left school in 86 dad wanted me to go and work in civil engineering but I had other thoughts so joined, the army stayed in for 10 years came out in 96
then had a job loading petrol tankers and loading/unloading gas bottles for Lees petroleum got made redundant
worked as a forklift driver at the dunlop tyre plant in brum for 2 years made redundant
then moved to scotland where I was doing agency driving on vand and 7.5 tonners got bored so took my psv and did a stint as a bus driver in glasgow, (never again), then got a job driving a 7.5 tonner with a hiab on it so had to take my hiab licence for, a building contractor
moved back to the west midlands and paid for my class 2 last year did a bit of agency work , got my current job where I passed my class 1 in june this year
Here’s the story.
As a brat I was deeply into computers, and despite a failed attempt to take some qualifications in the field, I made my career out of the darned things for the best part of a decade.
Built up a business with my best mate, had a shop, and a van for the work.
Then PC-[zb] opened up around the corner, and I found I could get a new machine complete from there for less than the cost of the parts for the base unit alone from the wholesalers. We wound it up then.
We still had a van, and 3 years left on the lease, so we had to do something with it. One insurance upgrade, and we were off as couriers. I loved it. A few years, and well over a hundred thousand miles later I took my class 2, and this year, my class 1.
Now I am living in a box… living in a plastic box… o/" running around Euroland and the UK tramping on general haulage. I’ve driven wagons in +40 in the states, -40 in Canada, done 75mph legally in a loaded artic, and generally had fun.
Left school in 1992 and went into Royal Mail. Started in sorting office and then moved onto the admin side and finished as area customer service manager in 2001.
Made redundant and moved to a project management company as a consultant as a business recovery specialist. (Basically i turned around failing companies).
Left there in 2003 and was due to take up post at Toyota plant in Derby. Job fell through and as i had sold house in North East took a career break
Spent the next 12 months doing not a lot and tried my hand at Car selling and valeting. went to do some 7.5t agency work to fund some travel plans and got hooked.
Passed class 2 in Jan 08 and am looking to do class 1 in the next 12 months.
Left school in 79 aged 14, couldn’t get on with it.
Started working with a neighbour as a van boy delivering frozen foods round the north west for a year.
Went to work at local hauliers yard loading trailers and shunting, was taught how to rope and sheet loads properly.
Aged 16 had to attend the careers office, told them what I’d been doing and what I wanted to do, they sent me on a YTS painting and decorating job. slave labour for Maggies army. This led to an apprenticeship which I finished and left immediately after.
Worked in a few bars and hotels as a bar cellarman,
At 21 got left some money so decided to invest it in my class1. Which I passed first time after 4 days training ROG.
And the rest is history as they say.
I used to really enjoy the job for the first 15 years or so untill this njew breed of so called proffesional driver came about.
apprentice blacksmith late sixties
blacksmith early 70s plant and trucks 70s and 80s managing director nightfreight scotland 80s
managing director transportes jose carrillo 80s - 90s
cross channel operations director transportes campillo valencia 90s director pilz schwaartransport 90s
various transport consultancies 90s business gateway transport advisor 90s 2000`s
retired through illness 2002, various consultancies since then
Left military school at 16 with 9 ‘O’ levels, Joined the army (Para engineer) Travelled the world met some really nice people then shot them!
Did Falklands Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, afgan, and some other places to!!!
Did hgv 1 in forces, now driving a brick wagon and drag and trying very hard to stay out of trouble.
Did other stuff in between like continental driving.
I also have c&g adv in Bricklaying. That was my trade in the forces.
Nowdays like to stay fit also coach and play Rugby. Will do till I’m 50 another 3 seasons!!!
I might only be 23 so not sure if i feel right posting here just yet lol but here goes
Left school in 2001 although id started work already working on local farms driving tractors/combines etc when that folded up went to work with my stepbrother who trained me as a fencing labourer which i did on and off till 2004 during this time when buisness was slow or i got fed up with the cold i worked in various retail stores(whsmith,tesco,mcdonalds,zenith windows)2004 went to work in the local co-op and worked my way up to store manager …
Left in 2007 to work as an online manager for sainsburys which was absolute Zb but realised i loved driving the vans so when i fell out with them due to the fact that i enjoyed spending time with my kids lol
i worked for DHL through an agency following this then onto to a courier with city link until i passed class 2 on 18/4/08
Managed to get myself a class 2 job a week later which im now doing but desparate for my class 1 but i wouldnt go back to working in a shop/office i like being out on my own
left school
plumbing apprenticship, company then shut down local office.
fords dagenham, took class 1 with them, then few yrs took voluntary redundancy
then done block work
then steel
then asda
then tnt
then tippers
then back plumbing
Letf school with 10 GCSE’s
Went to College to train as a chef
Then did a Management degree
Worked as a Chef Manager for Carlsberg Tetley - thats where the truck fascination came from.
