"Beware the spare"

Being a spare driver has its ups and downs and it's not just all financial.
Not knowing when your next job is coming is only half the story.
Every driver with their own truck knows that even though their employer may have shelled out for the lorry,it's just another asset on the balance sheet to the company.
But to the driver it's their own personal sanctum. A sanctuary where all there personal belongings are kept.

It's also a place where drivers store their own personal indiscretions, minor infractions or faux pas's call them what you will. Every one has secrets and a messy cab tells its own story. Or indeed even a clean one.


When I walk into the yard and climb into an empty truck I can see the looks and hear the mutterings.

I know they hate me getting into their own private domain. I know I get the blame for every dink, nick and fault with their truck , no matter how small.
I get the blame if it comes back covered in mud.
But I also get a grudging nod of respect ... A tiny flicker in the eyes when we glance at each other.

And that's because I know where the mags are, what that dvd really is, where that old apple was left, that can of coke living in the door well. I've found other fluids in those as well.
I see crumbs , mouldy sweets, grease , tobacco, stains of every single makeup. Things to make your toes curl and your stomach churn.

I've refuelled more trucks than I can remember, cleaned as many again and reported more defects than most workshop mechanics. All because I'm an invader , I trespass for a living. Im a cuckoo living in your house wether it be for a day, a week or just a nightshift while your on your 11 hour rest.

So when you see me arriving at your yard with my bag and hi viz over my shoulder and your truck is sitting there, all your secrets spread out,ready for your weeks vacation, remember, I know where the bodies are buried.