First step to becoming a HGV driver
Discussion
callmedave said:
How does one say they can drive class 2 on their CV?
would 'qualified to drive class 2 vehicles' work or should it be more like 'in possession of tacho card, CPC and class 2 license'?
i'm not sure of the best way to update my CV.
First of all. CONGRATULATIONS bud would 'qualified to drive class 2 vehicles' work or should it be more like 'in possession of tacho card, CPC and class 2 license'?
i'm not sure of the best way to update my CV.
. Good luck with the future and keep us posted 
I've got mine under "Other Qualifications" on my CV. Clean UK license with the following categories (and the date acquired). I have done B, BE, A and C so I've just whacked them all in.
thanks everyone!
This is what i settled for on my CV under my 'key skills' section:
• Full Clean UK driving license and car
• Valid Cat C (Class 2) entitlement
• Passed CPC and have own Digital tachograph card
• Certified in use of Lorry mounted crane remote/hook
• Health and safety awareness in the workplace
• Trained in COSHH, fire safety and manual handling
• FAA level 2 Emergency first aid
• UKATA Asbestos Awareness
• Makes a great cup of Tea!
also, got home today to find my tacho card on the doormat.
Im still waiting on my licence to come back, but I can legally drive on my pass certificate that was handed to me when I passed. so thats it, I am now a fully certified lorry driver!! Im so happy, all I have to do now is find someone that will employ a 'wet behind the ears' driver. Everyone seems to want 2 years experience, I am applying for these jobs on the off chance, but a local agency have said they think they can get me on the bin lorries - its not exactly what i wanted, stop/start in local towns trying to keep an eye on guys loading the truck behind me and getting in the way of traffic but its a start and I will take what ever i can get for now.
I am available for work this coming Tuesday (or this B/H Monday if i was offered) so will have to see what responses I get to all my applications!
This is what i settled for on my CV under my 'key skills' section:
• Full Clean UK driving license and car
• Valid Cat C (Class 2) entitlement
• Passed CPC and have own Digital tachograph card
• Certified in use of Lorry mounted crane remote/hook
• Health and safety awareness in the workplace
• Trained in COSHH, fire safety and manual handling
• FAA level 2 Emergency first aid
• UKATA Asbestos Awareness
• Makes a great cup of Tea!
also, got home today to find my tacho card on the doormat.
Im still waiting on my licence to come back, but I can legally drive on my pass certificate that was handed to me when I passed. so thats it, I am now a fully certified lorry driver!! Im so happy, all I have to do now is find someone that will employ a 'wet behind the ears' driver. Everyone seems to want 2 years experience, I am applying for these jobs on the off chance, but a local agency have said they think they can get me on the bin lorries - its not exactly what i wanted, stop/start in local towns trying to keep an eye on guys loading the truck behind me and getting in the way of traffic but its a start and I will take what ever i can get for now.
I am available for work this coming Tuesday (or this B/H Monday if i was offered) so will have to see what responses I get to all my applications!
Have a word with who you passed your test with, often driving schools will have some arrangement with a local agency to send them new drivers and a few contacts who'll accept new drivers through them.
I did 6 months on agency and then cold called a local firm who gave me a job 3hrs later, got lucky but just shows that there are firms out there who'll take you on.
I did 6 months on agency and then cold called a local firm who gave me a job 3hrs later, got lucky but just shows that there are firms out there who'll take you on.
Ok, spoke to a friend of a friend of a friend and now I have an interview this afternoon for some possible tipper work next week.
He says I may have to do a day as a drivers mate unpaid, i would much rather be paid for this but as tipper work is what I would quite enjoy anyway, I'm happy to sacrifice a days pay to get my foot in the door.
He says I may have to do a day as a drivers mate unpaid, i would much rather be paid for this but as tipper work is what I would quite enjoy anyway, I'm happy to sacrifice a days pay to get my foot in the door.
ok, so following the interview, I have been offered work Tuesday morning on tippers.
I will be loading, unloading driving etc, all with another chap who works there. Do that for a few days until they are happy and I should be able to head out by myself!
Im absolutely over the moon with this. I just hope its all ok and I'm up to the challenge!
I will be loading, unloading driving etc, all with another chap who works there. Do that for a few days until they are happy and I should be able to head out by myself!
Im absolutely over the moon with this. I just hope its all ok and I'm up to the challenge!
Hello everyone.
My first day of work finished and Im shattered!
Only picture I got today:
My role was staying within the yard picking up whatever the 'baggers' needed and driving it over to them. Its easy and straight forward enough but gave me a good opportunity to learn a much bigger vehicle without having traffic and pedestrians in the way.
Using the tipper was good, i was shown a few times with the other guy driving, then I drove for a few hours, then he just left me too it. I did get out on the road as we needed fuel, that when he commented on me being a new pass, i was slowing down for the corners etc.
I really enjoyed myself and have work for the rest of the week, and as long as I do well I should get ongoing work, but a friend has just been in touch and said he may have something that would get me off agency and into a permanent position! - Fingers crossed!
My first day of work finished and Im shattered!
Only picture I got today:
My role was staying within the yard picking up whatever the 'baggers' needed and driving it over to them. Its easy and straight forward enough but gave me a good opportunity to learn a much bigger vehicle without having traffic and pedestrians in the way.
Using the tipper was good, i was shown a few times with the other guy driving, then I drove for a few hours, then he just left me too it. I did get out on the road as we needed fuel, that when he commented on me being a new pass, i was slowing down for the corners etc.
I really enjoyed myself and have work for the rest of the week, and as long as I do well I should get ongoing work, but a friend has just been in touch and said he may have something that would get me off agency and into a permanent position! - Fingers crossed!
Happy days bud
You'll soon get into the swing of it, the conversation on my first day mostly consisted of "Get out of the f
king hedge" everytime another truck went by 
fast forward to this morning and I was sat on the limiter trying to play catchup after a feck up in the yard on my part (started off to site with the wrong bed on the truck)
Double manning a tipper is a great way in (I'd be quite happy to get back in an 8 wheeler I preferred it to what I'm doing now 
).
I can't tell from the pic what you're in... FM 8 wheeler?
You'll soon get into the swing of it, the conversation on my first day mostly consisted of "Get out of the f
king hedge" everytime another truck went by fast forward to this morning and I was sat on the limiter trying to play catchup after a feck up in the yard on my part (started off to site with the wrong bed on the truck)Double manning a tipper is a great way in (I'd be quite happy to get back in an 8 wheeler
I preferred it to what I'm doing now ).I can't tell from the pic what you're in... FM 8 wheeler?
Start with (in my limited opinion) the best . Had a go in a MAN 8 wheeler and it wasn't a patch on the FM/FMXs I drove.
Makes one hulluva difference between 12T empty and 32T (or 34 in your case off road) laden doesn't it! Certainly opened my eyes the first time I drove the FMX full
Good choice with the tipping. I had it drilled into me by my mate about where you can and can't tip. It's common sense but the videos all over Youtube would suggest there are plenty of muppets out there
.
Have you had to do your MPQC (aka EPIC) card yet? Most quarries seem to insist on in for tipper work. Not a bad little course. Chap instructing us was an ex-trucker so he knew how to pitch it and the exam at the end was easy stuff for a newbie (lots of it was covered in theory test etc). It's time towards your CPC, and you get a neat little ID card too.
Lot more sedate my end today. Gentle run up the main road followed by a seriously tight (not suitable for HGV but you gotta access where you need to access!) lane that folded my flaming mirror in and a lovely twisty driveway with a small turning area (and luckily a dry lawn I could use ). On the way home I found a few curtain straps coming loose in my mirror as some idiot *cough* hadn't tightened the curtain up enough for them to bite when the truck moved . Quick layby stop soon had it all fixed and back to the yard by 6
Everyday is a school day and that won't happen again! Out in a Transit as a passenger tomorrow so I can chill on journey for a change
. Had a go in a MAN 8 wheeler and it wasn't a patch on the FM/FMXs I drove.Makes one hulluva difference between 12T empty and 32T (or 34 in your case off road) laden doesn't it! Certainly opened my eyes the first time I drove the FMX full
Good choice with the tipping. I had it drilled into me by my mate about where you can and can't tip. It's common sense but the videos all over Youtube would suggest there are plenty of muppets out there
.Have you had to do your MPQC (aka EPIC) card yet? Most quarries seem to insist on in for tipper work. Not a bad little course. Chap instructing us was an ex-trucker so he knew how to pitch it and the exam at the end was easy stuff for a newbie (lots of it was covered in theory test etc). It's time towards your CPC, and you get a neat little ID card too.
