I don’t always agree with Juddian, but when I do, I really do! Think you’ve nailed it on the head talking about attitude - if you have the right attitude, you can succeed in just about anything you try.
I think those that complain about how bad the pay and conditions of truck driving is are out of touch with the wages of some others jobs.
I’ve worked in many industries over the years, warehouse work was low paid, ok so I got overtime over 8 hours but a 12 hour warehouse shift is far worse than any 15 hour day I’ve ever done.
Even that office waller with his nice clean suit and shiny shoes probably isn’t raking it in, more like on a salary for a 37.5 hours week, ok the hourly rate might work out better but the take home won’t be anywhere near a drivers, and then of course there’s no overtime, but plenty of extra hours unpaid when their senior mangers put extra work on them which must be done to a timescale and probably done at home once the kids have gone to bed.
Somebody mentioned getting an HGV licence costing £5000 because of loss of earnings on top of training fees, well getting other qualifications cost money, i left work to spend 2 years in full time study to get an higher education qualification in IT, so let’s say £50,000 in lost earnings, plus debts run up to live while studying despite getting plenty of driving work while I was at college. I then got jobs in IT, far from the glorious wages you’d be lead to believe they, I did know some on big bucks, but it’s not the norm. Maybe if I’d stuck it out it might have got better, but how many years and would the big bucks have made up for the loss of earning while training and the years of low pay?
This isn’t the reason I got out, while I was looking for another IT job, I saw an advert for a race team and despite having no idea of what the job involved and very little interest in motorsport I thought I’d apply, got the job and that was14 years ago. The job is not without its down side, but I’ve mostly been treated well, paid well and there is the camaraderie in the paddock that many of the old hands say they miss about the haulage industry and I when on the road I pretty much get left to do what I want, as long as the truck gets to the circuit on time.
hi as a young driver only 22 passed my class1 july 2015 i would happily reccomend it to younger people i know the job is far from what it would have been 20 years ago but i still think it is a enjoyable job money isnt brilliant but im happy to wake up with a different view every morning in my truck with ther perks of working for a small company (3 trucks/drivers) all assignd a truck each with new renaults on order no agency drivers to ruin are truck/homes how ever i do wish we could go back to the older times where drivers are abit more socable than they are now and have more old style truck stops like hillside cafe on a36 having been told many good stories by my dad and uncle about how it was back then
Yatsay93:
I do wish we could go back to the older times where drivers are abit more socable than they are now and have more old style truck stops like hillside cafe on a36 having been told many good stories by my dad and uncle about how it was back then
Not all drivers are miserable basts who park in lay bys and straight in the bunk, there are still a few of us sociable types left.
I was in Stoke on Wed night, had a couple of pints with another driver and a good conversation (anything except transport) and a laugh.
You keep trying to get some enjoyment out of the job bud, it makes for a better life, and take no notice of the boring work/sleep types… 
Just noticed…22 ? I’ve got Trucker’s maps in my locker older than you.
. Not trying to lead you astray or groom you. 
Not says all drivers at all as I have met some really nice helpful friendly chatty drivers who will often turn round and offer words of encouragement unfortunately I don’t tend to stay in truck stops often so I don’t ever get the chance to meet drivers on the night time
When I did my licence, I’d sold a motorbike and knew full well I’d pee it up the wall if I didn’t do something useful with it. I did me test and just looked at it as an upgrade to the minimum wage… If you try it and don’t like it, it’s still better than stacking shelves and a job until you find something better…
I started out on tipper work, then as soon as I’d got the experience went to somewhere that I was hourly paid (fridges) then eventually ended up doing tanker work which is what I’d wanted to ‘aspire’ to in the first place. It’s easy to forget that training/getting used to doing the type of work you’re doing takes just as long as learning to drive an artic. (which keeps people interested, IMO)
As a teacher you might say to your students that there’s exponential growth in opportunity through types of work, something to suit everybody.
Would I recommend it to everyone?
No.
Would I try and talk someone out of it?
No.
It’ll suit some of them down to the ground though I’m sure.
I will weigh in with my own comment.
No. I’ve been doing this job for a year and a bit now. Before this I worked in a shop and before (and at the same time as) that I was at uni studying Biology. I’m aware that I haven’t followed a standard career path.
Biology was a bit of a mistake. I think now I’d rather have done engineering, but I thought plants were cool and I did well in sixth form so I went for biology. Didn’t enjoy it much, ended up doing it part-time, eventually just sort of left. Started working in the shop on delivery shift (delivery turned up at about 5, most of the time 
). Chatting to the drivers I thought “I could do that”. At the tender age of 19 I drove to Mansfield and passed my Cat C first time. Got on the agency and had a semi-regular job, job and knock for the most part, £120 a day. I earned some cash doing that got myself a motorbike because why not.
