Hello, so glad I’ve found these forums. I’ve been doing some reading and have a few questions.
Firstly I have 3 points on my licence for Sp50. Will this hinder my chances of finding work? I’ve looked at job adverts and no more than 6 points seems the norm. But as a newly qualified with points would my application just go in the bin?
On the topic of getting employed. I’ve got the impression that agency work is the only way a new driver gets experience. Is that so or do bigger firms consider newly passed drivers?
Lastly I’ve had a quote from a national trainer called the lgv training company and a local firm called top gear in halesowen. Both are asking about the same amount of money all told. Though the national offers to rewrite cv and promise a job interview. I’ve got the impression nationals are to be avoided. Can someone explain why? At face value I can’t see a whole lot of difference.
Thanks
IronEddie:
Lastly I’ve had a quote from a national trainer called the lgv training company and a local firm called top gear in halesowen. Both are asking about the same amount of money all told. Though the national offers to rewrite cv and promise a job interview. I’ve got the impression nationals are to be avoided. Can someone explain why? At face value I can’t see a whole lot of difference.
LGV training company are a broker not a training school like top gear
Brokers give promises they often cannot keep
Brokers often seem the same price but then you find that the training is one day less than the proper schools - you end up paying the same for less training - the brokers have to make their money somehow !
Never pay any money until you have visited the school - brokers will not let you do that
IronEddie:
Firstly I have 3 points on my licence for Sp50. Will this hinder my chances of finding work? I’ve looked at job adverts and no more than 6 points seems the norm. But as a newly qualified with points would my application just go in the bin?
On the topic of getting employed. I’ve got the impression that agency work is the only way a new driver gets experience. Is that so or do bigger firms consider newly passed drivers?
.
Thanks
Hi Eddie
Most hauliers won’t be worried by an SP50, it’s not the crime of the century. If you had 3 , then alarm bells might ring.
Generally agency work is the route to employment, it gives you some experience that most employers like and from your persective, you’ll probably get some variety under your belt.
There are firms that take on new passes, we have. I’d suggest that you knock on a few doors, nothing wrong with going early doors ready to work there and then just in case someone hasn’t turned in. My opinion is that small firms are more flexible with newbies, simply because we’ve all been looking for that first job at one time.
good luck.
albion:
IronEddie:
Firstly I have 3 points on my licence for Sp50. Will this hinder my chances of finding work? I’ve looked at job adverts and no more than 6 points seems the norm. But as a newly qualified with points would my application just go in the bin?
On the topic of getting employed. I’ve got the impression that agency work is the only way a new driver gets experience. Is that so or do bigger firms consider newly passed drivers?
.
Thanks
Hi Eddie
Most hauliers won’t be worried by an SP50, it’s not the crime of the century. If you had 3 , then alarm bells might ring.
Generally agency work is the route to employment, it gives you some experience that most employers like and from your persective, you’ll probably get some variety under your belt.
There are firms that take on new passes, we have. I’d suggest that you knock on a few doors, nothing wrong with going early doors ready to work there and then just in case someone hasn’t turned in. My opinion is that small firms are more flexible with newbies, simply because we’ve all been looking for that first job at one time.
good luck.
Thanks. My only concern with agency is that work might be unpredictable. I’m in a full time permanent job currently. Just not one I enjoy, or that pays enough! But leaving it for agency might be risky?
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Yes, that will be a problem, work is not guaranteed.
On the other hand, you are coming up to holiday cover time and then shortly after, the Xmas rush will start in late october.
Agencies want one thing - that’s to get a driver into a job and the driver they will put in is the one that does what they say without moaning. That isn’t to say you won’t ahve something to moan about, but do the carp and then they ( sholuld) give you better work.
On the other hand if you are in work, keep working there and keep applying for jobs with anyone and everyone and eventually you will get a break.
One guy passed an assessment st Samworths where I work. He was gonna be offered a job but was not due to the SP50.
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Thanks Jax that’s my worry. I’m certain it will close a few doors. Though it’s only 3 points, no court visit or anything so could be worse. But I could imagine the fact it’s motorway putting off some employers.
