What the hell do they actually want?

You hear them say there is a major shortage of HGV drivers, there’s jobs out there, yet when you apply, you’re not what they want. Here’s my confusion.

A bit of background on me, I got my Class 2 via the Army and drove for 3 years over a large range of vehicles, both on motorways, urban areas (TA sites are mainly in city areas) and off road. Long haul, short haul, different loads and days and nights etc. Now I haven’t driven for 2 years since leaving. So I decided to take a quick little refresher course (which after 1 hour the instructor said you don’t need this) completed my cpc and got my dig card, and started to apply for work.

Now here is where I’m confused, some companies are saying ‘I have no experience’ WHAT I drove for 3 years thank you, or you’re a new driver, err again No I am not. Now I fully understand if they wanted me to do a quick driver assessment because of my absence, but to say I have no experience or I’m a newbie is just riduculous. It also brings that age old question, if you are a newbie how are you supposed to get experience. These companies seem to forget that their experienced drivers were once newbies too and they wouldn’t have them unless some one gave them a chance. Also as regards recruiting, those with experience are more than likely to stick with who they are with UNLESS you are offering more pay and better incentives, so you may only have a newbie available. But back to my point, I am NOT a newbie, nor do I not have any experience, in fact some of the driving I will have done will have been far more skilled than your average ‘civvy driver’. So what the hell are they after.

My second stumble, and this make me laugh, ‘oh you have no curtain side experience’■■? Eh, now I’m not being funny, but surely a curtain sided vehicle is a lot easier to load and unload than a rigid rear barn door opening vehicle, as you can put your load easily where you want it from the side and not have to faff about moving things back and forth from the rear. Yes you may have to learn how to pull the curtain open and close it, but seriously, how hard is that, a quick familiarisation should sort that, yes?? So like the experience crap, what is this you have no curtain experience so you’re not suitable nonsense.

It seems to me they are crying out for drivers, but then come up with ANY excuse not to hire you. Sorry for the long rant but it really annoys me, I have no experience - ■■■■■■■■ I do, you’ve not used a curtain sider - ■■■■■■■■, neither did anyone else until they took the first load, pffft. So what exactly do they want, a cloned super driver with 10 years experience in EVERY truck scenario possible.

You will know when there is a real LGV driver shortage because those passing the test will be snapped up immediately for full time permanent jobs

I’m surprised you’re finding it so hard to get a break but to be fair you don’t have commercial experience.

I’ve known a few x army drivers who have said it was more different driving HGVs commercially than they expected.

My advice would have to be to not play up the army experience too much, make it clear that you understand that things are different in the commercial world.

Good luck.

Sent from my mobile.

Where in UK are you?

You say companies which makes me think your going directly to the big boys, get on the agencies yes there’s some bad ones they might also stick you on an umbrella pay scheme which is an absolute dog… but long as they pay you a decent wage and on time who cares. Whilst your getting kilometres under your belt, and learning the job… scrape someone else’s wagon, it’s like your first car you certainly don’t want something over a grand, you want to learn to drive with a piece of scrap with a working engine you don’t care about damaging. Least that was my mindset

What’s the worst that can happen, they don’t take you back you go to another agency

When I was signing on with agencies they couldnt care less about lack of experience, more bothered about me having held my licence more than 6 month

Just to add I know your saying you’ve been driving years… the whole scrape the wagon thing not meant to be taken literally. Just a metaphor really for learning the ropes of commercial driving

The only people that will tell you there is a mass shortage of hgv drivers are training schools…
Can’t think why?!

The only people that will tell you there is a mass shortage of hgv drivers are training schools…

Not guilty! Having said that, statistically we’re definitely heading towards a shortage. But I’m not at all convinced there is a vast shortage at present.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

xichrisxi:
The only people that will tell you there is a mass shortage of hgv drivers are training schools…
Can’t think why?!