Worked in London for some large law firms as a Catering manager for 5 years
Then worked as a mobile chef manager for a large catering company working all over the south east of England.
Got made redundant
Did my class 2 licence last july and Class 1 in october
Been driving since,
currently at Funstons driving 44t fridge.
May 89-Builders Labourer building patio bases
(4 months until bloke retired)
September 89 - Worked in a factory putting till rolls on the cardboard tubes (594 revolutions)
(lasted 2 days and told them to shove it)
October 89 - Pontins Head office as Purchase ledger assistant (3 months)
retired from civilian life
Feb 1990 Joined navy (big mistake)
2008 still in navy (it pays the bills) but trying to get out on a medical (if not out of navy but keep me shore side for next 4 years until i retire from navy)
Passed C Nov 07
Passed C+E June 08
Work part time on the wagons gaining experience (haven’t bent any yet, bent a few cars but nothing major!)
hoping to get into the real world of paying the bills from truck driving as soon as i can when i leave
Left School in 1990 and went straight to college for book keeping, Qualified
Went on to Uni to do Doctorate in Psycology and Sociology, 4 years down line qualified as criminal psycologist (Dr), during Uni worked for Marble and granite company delivering worktops/fireplaces and gravestones on days of uni and weekends. Stayed with them for another two years.
Left there and went into Aerial and satelite installations on commercial premises and new home building sites. Stayed untill early 2000.
Passed class 2 17 february 2000, booked class 1 for 13 March 2000, cancellation on friday 18, started class 1 21 February and passed 4 days later, Been driving HGV’s eversince.
Got the bug from my dad who started on the buses in 66 and then HGV’s in 71…
1st job…Delivering meat for local butcher on pushbike
after that…from age 16…
trainee TV engineer … made redundant
Postman on a bike…in a van… in a 7.5t…in an artic (courtesy of Royal Mail)
after statutory 3 years (otherwise you pay back cost of lessons etc) left to drive artic around Europe.
8 years later went into transport office as vehicle/driver manager…then import manager…then sales manager…then took redundancy when company was bought out by them green boys from Carlisle.
Went back to European driving but family stress brought me back to UK…
Been driving for same guy for last 8 years now on UK 2 nights out a week on average and very happy
Left school -1978
FLT driver -1978-1979 (no ticket in them days) Anglesey Aluminium (Rio tinto zinc)
Welder/cutter-1979-1980
RAF- Mechanical transport driver-1980-1997 (took the money)
Civil service-1997-2000
Securicor Omega Express (which became DHL) Night trunk driver
Passed class 3 1980
Passed class 1 1983
Passed mobile crane (wheeled) 1989
Passed pcv cat d 1991
Passed CPC (nat & int) 1999
Left school in 1965, no qualifications, careers bloke said to leave at 15 to become an apprentice lithographic printer, moved to computer operating as print job moved to Yorkshire, I lived in Lancashire.
1970 - started work in computer industry, seemed like a good move at the time, working all sorts of daft shift hours!
1977 - moved to Yorkshire setting up large, in those days, computer operating systems, processing other peoples work, working even dafter shift hours!
1986 - self employed computer consultant, travelled the country training people to use computers. From 1992 - 2001 covered 338K miles in a Golf VR6, sold it for £1500.
Finished in school and got a job in
Tesco
also had a job over the summer working on an Egg farm packing the boxed eggs into crates for shipping,
started in college still in tesco part time
and the next summer had a job as a taxi controller (the most boring job ever)
quit college and went full time in tesco and worked my way round the store doing all sorts checkouts, shop floor, trolleys, garage warehouse, back door then security. finished in tesco and started shunting for JRT and then 3 weeks ago started my driving career
i left school in 85 and did various jobs but always had a problem being told what to do by zb’s. 10 years ago i started driving a taxi and loved being on the open road all day. When my taxi got stolen 3 years ago and i got dumped on by the insurance company i decided to fulfill a life long dream of being wagon driver, my dad was so was grandad. Passed cat c 2 years ago and c+e 9 months ago.
I’ve never looked back, made plenty of mistakes but i still enjoy tramping up and down the country.
3 ‘O’ levels, wanted to do civil engineering,ended up at a motor vehicle college.
Did apprenticeship and got City and Guilds.
5/6 years motor mechanic and service advisor.
25 years in security, steelwork,gates,alarms etc
Dabbled in aircraft engineering,still do it occasionally,got a (now expired) pilots licence along the way.
Been driving for 18 months,got class 2 in Dec.
Loving it so far.
