Driver looking for career change...

[Dax1983]

This is a little controversial as a question! I am looking for advice as a train driver of 10 years and actually wanting career change ideas if anyone can help? I am unsure what further careers our skills can be very useful, without crazy shifts and as well paid if possible. Though it would be an idea to ask on this forum! Many thanks.

 

[SuperS16v]

This is a little controversial as a question! I am looking for advice as a train driver of 10 years and actually wanting career change ideas if anyone can help? I am unsure what further careers our skills can be very useful, without crazy shifts and as well paid if possible. Though it would be an idea to ask on this forum! Many thanks.

Have you considered Signalling? Same skill set and the pay will be very similar. I am going from signalling to driving

 

[Horizon22]

Really depends on what you want to do!

Bare in mind the railway is a shift-based industry and although there are plenty of jobs out there which are traditional 9-5, I'm sure we'd all like "careers where our skills are useful, without crazy shifts and well paid"! Moving from driving is likely to be a slight cut (taking into account all the allowances) because the wage is as good as it is partly due to the unsocialable element.

Maybe a Driver Manager role might be for you, if you've got a good record and are happy to do line management? Might be a slight pay cut though. Or perhaps the training department for your TOC that often take on former drivers.

 

[Economist]

I'd have suggested to take a look at BA's Speedbird Academy or the Aer Lingus equivalent but they've both just closed. You wouldn't earn any money during training but you'd likely be flying an airliner for a living after 18-24 months. It would be a bit of a pay cut including once productive but it looks great fun.

 

[Train_manager]

This is a little controversial as a question! I am looking for advice as a train driver of 10 years and actually wanting career change ideas if anyone can help? I am unsure what further careers our skills can be very useful, without crazy shifts and as well paid if possible. Though it would be an idea to ask on this forum! Many thanks.

Unfortunately Train driving is in effect a dead end job. There isn't really any career progression.

There is driver management which I wouldn't do even for 100k a year.

I have great respect fo my DM but never in a million years would I want there job.

Maybe a signaller but it's 12 hour shifts

Even a grade 8 signaller salary is only about 50k ish

 

[endofthetunnel]

Signalling is definitely a worthwhile consideration. We obviously still work shifts but they are fixed times rather than rolling starts, slightly more sociable hours and we never worry about finishing late or being stuck in a far away place.

In terms of salary, it’s can vary with grade and overtime and Sunday allowances etc on both sides of the coin but we are definitely in the same ballpark as drivers, myself and many in my box were in the £100k range last year.

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

If I wanted change I’d look at MOM

 

[john349uk]

Im in the same position as the OP, just over 10 years driving and sometimes fancy a change, signalling is the closest I've come to applying for, but the following things put me off:

Lower training wage,
Chance of not making it through signalling school,
Staring at a screen all day,
Less money into pension (although probably more pay in total with a bit of OT etc,
Having your break in the same place everyday.

 

[365515]

Depends where you consider as a signal box, the 8hour shifts and 7days on trot is hard work.

 

[Economist]

Is the OP driving suburban, intercity or regional routes? I used to be 80-90 stops a day DOO suburban work before moving to an intercity operator where all trains are guarded. So far, I've enjoyed it a lot more. Workload isn't as intense, I live in a cheaper part of the country (though not by that much) and I get paid quite a bit more than I used to.

 

[Class2ldn]

I'm in the same boat, would love to get out now, got an lgv and pcv licence but none will pay anywhere near without some serious hours.
Royal mail is probably the closest to the railway in terms of pay and terms etc but its dead man shoes for lorry driving.
Would have loved to have given the pilot schemes a go but don't have the grades.
Train driving is definitely not the job it was, not interested in management, the 9-5 would be nice but not the job itself.
Unfortunately this is one of them jobs where once you're in, if you do have the desire to leave then there's not much else out there that competes in pay and conditions and makes it difficult to get out.

 

[Economist]

Some of the airline schemes only require GCSEs now, you could probably smash 5 at grades 9-4 (A*-C in old currency) including Maths and Double Science in a year or two around the job. Alternatively self-funding modular may be an option.