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IronEddie:
Thanks Jax that’s my worry. I’m certain it will close a few doors. Though it’s only 3 points, no court visit or anything so could be worse. But I could imagine the fact it’s motorway putting off some employers.
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It might have been the fact he was doing 96 on the motorway mind lol.
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How old is the sp50…?
Recent, or ‘getting old’…
JaxDemon:
IronEddie:
Thanks Jax that’s my worry. I’m certain it will close a few doors. Though it’s only 3 points, no court visit or anything so could be worse. But I could imagine the fact it’s motorway putting off some employers.
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It might have been the fact he was doing 96 on the motorway mind lol.
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Thought that speed was a straight to court job.
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Goldfinger:
How old is the sp50…?
Recent, or ‘getting old’…
Relatively recent really, was last July.
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IronEddie:
JaxDemon:
IronEddie:
Thanks Jax that’s my worry. I’m certain it will close a few doors. Though it’s only 3 points, no court visit or anything so could be worse. But I could imagine the fact it’s motorway putting off some employers.
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It might have been the fact he was doing 96 on the motorway mind lol.
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Thought that speed was a straight to court job.
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Yeah I think he did because he got 6 points and a £600 fine iirc lol
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I can recommend Top Gear. I passed both C and C+E with them. They know a great cafe near the test centre too!
They have just had some brand new auto trucks for the class C training.
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El Deano:
I can recommend Top Gear. I passed both C and C+E with them. They know a great cafe near the test centre too!
They have just had some brand new auto trucks for the class C training.
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Oh cool thanks. I quite like the look of them, well at least they have a well put together website. Also only ten minute drive away, so convenient.
Do you happen to know if they’re DVSA registered? Can’t find them on any lists but noticed they use the logos on the website.
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Alarmingly common to use logos without permission. You do right to check.
Whilst I believe they’re a decent school, they are not DSVA accredited, nor are they on the NVDIR (National Vocational Driving Instructor Register).
Don’t know if they have their own test centre; well worth asking.
Pete 
Peter Smythe:
Alarmingly common to use logos without permission. You do right to check.
Whilst I believe they’re a decent school, they are not DSVA accredited, nor are they on the NVDIR (National Vocational Driving Instructor Register).
Don’t know if they have their own test centre; well worth asking.
Pete [emoji38] [emoji38]
I want to ask, would you select a registered school every time? Or is a known good, but unregistered, school perfectly fine.
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Peter Smythe:
Alarmingly common to use logos without permission. You do right to check.
Whilst I believe they’re a decent school, they are not DSVA accredited, nor are they on the NVDIR (National Vocational Driving Instructor Register).
Don’t know if they have their own test centre; well worth asking.
Pete [emoji38] [emoji38]
They use Wolverhampton and occasionally Shrewsbury. Being based close to Wolverhampton you do spend a lot of training time on test routes.
I know its a bug bear of yours Pete. Reversing practice is done off site but in properly marked out area.
I was told to keep your old job and do some agency work on your day/s off. The bills still get paid and u have experience and extra pay.
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The registration system is there to safeguard folks looking for training. There are countless hoops that have to be jumped to satisfy the quality assurance regime and registration can be withdrawn immediately if a trainer falls short of the required standards.
Having said that, there are good trainers who are not registered for reasons I cannot understand. It’s just that it’s not so easy for you to find out who they are. A further word of caution: recommendation is great BUT remember that the person making the recommendation may have nothing to compare with. They have taken a punt on a trainer, passed their test, so everything is great. But the world of training varies from downright appalling to excellence. Only those trainers at the top of the game will appear on the register.
Check it out www.lgvregister.org.uk
Hope this helps, Pete
Peter Smythe:
Only those trainers at the top of the game will appear on the register.
Not been my experience as during my time instructing I came across a couple of trainers on the register who shouted at trainees and generally had a bad attitude.
Being on it might show their training ability but not their personality - much the same as many of those getting a licence to drive - skills ok but common sense lacking