Walked out of my first HGV job - what next?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Sorry this may be a long read but I feel I have to get this out in the open after walking out of my first job at 4am this morning…

So these last 8 months as a HGV driver has been a rollercoaster to say the least, many positives but mostly negatives, mainly due to the company I have been working for (won’t name and shame but I hope someone is reading this). Having just been offered my first Class 1 job (no Class 2 experience either) to say I was the most excited person in the world was an understatement, I just couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of 44T. The offer was to do a couple of days a week on the bulk tipper/curtainsider as cover to gain some experience and then from there a possible full time tramper position.

So it was 5am on a dark frosty Saturday in December where I would begin my HGV career, behind the wheel of an 06 Actros doing a couple of runs to the nearest British Sugar factory. So I get into the cab, set myself up ready to switch her on when I notice a nasty surprise in the foot well… a clutch pedal?? I had done both my tests and assessment run in automatics so to suddenly find a clutch pedal and a pre-select gearbox was a nasty shock to me. So I ring the boss who reluctantly comes down to show me how to operate the gears and after a couple of goes I just about manage to work it out and get through the day, with a lot of help from the farmers and staff at the factory showing me what to do as well.

After a couple of goes on the bulker I was then moved on to pulling curtainsiders. As with the bulker I had not been shown how to operate the curtains of the trailer and what to expect when I got to certain depots, but again as before thankfully most the of the staff at the places I went to showed me the ropes and after a couple of weeks got the hang of it, but why couldn’t my own employer have just shown me?? They knew it was my first job but throughout the 8 months I had never once received any kind of training. Anyway I was then offered the full time tramper job so decided to accept it and in return was offered a 62 auto Actros which was a dream compared to the 06.

The first couple of months as a full timer were great, but then from there on things started to go way down hill. The TM began to try and make me work on my breaks and blatently lie to me about booking in times at RDCs, telling me I was booked in for 6am when I was actually scheduled for 12pm etc. I know his game, get me tipped early and get something loaded ASAP but seriously 6 hours before? One time he even told me to get tipped the night before, no chance, parked up turned my phone off. I was then moved on to bulker work again which I had only done a couple of times 4 months before then so asked my employer if they could show me one morning around the trailer just to refresh my memory…won’t go into detail what happened but basically they couldn’t be bothered to come down and told me to just get on with it. So guess what happens a week later…I break the trailer. I had tipped a load of stone too high and had subsequently trapped the tailboard in the pile, ripping it off the hinges. So I get back to the yard where the owner is waiting to tell me how much of a [zb] I am and how much it will cost to repair the damage. Yes it was my fault, but how I am supposed to learn if I haven’t had any training or been told of the dangers of getting the tailboard trapped?

The final straw came this morning at 3.30am when I get into the cab, start her up only to find half a tank of diesel gone and just enough left to get to the nearest 24hour station. Apparently a mechanic had taken some out of my tank to use in something else but kindly didn’t fancy letting me know beforehand. This and after starting to pull out of the yard I notice the o/s third axle trailer wheel not moving, leaving a mighty tyre mark along the yard. I found out that the last person to drop the trailer had put the emergency brake on, the first time in 8 months of being there that someone had put it on!! Again my fault definitely for not checking, but surely the brake is there to stop you from even moving, not just one wheel?

That moment finally tipped me over the edge, so I just grabbed my stuff and left, couldn’t deal with it anymore. I feel so relieved doing it but the question is what to do next. I know I won’t be getting a reference and without a full years experience and being under 25 I know my options are limited but some advice on the next steps would be greatly appreciated thankyou :smiley:

2

I think I can safely say, transport is not for you my friend

3

The trials and tribulations of employment. I think you need to either find alternative forms of employment. Or ■■■■ it up buttercup and make your way down to your employer that you’ve just walked out of and be a man and confront a manager and tell him straight that you have a grievance with your work and they will talk to you to resolve this. Personally I think you have made a mountain out of a mole hill. You’ve been at it less than a year and you’ve thrown the towel in, I’ve been in the game 21 years and it’s still a school day everyday.

Sent from Platform 9 3/4

4

Firstly…

Don’t despair, your HGV career ain’t over.

