Lorry Driving

hazelrichardson

My husband has class 2. He did get a company to pay for his training but this was about 6 or 7 years ago. He worked in central London for a while delivering water bottles but hated it.

After that he worked for a haulage company which was great. He only had about 6 drops a day on an easy route and worked from about 6am-4pm which wasn't bad.

He's currently working for Travis Perkins as a delivery driver and his hours are 7.30 - 5pm and every other Saturday so he does about 42 hours a week.

He has never wanted to take his class 1 as this is where most of the overnight and away work is. If you just want to do class 2 then there are quote a few sorts of jobs with better hours and conditions.

However even with years of experiance he has still found it hard to get work. We moved to Cornwall a year ago and its taken this long for him to get a full time job. He's been stuck with agency work for a couple of days here and there as there are so many drivers out of work.

Disgruntled_Knome

Come from a family of drivers (both coach and wagon) and there is a serious amount of uncertainty in both industrys as regards to jobs.

Many wagon and coach drivers are on frozen incomes due to lack of work and rising fuel prices as well as even more strict CO2 controls and taxes (basically sky rocketing running costs just on the just transport side!).

Did a bit of agency work for one company and their drivers are on £7.50 per hour and they are carrying abnormal and pretty dangerous high responsibility loads!
And another wagon company their drivers were on minimum wage!!!

Its really a sad time especially considering that the laws are becoming even more strict, the stress levels are getting worse, and there is a lot you have to pay out of your pocket for the privilage.

Some companys are paying for the driver CPC scheme for their drivers but not all,,, many are putting that cost on the drivers shoulder once again.

The CPC of which in itself is stupid,, if you dident know these laws etc you wouldent have passed your driving test! and would have been locked up for tacho infringments many times over!

In honesty, if I dident like long distance and seeing all these places along the way I would give up driving in a heart beat!

achtunglady

Glass_Half_Empty?? wrote: »

Just to add to the above negativity
On these long days of waiting around for hours on end you can go to bed(I always used to at certain drops as I knew I was there for a long time:D) You are being paid to sit in that traffic jam, paid to sleep for 3 hours at the RDC while you get loaded/tipped. The lorry's are kitted out for the driver these days, very comfy. Decent stereos a lot with mp3 input bunk beds fridges or you can invest in your own cool box. Take your own snap and you dont need a canteen, take books magazines a laptop or tv you can get invertors now to run just about anything in your truck. There is places to park not always secure but most firms I know now will pay all parking fees back and if you work for a big firm who have bases all over UK you can park in them. Also loads of places have shower rooms for drivers now so they can get a wash while being tipped.
The worst part is the lack of routine in finishing and how things happen everytime you plan anything but its just part of the job
Dont believe "all" the doom and gloom you read on here its not a bad job the pay can be good and you get weekends off. I spent 4 years working in pubs before driving for minimum wage and every weekend 50-60 hour weeks for a pittance. I know what I would rather do now :cool:

Your first point raised about being able to sleep in your cab while waiting to be tipped, some DC's (TESCO being one) will not let you stay in your cab while tipping due to health and safety reasons, so force you to sit in a hot room, with uncomfortable chairs so even if you did want to have a rest you couldnt.

The lorries are kitted out but you have said what you have to do when you get caught out wanting the loo, its not easy to pull up in an artic at any old toilet, so you pee in a bottle and crap in a carrier bag. Oh and by the way, incidences of bowel cancer and bowel problems such as constipation are considerably higher in truck drivers as they often have to "hold it in" until they can get to a toilet. Lord help you if you have a case of the runs!!!!!

What about the poor night trampers who have to sleep in this hot weather in a metal can, afraid to keep their windows and skylights open in case they get gassed and have their loads nicked? So do they keep the engine running while asleep so they can keep the aircon on??

Where do you wash out your cooking utensils?? Do you carry a bottle of washing up liquid, dishcloth and kitchen sink??

