Trucking, is it worth doing my licence or is it a job
Discussion
Hi all, I've been watching this forum since its creation and was expecting this topic to have already been created, but it hasn't, so I'll do it.
Basically, I've liked the idea of truck driving for years, my grandad did it when I was a kid, I've always liked the driving (of all my jobs - and i've had a lot, its the driving jobs i've enjoyed the most). When working on a farm in Australia, last year, I got to drive my boss's road train rated Kenworth, and once I got the hang of the twin splitter gears I really liked it. it was a 1996 T650 iirc with a 525bhp cummins n14, with very little in the way of silencing, brakes and with its ruined cabin, and steel suspension, very little refinement, but it had once of the loudest jake brakes i've ever heard. He told me of all the people he'd taught, I picked up the eaton twin split the quickest.
My plan is fairly simple, after spending a year and a bit there on a working holiday visa I want to emigrate to Canada. I love the place but I'm not blessed with qualifications, money, and other things that would get me into Canada, I know they have a shortage of drivers, I know they're facing a bigger shortage of drivers (as are we I believe) and I know a number of provinces allow experienced truck drivers to emigrate as part of their PNP schemes.
This brings me to my main question. If it worth driving trucks in the UK? All I hear is how its a bad job, how vosa will try their hardest to remove your licence from you, how the police see truckers as easy targets and how there are no jobs because of the current economic situation and how it used to be a well paid job, but due to the eastern european influx, its now a minimum wage job. Am I hearing the doom and gloom of a bitter and twisted nation who just can't be positive about anything? or is there some truth in it.
I'd like to learn to drive, then maybe stick around in the uk for 3-5 years before hopefully emigrating then. (and if i don't, hopefully get into something more specialist, like heavy haulage, or continental work.) I'm 26 now, but by the time i've paid off some debts and saved for the truck driver lessons, it's likely to be a year down the line (when hopefully our economy might be on the mend).
I'd love to hear if you guys think its worth it, your general musings on the state of the industry and weather its as bad as the doom and gloomers seem to think it is.
Thanks,
Nick
Basically, I've liked the idea of truck driving for years, my grandad did it when I was a kid, I've always liked the driving (of all my jobs - and i've had a lot, its the driving jobs i've enjoyed the most). When working on a farm in Australia, last year, I got to drive my boss's road train rated Kenworth, and once I got the hang of the twin splitter gears I really liked it. it was a 1996 T650 iirc with a 525bhp cummins n14, with very little in the way of silencing, brakes and with its ruined cabin, and steel suspension, very little refinement, but it had once of the loudest jake brakes i've ever heard. He told me of all the people he'd taught, I picked up the eaton twin split the quickest.
My plan is fairly simple, after spending a year and a bit there on a working holiday visa I want to emigrate to Canada. I love the place but I'm not blessed with qualifications, money, and other things that would get me into Canada, I know they have a shortage of drivers, I know they're facing a bigger shortage of drivers (as are we I believe) and I know a number of provinces allow experienced truck drivers to emigrate as part of their PNP schemes.
This brings me to my main question. If it worth driving trucks in the UK? All I hear is how its a bad job, how vosa will try their hardest to remove your licence from you, how the police see truckers as easy targets and how there are no jobs because of the current economic situation and how it used to be a well paid job, but due to the eastern european influx, its now a minimum wage job. Am I hearing the doom and gloom of a bitter and twisted nation who just can't be positive about anything? or is there some truth in it.
I'd like to learn to drive, then maybe stick around in the uk for 3-5 years before hopefully emigrating then. (and if i don't, hopefully get into something more specialist, like heavy haulage, or continental work.) I'm 26 now, but by the time i've paid off some debts and saved for the truck driver lessons, it's likely to be a year down the line (when hopefully our economy might be on the mend).
I'd love to hear if you guys think its worth it, your general musings on the state of the industry and weather its as bad as the doom and gloomers seem to think it is.
Thanks,
Nick
It depends mate. I love it.
Many people seem to think it's an easy life though (all you do is sit there all day!) But it isn't. The regulations, the hours, the money isn't great the being away from home, lack of work/ life balance. If you don't love the job I doubt many people could stick it for long.
However when you've got the shades on, the radio cranked up and you're rolling on a nice road, it's the best job in the world!
Many people seem to think it's an easy life though (all you do is sit there all day!) But it isn't. The regulations, the hours, the money isn't great the being away from home, lack of work/ life balance. If you don't love the job I doubt many people could stick it for long.
However when you've got the shades on, the radio cranked up and you're rolling on a nice road, it's the best job in the world!
worst job in the world ! just look at most truckers there all around 21-25 and would pay the company
to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
italianjob1275 said:
I am not a poser! I don't even have frilly curtains!
Give me truck driving over an office job any day. Each to their own though.
THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Give me truck driving over an office job any day. Each to their own though.