There will be other firms that will take you on, you just have to find them and they are out there. There are many threads on here that are written and contributed to by drivers who are happy in the job they’re doing with the firm they’re at.(ok they all ■■■■■ like schoolgirls about the money and driving standards yadder yadder yadder)

The outfit you worked for sound like a shower of brown muck so, you’ve dodged a bullet by leaving by the sounds of it. If your ex employer couldn’t be arsed to show you how to work things then, they get all the bad karma that follows. I have no sympathy for them at all.

As for references, this industry doesn’t treat references as the holy grail of applicants abilities. It’s more about attitude and abilty. I’ve never had one reference, never written a CV in my life and always found work where ever I’ve been. Your ex employer is under no legal obligation to give you a reference if requested and quite possibly won’t by the sounds of it.

In short… dust yerself down, enjoy the sunny morning and start looking for something better. (which won’t be hard to do by the sounds of the last bunch of shysters)

5

Go and sign with 3 or 4 agencies and badger them until you get some work. Sounds like your best out of that ■■■■ hole. Don’t let it get you down. Put it down to experience and move on to hopefully a better place.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

6

I’m split here on my thoughts; on one hand I agree that it’s ridiculous to just hand the keys of tens of thousands of pounds worth of equipment and expect the driver to merely “get on with it”. On the other hand I recall that the only form of training I’ve received since passing my test was on the operation of tankers when I went down that route. Anytime I encounter something new I take my time to look at it, work out how it all works and then practice until I get it right.

Upon balance though I tend to agree with Jay here and say that maybe transport probably isn’t for you mate. That’s not meant in any derogatory way btw, but simply put that as a driver in general haulage you need to think on your feet and be able to quickly adapt and overcome any problems that come your way without any hand holding or office input.

If you still have your heart set on transport then I’d recommend supermarket work which tends to be very orderly and regimented, at least until you get a couple of years experience under your belt.

Whichever path you choose though I wish you luck.

7

OVLOV JAY:
I think I can safely say, transport is not for you my friend

+1.
What the op described is a normal day in most family run haulage operations,
In the oldern days, training was, there’s the keys, paperwork on dash, see ya when you get back, learn as you go, Never be afraid to ask the old hands for help,…

If you want everything just so, become a trolley dolley, at the supermarkets, or a big faceless conglomerate.

8

I imagine the very kind gentleman who gave you a start is quite relieved today

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

9

Don’t be disheartened by my earlier comment. As has been said, what you describe is just everyday goings on at 99% of hire and reward transport companies. You sound like you need a bit more hand holding, and there’s nothing wrong with that early doors, so take the advice about regrouping at a supermarket, give it a few years and see how you feel

10

Learn from your experience, go or stay is in your hands. If you walk away from it there is no shame, the job isn’t for everyone. Try Stobart as they will train you better and put you with an experienced driver for a couple of days, you might like the job again. Dropping people in at the deep end works for some, others need more support. Ask for the support or drop the current job if it isn’t there.

11

Even when you’ve been doing the job a lifetime, when you start a new job there’s still loads to learn.

We’ve all been new lads, when you get your first 40ft flat to load rope and sheet its a nightmare, same when you get your first tautliner, bulk tipper, tanker, low loader, car transporter, hooklift/skip wagon etc etc, they’re all different and yes it sounds like you dropped on a general haulage outfit still running how they always have since the days of horse and cart, but:
He Gave You a Start when most wouldn’t.

Chucking you in the deep end is the old way of general haulage, you don’t ring the boss up to ask to to work a gearbox you play with the bloody thing and learn it yersen, you scraped by with the help of other drivers and lads at delivery points and this is just what any of us do, yes even when we’ve been doing the job 40 years we don’t know it all, as said every day is a schoolday.

You would get trained at a large PLC logistics mob, but there’s every chance the job would prove to be soul destroying drag and those companies spy on you 24/7, every little misdemeanor you make will be on a piece of software somewhere waiting to bite you in the arse when its your turn in front of teacher.
All jobs have their good and bad points, it might take many years and umpteen jobs before you find what is right for you.

What next?
Sit down calm down and have a bloody good think.
Next i suggest you go and see your old boss and bloody apologise man to man for dropping him in the crap like that by walking out and remember to thank him for the chance and job he gave you.

What you do then is entirely up to you.

12

djt1881:
Sorry this may be a long read but I feel I have to get this out in the open after walking out of my first job at 4am this morning…

So these last 8 months as a HGV driver has been a rollercoaster to say the least, many positives but mostly negatives, mainly due to the company I have been working for (won’t name and shame but I hope someone is reading this). Having just been offered my first Class 1 job (no Class 2 experience either) to say I was the most excited person in the world was an understatement, I just couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of 44T. The offer was to do a couple of days a week on the bulk tipper/curtainsider as cover to gain some experience and then from there a possible full time tramper position.

