Too many vehicles on the road, too many people in the country, too much of everything, you need eyes up your arse now just to do our job, and keep a spare eye on your back in case one of your workmates shoves a knife in and gives it a twist.
There comes a point for everyone.
Overcrowding breeds stress, whether animals or human.
Mike C,do you mean the bulk tipper driver that pretended his throttle had jammed and he could not stop the truck.
When the truck was examined,no accelerator was jammed.
toby1234abc:
Mike C,do you mean the bulk tipper driver that pretended his throttle had jammed and he could not stop the truck.
When the truck was examined,no accelerator was jammed.
No Toby, if i remember right you’re talking about the nutter on the M25 about 8 years ago. I’m on about an old guy from ■■■■■■■■ i’ll go see if i can find it . Last three years i reckon.
Guys wtf is anxiety…?
Pimpdaddy:
Guys wtf is anxiety…?
It’s when Ann gets all ‘Xcited’ & wets her Pants & can’t Spell properly !
Pimpdaddy:
Guys wtf is anxiety…?
Just my experience but its like driving down the road thing ‘did I put the dog clip on, did I do the tug test properley, ■■■■ VOSA’ x100
Juddian:
Too many vehicles on the road, too many people in the country, too much of everything, you need eyes up your arse now just to do our job, and keep a spare eye on your back in case one of your workmates shoves a knife in and gives it a twist.There comes a point for everyone.
Overcrowding breeds stress, whether animals or human.
This.
O.P. Get yourself down to the doctor .There is work related stress and there is the stress that you appear to be suffering from.
To the poster that mentioned airline pilots working longer hours/ less rest. I can tell you in airline flying you only will working longer shifts than road haulage on long haul. And boy do you work some mammoth shifts. However! The rest is never as bad as road transport. If you’re short haul you say do a 10 hour day you legally have to have 12 hours off, or 11 hours off if away from base, OR the same amount of time off as the preceding duty. When doing long haul time zone acclimatisation is taken into account. For example a 16 hour long duty to Delhi will result in 24 hours off. The regulations are not enforced with the visciousness that road transport suffers from. The regs are the UK CAA CAP 371 flight time regulations - they’re easier to understand than the driving rules and to be honest you only have to look them up occasionally as flight ops depts plan using computer systems aligned to the regs, so you are pretty backed up. There’s none of this “it’s the driver’s responsibility, we just issue the work”. The rules aren’t enforced in the same manner as the Hitler youth like you find in road haulage. (if you’re into your tacho regs, heres a link to 371 for comparison -https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP371.PDF)
The authorities in air transport do not treat you like a child in the same manner that Vosa do; rather as a professional as you hold an Air Transport Pilot’s Licence with all the responsibilites that come with it. If you screw up and run a 747 off the runway in a storm with 500 people on board it’s a different matter but day to day you’re not treated like an imbecile like you are in haulage. The UK airlines never ever ever deliberately plan you a duty that stands a chance of running illegally as too much is at stake and it’s all on paper for the next flight ops visit from the inspector. You’re provided a hotel to sleep in, transport etc and paid to be away from base.
My criticism of road transport is that its dabbling at being like the airlines, trains and sea trade by trying very hard to regulate and create the same culture, but falling short by a long way, as the work force just do not have the back up of the industry. The old habits are still there, planning to max hours with the attitude that’s it’s the driver’s responsibility. That’s a pretty obtuse attitude and wouldn’t get you far with the CAA in air transport but seems to work for haulage. I’ve recently and occasionally worked for a company that does provide decent back up and takes the driver’s hours regs planning side into genuine account but it’s a rare thing as you know.
Don’t under estimate the stress jobs like this can put on you. Road haulage is particularly unforgiving. Lots of pressure, poor workforce back up, companies expecting the world in return for minimum wage, vosa riding your ■■■ like the Stasi, borderline agressive knuckle dragging attitudes from a lot of people you meet in the job, the list goes on. There’s a high incidence of mental health issues and stress related problems in air transport caused by work issues and the lifestyle, extreme high pressure of responsibility (Very intense 2 day long sim checks every 5 months, line checks every 6 months, written exams every year, 6 monthly detailed medical exams you can fail for the most obscure reasons, in flight failures and weight of responsibility for the people on board, wacky time zone changes, being away causing home life issues all tale their toll). It does happen and you’re just right for doing something about it. Best of luck. Go and talk to someone. Counselling etc. There’s no shame. Those that ridicule are just childish to&£ers and probably have their own issues.
