Any truck drivers here?

Got my lcence at 21, had a good few years on the roads, decided that sitting on the M25 for a living was too boring for me in the end.


Lots of opportunities to do different things and freedom you get in a cab on your own can be excellent. Always nice to see different parts of the country/europe too.
 
Hi, I'm the one who bores everybody senseless here with my truck related posts! :o

There are a few others here as well mind you!

I drive a Scania R440 six axle 44t gross weight artic for Eddie Stobart, started with a Class C (the old class2) before getting my C+E (Class 1)

My advice is make the jump to artics as soon as funds allow, whilst I sometimes struggled for work with just my C license, since having my C+E, I've never been out of work.

Long long hours, plays havoc with your social life, but IMO a great job so long as you enjoy driving and don't let the actions of other road users get to you!
 
Hi, I'm the one who bores everybody senseless here with my truck related posts! :o

I drive a Scania R440 six axle artic for Eddie Stobart, started with a Class C (the old class2) before getting my C+E (Class 1)

My advice is make the jump to artics as soon as funds allow, whilst I sometimes struggled for work with just my C license, since having my C+E, I've never been out of work.

Long long hours, plays havoc with your social life, but IMO a great job so long as you enjoy driving and don't let the actions of other road users get to you!


I have no social life so its a perfect job! I'm just waiting on my forms to come through.
 
Perfect job for keeping it that way!!

I'm starting @ 2am tomorrow so it's off to bed after top gear for me tonight!!
 
I did mine a few years ago. I had a strict instructor that made me scared of driving the truck, I guess he had tell me, but his shouting put me off.

I did end up passing first time. Was quite a bit of work to get it done and cost around £1300.

Its a nice backup to have in this job climate.

My problem is that I have 9 points now so I'm unable to make use of it for awhile.
 
I did mine a few years ago. I had a strict instructor that made me scared of driving the truck, I guess he had tell me, but his shouting put me off.

I did end up passing first time. Was quite a bit of work to get it done and cost around £1300.

Its a nice backup to have in this job climate.

My problem is that I have 9 points now so I'm unable to make use of it for awhile.

Doesn't sound like a good instructor if he was shouting at you all the time.
 
I drive one of these, in Canada.

AqyVSOu.jpg


They were so desperate they pay loads of guys with no experience to go through the training.
 
Last edited:
but IMO a great job so long as you enjoy driving

I've had a couple of CV's in this week from drivers. It makes me laugh when they say "I love Driving". I keep thinking well you won't when you do it for a living.

Obviously I don't include F1 Drivers etc
 
How difficult to drive a semi?

Driving forward the hardest part for me was getting used to an 18 speed gearbox, and you have to worry about the length when going round corners etc. Other than that, it isn't a million miles away from driving a car.

Backing them up, however, is pretty difficult! I still suck at it.
 
I have driven them for 5 years ish before I got promoted to a supervisor. Don't expect great pay or even work straight away.

Take anything the agencies give you for the first year to get any experience u can.

Scania how much do stobbart pay by the hour?

I think our place pays class 2 extremely well at £9.60 an hour, especially for the job we do.

You will soon not enjoy driving so much when you have to sit at 52mph on a motorway for hours at a time.
 
Went straight to Class 1 in 1985 and been doing it ever since.

At the start of my career I was earning more money sweeping up chips at McCains.

Now I'm on just shy of £30k basic pa.

What do I like most about trucking ?

Solitude !
 
Have you done your CPC training?

Yes, completed my 5th and final module in January.

Paid for by the company (many drivers for other company's have to self fund this)


Scania how much do stobbart pay by the hour?
.

Monday to Friday 6am - 1800 it's roughly £7.95 p/hr

I say roughly as I'm in London without figures to hand, were also about to vote on a pay rise (2.1%) which will include the company paying for driver medicals etc.

1800 - 6am it's about £1 p/hr more, Saturdays ~ £12 hr across the board, Sundays ~ £11 p/hr

You get a tax free meal allowance per day plus bonus's for using cruise control and keeping the engine "in the green band" , if you do the hours (which you will on Stobart) you take home £450 - £500 p/week.

Long hours certainly but generally easy work driving a first rate fleet, no pressure whatsoever to exceed hours nor drive with a defect of any description.

I've driven worse for less!

As an aside, Eddie Stobart has just been sold (a management buy out by William Stobart and some venture capitalists) and is now out of the London Stock exchange and independent of Stobart group, changes ahead I think!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom