Must admit I can’t believe I do my job for what I’m paid to do it.
Must be because it’s only a few minutes drive away
Cotswoldcrunch:
(Snip)
Delivered to a pizza house yesterday where Abdul sat there staring at us the whole time- never offered to help stack, hold a door open, or [zb] all.
I’ve been “made aware” of a couple of tipper jobs but I’m gambling on something better coming along…
At least you are now on first name terms with the customers! 
Never had a job I REALLY hated, I changed to suit my lifestyle and usually a slight wage drop was the downside but contentment is worth a lot. Not sure that I could have stood all the grief that some drivers get from trackers and TM’s etc, never had to deal with any of those in the ‘old days’ and for that I am truly thankful! Being on tippers it was usually 5 am starts but I liked that.
Pete.
I’ve always thought of C+E jobs at Royal Mail to be one of the best driving jobs, any of their drivers I’ve spoke to don’t seem hard worked
unless it’s the shift pattern or you’re getting hassle at work then I can’t see why you’d leave, unless of course you’re moving to a non driving job
just curious!
Yes Windrush I’m on first name terms with quite a few although not like in the tipper days where (I expect you did too) drivers knew a lot of their customers and vice versa. Probably easier on tippers as I covered less distance.
Had some info on a tipper job today and the lorries aren’t red or green. 
I changed roles at my place. I don’t hate what I’m doing anymore but still have the same loathing for the management. In fact I love my job now. Bonus is I’m happy to be a thorn in the senior managements side but with a smile and no stress now.
daffyd:
I’ve always thought of C+E jobs at Royal Mail to be one of the best driving jobs, any of their drivers I’ve spoke to don’t seem hard workedunless it’s the shift pattern or you’re getting hassle at work then I can’t see why you’d leave, unless of course you’re moving to a non driving job
just curious!
It was. Mate of mine was long-term agency with RM; went temp to perm, not long afterwards they messed all the shift patterns about and he ended up off work with stress for over a month. He’s back now but tells me it’s by no means the good job it used to be.
Sorry to revive YET another old thread on TNUK!
I’m starting to get into a position where I’m seriously thinking about leaving my current tramping job, basically for the state of my health.
I have been with my current mob for seven months now on a P&O Ferrymasters (trailers) contract. It started pretty well, especially after I got my own motor (67-plate Stralis) back in Feb after nearly two months on holiday cover. For a while, things looked pretty rosy, with regular runs to some beautiful places in Scotland as well as going backwards and forwards along the A66 across the Pennines.
But, then in the last month or so, the rot has started to set in, beginning with the following two incidents:
1st one: Went to collect a trailer from Teesport with a multi drop load for three places in Scotland. When I was doing my walk round, I discovered that one of the O/S tyres was flat, so I rang my planner to get a tyre fitter out, and also informed him that I was running out of WTD and that I was driving out of port in order to park up for the night, and then picking up the trailer in the morning. But, he wanted me to collect it there and then on that particular night, and do a printout if I ran out of hours whilst waiting for the tyre lad (no way, Jose). So, I think he was trying to get me to run bent for his benefit! 
**2nd one:**About a few weeks later, went to collect another trailer (again, from Teesport) for an ADR (class 3) load to be delivered to Lancaster the following day. Whilst checking the load, I discovered that it was sent over the water without a DGN, no straps and a pretty strong smell (potential leak)! 
Again, rang the planner (knows very little about ADR) to inform him about the situation, but this time, he tried every trick in the book to get me to take it (“Your transport order (sent via Whatsapp, but has no info about DGs) will cover you”, “Check the floor for any leaks, and if there’s nothing, take it”), etc. This was a solvent-based product. So, I left the trailer where it was, angrily telling him that this was the last ever job I did for them, and I would NOT be back in the morning! But, after a decent night sleep, and realising what might happen if I walked out on an employer without giving enough notice, I calmed down enough to crack on.
