Well, despite my best efforts to steer my son away from this lorry driving malarkey he is showing signs of wanting to do it [emoji849]
He’s 19 in August and passed his driving test a couple of months after his 17th.
So, supposing he doesn’t find a better career path and decides he wants to go truckin’ when can he start and how would he go about it?
18 now days.
My local Turner’s has a sign outside offering to train up to C and E. Don’t know if they do it elsewhere but might save him the cash upfront if you have one local or anywhere else doing similar
Steer him towards the rail industry or construction (360/telehandler etc) if you can mate.
There’s ■■■■■■■■ all future in this game.
Just tell him how much it costs to get a C+E license if he pays for it himself
peirre:
Just tell him how much it costs to get a C+E license if he pays for it himself
B to CE is about £3K
I had a figure of £3800-£4000 in mind, assuming he passes 1st time.
You might want to make it 5K if you want to put him off more, but that depends whos paying for it. 
I’ve seen a Turner’s banner up recently although it was originally for drivers and then warehouse ops - 17 to 19 from memory (cheaper min wage). Does depend where you are in the country.
Could I suggest a job with someone like DPD in a van which will give experience of long hours, time pressures, lowsey drops, stupid traffic, BMWs, eating on the road and ■■■■■■■ in a bottle etc.
Then if he sticks that for a year, hes a little closer to 21 which is often the min age that companies can insure you on as long as licence is clean.
Oh and remind him, if he has an accident in the truck it could affect his car insurance renewal.
You have to bear in mind that the pass rate is set to 50% I would reckon its about £5,000 to get to C+E with all of the theory stuff as well. Perhaps a recent pass could spill the beans.
trevHCS:
You might want to make it 5K if you want to put him off more, but that depends whos paying for it.I’ve seen a Turner’s banner up recently although it was originally for drivers and then warehouse ops - 17 to 19 from memory (cheaper min wage). Does depend where you are in the country.
Could I suggest a job with someone like DPD in a van which will give experience of long hours, time pressures, lowsey drops, stupid traffic, BMWs, eating on the road and ■■■■■■■ in a bottle etc.
Then if he sticks that for a year, hes a little closer to 21 which is often the min age that companies can insure you on as long as licence is clean.
Oh and remind him, if he has an accident in the truck it could affect his car insurance renewal.
And if that doesn’t put him off, nowt will!! depending on the accident, he could lose his licence.
And what about speeding points too?
Don’t kids get hit harder these day once first past their test?
And, if he does have an accident or get points, won’t he need one of those ‘black box’ things fitted to his car?
Wonder if they’ll want one fitted to the truck he’ll be driving then…■■?
Virtually all on the newbies forum will agree that £3K all in is about right for B to CE
Cost me just under £3k 5 years again all in including medical and licence application and 2 first time passes. If you don’t pass first time it doesn’t add 2k on. 100 to 200 extra for each extra go maybe.
ROG:
Virtually all on the newbies forum will agree that £3K all in is about right for B to CE
I really can not understand anybody shelling out all that cash to start this crap.
Can somebody point out to me the attraction exactly? 
It certainly aint the same attractive proposition of being alone and being virtually your own boss for a week as it was when I started, and we can all guarantee it certainly aint for the money.
Tell your lad to invest it in getting his ticket on machines,… or even putting it on a horse sounds a better proposition, and if it loses, at least that way he gets the agony in all at once instead of it being spread over 30 years. 
robroy:
ROG:
Virtually all on the newbies forum will agree that £3K all in is about right for B to CEI really can not understand anybody shelling out all that cash to start this crap.
Can somebody point out to me the attraction exactly?
It certainly aint the same attractive proposition of being alone and being virtually your own boss for a week as it was when I started, and we can all guarantee it certainly aint for the money.
Tell your lad to invest it in getting his ticket on machines,… or even putting it on a horse sounds a better proposition, and if it loses, at least that way he gets the agony in all at once instead of it being spread over 30 years.
It’s a difficult one. Lorry driving is somewhat of a vocation, like nursing, farmwork, teaching etc. you write the pros and cons down and no right minded person would do it.
If his heart is set on it you have to support him I reckon. You will struggle to talk him out of it.
When I was 21, I had the big truck, worked every hour I could, earned hardly anything but loved it… My dad was a driver and he couldn’t talk me out of it.
My boy is an aircon engineer, he had to go to college one day a week, and had to put up with poor apprentice wages for two years. However now he is 21 years old, 40 hr week, £30k basic per year. There are not many driving jobs paying that for 40 hours, let alone for a new starter…
robroy:
ROG:
Virtually all on the newbies forum will agree that £3K all in is about right for B to CEor even putting it on a horse sounds a better proposition, and if it loses, at least that way he gets the agony in all at once instead of it being spread over 30 years.
[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]
I’ve been in the game long enough to know it can be and usually is a load of crap. Problem is he went to collage to do my preferred option for him, engineering. Since then he applied for many apprenticeships which have led nowhere. To keep himself in beer n ■■■■ (yeah I know [emoji849]) he got himself an agency gig working in the redhouse b&q warehouse. Now he’s earning decent dough (for his age) his search for an apprenticeship on crap money has been put on the back burner. So, the other day he said he wouldn’t mind driving for a living. I did tell him it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be but would look into the feasibility and costs involved hence the post on here.
