As a newbie looking to work predominantly days, is this a good start?
Anyone here a class 2 tipper driver? What’s your experience… 
Tipper drivers are usually seen as a bit of a different breed, it’d be a bit of a culture shock to a newbie. Always flying all over the place at top speed, “gotta get another load on…” If you’re anywhere near the North East there’s a firm that seems to have bit of a turnover in drivers so always a potential for a new starter.
I have done tipper work its a good way into the industry. I have worked on the tar, making and repairing roads also waste disposal. No one has pressured me to go faster or cut corners. Remember its not Hell Drivers nowadays. Quarries wont let you out overloaded .
Also bulk recycling with a roro/hook loader.Not inner city type work if you can avoid it.
The problem is that it doesn’t require as much load handling or yard work like hiab building materials or retail distribution.It’s a bit like trunking collect keys at start of the shift drive, to places loaded/pre loaded by mechanical shovels etc and then tip it or drop the bin at other places, park up go home at end of shift.In which case relatively few vacancies and don’t expect to find it on the agencies’ books and expect the usual bs experience word to hinder you often regarding applying for the over subscribed vacancies that are out there. 
alamcculloch:
I have done tipper work its a good way into the industry.
It would be if it wasn’t for the usual ‘tipper or bulker ‘experience’ required’ which the OP will soon find out.
There you go OP proof that tippers/bulkers are a closed shop for the reasons I gave.You’ll trawl through page after page of the bs experience word.It’s just another way of saying reserved for the self entitled elite.
That’s no different to how I knew the sector when I started out in 1980.I was even driving the things on the council and that still wasn’t considered good enough to get on firms like AJ Bull.
Notice there aren’t even any adverts there at all for bulkers.That’s rightly considered a step up from tippers.
You also won’t find those jobs on agency.But plenty of hiab delivery zb on agency and no problems with the ‘experience’ closed shop because no one wants it like retail distribution zb.
uk.indeed.com/jobs?q=Tipper&l=S … 7dd007d086
uk.indeed.com/jobs?q=Tipper&l=S … a25f5c0a1f
Depends on what type of tipper work.
Muckaway…hated it. Mud mud and more mud. Getting stuck on landfill tips and having to wade through the mud to get your tow hitch on. Rinse and repeat.
Tarmac and sand/gravel…loved it. No flying around. The tarmac tips are usually slow affairs with a chance to read a book. Sand and gravel to batching plants is easy going and no rushing around.
Carryfast:
It’s just another way of saying reserved for the self entitled elite.
I could teach you the handshake if you like?
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
It’s just another way of saying reserved for the self entitled elite.
40 years too late for me but the OP might be interested to learn it.Some say it’s different for every firm so the one needed to get onto AJ Bull was probably different to the one needed for Drinkwater Sabey.But yes I’m prepared to believe that the ‘experience’ word in all the ads is a type of insider code that bus drivers have somehow cracked. 
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
It’s just another way of saying reserved for the self entitled elite.
40 years too late for me but the OP might be interested to learn it.Some say it’s different for every firm so the one needed to get onto AJ Bull was probably different to the one needed for Drinkwater Sabey.But yes I’m prepared to believe that the ‘experience’ word in all the ads is a type of insider code that bus drivers have somehow cracked.
Whatever gets you through the day chap x
Edit- Interesting question: how long after getting your licence was it before you got your first chance at a truck driving job?
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
It’s just another way of saying reserved for the self entitled elite.
40 years too late for me but the OP might be interested to learn it.Some say it’s different for every firm so the one needed to get onto AJ Bull was probably different to the one needed for Drinkwater Sabey.But yes I’m prepared to believe that the ‘experience’ word in all the ads is a type of insider code that bus drivers have somehow cracked.
Whatever gets you through the day chap x
Edit- Interesting question: how long after getting your licence was it before you got your first chance at a truck driving job?
I was actually shunting fire trucks off road.Before I passed my Class 2 test a couple of weeks after my 21st Birthday.They paid for my training and test ‘so’ that I could drive them on road and at places like Chobham for testing.So I was driving fire trucks on road within a matter of days after my test because I was already working there as a works driver up to 7.5 tonner.
As I said I then started as a class 2 driver for the Council after I was made redundant a few moths later.
Ironically my fire truck driving ‘experience’ was absolutely useless to me when it came to plant haulage with a multi lift flat like Dan’s work.
Driving an 8 wheeler refuse bulker for AJ Bull etc would have been far easier just as being a lot easier than local hiab delivery work.
But the experience issue conveniently and obviously gets more important proportionally with the quality of the work not how technical or difficult it is.
Which is why you won’t generally find decent tipper or bulker work on agencies books just like international.
As opposed to all the zb work when suddenly the ‘experience’ word conveniently just evaporates and no longer matters.
Now let me guess you’re going to say that those adverts I posted are fake and they don’t actually contain the inconvenient truth, concerning the arbitrary face fits closed shop, that applies too often and blights the industry and careers of new drivers in that regard.
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Edit- Interesting question: how long after getting your licence was it before you got your first chance at a truck driving job?I was actually shunting fire trucks off road.Before I passed my Class 2 test a couple of weeks after my 21st Birthday.They paid for my training and test ‘so’ that I could drive them on road and at places like Chobham for testing.So I was driving fire trucks on road within a matter of days after my test because I was already working there as a works driver up to 7.5 tonner.
So you got your test paid for and a job straight after while I had to pay for my own, training plus 3 tests, C & C+E x2 and took nearly four years of trying before I got my first job and you like to make out I’m the one that had it easy? Ok then
switchlogic:
So you got your test paid for and a job straight after while I had to pay for my own, training plus 3 tests, C & C+E x2 and took nearly four years of trying before I got my first job and you like to make out I’m the one that had it easy? Ok then
My works driving job came at the cost of almost 3 years of the crushing depression ( for a driver ) every day of working in the factory.
From then I put in a more than fair start at the expected induction to the industry of van and 7.5 tonner work.
I didn’t get the job ‘straight after’ I was ‘already’ doing the job at that point my career was taking a fair progression van - 7.5 tonner to trucks albeit specialist types not commercial by the nature of the job.
The enforced retrograde step to the council did at least put me back to a fair level for my age of class 2 general/plant/tipper/bulker haulage work and some specialist types.
No reason after a couple of years of doing that why I should have been denied a move up to 8 wheeler bulkers and then International drawbar work by the age of 24.
I paid for my own class 1 and it was only luck by cold phone call and a no bs recruitment attitude that put me behind the wheel of an artic on trunking after an interview which went along the lines can you do the job I said yes that was it.Start Monday night.
I was obviously good enough for them to call me back as promised, after a temporary lay off to save a senior driver’s job from a different depot closure.
That’s where I really learned about the level of zb work dumped on exploited drivers by agencies.
Rubbish which no class 1 driver having already put in their time at the bottom levels of the industry should have to be lumbered with.
We ended up as great mates when I was called back unfortunately he never made his retirement heart problems got him. 
Why did you need 2 class 1 tests.Mine took me 1 week of upgrade training.
As I said there was no reason whatsoever why any of the numerous International firms that I’d also cold called repeatedly during that period during my mid 20’s wouldn’t/couldn’t have given me the same chance.
It can’t be right that younger drivers, entering the industry considerably later were given that chance ahead of me.
It was the bs ‘experience’ word which I found hindering me at every turn whether making the move from the council to 8 wheelers or from that to International work.
It’s just stupid and nothing changes.
Tipper/bulker experience/artic experience/International experience every type of bleedin experience required for every seperate type of sector and type imaginable.
But conveniently no ‘experience’ needed for local scaffolding/building/retail multi drop deliveries or working as a council driver driving anything and everything from a flat loaded with plant, to a bulker, to a 24 tonner Gritter in one day.
Or for that matter year after year of solid night shifts on uk trunking followed by being used as a warehouse labourer.Who would have thought it.
Gerrard’s of Swinton are usually always advertising and.dont think need experience.
In a way it says it all they must have a high turn over of staff and makes you wonder why.
But on the other hand.if your new to.it and what a chance /get experience then be worth it I guess
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
So you got your test paid for and a job straight after while I had to pay for my own, training plus 3 tests, C & C+E x2 and took nearly four years of trying before I got my first job and you like to make out I’m the one that had it easy? Ok thenMy works driving job came at the cost of almost 3 years of the crushing depression ( for a driver ) every day of working in the factory.
From then I put in a more than fair start at the expected induction to the industry of van and 7.5 tonner work.
