Becoming a HGV driver?
Discussion
Passed my CPC theory today.
once again the MK test station was utter mayhem. Older English lady on the reception this time, bossy as hell, no respect for anybody by how she was talking to them. A lot of the candidates English isn't their first language you can tell, but she wasn't professional at all.
You go round the back of the counter to wait to be shown to your cubicle, there is a sign that says wait here, so I did just that stood next to the sign, apparently I was stood in the wrong spot, I also put my locker key (attached to a ruler) in my back pocket and got told off for that.
Into the test, I was a bit nervous for this one, more than my actual driving test, most of the questions were straight forward but a few were worded badly one that stuck out was this "driver is feeling unwell and tired what should she do" and the options were, speed up, slow down, adjust seat to be more comfortable or turn the radio up.
Anyway I passed, when you come out you have to go straight to your locker empty it and then sit with all the people waiting to go in, and they call you up to collect results, an older chap had taken over the counter now, he had a queue of about 3 people waiting to book on, but as he served one another would join the queue, eventually he said oh sorry I've run out of locker keys, now at this point any normal person would look over at the printer see there was about 5 people waiting for results and dish out the results because then he can take their locker keys back.. but no he carried on booking another 5 or 6 people in. Sat for around 15 minutes waiting for results, when last time it was instant.
Whats the practical part of CPC like?
once again the MK test station was utter mayhem. Older English lady on the reception this time, bossy as hell, no respect for anybody by how she was talking to them. A lot of the candidates English isn't their first language you can tell, but she wasn't professional at all.
You go round the back of the counter to wait to be shown to your cubicle, there is a sign that says wait here, so I did just that stood next to the sign, apparently I was stood in the wrong spot, I also put my locker key (attached to a ruler) in my back pocket and got told off for that.
Into the test, I was a bit nervous for this one, more than my actual driving test, most of the questions were straight forward but a few were worded badly one that stuck out was this "driver is feeling unwell and tired what should she do" and the options were, speed up, slow down, adjust seat to be more comfortable or turn the radio up.
Anyway I passed, when you come out you have to go straight to your locker empty it and then sit with all the people waiting to go in, and they call you up to collect results, an older chap had taken over the counter now, he had a queue of about 3 people waiting to book on, but as he served one another would join the queue, eventually he said oh sorry I've run out of locker keys, now at this point any normal person would look over at the printer see there was about 5 people waiting for results and dish out the results because then he can take their locker keys back.. but no he carried on booking another 5 or 6 people in. Sat for around 15 minutes waiting for results, when last time it was instant.
Whats the practical part of CPC like?
^^^ hell fire what a performance, hope i never do anything requiring me to retake the test, couldn't be arsed with all that faffing about with jobsworth throwing her weight about.
Maybe its done to prepare you for the inevitable security guard who failed the police entrance and tries to take his frustrations out on visiting drivers.
Maybe its done to prepare you for the inevitable security guard who failed the police entrance and tries to take his frustrations out on visiting drivers.
WilliamWoollard said:
Standard theory test experience there unfortunately.
The mod 4 practical can be done by the training school, usually much more relaxed and informal. Just make sure to demonstrate everything, don't just explain it, be thorough with your answers and you'll breeze it.
is it a few hours? The training centre that did my Class C said it was a two day thing. The mod 4 practical can be done by the training school, usually much more relaxed and informal. Just make sure to demonstrate everything, don't just explain it, be thorough with your answers and you'll breeze it.
the-norseman said:
Passed my CPC theory today.
once again the MK test station was utter mayhem. Older English lady on the reception this time, bossy as hell, no respect for anybody by how she was talking to them. A lot of the candidates English isn't their first language you can tell, but she wasn't professional at all.
You go round the back of the counter to wait to be shown to your cubicle, there is a sign that says wait here, so I did just that stood next to the sign, apparently I was stood in the wrong spot, I also put my locker key (attached to a ruler) in my back pocket and got told off for that.
Into the test, I was a bit nervous for this one, more than my actual driving test, most of the questions were straight forward but a few were worded badly one that stuck out was this "driver is feeling unwell and tired what should she do" and the options were, speed up, slow down, adjust seat to be more comfortable or turn the radio up.
Anyway I passed, when you come out you have to go straight to your locker empty it and then sit with all the people waiting to go in, and they call you up to collect results, an older chap had taken over the counter now, he had a queue of about 3 people waiting to book on, but as he served one another would join the queue, eventually he said oh sorry I've run out of locker keys, now at this point any normal person would look over at the printer see there was about 5 people waiting for results and dish out the results because then he can take their locker keys back.. but no he carried on booking another 5 or 6 people in. Sat for around 15 minutes waiting for results, when last time it was instant.
Whats the practical part of CPC like?
This is just to prepare you for how WILL be treated in the future at most of the DCs and also by the muppet gate guards.once again the MK test station was utter mayhem. Older English lady on the reception this time, bossy as hell, no respect for anybody by how she was talking to them. A lot of the candidates English isn't their first language you can tell, but she wasn't professional at all.
You go round the back of the counter to wait to be shown to your cubicle, there is a sign that says wait here, so I did just that stood next to the sign, apparently I was stood in the wrong spot, I also put my locker key (attached to a ruler) in my back pocket and got told off for that.
Into the test, I was a bit nervous for this one, more than my actual driving test, most of the questions were straight forward but a few were worded badly one that stuck out was this "driver is feeling unwell and tired what should she do" and the options were, speed up, slow down, adjust seat to be more comfortable or turn the radio up.
Anyway I passed, when you come out you have to go straight to your locker empty it and then sit with all the people waiting to go in, and they call you up to collect results, an older chap had taken over the counter now, he had a queue of about 3 people waiting to book on, but as he served one another would join the queue, eventually he said oh sorry I've run out of locker keys, now at this point any normal person would look over at the printer see there was about 5 people waiting for results and dish out the results because then he can take their locker keys back.. but no he carried on booking another 5 or 6 people in. Sat for around 15 minutes waiting for results, when last time it was instant.
Whats the practical part of CPC like?
the-norseman said:
WilliamWoollard said:
Standard theory test experience there unfortunately.
The mod 4 practical can be done by the training school, usually much more relaxed and informal. Just make sure to demonstrate everything, don't just explain it, be thorough with your answers and you'll breeze it.
is it a few hours? The training centre that did my Class C said it was a two day thing. The mod 4 practical can be done by the training school, usually much more relaxed and informal. Just make sure to demonstrate everything, don't just explain it, be thorough with your answers and you'll breeze it.
markymarkthree said:
This is just to prepare you for how WILL be treated in the future at most of the DCs and also by the muppet gate guards.
Security wallahs seem to come in 4 flavours from my experience. 1. immigrant who can barely speak a word of English or write. Doesn't give a crap who you are, what you are there for, just makes the barrier go up and down and does what he's told to get his paycheck each week. These guys are usually chilled, but you can't understand a word of what they're saying, and nor can they understand you.
2. old retired guys - don't give a crap either, just there for a bit of bingo money for the wife and will happily chat with you all day long as it beats talking to the wife or doing some redecorating she wants doing. These guys are usually chilled.
3. women - nearly always a Karen or failed wannabe copper authoritarian who thinks they run the place, can order you around and will ban you from site in an instant if you dare to answer her Spanish Inquisition of why you've arrived 1 minute before or 1 minute after your booking time.
4. middle aged white guys - see 3.
Passed my CPC module 4 today was quite easy so I've now passed Module 1, 2,3 and 4 thats me done, unless I decide to upgrade to C+E
I have a full time career already, so my plan originally was to try pick up some local ad hoc shifts just to use my new licence but bearing in mind I'm a new pass there doesn't seem to be a lot of companies out there who are 1, taking on new passes and 2, looking for ad hoc. I'm also not convinced my 12 hours shifts that I do on a 6 week rota will play nicely with the WTD (I opt out of it for my other job).
