35: Keeping It In The Family

0:01Mat Ireland:Hello everybody and welcome back to Matt's Trucking Great Podcast. It's me, Squeaky, and today I'm actually on my own as a host. There's no Matt, there's no Jim, there's no Alex, there's no Dazzle either, actually, as he's become a firm part of the furniture. A lot of you guys have really liked and enjoyed seeing him on some of the videos there that I've put out recently. the bit where he walks through on the video that i've just put out of where we was at gaydon where he walks through the smoke and i slowed that down and he's got the um the jump leads in his hand as he's coming through the smoke in slow motion that section there that video sums dazzle up absolutely perfectly always covered in grease always got some some form of tool in his hand Anyway, so this podcast, the reason I'm on my own today, well, I do have a guest with me, but it's a little bit of a special event.

1:01Mat Ireland:So the haulage industry, we always, as drivers, we always sort of look at the industry from our own perspective, don't we? As drivers, you know, sort of being away from home and working long hours, sleeping in a truck, only getting home on a weekend, doing your washing and sort of seeing the family and then sort of packing your bags and then off you go again for another week. And I mean, that's just if you're in the UK, if you're doing European work, you could be away for sort of weeks at a time, you know, if not longer. So I thought it would be a really good idea. And I'm sure that you're all probably thinking that I'm going to interview my wife now.

1:42Mat Ireland:I'm not. No, what I have got is my 11 your old daughter called Isla Rose. Hi. How are you? Are you okay? Yeah, I'm good, fine. Are you nervous? A little bit. I've been waiting for a while, but I am still a bit nervous. Your voice has changed. You don't normally sound like this. You've gotten a little bit quiet. Yeah, because I'm like, oh. Yeah. Listen, don't worry about it. You'll be absolutely fine. You'll be fine. Most people that work in this industry work away from the families. They work away from the children, the wives, and all that sort of stuff. So this podcast is going to be, we don't want it to be doom and gloom.

2:20Mat Ireland:Obviously, we want it to be happy, don't we? We want people to be happy. And the idea of the podcast is to entertain people. We don't want to sort of put people in a bad mood and, you know, all of a sudden they're driving along all day and next thing you know, they're listening to Celine Dion crying their eyes out as they're driving down the road. We want to make them happy. So let's start off on a happy note, shall we? what is for you right what is the best thing about dad not not well i mean i've got a massive list i could write loads down what's best about me what's the best what's the best thing about dad being a long distance lorry driver or being a lorry driver i think the best thing is like like you might not have seen it but we did go to prom in the lorry and i did have a matching dress and everything we went full out that was amazing i really enjoyed that i remember so let me just give many people that that listen to the podcast follow this sounds cringe they'll follow me on tiktok as well do you know so they will have seen the videos and stuff like that that that have gone online of you going to prom.

3:32Mat Ireland:Although, just for the listeners' sake, isn't it – like Dad, me and Mom and many people of our age, we never had that. We had a prom, but it was only ever a secondary school prom. We never had a prom in a primary school. That was never a thing. You know what I mean? We were still snot-nosed kids that couldn't even wipe our ass properly at primary school. You know what I mean? Like, it was nothing like, well, kids now at primary school are so much older than I remember kids being when I was that age. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like, prom, it wasn't even a thing. Do you know what I mean? I don't know.

4:12Mat Ireland:For me, being a kid at that age, it was like getting a pound off your dad to go to the local shop around the corner and getting a load of penny sweets. You know, like, just worlds apart, absolutely worlds apart. It was nothing like what you are now. and that's crazy because this the school did organize to do a prom but then it was the pta actually and then they canceled it for some reason like all the posts about it were gone so my friend indy her mum had she got the idea to do a prom herself from a boy next door to organize it yeah privately with parents is what you mean yeah yeah yeah so i think that that was better than doing it with the school if i'm honest like a few teachers did come but no i think it like that's the best it could be yeah it was a good do wasn't it it was a good do so for the for the listeners that perhaps don't follow me on on tiktok or or instagram that i rose went to her primary school prom which i know sounds mental and some of the children that went they sort of went in Teslas that had, you know, the fancy doors, like Back to the Future car and all that.

