Thinking of having a go at my HGV licence - Any pointers?
Discussion
Give it a pop if you fancy it..
If you can drive 7.5t/C2/C1 already then you've grandfather rights to drive until Sep 2014. After this date, if you want to carry on driving (for a wage) you'll have to of already completed the 35hrs training. You can do this in a week 7hrs x 5 or one 7hrs every year etc till Sep 14.
I've had C1 2 years now, when i passed i walked straight into one of the better jobs straight away. (helps knowing people) but it's days and comfortably over a tenner an hour!! These jobs are few and far between, though.
Anything else you need to know give me a shout.
If you can drive 7.5t/C2/C1 already then you've grandfather rights to drive until Sep 2014. After this date, if you want to carry on driving (for a wage) you'll have to of already completed the 35hrs training. You can do this in a week 7hrs x 5 or one 7hrs every year etc till Sep 14.
I've had C1 2 years now, when i passed i walked straight into one of the better jobs straight away. (helps knowing people) but it's days and comfortably over a tenner an hour!! These jobs are few and far between, though.
Anything else you need to know give me a shout.
Right lets get something straight right away, it`s a good job if you don`t mind long days,13hrs usually, don`t want a decent home life. The people who say on here who say the money isn`t that good being only 10-12 quid an hour are oh so wrong, try finding many drivers on 12 quid an hour, try about 8 and you`ll be more on the mark with many earning a lot less.
There are good driving jobs but don`t expect to get anywhere near them without a lot of experience, it`s catch 22, you need experience but to gain it you need a job, so if you get a first job earning much above 7.50 an hour you`ve done well. Just remember that there are a lot of unemployed drivers out there at the moment.
Don`t get me wrong there are good jobs, I enjoy my truck driving job and couldn`t imagine doing anything else now, which the more I think about it the sadder I get.
Seriously if you are going to spend that sort of money doing some training go for something else.
Sorry but at the moment the truck driving game is on it`s butt.
There are good driving jobs but don`t expect to get anywhere near them without a lot of experience, it`s catch 22, you need experience but to gain it you need a job, so if you get a first job earning much above 7.50 an hour you`ve done well. Just remember that there are a lot of unemployed drivers out there at the moment.
Don`t get me wrong there are good jobs, I enjoy my truck driving job and couldn`t imagine doing anything else now, which the more I think about it the sadder I get.
Seriously if you are going to spend that sort of money doing some training go for something else.
Sorry but at the moment the truck driving game is on it`s butt.
dowahdiddyman said:
Right lets get something straight right away, it`s a good job if you don`t mind long days,13hrs usually, don`t want a decent home life. The people who say on here who say the money isn`t that good being only 10-12 quid an hour are oh so wrong, try finding many drivers on 12 quid an hour, try about 8 and you`ll be more on the mark with many earning a lot less.
There are good driving jobs but don`t expect to get anywhere near them without a lot of experience, it`s catch 22, you need experience but to gain it you need a job, so if you get a first job earning much above 7.50 an hour you`ve done well. Just remember that there are a lot of unemployed drivers out there at the moment.
Don`t get me wrong there are good jobs, I enjoy my truck driving job and couldn`t imagine doing anything else now, which the more I think about it the sadder I get.
Seriously if you are going to spend that sort of money doing some training go for something else.
Sorry but at the moment the truck driving game is on it`s butt.
Agreed. Leave it to the Kosovans, I say. There are good driving jobs but don`t expect to get anywhere near them without a lot of experience, it`s catch 22, you need experience but to gain it you need a job, so if you get a first job earning much above 7.50 an hour you`ve done well. Just remember that there are a lot of unemployed drivers out there at the moment.
Don`t get me wrong there are good jobs, I enjoy my truck driving job and couldn`t imagine doing anything else now, which the more I think about it the sadder I get.
Seriously if you are going to spend that sort of money doing some training go for something else.
Sorry but at the moment the truck driving game is on it`s butt.
Other half is at a company where depending on the job, decides his pay, some of the work they do is classed as general, could take him anyway, carrying all sorts of things, usually away on a Monday morning and not back till either Friday night or Saturday morning, that is paid at NMW, plus a little extra for being out over night.
The other work is salaried,(with the night out payments too) but that means him leaving Sunday afternoon, driving at nights, staying out all week and definately not back till midday Saturday. It's worth a little more, but not all that much.