Then I hurt my back (that job went away because I ■■■■■■ off an office clerk. Talked to a guy who used to work there, agreed he was a see you next tuesday), took some time off, came back and did my Cat CE, and now have a regular trunk run in a 26t rigid.
I’ve had fun, I’ve earned money, I’ve lost money. But would I recommend it to anyone else? Probably not. Get your forks or work plant on building sites. Personally I’m looking for a nice office job where I have to do a moderate amount of thinking. 
Only certain people can do it in my opinion. You got to enjoy the jollying about the country in a truck or you will loose the will to live soon enough.
Its a quick way to earn some dollar as when I passed 7yrs ago when I was 21yrs old I was on about 30k a year. The problem being till you find the plum job you seem to stay around that figure but maybe the work itself is better or the trucks are better and less hours work.
Two of my mates of similar ages doing different work:
Mate One: Been working in an electrical factors as a branch assistant since he was 21 (Now 30) on 15.5k a year plus maybe 2k in bonus as does 7:30am till 5pm Mon-Fri. This month he was promoted to assistant manager and now on 20k plus similar bonus. So up until now I was taking home about double his wages and now he has years to wait/hope to be a branch manager at some point where you then get closer to 30k plus a company car (Golf).
Mate Two: Works at a bank on the phones on £14.50hr for 35hrs a week. He is in a position to be doing all sorts of exams at the place to move up the ladder and on to more money. He doesn’t like the job particularly but its a good earner. Much better then his previous call centre jobs.
So Mate Two doesn’t earn as much as me right now but definitely has potential to do a lot better in the not so distant future, Mate One on the other hand is playing what I consider a very long game considering other branch mangers are 40+yrs old.
For me if your willing to get up early in the morning sometimes and sleep in a cab occasionally its a pretty easy life really. The 3k you spend on the licence is paid back within months if like me I was on £200 a week in a warehouse job beforehand.
fuse:
I recommend you pack the HGV job up if you are a full time teacher.
I’m amazed he can find time to fit any shifts in. From what I hear all teachers spend four or five hours a night marking and prepping, after they’ve done all the after school activities they must do, spend all weekend marking and prepping and never have any time during the school holidays as it’s all work, work, work. 
Stanley Knife:
fuse:
I recommend you pack the HGV job up if you are a full time teacher.I’m amazed he can find time to fit any shifts in. From what I hear all teachers spend four or five hours a night marking and prepping, after they’ve done all the after school activities they must do, spend all weekend marking and prepping and never have any time during the school holidays as it’s all work, work, work.
I think it’s only the better teachers who used to do this. Now everyone has to have a second earner to make up their pay.
The types of HGV jobs are very diverse and for anyone thinking of making a trucking career, they need to ask themselves some questions about their own character.
Does the individual expect to be home every night and every weekend? If so then the types of jobs available are pretty limited to jobs such as supermarket deliveries, trunking, local authority work etc etc and even these jobs may require anti social hours.
Trucking involves many hours of being alone, you will be a loner of sorts, some may find this difficult.
As for the job being for ‘thicko’s’, I don’t agree. You need to be good at route planning, securing your load, security, managing your time, good at dealing with paperwork (and there’s lot’s of paperwork). You need a good mechanical knowledge, not to the extent of a mechanics knowledge but to the extent you can fix issues to get you to a place of safety.
Ok, I’m one of the old school that wouldn’t think twice about changing an injector pipe on the side of the road. I accept you wouldn’t be expected to do that nowadays, but before the days of mobile phones basic repairs would be done by the driver.
If you enjoy your own company, don’t mind the unsocial hours and being relatively well paid I would recommend the job. Don’t be influenced by some of the ‘documentary’ rubbish on tv, that’s done for the viewers pleasure of what the life of trucker is perceived to be (though stobarts presentation of it’s robotic pre-programmed ‘drivers’ (steering wheel attendants?) may sadly be true).
I took early retirement from trucking in 2014 when I was expected to fork out an arm and a leg for a CPC, during the last couple of years the cost has dramatically reduced and I will be back on the road shortly
So in conclusion, anyone thinking of making a career of HGV work I would say give it a go. To anyone in their 20’s/30’s they are still young enough to try something else if things don’t work out, good luck 
I teach and do some C+E driving on a Saturday; it is possible for me as I’m on a 0.8 teaching contract. I have Mondays free so I can get the WTD weekly 45hr break in every week. If you are a full time teacher and you can’t do that you’ll be limited to working one extra day a fortnight. I work a few days a week in the holidays. As I’m salaried it means I’m paid twice; this seems greedy but teachers pay has been frozen for the last five years as part of public spending cuts. As for marking and preparation it depends on the type of teaching you do; some do a lot more than others and more experienced teachers will take a lot less time. Teachers holidays won’t get touched; there is a real teacher shortage which is much more evident than the driver shortage discussed endlessly on here. With two sons at university I need to support them otherwise they’ll be crippled with debt; they both study science degrees and hopefully will be able to earn good money anywhere in the world. Putting on £9k a year debt on fees alone for a Sports Studies degree is madness. As for advising anyone to enter the transport industry; well no unless you are happy to work long hours for moderate pay. Nice holidays is the perk for teachers, getting out and about and not being in a factory/office all day is the perk for driving. Some of the posts on here highlight the main issue with work in this country - low pay (unless you are a banker or a senior executive of course).