I've yet to see a place that allows drivers to have a shower while tipping, some even refuse you access to the toilet, can you name the places that DO allow you to shower?

Constant running of appliances will start wearing the lorry battery down, one whiff of this from the boss as to why the battery keeps failing and you will be expected to pay for a battery.

A coolbox is only good in use when the engine is running and not every truck is fitted out with a microwave or fridge as standard

The worse part of being a truck driver is being treated like dirt by other drivers and the NIMBY's who want the goods from the lorry but don't want you there, they have to remember EVERYTHING they use has been transported on a lorry, from the bricks in their property to the bog roll they use to wipe their backsides.

Car drivers will always moan that lorries keep them back while driving on a motorway driving at 56mph, well hello, theres three lanes to use and cars are not limited to 56mph like lorries are so get your bum in gear and use the other lanes and not decide at 50 yards to the exit to sweep across from lane three to take the slip road in front of a fully laden lorry.

How about the CPC which is compulsary yet isnt worth the paper its written on, its not like an NVQ just abit of paper that says you sat in a classroom being taught by someone who has never driven a truck just for the sake of it, while european drivers dont have to do this

achtunglady

Glass_Half_Empty?? wrote: »

. Yeah we drive a lot, but I like driving and dont mind folk cutting me up,

Tell me you dont mind folk cutting you up when you have jack-knifed having to brake harshly to avoid their stupid actions, while they drive off oblivious to the problem they caused

ROG

All you wish to know about becoming a trucker and what all the hoops are to go through including the costs and the pitfalls after passing the test
Google for - trucketuk.com newbies forum
I hope it helps

Hammyman

ROG wrote: »

All you wish to know about becoming a trucker and what all the hoops are to go through including the costs and the pitfalls after passing the test
Google for - trucketuk.com newbies forum
I hope it helps

...although you'll get a more realistic idea in the UK Professional Drivers forum on the Trucknet site.

BTW, Hi ROG, nice to see you here. :D

Glass_Half_Empty??

achtunglady wrote: »

Your first point raised about being able to sleep in your cab while waiting to be tipped, some DC's (TESCO being one) will not let you stay in your cab while tipping due to health and safety reasons, so force you to sit in a hot room, with uncomfortable chairs so even if you did want to have a rest you couldnt.

The lorries are kitted out but you have said what you have to do when you get caught out wanting the loo, its not easy to pull up in an artic at any old toilet, so you pee in a bottle and crap in a carrier bag. Oh and by the way, incidences of bowel cancer and bowel problems such as constipation are considerably higher in truck drivers as they often have to "hold it in" until they can get to a toilet. Lord help you if you have a case of the runs!!!!!

What about the poor night trampers who have to sleep in this hot weather in a metal can, afraid to keep their windows and skylights open in case they get gassed and have their loads nicked? So do they keep the engine running while asleep so they can keep the aircon on??

Where do you wash out your cooking utensils?? Do you carry a bottle of washing up liquid, dishcloth and kitchen sink??

I've yet to see a place that allows drivers to have a shower while tipping, some even refuse you access to the toilet, can you name the places that DO allow you to shower?

Constant running of appliances will start wearing the lorry battery down, one whiff of this from the boss as to why the battery keeps failing and you will be expected to pay for a battery.

A coolbox is only good in use when the engine is running and not every truck is fitted out with a microwave or fridge as standard

The worse part of being a truck driver is being treated like dirt by other drivers and the NIMBY's who want the goods from the lorry but don't want you there, they have to remember EVERYTHING they use has been transported on a lorry, from the bricks in their property to the bog roll they use to wipe their backsides.

Car drivers will always moan that lorries keep them back while driving on a motorway driving at 56mph, well hello, theres three lanes to use and cars are not limited to 56mph like lorries are so get your bum in gear and use the other lanes and not decide at 50 yards to the exit to sweep across from lane three to take the slip road in front of a fully laden lorry.

