once you appraise you’re pension position, which only you can, ask any freight drivers who spent years with a TOC if they would ever go back and it will tell you something. I know I wouldn’t and neither would anybody I know. That should put you at ease to make a decision
Your totally right. Even if they paid me the salary I'm on now, i wouldn't go back.....When I pass some of my old Freightliner Intermodal Drivers, I think he's just coming off nights and he's still got another hour to go.......Spending 5 hours sitting in the DRS at Brent was awful.....Nah!!!!......And our ****ty old mess room at Rugby was no better. I used to freeze to death in there.
Like I've said in previous threads...I get a nice comfy chair, a nice telly, nice start times and finish times, nice new aircon train that doesn't deafen you...The only down side, I work more weekends, well Sundays anyway. Though it's not all rose's at my TOC i would never move from there.
I grew up on the freight and started on the footplate at 16/17, I loved the freight, but times have changed....It can be a lonely job sometimes, but something I would never return to.
BUT.......If I had to return to a FOC, I would go back to Freightliner Intermodal...The pay is not great, but you do get some extra payments for moving off roster etc etc.
I had some great work in my link, and the roster will be like what you would work to now. All timetabled work, so you can plan head.
I think the nearest one to you, if your at a London TOC would be Tilbury, pending where you live. I'm not sure if the Isle of Grain had an Intermodal depot, so that might be worth a look.