5:31Mat Ireland:Somebody else went in a Porsche, and there was a couple of other little bits and bobs like that. I always wanted to go in my truck. We were just the best. Like, you had all these crappy little Teslas on the floor, looked like they'd been squashed by an elephant. In fact, they looked like they'd been squashed by us. You know, I was a big, fat, Laurie. well let's be honest it tells us just a posh milk float in her but yeah so we turned up isla also sort of color coordinating herself so that a dress that she had matched the color of the lorry so it was all bright purple and you know honestly it was so hard to find that dress i shopped everywhere and i could not find that color but honestly i thank timu so much and you You might think Teemu.

6:17You make us sound cheap. I know, but you think, like, I know what you're probably thinking. You're probably thinking Teemu, a dress, what are you on about? But it was actually really good quality, and it was the exact same colour as the elephant on the lorry, maybe a bit darker.

6:33Mat Ireland:It was good. You look absolutely fantastic. I was super proud. It was a really nice day. And having that moment, I've been able to drive you in there as well and have people take all the pictures. and I remember some lady, obviously I'm going in and I'm going like full tones, you know what I mean? I've got the flashes on, the beacons going, I've got the spotlights on, the full shebang, everything's flashing, air horns going, the whaler going because they had an American police siren tone on there as well, so I've got that going. And I got out of the driver's side, coming out to the passenger side, I'm getting her out, obviously trying to make sure that she doesn't fall down the steps and she's got a bum covered and all that sort of stuff, although her dress was long, you know, I was still like...

7:18Mat Ireland:And then I had some lady who was sort of stood there taking pictures and the crowd went, now that's how you arrive in style, isn't she? Yeah, yeah. It was a real moment for me that. So the job comes with some perks, doesn't it? So we've got the prom. What else? Anything else that you think's good about Dad being a lorry driver? the fact that i've only been to one will make me sound stupid but the truck shows are amazing like i like the tiktoks i see on on your on your tiktok like they just look amazing like with jim and everybody it just wow you're like jim don't you yeah he's your old mate he's been boy isn't he and he's lovely as well he like birthdays and christmases he sends you he sends you something doesn't he or but yeah so jim was lovely isn't he he always sends you even just a video don't he just wishing you happy birthday or whatever yeah top bloke yeah truck shows so we you've came to driftfield didn't you yeah driftfield was amazing that was good wasn't it Apart from the fact I had to sleep on an air mattress and slept under like 500 layers and I was still shivering.

8:34It was still quite good.

8:36Mat Ireland:So I give a bit of background on this. So I have a, obviously I have the truck to sleep in, but I didn't do that. I slept in. We'd recently, we have a touring caravan and we go all over in it. So we travel, Hull is where we live and we travel from Hull and we go up to Scotland. We go down to Weymouth. we you know we travel or anything in between we literally will take that touring caravan anywhere my wife laura has recently got into you know like this kayaking and canoeing and all that sort of stuff so we're spending a bit of time around lakes the lake district and stuff like that and so we've sort of come across this volkswagen transporter thing recent you know we've always been aware of it and always liked the idea of it but it's always just sort of like just been a bit of a pipe dream.

9:25Mat Ireland:Anyway, we went on holiday to... Cornwall. Cornwall, thank you. I couldn't think where we'd gone. Wait, can I tell this bit? Please, can I tell this bit? If you want to, go on. Right, so we went to Cornwall for like 10 days, is that it? Yeah. Went to Cornwall for 10 days, absolutely amazing. Well, the second caravan we went into was glorious, honestly. It was like walking into a bungalow. It was amazing. You've got to give backstory. So we turned up, we booked a caravan, we went in. We weren't happy with it, so we went and upgraded. The second caravan was like one of these twin units and it had a hot tub and everything else.

10:07Mat Ireland:So the second caravan was amazing. So anyway, carry on. I love the hot tub. It was amazing. Anyways, my parents have always looked at getting a van for, like since we've been to the Lake District, they've always thought we could do with a van we could have that extra space if we just wanted a bit of time out and so anyways we were just in the van normally and all I could hear my parents talking about was have you seen this one on Facebook marketplace I was like what are you what about so anyways i kept seeing these vans and as my parents were talking about it and the next thing i know they said right kids we're we'll leave in tomorrow i was like we've still got another day and they're like yeah but we're off to wales to go pick up this van are you insane i still have another day left of my holiday and i'm i have to sit in a car for four I was with Oliver fighting, Dad singing and Mum snoring.

11:13Honestly. So, anyways, we eventually got to Wales, which was an eventful car ride. We had this kid, well, this family in another car next to us, and this kid in the back, he kept sticking his tongue out at every car that passed. So, me and Oliver.

