LGV & HGV jobs.
Discussion
My son (now aged 21) used to deliver pizza's for Domino's and loved it.
He found a responsible job so stopped the driving but he can't stand his new position. The money is ok, but he can't stand the people he works for, stuck indoors with little freedom and having to deal with antisocial behaviour from the public.
He's so sick of it, he wants to go back to driving. Obviously, he's now used to the money so pizza deliveries ain't going to be enough but he'd love to drive a HGV. He's applied for a medical and plans to use Tyne & Wear LGV in Gateshead to train for his C category license. His idea is to get some agency work to build up experience before going onto the C+E license.
I've heard there's a shortage of drivers, but I can't see many job adverts in the sector. Is he throwing away the best part of £1500 to do his license?
For the record, I think he's a better driver than me - 21yr old, no points and no accidents. At that age, I'd already wrote a car off and been banned from driving for speeding.
He found a responsible job so stopped the driving but he can't stand his new position. The money is ok, but he can't stand the people he works for, stuck indoors with little freedom and having to deal with antisocial behaviour from the public.
He's so sick of it, he wants to go back to driving. Obviously, he's now used to the money so pizza deliveries ain't going to be enough but he'd love to drive a HGV. He's applied for a medical and plans to use Tyne & Wear LGV in Gateshead to train for his C category license. His idea is to get some agency work to build up experience before going onto the C+E license.
I've heard there's a shortage of drivers, but I can't see many job adverts in the sector. Is he throwing away the best part of £1500 to do his license?
For the record, I think he's a better driver than me - 21yr old, no points and no accidents. At that age, I'd already wrote a car off and been banned from driving for speeding.
The issue he is going to have is the lack of experience, most employers want a couple of years experience before they let you lose in their wagon as a salaried driver, agency is certainly the right route to build up the necessary experience.
He certainly shouldn't struggle to get agency work as this seems to be preferred employment route for most company driving jobs nowadays, decent positions at good companies are often dead mens shoes.
He certainly shouldn't struggle to get agency work as this seems to be preferred employment route for most company driving jobs nowadays, decent positions at good companies are often dead mens shoes.
berlintaxi said:
The issue he is going to have is the lack of experience, most employers want a couple of years experience before they let you lose in their wagon as a salaried driver, agency is certainly the right route to build up the necessary experience.
He certainly shouldn't struggle to get agency work as this seems to be preferred employment route for most company driving jobs nowadays, decent positions at good companies are often dead mens shoes.
Pretty much thisHe certainly shouldn't struggle to get agency work as this seems to be preferred employment route for most company driving jobs nowadays, decent positions at good companies are often dead mens shoes.
You'll rarely see a full time position for drivers without a reasonable amount of experience, and often they don't want drivers who are younger than 25 (insurance reasons maybe or just expecting older drivers to be safer?)
He may well decide that agency is the way to continue - I have a few friends who've been with driving agencies for decades and wouldn't do it any other way. Over the years I've done a bit of driving on the side for friends and loved it but I don't have the time nowadays. I miss it a bit - I've barely used my C licence although my medical, CPC and tachograph card are all current
Depends on what area of the country you’re in. Locally to us you can take your pick of c and ce jobs with some places advertising for new pass drivers. A couple of the c jobs lately are offering 29-32k a year. No multi drop, perm positions.
Get the c and register for a shed load of employment agencies and one of them will bite. All it takes is that one days driving and it goes from there. Then get the ce.
I don’t drive HGV anymore and do something completely different but that’s how I started, desperate agency trying to fill a spot and I took it. Hopefully it’ll work out for him. Good luck.
Get the c and register for a shed load of employment agencies and one of them will bite. All it takes is that one days driving and it goes from there. Then get the ce.
I don’t drive HGV anymore and do something completely different but that’s how I started, desperate agency trying to fill a spot and I took it. Hopefully it’ll work out for him. Good luck.
