Is there any reason I couldn’t start my driving career working for a firm that has a these in their fleet? I understand it is specialized work, but am I right in thinking I would start off on 1 and 2 car enclosed transporters and gain experience that way?
No reason you couldn’t start in an 11 car except nobody would employ a non experienced driver for one.
That’s your issue unless your dad owns the company.
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driveress:
Is there any reason I couldn’t start my driving career working for a firm that has a these in their fleet? I understand it is specialized work, but am I right in thinking I would start off on 1 and 2 car enclosed transporters and gain experience that way?
Are you a new start if so I can not see a specialist outfit employing you when they can dip into the experienced driver pool looking to step up
I have known new drivers go straight in on car transporters, but its incredibly rare and with good reason, it can and does usually end in mayhem, even blokes that have been driving lorries for ever don’t always take to car transporter work, nothing against them nor questioning of their lorry skills, its a job you either take to or you don’t.
Wouldn’t recommend it, suggest you get a couple of hundred thousand vehicle handling miles under your belt first.
Its a daunting task loading 6 Ferrari Enzo’s onto an unfamiliar lorry for the first time in the dark.
Enclosed car transporters are enclosed because they’re usually transporting valuable cars. The reality is that nobody is going to let someone who has only just passed their test loose with one.
Unless they run 1 or 2 car transporters you’d be slung straight in the deep end and a 1 or 2 car transporter won’t teach you a thing because you can do that with a beavertail transit pulling a trailer.
Thanks for your replies. I thought that would be the case, but just wanted to check.
I have a friend who does up exotic cars. He thinks I would be good at delivering his cars because he says I have the required communication and social skills. I didn’t ask him to, but being a supportive friend who wants to help me out, he contacted the guy he uses for transportation (who has 6, 2 and 1 car enclosed transporters), told him a bit about me and the guy said for me to give him a call. Now, I know my friend is a car man, not a truck man, and he has possibly not considered the handling skills required (although maybe that’s less relevant delivering single cars) I wanted an idea of what to expect when I call the transportation guy, so that’s why I asked you guys what you thought first. According to your replies, I will expect him to give me some welcome advice instead of asking me when I can start!
driveress:
Thanks for your replies. I thought that would be the case, but just wanted to check.I have a friend who does up exotic cars. He thinks I would be good at delivering his cars because he says I have the required communication and social skills. I didn’t ask him to, but being a supportive friend who wants to help me out, he contacted the guy he uses for transportation (who has 6, 2 and 1 car enclosed transporters), told him a bit about me and the guy said for me to give him a call. Now, I know my friend is a car man, not a truck man, and he has possibly not considered the handling skills required (although maybe that’s less relevant delivering single cars) I wanted an idea of what to expect when I call the transportation guy, so that’s why I asked you guys what you thought first. According to your replies, I will expect him to give me some welcome advice instead of asking me when I can start!
The fact he wants to chat to you is promising. He may offer advice or even the chance to train up from the one car transporter. Anything can come from a friendly chat. I hated transporting fancy cars as they tended to be low to the ground and not willing to go on the bed without a little help.
Talk to the owner and see how it goes.
driveress:
Thanks for your replies. I thought that would be the case, but just wanted to check.I have a friend who does up exotic cars. He thinks I would be good at delivering his cars because he says I have the required communication and social skills. I didn’t ask him to, but being a supportive friend who wants to help me out, he contacted the guy he uses for transportation (who has 6, 2 and 1 car enclosed transporters), told him a bit about me and the guy said for me to give him a call. Now, I know my friend is a car man, not a truck man, and he has possibly not considered the handling skills required (although maybe that’s less relevant delivering single cars) I wanted an idea of what to expect when I call the transportation guy, so that’s why I asked you guys what you thought first. According to your replies, I will expect him to give me some welcome advice instead of asking me when I can start!
Go for the chat but make sure he knows you are an absolute beginner and will neeed a helping hand / training . You never know maybe the fact that you have no experience may be just what hes looking for as he can train you to do it the way they want it done and you havent bad habits from previous work .
Juddian:
I have known new drivers go straight in on car transporters, but its incredibly rare and with good reason, it can and does usually end in mayhem, even blokes that have been driving lorries for ever don’t always take to car transporter work, nothing against them nor questioning of their lorry skills, its a job you either take to or you don’t.
Wouldn’t recommend it, suggest you get a couple of hundred thousand vehicle handling miles under your belt first.
Im largely with Juddian on this. If you have no experience of other driving jobs, and if this is a genuinely good one, you dont want to go in too early and ■■■■ it up.
Try a bit of other work first if you can. If nothing else you will get a bit of experience.
I also seem to remember Albion talking of a driver who had a good job as a newbie. He liked the job but got itchy feet and left. Not having been employed elsewhere he didnt have any reference points. Grass wasnt as green as expected.
Good luck whatever.