Van driving, ironically, is out because firms can’t insure under 21’s.
Nah to say your better off gambling the money is daft. The job ain’t that bad.
Your paying the £3k to get a licence that means your not going to be out of work for the foreseeable future. This golden age that the older drivers bang on about wont be missed will it because anyone new won’t know any different.
Your still working on your own a lot more than a lot of jobs. Yes it’s all tracked and you’ve got cameras and fleet monitoring and mobile phones that you didn’t have in this golden age, but a 21 year old is going to be used to all that stuff anyway.
If you like driving and like working by yourself then don’t let all these golden age has gone stories put your lad off. It’s still a decent job and you could certainly earn less money and do worse jobs. Ok you could earn more per hour stacking shelves at Aldi, but what would he rather do?
Drive a truck for 60 hours a week and come out with say £500-550 each week. Or stack shelves and have to deal with customers moaning and be on your feet all day for 40 hours and come out with £430?
I think driving is still a decent job.
DickyNick:
Nah to say your better off gambling the money is daft. The job ain’t that bad.Your paying the £3k to get a licence that means your not going to be out of work for the foreseeable future. This golden age that the older drivers bang on about wont be missed will it because anyone new won’t know any different.
Your still working on your own a lot more than a lot of jobs. Yes it’s all tracked and you’ve got cameras and fleet monitoring and mobile phones that you didn’t have in this golden age, but a 21 year old is going to be used to all that stuff anyway.
If you like driving and like working by yourself then don’t let all these golden age has gone stories put your lad off. It’s still a decent job and you could certainly earn less money and do worse jobs. Ok you could earn more per hour stacking shelves at Aldi, but what would he rather do?
Drive a truck for 60 hours a week and come out with say £500-550 each week. Or stack shelves and have to deal with customers moaning and be on your feet all day for 40 hours and come out with £430?
I think driving is still a decent job.
Tbf mate the putting it on a horse thing wasn’t entirely serious believe it or not. 
A young lad with no experience in the shark infested haulage job, is gonna have the word ‘‘target’’ on his forehead,.and open to all the abuse that lable brings, from either unscrupulous agencies,.and/or employers chomping at the bit to brainwash them with corporate bullcrap to mold them into 70 hour teararsing robots, the type of which are abundant in today’s job. 
Can’t really see how you would describe that as a good proposition for your lad mate tbh.
Why do you make it an either or situation on stacking shelves or similar mundane jobs,.as I said go for his road machine tickets, or join the military, better jobs better prospects on both examples imo.
I’ve said before on here I’m proud to say I managed to talk my 2 lads out of it, both of who are on better pay, t.s and c.s, and jobs than me.
DickyNick:
Nah to say your better off gambling the money is daft. The job ain’t that bad.Your paying the £3k to get a licence that means your not going to be out of work for the foreseeable future. This golden age that the older drivers bang on about wont be missed will it because anyone new won’t know any different.
Your still working on your own a lot more than a lot of jobs. Yes it’s all tracked and you’ve got cameras and fleet monitoring and mobile phones that you didn’t have in this golden age, but a 21 year old is going to be used to all that stuff anyway.
If you like driving and like working by yourself then don’t let all these golden age has gone stories put your lad off. It’s still a decent job and you could certainly earn less money and do worse jobs. Ok you could earn more per hour stacking shelves at Aldi, but what would he rather do?
Drive a truck for 60 hours a week and come out with say £500-550 each week. Or stack shelves and have to deal with customers moaning and be on your feet all day for 40 hours and come out with £430?
I think driving is still a decent job.
You will struggle to get 430 a week stacking shelves, and most other jobs without doing some sort of degree (huge debt and no guarantee) or an apprenticeship (low wages to train).
As said maybe driving isn’t what it was but compared to a lot of minimum wage or zero hour jobs out there I think it’s a decent enough job.
If you can earn 430 from 40 hours stacking shelves I’m in!
Biggest headache I suspect in this case will be getting anyone to insure a 19 year old. It can be done but suspect the extra would be in the thousands a year and that’s with the most crappy truck on the fleet.
Would avoid apprenticeships as they have become simply a way to pay under the min wage for 2 years for basic jobs in most cases. After that they drop you and go with the next one. Don’t suppose HGV mechanic is an option?
DickyNick:
Nah to say your better off gambling the money is daft. The job ain’t that bad.Your paying the £3k to get a licence that means your not going to be out of work for the foreseeable future. This golden age that the older drivers bang on about wont be missed will it because anyone new won’t know any different.
Your still working on your own a lot more than a lot of jobs. Yes it’s all tracked and you’ve got cameras and fleet monitoring and mobile phones that you didn’t have in this golden age, but a 21 year old is going to be used to all that stuff anyway.
If you like driving and like working by yourself then don’t let all these golden age has gone stories put your lad off. It’s still a decent job and you could certainly earn less money and do worse jobs. Ok you could earn more per hour stacking shelves at Aldi, but what would he rather do?
Drive a truck for 60 hours a week and come out with say £500-550 each week. Or stack shelves and have to deal with customers moaning and be on your feet all day for 40 hours and come out with £430?
I think driving is still a decent job.
Spot on! The key is finding a decent job. Like you say, the main thing about this job is you will never struggle for work. Brexit, if it happens will only make that more so I predict.