Are any other new drivers finding it hard to find a job advertisement which doesn’t need you to have two years experience for ‘‘insurance purposes’’■■
This is where I feel it is unfair as young drivers find it difficult to break into the lgv jobs, while someone from the EU with experience will have an advantage.
It costs no end of money and multiple tests to get your licence and then the reality kicks in that the industry isn’t that accommodating to newly qualified drivers 
No. It’s ■■■■■■■■.
My lads been training for a few years for his dream job. Passed all his exams and is still looking for that 1st star, not driving but persistence is the only way
I guess the one you see more is “Must be over 25 for insurance purposes”. Though that might be van work (wanted something different to do until I got my licence), but apparently I’m “too young” to be “responsible”, or something…
But maybe that’s because most of the adult population have a drivers licence (even if they don’t have a car) and can drive vans with no extra training (CPC).
EDIT: Well I’ve done a few weeks work now. If I want the work I can have a full week, just off one agency. The people I’m driving for seem to like me too (according to the feedback from the agency). It’s not hard to do. Just be polite (Sir/Ma’am that sort of ■■■■■■■■, to the employer du jour and the customers) and you’ll be absolutely fine.
And the money’s good too.
I’m in the same boat, i passed my class 1 last week and the jobs i’m applying for come back with i need 2 years experience. How are you ment to gain the experience if no1 will give you a shot? (apart from agencies)
When I started I had a few years on 7,5th work with van work doing flat stuff it took me 6mths to get my 1st drive and that was a local family business
I did my first agency shift within a week of passing my class1 and have been in a permanent job since last March.
My 2 years will be up in May.
Yep been there mate. Your main problem I think is that jobs advertised online are 90% of the time agencies. Their insurance is sky high so the two year rule keeps the premium down.
Your best bet is spend a day or two trapsing round local hauliers and eventually one of them will give you a chance. That’s how I did it. But dont expect big money right out the gate! You might get lucky but expect about £7-8 p/h to begin with.
Im having exactly the same problem ive spoke to a few agencies they all seem really good until you tell them youve just passed your test. Then they tell you they will speak to the client and call you back with an induction date but they never do. The thing that peeeeesss me off is it says in the advert “new passes welcome”.
The-Snowman:
Your best bet is spend a day or two trapsing round local hauliers and eventually one of them will give you a chance. That’s how I did it. But dont expect big money right out the gate! You might get lucky but expect about £7-8 p/h to begin with.
This is the way I got my job, spent a day going round large industrial estates looking for transport firms, got an interview next day and offered job that evening.
And I only had a couple of weeks if that on card to show driving since passed test and CPC Nov last year.
Ironic that since taking job the agency’s have been ringing with short/long term work that would take me into summer!
Works there, 2yrs or not , just have to go looking for it and the effort put in will pay off .
The-Snowman:
Yep been there mate. Your main problem I think is that jobs advertised online are 90% of the time agencies. Their insurance is sky high so the two year rule keeps the premium down.
Your best bet is spend a day or two trapsing round local hauliers and eventually one of them will give you a chance. That’s how I did it. But dont expect big money right out the gate! You might get lucky but expect about £7-8 p/h to begin with.
+1,
Look for companies with high turnover of drivers,(palletline, Pallex etc, skip companies & Multidrop/handball-Dominoes or maybe Brakes) most towns or cities have a few, some are low pay, hard work, max hours, weekend working, but that’s where most of us started.
Not many on here fell into the perfect mon-fri, 8-4.30 job at £15 ph.
I spent a couple of months going out with my Brother in Law on Friday nights & Sundays, learning, before I passed my test, then drove his wagon at weekends for couple of years (for very poor pay) but it got me contacts, more work & 2 years experience (even a bit of continental) then I didn’t use my class 1 for 10 years, because I had a good job with Biffa.
When that went to ‘Pot’ I simply jumped back on Artics without any problems because I’d invested all the time years ago.