11:35Mat Ireland:Let me just explain it for the listeners' sake. So we left our holiday, although I just said we had a touring caravan. On this occasion, we'd actually said we're going to book a static because we just fancied a change. So we ended up with this huge lodge thing with a hot tub, and it was amazing, beautiful sight. Caloose Holiday Park, it was called, if anybody's interested in looking. And I know that you guys are probably listening now going, this isn't trucking related we have gone off track but we will i am going to draw it back don't worry anyway so we decided that whilst we were there we'd seen a van on facebook marketplace but it was in wales and so we'd said i phoned this guy and he said oh we've got i've got somebody coming to look at it blah blah blah and i said well what if i come first and so this is why we decided me and the wife decided we were going to leave a day early from our holiday essentially and that's what I was trying to explain to you.

12:33Mat Ireland:And then we're travelling to Wales and we're in sort of bumper-to-bumper traffic and there's a kid in another car and he's sticking his tongue out and all that. Go on. Yeah, so me and Oliver, we were in the back seat and Dad said, you two, this car in front here with the bikes on the back, he said, this car, yeah, there's this kid sticking his tongue out. so he said see if you can see if you can get him back so we managed to catch up to him and me and oliver we pulled the most absurd face ever it was unreal and there was the the kid in the back oh it was so funny i think there was like a boy in the front around like 18 he even started doing it it was crazy and i think the mum was in the back she was laughing they were all laughing and And before you know it, there's two of us side by side.

13:28Mat Ireland:We've never met, you know, we don't know each other. There's two of us on the motorway, kind of full of kids. And we're all doing it. I'm doing it. Squeaky's doing it. I'm sticking my tongue out at some kid. My kids have got their heads hanging out the window doing the same. You know. What on earth is that? We're all just milling down the motorway at, like, walking speed, sticking our tongues out at each other. It's become a bit awkward, if I'm honest. But anyway, so we've digressed a little bit. We've gone off there. So the point of all that was that we went to Driffield Truck Show the weekend after we'd come back from Wales from buying this Volkswagen Transporter van.

14:07Mat Ireland:And again, we do have a touring caravan, but Laura, my wife, she won't tow it. She's not confident enough to tow it. But she's confident enough to drive the Transporter. now the idea of the transporter it is just an empty van but the idea behind it is that that we're kitting it out and so obviously to turn it into a a camper van um but we will tow the caravan with it and we will use the the vw for more of a day van so when we're around the lakes because laura wants to go to all the lake district i'm basically i can i can have cold beers in the fridge and i can sit and watch only fools and horses whilst they about on the water for the day if i'm honest that's where we've done it it's a bit expensive but that's where we've done it anyway so we're we're in the process of converting this man now but when we went to driftfield we didn't it obviously it was we'd only had it a week so it was nice for me to go to a truck show and be able to take them with me because it's always been a bit of a thing where they can't come because laura won't tow the caravan and then where do they sleep and this and that and so it was nice that And it was brilliant for them to come.

15:18Mat Ireland:And we had this van and we put an airbed in the back of the van for me and Laura. No, yeah, you were all right. All tucked up, cosy in the van. Me and Oliver had to sit on the floor like fucking homeless people. You weren't on the floor? I bought you an airbed. What's wrong with an airbed? I look like someone homeless near Aldi begging for sandwiches. Sandwich? Spare a sandwich? They don't want sandwiches. That's not what they're after around Aldi. But anyway, we bought this. it's like a drag away awning type tent thing and it sort of fits around the back doors of the van and then it opens up into a big dome tent so the kids were in there on airbeds me and Laura were in the back of the Volkswagen with airbeds and stuff but that was your first ever truck show wasn't it?

16:01It was crazy there were so many nights I think I almost died

16:04Mat Ireland:This episode of Matt's Trucking Great Podcast is proudly brought to you by Go Fetch with Fly Pets if you need animal transport whether it be uk europe or the rest of the world give go fetch a call whether it be a cat a dog a rabbit a hamster a guinea pig a bird you name it they can move it no matter where it needs to go in the world so check out the website for go fetch or fly pets so we spoke about the best bits so for you the best bits are things like ever that haven't been able to go to prom in the truck and go to truck shows and a couple of things planned for next year in the truck and stuff like that what's your worst parts about dad being a oh now there are going to be so many people there are so many drivers across the country that that will have the same sort of feelings as me about being away and they might not really have had this conversation with their children or their wife or the husband or whatever about what it's like being a because I only think about it from my perspective never really think of it from your perspective so what's your worst part about dad being a driver probably the fact that I don't see you a lot like that is the main part I feel like I only really see you on a weekend and when we do the only thing good about that is that we get takeaway on a Friday.

