From Irish Guard to BSS Driver

Thomas Moran joined the Irish Guards straight from school aged 16 and served in Hong Kong, Belize and Germany.After leaving the army in 1975,he worked in a number of different roles and industry sectors before joining BSS Liverpool as a driver in 2005.

“After six years in the Armed Forces, I effectively had to start my career again from scratch. You weren’t given many transferable skills back in those days, so I joined a firm in Bootle as a light goods delivery driver. Over the next 30 years, I held many different jobs – mostly driving, but I also worked on a factory production line and ran my own appliance repair business, amongst other things.I gained my HGV licence in 1983 and have worked as a driver ever since, delivering all manner o fgoods from milk and grocery products to heavy steel. One of my regular steel deliveries was to BSS Liverpool and I got to know the lads at the branch pretty well. In 2005, they were looking for anew driver and asked me if I fancied a change – I jumped at the chance and have never looked back.

My role at BSS involves delivering pipework and fittings to customers and building sites throughout the Liverpool area. Driving for a living is great as you have lots of freedom and it feels like you’re your own boss. But working for BSS is even better as they trust you to just get on with the job – you’re not micromanaged or constantly checked up on. I can honestly say it’s the best job I’ve ever had and I’ll be here until I retire.

Given the number of jobs I’ve had, saying that really makes a statement about what it’s like to work here. In the past, I’ve always got fed up and moved on after a few years, but that won’t happen now! The job and the people are great, and Iespecially enjoy meeting the customers and seeing the same friendly faces when I make my deliveries.

As a BSS driver, you’ll get a lot of training. Much of it is compulsory for all HGV drivers, but you’ll also get trained in areas such as Health & Safety, lifting and carrying, and customer care. BSS are very supportive in helping you achieve your career goals and will help you gain the experience and qualifications you need to get where you want to go.

The job opportunities for people joining now are better than ever, with BSS being part of the Travis Perkins Group. The perks are great too, like the discount card that gets you money off at many of the businesses within the Group – perfect for DIY enthusiasts like me! Also, BSS really do look after their staff and a result, there’s a lot of loyalty within the business.

To anyone thinking about joining BSS as a driver – whether you’re ex-forces or not – I’d say ‘jump at the chance’. Driving can be a stressful job at times, with busy roads and some interesting driving styles, but it’s also very enjoyable. You’ll work with some great colleagues, build long-term relationships with customers and get plenty of support and training. It’s also a great springboard to a wide choice of careers within BSS and the Travis Perkins Group as a whole.”