Becoming a HGV driver?

[Stussy]

I love reversing milk tanker trailers with rear steering axle that doesn’t lock, you can get those in impossibly tight spots on farms

[Glenn63]

I didn’t do any rigid work when I passed. Had a car license, did about 12 hours in a rigid for the test then another 8 in an artic for that test, then straight into artic work. Luckily the local firm I got on with had a job that was just shunting between two places about 3 miles apart with big yards so I literally just practiced reversing all day.
Did that for 2 years then got on at Ainscough as ballast driver hauling 100 ton on 6 axle (3 steering) trailers. That was learning all over again.
Only driven a rigid a couple of times since at my last job to the smaller local Waitrose shops.

[smifffymoto]

Stussy said:

I love reversing milk tanker trailers with rear steering axle that doesn’t lock, you can get those in impossibly tight spots on farms

HaHa…… I only once had experience with steering axles,shunting and only connecting the red line and not the electrics.

It didn’t go where I wanted it to go……..until I plugged it all in and hey presto.

[Stussy]

The tankers are passive, the rear steering is controlled via a bar directly linked to the fifth wheel

[Its Just Adz]

I'm back on a rigid now after a few years in artics, I keep finding myself steering the wrong way when reversing, trying to kick the trailer out.

[SlimRick]

SlimRick said:

Had my medical a few weeks ago. Passed my theory / hazard perceptions / case studies yesterday and am going for a two-week car to C+E starting on 12th Dec.
I don't have any plans to drive for a living just yet, but you never know what's around the corner so it doesn't hurt to have the license...hopefully!

So, after 4 days in a rigid, and 3 days in an artic, I've come home today with my pass certificate and no faults.

I assume I just sit and wait for all of the companies desperate for drivers to come knocking on my door now?

[Stussy]

Have you done the CPC stuff?

[944 Man]

It’s part of the course. Now, I believe.

[leggly]

SlimRick said:

SlimRick said:

Had my medical a few weeks ago. Passed my theory / hazard perceptions / case studies yesterday and am going for a two-week car to C+E starting on 12th Dec.
I don't have any plans to drive for a living just yet, but you never know what's around the corner so it doesn't hurt to have the license...hopefully!

So, after 4 days in a rigid, and 3 days in an artic, I've come home today with my pass certificate and no faults.

I assume I just sit and wait for all of the companies desperate for drivers to come knocking on my door now?

Lessons over, now you start learning. Well done

[Smint]

SlimRick said:

So, after 4 days in a rigid, and 3 days in an artic, I've come home today with my pass certificate and no faults.

I assume I just sit and wait for all of the companies desperate for drivers to come knocking on my door now?

Well done, hope you find something decent.

[Its Just Adz]

Well done, any idea what sort of work you fancy?

[fttm]

SlimRick said:

So, after 4 days in a rigid, and 3 days in an artic, I've come home today with my pass certificate and no faults.

I assume I just sit and wait for all of the companies desperate for drivers to come knocking on my door now?

Well done fella

[D1on]

Its Just Adz said:

Well done, any idea what sort of work you fancy?

Are you around the blackpool area? Got my test next week and trying to weigh companies up...

[Its Just Adz]

D1on said:

Are you around the blackpool area? Got my test next week and trying to weigh companies up...

Yes I'm in Preston, so I'm guessing you're local too?

Feel free to email me on [e-mail]

[SlimRick]

Thanks for the congrats.

I'm not sure what type of work I fancy - I'll pick up whatever agency work is available so I can get some experience initially.

The other guy who was training with me passed with 2 faults, but the WTTL truck that left the test centre just after I got back, returned within 5 minutes. It was his third attempt at taking the test so I have no idea what went wrong this time.

[leggly]

SlimRick said:

Thanks for the congrats.

I'm not sure what type of work I fancy - I'll pick up whatever agency work is available so I can get some experience initially.

The other guy who was training with me passed with 2 faults, but the WTTL truck that left the test centre just after I got back, returned within 5 minutes. It was his third attempt at taking the test so I have no idea what went wrong this time.

Find out where the nearest Royal Mail VOC is and get in there on agency. After twelve weeks you’ll be on the same wage as the full time drivers. £22 per hour on nights as far as I know these days. It was £18.50ish when I left five years ago. Clean work and you’ll know what time you finish every day.

[towser44]

leggly said:

SlimRick said:

Thanks for the congrats.

I'm not sure what type of work I fancy - I'll pick up whatever agency work is available so I can get some experience initially.

The other guy who was training with me passed with 2 faults, but the WTTL truck that left the test centre just after I got back, returned within 5 minutes. It was his third attempt at taking the test so I have no idea what went wrong this time.

Find out where the nearest Royal Mail VOC is and get in there on agency. After twelve weeks you’ll be on the same wage as the full time drivers. £22 per hour on nights as far as I know these days. It was £18.50ish when I left five years ago. Clean work and you’ll know what time you finish every day.

There is one in either Chorley or Preston (can't remember which), but a few months ago they had trunking roles down to Birmingham and back.

[Glenn63]

towser44 said:

leggly said:

SlimRick said:

Thanks for the congrats.

I'm not sure what type of work I fancy - I'll pick up whatever agency work is available so I can get some experience initially.

The other guy who was training with me passed with 2 faults, but the WTTL truck that left the test centre just after I got back, returned within 5 minutes. It was his third attempt at taking the test so I have no idea what went wrong this time.

Find out where the nearest Royal Mail VOC is and get in there on agency. After twelve weeks you’ll be on the same wage as the full time drivers. £22 per hour on nights as far as I know these days. It was £18.50ish when I left five years ago. Clean work and you’ll know what time you finish every day.

There is one in either Chorley or Preston (can't remember which), but a few months ago they had trunking roles down to Birmingham and back.

I work out of Chorley (parcel force) Preston is Mail work. The same company you can work out of both. Parcel force is just trunking trailer swaps, Mail centre work Youl be tipping yokes still super easy work. Obviously a lot quieter at the minute but the strikes carry on (I hope not) may be some extra work.
The Preston mail centre is much busier than us at Chorley.

[r3g]

Glenn63 said:

I work out of Chorley (parcel force) Preston is Mail work. Parcel force is just trucking trailer swaps, Mail centre work Youl be tipping yokes still super easy work. Obviously a lot quieter at the minute but the strikes carry on (I hope not) may be some extra work.
The Preston mail centre is much busier than us at Chorley.

"Super easy" unloading and reloading Yorks (not yokes!) depends on which RDC you go to. The new place at NN PSC had good folks who'd get on the back and help but Atherstone you're on your own and you'll have a light sweat on after reloading a decker, even with the unit air dumped.

I changed to FedEx hub work even though the money was significantly less, but my commute was a lot shorter, I was being paid to sleep for 3.5 hours every night and the most effort involved was pulling down the roller shutter on the trailer and putting a padlock on. Oh and when getting back to the local depot and being able to reverse it straight on a bay and dump it has a lot of appeal when you just want to finish and go home, which is more than I can say for the bun fight that happens at Normanton as everyone sits there angrily waiting for an empty bay.

A good few years ago now so could have changed.

[Glenn63]

Tbf I don’t do much mail centre work (4 times every 4 weeks) only go to Preston pick up a trailer, down to crick ndc, just throw the yorks off into the warehouse, go round to parcelforce ndc in Coventry swap trailers and back to Chorley.
All my main parcel force work is straight swaps. Last week drive empty to avonmouth swap trailers drive straight back and done. Job and knock paid for full rota hours.
Weekends, bank holidays, Xmas, new year off. By far the easiest/best job for work/life/pay balance Iv ever had.