I was a fitter for A ONE TRANSPORT LEEDS for lots of years then went driving for a bit,not for me 
back fitting ,keith
weer u on spanners kieth 
Hi Keith, Served my time as a mechanic, in the days when I started work we had to make parts, I have even scraped big end and main bearings, mechanics blue and all that, not just slipping a new set of shells in, loved working on engines and loved the job, my old foreman once said to me donât get the driving bug, stick to your trade you will be better off, but as I got older I started thinking about the money, the drivers were on a lot more money than I was, and no crawling about on wet floors with slush dropping on you, and going home covered in oil and sât, got my class two on grandfather rights, took my class one and that was it,[ hooked ], been back on the spanners a couple of times but as driver- mechanic, best job I ever had is the one I have now[ retired ] moneyâs not bad and I can get up when I want and go to the pub when I want, still miss the driving but thatâs life, and I donât like the way driving for a living has changed, if you could turn back the clock I would have never retired from driving.
Les.
I was offered a school holiday job in a garage then got taken on when I left school & loved every minute of it, we had to mend lorries, not just fit new parts, my boss, Denis Salt, was a real good mechanic and a good friend to all who came to his garage. I took my class 1 at 21 then after a while I started driving on his fleet of tipper lorries in Ballidon quarry as well as garage work, (which ever was busiest was where I worked) he then bought a Leyland Reiver which was MY lorry and I was sent on the road full time, I stuck tipper driving 12 months but then I bought a flat lorry out of the Saltâs fleet and set up as an owner operator on 1st of May 1987. I still enjoy spanner work though but I had the best start in life anyone could wish for as working for Denis gave me a good grounding for life in the haulage business. I have worked my way back on to spanner work & driving in the same job now as I do a bit of part time work for a local recovery operator so yes itâs back to lying under lorries in the dark & wet again but thatâs what itâs all about
I did about 2 years on the spanners mid career, I could never take to it, I started as a driver and driving is what I wanted, so I went back on the road. My lad is the exact opposite, heâs a skilled fitter and he enjoys every minute of it, he does a bit of driving as and when, but fitting is his choice.
When youâre a driver you get your job, do it efficiently and correctly and you are your own boss (or was before satellites and mobile phones), a fitter always has somebody looking over your shoulder urging you to get the job done quick. No no, not for me.
I did a six year apprenticeship at a BMC commercial dealer in Reading, started there at the age of 15 straight from school in 1966 and left in 1974 to do 12 months with a Bedford/Land Rover agency based in Wokingham. Got married in 1975 and moved to Derbyshire where I went to Tilconâs Ballidon quarry repairing mostly Fodenâs and Sed Aks besides a few Atkinson and Foden dumpers. In 1984 I went driving for them as a bad back was plaguing me in the workshop, (plus I saw all the extra money folk like Rob, 1970 Commer, were earning driving!!! 
)stayed with them until 1997 when I went as driver/ mechanic to a local company who ran two Foden six wheel tippers, mostly still working from Ballidon. Made redundant in 2002 but still keep my hand in repairing a few cars, vanâs, tractorâs and the very occasional truck. Still enjoy fitting, but things are now getting beyond my capabilities with all the modern electrics etc on the things so I just tinker with vintage barn engines and similar machinery! 
Pete.
seth 70:
weer u on spanners kieth
Hi Seth,no I was a sparky,no ecus years a go,now the trucks are full of them an data links,keith
I started on lorries in the army. Left and took to the spanners. Still spanner a bit on days off. Drive full time ATM. Would like to get back to recovery but it seems you have to start on specs and I donât want to do that again
windrush:
I did a six year apprenticeship at a BMC commercial dealer in Reading, started there at the age of 15 straight from school in 1966 and left in 1974 to do 12 months with a Bedford/Land Rover agency based in Wokingham. Got married in 1975 and moved to Derbyshire where I went to Tilconâs Ballidon quarry repairing mostly Fodenâs and Sed Aks besides a few Atkinson and Foden dumpers. In 1984 I went driving for them as a bad back was plaguing me in the workshop, (plus I saw all the extra money folk like Rob, 1970 Commer, were earning driving!!!
Pete.
Hi Pete,when I started for Volvo in 1999,lap tops was how you read the codes ect,never turned a pc on in my life when I got home I knew my 12 year old had a lap top and asked her how to use it ,she got me on to the web then left me to it,at the time there was a program called hard â â â â â â â â on tv tried to look it up and all these gay pages came up 
more I tried to get them off more came on,was sweating cobs ,told my wife and was asked wot are you looking at gays for 
she got the sites delated thank god, ,bugger it went to the pub keith
keith 2:
Hi Pete,when I started for Volvo in 1999,lap tops was how you read the codes ect,never turned a pc on in my life
Keith, what ever you do old lad donât look up Black Dyke Brass Band. When we first got a computer I was looking up Brighouse And Rastrick, Foden Band etc. and I still have no idea why it went onto an Afro American lesbian website in New York just as my misses came in. I was in the doghouse for days.
I started as a driver then went on the spanners, but after a hard time with 2 firms I went into welding and made a career of it. (retired early 2 years ago) . I was showing my young son the wonders of the internet about 1996 and asked him what he would like to see. He was taking swimming lessons at the time, so anything to do with that please. I clicked on a site called âRussian Watersportsâ just as the door bell went. On my way out of the bedroom a small voice went, "Daddy that lady is having a WEE!http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/posting.php?mode=reply&f=35&t=110657#
Jim
Messed that up didnât I.