I took my test in 1985 on an old Bedford TK with no powersteering.
Yes I failed first time, on the reverse... I just couldn't honk the wheel round fast enough and went over the yellow line. ( No powersteering)
Anyway.. I got my license and found it didn't mean squat.
I couldn't get a job anywhere
Why ?
Cuz there were no jobs and I had no experience anyway.
I ended up at a company called Pc Howard Ltd. Me and my mate (we both passed at the same time) worked a solid month, summer holiday relieving
For NOTHING.
Yes you read that right.
NOTHING
After the months summer holidays were over they put a 10 tonner on the road and let me drive that... My mate got on artics coz he was better at reversing than me.
The pay ?
I was earning more money sweeping up chips off the floor at McCains whittlesey.
We stuck it out though even though the old timers called us cowboys for working for nothing. But there was NO WAY to break the chain.
After about 7 months-ish I got put on flats (artic) pulling steel out of Corby and back loading out of Sheerness before being put on
THIS
That job though was away five nights a week and I only stuck it out for about six months before leaving for greener pastures.
They didn't exist (around here anyway) and I returned cap in hand. But I had driven tautliners at the place I went to and so was then... Experienced (what a joke).
They trusted me more with high sides because the old timers had only ever pulled flats and management figured they would likely end up trying to deliver railway bridges.