 

[SuperS16v]

Even a grade 8 signaller salary is only about 50k ish

50k basic, add another 10k-15k for your Sundays and nights and overtime on top of that too.

 

[E16 Cyclist]

Some former drivers move into control where their knowledge of traction routes and the rules make them good at managing the day to day service without some of the pressure of potentially being one incident away from the end of your career

Downside however is it’s a 24/7 environment so nights come round quite quickly

 

[Vinny86]

I'm in the same boat, would love to get out now, got an lgv and pcv licence but none will pay anywhere near without some serious hours.
Royal mail is probably the closest to the railway in terms of pay and terms etc but its dead man shoes for lorry driving.
Would have loved to have given the pilot schemes a go but don't have the grades.
Train driving is definitely not the job it was, not interested in management, the 9-5 would be nice but not the job itself.
Unfortunately this is one of them jobs where once you're in, if you do have the desire to leave then there's not much else out there that competes in pay and conditions and makes it difficult to get out.

I’m in logistics, your best bet for driving and earning the higher money is probably supermarket’s some Sainsbury’s depots pay around the 50k mark. Tankers can still pay well but it’s not like it used to be. The money has significantly increased in recent years, and the requirement for experience isn’t as stringent.

 

[Samsanbor]

This is a little controversial as a question! I am looking for advice as a train driver of 10 years and actually wanting career change ideas if anyone can help? I am unsure what further careers our skills can be very useful, without crazy shifts and as well paid if possible. Though it would be an idea to ask on this forum! Many thanks.

Think very carefully and if you decide to leave the railway don't forget about your railway pension, short working week, free and reduced travel, a reliable union and all the other benefits you might have at your TOC.
You won't be able to keep all of that.

Someone here has mentioned logistics (driving lorries, seriously?) and aviation, I worked in both industries myself back in the years and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

 

[anglian96]

Think very carefully and if you decide to leave the railway don't forget about your railway pension, short working week, free and reduced travel, a reliable union and all the other benefits you might have at your TOC.
You won't be able to keep all of that.

Someone here has mentioned logistics (driving lorries, seriously?) and aviation, I worked in both industries myself back in the years and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I'm with you on this. Having worked as a hgv driver I would definitely never go back to it. Earning less for working double hours. No thanks. As for aviation I know of 2 pilots who tell me it's not all what It looks like from the outside. Good money but takes a few years to get there but despite the money it's not that glam it seems

 

[Vinny86]

Think very carefully and if you decide to leave the railway don't forget about your railway pension, short working week, free and reduced travel, a reliable union and all the other benefits you might have at your TOC.
You won't be able to keep all of that.

Someone here has mentioned logistics (driving lorries, seriously?) and aviation, I worked in both industries myself back in the years and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I’d agree. I’ve found myself a niche in logistics but I’m still looking at railways. For the stuff you put up with, the benefits, you’d never find driving. Likewise a friend who is a captain for a UK airline, said it’s tough to get into and does take some years to make it worthwhile.

 

[Class2ldn]

This is what I'm saying though, when you look at the perks of the railway its hard to walk away from.
In regards to lorry driving there is some good jobs out there but they are extremely difficult to get into, got a mate at Royal mail who loves it, doesn't do many more hours then on the railway and is on similar pay, extremely unionised, set routes.
Also only does monday- Friday with an occasional weekend, no nights unless he wants them and bumps his pay up a fair whack.
I wouldn't leave to just drive a lorry anywhere, it would have to be similar pay and some firms are paying the same if not more then train drivers, obviously the pay dispute may have something to do with that but it just shows other jobs are catching up with the railway.
Things like heavy haulage can pay very well and I would think working for someone like allelys or someone specialised like that would be a really interesting job.
Yes you'll do some long hours on them no doubt but I would think the job satisfaction would be higher, swings and roundabouts I guess.
There's definitely life beyond the railway but I think the railway has the benefit of high pay vs low hours , not going to be many jobs out there that compare on that.
The pilot thing is interesting as again its a different area with different requirements, no doubt you'll do some long hours especially on long haul and the starting pay is relatively low, add to that some of these schemes are self funded (easyjet) so can be a big output of cash.
Depends what you want i guess.
If you can stick with it and work your way up to captain quickly then the financial gain is massive but there are some big commitments and sacrifices you need to make on the way.
I don't hate driving trains but I don't come home getting any satisfaction from it now either.
Just need to be careful with what steps to take next.
Always looking for that next opportunity be it on the railway or elsewhere.