So I might just sit on the licence as a back up just incase.
I have a full time career already, so my plan originally was to try pick up some local ad hoc shifts just to use my new licence but bearing in mind I'm a new pass there doesn't seem to be a lot of companies out there who are 1, taking on new passes and 2, looking for ad hoc. I'm also not convinced my 12 hours shifts that I do on a 6 week rota will play nicely with the WTD (I opt out of it for my other job).
So I might just sit on the licence as a back up just incase.
Edited by the-norseman on Wednesday 20th December 21:12
the-norseman said:
I did wonder about this, lets say I did one driving shift and then 6-8 weeks later another, when would I do a download and who would do it? How would you manually enter a 12 hour day shift or night shift (I do both) that arent driving.
In reality, nobody cares or bothers.... unless you do something that results you in appearing in the local rag, or God forbid, the national news. Then you need to produce something, fast, otherwise you go to jail for many many years (possibly).Check this out : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drivers...
Half way down the page and bottom section. As it says, a written or printed record of your work would suffice for the battenburgers. If that means just having a diary and writing for that week that you worked 6 til 6 each say making your tins of beans in your factory day job, then did 7 til 5 on Saturday driving an 18 tonner on tacho, that would be fine. If you wish, you can spend half an hour hacking away on the buttons on the digi tacho unit doing your manual entries for each day, but I don't think anyone bothers with that silliness.
As I said though, must drivers just wing it. Being a s/e driver doing adhoc work when I feel like it or to get people out of the crap when they're desperate, my tacho records have always been all over the place and it's the first thing that the battenburgers question on the rare occasions I get pulled and they run the tacho card analysis : "what were you doing on x, y and z days, as there are no records on your tacho, driver?". Could always tell by their faces that they were never happy with the "I only work part time / was on holiday those days" answer, but was actually true. This would nearly always lead to "do you do any other work besides driving?" interrogation, to try and catch me out over the work records (or lack thereof) but they can't prove or disprove what you're telling them at the checkpoint so have to take your word for it and let you go. I could have been lying and worked 12 hour shifts elsewhere on all those non-tacho days, but they have no way of knowing that unless you volunteer the info.
Also, if you're only doing adhoc/agency work, make sure you ask to download your card at the end of every shift, as there's a high chance you won't be back there again within 28 days and companies can get quite upset over missing driver hours records.
Edited by r3g on Thursday 21st December 15:54
r3g said:
Stussy said:
Some tachos will download your card automatically too, I can’t remember when I last did a manual one
Aye, I read something about those coming online a good few years ago so I could be out of date now. I don't drive much now, and the ones I do are ancient.After passing my Class 1 back in October and getting employment with a small local haulage company, I've just taken a week out and done my ADR (core, tanks & packages). We don't do any ADR-related jobs but I wanted to do it just to add another string to my bow and make more jobs accessible in the future, and my company was fine with that and encouraged me to go for it if I wanted to.
We've also got a few HIABs on rigid vehicles and on a couple of the artic units which I've been trained up on. Whenever I've done those jobs, the hours are a LOT more sociable than the container work I've mostly been doing until now. Average driving hours per day on the HIABs is 3-4, not waking up super early, home for dinner every night, no danger of staying out, whereas it's pushing 9 hours driving time on the containers. Downside is it's a lot of central London driving and tight muddy building sites -- I imagine it's the best job in the world when it's hot and sunny as you're out the cab for most of the day!
We've also got a few HIABs on rigid vehicles and on a couple of the artic units which I've been trained up on. Whenever I've done those jobs, the hours are a LOT more sociable than the container work I've mostly been doing until now. Average driving hours per day on the HIABs is 3-4, not waking up super early, home for dinner every night, no danger of staying out, whereas it's pushing 9 hours driving time on the containers. Downside is it's a lot of central London driving and tight muddy building sites -- I imagine it's the best job in the world when it's hot and sunny as you're out the cab for most of the day!
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