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NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

This may invite a kicking from the more experienced of you! Having passed my test in March at 54, quit a well paid job to drive a truck. Got in on milk tankers doing trunking runs, did some night time parcel runs, and was working almost full time on agency driving artics. Then got in to a local firm doing night trunking runs with trailer swaps, all going ok. They put me on days and trained me up. So ended up doing 10 plus drops a day in an artic, all new places, mostly in busy towns and cities, very limited access, plus building sites - again very limited access. After a couple of weeks I’ve bottled it - can’t face going back. In my previous - well paid - job I woke up in the night, most nights, with a knot in my stomach and the other classic signs of stress, didn’t want to go to work, but I was paid a lot more than £8.50 an hour for it so kept on for nearly 30 years even when I hated it.

It may be that it was too much too soon for an inexperienced driver. Going in to somewhere like Cardiff at rush hour trying to navigate to 10 new places when I’d only ever been to Cardiff once. Trying to find the drop and then try to work out where to stop - outside - to figure out how to get in to the place. Cause traffic chaos parking, then have to back in across a busy street. Try and work out which of the products had to be off loaded and make sure they got theirs and no one elses. Re strap up load and curtains and try and get out, then navigate to next drop and repeat…

A big part of me is saying that’s what you do as an hgv driver so if you can’t cope find something else, maybe driving a truck isn’t for you. Part of me reckons that I could cope with multi drops in a town in a van no problem, and I could cope with one or two “interesting” drops in an artic, the issue is taking a large truck and trailer to 10 or more of these daft places a day…

Interesting to have views, constructive or destructive (“man up” springs to mind), as I’m now back at the start wondering whether to go back on to the milk tanker work, drive a van, or look for something else…

2

If you were happy with a particular job driving LGVs and you have the option of going back to that then do it

Trying a new profession at our age (54) is not easy for many and should not be seen as being a failure but as a ‘had a good go at that but…’

3

It would be interesting to know if it is the perceived inconvenience to other motorists that is bothering you most? You don’t mention if you have had any damage to people or property? My instructor used to see I was bothered about other motorists when I was learning and said to me just get on with the job in hand and let them wait. I think the fact you have progressed through the various jobs will have given you some good core skills.

I wouldn’t say grow a pair but I would say you ought to take some confidence for what you have already achieved. I’m still on nice steady fridge trunks and when I did multi drop in London for couple of days as a one off I was shattered!! If you still have the option I’d stick with it.

4

Not going to say "grow a pair " as think you have already done so by trying then owning up to this that in might not be for you after all

I have heard of this before btw form both male & female the big difference is the female’s among us will admit more easy "alter ego for men "

If you have hol’s owing you take them & have a re think on this or you could see about going back onto night trunk as doing days like you have been doing is not for everyone ( have taken an artic round London with 5 drops on several times & they were interesting to say the least )

5

If it’s any consulation I feel the same at times. I’m not a fan of going boldly into the unknown and i actually struggle to sleep before a shift sometimes fearing an run list of completley unfamiliar drops. I think if i’d gotton into this game 10yrs ago when I was younger and more fearless I would probably have been ok. Don’t get me wrong- i love driving the trucks but the stress of multi drop has been wearing me down over the past couple of months and friends have noticed it before i did.
I asked the agency for a half day some weeks back and was given a van run at the same firm- oh my god it was bliss, 11 drops in places i’d never been before but so easy compared to an 18T.

6

I won’t say ‘man up’ either, for goodness sake you’re on mutli drops round presumably unknown towns with an artic, thats hard going, not as bad as the rigid parcels lads with umpteen more drops but then they’re bloody crackers…they must be to do it and i really take me hat off to them…and you.

You are working very hard for the money you state, i wouldn’t do what you are doing now, i used to do multi drops on car transporters which was similarly stressful, but earning £15+ an hour when all added up made it worth it.

I don’t think lorry driving in itelf is your problem, you’ve now got a job that is going to be a constant headache, you probably realise that now and thats why you’ve lost heart.

I’ve taken similar jobs to yours in the distant past when desperate and i’ve been sent out on similar jobs when on agency, packed them in within weeks and sometimes days and like you hated every bloody second, i would only take such a job full time if i was absolutely broke and it would only be as a temp measure.

You should try to get into supermarket or similar on agency, then you can chill out, set the cruise to 40 or 50 max and just go about your work steadily.

I’m a bit older than you and i packed in the transporters at your age, didn’t need the stress and graft any more, not sleeping in a tin can no more either, fortunately we didn’t ■■■■ the money up the wall so i was able to simply walk out and tiddled round on agency til i found my present job which is just about the best i’ve ever had.

