D1on:
Always fancied doing my class 2 and then onto class 1.
My problem is with having a young family would i be able to find just day work?
Most HGV drivers seem to take any shifts regardless of the time of day…
As a new pass driver I’ll give you my take on things.
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Is there jobs out there that have a good work/life balance?
Yes, there is. Will you get one? Probably not. There’s guys out there with decades of experience looking for that job and as a new pass you stand next to zero chance of getting it. -
Day work… well, it depends what you call “day work” there’s loads of jobs out there that advertise as day work. In my experience starting work at 4am is not uncommon and that’s considered a “day shift” but it might involve getting up at 2am to grab a shower, breakfast and travel to site.
Is getting up at 3am a day shift to you?
…And you might have a 15 hour working day in front of you so maybe getting home at 7pm eat, sleep, then get up and do it all again.
You might as well tramp and get paid £25 to sleep in a lay-by on your own away from your family
…£25 to be an unpaid security guard sleeping in a metal box that stinks away from your wife and kids?
Class 1 is pretty grim in my experience. It’s a single mans game. Unless you want to go through several marriages.
Class 2 is better especially if you can get in with a local ‘brand name’ builders merchants.
Days Pallet network class 2 is grim. You’ll be fighting traffic, time constraints, deadlines, working hours. You’ll end up thinking about cutting corners just to get the job done. You’ll risk your license for the princely sum of £10 an hour. Not being funny, but I could stack shelves in Morrisons for £10.50 an hour and nobody is going to take my licence off me or threaten me with fines or prison and I’d be home on time with certainty.
Trucking is pretty grim in my experience.
You won’t make a million quid. In most cases you’ll be working through an agency who will strip your pay down to the bone to pay themselves. Employers seem comfortable with this. Agencies are obviously happy with this.
I’m class 1 and am totally dejected, fed up and annoyed with the amount I paid to get these licences to be treated like a piece of worthless meat.
Would I do it again?
No. I’d go and work for a supermarket stacking shelves and save myself several thousand pounds and be paid more.