It’s a general question open to answers from drivers (and former drivers), vehicle owners / operators, managers, traffic office people, mechanics etc. The question is prompted by the fact that it’s a “mature” workforce in the main in this industry these days, and it’s very difficult to attract young people to work in transport. For example, the average age of my drivers is 48. I know that plenty has changed in the last 40 years, but what made you want to be a lorry driver in the first place?
Going to work with my Dad from early age and when i left school same company took me on and put me through the young drivers scheme[class 3 at 18] still on road but got option of going in office,been in there today and being honest i don’t think i could hack it,by the way i’m 45 in a couple of weeks
I grew up with lorries, as my Dad was a lorry driver, and two lorries were based where we lived at an old mill. All I ever wanted to do from a small boy was to drive lorries, and I would do the same, if I had my time again. I’m still involved as a part-time transport manager,even though I’m over retirement age.
Cheers Dave.
Came into it late anyway - I was already mid-forties when I passed my Class 2. When I retired from policing a few years later, it just seemed like a natural move to make - I really didn’t relish the idea of going into security, fraud or private investigation type work as many of my former colleagues had done. Eight years later and I still look on it as a temporary/stop-gap measure while I decide what to do…
Got into it at 19. Always liked anything mechanical and always wanted to drive.
My dad was a owner driver and i spent every school holiday with going all over europe,left school got a job as a drivers m8/forklift driver/tea lad/sweeperupper …for 21st birthday had class 1 lessons ,past after 3 days first time ,been driving ever since ,thats 22yrs and i still like my job and lorrys [most of the time],what i dont like most of all apart from the dcpc crap is how drivers have become ignorant ■■■■■ who dont give a toss about the job,no pride in the job and we all get tarred with the same brush 
A question I’ve often asked myself.
Like many many others my Dad was a driver and I travelled in lorries before I could walk, then my elder brother went driving, so I had many great times in lorries
Grew up around my Dads lorries, always had a passion for anything with an engine and always out driving. So why not paid for what I love.
Seeing a pattern here.
So do you think the Health and Safety squad that have put an end to taking your kids with you may be one of the reasons kids don’t grow up wanting to be truck drivers anymore?
m1cks:
Seeing a pattern here.So do you think the Health and Safety squad that have put an end to taking your kids with you may be one of the reasons kids don’t grow up wanting to be truck drivers anymore?
Or are they more interested sitting on their arse playing computer games?
Fell in love with lorries when I was still in the pram. Went into teaching when I left school, but lorry-work was already in the blood even before I drove one, which I inevitably did in the end! Robert 
Dad was a lorry driver; spent every school holiday going out with him - think it was a fait accomplit after that!
As a kid I was always interested in any form of transport - boats, planes and trains.
Think it was in the blood back in the 1700’s I had a relative who was a fly-man type of taxi , then later 1800’s one had his own haulage business Horse and cart moving households between Bristol and Bath along with coal… and that’s where it stopped till me
I came from a family of haulage folk, so I suppose it was in my blood from day one, I used to get a ride on My Grandads Traction Engine, Then his Scammell artic, My great Uncle Isaac Smiles was his younger brother who founded the Smiles for Miles Company, On my Grandmas side of the family Tommy Boiston from Seaton Burn who was also a haulage man who in fact started with a horse & cart after the 1st WW. I also used to ride with my mates wagon drivers also from Seaton Burn G,Lowdon Ltd who in fact still have a couple of tippers running to-day Very happy days, Im retired now but I could very easily relive those happy days, Regards Larry.
A question I ask myself everyday ! Why on earth would anyone choose to haha !! Me dad was an owner driver then had some more lorries, ended up with 12 or so… Naturally I loved lorries and anything to do with them from a very young age (used to help him grease up his 8 wheel atki on a Sunday when I was about 3, so not really helping) I’ve done nothing else apart from transport…worked for dad, then in a Groupage office, then a driver 21 and 3 months passed me test, then off to another freight forwarder, then left and back on the lorries, then back again…
Now work as a transport manager in barcelona, still not sure what I prefer? Think the driving used to be the best, but don’t fancy it much anymore as doesn’t seem to be the same crack as it was… At least from the last time I did a trip out… Still wouldn’t change the job for the world, can’t be many more professions where you are always waiting for the unexpected to rise up and bite you at any given time of the day or night.
I didn’t ,but being as my self and 2 brothers were forced to work on fathers lorries from birth we don’t know anything else .
Same has most of the other lads on here.Has a kid always out with my Dad and then when I left school got a job as an apprentice mechanic at the same company where he was driving at the time,served my time there until I was 21 continued working has a mechanic with another company and at 29 was made foreman then after a couple of years went into the traffic office as a transport supervisor and then traffic manager finished up running my own company along with three other lads after a management buyout and then retired at 64.Wouldnt change a thing 
Back in the eighties mum married an absolute ■■■■ of a man , he regularly used to bring home his truck ( mostly erf’s of various vintage) and let us play around in it. Once he picked us up from school which given the location . Must of been an absolute monster of a spot to get into . Most of my ambitions came from this period , hence I’m now a driver , sometimes I regret ever going near a truck but then 2 weeks ago a nice trip down to Bavaria makes it all worth . Stuff working in a factory with some jobs worth constantly barking at u all day . Sadly I believe the job is dying a painful death why should a youngster throw his life away driving a truck when he/she can make as good a living doing a steady Monday to Friday job somewhere earning better money
Like the rest I grew up in lorries going all over Europe with my Dad. Did electrical engineering after school but got bored so at 23 got my class one.
Did European for 10 years then tried other things but always ended up back driving.
Haven’t driven for 6 years but am all up to date with my driver CPC just in case I need to go back to work.
Now off back to live in the USA but might try for my CDL this time just because I can.
I think road transport was chosen for me, although my later school days I wanted to be a joiner but couldn’t get an apprenticeship, my next option was working with metal, the then job centre offered me an apprenticeship, commercial vehicle mechanic, got the job, never looked back wagons were my life, served my time and got the driving bug, why should I crawl about in the ■■■■ when I could earn more money driving, loved my driving and mechanical days, but now retired, couldn’t do with the plug in diagnostics and CPC crap, shame you cant turn the clock back, but ill survive on my pension and going to the pub, oh and watching the wagons go by, its amazing how you miss road transport.
Les.