WildGoose:
You can’t really generalise to people on the outside about wages and working times etc. The only thing I would say to anyone considering it, is be prepared to work 13 hour days as if it’s perfectly normal, and you can’t go far wrong.I don’t consider it a lifestyle (diesel in the veins or any of that wibble), it’s just a job, but it’s not a bad job, as long as you can find a decent place to work for, and they do still exist.
There are aspects I didn’t used to like, nights out on the road etc, but it all depends on what you have to get back to. I’m just renting a room in someone elses house, I don’t have much of a place in the world, so the way I feel at the moment, it doesn’t particularly fuss me about being in the truck or in my room.
Yes, you may go to depressing bleak places but at least you know, no matter how bad it is, you will eventually be leaving. Imagine having to drive a desk in that place, for example, or knowing that you have to come back to it the next day.
The only real stress is that which you choose to make for yourself. You might have a days worth of unrealistic delivery times, but you can only do what you can do, it isn’t your problem. Assuming you are half competent, then nobody else is going to do it any quicker than you, no matter how badly planned it is.
I feel like a lot of drivers I speak to, create their own stress, because they are convinced that there should be some.
I honestly don’t know what else i’d do, for the same effort (little) and the same money (not ‘lots’ but fair).
That’s one of the most sensible and honest posts I’ve ever read. Good on you mate.