I strongly recommend your son looking on Truck Net UK, especially the newbie section
The shortage of drivers is seen by many in the industry as a myth. It's used by brokers who want to then put you in touch with a training school. Best to go direct and save some money
Some companies will take new drivers on but an agency will be his best bet to start with. You'll hear alot about the two year rule i.e everybody wants at least two years experience but ppl aren't born with experience so hopefully he can get a break somewhere. He may have to start on vans first then 7.5T and onto class 2 really just to prove himself to agencies/employers
HTH
The shortage of drivers is seen by many in the industry as a myth. It's used by brokers who want to then put you in touch with a training school. Best to go direct and save some money
Some companies will take new drivers on but an agency will be his best bet to start with. You'll hear alot about the two year rule i.e everybody wants at least two years experience but ppl aren't born with experience so hopefully he can get a break somewhere. He may have to start on vans first then 7.5T and onto class 2 really just to prove himself to agencies/employers
HTH
Once he has passed get on a hiab course ASAP. Also consider skip / lorry loader course. Massive shortage of drivers with those quals.
There is no shortage of bog basic class 2 drivers. Yes in years to come there will be esp if the changes to EU membership makes an impact but having hiab will be a nice boost to income etc.
C+E is ok but tends to be long distance, if that's what he wants with nights out etc then fine but it would not be for me.
There is no shortage of bog basic class 2 drivers. Yes in years to come there will be esp if the changes to EU membership makes an impact but having hiab will be a nice boost to income etc.
C+E is ok but tends to be long distance, if that's what he wants with nights out etc then fine but it would not be for me.
There are loads of jobs about more so on the agency hel never be out of work once he has his class 1. Like others have said when he first passes and no experience he mite have to stick out a few crap jobs at first but if he’s a decent lad and takes to moving these things about well he’ll soon get a decent job.
That being said all HGV work is long/unsociable hours for not the best of pay and can be boring at times but it’s honest work.
If he enjoys it and likes something a bit different could get into heavy haulage after a few years get some real interesting work/ places doing that. I did it for ainscough heavy cranes and can earn £60k+ a year and really enjoyed the jobs just a lot of working away.
Also add when I first passed I contacted a local firm and said I’d work for free for a few days with one of their drivers to ‘prove’ myself and got a full time job after 2 days.
That being said all HGV work is long/unsociable hours for not the best of pay and can be boring at times but it’s honest work.
If he enjoys it and likes something a bit different could get into heavy haulage after a few years get some real interesting work/ places doing that. I did it for ainscough heavy cranes and can earn £60k+ a year and really enjoyed the jobs just a lot of working away.
Also add when I first passed I contacted a local firm and said I’d work for free for a few days with one of their drivers to ‘prove’ myself and got a full time job after 2 days.
Edited by G13NVL on Saturday 22 September 17:51
Edited by G13NVL on Saturday 22 September 17:52
Standard route for new truckers is agency doing skips, food service (hotel and pub deliveries with roll cages on cobbled hills), white goods, removals, local authority road sweepers/bins/gully tanks. If you get your HIAB ticket then every agency in the country will want you 7 days a week 365 days a year for Travis Perkins builder merchant deliveries. All good experience and will teach you a lot, especially to quickly the ignore the line "we've had bigger than that down here driver" when you're trying to deliver your load of blocks down an overgrown dirt track that's only 6' wide and also to see through the endless lies that agencies churn out.
The manual labour side of the job generally gets easier once you get your artic licence as many loads are on pallets or discharge themselves, or someone else does it for you.
Not much difference in money between the classes. Typically around £7.50 for 7.5 t, £8.50 for class 2, £9.50 for class 1 per hour up your way, with some paying an overtime rate and others operating on a flat rate for all hours. Don't assume that class 1 will always be the best money as there's a fair amount of 7.5 t work that pays good money if you're prepared to graft a bit.
The manual labour side of the job generally gets easier once you get your artic licence as many loads are on pallets or discharge themselves, or someone else does it for you.
Not much difference in money between the classes. Typically around £7.50 for 7.5 t, £8.50 for class 2, £9.50 for class 1 per hour up your way, with some paying an overtime rate and others operating on a flat rate for all hours. Don't assume that class 1 will always be the best money as there's a fair amount of 7.5 t work that pays good money if you're prepared to graft a bit.
gus607 said:
All of it is rubbish, the good days are finished. Too many immigrants doing the job, even agencies are more picky these days.
