Truck Driving

[pgc hunter]

Hey all, I'm thinking of driving trucks, either as a multi-drop delivery or supermarket semi driver eventually, I hear they get pretty sweet pay. The more I think about, the more it appeals to me... i.e. driving around in your climate-controlled cab, listening to the radio, as opposed to an office with people everywhere and your boss constantly looking over your shoulders. The thought of being outdoors and not being in one place, with no other people and physical presence of the boss and I enjoy driving, it just sounds like something that is suited to me.

Has anyone here ever driven trucks, as a delivery multi-drop driver, supermarket semi driver or long distance? What are your experiences and how did you find it?

[Stardrifter_WA]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

Hey all, I'm thinking of driving trucks, either as a multi-drop delivery or supermarket semi driver eventually, I hear they get pretty sweet pay. The more I think about, the more it appeals to me... i.e. driving around in your climate-controlled cab, listening to the radio, as opposed to an office with people everywhere and your boss constantly looking over your shoulders. The thought of being outdoors and not being in one place, with no other people and physical presence of the boss and I enjoy driving, it just sounds like something that is suited to me.

Has anyone here ever driven trucks, as a delivery multi-drop driver, supermarket semi driver or long distance? What are your experiences and how did you find it?

Are you complete mad

It sounds sweet, but you haven't mentioned that driving a truck actually means driving on the roads, putting up with idiots all day long, waiting in traffic, etc It can be very frustrating when cars pull in front of you and leave no room to stop, etc. etc.

They get good pay for a good reason, driving in traffic, often trying to get into difficult places, waiting around to be loaded and unloaded and often having to do that loading and unloading manually yourself. You don't necessarily sit in an air-conditioned cab all day. Getting in and out of an air conditioned cab all day long isn't much fun, particularly on very hot or cold days. You are constantly trying to maintain schedules, so doesn't mean your boss isn't looking over your shoulder. Often trucks have satellite tracking, so they know where you are and if you are being efficient etc.

Driving around a city isn't that much fun, but long distance driving is quite good, that is if you like driving long distance. Fatigue is a big issue in driving trucks, as you are always pushing time.

However, having said all that, it is a job, and one that can pay great wages, but you would certainly need the right temperament for it though.

I used to drive trucks in the country when I was younger and did enjoy it, but not sure if I would want to do it in the city.

But hey, give it a go; you won't know until you try it.

Cheers Pete

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by Stardrifter_WA

Are you complete mad

No

It sounds sweet, but you haven't mentioned that driving a truck actually means driving on the roads, putting up with idiots all day long, waiting in traffic, etc It can be very frustrating when cars pull in front of you and leave no room to stop, etc. etc.

That happens on the daily commute to any job! Or driving anywhere for that matter. There is a reason why god invented horns, middle fingers and high beam flashers

They get good pay for a good reason, driving in traffic, often trying to get into difficult places, waiting around to be loaded and unloaded and often having to do that loading and unloading manually yourself.

Driving in traffic.... well everyone does that on a daily basis. Getting into difficult places .... that's why you get trained up for it and after practice it becomes easier. Waiting around to be loaded/unloaded... And if I have to do it, well I don't mind a bit of physical activity, I did much, much worse when working demolition a few years back.

You don't necessarily sit in an air-conditioned cab all day. Getting in and out of an air conditioned cab all day long isn't much fun, particularly on very hot or cold days.

Climbing a couple of steps and opening/closing a door really can't be that hard now can it?

You are constantly trying to maintain schedules, so doesn't mean your boss isn't looking over your shoulder. Often trucks have satellite tracking, so they know where you are and if you are being efficient etc.

Well that happens at basically in any work place in some shape or form.

Driving around a city isn't that much fun, but long distance driving is quite good, that is if you like driving long distance. Fatigue is a big issue in driving trucks, as you are always pushing time.

I'd still prefer it to sitting in an office with other people all round you, meetings, liasing with clients, and a boss that is constantly physically there and the general pressure that entails.

it is a job, and one that can pay great wages, but you would certainly need the right temperament for it though.

I've driven enough years in bad traffic, seen my fair share of moron drivers etc, I've learned to read other driver behavour, predict what they might do and adjust my driving accordingly. Often I am right in my predictions.