 

[Twotwo]

If I ever did leave the driver role, I think working in control or being a duty resource manager would actually appeal to me. We could bring a lot of experience to the role as we would know the diagrams, route, traction and all the little information such at walking times etc

 

[Dano28]

I understand not everyone wants to be a manager but what is it that makes those that are so against it that way? (Not trying to persuade anyone to change their mind just genuinely interested).

 

[Lurcheroo]

This is what I'm saying though, when you look at the perks of the railway its hard to walk away from.
In regards to lorry driving there is some good jobs out there but they are extremely difficult to get into, got a mate at Royal mail who loves it, doesn't do many more hours then on the railway and is on similar pay, extremely unionised, set routes.
Also only does monday- Friday with an occasional weekend, no nights unless he wants them and bumps his pay up a fair whack.
I wouldn't leave to just drive a lorry anywhere, it would have to be similar pay and some firms are paying the same if not more then train drivers, obviously the pay dispute may have something to do with that but it just shows other jobs are catching up with the railway.
Things like heavy haulage can pay very well and I would think working for someone like allelys or someone specialised like that would be a really interesting job.
Yes you'll do some long hours on them no doubt but I would think the job satisfaction would be higher, swings and roundabouts I guess.
There's definitely life beyond the railway but I think the railway has the benefit of high pay vs low hours , not going to be many jobs out there that compare on that.
The pilot thing is interesting as again its a different area with different requirements, no doubt you'll do some long hours especially on long haul and the starting pay is relatively low, add to that some of these schemes are self funded (easyjet) so can be a big output of cash.
Depends what you want i guess.
If you can stick with it and work your way up to captain quickly then the financial gain is massive but there are some big commitments and sacrifices you need to make on the way.
I don't hate driving trains but I don't come home getting any satisfaction from it now either.
Just need to be careful with what steps to take next.
Always looking for that next opportunity be it on the railway or elsewhere.

Not so sure about HGV’s but aviation is a serious commitment, financially and time wise. The learning is 10x the drivers role so is something you really need a burning desire to do.

Driving gets boring, most drivers find it that way. I know a few drivers who say they couldn’t get as good pay and conditions so they see it as their ‘golden ticket’ that allows them to live their best life outside of work.

it’s also worth considering how much would these other jobs give you satisfaction compared to driving trains (only you can answer that as we’re all different).

Have you considering changing depot or TOC ? Have some different routes / types of driving ? Perhaps if you work lots of urban stuff, find a depot with some lovely rural branch lines. We get lots want to live to our depot as it’s just beautiful scenery for the most part.
One driver who used to mostly do urban driving said “it gets boring either way, I’d just rather look at the beautiful Welsh scenery than the concrete of Manchester”

Just a to add, if that’s not your thing then what about doing something outside of work ?
Personably I’m keen to join the RNLI but there are loads of charities that do incredible work and could help you feel more satisfied ?

 

[J3053B]

Freight could be an obvious option, especially if you’ve been doing same routes for a TOC, could consider instructing at a training school.

Alternatively instead of giving up your career what about looking in to retained firefighter or signing up for the reserve (Army/Navy/RAF) - I know a few members of train crew both drivers and guards that do these and thoroughly enjoy.

 

[43066]

I understand not everyone wants to be a manager but what is it that makes those that are so against it that way? (Not trying to persuade anyone to change their mind just genuinely interested).

Looking at the DMs where I am, they work long hours and seem stressed much of the time. There’s a lot of admin to wade through and endless paperwork. There are some unpleasant aspects to the job for example dealing with disciplinary hearings, and some of the railway’s more confrontational characters.

They do a five day week, sometimes more when they’re expected to be on call, or need to catch someone who is working late shifts for an assessment. No overtime available and they get paid less than drivers get as where I am the uplift for DMs in London is less than the London weighting given to drivers.

If the DM job where I am paid circa. £80k basic, as it does at LNER, it might start to look attractive.