Yeah, try getting a flying job in the UK or anywhere in Europe for that matter…#deadmansshoes 
gray_nw:
Well, last week was a strange one, came back from a weeks hols, run down the road on monday afternoon. all week i’ve had no appetite, tightness in my chest , feelings of anxiety about where to park up and fuel up … last half a stone since sunday afternoon, didnt eat a hot meal until i got home last night .
Ive handed my notice in and am turning my back on the industry.Ive never felt so good as when i was taking my gear out of the wagon, it was like a wieght had been lifted off my shoulders.
Just wondered if anybody else has had similar issues with confidence and anxiety when down the road ?
Good luck mate!
I did same as you earlier in the year, after getting over cancer , I lost all interest in driving doing 15hr days etc. Made me realise there’s more to life … Its the best thing I’ve done!
Blimey Chuff , my post has made 2 pages and no one has slagged anybody off on it …
I am booking in to see the docs , ive had a few issues this last few months, health worries and relationship going pear shaped .like I said before depression has been here before after my 1st marriage broke down but i got through it a better person .its just sat in the cab alone got me thinking and when i think , its never a good thing … cue lots of texts to the ex about stuff!!! never been one to open up (until now ) The daft thing was that i stood looking at my wagon on Friday while tipping and thought,cool!!! 
Needless to say I have an almost brand new Tom tom 7150 for sale if anybody’s interested … Onwards and upwards etc etc …
Driving is a bad job to make you think to much especaly tramping.
kr79:
Driving is a bad job to make you think to much especaly tramping.
That’s true, i hated tramping, never liked nights out but made the best of them by parking somewhere near a decent pub that did food anything to get way from the bloody lorry.
If i had tramping and nights away plus stupid hours forced on me i 'd be jacking it, and have done so in the past.
As it is i enjoy my job, no need to rush, sensible hours (POA not used and not wanted by the company) and good pay, but the most important things to my well being is that after my shift i’m going home.
You can put up with traffic idiots scameras problems, indeed whatever throws itself at you when you know that you’ll be going home in anything from 7 to 13 hours time depending on journey.
Interesting that depression has been mentioned, truly a modern day minefield with devastating consequences for those affected and their families, once down there its a hard battle back up, and being away stuck in a bloody tin can all week is the last place to be, best of luck with your future OP.
I used to do 60+ hours, 5-6 days a week but i gave it up years ago to look after my 3 kids ( the wife was working 40 hours a week for roughly the same wage as me )
and it was great to get away from the unsociable hours, stress etc and get back to a normal life 
but now im back driving part time ( 2-3 shifts a week ) with an agency and its great to pick and choose what days i want to work ( if any ) 
i did a 14.45 hour shift on friday and i didnt get stressed about it as i knew i was off the next night but i probably would of been right p*ssed if i was a full timer 
i know im lucky that we could survive on my wifes wages alone and i dont need to go back to full time driving as personally i dont think its worth all the stress/hassle for just an average or below average wage these days !!
Totaly aggree cab rating in and self catering in laybys would drive me mental. My job is pretty mundane and wouldnt be a lot of peoples thing but its regular hours monday to fridayand since my marrige broke up nothing to do with work ive made the most of life and having a job likes this enables me to be avalible to do things when normal people do them.
Each to there own but i just look at driving a lorry as a job to fund my life to others its more than a job.
gray_nw:
Blimey Chuff , my post has made 2 pages and no one has slagged anybody off on it …
Cos we all know there’s basically no other job as crap as this on your health and wellbeing other than being a fisherman.
Whats your plans m8,are u just goin to rest for a while and take it easy,then make your mind up when you are ready 
dont rush things theres allways tmrw ,good luck whatever you choose,
Should be 12 hrs between shifts.
rambo19:
Should be 12 hrs between shifts.
+1