Lot more sedate my end today. Gentle run up the main road followed by a seriously tight (not suitable for HGV but you gotta access where you need to access!) lane that folded my flaming mirror in and a lovely twisty driveway with a small turning area (and luckily a dry lawn I could use
). On the way home I found a few curtain straps coming loose in my mirror as some idiot *cough* hadn't tightened the curtain up enough for them to bite when the truck moved . Quick layby stop soon had it all fixed and back to the yard by 6 Everyday is a school day and that won't happen again! Out in a Transit as a passenger tomorrow so I can chill on journey for a change
Hi all
Sorry for not updating for a while, its been busy and I've been absolutely knackered!
So its been two weeks on the tipper lorries, My Volvo 8 wheeler got swapped for a little Renault 4 wheeler. Its definitely the truck that they give to all the agency staff, its been abused and has a terrible gearbox, but its small and can get in and out of bays in one go instead of having to take a shunt like in the Volvos.
in other news i have been desperately seeking some HIAB work and i'm getting the same response of 'you need experience before we can offer you any work' I asked on a trucking page on facebook and all responses were 'Lie' - now I will if i really have to but I would rather keep to the honest route.
In the mean time I did find an agency who take on new starters for HIAB work and I have an interview with them Monday!
and then on friday i got a phone call from Travis Perkins, I had applied for a HIAB position with them and they called me back to offer an interview, I explained that i had only just got my HIAB ticket and had no experience, they said that its fine and they do take on new passes.
I am over the moon that i have an interview there, Its a step back in pay but im on the bottom step of a ladder that leads a lot higher up. that interview is the following week so i have a long wait of being both excited and nervous, this is exactly the sort of job i had in mind when i set about getting my training.
...and to answer your question, I do not have the EPIC card, although i have heard a little bit about them, I think they are only required for when you are working in a quarry? Im not in a quarry as such, its more of a sorting station for what comes out of the quarry next door. I will ask the guys at work about this (who are great by the way, all very helpfull and a good laugh.)
Sorry for not updating for a while, its been busy and I've been absolutely knackered!
So its been two weeks on the tipper lorries, My Volvo 8 wheeler got swapped for a little Renault 4 wheeler. Its definitely the truck that they give to all the agency staff, its been abused and has a terrible gearbox, but its small and can get in and out of bays in one go instead of having to take a shunt like in the Volvos.
in other news i have been desperately seeking some HIAB work and i'm getting the same response of 'you need experience before we can offer you any work' I asked on a trucking page on facebook and all responses were 'Lie' - now I will if i really have to but I would rather keep to the honest route.
In the mean time I did find an agency who take on new starters for HIAB work and I have an interview with them Monday!
and then on friday i got a phone call from Travis Perkins, I had applied for a HIAB position with them and they called me back to offer an interview, I explained that i had only just got my HIAB ticket and had no experience, they said that its fine and they do take on new passes.
I am over the moon that i have an interview there, Its a step back in pay but im on the bottom step of a ladder that leads a lot higher up. that interview is the following week so i have a long wait of being both excited and nervous, this is exactly the sort of job i had in mind when i set about getting my training.
...and to answer your question, I do not have the EPIC card, although i have heard a little bit about them, I think they are only required for when you are working in a quarry? Im not in a quarry as such, its more of a sorting station for what comes out of the quarry next door. I will ask the guys at work about this (who are great by the way, all very helpfull and a good laugh.)
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