Hi, I am David I live in Tamworth in the midlands i have been into trucks from the age of 3 and always wanted to become a Truck driver, my only problem is that for the last 8 months i have been writing to Companies large and small letting them know abit about me and what i wish to accomplish, so far in my quest i have got no where. i am prepared to finance myself through my HGV tests if i get no where but i was wondering if by writing this on here i might spark some interest from companies recruiting trainnie drivers. I do not posess any of the Category Licences but i am hard working and Reliable and keen to learn if there are any companies out there looking for somebody willing to show commitment please e-mail me at… david_james_howe@hotmail.com i look forward to hearing your replies.
P.s can anybody clarify for me this question.
I have been told by a Driver for Goldstar that on turning 21 i do not have to sit my Cat C Licence and can proceed straight to Cat C+E is this true.?
You need to pass cat. C first , then cat. C+E.
This applies even to lads named David who live in the Tamworth area!
Check out local firms with 7.5 tonners, rigids and artics on the fleet. Go and see them, rather than write or phone. This shows enthusiasm and they get to see that you’ve taken the time and trouble to find them.
You may get a start on the little trucks, and once you’ve proved yourself to be reliable,map reading ,clean motor inside and out,customer relations(which can sometimes mean just biting your lip when being messed about or kept waiting too long !) you might get promoted up the fleet size wise.
They might even fund your lessons (usually subject to conditions.)
Read back on this forum for lots of useful information.Or ask away, - you know somebody on here will be able to answer any questions you have.
Welcome to the best bunch of trucknuts in the UK - TRUCKNET
Rubber_duck check here dvla.gov.uk/drivers/operator_info.htm for some more info regarding licence’s etc and i agree with previous posts get out there face to face with said tm’s and make yourself known but not to boistrous or pushy and as they say start from bottom up eg white van man then 7.5 then cat c etc etc etc and just be prepared to learn and go from there i would suggest this route before you take your cat c etc just so that you know that this is the job you want ( i know you say that you been into trucks since 3 etc) but you never know lol anyway good luck with it all
Firstly, Welcome to TrucknetUK buddy. You’ve found the number one info portal to anything you wanna know about trucks and driving them…
Okay, Unfortunatly, as the others have already said, is that you do need your Cat ‘C’ before you go for your Cat ‘C+E’. Your ‘C’ licence once passed and licence recieved back from the DVLA, then becomes your provisional licence for your C+E. But there is no time limit, so as soon as you get your ‘C’, you can go straight into you ‘C+E’
Deesider has given some great tips there, about actually goiing to see them in person, rather than letter writing. And the link that Metal has posted is a great source of info for you…
If you have any questions what so ever mate, just post them up. And no question is too trivial… if you need to know wnaything, just ask away…
Are you in a position to pay for the licence yourself? It might mean not having some other things for a while, but it depends on what you want most. I beleive there were things called career development loans availible, which you didn’t have to start paying back for a certain period to allow you to train and then get work.
Of course being 21 your biggest problem is going to be gettting a job after training, but its not impossible. There are bosses who are either desperate for drivers or will give a new driver a start especially is they have had the motivation to pay for themselves.
You could contact “Marlow” thats his forum name. he has just started a driver trianing scheme using a working vehicle. Prices seem competative and he will train you to do more that just pass your test.
His website address is: http://nextmadidea.mysite.freeserve.com/
Welcome to TruckNet UK. If you are prepared to finance your self through the training why not get your C (class 2 rigid) license now. This will open up more avenues to you than 7.5 tonne trucks though you may have to drive these first to get a start with a company.
Another thought that might be worth considering is the Job centre. See if there are any programs that may be of use, if you’re out of work now there are some but I have heard that career changers can get help with training though I know little more than what I hear from the yard grapevine.
In any event good luck, keep us in mind for any advice you need and up to date with your progress.
WHOA BOY! lots of good advice here,and here’s my tuppence worth.DON’T SPLASH THE CASH YET.First things first,get a van job,maybe with one of the big parcels firms as they will have a range of vehicles from small vans to artics and if you find you can get on with and ENJOY driving you will be well placed to progress your driving career,in stages ,hopefully at no cost to yourself.Your age will restrict the number of firms prepared to employ you to drive anything,never mind an artic,so be prepared for lots of NO’S.A way round this would be to approach the same firms if they refuse you a driving job would be to apply to work for them anyway in some other capacity,e.g. in the warehouse .Later on you can apply for a driving job and you will be treated more sympathetically.Good luck
Firstly Thank you to all, I’ve read and taken on board all your advice and i can see i’ve stumbled across a very helpful group of likeminded people.
I have been to visit some local companies to meet face to face and let them see me at face value, its not been to bad some positive feed back and hopefully with more pushing there might be a few offers, I have also decided to fund myself through my Cat C licence (how many questions on the D4 medical form…!) so it has been a fruitful week.
Finally beginning of March i’ll be going out on the raod for a week with my uncle in his DVT Premium ha ha, much fun to look forward to.
Thank you for the great advice Rubber Duck
I was lucky, when I passed my HGV test 9 years ago (when you could go straight to class 1 (C+E) bypassing the class 2 license, I got a job with a small firm with 4 wagons. I was only 21 and actually asked the guy when he offered me the job if he was aware I was under 25 to make sure. I had loads of knock backs up till then because of my age. I started on a 7.5 tonne curtain-sider, but soon got bumped up to a 17 tonne wagon when somebody left. There is jobs out there when you are young, they are often hard to find.
My advice is to go and see the small firms. Quite often the money is rubbish and the wagons aren’t as nice as the shiny Scanias and ERFs you see on the road, but it’s a start and by the time you’re 25 you have enough experience to get a job anywhere.