Tell your son not to waste his money.
It's the DCPC "tax" and the self-funding Ministry camped out on every street corner now that has caused me to let my tacho card expire. I'll argue with anyone that says the DCPC isn't a tax on the job because that's exactly what it is when you remove the thin veneer about it being there to improve driver standards. I would be in support of it if it was proper hands-on training and required the driver to pass an exam at the end, but the fact that it's just attendance based proves it's nothing more than a tax.Tell your son not to waste his money.
Also the olden days of using common sense as far as load restraint is concerned are long gone. Now we have the Ministry and the plod camped out at every service area dishing out fines for alleged insecure loads in box trailers, yet no problems with bricks and blocks free to roll around on the load bed because the drop sides on those are just fine apparently and perfectly secure
. Now we're expected to strap up bog rolls and boxes of crisps to within an inch of their lives or receive a hefty fine and a stern telling off by some pointy shoed hi-viz clad buffoon that has never done the job.I used to love the road but I can't say I miss it too much now. I get nearly the same money for driving a FLT around the yard and shunting the trucks for loading with the added bonus of knowing exactly what time I'm starting and finishing. I think you've got to REALLY want to drive trucks to come into this industry as a trucker now.
I'm a recent younger new pass and I'd say go for it. I only intended to do it part time but I've enjoyed it that much I'm out most days. It's decent if you can get in with the right places. I prefer agency as you can get a feel for what you like without the commitment pretty much.
Also there isn't a shortage of drivers, just a shortage of decent drivers. Get yourself a good name and very quickly your phone will be red hot with jobs and you can take your pick of the best shifts.
As for lack of job adverts - from what I've seen a lot of jobs(certainly the good ones) are word of mouth and are easily filled through friends of friends etc, so they're often not advertised. It's also the kind of industry where turning up at the door and asking/showing you're keen will get you further than sending in a CV.
Also there isn't a shortage of drivers, just a shortage of decent drivers. Get yourself a good name and very quickly your phone will be red hot with jobs and you can take your pick of the best shifts.
As for lack of job adverts - from what I've seen a lot of jobs(certainly the good ones) are word of mouth and are easily filled through friends of friends etc, so they're often not advertised. It's also the kind of industry where turning up at the door and asking/showing you're keen will get you further than sending in a CV.
Lemming Train said:
M3333 said:
Tell him to consider a move to the USA and become a truck driver. Seriously. At 21 the world is his oyster and sadly we are going down the pan quickly.
"Move to the USA". Just like that huh? M3333 said:
Lemming Train said:
M3333 said:
Tell him to consider a move to the USA and become a truck driver. Seriously. At 21 the world is his oyster and sadly we are going down the pan quickly.
"Move to the USA". Just like that huh? gus607 said:
All of it is rubbish, the good days are finished. Too many immigrants doing the job, even agencies are more picky these days.
Tell your son not to waste his money.
Not too sure. My old place paid drivers £40k p/a, with £35 a night out tax free. Drivers doing between 10-15 nights out a month, adds up. New trucks, long distance 1-2 drops a day. Crap (read 'hands off') management so no one breathing down your neck. Didn't want to do another trip, claim you didn't have time and no one would check it. Seemed a sweet little number, all they did was fTell your son not to waste his money.
king moan about how hard they work and how under payed they were though. s. Lemming Train said:
M3333 said:
Lemming Train said:
M3333 said:
Tell him to consider a move to the USA and become a truck driver. Seriously. At 21 the world is his oyster and sadly we are going down the pan quickly.
"Move to the USA". Just like that huh? M3333 said:
Well that depends how you want to look at it, plenty of people relocate to the USA it isnt a completely closed idea depending on your perspective and mindset!
Perspective and mindset have nothing to do with it. You're not getting residency in the US unless your immediate family are already US citizens and you're under 21 and unmarried, or, an employer sponsors you. As truck driving isn't on the list of skills shortages then that leaves immediate family. No immediate family living there to sponsor you? You're not moving to the US. Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff