From the forces to Gregory Group

Steve Murphy joined us in 2019 as an LGV Driver but before that he was in the forces for 28 years. On his 5th work anniversary, we had a chat with him to understand more about his transition to trucking and his journey within Gregory Group.

Tell us about the move from the forces to civilian life…
I spent 28 years in the Royal Navy. For 28 years I wore the same uniform and had a Commanding Officer telling me what to do. Then, one Friday, I took my combats off and had no idea what I’d wear on Monday morning or what I would be doing. That feeling of unknown is scary.

In theory, I was entering retirement but having spent the best part of three decades being very busy, I wasn’t ready to stop.

How did you decide what career to pursue when you left the forces?
I knew I didn’t want to see the same four walls every day. I wanted to be out and about and meet different people. I was used to driving HGVs in the forces and saw a driving job delivering and collecting pallets at Gregory Group. On the first week of my ‘retirement’ I had an interview, and I started the following Monday. I went from delivering humanitarian aid around the world to delivering pallets!

What was it like starting a new job?
It felt good to return to a uniform, which I still press to this day! I think it also helped that there are 4 or 5 of us who are ex forces. We all have the same discipline ingrained in us and we understand what the transition is like. It made it easier to settle in and feel part of the team.

I also had good drivers who were willing to pass on their knowledge and an excellent training team who got me up to speed. I had no experience of delivering pallets so reverted to my military training of just doing what I was told to do! It worked because I was soon into the rhythm of pallet deliveries.

What does a successful day look like to you?
Knowing I’ve done the best I can. The customer has ordered a pallet for a reason and if I can deliver that pallet safely and as quickly as possible, I’m doing my job well.

There are often unknowns in my jobs, whether that is access limitations or contacts not being present, so every day involves an element of problem solving. I love the buzz of this so solving these issues also gives me job satisfaction.

Tell us about the lorries you drive…
I usually drive the same truck every day and have been privileged to drive two brand new trucks. The first was a 26 tonne Scania which was designed with the driver in mind and had a huge tail lift. More recently I moved to a Volvo electric truck. I was a bit hesitant at first, but it is brilliant. It doesn’t shy away from anything and just glides along. It’s a very different driving method but once learnt it is a breeze to drive and much more relaxing than a diesel. And the range is great. I think these trucks are well suited to my job because we do a lot of drops but in a relatively condensed area which means I can do my entire route and still have plenty of charge left at the end of the day.

People are very curious by it too. They stop and ask me about it, and I tell them “It’s where we are going as a business and as an industry”. It’s a real honour to be part of the company’s shift to a greener future.

Do you miss the forces?
At times I do but I’ve found the right job for me.

I’ve also remained connected to the forces by being a reservist. I support people with their mental health, ably assisted by Amber (pictured below). Amber is a border/patterdale cross post-traumatic stress therapy dog. She has been trained to sense trauma. We’ll go into a room of people and if she puts her head on someone’s knee, it suggests they might have something they need to talk about. It’s a really good ice breaker and having experienced my own mental health challenges, it feels brilliant to be able to give back.

She also helps me raise money for veteran charities through sponsored walks and assault courses.

What’s Amber up to in this photo?
This was during Covid. I’d worked for Gregory Group for 6 months and then lockdown happened. We had a massive influx of pallets, so to handle the additional workload, we had to rent a yard for the overflow. But this yard had no office and no power, so myself and a forklift driver went down and built a makeshift office from pallets and a tarpaulin and started working from there.

Amber and I stayed overnight in my motorhome to help ensure all the pallets were secure overnight. We ended up doing that for three weeks and Amber became a star of Gregory Group! It also resulted in me winning Driver of the Year in the Gregory Group Employee Awards which was a fabulous surprise.

If someone was looking to become a pallet driver, what would you say?
I’d recommend this job and the company to anybody. I get paid to look out of a window! You also get to meet lots of different people and hear all their different stories. And Gregory Group has the scale which means you can move into different roles if you want to. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been a Driver, Yard Supervisor, and Driver Rep.

What advice would you give to someone about to leave the forces?
The unknown is daunting. It can feel like you are stepping out of the light into the dark. But it doesn’t need to be doom and gloom. There are people holding a torch for you, you just need to connect with them.

For me, getting into the routine of a new job was really important. Psychologically, wearing a uniform again really helped too. It might not be what everyone needs, but the familiarity of it definitely helped me move forwards.

Above all, remember it’s OK not to be OK. There are people to talk to and organisations that can support you.