I used to drive trucks in the country when I was younger and did enjoy it, but not sure if I would want to do it in the city.

But hey, give it a go; you won't know until you try it.

Cheers Pete

In Melbourne it would probably be easier than somewhere like Sydney, due to the road layout. Melbourne's roads are somewhat bigger/wider and generally in a grid layout making navigation easier.

With some of the pay rates being advertised for semi-drivers doing supermarket drops, it is not a bad deal IMO.

[astroron (Ron)]

It will give you something else to whinge about instead of the Melbourne weather
Cheers

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by astroron

It will give you something else to whinge about instead of the Melbourne weather
Cheers

Enlighten me.

[Astro_Bot]

I have two cousins (both based in Vic) who have been driving trucks since getting out of the Army many years ago. Neither owns a home, they move often and both look many years older than their chronological age.

My neighbour across the road is also a truck driver. He gets up at 3am. I see him leave home sometimes at 3:30am if I'm pulling a late astro session, and I see him coming home at around 7-8pm is he's not on an interstate trip. Long days.

It may be better than factory work (maybe) but I wouldn't recommend it based on what I know.

There are other "outside" jobs, depending on age and fitness that might be worth considering. Have you thought of mining, emergency services, armed forces, landscaping, national parks, council ranger, etc. (assuming there are vacancies, of course)?

[Stardrifter_WA]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

Climbing a couple of steps and opening/closing a door really can't be that hard now can it?

Wasn't referring to the physically getting in and out of the cab, it is the constant temperature change that sucks. I worked on freezer trucks, so I know. But, I wasn't born to do it anyway so gave it up pretty quick and found something easier instead.

Well that happens at basically in any work place in some shape or form.

No, it doesn't. Simply not true!

Yes, some work places can be that way, but not all. Either that, or I have been extremely lucky then, as I have worked in some fantastic jobs and my current position is fairly autonomous too. But, I have had jobs where that is true and told them to stick it and moved onto something better. Mind you, when I was an apprentice, I certainly took a lot of crap in that job, but I had a wider view and put up with it until my apprenticeship was completed, then left PDQ.

Although, I will also admit that I am in a great position where I can be choosy about the jobs I accept anyway, so usually end up in good jobs, simply by choice. Unfortunately, not everyone is in the same position, and I wasn't always in that position either, and had to do the hard yards before I got to where I am now. You do what you have to do to survive, particularly when you have a family and a mortgage. And no, I am far from being rich, but it isn't always about the money. From my experience, most high paying jobs are just too stressful anyway, so why bother and end up with health problems.

Don't know why you asked the question if you have already decided, as you appear not to like the feedback, as you seem a bit defensive. My comments were not meant to cause you any offence, they are from experience, and you asked for others experiences.

But, as I said, if you have the temperament, then go for it. Not everyone has the temperament for driving in traffic, I certainly don't like putting up with all the crap that happens on city roads. Putting up with it for an hour or so to and from work is one thing, putting up with it all day long every day, is another.

I truly wish you all the best.

Cheers Pete

[Kunama]

Try it Sab, you may indeed like it. Not everyone is meant to be pushing pencils in offices. A friend left a well paying job in the Federal Police to drive trucks and loves it.
Start out small to get a taste, maybe courier runs.

Unfortunately these days the traffic issues are such that I would find it very frustrating indeed (as I get older I get less tolerant of incompetence ... I hate incompetence .... and nowhere do you see more of it than on Australian roads .... as drivers 'we' are among the worst )

[RobinClayton]

I work in a freight company - not a driver, but I have had plenty of contact with drivers. Here are my thoughts, to add to those from other responses above.

Generally the drivers I have worked with enjoy the work, or at least they tell me that they enjoy it. The pay is good, but the hours can be long. Often working 12-14 hours per day. Main problem is you dont get any choice - very hard to arrange for one driver to have an early finish for any reason, especially during the busy pre christmas season. A lot of younger drivers have problems with relationships at home because they are away from the house for such long periods of time each day.

We have linehaul drivers which generally work over night and travel from city to city or from city to a midpoint and back.

We also have local delivery drivers who work during the day delivering and collecting freight within the metro area.