I didn’t get the job ‘straight after’ I was ‘already’ doing the job at that point my career was taking a fair progression van - 7.5 tonner to trucks albeit specialist types not commercial by the nature of the job.
The enforced retrograde step to the council did at least put me back to a fair level for my age of class 2 general/plant/tipper/bulker haulage work and some specialist types.
No reason after a couple of years of doing that why I should have been denied a move up to 8 wheeler bulkers and then International drawbar work by the age of 24.
I paid for my own class 1 and it was only luck by cold phone call and a no bs recruitment attitude that put me behind the wheel of an artic on trunking after an interview which went along the lines can you do the job I said yes that was it.Start Monday night.
I was obviously good enough for them to call me back as promised, after a temporary lay off to save a senior driver’s job from a different depot closure.
That’s where I really learned about the level of zb work dumped on exploited drivers by agencies.
Rubbish which no class 1 driver having already put in their time at the bottom levels of the industry should have to be lumbered with.We ended up as great mates when I was called back unfortunately he never made his retirement heart problems got him.
Why did you need 2 class 1 tests.Mine took me 1 week of upgrade training.
As I said there was no reason whatsoever why any of the numerous International firms that I’d also cold called repeatedly during that period during my mid 20’s wouldn’t/couldn’t have given me the same chance.
It can’t be right that younger drivers, entering the industry considerably later were given that chance ahead of me.
It was the bs ‘experience’ word which I found hindering me at every turn whether making the move from the council to 8 wheelers or from that to International work.
It’s just stupid and nothing changes.
Tipper/bulker experience/artic experience/International experience every type of bleedin experience required for every seperate type of sector and type imaginable.
But conveniently no ‘experience’ needed for local scaffolding/building/retail multi drop deliveries or working as a council driver driving anything and everything from a flat loaded with plant, to a bulker, to a 24 tonner Gritter in one day.
Or for that matter year after year of solid night shifts on uk trunking followed by being used as a warehouse labourer.Who would have thought it.
Blah blah blah blah. You’re just trying too talk your way out of the fact you had it easy and I didn’t after seemingly hanging your whole personality on being kept down by the man… You had it easy, I didn’t.
switchlogic:
Blah blah blah blah. You’re just trying too talk your way out of the fact you had it easy and I didn’t after seemingly hanging your whole personality on being kept down by the man… You had it easy, I didn’t.
As I said ‘if’ you’re supposedly the born driver that you say you are you’d know that almost 3 years working in a factory ain’t an easy option.
So I then went from driving vans to 7.5 tonner and shunting heavies and got my Class 2.
Then drove everything under the sun from fire trucks to cars, tractors to 24 tonner Gritters including my fair share of struggling in the mud on plant haulage work.Also laughably 7.5 t and class 3 building deliveries and local multi drop work on agency after getting my class 1.Followed by more an a decade of solid night work and then put out of the job by the age of 40 having been used as a warehouse labourer being the final straw.
At which point in your career you were doing the difficult job of driving buses and then coaches around Europe.
Then fast tracked onto Class 1 international truck driving from that.
You’re avin a Giraffe.
Oh and you didn’t answer the question why two Class 1 tests.
Now why don’t you do something constructive and find some ads for tipper and bulker drivers new drivers with no experience welcome.
Or for that matter any agencies offering same.As opposed to the usual multi drop and building deliveries zb which some can obviously evade if their face fits.
alamcculloch:
No one has pressured me to go faster or cut corners. Remember its not Hell Drivers nowadays…
Seems to depend who you get on with. Some have settled down and do things legit, but theres one especially round here who have a policy of flat out or stop, thats all the truck is allowed to do. They single handedly give the industry a bad name.
If you can find one of the bigger companies like Hansons (if they aren’t all subbies) or similar they’ll likely be much more legit if likely a little health amd safety mad. Tarmac from what I understand are mostly subbies with signwritten vehicles.
As for new start, it should be easy work in most cases but avoid taking sides in disputes or it could turn into Lord of the Flies.
trevHCS:
As for new start, it should be easy work in most cases
Tippers/Bulkers ro ro/hook loader type work is usually better quality work than hiab/building materials and distribution sector local multi drop etc.
No surprise the agencies are full of the latter but rarely if ever have the former, let alone international work, on their books.
