Lovely views, but see when you get stuck behind someone, or worse, them bloody cyclists…oh sorry moaning and groaning!
Some of the moaners are right to moan this job is going downhill fast, I started driving about 15 years ago after coming of a farm earning £14500 I got a job 2 days after passing my test and my pay went up to £27000 with night out money after 9 years when the firm lost the contrat I was on £33000. The company gave the work out on a Friday and left you to get on with it the next week faster you went sooner you went home.
Fast forward to now I work on agency on about the same basic money as 15 years ago but without night out pay but how many things cost the same as 15 years ago. All of the firms have tracker checking what I am doing one of the companies I work for even has a camera watching me, when you finish work you have to tell some kid why you did not change into top gear going up a hill.
Every place you go to deliver makes you wait even though they order it, no one anywhere wants trucks and drivers are treated worse than murders.
Thats my moan for today.
We use it regular when delivering glass bottles to the bonded wharehouse in Catrine. Bit of an arse clenched the first time you use it though 
and there is a bend with a funny camber that can catch you out near the overtaking section. Like you say though some lovely views 
mac12:
Some of the moaners are right to moan this job is going downhill fast, I started driving about 15 years ago after coming of a farm earning £14500 I got a job 2 days after passing my test and my pay went up to £27000 with night out money after 9 years when the firm lost the contrat I was on £33000. The company gave the work out on a Friday and left you to get on with it the next week faster you went sooner you went home.
Fast forward to now I work on agency on about the same basic money as 15 years ago but without night out pay but how many things cost the same as 15 years ago. All of the firms have tracker checking what I am doing one of the companies I work for even has a camera watching me, when you finish work you have to tell some kid why you did not change into top gear going up a hill.
Every place you go to deliver makes you wait even though they order it, no one anywhere wants trucks and drivers are treated worse than murders.
Thats my moan for today.
+1
Saaamon:
the fub:
A lot of people on here moan because they actually remember when this was a good job and not the minefield of H&S and CPC or mobile phones, vehicle tracking etc etc. When you left the gate you were your own boss as such and not like now where if you ■■■■ it comes up on a pc screen somewhereSo do you think that if you moan enough it will eventually revert back to the “good old days”?
I’m not moaning and never started the thread. I’m only giving my opinion (which on this site can result in a barrage of abuse nowadays) I know what I signed up for when I started driving lorries.
DAF95XF:
Ok to whatever the OP said, didn’t read as I was unable to read it…
Here we go again I managed to read the post as did others, you are not perfect have a read of your sentence.
Totally agree with your post Steve. I only wanted to drive for a couple off years to get some money together for Uni I wanted to be a teacher you kind off catch the bug and now after 8 years I can’t imagine doing anything other than sitting behind my steering wheel. Some days the job can be sooooo ■■■■ but every job has them days.
mac12:
All of the firms have tracker checking what I am doing one of the companies I work for even has a camera watching me, when you finish work you have to tell some kid why you did not change into top gear going up a hill.
Every place you go to deliver makes you wait even though they order it, no one anywhere wants trucks and drivers are treated worse than murders.
Thats my moan for today.
That’s the sort of stuff that’s starting to put me off the job. I sometimes feel that I am working against the company, not for them. One thing is for certain; I belong to the last generation of HGV drivers who have been allowed to think for themselves in order to do the job better and quicker.
I don’t mind the auto boxes, and all the other stuff that makes actually driving the lorry a lot easier and more comfortable; even if it does also make it less challenging and interesting. I DO mind the nit-picking crap like having to sign off a sheet of paper because I had the temerity to go two minutes over the WTD limit, even though I clocked off straight after that instead of being a good boy, taking the break and sitting twiddling me thumbs in the cab for 15 minutes then driving from the pumps to me parking slot before taking me card out. A classic case of rules being for the obedience of fools.
On the other side, I look at it this way; I get paid reasonably well to drive a decent lorry round some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK, and meet some lovely people. I’m fortunate to have a good manager who will back me up, and a good crew of blokes to work with. Hopefully it’ll see me through till I retire.
One thing I learned as a TM, though, from my old boss; he used to reckon that the day drivers STOPPED moaning was the day you should start to worry!
You have said you are not the brightest kid on here.But the post was well written and some good points and thought in it which makes you bright.
Can you imagine a four day drive in Europe to get to the destination and no mobile phones.It was find a cafe with a fax and got sent the reload details.With no phone and the lorry about to breakdown you would be looking out for a garage or tyre dealer on the move and get it sorted before it got too bad.
At each border you had to clear customs and the paperwork had to be spot on.You could be sat for two days waiting to clear with customs.The older trucks you could repair with basic tooIls but now all computers.
The UK transport industry is spineless.We just accept all the rules and say yes sir.We had the chance to change when log books became tachos and nobody did nothing.The French took direct action.