Middle 50’s its time to slow up, that job of yours is for younger blokes to fly about with, you need easy simpler work, not cos your an old man, but you’ve done your bloody share like most of us in this age group and you certainly don’t need the poxy job you’ve got now, your health and wellbeing are whats important.

7

Well, i am 58 now,class 1 driving since 1976, within 2 weeks of passing test i was sent to Aosta in a Guy Big J.Young and foolish it never bothered me one iota.
Fast forward 36 years and there is no way i could do that.I now do every other day for an agency, so whatever happens i know i have the next day off.
You have to be very careful with mental health as things can wear you down and you do not realise it.
The job you are doing sounds a nightmare, 10 drops in an artic too much.
Like a previous poster said try supermarket work if you can.
Financal wise i just cut down and do without.On my days off i play with Grandchildren, walk garden or read, all are basically free pastimes.
Good luck whatever you do.

8

Hi kvin

You dont have to man up at all , you have done great ive read your posts and your a hgv driver no doubt , ive don londis multidrop in an artic and know its a ■■■■ !!! stupid places for drops that really an artic shouldnt be going down, pulling heavy cages with no help and I hated it so didnt do it anymore !

Ive just had similar thinking myself as was doing too much and had to think of my health , I am self employed and was on with 3 agengies for hgv work , they were all ringing me with work and felt bad when having to turn down work aswas already committed , eventually was dreading the phone ringing as would be knackered and then not feel could turn down a shift being i had gone to them to ask for wrk then refusing so ended up doing too much ,

over the summer it finally came to a head and my stomach was in knots all he time , after all I want to drive a lorry this is how its got to be , my hubby got me to talk it over and finally admited that i could not carry on like this as was over tired all the time working nights not getting enough sleep during the day , was missing him as when I was off was either sleeping or too knackered to enjoy any time with him :frowning: .

I got my licences as was a yearn I had always wanted to do and my hubby bought them as a birthday present for me , he explained that he never expected me to earn themoney back to pay for them they were a present !!

I have signed off the other 2 agencies and a company that I have worked for always ask for me first , they dont use agency drivers very much so when they ring I can cope with the odd shift here and there , it keeps my hand in as such and now have a bit more time to enjoy my husband and family , like you was starting to feel Id failed as could not d it all , but realised that my health and family are not forever and need strike a balance , thats what you need to do , it dosnt matter what anyone else thinks its your life and you need to be happy , you have your licences now and no one can take them away from you , you done good an will always have thm to use whenever you need to , if you prefered the tankers go back if thats what you want to do , youve not failed at all , you made your dream come true and now need to find your balance in life , you only get one chance, live it for you no one else :smiley:

jx

9

I really appreciated the replies - thanks. It was hard to call a halt to the job I was doing after 30 years working my way up, and didn’t do my mental health much good, I think I need to take a bit of care and maybe even take it easy on myself. It can be hard to do that and not feel like a failure.

Taken a week off and spent time doing other things around the house. Spoke to the agency and told them I don’t want to do the day time multidrops. They haven’t told the firm I was working for yet, but say that they might be able to get me some long distance deliveries with them with just a couple of drops - sounds good to me. Spoke to the agency that got me the milk tanker work, hopefully they can get me some runs and some evening trunking for a company which just involves a trailer swap. My reversing and manoeuvering skills are now much improved so I reckon other work will be fine. As you say its a question of finding a sensible balance.

Thanks again for the helpful positive comments.

10

Back in doing trunking, afternoon starts and off to a Distribution depot, drop the trailer on a bay, pick up an empty and back home. Last night the truck was a 55 plate merc but had an analogue tacho and a slapover gearbox which I thought might be a pain but ended up liking. Love the RDC’s - notices up saying drivers must disinfect hand before approaching counter, a clerk who said absolutely nothing despite me being manically cheerful and polite, treated like an idiot for not knowing their site rules - nothing new there then!! Can only laugh about it.

Same job tonight, then tomorrow my first night sleeping in the truck, up from Wiltshire to Darlington, empty the trailer then sleep over and back. So will do a bit of research on here about what to take and probably end up in an MSA on the A1 or M1 tomorrow night.

Looking forward to it! The agency have asked me if I’ll go back to the multidrop firm if they “control the drops” - I’ve said yes if they control it to one drop, becauase I can see how that one will go (if you’re doing this one you might as well do 2, and then it will be 3, etc etc).

11

kvin:
The agency have asked me if I’ll go back to the multidrop firm if they “control the drops” - I’ve said yes if they control it to one drop, becauase I can see how that one will go (if you’re doing this one you might as well do 2, and then it will be 3, etc etc).

Multidrop would be at least 2 drops :laughing: