did you follow your Father/Grandfather or not to be sexiest, Mother? Maybe just for the money? (or not as he case may be), grew up with a particular film or image that inspired you?
So why did you become a chosen one?
I started off at Texas homecare driving forklifts and unloading the lorries. Always was impressed by some of the trucks we had deliver to us so I think that sowed the seed. I also (don’t ask why) loved the 1982 film ‘Road Games’.
My brother AKA Eddie Snax.
Casper68:
I also (don’t ask why) loved the 1982 film ‘Road Games’.
Is that the Australian film with Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis? Great trucking movie.
Loved lorries from a kid, when other boys bought New Musical Express or Autocar, i bought Commercial Motor and Headlight.
Left uni during the last recession, ended up doing agency work loading/unloading lorry’s so soon figured out it was easier being the driver.
That and I generally like motors and own 3 cars in different stages of completion.
Don’t know why or where it came from but ever since I was about 5 all I’ve wanted to do was drive artic’s. None of my family members do so why it was such a big deal to me is a mystery.
After a sustained firefight with HMRC (there was only ever going to be one winner) I was made bankrupt and lost my business (nothing to do with road haulage) I went for my HGV licence.
I had been a sales rep in the late eighties/early nineties and always enjoyed the driving so I often thought about it.
I can’t rope and sheet, never driven a twin split let alone a crash box and after three years I’m still learning the job.
I can see how it gets into the blood but I do get the feeling that the “glory days” of HGV Driving have, like a lot of other industries, long since passed
muckles:
My brother AKA Eddie Snax.
.
I’m touched, was that why you hit Me over the head, with My Die cast Transcon car transporter when I was about 9 
muckles:
Casper68:
I also (don’t ask why) loved the 1982 film ‘Road Games’.Is that the Australian film with Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis? Great trucking movie.
I’ve been trying to remember what that film was called for ages 
I just always loved Trucks, cant remember when it started due to a blow to the head in my younger years 
There was a guy I our Village who was an O/D He had an F88, this was in the late 70’s early 80’s, when I was in My teens I used to go with Him when he was doing a day run, Norwich to Wetherby was a regular job, felt like king off the road in the 88.
Juddian:
Loved lorries from a kid, when other boys bought New Musical Express or Autocar, i bought Commercial Motor and Headlight.
What about Trucking International, or was that a slightly later Publication, pictures off 142 Scanias on my wall
My friend online. He just said to me one day to just go and do it so I did.
I was working in the warehouse for a couple of years and one of the 7.5t drivers came back seriously unimpressed about other drivers. Threw his keys on the gaffers desk and said he wanted back inside. I was the only one there with a license so he asked me to do him a favour and jump on while he got a driver sorted.
I’d never driven anything bigger than a Cortina so was a bit apprehensive, still went out though.
Came back after a couple of hours and told him I’d stay on there if he wanted coz I liked it 
Another department approached me about 12 months later and said they would put me through class 2 and HIAB if I wanted to fill a vacancy, £6,500 pay rise secured it, arms were not only snatched off but heartily devoured !
That was summat like 10 years ago now, still in same job (after a take-over/buy out, whatever you want to call it…) with a company car thrown in with personal use allowed, all bills paid.
Company I work for are spot on to be honest, look after me pretty well.
Trained as a mechanic in the Army. After I came out, worked for a year in a Renault dealership in Nottingham, got fed up, went on my own doing mobile servicing with an old Land-Rover.
Wasn’t a success, so a friend told me about an agency called Mayday in Nottingham. Started doing a bit with them when I hadn’t got any vehicles to work on, soon decided that driving trucks was an easier way to earn a living. Since then I’ve floated up and down the ranks of the logistics industry, doing everything from warehouse work to TM; been in my current job delivering animal feeds for nine years, hopefully it’ll see me through to retirement.
Travelling up and down the a83 rest and be thankful with my great uncles in the late 80’s. One drove an 8 wheel fodden tipper and occasionally a scania timber wagon. The other uncle was king of the road to me though. Lochgilphead sawmill to Yorkshire with a load of pit props 3 times a week. A big green Volvo globetrotter fresh out the wrapper. I’d love to move up there myself sometime and try the timber myself one day.
I had just finished a year towing gliders into the sky using an old ex crop spraying plane. I’d moved out of the caravan of the airfield when I left the Job, had £800 quid in my pocket and thought I needed to do something about earning a proper living to fund my professional flight training. My Dad was a lorry driver, it seemed the obvious choice and it appealed.
Casper68:
I also (don’t ask why) loved the 1982 film ‘Road Games’.
Is that the Australian film with Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis? Great trucking movie.
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Yep that’s the one. I even drove the same Merc truck when I first got my HGV licence. No Dingo though
My Dad was a security guard for B&I line at Pembroke Dock and as a kid in the school holidays I used to go along with him on his night shift sometimes, one of the Irish boys offered to run me round the yard and that was it I was hooked, my whole employment future was mapped out there and then with only one end goal, to become a Class 1 lorry driver (only took me another 26 years 
)
A mates father who has now sadly past away, would go to Holland ( with empty cans of Heineken from Wrexham)and then backload from Germany ( ford parts)regular,working for Westerman on wag&drag,Got the bug from there, both his son and I are now drivers.
My dad’s to blame. Used to go all over the country with him as a kid. Most of this was when he worked for Yiddle Davis. What an education. I could rope, sheet, chain, drive an artic, including backwards, all by the time I was about nine. We did quite a few trips to the old Marston Valley brickworks at Ridgemont (read every day for about six weeks) also Stewartby for that other mob I certainly knew how to stack bricks and chuck 'em off at the other end.
Learnt how to chain steel, knew my way around the docks in London and the pool, and all this came in handy later on as well as knowing my way about the country.
For the most part, people just don’t get that sort of advantage nowadays… mustn’t take kids, it’s dangerous, can’t do this or that… shutup Peter.
Worked in a Tesco store and wasn’t quite sure what trade I wanted to do at the time, spent a lot of time tipping wagons & talking to drivers and just fancied giving it a go myself. Went and got my licenses and still enjoy it now.
Mid 90’s spent a lot of time hitching round the country. Always a bonus if you got a ride in a nice high lorry.
One night, after a long wait, climbed up and jumped on the bunk, my girlfriend was in the passenger seat. The driver cranked up the Country & Western, tossed me a tin and asked me to do the honours. As we shared the cigarette I remember sitting there watching the endless dark tarmac disappearing under our wheels as he sang along and chatted on the cb. I was hooked there and then. What a great way to make a living!
Years later when I started on multi drop van work it didn’t take long to figure out, if the drops are the work and the driving is the fun, you want to go for your artic asap so you won’t have to work anymore. Ha.
My dad used to drive, doing European work in a 141 late 70s/early 80s. I always planned to get my licence, more to prove to myself that I could do it, and eventually bit the bullet in early 2012. I’d originally planned to just pass, then forget about it, but once I had the licence the bug bit and I wanted to do more. Did some casual work for a local company, then when I got turned over by my former business partner, I decided to go full time. Still enjoying it, and want to go as far as I can, both in terms of distance and experience
came out of the army after some years, then went through about 20 jobs in 2 yrs, then thought sod it ill take my test as i love driving that was 24yrs ago ish