1st driving job

Hi All. I’m 50 years old. Held a full car licence for 30 years. The licence is clean. I have a great work history, mainly in the building trade. My last job I was in for 13 years as a maintenance manager for a Hotel and Spa. Unfortunately made redundant last October.
The plan was to pass my class 2, then class 1 straight after.
I passed my class 2 just before current lockdown. Class 1 booked for April.
I’ve always had the desire to become a lorry driver, I’ve always loved to drive.
Since Xmas I’ve applied for approx 100 class 2 jobs, joined many agencies.
I’m in Essex, very local to Harwich and Felixstowe. Willing to travel further afield ie Tilbury, Grays, Dartford etc.
I haven’t even had a reply for any job I’ve applied for.
Apparently there’s a driver shortage.
Am I doing something wrong.
Hoping things will improve once lockdown ends.
Any advice would be greatfully received.
Many thanks.

There is no real driver shortage, many of the jobs that are advertised are agencies fishing for new signups so they have a bank of drivers that they can call on if something comes up.

During the first lockdown I was bored with not being at work so applied for a temp job with an agency, I had a telephone interview had to do tests and god knows what else. Oh yes we’ll definately get you working, with your skills and experience. Utter tosh (as expected) got nothing more from them until about three weeks later when they were desperate to fill in a class 1 job in Basildon. Meanwhile the job I’d applied for had popped up again along with similar jobs in other locations.

But they had gained me as a contact and presumably others as a result of the fishing trip. In a game of numbers if the agency hook enough drivers one day one of them will be available and willing to work and they’ll get paid.

Door knocking can work, you might appear at the right place at the right time. It’s difficult at the moment but can be done. My 19 year old son walked into a local plant hire firm asking about work explaining he had done medical, theory and all bits required for HGV2 just not the training which was booked for November. They liked the look of him and hired him as they have a 7.5t needing a regular driver who will get involved with cleaning and maintenance. His training was cancelled and again last week but he’s still there driving a 3.5t.

Ordinarily there are jobs that I’d suggest for new drivers, things like laundry service or multidrop food but seeing as these are heavily reliant on schools and hotels and the like the demand is much less than normal. These firms will often take new drivers as it’s hard graft work and once drivers get experience they tend to move to other less demanding work. I myself started on DBC foodservice, doing cages of food to schools, hospitals, corner shops and coffee shops. Early morning starts and 20 odd drops is hard work, I took my experience and moved onwards.

Unfortunately there are a number of industries that are not really functioning much at the moment which means their supply chain is not as busy as normal. I’m sure you’ll turn something up but not sure when or how

We will know when there is a real shortage of drivers because a new pass will be instantly employed in a full time permanent job

I think things will improve once the lockdown ends and things gradually become more normal. The beginning of the year, January and February is notoriously quiet anyway when it comes to agency work.

There is applying for jobs then there is applying for jobs.

If your just applying via websites like ‘indeed.co.uk’ they are not always check.
Phoning is best, in-person when possible.

Hi All,

Just to update. Now only 4 weeks to start my class 1 training.
Since the end of Feb/beginning of this month my phone hasn’t stopped ringing with class 2 job offers. And even offers of class 1 when I pass.
Fortunately I’ve been able to fall back on my trade of being a bricklayer since Xmas. Loads of work around paying £200 plus per day.
Roll on 12th April Class 1 training start day.

English driver 1970:
Hi All,

Just to update. Now only 4 weeks to start my class 1 training.
Since the end of Feb/beginning of this month my phone hasn’t stopped ringing with class 2 job offers. And even offers of class 1 when I pass.
Fortunately I’ve been able to fall back on my trade of being a bricklayer since Xmas. Loads of work around paying £200 plus per day.
Roll on 12th April Class 1 training start day.

I feel your pain I have been waiting for the 12th to allow me to finally get through my class 2, as whole of last year it kept getting cancelled. Finally though light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, finally have it all booked in starting the training on the 26th of this month. (fingers crossed another lockdown doesn’t prevent it again)

All the best Jay. My class 1 course started Monday. Had the test this morning.
Failed on the reverse. Gutted. Had it perfected on Wednesday.
Go again 09 June.