Ive just passed my class 2 today, reason being that my job 7.5t driving started out as just driving, slowly ive been dragged in the office which was nice to begin with 1 maybe 2 days a week the rest driving.
in the next 3 months ill be off the road completely unless its desperate that i go out, not what i signed up for when i took the job so in the words of dragons den "im out".
Passed this morning got 1 possibly 2 jobs lined up just waiting to hear.
I look at it like this, its long hours sat in a seat staring at other vehicles and fighting traffic but theres always a different view to never get bored of.
Sorry for the longish post.
black1 said:
worst job in the world ! just look at most truckers there all around 21-25 and would pay the company
to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
So,what do you do? to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
When I was thinking about taking my class 2 (6 years ago now) I was a forklift driver at a well known DIY retailer, and by asking hgv drivers who delivered there they where about 90% positive (deliberately ignoring the obviously miserable ones!)
Since then I've seen things I never would have seen, delivered things i never knew existed chatted to people in industries I've known nothing about before.
Yeah its a pain in the arse sometimes, in balance to my earlier post trying to get over dartford crossing at 4pm on a Friday in the pouring rain with the driving hours running out. It's the worst job in the world!
Since then I've seen things I never would have seen, delivered things i never knew existed chatted to people in industries I've known nothing about before.
Yeah its a pain in the arse sometimes, in balance to my earlier post trying to get over dartford crossing at 4pm on a Friday in the pouring rain with the driving hours running out. It's the worst job in the world!
When I was thinking about taking my class 2 (6 years ago now) I was a forklift driver at a well known DIY retailer, and by asking hgv drivers who delivered there they where about 90% positive (deliberately ignoring the obviously miserable ones!)
Since then I've seen things I never would have seen, delivered things i never knew existed chatted to people in industries I've known nothing about before.
Yeah its a pain in the arse sometimes, in balance to my earlier post trying to get over dartford crossing at 4pm on a Friday in the pouring rain with the driving hours running out. It's the worst job in the world!
Since then I've seen things I never would have seen, delivered things i never knew existed chatted to people in industries I've known nothing about before.
Yeah its a pain in the arse sometimes, in balance to my earlier post trying to get over dartford crossing at 4pm on a Friday in the pouring rain with the driving hours running out. It's the worst job in the world!
Depends what you want to do really.
As it is at the moment I wouldn't say to anyone go and spend all that money for a licence and CPC training,more so around here.The driving jobs around here are dead and long gone with the amount of firms that have gone bust.
There is a long list of names of people trying to get into where I work.
They can pretty much pick and choose who they want.
It's easy work and well paid.
I do night trunk,by choice.I get well paid for it,it's easy and I find it totally stress free if I'm honest.I get home everyday and get quite a bit of free time at home too,as in not flogged to death so it's not work sleep work.
Ok it can get boring at times but so does any job imo.I've been working at this place for 8 years now,but tell you what,I have had to my fair share of s
t before finding and settling into a decent job.
They are out there,it's getting in thats the hard part.Can often be a case of not what you know but who you know.
Not every driving job is mind.Since leaving the Army I did some proper crap jobs driving and non driving just to earn some coin.
A lot of firms out there are not very good tbh,they will take the piss out of you via flogging you to death for all the hours they can get out of you and pay average at best.Don't even bother thinking you can get time off for dentists or doctors with some of these firms,it ain't happening.
If you can find a decent job that you like be it with a family run firm(rare as hens teeth these days) or on a big logistics contract then you will be fine.
Ultimately it really is upto you.
As it is at the moment I wouldn't say to anyone go and spend all that money for a licence and CPC training,more so around here.The driving jobs around here are dead and long gone with the amount of firms that have gone bust.
There is a long list of names of people trying to get into where I work.
They can pretty much pick and choose who they want.
It's easy work and well paid.
I do night trunk,by choice.I get well paid for it,it's easy and I find it totally stress free if I'm honest.I get home everyday and get quite a bit of free time at home too,as in not flogged to death so it's not work sleep work.
Ok it can get boring at times but so does any job imo.I've been working at this place for 8 years now,but tell you what,I have had to my fair share of s
t before finding and settling into a decent job.They are out there,it's getting in thats the hard part.Can often be a case of not what you know but who you know.
Not every driving job is mind.Since leaving the Army I did some proper crap jobs driving and non driving just to earn some coin.
A lot of firms out there are not very good tbh,they will take the piss out of you via flogging you to death for all the hours they can get out of you and pay average at best.Don't even bother thinking you can get time off for dentists or doctors with some of these firms,it ain't happening.
If you can find a decent job that you like be it with a family run firm(rare as hens teeth these days) or on a big logistics contract then you will be fine.
Ultimately it really is upto you.
Edited by Panda76 on Thursday 22 March 18:48
Mr Speedy has had his licence 2 years now, and been in the job for nearly 2 years.
He said he doesn't regret it, but when asked if he would do it all again now he said no, not now that you need the DCPC before you can get a job. (He's part way through his)
Getting the licence is the easy bit, getting a job is harder, there are a lot of drivers with experience out there trying to fill what few jobs there are. Wages are not that brilliant and he says that they get treated like the lowest life form, at tipping/loading and by other road users.
He gets just over NMW, you could earn more stacking shelves. And he is a tramper, usually leaves at 3.30 on a Monday morning and then comes back Friday evening. Spending the week sleeping in laybys, industrial estates etc, eating pot noodles, pasta dishes that just need hot water and things in tins.
He loves the actual being out on the road bit, driving up and down the country, minding his own business and getting on with the job.
He said he doesn't regret it, but when asked if he would do it all again now he said no, not now that you need the DCPC before you can get a job. (He's part way through his)
Getting the licence is the easy bit, getting a job is harder, there are a lot of drivers with experience out there trying to fill what few jobs there are. Wages are not that brilliant and he says that they get treated like the lowest life form, at tipping/loading and by other road users.
He gets just over NMW, you could earn more stacking shelves. And he is a tramper, usually leaves at 3.30 on a Monday morning and then comes back Friday evening. Spending the week sleeping in laybys, industrial estates etc, eating pot noodles, pasta dishes that just need hot water and things in tins.
He loves the actual being out on the road bit, driving up and down the country, minding his own business and getting on with the job.
Its like any job, theres good and bad. Trouble is the bad affects your evening as well as your day, i,m currently sitting waiting on a forklift to tip me, 2 pallets. Been waiting near an hour. That extra time adds.on at the end of the day.
Ive been doing it for 26 years, and its getting too complicated with all the new st and regs.
I still enjoy it a bit of the time, its better than an office job but if I had my time over I would do something else.
And right now, spending all that money on your licence with experienced guys sitting around really doesnt make sense.
Ive been doing it for 26 years, and its getting too complicated with all the new s
t and regs. I still enjoy it a bit of the time, its better than an office job but if I had my time over I would do something else.
And right now, spending all that money on your licence with experienced guys sitting around really doesnt make sense.
ive been a class 1 driver for just short of 30yrs ,
started doin steel out of shorpe , loved it , started at 0500 evry day ,
since then i have been an o/d twice ,
moved to eire and ran spain for a small firm there , great but bloody long hours lots of fines but great laugh and lifestyle ,
moved back to uk and ran all over continent for a biggish outfit , loved it .
bought my own truck and did tiles from valencia back to uk for about 8 yrs .a job to retire on but world politics and downturns made me sell my truck last year and gave up driving .
with the dcpc coming up , vosa acting like some kind of gestapo,drivers being finished at the drop of a hat, working time directive cutting your hours down , getting up at 0400 to get to some gits yard for 0800 to wait 4 hours whilst they can be bothered to tip you , or doing supermarkets at 50mph and all the crap they have to put up with im glad im out of it.
would i do it again , in a heart beat , and that is why i am looking at going to canada
started doin steel out of s
horpe , loved it , started at 0500 evry day ,since then i have been an o/d twice ,
moved to eire and ran spain for a small firm there , great but bloody long hours lots of fines but great laugh and lifestyle ,
moved back to uk and ran all over continent for a biggish outfit , loved it .
bought my own truck and did tiles from valencia back to uk for about 8 yrs .a job to retire on but world politics and downturns made me sell my truck last year and gave up driving .
with the dcpc coming up , vosa acting like some kind of gestapo,drivers being finished at the drop of a hat, working time directive cutting your hours down , getting up at 0400 to get to some gits yard for 0800 to wait 4 hours whilst they can be bothered to tip you , or doing supermarkets at 50mph and all the crap they have to put up with im glad im out of it.
would i do it again , in a heart beat , and that is why i am looking at going to canada
Thanks everyone.
So in short, its great when your driving, but most other things suck, its difficult to find work, everyone hates you, vosa want to sack you, and you cant eat nice food.
However, assuming I can get a few years experience under my belt, its pretty much my best shot at emigrating. Then get out of the EU and away from its rules, and don't have to deal with much of what has to be dealt with at the moment.
So in short, its great when your driving, but most other things suck, its difficult to find work, everyone hates you, vosa want to sack you, and you cant eat nice food.
However, assuming I can get a few years experience under my belt, its pretty much my best shot at emigrating. Then get out of the EU and away from its rules, and don't have to deal with much of what has to be dealt with at the moment.
stevenr said:
black1 said:
worst job in the world ! just look at most truckers there all around 21-25 and would pay the company
to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
So,what do you do? to drive trucks !
just look at the last reply shades, radio flat out, even in -10c they pose in there trucks
with only vests on to show off there tats
get a grip man and get a proper job !
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