About Me

I first learnt to drive in 1974 on the right hand side of the road, this was because at the time I was a member of HMF stationed in Germany. After taking my first driving test (car) I then learnt how to drive Tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers. After these came my foray into driving trucks, I passed my Class 3 in September of 1974.

Class 3 was the limit of HGV's in my Regiment so I stuck with them during my time with HMF. After leaving the Army my career prospects weren't that good, there wasn't much call for Tank drivers in Civie Street. So I utilised my Class 3 licence and started Lorry Driving.

After quite a few years of back-breaking loading and unloading by hand, I decided it was about time I upgraded my Licence, so in April of 1991 I took my class 1 test (in those days you could go straight from Class 3 to taking your Class 1 without having to take your Class Two first). I drove Artics for about 3 years before changing my career again and deciding I would be a Pub Landlord.

16 years later it was time for another career change and I became a Bus Driver. After six years of driving buses and taking lots of verbal abuse from the lovely General Public, it was time to return to my first love. Namely Lorry Driving.

Now I was in the position of having a Licence to drive Artics but no recent experience and no confidence in my ability. I couldn't really afford to pay for a refresher course (they wanted a lot of money), so I had to Blag it.

I signed on with an agency and went to do the harvest season in Cambridgeshire. This was a Tramping position collecting crops from farms and delivering them to Grain Merchants. This enabled me to once again learn how to reverse without taking 10 or 12 shunts. I also learnt to ask if I wasn't sure about anything.

If there is one piece of advice I can give to new drivers, that would be ASK and ASK again. I have not met a Truck Driver yet, who when asked would say no to another driver. Newly passed or otherwise.

I am now a confident, experienced Class 1 driver again and I couldn't have done it without the help of other drivers. And I thank them for allowing me to return to my first love of Truck Driving.

This Blog is another way for me to pass on my thanks. For those drivers that I can't help personally face to face I hope that these pages will contain some information and tips that they may find useful.

Happy Trucking
Steve