So it was 5am on a dark frosty Saturday in December where I would begin my HGV career, behind the wheel of an 06 Actros doing a couple of runs to the nearest British Sugar factory. So I get into the cab, set myself up ready to switch her on when I notice a nasty surprise in the foot well… a clutch pedal?? I had done both my tests and assessment run in automatics so to suddenly find a clutch pedal and a pre-select gearbox was a nasty shock to me. So I ring the boss who reluctantly comes down to show me how to operate the gears and after a couple of goes I just about manage to work it out and get through the day, with a lot of help from the farmers and staff at the factory showing me what to do as well.

After a couple of goes on the bulker I was then moved on to pulling curtainsiders. As with the bulker I had not been shown how to operate the curtains of the trailer and what to expect when I got to certain depots, but again as before thankfully most the of the staff at the places I went to showed me the ropes and after a couple of weeks got the hang of it, but why couldn’t my own employer have just shown me?? They knew it was my first job but throughout the 8 months I had never once received any kind of training. Anyway I was then offered the full time tramper job so decided to accept it and in return was offered a 62 auto Actros which was a dream compared to the 06.

The first couple of months as a full timer were great, but then from there on things started to go way down hill. The TM began to try and make me work on my breaks and blatently lie to me about booking in times at RDCs, telling me I was booked in for 6am when I was actually scheduled for 12pm etc. I know his game, get me tipped early and get something loaded ASAP but seriously 6 hours before? One time he even told me to get tipped the night before, no chance, parked up turned my phone off. I was then moved on to bulker work again which I had only done a couple of times 4 months before then so asked my employer if they could show me one morning around the trailer just to refresh my memory…won’t go into detail what happened but basically they couldn’t be bothered to come down and told me to just get on with it. So guess what happens a week later…I break the trailer. I had tipped a load of stone too high and had subsequently trapped the tailboard in the pile, ripping it off the hinges. So I get back to the yard where the owner is waiting to tell me how much of a tw*t I am and how much it will cost to repair the damage. Yes it was my fault, but how I am supposed to learn if I haven’t had any training or been told of the dangers of getting the tailboard trapped?

The final straw came this morning at 3.30am when I get into the cab, start her up only to find half a tank of diesel gone and just enough left to get to the nearest 24hour station. Apparently a mechanic had taken some out of my tank to use in something else but kindly didn’t fancy letting me know beforehand. This and after starting to pull out of the yard I notice the o/s third axle trailer wheel not moving, leaving a mighty tyre mark along the yard. I found out that the last person to drop the trailer had put the emergency brake on, the first time in 8 months of being there that someone had put it on!! Again my fault definitely for not checking, but surely the brake is there to stop you from even moving, not just one wheel?

That moment finally tipped me over the edge, so I just grabbed my stuff and left, couldn’t deal with it anymore. I feel so relieved doing it but the question is what to do next. I know I won’t be getting a reference and without a full years experience and being under 25 I know my options are limited but some advice on the next steps would be greatly appreciated thankyou :smiley:

I can never understand why manual trucks are not covered during a driving course, they are still used as proved in this case.
After saying that, they are all synchro, I’m assuming you can drive a car, so tbf it aint rocket science is it.
Rather than ring your boss to come out to you at 5 am, could you not have used a bit of initiative, was there not another driver there that could have run you through it, could you not have waited to one turned up.

Again… ‘‘Operating curtains’’ are they really so hard to suss out yourself? as for learning procedures at delivery points, you learn it on the job as you go along.

As for them getting you to work through your breaks, they only do it if they can get away with it, and/or you are daft enough to comply.

Same with the age old trick of getting you there too soon, park up on arrival until you are due to tip, play them at their own game, turn the tables by YOU making a ■■■■ of THEM :bulb: …they soon get the message paying you 3 hours for sitting on your arse.
As for the accident, as you said your fault, but ■■■■ happens in this job, and you won’t do it next time.

The diesel episode? Yeh it’s annoying, but that’s transport, and he did leave you plenty to get to a re.fuel, on the plus side…at least you noticed.

