Long distance lorry driver - AMA

[firsttimedad79]

Like the title, but boring I know, but ask me anything :)

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

Are you lonely? Do you chat to other truck drivers on the road?

It is lonely, but with modern tech there is video chatting to the family. I talk to colleagues by phone, or the mrs, but otherwise it's just me and the radio.

[quote Redtartanshoes]@firsttimedad79 it’s annandale waters that has maccies.:: abington is Burger King 🤮[/quote]
That's the bigger!! Always get them 2 mixed up lol

Do you miss your wife/partner or does ‘absence make the heart grow fonder’ ? 😂

Quite fond of Southwaite myself... travel between Glasgow and north wales weekly.

Am daughter of a trucker, dad used to have an L reg DAF.. spent many a school holiday in the top bunk! 😂

@plainjaneonthetrain

Does it pay well?

Do you get bored?

It doesn't pay well, cheaper prices in the shops means costs of hauling the goods have to be lower. But am due a pay rise so that's a bonus.

I don't get bored as I have radio :)

Have you ever taken your kids with you? My dad took me with him a couple of times (only day-long trips). Once he let me lay in the bunk whilst driving, he braked and I fell off this was going on 30 years ago now. But still some of my fondest memories

Just to say: I really appreciate our lorry drivers atm. Drivers have endured horrible conditions during lockdown, services closed etc. It seems an arduous job, and the treatment of the European drivers trapped in Kent in the run up to Christmas was disgraceful.

Just to say: I really appreciate our lorry drivers atm.
Me too! Also the delivery drivers at the other end! ❤️

@fuzzymoon

Is it lonely or is there a truckers community at services ?

It can be lonely. Modern tech makes it a lot less than it used to be.

Not so much with truckers. We keep ourselves to ourselves. Only talk if we meet someone we know.

What annoys you most about other drivers?

@RainingBatsAndFrogs

What is your favourite lorry drivers slang that non lorry drivers wouldn’t understand?

FDF - Foot down Friday. If it's on it's gone!

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

Do you miss your wife/partner or does ‘absence make the heart grow fonder’ ? 😂

Of course we miss each other while I'm gone. It's just the way we live now.

She can't wait for me to get home at the end of the week, but can't wait for me to go back at the end of me rest period!

@Redtartanshoes

Quite fond of Southwaite myself... travel between Glasgow and north wales weekly.

Am daughter of a trucker, dad used to have an L reg DAF.. spent many a school holiday in the top bunk! 😂

If I'm that way I stop in Carlisle as it's an Eddie stobarts truck stop and I get free food lol

@EggbertHeartsTina

Have you ever taken your kids with you? My dad took me with him a couple of times (only day-long trips). Once he let me lay in the bunk whilst driving, he braked and I fell off this was going on 30 years ago now. But still some of my fondest memories

Unfortunately not. In this day and age with the blame and claim culture kids aren't allowed near :(

@RainingBatsAndFrogs

Just to say: I really appreciate our lorry drivers atm. Drivers have endured horrible conditions during lockdown, services closed etc. It seems an arduous job, and the treatment of the European drivers trapped in Kent in the run up to Christmas was disgraceful.

Aye things were bad. But we carry on. The nhs got all the applause as they are a public face of the crisis, but not very many noticed the behind the scenes key workers who kept the country stocked up :)

She can't wait for me to get home at the end of the week, but can't wait for me to go back at the end of me rest period!

😂 Brilliant!

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

What annoys you most about other drivers?

Car drivers are always in a rush and often do stupid things to get in front of a lorry :(

Also those who use their mobiles while driving. They put everyone's lives at risk.

Car drivers are always in a rush and often do stupid things to get in front of a lorry

Ahh... I thought you were going to say people (like me) who sit in the slow lane never going above 60...
What is the max speed a lorry can go?

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

Car drivers are always in a rush and often do stupid things to get in front of a lorry

Ahh... I thought you were going to say people (like me) who sit in the slow lane never going above 60...
What is the max speed a lorry can go?

We are limited to 56 on national speed limit motorways and dual carriageways. 50mph on single lane roads. Unless the speed limit is lower obviously.

I'm really scared of lorry drivers.
I'm a competent driver but sometimes they indicate and pull out straightaway - as if they don't see me coming up outside of them.
Also sometimes when I'm in the slow lane, they come up real close behind me trying to get me to speed up. Am I doing something wrong by driving 65 for example?

What angers you guys most about car drivers.

I really want to try to be less scared by big lorries.

Thankyou for answering if you read this.

This is my industry too not in same way as you, I work for one of the larger agencies supplying drivers to many of the supermarkets and suppliers. I take it you're a core driver, not agency?

How long will you do this job? Are there many older drivers?

Have you met any of the ridiculous TikTok Truckers? One lives opposite me and he's arse who appears to cheat on his wife regularly who is far more attractive than him which has skewed my view of truck drivers somewhat

@notanaturalmum

I'm really scared of lorry drivers. I'm a competent driver but sometimes they indicate and pull out straightaway - as if they don't see me coming up outside of them. Also sometimes when I'm in the slow lane, they come up real close behind me trying to get me to speed up. Am I doing something wrong by driving 65 for example?

What angers you guys most about car drivers.

I really want to try to be less scared by big lorries.

Thankyou for answering if you read this.

If your doing 65 and a lorry comes up close behind you I'd be ringing the police, our speed limit is 56!

We know the lengths of our vehicles and sometimes have to manoeuvre at the last minute for a lane change (usually because a car driver hasn't read the Highway Code and matched the speed of the motorway traffic. You'd be surprised how many try to merge into fast moving traffic at 40mph!!)

As a rule of thumb always give a wagon a bit more room. We don't stop like cars and need more room to do simple tasks like pulling out of a junction :)

I really want to try to be less scared by big lorries.

I would agree with this! Partly why I am bombarding the OP with questions! I hate motorway driving!