Not the schools but the RHA and companies

It is in the bosses interest to say there is a shortage because the more divers there are then the less they can pay them

If there were less drivers then companies would need to pay them more to get or retain them

Sorry to say you are a newbie as you have no commercial experience easy as that

You don’t have curtain side experience so you will know how to strap the variety of loads that go onto a curtain sider

No offence but do you know the drivers hours how to reverse about the trailer break ■■ only saying as I did work with a guy who was ex army totally destroyed a trailer because he didn’t know about the trailer break boss got calls as sparks coming off the trailer he couldn’t reverse ( in fact nearly wrote another cab off in the yard ) didn’t know how to load a tailer as was always done for him another wrote a brand new unit off due to not applying the hand break & trailer break

Maybe some of the above have happened so some employers are reluctant to take on just saying you may however not be like that but they not willing to take the risk

I hit a lot of brick walls not long after I passed partly due to being female ( yep it does happen it shouldn’t but does ) also the area I live

animal:
Sorry to say you are a newbie as you have no commercial experience easy as that

You don’t have curtain side experience so you will know how to strap the variety of loads that go onto a curtain sider

No offence but do you know the drivers hours how to reverse about the trailer break ■■ only saying as I did work with a guy who was ex army totally destroyed a trailer because he didn’t know about the trailer break boss got calls as sparks coming off the trailer he couldn’t reverse ( in fact nearly wrote another cab off in the yard ) didn’t know how to load a tailer as was always done for him another wrote a brand new unit off due to not applying the hand break & trailer break

Maybe some of the above have happened so some employers are reluctant to take on just saying you may however not be like that but they not willing to take the risk

I hit a lot of brick walls not long after I passed partly due to being female ( yep it does happen it shouldn’t but does ) also the area I live

Maybe you should say that you hit some metaphorical “brick walls” regarding employment? Don’t wanna perpetuate the female driver bit[emoji6]

Only advice for the OP is to keep trying. One day someone will break their own rules and give you a chance, fingers crossed you’ll show you’re ok and, off you go.
The more agencies that have your details the better your chances.

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animal:
No offence but do you know the drivers hours how to reverse about the trailer break ?

The trailer takes its break at the same time as the driver (change-overs excepted). Reverse the break and it’s no longer a break. :laughing:

Or was it meant to read:

No offence, but do you know about drivers’ hours, how to reverse; and about trailer brakes? R

If you haven’t driven for 2 years then you are a new driver as far as insurance is concerned. Most require you to have driven regularly within the last 120 days.

Would agree with animal that commercial vs army experience are very different. Curtainsiders are a whole different ball game compared to box trailers when it comes to loading, eg: everything from toilet rolls to 1 ton IBCs on same load and each has its own requirements. Thats without worrying about double deckers.

With this in mind, I would approach jobs as experienced in some respects but needing to “upgrade skillsets”. That will sound a lot more appealing to an employer or agency as they have to put a lot of trust in drivers with £100K of equipment, £200K of goods and customer reputations to uphold.

Just lie. Agencies don’t care. there customers ask for curtainsided experience they don’t expect you to prove it just to tick a box.

adam277:
Just lie. Agencies don’t care. there customers ask for curtainsided experience they don’t expect you to prove it just to tick a box.

Most probably do !

By time the’ve figured it out then you will have experience after a shift or two [emoji16]

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dcgpx:

adam277:
Just lie. Agencies don’t care. there customers ask for curtainsided experience they don’t expect you to prove it just to tick a box.

Most probably do !

By time the’ve figured it out then you will have experience after a shift or two [emoji16]

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Heck they agencies probably want you to lie far as far they are concerned you have curtain-side experience because you have ticked the box saying so. They want to find you work so you make them money.

Age?

It is likely that a 3-year experienced 24 year old will still cost more to insurer than a newly passed 35 year old from East London, or a 3 year experienced 30 year old from Eastern Europe come to that.

I tentatively suggest this is all about “Start-up Liabilties” with the insurance underwriters…

Despite taking on umpteen drivers from defunct P&H last year, where I work continues to advertize for early doors C2 drivers with blue card.

The law made it OK to have “Younger HGV drivers” out there, but no one wants to employ them. Go figure.

I don’t know if it’s because we have consistently had 1 or 2 drivers under 25 for the last five years, but our Insurer have changed our excess from and additional £500.00 to £250.00 for under 25s.

There is no extra charge for the fleet insurance, just an enhanced excess.

Unless one’s newly employed driver has a prang every week - I don’t see how a firm would avoid a new driver as a “liability” if it is a mere question of “excess”…

Are the underwriting standards different up and down the country?

I suspect they might well be, as it seems to be the further north one goes, that the daft set-ups are expected of both Driver and Employer alike - in order to remain competetive…

For instance, Driver rates are higher in the south, but there are still loads of unfilled job vacancies. Up north, every job gets grabbed with both hands - even if it is near on minimum wages…

A “Great Mystery” indeed. :confused: :question:

Is there a large underwriter in say, Manchester that doesn’t lay off in the London re-insurance market?