I come from the generation where you were chucked in at the deep end and expected to learn yourself by asking for help etc, different trucks with enigmatic gearboxes, roping and sheeting and all the rest of it.
Now I aint saying things should be like that now.as on the job training is a much better system, but it has gone to the other end of the spectrum today where drivers expect to be shown how to wipe their own arses,.and if they happen to get on with a NON ‘‘Up their own arse’’ Stobbie type firm, which is a bit old style, they are totally rubber ducked as you have illustrated, but not all your fault mate tbf.
Dust yourself down, you are a bit wiser now, and find a job that suits you.

13

It’s difficult to know where to start with that.

First I suppose I should say congrats on getting a job (not agency) without any experience, that’s actually quite an achievement these days, pity you’ve just thrown it away.

I appreciate that as a new starter you won’t have the experience necessary to qualify in all these categories straight away, but a professional driver needs to be independent, resourceful, practical, calm headed, be able to adapt and overcome, and have the ability to keep his nose above the varying level of excrement he will invariably find himself drowning in on any average working day.

The problem with finding a clutch pedal is an unfortunate side effect of a training and testing system gone wrong, however, it’s always been like that to a certain extent in this industry. When I passed my test in a manual synchro (we’ll sort of) Ford cargo 30 years ago I was horrified when I turned up at my first agency job to be told the ERF I’d be driving had a constant mesh (read crash) gearbox. I didn’t change gear until I got out of the yard and then crunched my was down the road until I got the hang of it.

Many RDC’s don’t stick rigidly to booking times, some will listen to the stories of “I didn’t know the booking time” etc, the point is, your boss pays you, not the RDC. If he says try and tip early then he’s doing it to try and earn money out of the truck, that’ll be so he can afford to keep running trucks and pay you. He sets your work schedule, not the RDC.
If he tells you to try and tip the night before, you do. You stay there until you’re tipped or you run out of time, in that circumstance you then pull out and go back in in the morning.
It’s simple, he pays you, you do what your told, obviously within the tacho regs.

If you turn in and you’ve got an empty tank, so what, you’d be filling the truck up at some point, may as well be when you start. The company obviously needed the fuel for something, what exactly is irrelevant. It’s not your fuel to get precious over, you had enough to get to the nearest filling station and presumably a fuel card to pay for it once there, job sorted.
Wait until you’re tramping and you wake up to find the diesel fairies have visited you in the night and your tank is completely bonnet dry, that’s the time to get a major cob-on.

There is no emergency brake on a trailer, there are safety systems that will come into play in the event of dramatic loss of air pressure but no emergency brake as you describe, what someone has done is apply the parking brake, which should be done everytime a trailer is dropped or picked up. Checking the setting of this should be done everytime you get in and do your daily vehicle checks. On tramping work I would always check (among other things) both the trl parking brake and fifth wheel coupling as it’s not unknown for ■■■■■ to pull the pin and put the trl park brake on overnight because it’s so ■■■■■■■ hilarious to watch someone pull away and leave their trailer behind.
A defect note to the company to say the park brake is innefective on that trailer, and then remember to always check it, just because none of the trailers you’ve used has had it set before now is irrelevant, you should be using it and checking it everytime.

Now here’s the bad news. Haulage bosses talk to each other, no you won’t get a reference but what’s much worse is that by now your name will be mud with all the local companies. If you want to stay in this industry, then my advice is to ring your (ex) boss and explain you threw a major wobbly over nothing, that you’ve now calmed down and could you have a chat, hit the reset button and try again.

Honestly, there really is nothing in your tale of woe that isn’t just part and parcel of being an HGV driver.

14

What is so difficult that makes a truck with a manual box different to driving a car with a manual box except for the size.
Transport is possibly not for you.

15

I’m kind of not worried about the lack of training side of it, I would agree that just being given the keys and told to get on your way has probably been the best way I could have learned, now I’ve got a clear understanding having made the mistakes. But surely as an employer you’ve got to expect mistakes to happen this way and not call your employees every name under the sun when a mistake does happen? That’s what annoyed me.
Maybe it is the old school general haulage way I just haven’t got used to having come from a large company beforehand. Its a shame because I love the job, love the driving, love the nights away, but honestly didn’t expect the baggage that came with it like being pressured to break the law to get a job done. By the way I am very thankful for the opportunity to give it a go as I know it is rare for a newbie to get straight into Class 1 and will let them know that.

