halewood:
If you get lucky and get a start on nights.Find a quiet spec somewhere and practise your reversing for 15/20 mins each night, if you have the time obviously!
Yeah, it would be nice to get a gig where I’d have a bit of time to spare for reversing practice
Wiggywat:
Passed my theory tests today and begin training on Feb 10th. Test on 14th. I’ve been looking at job advertisements that welcome new drivers. Not sure what will be taught in the training but it doesn’t fill me with confidence seeing what you said.
Unfortunately, chances are that you’ll just get taught how to pass the driving test and nothing more 
Daily checks hammered in to you so that you get the two random questions at the start of the test right, and spending the driving time going along all the possible test routes so that you’re familiar with where to place the truck on those particular roads, and practicing the reversing exercise step by step (for the artic reverse, I was taught to go full lock first, then slowly back up until I saw a sticker on the trailer headboard line up with the air deflector kit in the mirror, then turn the other way until I saw the cone at a particular point, then when going straight back to watch for a cable tie marker on the trailer’s spray suppression to line up with the painted line of the makebelieve bay. It gets you through the test, but I don’t think it really translates to the real world and your boss probably wouldn’t be too pleased with you dry steering the tyres 
). As the saying goes, they’ll teach you how to pass the driving test but it’s when you start working that the learning actually begins.
Nite Owl:
A lot of the parcel companies (TNT, DHL, FedEx, etc.) seem to use subbies an awful lot. Mark Thompsons yellow lorries seem to be quite popular, but I have no idea what they’re like to work for. Might be worthwhile thinking outside the box a little, but be aware, in my limited experience in that field, they do have an expectation that the driver wont dawdle.As far as reversing goes, everyone struggles at first (and some of us still do!
), but very very soon, it’ll click and all make sense.
I’m struggling to find out which agencies the parcel companies use in the area, all I’ve found on other TN posts is people discussing how their planners expect you to be flat to the mat from the second you leave one hub until you join the queue at the receiving one 
I wouldn’t mind seeing what the gig is like through agency but I’m a bit apprehensive to apply directly to them straight off the bat.
Darkside:
Howdens truck to Runcorn and back every night from Avonmouth, mainly running to Runcorn empty.
Thanks, I’ll check them out as well, seems like a straightforward run 