English driver 1970:
All the best Jay. My class 1 course started Monday. Had the test this morning.
Failed on the reverse. Gutted. Had it perfected on Wednesday.
Go again 09 June.

Gutted for you bud, its the clipboard thay does it I swear, by far the worst reverse I did was on my test soon as that clipboard appears it all goes to pot, all the best for the next time around getting nervous for my class 2 resit now 5 mins from rolling back through the gate of centre I fluffed it

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Having had almost 24 hrs to digest.
If I’m honest I don’t think I had the best of training. Or maybe that’s unfair?
If I would have passed the reverse, it would have been down to luck certainly not skill.
Having traveled many miles over 3 days of the course around Purfleet, Thurrock, Tilbury etc, encountering all driving situations I was 100% confident in my driving ability, and felt going in forward gear I was 100% ready for my test.
My training for reversing was spent on the third day. 4hrs.
Start with a full lock right down. A marker on the trailer, full left, parallel to the yellow line.
Tractor and trailer in a straight line. Then the instructor yelling from outside the cab, slight left…no right…no sorry left…sorry mate. With every reverse attempt.
One attempt he said nothing, I was straight in, with no shunt. I failed the test by brushing the pole of the “B” cone with the front corner of the cab, knocking it over…after already taken 1 shunt…disaster.
Have a retest booked for June with additional 2 hrs reverse training. But not paid for yet. Debating about making it 4 hours.

I taught it without using marks

1st thing I had trainee do was to set up correctly then to start by putting unit parallel to the line on the left and so far from it again by starting with a steering wheel full right lock

I will not go further as your instructor seems to do it differently …

My reversing was crap on day 3, needed 2 shunts to get it in the bay every single time.

I went back to my works yard and stole a unit and trailer for 30 mins and just went about without any cones doing the movement without any stress or anyone giving you advice. No bays to aim at, no B cone to get round, no lines I couldn’t go over.

Day 4 and test day I got it in perfectly.

Ask your instructor to take away the cones and just let you practice for 30 mins. Stop for 5 mins and then start adding cones for the starting area, then cone B, then start putting cones in the bay until you can do the whole thing with ease.

English driver 1970:
Hi All,

Fortunately I’ve been able to fall back on my trade of being a bricklayer since Xmas. Loads of work around paying £200 plus per day.
Roll on 12th April Class 1 training start day.

Wait, what?

Yesterday finally arrived for my 2 hour reverse training with the test this morning.
Must say that extra 2 hrs was worth it yesterday, as felt much more confident about it going into test day.

The cab and trailer used yesterday, and today was different to that I used for the 20 hour training and failed 1st test. Slightly longer trailer and a different susie line set out.
Arrived at the test centre feeling so much more confident than 1st time round.
1st up reverse, straight into the bay no shunts.
Next, trailer couple/uncouple. All good up to asking for a light check.
No lights on the trailer.
He gave me three attempts to sort the problem. Then failed me.
Total brain freeze from me, I should have noticed what the issue was.
I will be back.

What was the issue with the lights, I’m intrigued…?

The 2 electrical lines removed from the trailer and stored in 2 hoppers behind the cab during uncouple, was left there. I instead removed the 2 ends from the cab and inserted into the trailer, leaving the 2 ends in the hopper.
As I said total brain freeze moment then took over. I then just concentrated on what I’d plugged back into the trailer. Not realising the 2 ends that was stored behind the cab wasn’t connected to anything.
At the end the examiner said I’d even picked up the 2 ends not connected, and put down again.
I’ve kicked myself many times over last 24 hours thinking about what a total nightmare of a way to fail.

Ouch. I feel for you. Nightmare.

Yes Trevor. 2 tests and haven’t managed to get out the yard yet.
The training hours and travelling twice to the test centre brought up no issues out on the road.
Very frustrating, but determined to get out the test centre yard next time.
Hopefully in the same cab and trailer used in training and 1st test.

Sorry to hear went wrong, it’s a right git when you know what you are doing and brain goes to pot, nest of luck next time you can do it, when it happens in real life can just call yourself a dafty and then get on with it, hope luck is with you next time buddy

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