I found there was an awful lot of hurry up and wait, especially with prototype or show cars, you can soon bugger up an electric clutch getting up a ramp with a Ferrari or Aston Martin. Dont let me put you off. they gave me a start at Ontime. My first job was a Nissan Micra launch in Rome, we took 4 cars down in each lorry, double manned. I think there were 6 vehicles went.
it gave me chance to watch and learn.
There is so much to keep an eye on when loading/unloading and transporting this sort of stuff, this obviously comes with experience but also common sense is required.
Been there done that [emoji1787][emoji1787]
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I was on car transporters for Inchcape Automotive around 2003, but not before I’d already clocked up 20+ years on general
haulage, containers & fridges & flats, etc… One of the allocators in the office said he fancied a go on the trucks, he’d never driven anything other than a car. They put him through his HGV, he passed his test on the Friday, and was out on the Monday with a fully loaded car transporter! It just proves that in many areas of life, it’s not what you know, but who you know. He was obviously a popular guy in the office and the boss ( who wasn’t his dad! ) gave him a break!
I tried to get on the transporters when I was a newbie, and some ‘old hand’ told me to forget it… you’re far too young son, no experience and unless your dad or grandad works here you’ve no chance… foolishly, I listened to him and stopped trying. I stumbled into the car transporter game, after I took a job as a trade plater, ironically to get away from trucks. Once they discovered I had a class one, they let me cover the one car transporter drivers holiday, then a two car truck, eventually they trained me up on the 9 car artic (with peak deck) unfortunately, I never stayed long enough to get on the +11 & 12 car transporters! I enjoyed my brief time doing the job though, even though it was quite stressful
Keep trying, someone will give you a break and hopefully you won’t have to wait 20 odd years like me! Lol 
Thanks again for your replies. Learning to handle trucks and cars might be a bit much, and I couldn’t bear to ■■■■ it up like “Dave” did 
I will call the guy next week though, for a chat, as no harm can come of it.
I hated transporting fancy cars as they tended to be low to the ground and not willing to go on the bed without a little help.
My friend did say that getting used to the cars would be a big thing and that he would have to give me lots of YouTube homework to learn about them! (although he personally likes to drive his cars onto the bed himself).
I found there was an awful lot of hurry up and wait
Yep, he said that the dealerships are never ready, which backs everything up.
You never know maybe the fact that you have no experience may be just what hes looking for as he can train you to do it the way they want it done and you havent bad habits from previous work .
He also said the guy struggles for reliable staff who do all elements of the job equally well, which I guess is why he’s keen to explore a recommendation.
I never stayed long enough to get on the +11 & 12 car transporters!
Thanks Lennoxtown. How come you never stayed having wanted to do it for so long?
Think I’m correct in saying the covered 6 car tend to be artic trailers with long ramps so shallow approach angle. Just 2 decks of 3 so easier than the one car per deck like an 11 car.
You’ll be reet!
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I never stayed long enough to get on the +11 & 12 car transporters!
Thanks Lennoxtown. How come you never stayed having wanted to do it for so long?
It was really silly… but I went through a period of depression, and wanted to be in a relationship again,
after being single for quite a few years. I decided that would be difficult whilst living in a truck all week
& in a moment of madness just jacked the job in!
I do regret leaving before I managed to get trained up on the 12 car trucks & I still fancy a go. I just wish
I’d got in sooner and spent years doing car transporters, rather than general haulage. Anyway, at least I tried
my hand at all other types of haulage, with the exception of fuel tankers… but as I’m 58 now, happily married
and been out of haulage over 10 years, I think that ship has probably sailed Lol
PS. I almost landed a job recently with BCA on days and home EVERY night… but I’d have spent half my wages
on fuel commuting every day, so I decided not to bother!
Lennoxtown.
Trust me mate you haven’t missed anything.
Nothing would induce me to go back on the cars, well maybe if i could get on for Fomoco direct, but got more chance of ■■■■■■■ in the queen’s handbag than that happening, been happier with easier work and better paid overall since i jacked the cars in and not regarded as a number.
Was John Bell still on when you worked for inchcape? had an awful lot of respect for that man.
I too jacked when the time was right before the bloody job killed me, not inchcape, no job to go to right in the middle of the 2008 onwards recession, but as is the case sometimes, the right door opened.
Munchkin:
Think I’m correct in saying the covered 6 car tend to be artic trailers with long ramps so shallow approach angle. Just 2 decks of 3 so easier than the one car per deck like an 11 car.
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3 x custom Range Rovers that i loaded that took some fettling of the decks, when you need half a brain is when you’ve got say 6 cars of various sizes to load and you can’t run with the roof up cos your over the water and can’t go over 4m. [emoji54][emoji54]
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I’m sure BCA have been advertising for drivers recently and the ad said they would take new drivers and train them up.
Could be wrong though.
The only attraction of car transporters would be money, I can’t think of a worse driving job but each to their own.
But then I think bulk milk trunking on nights is as good as it gets - if you can’t do Middle East anymore 