17:40So I have a chance.

17:42Mat Ireland:All right, so hang on, right. No, hang on, right. You know what you just said? What did I just say? You went, oh, the worst part is that you were, were your little puppy dog eyes, right? You went, well, the worst thing is that, you know. Puppy dog eyes. You work away all week and I don't really see you. But the best thing is we get a takeaway on Friday. Hey, good, Dad. I mean. Yeah, that's the only good thing about you working away. You get to treat us loads. Well, I suppose because that's a money thing, though, that perhaps you'll learn a little bit more when you get older. But if you're a day driver, you perhaps maybe don't earn as much.

18:28Mat Ireland:and working the way you earn that little bit more money. So you've got that little bit of extra cash for you to go. Anyways, on a serious note, it is pretty hard having a dad that works away. You have all my mates saying, oh, my dad's taking me here today, or I'm going to work with my dad today, and I'm like, oh, that's nice. And I have to pretend that it's fine and it's not because I know a lot of people go, yeah well I have a dad that works away or my parents are split up and I don't see him as often but it never used to really be like this it used to be he comes home every night and he doesn't anymore that's interesting if I'm just picking up on that bit there like as a child in your mind you just associated dad working away with other children that like that say well my parents have split up and that came out quite quickly that almost as if you tie the same brushes.

19:30Mat Ireland:Do you know what I mean? Children that would say, oh, I only see my dad on a weekend because I live with my mum and dad was split up. I don't get what you're trying to say. No, you won't do, but the listeners will. It's almost like you've put them two things as me working away in the same category as having a family home that are split up? Well, yeah. Like, it basically is. Well, it is and it isn't. Like, my parents are literally there, but, like, your split-up parents don't, obviously. but you only like the mum gets to keep the children depending on what it is but 9 times out of 10 it is the mum that keeps her and dad only really sees him on a weekend so that's kind of what it is like for me I only see him on a weekend Wow never really thought of it like that I suppose you're right really in a sense aren't you?

20:39Yeah

20:41Mat Ireland:and for the sake of the podcast I'm trying not to get emotional, but I actually am getting emotional and my eyes are filling up a little bit. So what else? Is there anything else in that? What you dislike about Dad being a lorry driver?

21:01Maybe the fact that you come around with all your stories and I'm like, why couldn't I be part of that? Why can't I come?

21:08Mat Ireland:Well, that's the worst part. No, the worst part. I guess. Yeah, no, so I'm saying, are there any more words, Pat? I'm not sure. I think that's the only thing, really. I'll tell you what I miss, and I think this is probably social media or TV, you know, like society in general. You know, you're watching TV or you're watching an advert on TV or something like that, and it could be something stupid, like a it could be a cereal advert right so someone's selling a brand of cereal and you see and jim i know jim will be going this is me this is me i told him that right but jim will be listening to this now going that i told you i had and i agree right but you see a cereal advert and you know it's some big posh house and some big posh kitchen that's got a big island and you know and mum's sort of serving the children the breakfast in the morning and the kids are sat there in the school uniform ready to go and dad comes down as he's sort of like finishing off putting his tie on, you know, and he might nick a slice of toast off the kitchen side and go around and give the wife and the kids a kiss and he says, I'll see you tonight when I get home and off he goes to work with his little briefcase.

22:28Mat Ireland:You know what I mean? for me giving my kids and and my wife a kiss on a sunday afternoon or well i wouldn't give you a kiss on a monday morning when i leave because i leave that early that you're not used to in bed so that's really rare like the other day you were you got to leave home because i had a doctor's appointment yeah but normally it's sunday it's either way whichever way you look at it, I give you a kiss on a Sunday night when I put you to bed. And then that's it until the following Friday, isn't it? Normally. Pretty much. That's a long time to go, isn't it? If you're lucky, you get a Wednesday or a Thursday off.

23:17Mat Ireland:You know, if the job's dictated, it means I can maybe come home, but I'm normally tired, aren't I? and sort of straight in, showered, straight to bed, isn't it, normally? Language, young boy. Young boy. Cheeky get. Anyways, yeah, Fridays with Dad are a waste to me, really. I feel like, because I'm at secondary now, and I come home early, I let the dog out and all that, and then everyone else starts coming home, and Dad comes home, he gets in the shower, he orders us tea and then he goes to bed. So it's only really me and Mum that sits on the sofa at like 10 o 'clock at night and then we go to bed.