I will however make this final point. Unlike us its not going to be a job that will see them through to retirement. I reckon automated trucks will be along in 20 years and it’ll be a very niche few things that actually require a person at the wheel.
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Agree 100% Conor about automated trucks. I wonder if Howdens will go down that route of having an automated fleet, to make them look authentic they will need to have a dummy sat behind the steering wheel…oh just a minute they already have
I wouldnt worry by the time they leave school Trucks will be driving them selves and all us current Hgv drivers will be stacking tins of beans in aldi lol
I’d really love to see an automated truck negotiate it’s way round some of the building sites i deliver to on my travels [emoji57]
BeakFreak81:
I’d really love to see an automated truck negotiate it’s way round some of the building sites i deliver to on my travels [emoji57]
I’ve wondered about that, I suppose they are ok on AtoB M.way runs, but as in your case, I do stuff like deliveries to remote farms in Cornwall, on roads I maybe should not even be on in real terms, and where you have to be a ■■■■ magician to get turned back around after a delivery (despite what the farmer tells you on the phone pre. delivery 
) so I think the same as you on this.
robroy:
BeakFreak81:
I’d really love to see an automated truck negotiate it’s way round some of the building sites i deliver to on my travels [emoji57]I’ve wondered about that, I suppose they are ok on AtoB M.way runs, but as in your case, I do stuff like deliveries to remote farms in Cornwall, on roads I maybe should not even be on in real terms, and where you have to be a [zb] magician to get turned back around after a delivery (despite what the farmer tells you on the phone pre. delivery
I often wonder how planning permission has been granted on these new build housing estates.Just getting onto them can be an ordeal in its self.Having to reverse into sites and then half a mile down winding,boggy mud tracks littered with obstacles that seem to placed in the most awkward positions on purpose just to test your driving capabilities.
I am well aware of how quick modern technology is progressing.But i’m pretty ■■■■ sure that they will not have invented a truck that will be able to comprehend that it needs to move a section of herris fencing or a crash barrier so it can gain a couple of inches to manoeuvre …
Hope i’m still kicking about to ■■■■ mesen at the utter chaos that autonomous lorries will bring to the scene when they try them out on real live peak hour motorways, it’ll be a bloody farce.
We’re getting to the stage of nearly more admin than workers now in the transport sector, what with all the various spyware thats now fitted and has to be constantly fixed updated and reports written so those admin without a real job can make a bloody great mountain over every little transgression they discover.
I’d love to know how much fuel saving has resulted from the £thousands these logistics mobs ■■■■ up the wall on utterly pointless tat, if they even broke even i’d be amazed.
Can you just imagine how many more non jobs will be created the further we go down the automation route, there’ll be armies of the sods who don’t know one end of a lorry from the other all competing to run to teacher for a pat on the head because i saw Jones minor doing something wrong first sir.
It’ll be a bloody good earner for any bugger who actually knows how to drive a lorry when the time comes, cos the lorry aint going to go off the beaten track nor get itself into the places described here, and thats without another 20 million people living in the country turning the roads into even more chaos than they already are and urban corridor stretching from Dover to Bristol and Leeds to Liverpool.
The golden triangle is looking to link up to one massive industrial estate soon, look how close to Magna Park the earthmovers flattening ground out near Daventry/Rugby’s ever expanding industry zone when you next go by.
Carry on dreaming, no bloody automaton is going to replace any of us posting here, its years away if it ever happens at all in the tiny UK.
We don’t have the land available to build parallel roads to current trunk routes to carry this automated traffic, the real world of a small and already overpopulated island isn’t going to translate into what we see on sci fi films.
The Human Race are absolutely brilliant at finding ways of doing themselves out of employment, virtually every industry (apart maybe for 'The Oldest Profession" !) has seen machines of some description replacing manpower and then we wonder why there are more people than jobs. Just look at old pics from Victorian times of navvies digging railway cuttings etc, hundreds of them all to shortly be replaced by a mechanical excavator. Same in factories, robots doing the graft that possibly a hundred men and women did a handful of years ago and probably just a couple of men monitoring them, yes we are good at finding ways of having an easy life!
Regarding driverless lorries, one of our now deceased od’s used to tell me of lorries coming loaded down the banks on A515 near Buxton when he was a kid in the early fifties with no driver visible, they used to crouch down under the steering wheel so the kids waiting for the school bus couldn’t see them! Nothing new haha!
Pete.