In past times it’s generally what differentiated class 2 work from class 3.The former usually subject to the same bs face fits pecking orders as moving onto class 1 work then or now.
Carryfast:
As I said ‘if’ you’re supposedly the born driver that you say you are you’d know that almost 3 years working in a factory ain’t an easy option.
You know I did nearly 3 years as an apprentice as I told you. I also told you much of it was outside lying in mud. You pottering abut inside in a factory seems the easy option to me. So try again. Also where did I claim to be a ‘born driver’? I’m really NOT a natural born driver, I have to work at it, it’s why I’ve occasionally fallen over
Carryfast:
At which point in your career you were doing the difficult job of driving buses and then coaches around Europe.
Then fast tracked onto Class 1 international truck driving from that.
If you’re that frail a few boxes did you in you wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes as a coach driver in the jobs I did. Also, define ‘fast tracked’, you seem to have conveniently forgotten again it was my 30’s before I got proper euro work, after years of working day at night for Nolan’s and HSF and years on agency in London.
Carryfast:
Oh and you didn’t answer the question why two Class 1 tests.
Because come on you really aren’t quite as stupid as this makes you sound! Why does anyone do more than one? (tho technically I’ve never done any ‘Class 1’ tests)
Carryfast:
Now why don’t you do something constructive and find some ads for tipper and bulker drivers new drivers with no experience welcome.
Nah, you couldn’t find a job for yourself so why would I bother. I’ll continue to do constructive things like help out new drivers with advice while you fill their heads with negative bull s h i t
You had your fair share of luck, you just didn’t build on it and gave up far too easily. But you have led a pretty easy life, not least financially being able to retire on medical grounds at 40 so just stop whinging. Everyone has difficulties present themselves in life, the trick is to not let them define you, which alas you have.
Have a nice evening
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
As I said ‘if’ you’re supposedly the born driver that you say you are you’d know that almost 3 years working in a factory ain’t an easy option.You know I did nearly 3 years as an apprentice as I told you. I also told you much of it was outside lying in mud. You pottering abut inside in a factory seems the easy option to me. So try again. Also where did I claim to be a ‘born driver’?
Carryfast:
At which point in your career you were doing the difficult job of driving buses and then coaches around Europe.
Then fast tracked onto Class 1 international truck driving from that.If you’re that frail a few boxes did you in you wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes as a coach driver in the jobs I did. Also, define ‘fast tracked’, you seem to have conveniently forgotten again it was my 30’s before I got proper euro work, after years of working day at night for Nolan’s and HSF and years on agency in London.
Carryfast:
Oh and you didn’t answer the question why two Class 1 tests.Because come on you really aren’t quite as stupid as this makes you sound! Why does anyone do more than one?
Carryfast:
Now why don’t you do something constructive and find some ads for tipper and bulker drivers new drivers with no experience welcome.Nah, you couldn’t find a job for yourself so would I bother. I’ll continue to do comstructive things like help out new drivers with advice while you fill their heads with negative bull s h i t
You had your fair share of luck, you just didn’t build on it and gave up far too easily. But you have led a pretty easy life, not least financially being able to retire on medical grounds at 40 so just stop whinging.
Have a nice evening
An artic load floor to ceiling and front to back is more than a few boxes.Tipping one and loading another every shift is twice as much as that multiplied by 5 shifts in a week.
Yeah you’re right the fact that you don’t even know that or you think that working in a factory is easy, especially for a driver who needs to be out on the road shows how much of a driver you really are.
Yes I had a clue as to why you needed the two Class 1 tests in that regard.You seemed to want to evade the question for some reason.
Yeah right so financially well off I’ve now got to re mortgage my parents’ hard earned legacy to stay afloat.
Advice like telling new drivers don’t be fooled by anyone telling them that accepting all the zb will guarantee better things later you mean.Then posting the job adverts to prove the bs face fits experience issue that infests the industry.
In which an ex bus driver class 1 test failure gets fast tracked onto international work by 30 while others are treated like mugs still lumbered with zb work at 40 and still battling with the ‘experience’ word at every turn when trying to move on at that stage.
Remind me was that the International truck driving by 30 or the international coach driving before that.As opposed to the 5 years of zb work I put up with on the council.Some experience requirements are obviously more equal than others. 