What Would You Retrain To Do?

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

I was having a night out last Thursday night on an industrial estate in Chelmsford.
I was solo, having dropped my trailer at our depot there and then parking literally 300 or 400 yards away outside.
To say that I had a bad night would be a massive understatement.
I was woken in the dead of night by a voice outside the cab.
I peered through the cutain and there was someone loitering at the back of the unit.
I got out to see if there was something untoward going on and I wish that I hadnt bothered.
No sooner that my feet were on the ground I was pushed violently from behind against the cab.
I didnt know where the hell I was after that and also being half asleep.
It turns out that they were trying to syphon my diesel.
Judging by the guage they didn’t get much.
If any.
Then I had a liquid thrown into my face.
My eyes felt like they were on fire.
I was held against the cab and it sounded like someone was flicking a lighter.
They had got into my cab and made off with my sat nav.
When I got my sight back they were long gone.
I phoned the police and spent five and a half hours in hospital.
That experience has pushed me to my wits end.
I’ve barely slept since.
I don’t want to be moralised by anyone.
Comments like “you should have found secure parking” or “you should never have got out”.
I agree with both but hindsight is wonderful isn’t it?

I’m just wondering how it would affect you and what you would do to cope with it?
I’ve been doing this crap for 27 years and it’s all I know.

Incidently.
If you were nighting out on the Dukes Way Industrial Estate that night, please contact me.
You may have seen them better than I did.

2

I’ve luckily never had that happen to me but I’ve always been told, on here that you never get out of your cab. Always phone the plod first.

3

I am sure my first instinct would be to hit the horn or start the ignition whilst dialing the plod.

I hope you are alright chief.

4

Personal safety comes first in these situations, ring plod and STAY IN CAB until they arrive. Unless the thieves set fire to the vehicle or smash windows then that is the safest place.

No medals are awarded for getting hurt trying to stop someone trying to nick a few litres of fuel.

Hope you are ok and recovering from it.

5

I’m not too bad thanks.
Sinking in as to how much worse it could have been.
I want to get away from these things now.
Coming across this in my line of work has put me right off.
Waiting an hour for an ambulance which never turned up didn’t instill confidence either.

6

Steve. I understand you have had a bad experience. But don’t rush into any decision mate.

You could have had a bad experience outside your house,in a supermarket or anywhere. I know you were on your own and was probably a bit frightening,but with a bit of planning there are many safer places to park.

Are you a tramper pal?

7

Steve66:
I was having a night out last Thursday night on an industrial estate in Chelmsford.
I was solo, having dropped my trailer at our depot there and then parking literally 300 or 400 yards away outside.
To say that I had a bad night would be a massive understatement.
I was woken in the dead of night by a voice outside the cab.
I peered through the cutain and there was someone loitering at the back of the unit.
I got out to see if there was something untoward going on and I wish that I hadnt bothered.
No sooner that my feet were on the ground I was pushed violently from behind against the cab.
I didnt know where the hell I was after that and also being half asleep.
It turns out that they were trying to syphon my diesel.
Judging by the guage they didn’t get much.
If any.
Then I had a liquid thrown into my face.
My eyes felt like they were on fire.
I was held against the cab and it sounded like someone was flicking a lighter.
They had got into my cab and made off with my sat nav.
When I got my sight back they were long gone.
I phoned the police and spent five and a half hours in hospital.
That experience has pushed me to my wits end.
I’ve barely slept since.
I don’t want to be moralised by anyone.
Comments like “you should have found secure parking” or “you should never have got out”.
I agree with both but hindsight is wonderful isn’t it?

I’m just wondering how it would affect you and what you would do to cope with it?
I’ve been doing this crap for 27 years and it’s all I know.

Incidently.
If you were nighting out on the Dukes Way Industrial Estate that night, please contact me.
You may have seen them better than I did.

:open_mouth: Bloody hell mate that is bad. I do hope you are OK, but I reckon that it will affect you for a long time. You are more than likely going to get little sleep from now trying to sleep with one eye open. I won’t try as you say ‘moralise’ as you have said it all yourself, you can not always park secure, and you and I know that you should never get out.

