First step to becoming a HGV driver

First step to becoming a HGV driver

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callmedave

Original Poster:

2,686 posts

144 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
All that jazz said:
Now double it as you've failed to include your class 1. = £3k, assuming you pass all tests first time.
For now I'm only going for class 2. I would like to get class 1 eventually butthat will probably be after a year or two.

All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
callmedave said:
All that jazz said:
Now double it as you've failed to include your class 1. = £3k, assuming you pass all tests first time.
For now I'm only going for class 2. I would like to get class 1 eventually butthat will probably be after a year or two.
OK. Class 2 agency work usually in good supply. Expect to be offered the following :

1. Brakes/Bidvest. Fridge trucks delivering catering supplies in roll cages to pubs/hotels/schools on a tail lift. Early starts and hard graft man-handling the cages across uneven surfaces and up/down slopes but once you get the knack of it and get a regular route you can get it down to a fine art but most don't last that long. If you're not physically fit it will kill you initially but it's a good way to lose a few pounds and get fit. They both pay decent money as a full-timer too but expect 2-3am starts and some weekend working.

2. Laundry for NHS Supply Chain. Hospital and care home delivery/collections. A lot of heavy handball and you don't want to know that there's human faeces and sick inches from your face. Avoid.

3. Builder's Merchants. If you do your HIAB your phone will never stop ringing. Jewsons and Travis Perkins always screaming out for drivers. Hours are usually decent, 7-4/5, but expect a lot of tight lanes and complaints from residential customers because you wouldn't put their pallets of flags in their back garden.

4. White goods. Another job always in demand but that's because it's hard graft. Usually 2-manned but expect to have to deliver carry 1 tonne Aga's up 4 flights of stairs in blocks of flats with no lift. OK maybe exaggerating slightly there, but people that order home delivery generally do it because access is bad and it's a long way/lots of steps from the road to their house. Avoid.

5. Skips. Unrealistic expectations from customers who will want you to put the skip in their back garden. Collections will cause you grief because it will be overfilled and definitely overweight if it's building rubble. Can be a good side earner as a lot of stuff people throw out will make money on Ebay/Gumtree if you can be bothered.

6. Removals. AVOID AVOID AVOID !!

7. Bakeries. Never done it personally but expect silly o'clock starts and deliveries to shops/supermarkets. You usually load your own wagon too but I'm lead to believe it's a reasonable number once you get your own route.

smile

Edited by All that jazz on Friday 23 December 07:55

callmedave

Original Poster:

2,686 posts

144 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks Jazz.

Piss and st would make me heave, but Im not worried about hard graft, Being in this office job the last year I have noticed my belts seem to be getting shorter so happy to undertake a bit of physical work from time to time.


When I was in the instructors office, they said that a local frozen food company and an Aggregates company are looking for drivers. I would be happy driving an 18 tonne tipper around dropping rubble etc off! smile




All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
You don't see many 18 tonne tippers. Most are 8 leggers at 38 tonne. Tipper work is rush rush rush and quite a few places pay by the load. Not a good way to start for an unconfident newbie.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
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32 tonne on an 8 leg rigid surely?

All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
Yeah 32 tonne I meant.

alangtt

278 posts

161 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
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What's the deal with those guys who deliver fuel in the little tankers. I think they do houses and farms etc. There's loads around here (North Wales) More qualifications I'm guessing but is the job itself worth it? Think I'd quite like it.

Humper

946 posts

161 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
There's really not anywhere enough negativity here wink
fkin scary how much a licence costs nowadays, my class one was £250(but it was a while ago)
I actually liked delivering around London, but it was 20 years ago and I got £25 a night plus my parking paid, the bit I hated was the journey home up the M6 & 74, motorways do my tits in.
Wages are ste in comparison to many jobs, but better than others.
Definitely no driver shortage up here, I have to travel to get a decent wage, and I rate a decent wage by the hours worked not the yearly earnings(I get around £26k, but I do 40 hours for it)
HIAB is a good thing to get work, if you can actually operate it, the test is a piece of piss, but bears no relation to reality. Be prepared for endless wkers who think they can do the job better than you, and the other driver managed it ste( I usually tell them Jimmy Saville managed to shag kids, doesn't mean I will.... wink )
I hate the job a fair bit nowadays, been doing it 30 years, but then again, I'm a thick fker so would likely be on the dole otherwise so it's not all bad.... smile
Good luck

(and the assessment means bugger all, I did my class one in 2 and a half days but I hit a lamp post on my assessment }

Ahbefive

11,657 posts

171 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
I did a bit of trucking for a couple of years when the recession fked uo the building game.

It was mind numbing, soul destroying rubbish where every day is the same and there is no career progression.

Driving trucks sucks.

PowerslideSWE

1,116 posts

137 months

Friday 23rd December 2016
quotequote all
Ahbefive said:
I did a bit of trucking for a couple of years when the recession fked uo the building game.

It was mind numbing, soul destroying rubbish where every day is the same and there is no career progression.

Driving trucks sucks.
I agree with most of it, but it depends on what kind of work it is, I used to drive a crane truck for a huge building company and that was great, difficult but very fulfilling, and good pay, but rubbish hours.

Now for a few months more before I start my real new job I drive a garbage truck to learn routes and the trucks. Fixed rural routes. Decent hours 06-15, clean, easy..ish and very good pay.

callmedave

Original Poster:

2,686 posts

144 months

Saturday 24th December 2016
quotequote all
alangtt said:
What's the deal with those guys who deliver fuel in the little tankers. I think they do houses and farms etc. There's loads around here (North Wales) More qualifications I'm guessing but is the job itself worth it? Think I'd quite like it.
Depending on whats inside it may require additional training, Certain products fall under the Hazardous materials category and will require an ADR certificate (additional training cost) If the truck has an orange diamond plate on it then its this.

Fertiliser for example will require an ADR certificate, Chicken Feed wont.

All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Saturday 24th December 2016
quotequote all
callmedave said:
Depending on whats inside it may require additional training, Certain products fall under the Hazardous materials category and will require an ADR certificate (additional training cost) If the truck has an orange diamond plate on it then its this.

Fertiliser for example will require an ADR certificate, Chicken Feed wont.
Any kind of liquid fuel to heat things will be ADR. The hazardous load "symbol" is an orange square by the way, not a diamond. Those domestic heating oil jobs can be a real pain in the arse with access and the pay generally doesn't reflect the hassle involved nor the fact it's hazardous.

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

150 months

Saturday 24th December 2016
quotequote all
Ahbefive said:
I did a bit of trucking for a couple of years when the recession fked uo the building game.

It was mind numbing, soul destroying rubbish where every day is the same and there is no career progression.

Driving trucks sucks.
Like most things, good and bad. You obviously had bad.

There are good, if you're prepared to make an effort and know where to find them.

truck71

2,328 posts

171 months

Saturday 24th December 2016
quotequote all
chilistrucker said:
Like most things, good and bad. You obviously had bad.

There are good, if you're prepared to make an effort and know where to find them.
Agree. Best job I've ever had was delivering to bakeries in North Norfolk, fed sausage rolls and cakes everywhere I went, chatted up the local girls, drove along the lovely A149. Perfect.

C Lee Farquar

4,066 posts

215 months

Saturday 24th December 2016
quotequote all
I funded my own training about 15 years ago. Ten years ago a business opportunity turned up that needed a licence.

It's changed my life completely and provided a standard of living far higher than I expected.

Opportunities are there if you want them!

callmedave

Original Poster:

2,686 posts

144 months

Tuesday 27th December 2016
quotequote all
Hi guys, Quick update.

As mentioned, I have already told my boss my intentions. He made me an offer today of a decent payrise + Bonus and a few other perks in exchange that I continue working for him up until at least the end of August.

At first I did not want to accept the offer as I had my heart set on driving lorries by Aprilish time, But thinking realistically I can use the extra cash to pay for the training (rather than putting it on the Credit card) and get some extra training like HIAB. It also puts me in a better position when I do come to change jobs, There may be a period initially where I don't have any work, Having space on the Credit card will help with this.

I have accepted his offer, which means instead of training in Early March, I can maybe move that to April/May time.

I need to have a think about what I do next and if I move my training or not - I still need to pay the £1200 yet so this gives me a bit more of a comfortable period in which I have to pay and a space in case I fail one of the theory tests in January.









truck71

2,328 posts

171 months

Tuesday 27th December 2016
quotequote all
callmedave said:
Hi guys, Quick update.

As mentioned, I have already told my boss my intentions. He made me an offer today of a decent payrise + Bonus and a few other perks in exchange that I continue working for him up until at least the end of August.

At first I did not want to accept the offer as I had my heart set on driving lorries by Aprilish time, But thinking realistically I can use the extra cash to pay for the training (rather than putting it on the Credit card) and get some extra training like HIAB. It also puts me in a better position when I do come to change jobs, There may be a period initially where I don't have any work, Having space on the Credit card will help with this.

I have accepted his offer, which means instead of training in Early March, I can maybe move that to April/May time.

I need to have a think about what I do next and if I move my training or not - I still need to pay the £1200 yet so this gives me a bit more of a comfortable period in which I have to pay and a space in case I fail one of the theory tests in January.
Sounds like a sensible move. If you end passing your test in September then you'll hit the Xmas peak demand for drivers (yes it really is that early) and work will be more readily available for a newbie.

callmedave

Original Poster:

2,686 posts

144 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
quotequote all
Hello all.

So today was the day I took my theory tests I had 3 tests to do CPC (Module 1) Hazard perception and the Driving Theory test.

I was least confident about my CPC as when practising at home I was only just getting a pass score (and one or two fails!)

Anyway, results are:

CPC 47 out of 50 (Pass is 40)


Hazard Perception 93 out of 100 (Pass is 67)


Driving Theory 97 out of 100 (Pass is 85)



I sat one test at a time and got the result after each test, I folded the paper without looking until I had all three, I was worried the outcome of one would affect my mindset on the next (pass or fail).
Anyway, I'm absolutely over the moon with my results, as you can see I didn't just scrape though, I smashed it! smile

Next step is paying for and booking my practical training, I have two years in which to do this, but plan to undertake it summertime this year. Next update from me will probably be once I have a date for my practical training.


alangtt

278 posts

161 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
All that jazz said:
Any kind of liquid fuel to heat things will be ADR. The hazardous load "symbol" is an orange square by the way, not a diamond. Those domestic heating oil jobs can be a real pain in the arse with access and the pay generally doesn't reflect the hassle involved nor the fact it's hazardous.
Best mate is on oil heating, he said speaking to his oil driver he was on just short of 40k. Seems OK to me, just after the wider consensus thoughts? I'd retrain for that.

All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
alangtt said:
Best mate is on oil heating, he said speaking to his oil driver he was on just short of 40k. Seems OK to me, just after the wider consensus thoughts? I'd retrain for that.
Talk to a Stobrat driver and he'll tell you he's on £40k a year as well. Take what drivers tell you about their earnings with a large pinch of salt.