A Newbie Question for a Reality Check

Hello Everyone,

I have been reading through this forum and it’s been a big help so far, thanks! I am hoping that members can help with my investigations.

Here’s my quandary:

I am 50 years old, fit and active. I have had a varied career from being at sea to working it IT. I also have some experience with trailers (albeit unofficially, in a foreign country several years ago!)

For the last 5 years I have been the primary carer for my son, but now he is at school full time I would like to return to work, in particular I am interested in driving an HGV, but not full time and not away from home as I need to be available out of school hours for my boy.

I have savings and can afford to cover the cost of courses all the way up to CE. This part of things is not a problem.

Here’s the thing: Assuming I were to pass all the required tests and become licensed, is it realistic to expect to get a job that fits the following criteria or am I dreaming!!!

I do not need to be paid top dollar
I would be available school hours only - 8 till 4
Work does not need to be full time or even regular
Part time, contract, agency, relief or fill in / sickness cover work is fine (probably best even)

Given the above, do members think that I haven’t a hope in hell or is it worth going for it?

The other alternative is that I could do a bus / coach licence instead.

Any and all thoughts really appreciated. Please feel free to be honest if you think I am in cloud cuckoo land! I’d rather know now, before a big, wasted training spend.

Thanks a mill.

Paulo

:

Paulo33:
I would be available school hours only - 8 till 4

Is that start and finish times :question:

8-4 isn’t realistic. Sorry.

Even if you do the impossible and find someone who agrees to it, when traffic/life hits your lad will be left at the gates.

Could you do weekends or nights?

8 - 4 is totally unrealistic I’m afraid especially if you need to be able to pick your son up at 4.00 you’ll be needing to be finished before that effectively making it a 7 hour day give or take. Now if you could get him dropped off or picked up then that’ll be different.

Instead of doing HGV have you considered doing taxi driving in your local area? At least then you would be close to home and able to drive when it suits You??

I don’t think you’ll find work within those hours. But if you decide to go for it, we’re here providing top quality training at fair prices.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

I think you’re going to really struggle (Read impossible) to find work between those hours only.

Taxi or self employed courier work via the likes of Hermes etc might give you those sorts of hours…maybe - But that would be 3.5T or less.

Can you not do nights? That would open up more potential work

Possible only working for the council or driving a tipper

All your requirements could probably be met - with the big exception of only working 8 to 4. Others have mentioned tipper work and driving for local council, but in my experience the latter usually start work a lot earlier than 8am (although they certainly seem to be finished well before 4pm most days). Tipper work might be an option - but again I think they usually start before 8am.

You might want to consider supermarket home delivery work (3.5T van rather than a lorry though).

You don’t want top dollar .Your in…

Try weekend work .Or on the bins .

Beetlejuice:
You don’t want top dollar .Your in…

Try weekend work .Or on the bins .

Bins here are 630am to about 4/5pm shifts tue to fri

I meant skips /bins ,some private skip firms have part timers …
But being honest I think the op is going to struggle and simply waste the cash .

Thansk everyone for taking your time to answer. Very helpful.

I have taken on board what you have all said; basically that the resticted hours are the main problem.

My wife works full time and historically has been the larger earner, hence why I have looked after the little fella.

However, we have a had a major discussion over the weekned on the back of all your answers and she is interested in swapping the workload…

So, what if my hours were still only daytime availability but, with no restictions like the 8 to 4 thing? To recap, given the following list of known facts, would a newly qualified CE driver be able to find enough work to justify the training cost, and beyond that, make a reaonable wage?

I do not need to be paid top dollar

I would be available days only

Work does not need to be full time or even regular

Part time, contract, agency, relief or fill in / sickness cover work is fine (probably best even)

If I removed the daytime only restriction, what would that do to the prospects of work?

Out of cusriosity, is it easier to find long distance inter-continental work? And what about long distance work within the UK?

Last one question (I hope), what is (a) generally considered to be the best type of HGV work and (b) which one is easiest to get? I hear people talking about long haul, short haul, multi-drop, tramping, single drop, continental, 4 on 4 off, ADR■■? It’s a right old mine field for the naive newcomer!!

Thanks again.

Paulo

Day work should be easier enough to get but may be multi drop although not always

Probably either containers or general you would be looking at fridge work tends to be more long distant again not always as there are no set rules for driving worked in transport a long time & yep still a minefield

Hyh:
Taxi or self employed courier work via the likes of Herpes etc might give you those sorts of hours…maybe - But that would be 3.5T or less.

Working for them doing the hours that he’s available would earn him about a tenner a day … :slight_smile: