From what I’ve read here and from browsing jobs myself, most employers are only after experienced drivers. It seems very short sighted to me. Yes in the short term it’s cheaper and less hassle to employ an experienced driver but obviously that can’t be sustained in the long term. How could any sector survive if it wasn’t willing to invest in the inexperienced? What does the haulage industry expect will happen if it continues to be this inflexible?
There will be a driver shortage like there has been for the last 40 years
I’ve been watching people on this forum say they haven’t been able to find work for months now. I passed my class 2 3 months ago and walked straight into work with bidvest ( it’s hard work but it’s the only stuff you get when you’re a new driver ) and whilst doing that I knocked on a few big firms doors and ended up being out through my class 1. Now I’m a 5 day a week tramper with a good truck and good pay.
Moral of the story is - the jobs are there and as a new driver you can get them. But you have to work hard at it and prove you’re worth it. I had to badger the company I work at for 2 months to prove I was serious.
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I passed my Class 2 in Dec ‘17, Class 1 in Feb’ 18.
I got talking to drivers who visited our supermarket and one recommended me. I got an assessment and passed. I have to stand an extended probation but I can live with that.
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MrBrinks89:
From what I’ve read here and from browsing jobs myself, most employers are only after experienced drivers. It seems very short sighted to me. Yes in the short term it’s cheaper and less hassle to employ an experienced driver but obviously that can’t be sustained in the long term. How could any sector survive if it wasn’t willing to invest in the inexperienced? What does the haulage industry expect will happen if it continues to be this inflexible?
Plenty of work about for new drivers doing house removals, white goods deliveries, catering food deliveries but the entitled snowflakes of today won’t do it because hard graft is apparently beneath them. They all want to walk straight into the jobs where you get paid £15/hr and time 1.5 for sitting on your arse all day dragging 26 pallets around the country in a curtain sider where the most effort you’ll have to do is open and close the curtains.
Several of the larger haulage brands will take on and train up people to drive trucks for them but there is always a retainer involved (and rightly so) and they are typically the kind of companies that can’t attract experienced blood because the work is crappy and/or the pay is poor, but it’s the stepping stone you often need to take to get the experience to move on to greener pastures.
Rob K:
MrBrinks89:
From what I’ve read here and from browsing jobs myself, most employers are only after experienced drivers. It seems very short sighted to me. Yes in the short term it’s cheaper and less hassle to employ an experienced driver but obviously that can’t be sustained in the long term. How could any sector survive if it wasn’t willing to invest in the inexperienced? What does the haulage industry expect will happen if it continues to be this inflexible?Plenty of work about for new drivers doing house removals, white goods deliveries, catering food deliveries but the entitled snowflakes of today won’t do it because hard graft is apparently beneath them. They all want to walk straight into the jobs where you get paid £15/hr and time 1.5 for sitting on your arse all day dragging 26 pallets around the country in a curtain sider where the most effort you’ll have to do is open and close the curtains.
Several of the larger haulage brands will take on and train up people to drive trucks for them but there is always a retainer involved (and rightly so) and they are typically the kind of companies that can’t attract experienced blood because the work is crappy and/or the pay is poor, but it’s the stepping stone you often need to take to get the experience to move on to greener pastures.
Agreed. I passed my class 1 and walked straight into a job last August. Was long hours and had to get many loads on and off with a manual truck as well as lidl and aldi for a very average wage.
However 6 months of that and I have moved onto better things. Still not what many on here would call great but better and having only held my license a year I still have a way to go. However I wouldn’t have got this job without the experience of the first
When I passed my test I got a 5 year old Bedford with anything from 35 to 100 drops per day. It was literally the best job I ever had, we were treated better in the 70’s
Its not unique to trucking. Many moons ago i got some IT qualifications but never landed a job, most wanted experienced people.
Funnily enough i did walk straight into my first driving job which I’ve been doing for 6 months now. Like the person above who worked for bidvest, i work for brakes. Delivering food to caterers is hard graft and maybe there is truth in some new drivers not wanting this kind of work. I actually quite enjoy it for the most part.
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I work on a military base and I regularly have to ■■■■■■ brakes guys. I usually help them out when possible with handballing. It seems like hard work but I wouldn’t mind it from what I’ve seen. Don’t fancy 3am starts though!
But yeah of course places out there take on new drivers and in general it can be very difficult getting your foot in the door in any industry, but it just seems way more prevalent in haulage.
When I first passed class 2 the day after I went into the city and into 5 agency’s and was out on class 2 within a few days 5 weeks later passed class 1 again phoned third agency’s and was straight into class 1 I did get a couple say do you want class 2 or van work I flatly declined I was there for the highest cat of licence I held.
I did have a class 2 tipper full time lined up but that’s only cause I had family working there I was just waiting for the lorry to arrive 2 months doing that and into class 1 for same company just got to get out there and don’t take any 7.5 or van work they soon get the message
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MrBrinks89:
I work on a military base and I regularly have to ■■■■■■ brakes guys. I usually help them out when possible with handballing. It seems like hard work but I wouldn’t mind it from what I’ve seen. Don’t fancy 3am starts though!But yeah of course places out there take on new drivers and in general it can be very difficult getting your foot in the door in any industry, but it just seems way more prevalent in haulage.
I’ve done an army base once, didn’t get escorted though. Signed in and got directions from the lads on the gate. Which surprised some back at the depot. Must have not looked dodgy haha.
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IronEddie:
MrBrinks89:
I work on a military base and I regularly have to ■■■■■■ brakes guys. I usually help them out when possible with handballing. It seems like hard work but I wouldn’t mind it from what I’ve seen. Don’t fancy 3am starts though!But yeah of course places out there take on new drivers and in general it can be very difficult getting your foot in the door in any industry, but it just seems way more prevalent in haulage.
I’ve done an army base once, didn’t get escorted though. Signed in and got directions from the lads on the gate. Which surprised some back at the depot. Must have not looked dodgy haha.
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bet they still had you in their gun-sights though 
carryfast-yeti:
IronEddie:
MrBrinks89:
I work on a military base and I regularly have to ■■■■■■ brakes guys. I usually help them out when possible with handballing. It seems like hard work but I wouldn’t mind it from what I’ve seen. Don’t fancy 3am starts though!But yeah of course places out there take on new drivers and in general it can be very difficult getting your foot in the door in any industry, but it just seems way more prevalent in haulage.
I’ve done an army base once, didn’t get escorted though. Signed in and got directions from the lads on the gate. Which surprised some back at the depot. Must have not looked dodgy haha.
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bet they still had you in their gun-sights though [emoji38]
Undoubtedly.
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