Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WIBU to retrain as driver?

13 replies

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 09:51

I have two young dcs (ages 3 and 6).

I've always worked in hospitality, or in the sort of hospitality side of office work, (not sure that makes sense, but I mean things like office reception or arranging corporate travel or corporate events).

I want a complete change! And maybe I am focusing wrongly on that change needing to be my career.... Wondering if you lovely vipers can help me disect my line of thinking!

I've recently been able to reduce my hours at work so that dcs don't have to go to ASC etc. It works really well for the kids. But obviously, it means now I'm doing more childcare, which I did want. But it's full on, working in a busy, on-my-feet job and then doing more childcare as well. I think I imagined I'd be less tired doing fewer hours, but the opposite seems to be true!

Anyway, I've been looking into qualifying to drive HGVs. Not the massive trucks, but the smaller, class 2 ones. I think I could do it. I love driving and have good spacial awareness. I love being on my own and I already do a very practical, hands on type job (I hated working in offices and wouldn't go back to it). It seems as if drivers are in demand at the minute, it would be a proper career / skill and also I'd be sitting down in silence a lot of the time, which sounds like heaven! I think we could make it work with dcs. Dh does office hours, so on days I wasn't around to do pick up, he would be happy to do it, if they went to ASC. He would do drop off too if necessary, (yes, he is amazing and I'm very lucky).

It seems to be potentially, fairly lucrative as well. Hospitality is great fun, but lucrative it is not!

We have some money put aside and our outgoings are small, so we could afford for me to take time out to retrain. Dh says he doesn't mind if I just quit and never go back and become a sahm, (but I don't know if I want to do that).

OP posts:
VainAbigail · 22/11/2021 09:57

Have you been watching that series on (I think) Channel 5? Secret Life of Truckers I think it’s called?

I don’t think it’s a bad idea, though, if it fits in around your family life and you’re happy to do the miles and hours.

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 09:59

No, I haven't seen that! Would it put me off or encourage me??

OP posts:
VainAbigail · 22/11/2021 10:07

I think it’d probably encourage you! They follow some female drivers and generally it’s quite interesting.

BurntO · 22/11/2021 10:11

If you can do it, go for it!

All roles are different but a friend does this (class 2 vehicles) and got employed by a local company and works 6-2 and it works really well for them.

rbe78 · 22/11/2021 10:28

My BIL drives - he has all the work he needs/wants but hours are odd and irregular. You might need to be flexible (incl. childcare etc.) and not mind doing night/late evening/early morning shifts.

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 10:32

I could be flexible, but dcs would have to do ASC everyday. It's doable though! But it would leave dh with a lot of childcare, all pick ups etc.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 22/11/2021 10:35

I don’t think it’s going to be as family friendly as you think. Shifts can be up to 15 hours long. To make decent money you will need to really be putting the hours in.

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 10:38

I think I could do the hours, but would it be fair on dh and dcs, who would have to do ASC and dh would have to do more childcare and a lot of the school runs?

He isn't arsed about the extra money as we don't spend much and we have a good amount in savings and pension between us.

This is the crux of the matter I think. Knew I'd start to understand it better by posting on here!

OP posts:
GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow · 22/11/2021 10:51

My dh took voluntary redundancy and retrained as a class 1 HGV driver and he absolutely loves it. He can pretty much request the hours he wants. There's a lot of sitting around waiting, but he reads a lot so it doesn't bother him. Companies are crying out for drivers. Go for it

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 10:56

Thanks @GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow! Do you also work? Do you end up doing all the childcare on top of work? That's what I'm worried about as dh does work full time as well.

OP posts:
GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow · 22/11/2021 11:18

Thanks @GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow! Do you also work? Do you end up doing all the childcare on top of work? That's what I'm worried about as dh does work full time as well

I do, but my kids are older so it's easier. My dh chooses to start work really early, think 1am, so he's back at home before either me or the dc. He does end up going to bed early. He chooses to work very long hours, but that's him, he could choose to work a lot less if he wanted to.

NoTruckWithDeath · 22/11/2021 11:25

Thanks. That's good to know you can pick shorter hours if necessary.

Mentioned it to dh just now and he isn't keen on the idea at all! But think he's pretty worried about me being on the road than the extra work.

Really tricky when you have dcs! Maybe I do need to stick with hospitality. I don't love being pt though. Feel left out at work and knackered at home.

Excuse the moany-ness!

OP posts:
Firstshoes · 22/11/2021 11:31

My dh is a 'tramper'. Earns very well but puts the hours in and is away Mon-Fri. Agree, lots of waiting around to be loaded etc

New posts on this thread. Refresh page