Done it, now what, where and how

Hi All,

At the grand ‘double nickel’ age, six weeks ago, I traded a lifetime of keyboard and mouse operation for a steering wheel, passing my Class 2 (minors shall be unmentioned) and then last week, passed my Class 1 with just 3 little naughty crosses, after waltzing through the theory bits 8 weeks ago. I am now licenced by ‘the’ government to buy Yorkie bars, with raisins.

I have briefly dabbled in the murky world of 7.5t recovery, to get some ‘bigger than a car and van’ driving experience, unfortunately working for, er, ‘caravanners’, who thought that EU, GB, WTD, DVLA, DVSA, in fact, any law or rule anywhere did not apply (to you, not them), so ran away very quickly. Usain Bolt would have been choking in my dust.

Anyway, now where and how?

Currently working as a Class 2 multi-drop driver, after a couple of weeks doing the same in 7.5t, which is great, the learning curve is a vertical line at the moment and they keep asking for me back, so I must be doing something vaguely right. All I know is my hands have never been so grubby and I love being in a truck. But, I really want to get into a Class 1 asap, otherwise I will have forgotten more than I already know, which is close to nothing, aside from going forwards in an arctic with a degree of competency.

Frankly, I don’t have time to do a 2 year apprenticeship in Class 2 before getting anywhere near Class 1.

While fit (ish), realistically, I ain’t gonna be handballing 30 tonnes of Chinese stuff every other hour, as one of Jeff’s cybernetic numbers, even if DAF were fitting defibrillators to cabs. Also, I would really like not to be jumping from cab to cab every other day.

So, who, what, where, now. I really wanna be tramping around Europe in a V8 Turbostar with a Road Ranger (ok, the last bit ain’t gonna happen), but how do I get there using the quickest safest route, assuming no idiot is going to trust me with a 100k+ worth of truck, trailer and lords knows what in the back, with zero real world experience.

Am I naively hoping for the impossible ?
Gis a job, I can do that, as long as I don’t need to reverse much, or, secure a load competently.

You could try winging it with an agency. The only thing is that it will be clear when you passed your class 2 and class 1. Sometimes it is literally an insurance issue of how long you have held the category that is the stumbling block. Sometimes it seems to reassure people when you are of a certain age, but this reassurance is sometimes misplaced. It may not be a coincidence that you are on 7.5 tonne to start off, but if you keep coming back every day with an undamaged vehicle and have done runs in good time, you will build up a reputation.

If you do wing it, you have to be prepared to make a complete arse of it on your first few reverses. You may end up with a bystander driver taking pity on you and talking you through a reverse.

andrew3737:
six weeks ago, I traded a lifetime of keyboard and mouse operation for a steering wheel, passing my Class 2 (minors shall be unmentioned) and then last week, passed my Class 1

andrew3737:
Hi All,

At the grand ‘double nickel’ age, six weeks ago, I traded a lifetime of keyboard and mouse operation for a steering wheel, passing my Class 2 (minors shall be unmentioned) and then last week, passed my Class 1 with just 3 little naughty crosses, after waltzing through the theory bits 8 weeks ago. I am now licenced by ‘the’ government to buy Yorkie bars, with raisins.

I have briefly dabbled in the murky world of 7.5t recovery, to get some ‘bigger than a car and van’ driving experience, unfortunately working for, er, ‘caravanners’, who thought that EU, GB, WTD, DVLA, DVSA, in fact, any law or rule anywhere did not apply (to you, not them), so ran away very quickly. Usain Bolt would have been choking in my dust.

Anyway, now where and how?

Currently working as a Class 2 multi-drop driver, after a couple of weeks doing the same in 7.5t, which is great, the learning curve is a vertical line at the moment and they keep asking for me back, so I must be doing something vaguely right. All I know is my hands have never been so grubby and I love being in a truck. But, I really want to get into a Class 1 asap, otherwise I will have forgotten more than I already know, which is close to nothing, aside from going forwards in an arctic with a degree of competency.

Frankly, I don’t have time to do a 2 year apprenticeship in Class 2 before getting anywhere near Class 1.

While fit (ish), realistically, I ain’t gonna be handballing 30 tonnes of Chinese stuff every other hour, as one of Jeff’s cybernetic numbers, even if DAF were fitting defibrillators to cabs. Also, I would really like not to be jumping from cab to cab every other day.

So, who, what, where, now. I really wanna be tramping around Europe in a V8 Turbostar with a Road Ranger (ok, the last bit ain’t gonna happen), but how do I get there using the quickest safest route, assuming no idiot is going to trust me with a 100k+ worth of truck, trailer and lords knows what in the back, with zero real world experience.

Am I naively hoping for the impossible ?
Gis a job, I can do that, as long as I don’t need to reverse much, or, secure a load competently.

Where are you?

My place is expanding…but can’t even keep the numbers it wants to expand from.

Job is a doddle, work nice and clean and money good - only issue is management , which we’re currently working on [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

My $0.02 worth… Do your Class 1 sooner rather than later.

Lots of drivers struggle to get work as a new pass, because of the “two years experience” issue (that comes from the insurers). You seem to be in a good place if you’re getting regular work now, even if it’s not all Class 2.

What very few people tell you is that, even with 15 or 20 years Class 2 experience, as soon as you pass Class 1 you’re a newbie as far as that class is concerned and you’re back to the “two years experience”. I speak from my own experience, I was gutted when the agency I was working for at the time said “Congratulations on passing Class 1 but we can’t get you any Class 1 work for two years”.
So if you really are set on doing Class 1, crack on.

I would do the class one as soon as you can.I made the mistake of spending 2 years on class 2.

Hi, thanks for all the replies.

I already passed my class 1 last month, it was how to go about getting the first job, given most job ads want one or two years experience

Anyway, movin on, I’m pleased to say, I had my first day of class 1 work today, with a mentor, and while shattered, I’m a very happy bunny indeed Alas not in a Kenworth W-925, but a Super Space XF, which suits me just fine.

I’m a lorry driver, ha, well almost.