16

djt1881:
I’m kind of not worried about the lack of training side of it, I would agree that just being given the keys and told to get on your way has probably been the best way I could have learned, now I’ve got a clear understanding having made the mistakes. But surely as an employer you’ve got to expect mistakes to happen this way and not call your employees every name under the sun when a mistake does happen? That’s what annoyed me.
Maybe it is the old school general haulage way I just haven’t got used to having come from a large company beforehand. Its a shame because I love the job, love the driving, love the nights away, but honestly didn’t expect the baggage that came with it like being pressured to break the law to get a job done. By the way I am very thankful for the opportunity to give it a go as I know it is rare for a newbie to get straight into Class 1 and will let them know that.

If you love the job then you need to get back asap to the bloke you just dumped the keys back to. Apologies and make an excuse you are having a problem at home or something and you shouldn’t have taken it out on him. Unfortunately you are treat like an idiot in this game but not expected to be one. I shouldn’t say this but there definitely isn’t the comradeship between drivers that there used to be. Most drivers will help you out but there are more that will gladly sit watching you struggle with a smug grin on their face. Plenty of those around, get yourself dusted down get the apology out of the way, ask the decent drivers for help if you need it. I don’t like to see anyone struggle but I am 57 years old and wiser than to think it funny seeing someone struggle. Mistakes are made, accidents happen, its part of the job, how you deal with it determines if this job is for you. You don’t break the law to complete your day either, you take the breaks and follow your tacho rules not some half wit who can’t plan your day properly. Get back in the saddle before you blow it if that’s what you want. Find an older driver and ask for help and advice, you will be surprised at how many mistakes they have made before becoming better. Good luck Pal.

17

djt1881:
I’m kind of not worried about the lack of training side of it, I would agree that just being given the keys and told to get on your way has probably been the best way I could have learned, now I’ve got a clear understanding having made the mistakes. But surely as an employer you’ve got to expect mistakes to happen this way and not call your employees every name under the sun when a mistake does happen? That’s what annoyed me.
Maybe it is the old school general haulage way I just haven’t got used to having come from a large company beforehand. Its a shame because I love the job, love the driving, love the nights away, but honestly didn’t expect the baggage that came with it like being pressured to break the law to get a job done. By the way I am very thankful for the opportunity to give it a go as I know it is rare for a newbie to get straight into Class 1 and will let them know that.

Ok, at least you have not come back like some when the reaction you got was different to the one expected, ranted and minced off in a strop, so well done for that.

As said, go back see him, apologise and make your excuses for your reaction…then talk to him :bulb: .
Explain your grievances, tell him you are more than willing to learn, you have learned by your mistakes (damaged trailer) but also tell him what you are not willing to do is break the law in terms of driver’s regs.
Also ask him to be more straight with you on delivery times.
If he is an old style tm, he will appreciate that more than some kind of ‘Yes man’ .

He gave you a chance mate, I got the same chance 30+ years ago, and the same kind of schtick as you got, but to this day I will not have a word said against the guy who gave me a chance and a start, when MANY would not at the time. :bulb:

18

Without being disrespectful to the op, he’s only in his early twenties (bless) and I think he could have been mentored a bit better really.

There’s a lot of firms will send you out with an experienced guy for a couple of days or even a week - this would have brought up the areas that needed a bit more fine tuning.

Not everyone has the self confidence required to tackle whatever comes their way every time.

And to his credit he hasn’t had an accident or had problems generally handling whatever he has had to drive.

I’m not at all in favour of this autobox on the driving test - a 5 speed box in a Golf is a different animal to a 16 speed (where they are distinctly uncooperative on very cold mornings).

I think he should have another go and as said perhaps go back to his old boss and have a chat. It’s not unknown for drivers to throw wobblers :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :smiley: :smiley:

19

Don’t listen to what your hearing about the job is not for you, you stuck it for eight months and that says something, what’s wrong is it is not the type of work or company you want to be with.
You will find a job you will be able to do with your eyes closed you just have to keep trying different types of work and just go back and say sorry for walking out and have a very good reason for him lie through your teeth
I have left trucks with full loads in the middle of nowhere because I was treated like ■■■■ and they were lucky that’s all I did, the next time you will know after a few days weather the work and company is for you or not if not get out quick.
A lot who work at this game only open the back doors and that’s the most complicated thing they do all day, so your ok with the driving its the type of work you need to get to suit you and that type of work don’t need skill or brains so you will be ok.
Chin up good luck.

20

Fall off the horse, get back on the horse.