Just wondered why you didn’t park in your depot, but as you say …hindsight etc etc.
Have you checked if you were in the range of any CCTV, it would at least maybe get some I.d. on those pieces of ■■■■ or their vehicle.

How would it affect me? Well in the unlikely event of me getting out even though I am a big lad, the fluid in eyes and flicking of lighter I would be absolutely bricking it.
I was parked at The Fox at Colsterworth a few years ago when I was awoke by some ■■■■ in my trailer, if I had thought he was on his own and/or not carrying a knife I would have loved to have got out, shut him in and drop him off in Belgium.

Only advice I can give, that you know anyway, is be more selective where you park, avoid dark places and park with others. There are places I used to park 20-30 year ago that I would never park now, as things have changed so much.
You as a working driver are worth 10 of those pond life ■■■■ s, so don’t let them win by you jacking a job you have done for years, as then they have beaten you.

Best of luck mate, I sincerely hope you get over it, I mean that btw.

8

No I’m not a tramper.
I do two regular nights out a week.
They’re not back to back nights out.
I think my other half might put the block on that now.

Robroy, we can’t park in our Chelmsford depot.
There just isn’t the room.
There are services nearby but by the time we’re done it’s hard to get any space in there at all.
Thanks for your advice guys.
My firm have been good and are keeping me local for the time being.
I don’t want to take time off as it would give me too much time to think.
I won’t jump into anything but my heart is no longer in it anymore.

9

I would retrain to be a train driver:)
Hope you’re ok OP, I’ll buy you a drink if you like:)

10

Is days ONLY viable for your circumstances mate? What about working in the office-transport planner maybe?

11

eagerbeaver:
Is days ONLY viable for your circumstances mate? What about working in the office-transport planner maybe?

Christ that would push him over the edge. :open_mouth:

12

I have some holiday booked on the 15th of June.
I was hoping to plod on til then and get away for a few days and maybe calm down a bit.
Transport Planner.
I have thought of that for a while as I’ve an Operations CPC.
But the stress levels in that is worse than in ours :smiley:

13

Depending where you were on the estate most of the units have CCTV …Mad keen on it in Chelmsford…could you ask your company for an office position ?be hard to adjust but your life/eyesight may be worth the sacrifice

14

I hope things work well for you Steve,whatever you decide. I have to agree with Robroy though.

The pieces of sh*t that were brave enough to go double manned must not be the ones to make your decision for you.
They are cowards and are parasites of the community. You are a professional driver who has done the job for years.

15

■■■■ that is a hell of an eye opener! I hope you get over it soon. Transport planning is exactly the same as driving, it’s only as stressful as you make it :laughing:

No, in all seriousness, you’ve got nearly 30 years in the industry I’m sure you could move sideways on the ladder or up without difficulty, and you’ll never have more motivation than you do now.

Best of luck mate, I really hope it all works out for you, can you ask for no nights out for the near future?

16

Pimpdaddy:
I would retrain to be a train driver:)
Hope you’re ok OP, I’ll buy you a drink if you like:)

You’re on.
Mine’s a Carling :smiley:

17

F-reds.

They are keeping me local for the time being.
My firm have been good in all fairness.
Whether they’ll have something available in their traffic office remains to be seen but I may look on some job sites to see what’s about.

18

That’s a bad experience steve66 ,the violence first questions later dosent pay either as I’ve learnt this week ,I nearly got me self a night behind bars !

19

Don’t be so hard on yourself, the fact is none of us know what we would do in similar circumstances. We know what we should do but, as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face. It’s huge for you at the moment as you’re not used to being in that situation, you will be suffering from shock. That will pass, memories fade, & you will come to realise it wasn’t your fault, not everyone is out to get you.

20

Hind sight is a wonderful and sounds like you had a nasty experience I’ve always found when feeling uncomfortable when people around the truck is to start her up and put the lights on it shows them you are aware of them