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.