Driving jobs for 18 year olds?

[davgen7]

Hello there guys, this is my first post and I'm already nagging for help!

I know just how unlikely it is for a lad my age to get paid to drive, whether its due to lack of experience or insurance issues, but I think I may be a slight oddity.

I have experience driving for business purposes and have experience driving vans - although the latter isn't referenceable as I've now become aware that that was possibly quite naughty (company's fault), which does screw up my case a bit - as well as driving (owning) my own car.

Of course I get that few companies have regulations that would welcome someone my age, but given that I have a full license, an impressive amount of past experience for my age for a range of uses, and of course experience driving my own car - I drive a Mondeo ST and haven't crashed it yet - I don't see why I should be disregarded for certain jobs just because most others my age are stupid, can't drive for sh*t and end up crashing. I understand also that this is the usual case, as I personally know a guy my age who is currently on his fifth Corsa on his first year having written the first four off, for instance. However, as I say, I drive a big, quick Mondeo ST every day of my life and am not an idiot on the road so I'm still inclined to find a way around this if there is one.

Does anyone have any ideas? I don't mind if the job isn't purely driving as long as it is a major component of the job. I have good references and very good social skills, along with experience in a range of fields (again, for my age).

I'm not expecting much but please remember that I am serious. Unlike the guy whose thread I read, in which (this thread is still on this forum somewhere - hopefully it has been saved in full detail to provide entertainment to future generations):

- He didn't have a driving license
- He was going to get a minimum wage driving job
- He wasn't going to spend a penny of his wage
- He would avoid all social interaction, which is why he wanted a driving job
- He would then invest his savings and become loaded
- He would retire to the Philippines and live off five grand a year

I'm realistic.

Thanks for reading my first post,
David

[davgen7]

Thanks everyone for all the replies so far, I massively appreciate it.

I've looked at sorting out my own self-employed delivery business on the weekends (at the moment I'm working Monday to Friday, happy to change that job too though as frankly I don't really like it) as I get bored unless I'm working seven days a week - most parties or nights out happen far later than working hours anyway so I don't miss much.

Vans, as expected, can be found inexpensively, and as I'm training to become an electrician could still use the van long after this delivery business has died so this makes good sense. Insurance is going to be a bh - I only managed to insure the Mondeo ST because the insurance company screwed my quote up somehow and it was much cheaper than it should have been, but I accepted it before they could figure that out thankfully (if I'd rung them yesterday it would have been £9500. I know this because I had a feeling they'd messed it up so I rang them again and gave them the same details, minus the name, to see if the quote was the same. I paid £1695, so I'm now certain they screwed up somewhere, to my advantage).

I would also need to be certain that I could find a steady flow of work in order for the cost of the van and the insurance, which won't be pretty, to pay itself off. I have enough cash to get a decent van, perhaps a Transit Connect, with 75k miles or so, plus about £1000 for insurance (probably very optimistic) - but I'd have to be bloody sure I'm on to something I could make a few quid out of before I start, as £4.5k minimum is a lot of cash for a lad age 18 who sees £7.20 per hour as a lot of money.

With that said, all the suggestions given will be looked into. As far as temporary/part-time work goes, while I haven't got any useful qualifications yet, I'd much rather earn a living behind the wheel until I can start my own small electrical business. Unsurprisingly, these types of jobs I'm looking at are very few and far between and I can't help but feel like all the other young drivers have ruined the party for me to some degree, but I will think of something.

Any more suggestions are more than welcome, I've read them all and will continue to do so.

Thanks a lot guys!

Edited by davgen7 on Tuesday 9th August 22:58

[davgen7]

AJS- said:

As others have said it's most likely insurance rather than the company's policies.

Quick tip though - don't tell prospective employers that you have a Mondeo ST and haven't crashed it yet as though this somehow made you a beacon of maturity and responsibility.

Ah, I apologise if I wasn't clear but I was only kidding about the "not crashing it yet" part, and obviously wouldn't bring it up to an employer. It was just me making a silly joke. Thanks for trying to steer me in the right direction though.

[davgen7]

Banfield said:

I drove for an Electrical Wholesaler at 19, back in 2000.

Pay was crap, & actually it was pretty stressful, no sat nav, driving like a loon to do all the drops.

I know DPD will take you on at 21 as an owner driver.

I've been a self employed courier for 10 years now, i wouldn't recommend getting into it, man & van work is hit & miss & often a pain, moving sofa's & wardrobes for beer money basically.

Parcels is ok, i'm on a contract at the moment for one of the overnighters, its a nice little number, but like a lot of industries its who you know.

If i was 18 i'd do a trade personally.0

Thanks for your input. I agree a trade is a good choice, and am actually starting electrical training in September but was looking at something like this as a part-time earner. Thanks again for your help, it is very useful in deciding what to do with myself. Cheers.

[davgen7]

Johnnytheboy said:

I had cause to check this recently and my firm (garden centre & landscaping firm) has no age restriction on age of drivers. So it isn't a universal rule.

Food for thought, certainly. Maybe it's because driving isn't technically the main part of the job, whereas I'm looking at jobs that mainly involve driving?

[davgen7]

mph1977 said:

i wonder what the excess loading is though ?

In the past I've seen instances where a driver younger than that covered by the fleet insurance policy was added seperately, with a personal excess of £1500 or so. That's not the end of the world seen as I've got a greater excess than that on the insurance for my own car anyway.