24:05So it's really only Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, if I'm lucky, I get to see you.

24:11Mat Ireland:Well, yeah, but it's normally just Saturday really, isn't it? Because I suppose Sunday I spend a lot of time getting my clothes ready, packing, or I'm off to the shops and I get everything that I need to preparing for the week ahead of being away again for another week. And that's if I'm not leaving. That's if I'm not actually driving the truck and leaving the yard on a Sunday. So it is difficult, isn't it? Yeah. I mean, I try my hardest to get home. And I tell you what, we all know who I work for. I work for Harrison Solway. And I've got to give them their due. when it comes to things like if I phone the office or if I put in a request, not a request, it's not even a formal request, it's just a case of me saying, I've got this on that date or whatever.

24:58Mat Ireland:They do bend over backwards to make sure that I get there when it's family orientated, especially. So if I say, oh, you know, my little girl's, I don't know, that's right, parents' evening, you know, can I get home on a random Tuesday or whatever, they do try the best on that. They are really good at stuff like that. but yeah it's difficult working away i i feel like i miss silly things that i feel like i can't really ask for time off for because it's so trivial in an adult world but but to you as a as a child it's not it's things like school plays nativities maybe you know not so much your last one because that was a that was like your big end of year thing so i made a conscious effort to make sure i got there and again work accommodated that they were great but throughout the year if you was putting on like little kiddie shows you know like year two year three you know them sort of things as a i have to weigh up is it worth me putting in the time and effort with work to try and get there i was an amazing i was an amazing angel gabriel in my nativity thank you and you You didn't even take that into consideration.

26:15Mat Ireland:Right. I might have taken it into consideration. Or no, sorry. In your mind, you might have thought you was amazing. My little one line. It's okay, Mary, you're going to rob the son of God. You didn't even come and bother to see my little one line. Even though I didn't go on stage for the rest of the play. You didn't bother to come see that. So do I lose a day's pay to come and see you do one line? Absolutely. All right. And then how do I – or do you want your takeaway on Friday night? No, I'm a serious now. Yeah. I'm a serious now. Now we're talking about food. I'm a serious now. Yeah, different now.

26:56Mat Ireland:Oh, sorry. I really like my food. I love food. Yeah, there are a few bits. You know, it is difficult. It's a difficult job. it's not just a sacrifice for the driver this job it's a sacrifice for the wives and the husbands the partners the children there are sacrifices to be made in this job it's not just a nine to five job it it's it's a lifestyle and it's not just a lifestyle for the driver as i said right at the top of the podcast it's not just a case of the driver that suffers whether it be a man or a woman or whatever it's the it's the knock-on effect that as of the family like things like school plays parents evenings doctor's appointments you know and tonight hopefully you've sort of got a little bit of an insight about how the children feel about it we've had to tread very carefully and make sure that obviously isla's protected in the things that she's doing and that she's saying and the things that are going to be put out onto the podcast but it is a it's a difficult job i i find emotionally it's a difficult job and again i i think of myself driving down the road and being away all week and and how my mental health is affected by the things that i think about the things i'm doing you know the feelings and the emotions that I feel about being away.

28:24Mat Ireland:And I hope that we've sort of put the children's point across tonight within recording this podcast. Is there anything else that you feel that's important to put forward about what it's like being a child and having a mum or a dad that works away all week? Well, this is going to sound really silly, but it's little things like home-cooked meals and little, like, oh, do you want to watch a film together? Or just little stupid things like that, although my mum does make me a really nice bedside waffle and microwave pizza. Yeah. Right. Hang on. So. Why are you laughing at her? Because you've just made your mum sound like...

29:18Right. She's an amazing cook, guys.

29:22Mat Ireland:If it involves a microwave. And an air fryer. And an air fryer. Can't fit the air fryer, Dad. So Dad does all the cooking. I agree with him from scratch. Yeah, all the home cooking, all the fish and chips, if he has beer, off. We're back to when he did it with water. Sorry. Yeah, that didn't work. Well, no, it was busy water, but he didn't still need to work. Anyway, yeah, I do all the home cooking, and my wife, she's not really into all that sort of stuff. She's not a cup of a spag ball or a lasagna or something, but Isla, she's a bit of a foodie like a dad, so you miss that while Stan's away.