talenatrucker wrote:
Hi all,
I am debating weather to take my HGV training, I was going to take it when I was 19 but had to wait 2 years and still havn't taken it, I am 22 and I am seriously considering taking the training.
I was hoping that I could get some responses of advice about the pros and cons of a driving job.
From where I stand the hours would be long and I wouldnt have too much of a social life when doing long trips but the wage would help sooth that.
If I was to go ahead what should I be aware of and are there any pitfalls I should know about, please any advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks
A lot of it has been said, it really depends on you and your mentality,what you expect and what you are willing to sacrifice. There are one or two great jobs out there for drivers but the majority (Im sorry to disappoint you) are High expectations from drivers/Little concern for welfare of drivers/medium to poor wages. I did many years of the crappy jobs but had two good jobs that were well paid and not so crazy on hours per day and nights out and the last one I did was with a great boss. If you are single I would say go for it because it is a valuable asset as you can always fall back on it should any future IT jobs go tits up

Being single you can actually enjoy the work more and bosses are often pleased with the commitment. Some driving jobs can be hard on married couples for obvious reasons. The thrill of driving a big trucky wooky soon wears off especially these days where driving for many is no longer that enjoyable and the work itself becomes a chore, especially in heavy rain or snow or freezing cold temps. Then you need a strong constitution to tollerate the irritating little hitlers you will find all over the place, as well as job cock-ups that make it so you cant get home that night and have to cancel yet another date.

Still, there are some drivers who live and breathe it and would be happy spending their entire life in a 8x5 space, eating all the junk food they can manage and enjoying endless BS stories from truckers at the roadside 'T' stops or discussing in detail every nut/bolt and piston in their truck. Believe me , they do exist

Do it and then take your time picking a job with it, or just do IT afterwards.

Agencies are a good place to start, you can get experience and look for work while you are at it, some full time jobs can come from agency introductions.