How about the CPC which is compulsary yet isnt worth the paper its written on, its not like an NVQ just abit of paper that says you sat in a classroom being taught by someone who has never driven a truck just for the sake of it, while european drivers dont have to do this

What a bloody moan :rotfl:
I never expected the job to be amazing where truckers are kings of the road as my family is full of lorry drivers. I knew what I was getting into and enjoy it on the whole. Compared to serving a city centre pub 4 deep on a fi and sat night being threatened of being shot/stabbed/glassed because I havent served them or their mate quick enough for 5 quid an hour compared to this makes me realise how easy we have it. It could be better I agree and isnt perfect but its better then a lot of jobs. :cool:
And as for being cut up to the point of jack-knifing that isnt the lorry drivers fault unless its proved you werent paying attention so be professional and avoid if you can accidents will always happen unfortunately

emmell

The reason my brother is now a taxi driver is because he lost his regular job when the distribution warehouse he worked for closed down.
He had to sign on for agency driving and that was the problem, he was getting sporadic shifts. When they did call him it was usually 3pm or later, so he had got up early phoned the agency to be told nothing available yet we'll ring you as soon as we have anything. It didn't take him long to realise he was getting all the !!!!!! runs that nobody else wanted, particularly weekends. But even then he wasn't getting enough shifts to make a decent wage.
He had done taxi driving years before as an extra to his day job so went back. He does work long hours and he did struggle in the bad snowy and icy conditions but it would have been the same in his lorry.
ML.

achtunglady

Glass_Half_Empty?? wrote: »

What a bloody moan :rotfl:
I never expected the job to be amazing where truckers are kings of the road as my family is full of lorry drivers. I knew what I was getting into and enjoy it on the whole. Compared to serving a city centre pub 4 deep on a fi and sat night being threatened of being shot/stabbed/glassed because I havent served them or their mate quick enough for 5 quid an hour compared to this makes me realise how easy we have it. It could be better I agree and isnt perfect but its better then a lot of jobs. :cool:
And as for being cut up to the point of jack-knifing that isnt the lorry drivers fault unless its proved you werent paying attention so be professional and avoid if you can accidents will always happen unfortunately

Its not a moan, just pointing out the realities faced by truck drivers and not go into it with rose tinted glasses, from the outside looking in yes it can be attractive, but ask someone whos done it and what the pitfalls are so you get an informed choice as to whether it is the job for you, it would be a shame for any person to have their training paid for by a firm and be held to ransom by staying with the firm when they don't enjoy the job or their family life suffers due to stress of a job they hate, a catch 22, cant leave the job or else pay back the cost of training, or stay on to the detriment to their health and relationships.

perhaps some people are made of stronger stuff and like being talked to like something on the bottom of your shoe, i'm just saying it happens in DC's from the security guards to the Route planners and managers, dont think being a HGV driver is an easy ride (unless you have cruise control and a split shift gear box)

Glass_Half_Empty??

I wont tollerate being spoke to like !!!! from anyone I actually "work with" however you mention a fairish point about the DC's. I have never come across it "yet" but heard about it many a time. Even at tesco though there is usually a way of finding your bed instead of sitting in the waiting room if you have the right man on the desk especially at dirft in Crick(which is the only one of a few I have been to where they state you cant sit in cab) Most other places let you stay in bed because of the long wait, if it will only be 30-60 mins I dont see much wrong in sitting in a waiting room. And I still stand by what I say about it being worth it, but it depends completely on what the OP does now how academic they are what experience they have goals aims etc etc. Given the experience I have now I would of followed up in physiotherapy as I wanted to even though it would of taken my years I didnt want to study I would be in a much cushty job now but that is neither here nor there. My dad persuaded me to go into driving and after nearly 6 years I cant really do owt else now I have a family so the op wants to be VERY SURE before parting with the money and maybe even get career advice from a professional before plummeting into the worst of worst jobs on the planet :j