Since then, the job has been going steadily downhill. Even though this man has been pulling similar stunts on other drivers many, many times before, he’s somehow coated with teflon, because the TM or the MD of the company simply will NOT sack him, claiming that they cannot find anybody to replace him! Also, we mainly run out of Killingholme now, because a couple of Scottish firms have hoovered up much of the Teesport work. On a typical week, I currently leave the house at 5am on a Monday morning, and not return until 10pm on a Friday evening.
One of the other office monkeys has been issuing “infringements” for “unaccounted time” (this is because the tacho defaults to break when the ignition is turned off, and very occasionally, I forget to change modes). He also claims that weekly retorques of wheelnuts are a legal requirement.
I don’t think that tramping is for me (before anybody comes on here and says “Snowflake,” “That’s the way it is in this industry,” etc), and am looking to get a job as a day (or possibly, a night driver). I’m also registered with a few agencies to plug the gap if necessary, because I’m seriously thinking about jumping ship in the next week or so (after observing a week’s notice period of course) and rejoining the agency carousel. I do have a generous amount of savings.
Anybody know of any the above jobs going at the moment around Teesside? I have seven months of Class 1 experience, plus I was driving Class 2 from July to December 2018. I prefer local multidrop with a pallet network (some of you think that I’m crazy)!
Sorry for the super long essay.
I’d think twice about. The agency work , I’ve had 3 jobs for Monday , cancel , go here , cancel , ring this bloke , it reminds me why I didn’t think much of it before , I’d stick where you are and look for a decent full time job
Don’t eat ■■■■ for anyone.
There are some well run firms out there.
Even on general,where pay will be less than own account.
Sometimes people refer to these jobs as"not proper" which I think is a little unfair.
I had a similar situation when I was on the buses. The driving was ok but was slowly getting more and more agitated with the rest of it. Constant moaning from the traffic office. We had a known trouble route, kids smashing windows, swearing ans spitting at us.
They didn’t want to do anything about it and it was causing me more and more stress, it affected me both mentally and physically.
Your recognising that its not for you, I would inclined to look elsewhere but try and stay employed until you can jump ship. It will only get worse from what you have said.
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
A lot of its simply not wanting to jump from frying pan to fire scenario.I’m languishing in a box job that’s crucifyingly boring.Routine,bluechip deliveries type deal.The company it once was,before being swallowed by a corporate Titan,has long gone.No more random,off the beaten track West-country stuff we once did.Nowadays we may as well be on a rail-track to Northampton and Milton Keynes.I always relish challenging navigational ops and a sense of adventure,guess i’m pining for those, Euro-fridge years, many years ago,pre-sat nav that tended to put you in the more extreme spectrums of transport,but leavened with a great sense of job satisfaction when overcoming the many obstacles therein.
After 7 years do i want to go to an identikit situation,3 month trial,whole new phalanx of pointy-shoes,with their ‘seniority’ power balance dynamics?
Tricky one.
I stayed in one I hated for several years because to me I knew nothing else. Since then I’ve dropped jobs at the drop of a hat, except for one where I was made redundant last Easter. That one I felt like part of the family, until my boss laid me off on Easter Saturday on the doorstep, when we had guests staying.
I took the first job offered to keep the wolf from the door but I knew it would be crap, and eventualky walked out of it, straight to an interview with my current employer and started work the next day.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Sometimes best to stick with what you know.
edd1974:
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Sometimes best to stick with what you know.
True enough,then again if your current patch of grass is parching ever more liberally…
Boiling frog syndrome?could well be. 
You here about people in abusive relationships who don’t leave, usually women but it happens to men too. It takes a straw that broke the camels back scenario then the zb really hits the fan. If the job is really getting to you then walk possibly do something other than haulage for a spell.
I found working at RM rather stressful, despite it being the highest paid work out there. There’s not much point hanging about for a higher hourly rate - if it’s taking years off your life at the same time.
“Lesson Learned” as far as I’m concerned. 
