Just Starting Out

Hello

Just started on my journey to become an LGV driver. Licence and theory all sorted. Just waiting on the Jobcentre to see if they are prepared to give me some assistance. I’ve paid my taxes for 25 years so I would hope they would at the very least give me some conisderation even if it turns out to be a “no”. I’ve given them PSTT details as that is the place i would like to go to although my Jobcentre adviser told me that they will send me anywhere THEY want to send me.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the place but i do have a few questions:

My plans with class 2 are two full days over the weekend but i would like to have an extra half day with test and module 4 on the Monday afternoon (In the unlikely event the Jobcentre helps i’ve told them that i would pay for an extra half day myself, hoping they will meet me part of the way at least).

  1. if i book my train return for the Tuesday would i still get the free B&B on the Monday evening or would i have to pay extra for that? I’m over 70 miles away.

I’ve been researching the area and best way of getting there. Train station in a place called kirby-in-ashfield which is a short walk to the B&B. I do a lot of walking so the couple of miles to the yard is no problem, but:

  1. is it usual practice for the instructors to drive past the B&B to pick trainees up or are they expected to go to yard themselves? I don’t know if there are any restictions along the road or maybe not a good idea to upset the locals with LGV’s backwards and forwards.

I want to get my class 1 as well. My plans were to do this in an artic. I’ve read all the posts about artic v drawbar. It still rumbles on! I understand the reasoning on both sides and can appreciate both sides make a valid point.

I doubt i will ever drive a rigid or a drawbar so i feel that for me it would make more sense to do training in an artic. If i did drawbar over 2 days then i would want another day or two in an artic anyway so surely it makes sense to do 3 (full) days of artic training where i can get more practice and training especially with reversing? If i could afford it i would add another day or two but i doubt that will be possible with my current finances.

  1. is 3 days enough? i know some have probably done it in 2 days. Would it make more sense to try it in two. That way if i fail i can fall back on another day or half day with retest if it comes to it?

  2. I’m assuming to get the 21 hours towards the CPC i would need to do the full days therefore test would need to be on 4th. You wouldn’t get it, for example, if test was in the evening of the last training day?

  3. I’m also wondering if it is possible to arrange class 1 so that while i am there i would be able to do a couple of 7 hour (or half days) of CPC hours? Do you have a list of CPC courses that you run with dates?

  4. would you be able to put together a bespoke course to cover class 1 with the extra hours as detailed above? Is it possible to give me an idea of the cost involved in this?

Lastly, i know you already offer a lot of benefits , the 10% deduction, free B&B, etc… but i just wondered if i do have to fund the full training myself have you ever and do you have any plans to introduce special offers for people who want to do class 2/class 1 combined?

Thanks.

P.S. Just in case anyone curious about username i recently bought a few box sets: Hannibal, The Mentalist, Breaking Bad (just finished this, one of best tv series i’ve watched). It was a toss up (literally) between Hannibal and Mentalist. You can guess the outcome. :slight_smile:

Instead of posting all that on here why don’t you just ring Pete and ask him

mac12:
Instead of posting all that on here why don’t you just ring Pete and ask him

Or get the job centre to do it for you.

You’ve paid your taxes after all

If job center pays for that il personally come poke each and every staff member in the eye!!! :imp:

I’ve just passed class 2 and got full dcpc and it didnt cost me a bean.
I was made redundant in Feb this year and the whole lot paid for by the job centre through its “Rapid Response Service”
i doubt they would have picked me up from home with a bacon butty though,maybe i should have asked :wink:

Good job i paid my taxes :laughing:

Instead of posting all that on here why don’t you just ring Pete and ask him

Why doesn’t everyone just send each other private PM’s and not post at all. That’s the purpose of a forum. Other people might get some benefit out of the intelligent responses and would save a lot of typing on Peter’s part.

Or get the job centre to do it for you.

The Jobcentre might need to as I doubt they will hand the money over to me directly.

i doubt they would have picked me up from home with a bacon butty though,maybe i should have asked :wink:

As I said easy enough walk but handy if they drive past to pick/drop you off, especially if its ■■■■■■■ down with rain.

Quite a trek from Kirkby to the test center better off with a taxi

Welcome to the forum mate. Ignore the ■■■■■■■■■■■ Seems to be quite a bit of that on here with newcomers.

The jobcentre said no to me. If I had a genuine job offer then there is a good chance they would have paid for it. I got a refund of the costs of my 3 theory tests. If you are getting JSA you would be stupid not to ask them. Sometimes it may just come down to have an adviser who goes the extra mile or who has a bit of clout. Could make a big differenece to your bank account :wink:

Good luck with your training. Sounds good to me what you are suggesting, not that I’m an expert on the matter :slight_smile: .

As one of the guys said might be better to give them a ring or send Peter a PM. I’m sure they can do something for you.

ContainerBoy:
Seems to be quite a bit of that on here with newcomers.

.

Trust me, you don’t have to be a newcomer…unless 30 years + counts as a newcomer :wink:

Trust me, you don’t have to be a newcomer…unless 30 years + counts as a newcomer :wink:

Not the banter so much albion that annoys me it’s some poor sod asks a question which may sound perfectly acceptable to them hoping to log-in in a day or two and get some intelligent, encouraging responses and all they get is offensive and ignorant comments.

We all in the same game it’s a shame we can’t accept that some people may need the support and encouragement.

I’ve been lucky (so far at least - touch wood) in not getting those type of responses. I don’t mind a laugh but it goes beyond that sometimes. Some people might come on here and say ■■■■ this. That’s a loss for the industry.

^^^ +1

mac12:
Instead of posting all that on here why don’t you just ring Pete and ask him

Maybe he tried and Pete wasn’t in the office that day.

:bulb: At least with a post in here, Pete can answer at his leisure and then there’s every possibility that a forum discussion may ensue.

ContainerBoy:
Ignore the ■■■■■■■■■■■ Seems to be quite a bit of that on here with newcomers.

■■■■■■■■■■ tend to find that their posts go missing, or that it can become quite difficult to post at all.

No names need be mentioned at this point, but those who hadn’t noticed the title of this forum might take the hint. :wink:

dieseldave:

mac12:
Instead of posting all that on here why don’t you just ring Pete and ask him

Maybe he tried and Pete wasn’t in the office that day.

:bulb: At least with a post in here, Pete can answer at his leisure and then there’s every possibility that a forum discussion may ensue.

Maybe so, but although i don’t no Pete from Adam apart from what i see on here he seems like the sort of man who if his office couldn’t answer something he would be ringing you back. The questions the op asked where based at Pete and his company and not just general questions.

The Jobcentre payed for my full week with EP Training to do my CPC, not sure anyone survived the week without dozing off though :laughing: