Iv always wanted to be an LGV driver and now that i am 21, my dad really doesnt seem to be too keen on me having a career change.
At the moment i work for my parents and iv just had a long chat with him and he seems to keep trying to put me off. He has all these plans for what we will be doing in 5 years time including me running the business we have at the moment which im not too keen on.
Am i right to keep persuing my career change? He has said there will always be a job there for me if i dont like driving lorrys which i am thankful for but im dont like the way he trys to make me feel like im screwing up his plan
I know there's nothing anyone here can do but i feel a bit better having said it.

whats your current job ?

[Edited on 27/1/08 by big_wasa]

I manage drivers and look after 4 vans

[Edited on 27-1-08 by speedyxjs]

well, you gotta do whats right for you. if you think lorry driving is for you, then do it. no one should be telling you what you can and can't do.
i wanted to drive lorrys and i can't ever

Hey, you do what you think is right for you as said before, this life is not a rehearsal, go for what you want to do, not what other people think you should do! If it goes t.ts up, do somethink else.

Give it a go I say. I did it for a bit of un and because I knew there's always someone after a driver so there's no shortage of agency work. Personally I couldn't get on with it. Too many companies not giving you the correct address then when you finally get there you face a low bridge or summat thats not on the sat nav then you have to try to manouevre a 50ft trailer back out or into a wholly inadequate loading yard. Still, though its always there and can be fun.

I guess I can understand your dad wanting you to stay with the business so that he has someone to hand over his hard work to but, you've got your own life to lead and if it's not what you want to do then you'll hardly be putting 100% into it??

Sound slike some sort of transport firm? What about a 50/50 job split? No harm in managing a firm and mucking in aswell?

I drive fuel tankers

Its not a bad job. but its not a dream job. Still it pays the bills and buys the toys

Why not see if you can get some weekend work and see how you get on.

Will you get work being under 25 because of insurance ?

[Edited on 27/1/08 by big_wasa]

I'm having an absolute nightmare at work at the moment to the point I'm considering taking my employer to tribunal. If I could support myself and be my own boss in 5 years time I would grab it with both hands.

Having said that, if thats what you want to do and its your "dream", then don't let anyone stop you.

My tuppence worth.

I would sell the driving job to him on the basis that practical experience will not only gain you a new understanding of the business but enable you to look at the business in a new light that might lead to additional opportunitioes and cost savings.

i.e. sell at as training and research and gaining credibility with your existing drivers.

quote:

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Originally posted by eznfrank
Sound slike some sort of transport firm? What about a 50/50 job split? No harm in managing a firm and mucking in aswell?

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You will only ever be happy and do a good job when you are doing what you want do with your life.

I reckon its hard as you're living with your parents (I assume) which brings extra pressure over the choices you have.

What makes you want to be lorry driver though? Is it a whim or have you tried driving trucks? What i'm trying to say is be sure of what you want to do if you're going to all this trouble. I've never had this luxury and always fell into jobs but as I've got older I've slowly found out whats more suited to me. I wouldn't have known at 21.

All the best

[Edited on 27/1/08 by RichieW]

[Edited on 27/1/08 by RichieW]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ivan
I would sell the driving job to him on the basis that practical experience will not only gain you a new understanding of the business but enable you to look at the business in a new light that might lead to additional opportunitioes and cost savings.

i.e. sell at as training and research and gaining credibility with your existing drivers.

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don't know, I found that driving for a living doing about 40 hours a week driving city busses, turned me from a driving enthusiast to someone who could not stand driving. Totally spoiled my hobby in the end.

I would get your license first and see how you like it. take a step at a time you may find it not for you/the bee knees quite quickly.

Go easy on your folks they are trying to help, but don't let stop you from trying something as you will always have a what if in your head

As above and what big_wasa said really.

I wanted to do the same when I was 21,(down to watching the film Smokey and the Bandit when I was a kid I think) wish I had tried it, got my class 1 but ended up fixing the things instead of driving them!
It can be a tough job and it's not for everyone, and can make having a social life difficult, as most drivers have to work crap hours.
Good luck with it if you do go for it, once you have your licence you can please yourself, you'll always have it as a back up if you need it.

The only thing I know about HGV drivers is that statistically they have some of the lowest sperm counts of any profession.
Due to

1) sitting on their knackers all day in a hot cab
2) lots of lovely fried breakfasts
3) a tendancy to be nicotine-friendly
4) a high relative risk of chlamydia due to overnight stops away from their missesesses!!!

Oh well, at least they have the fun of seeing how long they can take to overtake another lorry

If you really want to go for the driving then do but make sure you don't burn your bridges. You might find that in a few years time the management side of things suddenly becomes very attractive!

i would go the management route anyday. I am a senior manager for a builder no fun at all but i can have fun on the cars. My brother is a qualified mechanic and it has ruined him he doesnt like working on cars at all now!

You only have one life, do what makes you happy, have no regrets! Life is not a dress rehearsal! This is your decision!

However, making decisions is a skill which needs practicing. Assemble all the information which you have available to you, analyze it, check that you understand all the consequence of the decision then make it based on all the facts you have.

People often criticise people for making bad decisions. If you follow the above before you make the decision, then at the time of making it, the decision was a good one. Hindsight sometimes proves that it wasn't but you don't have this element available to you when you make the decision in the first place.

Good luck!

Thought id let you know, i have decided to stay doing what i am doing for now. After reading mr whippy's post, losing my interest in driving is not an option. If i lost interest in driving i dont know what id do. Thanks alot guys

I sold my Striker recently predominantly due to financial reasons (Coose jnr should be appearing in May), but also as I don't have the interest in driving as much as I used to.

My garage consisted of 3 motorbikes, the Striker and a Mk1 Mini that needs minor restoration (and actually belongs to Mrs Coose). As I do over 30k a year in my company car, the last thing I want to do when I get home is get into another car even though I live next to some of the most awesome roads in England! Now, getting on a bike is another matter, plus two of the bikes are hillclumb at least once a month in Summer!

So, I ended up selling one race bike and buying another road bike and selling the Striker. It was a tough decision as I'd had the Striker for nearly 7 years, removed the x-flow, fitted an R1 and had almost got it fettled, but I think it was the best option for the moment. If I end up doing less company car miles things may change....