Starting driving after leaving the Army?

[Cfnteabag]

I hope I am not asking stupid questions or looking at this with my eyes slightly shut!

I am due to leave the Army this year after 8 years in on a medical discharge. I have problems with my hips that don't cause me too many problems day to day but do if I try and run or carry weight.

After discussions with my wife she wants to go back to work full time, she is a qualified nurse and go back home. This has left me without much of an idea what to do with myself! I am a qualified mechanic but I don't want to go and work in a civvie garage as the way of working with the Army is so much different.

I have always wanted to drive HGV's, I have the licenses and now the opportunity but would I be making the right choice? I would be based in the South East,

I am licensed up to C+E, I have driven a lot of different HGV's but not had much experience with Artics as we don't use them a lot. I am a confident driver and I enjoy driving.

I welcome all comments, piss taking or serious!

Many thanks

[951TSE]

First off you will need to get yourself a DCPC that is a "Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence". This wiki provides a bit of info about it although I'm not sure it's totally up to date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_CPC as a member of the armed forces you've been exempt from having one during your service.

Then it's just a matter of getting a job. You shouldn't have too much trouble even as a new to the market driver as the requirement for a DCPC has put off a lot of the older hands. Up to you whether you find a specific employer or go agency and get experience of different types of driving which may help you find your favorite niche.

Don't believe all the wild stories you hear about fantastic wages though and be prepared for long hours, subject to the legal requirements of course.

[Spitbarnatt]

Why not look for a job where you could put both of your skills to use? If your mechanical knowledge is good then transfer that to working on plant of some description and you'll find most plant hire companies run a HGV so could utilise you as cover rather than being a full time driver. Where abouts in the South East are you, I could use someone with that skill set.

[Spitbarnatt]

Why not look for a job where you could put both of your skills to use? If your mechanical knowledge is good then transfer that to working on plant of some description and you'll find most plant hire companies run a HGV so could utilise you as cover rather than being a full time driver. Where abouts in the South East are you, I could use someone with that skill set.

[Cfnteabag]

I am currently based near portsmouth but when I leave the army we will be moving back to the Eastbourne area.

The main reason I havent been looking at going back into spannering is I am leaving the army under a medical discharge, I have damage to my hips that is going to take another year to 2 years to get an idea of how it will finally settle, I will never be able to run around with weight on my back, hence leaving the army, and it can sometimes be flaired up climbing around a vehicle working on it.

I do have experience with plant, my first uunit was engineers and I did a tour of Afghanistan working plant.

[ReaderScars]

Maybe you could start a garage with other ex servicemen so you all work using the same methods and processes etc? You could franchise it out, could be very successful as people might want to spend with you specifically because of your backgrounds.