Garbo2018:
Sorry to revive YET another old thread on TNUK!I’m starting to get into a position where I’m seriously thinking about leaving my current tramping job, basically for the state of my health.
I have been with my current mob for seven months now on a P&O Ferrymasters (trailers) contract. It started pretty well, especially after I got my own motor (67-plate Stralis) back in Feb after nearly two months on holiday cover. For a while, things looked pretty rosy, with regular runs to some beautiful places in Scotland as well as going backwards and forwards along the A66 across the Pennines.
But, then in the last month or so, the rot has started to set in, beginning with the following two incidents:
1st one: Went to collect a trailer from Teesport with a multi drop load for three places in Scotland. When I was doing my walk round, I discovered that one of the O/S tyres was flat, so I rang my planner to get a tyre fitter out, and also informed him that I was running out of WTD and that I was driving out of port in order to park up for the night, and then picking up the trailer in the morning. But, he wanted me to collect it there and then on that particular night, and do a printout if I ran out of hours whilst waiting for the tyre lad (no way, Jose). So, I think he was trying to get me to run bent for his benefit!
**2nd one:**About a few weeks later, went to collect another trailer (again, from Teesport) for an ADR (class 3) load to be delivered to Lancaster the following day. Whilst checking the load, I discovered that it was sent over the water without a DGN, no straps and a pretty strong smell (potential leak)!
Since then, the job has been going steadily downhill. Even though this man has been pulling similar stunts on other drivers many, many times before, he’s somehow coated with teflon, because the TM or the MD of the company simply will NOT sack him, claiming that they cannot find anybody to replace him! Also, we mainly run out of Killingholme now, because a couple of Scottish firms have hoovered up much of the Teesport work. On a typical week, I currently leave the house at 5am on a Monday morning, and not return until 10pm on a Friday evening.
One of the other office monkeys has been issuing “infringements” for “unaccounted time” (this is because the tacho defaults to break when the ignition is turned off, and very occasionally, I forget to change modes). He also claims that weekly retorques of wheelnuts are a legal requirement.
I don’t think that tramping is for me (before anybody comes on here and says “Snowflake,” “That’s the way it is in this industry,” etc), and am looking to get a job as a day (or possibly, a night driver). I’m also registered with a few agencies to plug the gap if necessary, because I’m seriously thinking about jumping ship in the next week or so (after observing a week’s notice period of course) and rejoining the agency carousel. I do have a generous amount of savings.
Anybody know of any the above jobs going at the moment around Teesside? I have seven months of Class 1 experience, plus I was driving Class 2 from July to December 2018. I prefer local multidrop with a pallet network (some of you think that I’m crazy)!
Sorry for the super long essay.
Sorry to here of your situation, I dunno if this helps, going back a few years mind, but I worked out of adr network penrith on the nft contract, lots of nice long runs, equaled excellent pay. Was treated right no hassle during the day, all equipment legal, however they ran low cab volvos if you ego can take that lol…at the time Steve was also the manager of the north east site, like most things the local manager is very important with agencies, might be worth an enquiry,
I was in a job I hated and in 2015 redundancy was offered. I snatched their hand off, got lucky with another job that I’m still doing. Money is about the same but I’m loads happier.
As has already been said,
there’s no point doing a job that shortens your life!
sent using smoke signals
I know drivers who earned serious money, unfortunately lived right up to the limit and so involved financially with living the dream as such, cannot now see any way to stop and get out, especially as in some cases their new found partners like the life.
Most people don’t stay in jobs they hate which pay average wages, there’s nearly always a good financial reason for doing so…this is fine so long as its the person doing the work voluntarily to set themselves up, ie with a goal in sight eg pay that mortgage off or clear debts then get out, it’s when they can see no option but to stay on the treadmill with no end in sight that danger lurks, and yes suicide features now and again in these cases, i’ve know a good number now who have taken their own lives, and others who should have retired years previously but unable to give up the kudos and material trappings involved who have literally died on the job, never knowing a single day of retirement.