Apply for any job you like and also to any company, even if no jobs, you might just get an interview. Keep at it and don’t give up.
I have my mod 4 on Friday then I’m all done and starting to look for anything Ivan get my hands on 7.5 7ph just to get in there and start working.
It’s a shame really as paid lots to pass and was hard it’s hard any way I sent my cv into a place that delivers car parts in a little van I rung the mngr he said your number 121 lol shows you how many people are looking for work. The other thing I noticed driving in the car is most truck drivers don’t take this the wrong way but in there seniors I’m 26 and I never see people my age driving.
My plan is
Find anything
Do 6mth to a year train class 1
Pass class one and edge in to employment
Get the 2 years ex and get on agency as ltd
I really want to do arctics but just want to get that experience in a bigger vehicle first
Digit369:
My plan isFind anything
Do 6mth to a year train class 1
Pass class one and edge in to employment
Get the 2 years ex and get on agency as ltd
I really want to do arctics but just want to get that experience in a bigger vehicle first
First off - Find anything will not help you get LGV work. When I started looking I got offered tons of van work which I refused. Minimum was 7.5t and even that I picked as suited me.
And don’t take this wrong way but given some of your thread contents and such if I was an employer and saw those I’d be extremely nervous putting you in a car based van let alone anything above 7.5t especially if it has gears!
Whatever you do, do NOT mention your phobia of gears at an interview or they’ll just say there’s the door thank you.
You’ve mentioned seniors as if they are a disease ready to peg it and voila there’s a job opening lol . They’ve earned it as we all have/will by going through the learning pain barrier.
I really can’t help but feel LGV work isn’t for you, sorry but it’s crystal to me it’s not your thing, hope you find something but once your out there on your own I think you’ll reconsider your vocational choice
dcgpx:
Digit369:
My plan isFind anything
Do 6mth to a year train class 1
Pass class one and edge in to employment
Get the 2 years ex and get on agency as ltd
I really want to do arctics but just want to get that experience in a bigger vehicle firstFirst off - Find anything will not help you get LGV work. When I started looking I got offered tons of van work which I refused. Minimum was 7.5t and even that I picked as suited me.
And don’t take this wrong way but given some of your thread contents and such if I was an employer and saw those I’d be extremely nervous putting you in a car based van let alone anything above 7.5t especially if it has gears!
Whatever you do, do NOT mention your phobia of gears at an interview or they’ll just say there’s the door thank you.
You’ve mentioned seniors as if they are a disease ready to peg it and voila there’s a job opening lol . They’ve earned it as we all have/will by going through the learning pain barrier.
I really can’t help but feel LGV work isn’t for you, sorry but it’s crystal to me it’s not your thing, hope you find something but once your out there on your own I think you’ll reconsider your vocational choice
LOL! 
Do any new drivers look to see what jobs are available before paying out to get there licence
mac12:
Do any new drivers look to see what jobs are available before paying out to get there licence
I have been and I have potential work lined up for when I get my c+email
Common sense to do it while I’m going through the process
As a newly qualified driver you can’t be choosy about what you do. So many people turn their noses up at agency work, but if it exists and they are able to make use of you as an inexperienced driver then just bite the bullet and get on with it.
Sometimes grinding it out with the agencies is your only option. It does get you access into depots and yards, though, which is a golden opportunity to talk to people face to face and see if you can find somewhere that is willing to take you on.
I passed before Christmas and got a job from my first interview doing pallet track multi drops with 2-3 nights tramping. You need to pump up your cv as best as you can, with me I was a builder so have towed trailers with vans for years and also towed caravans through France and Spain and other European countries for long holidays, bla bla bla. It’s not all about experience with a hgv they are interested in. Drop carravaning in your hobbies and interests, even if your car has never seen one, a bit of blagging can do the magic trick, in my case it’s true but doubt your employer will be phoning up customs to see if you taken a caravan out of blighty. Good luck !
Plenty of firms take on new drivers. You just have to find out which ones in your area they are. 