He is still in the honeymoon period, so is enjoying it, just means we have to squeeze so much in at weekends, it's the trying to find a layby to sleep in at night that he doesn't like, oh and the lack of variety on what can be stored in the cab and cooked on a camping stove!
The other work is salaried,(with the night out payments too) but that means him leaving Sunday afternoon, driving at nights, staying out all week and definately not back till midday Saturday. It's worth a little more, but not all that much.
He is still in the honeymoon period, so is enjoying it, just means we have to squeeze so much in at weekends, it's the trying to find a layby to sleep in at night that he doesn't like, oh and the lack of variety on what can be stored in the cab and cooked on a camping stove!
Rawwr said:
The only thing you need to remember is to leave a 30cm gap between you and the car in front. I think a gap bigger than that is an automatic fail.
Actually no - you have to leave a gap big enough to be able to pull out and around the vehicle in front of you without having to reverse. However touching the white line that runs along by the kerb IS an automatic fail!!!!I did both my class 1 and class 2 (C and C+E). Passed both first time and due in no small part to very good tuition from A1 roadcraft in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
I was very close to doing my class 2 and hiab, but with the outlay to do it and nobody willing to employ a new licence holder I couldnt see the benefit.
I earn the same money doing 8-5 driving a 3.5 tonner!
Drivings a nice job in the summer and you are sort of your own boss, but I guess with the bigger more expensive rigs you are going to get harassed and chased by the management to perform.
I earn the same money doing 8-5 driving a 3.5 tonner!
Drivings a nice job in the summer and you are sort of your own boss, but I guess with the bigger more expensive rigs you are going to get harassed and chased by the management to perform.
OP - don't be under any illusions that its an easy option or that you spend your time out enjoying the freedom of the open road, however, it can be much better than some on here are making out.
I used to work at a franchised Honda dealer selling new and used cars but just got fed up with the pressure to sell and dealing with the Great British public, so....
I got my Class 2 and then left, managed to secure a job working for the people I trained with and 3 years later I still love it, yes the hours are long and yes sitting around waiting to be loaded is a pain in the jacksy, but spending my days with a constantly changing view and getting paid to drive around suits me fine.
The moneys not that bad either, I get £9.50 an hour and thats only for Class 2, the trampers at our place are taking home about £500 per week.
If you really want to then I say go for it.
I used to work at a franchised Honda dealer selling new and used cars but just got fed up with the pressure to sell and dealing with the Great British public, so....
I got my Class 2 and then left, managed to secure a job working for the people I trained with and 3 years later I still love it, yes the hours are long and yes sitting around waiting to be loaded is a pain in the jacksy, but spending my days with a constantly changing view and getting paid to drive around suits me fine.
The moneys not that bad either, I get £9.50 an hour and thats only for Class 2, the trampers at our place are taking home about £500 per week.
If you really want to then I say go for it.
[quote]You're both heading for a fall, VOSA have started fining people who have not started doing their CPC training
[/quote]
Not true
The only drivers than can get a fine are those who gain their very first LGV C1 or C lience and do not pass the initial driver cpc
Drivers who had LGV C1 C or CE on 10/09/2009 have aquired/grandfather rights and do not have to do any periodic dcpc training if they do not want to but they must complete 35 hours of it before 09/09/2014 to continue driving LGVs commercially after that date
The dcpc and the licence are two entirely seperate issues
the licence to be able to drive the truck
the dcpc to drive that truck commercially
[/quote]
Not true
The only drivers than can get a fine are those who gain their very first LGV C1 or C lience and do not pass the initial driver cpc
Drivers who had LGV C1 C or CE on 10/09/2009 have aquired/grandfather rights and do not have to do any periodic dcpc training if they do not want to but they must complete 35 hours of it before 09/09/2014 to continue driving LGVs commercially after that date
The dcpc and the licence are two entirely seperate issues
the licence to be able to drive the truck
the dcpc to drive that truck commercially
R0G said:
Not true
The only drivers than can get a fine are those who gain their very first LGV C1 or C lience and do not pass the initial driver cpc
Drivers who had LGV C1 C or CE on 10/09/2009 have aquired/grandfather rights and do not have to do any periodic dcpc training if they do not want to but they must complete 35 hours of it before 09/09/2014 to continue driving LGVs commercially after that date
The dcpc and the licence are two entirely seperate issues
the licence to be able to drive the truck
the dcpc to drive that truck commercially
Yup, my mistake, it seems It's our company policy to make us do 7 hours each year before 2014. They had led a lot of us to believe it was law for 7 hours per year. I think their main problem is getting 6500 drivers through the training without too much disruption to the business. The only drivers than can get a fine are those who gain their very first LGV C1 or C lience and do not pass the initial driver cpc
Drivers who had LGV C1 C or CE on 10/09/2009 have aquired/grandfather rights and do not have to do any periodic dcpc training if they do not want to but they must complete 35 hours of it before 09/09/2014 to continue driving LGVs commercially after that date
The dcpc and the licence are two entirely seperate issues
the licence to be able to drive the truck
the dcpc to drive that truck commercially
Roger Woods said:
ROG - I passed my car test March 1984 - I have my medical this Wednesday for my licence application.
