Becoming a HGV driver?

[Earl of Hazzard]

Sammo123 said:

Having become thoroughly sick of my job I've started looking into becoming an HGV driver. Looking at the costs involved I'm going to have to do it in two parts. I think I'll do my Class 2 and find myself a job and then as and when I can afford it I'll sort the rest.

Looking at a couple of local companies the price seems to be around £1800 to go from car to Class 2. Don't know if this is expensive or just the going rate.

From going from car to Cat C, I was quoted £1395. This was for 4 hours training a day Monday to Thursday, and taking the test Friday.

The medical and theory tests were seperate...but you need these before doing the training/taking test.

[One Amp Andy]

MadMullah said:

I've just passed my class 1 today. It was a guy from the military who was my assessor.

Took the test around Kirkham. Tight roads and lots of country roads. A few minors here and there. The fact I'd been driving class 2 for 3+ years helped me alot.

If you're after any class1 work, I've got loads, and don't mind taking on new passes. Easy work and decent trucks too.

[CarCrazyDad]

Reading the stories shared by truckers, there is no way I would be one.

Certainly not if you have any resemblance of home life.

If you like tenting in the middle of nowhere and have no problem having a crap in front of passing cars, go for it.

[Sammo123]

CarCrazyDad said:

Reading the stories shared by truckers, there is no way I would be one.

Certainly not if you have any resemblance of home life.

If you like tenting in the middle of nowhere and have no problem having a crap in front of passing cars, go for it.

Surely that all depends on what sort of job you go for. If I decide to bite the bullet and go for it then I wouldn't be getting a job that involves overnight stays. I have no interest in stting in a bush in the middle of the night!

[CarCrazyDad]

Sammo123 said:

Surely that all depends on what sort of job you go for. If I decide to bite the bullet and go for it then I wouldn't be getting a job that involves overnight stays. I have no interest in stting in a bush in the middle of the night!

Again, all second hand information but I'm aware if you enter as a "new driver" you get all the st jobs

When you have several years (talking 5 or more) then you may get a job driving "daily" where you come home each night

Of course you may find a daily job straight away but from the information I found when reading around it wasn't that common

[markymarkthree]

CarCrazyDad said:

Reading the stories shared by truckers, there is no way I would be one.

Certainly not if you have any resemblance of home life.

If you like tenting in the middle of nowhere and have no problem having a crap in front of passing cars, go for it.

I retired this year and in 30 ish years driving class 1s i can honestly say i have only ever had a dump in proper toilets. Any overnights (about a dozen) were my choice and always in a Hotel. I either did nights or days, again my choice and if i fancied a bit of weekend overtime (rarely) it was time and a half or double time.
Don't listen to all the doom an gloom merchants out there, its still a decent job and remember "you are being paid to listen to the radio".

[Glenn63]

When I passed my test my first job was day work 4 on 4 off. Don’t think I’d ever had a job with so much time off/ at home! Tramping jobs are a choice if people don’t mind being away for the extra cash, I chose a different job on the cranes that involved tramping as I wanted as much money as possible before buying my first house, after I’d bought it, back onto day work and never had a night away since, Except once when my truck broke down so my place put me in a hotel for the night.

[GC8]

One Amp Andy said:

Do you want a job? Got a few vacancies, good pay, easy work. I don't mind taking on new passes.

Im curious to know what 'easy work and good pay' is in the current climate. I more than understand if you would prefer to PM me. Ive seen C+E work advertised at £10:90ph recently, and C1 at £12-16 and I know people working their arses off on muck away for a notional £11ph (fixed £110 day rate).

[One Amp Andy]

GC8 said:

Im curious to know what 'easy work and good pay' is in the current climate. I more than understand if you would prefer to PM me. Ive seen C+E work advertised at £10:90ph recently, and C1 at £12-16 and I know people working their arses off on muck away for a notional £11ph (fixed £110 day rate).

I've just took on a new contract, usually we do plant and heavy haulage, but this is just curtainsider stuff. Which is why I'd happily take on a new pass. One of the jobs is pretty much just shunting between two sites using the same trailer. C+E £18 per hour nights. Time and a half Saturdays if they want it. Even loading and tipping is undercover. It's a full time permanent job too, not some short term bks from an agency. Guaranteed 10 hours per shift, paid breaks. Usually if all goes to plan they're done in 6-7 hours and home.

[GC8]

That doesn't look bad to me. In fact, £47,000 for steady work, and over £50 inc Saturdays looks pretty good.

[One Amp Andy]

It's not too bad is it. Yes, it's a night shift, but for the work involved we didn't think it was too bad. I mean, they'll have to suffer a 2018 Actros for their troubles as they enviously eye up the V8's in the corner, but as I've said to the lads already doing it, they aren't on bad money, and if they are interested in the heavy side of things, just keep their noses clean and I'll train them up on the big stuff gradually.

[GC8]

Hold on! No one mentioned a Mercedes automatic gearbox! Does it have comfy seats or are they the type that send your bottom to sleep after 20 minutes?

[One Amp Andy]

Thankfully they're the comfy seat options. Changing them in the new year, I can't even bring myself to stick our company name on them. But they were available at the time, and R730 V8's were a little bit overkill for the job!

[GC8]

I didnt know that the poverty cabs existed until a friend leased six Arocs from Enterprise. The gearbox software was a little better (you only had to send it an email if you wanted to pull out, rather than the fax that earlier iterations required) but they were excruciating compared to the existing 2015 wagons, with hard seats and uncontrollable cab bouncing.

Id still do it though. The fellow should be biting your hand off.

[s p a c e m a n]

I slept in a cab once to see if I'd get on with it, haven't done it again in 25ish years. Had a dump in a few bushes, but had nothing to do with work or lorries

[MadMullah]

One Amp Andy said:

If you're after any class1 work, I've got loads, and don't mind taking on new passes. Easy work and decent trucks too.

Thanks for the offer Andy i've just seen this. I'm waiting for a start date with Asda in Rochdale - went for an assessment yesterday so just waiting for a start date.

I do have a mate who might be interested. he's struggling a bit with reversing so if its curtain side work it might be his cup of tea.

[GC8]

Im not sure that you could convince me that anything at Asda will be as good as this.

[Muzzer79]

Sammo123 said:

CarCrazyDad said:

Reading the stories shared by truckers, there is no way I would be one.

Certainly not if you have any resemblance of home life.

If you like tenting in the middle of nowhere and have no problem having a crap in front of passing cars, go for it.

Surely that all depends on what sort of job you go for. If I decide to bite the bullet and go for it then I wouldn't be getting a job that involves overnight stays. I have no interest in stting in a bush in the middle of the night!

Sometimes you don't get a choice.

Even if you're very lucky and your job involves you leaving at 0700 and driving 150 miles away, trailer-swapping and coming back - if you get stuck on the motorway so are about to go over your driving hours or the delivery point won't tip you, guess where you're sleeping and stting!

[MadMullah]

GC8 said:

Im not sure that you could convince me that anything at Asda will be as good as this.

lol i'm thinking that too.

[caterhamboy]

I'm a new pass class 2 and got a job through an agency, this is my 3rd wk. 1st 9 days i was double manned to learn the routes as mainly dropping in town centres.
So far really enjoying it, and don't think the work is hard even tho some moan, god some drivers love to moan,
Going to do my class 1 sometime next year.