The semi drivers tend to just sit in the cabs quite a lot and don't get as much variety - but they do get more pay because they have to handle bigger vehicles.

The drivers of the smaller trucks (rigids) do get out of the cab, always opening the curtains, removing gates, waiting for customer to load, putting back gates, curtains etc then driving away. Obviously different companies would have different work, there are so many types of trucking work.

Definitely more job satisfaction and money than some other driving jobs - like taxi or courier. I suspect that we have a lot of drivers who give it a go and very quickly realise this is not what they want - so the ones that stay are the type that like this work.

Despite the job satisfaction, most freight companies are actually having difficulty attracting drivers. Most young people dont want this type of work.

These days we are getting a lot more technology in the vehicles, little computer screens with all the addresses to go to and for customers to sign when they receive freight. Not sure if this makes the job easier or harder. You dont have a boss looking over your shoulder, but they will know what you did each day and how long it took.

Every person is different and as mentioned by other posters - you need to try for yourself. Getting a license takes time and isnt cheap - so worth asking for comments before taking this commitment.

good luck.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

In my limited experience as a storeman/driver, for steel warehouses, you spend more time loading and unloading than you do driving. I worked in Pt Headland and Cairns so obviously there was never far to go but I suspect even in the bigger cities you will be stopped for a significant part of the day. Mostly I loaded my own truck, with a fork or crane, and was always involved in the unloading, which ranged from putting a couple of chains around the bundle to operating the Hiab to unloading 2 tonnes of gal sheets by hand.

The work was OK for a year but the lack of mental stimulation eventually got me down. Also, I didn't fit in socially. Everyone was very nice but with my love of science, non-top 40 music and literature I was very much the odd man out. (Mind you, that is still partially true where I am now.) As for 'boss looking over shoulder' I was much more tightly micro-managed in those jobs than I am now. Avoiding micro-management is more about the nature of your job than getting out of line of sight.

[goober (Doug)]

Originally Posted by astroron

It will give you something else to whinge about instead of the Melbourne weather
Cheers

That made me chuckle.

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by Stardrifter_WA

Wasn't referring to the physically getting in and out of the cab, it is the constant temperature change that sucks. I worked on freezer trucks, so I know. But, I wasn't born to do it anyway so gave it up pretty quick and found something easier instead.



No, it doesn't. Simply not true!

Yes, some work places can be that way, but not all. Either that, or I have been extremely lucky then, as I have worked in some fantastic jobs and my current position is fairly autonomous too. But, I have had jobs where that is true and told them to stick it and moved onto something better. Mind you, when I was an apprentice, I certainly took a lot of crap in that job, but I had a wider view and put up with it until my apprenticeship was completed, then left PDQ.

Although, I will also admit that I am in a great position where I can be choosy about the jobs I accept anyway, so usually end up in good jobs, simply by choice. Unfortunately, not everyone is in the same position, and I wasn't always in that position either, and had to do the hard yards before I got to where I am now. You do what you have to do to survive, particularly when you have a family and a mortgage. And no, I am far from being rich, but it isn't always about the money. From my experience, most high paying jobs are just too stressful anyway, so why bother and end up with health problems.

Don't know why you asked the question if you have already decided, as you appear not to like the feedback, as you seem a bit defensive. My comments were not meant to cause you any offence, they are from experience, and you asked for others experiences.

But, as I said, if you have the temperament, then go for it. Not everyone has the temperament for driving in traffic, I certainly don't like putting up with all the crap that happens on city roads. Putting up with it for an hour or so to and from work is one thing, putting up with it all day long every day, is another.

I truly wish you all the best.

Cheers Pete

I didn't mean to come across as defensive, your input is noted and valued. If I came across as brash, I'll chalk it up to a few too many beers

Interesting comments guys. Many companies advertising are posting the hours you work, e.g. 7am-4pm, 8-10 hour shifts 5 days a week etc mostly for delivery and supermarket drivers. Does this mean that you are only required to work those hours and overtime if offered is voluntary or does it usually overrun because you have a lot of drops and you have no choice? I might get a medium or heavy rigid license, give it a go and even if it doesn't work out it is a good to have something to fall back on should I ever find myself out of work.

My current job is in a department store working in the loading dock and filling stock.... no mental stimulation whatsoever, but doesn't really bother me. You do find yourself "losing motivation" a few hours in though.

[sn1987a (Barry)]

If you want a little more challenge have you considered driving a Crane?. You would have to work as a Dogman / Rigger first and then move up. I work as a Rigger and drive a Franna Crane. The work is often challenging and you see some pretty interesting/awesome stuff sometimes. The money is good and if you get into the mining side hard to beat.

[GrahamL]

I'm currently upgrading from a MR to HC and enjoying the training a lot.

The instructor did suggest to learn a crash box as many employers will want you to be able to handle one despite auto and sincro transmisions becoming more common ,it may even be a requirement class for licencing but I'm unsure on that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPu5H-c6_Ps

[Stardrifter_WA]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

I might get a medium or heavy rigid license, give it a go and even if it doesn't work out it is a good to have something to fall back on should I ever find myself out of work.

My current job is in a department store working in the loading dock and filling stock.... no mental stimulation whatsoever, but doesn't really bother me. You do find yourself "losing motivation" a few hours in though.

Even if you don't end up working in that industry for long, it doesn't hurt to have a truck licence, as my heavy vehicle licence has come in handy with several jobs, over the years, as well as personally. Having a diversity of skills and experience is a very sound long term strategy. Most employers now like to have multi-skilled people in their workforce, or at the very least, being multi-skilled can put you ahead of a lot of candidates when it comes to seeking employment, as I discovered, more by accident than design really.

I have worked across many different industries, and have mostly enjoyed doing so. I have a number of different licences, even as diverse as an explosive licence, although I haven't used it in many years (I don't even know why I keep paying the licence fee), quite a few certifications, several diplomas (in management, electronic commerce and information management) and a trade (fitter and machinist).

In fact, I have rarely worked in the same industry twice, as I usually leave to take on something completely different, including undertaking study. The result of all that is that I am multi-skilled, adaptable and versatile. Even at the age of 57 I still managed to find employment, albeit part time, which is what I wanted anyway, as it suits my life style. And, it is in a job I love doing within the education sector.

No experience is wasted, and I can say from experience, that employers like people who are adaptable.

And looking back, I haven't done too bad for a guy who doesn't like to work too hard. I once had a wise old man say to me "give a lazy man a hard job and he will find the easy way to do it.....every time I am not afraid of hard work, mind you, just prefer the easier way

Cheers Pete

[Kevnool (Kev)]

Go for it Sab.

Its a stepping stone for bigger things.
I was a road train driver out here in western nsw and been paid to see the country...you cant beat that.
The city traffic is crap but if you escape the city on one of your runs you will enjoy it more.
You are basically your own boss out there.
Beats any other crappy office job like mine atm...lol.
You may get lucky and get some runs through renmark.
Follow your instincts Sab.

Cheers

[pgc hunter]

I'm thinking of getting my license. I just love the idea of driving, even if it in the city. My main goal is to become a semi driver for the major supermarkets and Aldi, huge money there and you get to go home every night. The only thing that scares me is the 18 speed crash box , but I am willling to learn it. A great skill to have in this country, trucker jobs are always in demand and command some big money.
I',m planning on going for my MR in the next couple of weeks, then upgrade to HR and HC in the next couple of years.

[Barrykgerdes]

Driving a truck for a living will depend on how much you like driving. I haven't driven a truck commercially for nearly 60 years and will need to give up my HR licence next year as I can't be bothered being tested by young whipper snappers who can't drive any better than me.

I love crash boxes and double shuffle changes (no synchromesh). When I did my truck driving test you had to slow the truck down a hill just using the gears.

Barry

[BPO]

Originally Posted by Kunama

I hate incompetence .... and nowhere do you see more of it than on Australian roads .... as drivers 'we' are among the worst )

I reckon Kiwis have you beat.



Wait... Why I laugh?

[acropolite (Phil)]

Sab, I'd hardly call truck driving a big money occupation, that is unless you drive one of those trucks with wings as does Peter Ward.

If you want decent money, get the skills necessary to work in the mines, or better still get a decent educational qualification and a professional career.

I drive a lot between sites in my Job as a Technician, often several hours at a time, I wouldn't drive a truck if you paid me double what i get now.