 

[E27007]

This is a little controversial as a question! I am looking for advice as a train driver of 10 years and actually wanting career change ideas if anyone can help? I am unsure what further careers our skills can be very useful, without crazy shifts and as well paid if possible. Though it would be an idea to ask on this forum! Many thanks.

If you have technical skills to complement your driving skills, and able to wield a spanner to repair machinery, happy to use computers to measure and survey track, consider becoming a Tamper Driver Operator, you will see a lot less of the boring routine driving of passenger work, and no two shifts are the same , disadvantage is long shifts and many nightshifts and few dayshifts, rostering is week-by-week which makes planning a social life difficult, your driving experience and route knowledge will place you at the top of the list for any vacancies.

 

[Class2ldn]

I think at my time of life I want to start getting some normalish hours, reduce the weekend work , in the railway unless your a manager or in training there's not much chance of that, having done shift work for nearly 25 years im definitely feeling it a bit now and I think looking outside the railway is probably the best chance of that, its just weighing it up with the wages and everything else the job brings, can't argue on that side but the job itself isn't for me anymore.
Finishing at 130am on Saturday Sunday morning and then being back in on a Monday at 430 isn't good for anyones health and fatigue.
A lot of drivers are focused on bumping up their pensions but many don't get to use them as they drop dead after a few years because of the toll of the jobs hours etc.
The work may be generally easy but the effects the shift work takes on your body is demanding.
I keep fit etc but getting up at 0230 isn't as appealing or as easy as it used to be lol.

 

[Train_manager]

Think very carefully and if you decide to leave the railway don't forget about your railway pension, short working week, free and reduced travel, a reliable union and all the other benefits you might have at your TOC.
You won't be able to keep all of that.

Someone here has mentioned logistics (driving lorries, seriously?) and aviation, I worked in both industries myself back in the years and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Anyone thinking of moving from train driving to HGV needs a brain transplant!!

Seriously!

60+ hours a week for min wage, no RPS, no free travel, no unions, £20 to sleep in your truck, in a layby, VOSA £80 fines for vehicle defects etc... Transport office constantly on your case.

Do I need to go on.

 

[Class2ldn]

Anyone thinking of moving from train driving to HGV needs a brain transplant!!

Seriously!

60+ hours a week for min wage, no RPS, no free travel, no unions, £20 to sleep in your truck, in a layby, VOSA £80 fines for vehicle defects etc... Transport office constantly on your case.

Do I need to go on.

Not every hgv job is like that, yes thats a common scenario no doubt but there is some cushy jobs in the industry, its just finding them lol

 

[Train_manager]

Not every hgv job is like that, yes thats a common scenario no doubt but there is some cushy jobs in the industry, its just finding them lol

With the greatest respect.

I'm an Ex-Trucker and the so called "cushy" job is an urban myth.

Some HGV drivers think 40k a year for 50hours per week is cushy.

And the HGV driver shortest is an urban myth as well.

I had my begging letter from the Government asking me to return. It went in the BIN !!!

I think we need a separate thread.

Train driving VS HGV driving.

 

[Class2ldn]

Like I said above, my mate at Royal mail is on similar money, more family friendly hours and loves his job,problem is you can't get in for love nor money lol, yes its few and far between i concede and you'll not be benefitting from the pension and travel, them perks cant be overlooked but its not all about that.
I enjoy driving so I never found it a chore , even doing longer hours but there is employers who treat lgv drivers like dirt and dont appreciate them in the slightest.
I'm certainly not saying its a better job but its an alternative if need be and if you can get into certain places then its an option.
Obviously with better union support im sure more industries would be better off but in the hgv world its almost non existent so its generally just drivers against the companies and that never ends well.
I dont think drivers help themselves sometimes though, agreeing to work for peanuts, I know its tough if you're looking for work but its bad circle that never seems to end. That's where the union support is needed more.
I certainly wouldn't leave train driving for general haulage but there is a niche market in hgv driving thats a lot better then the rest, maybe not better then the railway overall but its a different industry and different requirements for each.
I must admit the letter from government was quite comical, begging to come back, never seen anything like it lol.