You have LGV C1 on your licence so will not be doing the initial LGV driver cpc modules 2 & 4You will have to complete all 35 hours of the periodic driver cpc before 09/09/2014 so that you can continue driving LGVs commercially after that date
THIS might interest you
GreatGranny said:
Would this lead to trying to get a job driving?
My sister in laws hubby is a Class 1 driver. He had a 10 year break from it to be a mechanic and came back into about 3 years ago. he had trouble getting work and was on a poorly paid temp contract for the 1st year, approx. £10 ph and thats including overnight runs. Became permanent 2 years ago but still not that well paid. He travels from Lincolnshire all over the country and to Ireland. Sometimes for 3-4 days at a time.
That may be part of the problem. If you live in an area where jobs are few & workers plentiful then the pay will be silly. Some years ago a few of us were chatting whilst waiting to be offloaded & the subject of how much we were being paid came up. Chap driving an artic but living in Lincs was getting paid a lower hourly rate (IIRC by about £2 an hour) than I was driving a rigid but based in the Midlands.My sister in laws hubby is a Class 1 driver. He had a 10 year break from it to be a mechanic and came back into about 3 years ago. he had trouble getting work and was on a poorly paid temp contract for the 1st year, approx. £10 ph and thats including overnight runs. Became permanent 2 years ago but still not that well paid. He travels from Lincolnshire all over the country and to Ireland. Sometimes for 3-4 days at a time.
AF1 said:
I do a bit of class 1 driving in my spare time for a mate, i wanted to do the job for years but having had a crack at it in my spare time it's not a job i'd want to do full time. I enjoy the driving it's the sitting round in RDC waiting rooms and stroppy warehouse folk that gets old very quickly!
This........ I also live in sussex and did my class 1 and 2 with Hills of Plumpton, i couldn't recommend them any higher.
That was 12 years ago and i still see their lorry's knocking about.
As far as the job goes OP .. Are you single ? Do you mind being up very early(for up to 15 hours) till late at night or vice verser for six long shifts one week and five the next, after 3 or 4 months i guarantee you'll be tired of it...
OP .. as a petrolhead i love my cars bikes lorry's etc, and being on the M25 between 1 and 3 in the morning in a newish Daf super space cab listening to 'up all night' on 5 live/or pukka music doesn't get much better, but you will get treated as just another 'drive', and being talked down to by all and sundry will take it's toll on your social life, your health, and lastly your wealth because i don't think being away from home all week is worth a take home pay of 5 to 6 hundred pounds, better to get a couple of years experience doing general crappy haulage and then try to get in with Sainsburys or Tesco's doing night's cos there's no joy to be had driving a big rig during the day. Good Luck.
AF1 said:
I do a bit of class 1 driving in my spare time for a mate, i wanted to do the job for years but having had a crack at it in my spare time it's not a job i'd want to do full time. I enjoy the driving it's the sitting round in RDC waiting rooms and stroppy warehouse folk that gets old very quickly!
Couldn`t think of anything worse, which is why i`ve never driven an artic curtainsider, always done bulk tanker work, with a very small amount of tipper work if the tanker job was quiet for a day. Very rarely have to wait anywhere to tip, sometimes have to wait a bit to load in the quarry, but that`s it.I used to be a warehouse manager and used to rollock my lads if they went off on one with a driver,no need for anybody,forkie or driver to get stroppy all it does is get peoples backs up.
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