Just a quick question, I know what trunking entails and will soon be looking for work. Just wondering if anybody thinks that trunking would be good, first time experience?
I literally passed my CAT C last week (with interest to taking C+E abit l8r in the year) and when i finally get a job, i dont wanna throw myself in to deep. I read about multi-drops and general haulage and to be fair, i aint afraid of hard work whether it be driving everywhere -to- handballin` the contents of my entire trailer/box at an RDC 
Any words of wisdom?
You’ll find it hard getting a trunking job on class C.
merc0447:
You’ll find it hard getting a trunking job on class C.
Ok…lets say for arguements sake that i went straight for my C+E and then went for a job…Is trunking good first time experience? 
Stonehouse69:
merc0447:
You’ll find it hard getting a trunking job on class C.
Ok…lets say for arguements sake that i went straight for my C+E and then went for a job…Is trunking good first time experience?
Its boring as ZB but yeah, theres not much reversing on a trunk though
DAF95XF:
Stonehouse69:
merc0447:
You’ll find it hard getting a trunking job on class C.
Ok…lets say for arguements sake that i went straight for my C+E and then went for a job…Is trunking good first time experience?
Its boring as ZB but yeah, theres not much reversing on a trunk though
Any advice m8? like i said, i aint afraid of hard work but dont wanna get too ahead of myself. 
Stonehouse69:
DAF95XF:
Stonehouse69:
merc0447:
You’ll find it hard getting a trunking job on class C.
Ok…lets say for arguements sake that i went straight for my C+E and then went for a job…Is trunking good first time experience?
Its boring as ZB but yeah, theres not much reversing on a trunk though
Any advice m8? like i said, i aint afraid of hard work but dont wanna get too ahead of myself.
Just open the curtains (presuming its a curtainsider), and stand back and let the forkies do their thing
There are C trunk runs out there, but not many and you’d have to do some serious ■■■■-dropping to get one permanent.
Couldn’t do it full time myself though, 4 or 5 weeks of straight nights now & again is fine, but 17 in the run up to last Christmas just about did my nut in.
Sometimes squeezing into impossible places in the middle of nowhere trying to get rid of 14 ton of Licqourice All-shapes can be quite refreshing!
nothing wrong with a bit of trunking up and down the motorways to let you get the feel of the way the truck behaves. no towns to wiggle in and out of either, should,nt be a problem for a new licence holder any experience is good experience
Why roll your eyes at merc for giving an honest answer?
It’s a very boring job but some seem to want to do nowt else. Too slow for me I prefer general haulage. As for not wanting to be thrown in at the deep end why not? Your lack of confidence will not get you far in this game! You won’t lean anything trunking and you have to make mistakes to learn by em I think you either need to be a bit more willing or don’t bother. Even if you get your class one its unlikely you’ll land a nice trunking job anyway as they’ll be more experienced blokes in front of you without the wont/can’t do attitude.
Not having a go either just saying it how I see it from your post.
OllieNotts:
Why roll your eyes at merc for giving an honest answer?
the rolling of the eyes wasnt aimed at merc…it was me realising i shouldve asked the question in my OP dont get shirty over a picture…jeez!
OllieNotts:
As for not wanting to be thrown in at the deep end why not? Your lack of confidence will not get you far in this game! You won’t lean anything trunking and you have to make mistakes to learn by em I think you either need to be a bit more willing or don’t bother.
LOL this made me laugh, I lack no confidence my good sir and am willing to do ANY job… I just dont wanna go for a job that requires more experience than what i have…which is [ZB] all!
The reason why i mentioned trunking is because ive just finished working for CEVA and they do trunk runs all of the time and being a FLT, i know all about loading unloading, strapping.........(the non-rocket science stuff) :wink: Ive got more will than a dead mans posessions on a peice of paper!!! 
Plus the fact you dont know me so cant be seen to be making pressumtions about me. (not having ago, just wanna clear that up!) 
OllieNotts:
Even if you get your class one its unlikely you’ll land a nice trunking job anyway as they’ll be more experienced blokes in front of you without the wont/can’t do attitude.
Not having a go either just saying it how I see it from your post.
I know your not having ago m8, but i think you need to read my OP again
stonehouse69:
i dont wanna throw myself in to deep. I read about multi-drops and general haulage and to be fair, i aint afraid of hard work whether it be driving everywhere -to- handballin` the contents of my entire trailer/box at an RDC
[/quote]
In which part of this did you feel my “cant do/wont do” attitude? Since i left school, all of 13 years ago, i became a bricklayer and worked my fat and hairys off, Developed sciatica and bad knees for my troubles and only gave up brickying because of the recession and family matters. I then went back into work work as a FLT for CEVA on the xerox contract which involved anything from stacking pallets of scrap machines, to handballing machines into the back of trailers. Thats it rant over
Let me just clear it up, i aint a lazy Barsteward in the slightest, My post basically asked (apart from trunking) “whats good first time experience”
ollieNotts, what was your first driving job m8? out of curiousity. 
I did nights for safeway when I passed my test. I still got the experience of driving a 45ft fridge around central London but there were no prying eyes when I made a mistake, and boy did I make a few of those. Trunking will give you limited experience, although it will give you more than you have now. Supermarkets are normally the best place to start out
I’d just take any job that got me experience, when you first get your C+E no one going to want to give you work anyways, need experience, so even a hard handballing job i would have done, whats the worst than can happen loose some weight and get a bit healthier.
I wouldnt assume trunking is going to be an easy introduction to driving artics either with no reversing. I’ve done a lot of trunking for different companies, some are really easy reversing wise some ain’t.
Done more than a few where your going down to a depot someplace, told put the trailer in the trailer park find its a tiny old fashioned place, very little room, trailers right up to one another, the trailer park it pretty dark and its pouring down, fun and games if you have just past your test.
Even trailer swaps can find doing it in a very busy service area or truck stop and again can be fun and games reversing into tight spaces if you aint experienced.
When i passed my test did trunking for about three months was easy work no reversing really, to be honest didnt learn much, then went onto days and doing multi drop general haualge, much tougher reversing, blind siders etc… sweated buckets and had nightmares about some places but a week of doing that learnt more than 3 months of trunking.
Gotta bite the bullet sometime.
think you would learn more with a day job, as already said supermarkets is a great way to start,you would learn more,in and out of towns, places not hard to find, saying that some of these supermarkets are not that easy to get into, rubbish, cages all aver the place, trunking is for tired old b***erds like me, all the best anyway.
Jeez, some folks just can’t win on here! They get shot down in flames if they go for something beyond their capabilities, and shot down again if they ask for advice about where to start! Are there no ‘reasonable questions’ allowed?
Good on you for asking! I think you make it quite clear that you’re prepared to work, but would like advice on the ‘sensible’ way to proceed.
My advice would be to apply for anything you are qualified to do. You can ask questions at interview/assessment about what is required and make a decision based on that info. I make the mistake of being too picky when I’m looking for work, but it’s always easier to move around in the industry and find out what’s likely to suit you whilst working in it, rather than looking in from the outside. The first HGV job you get may just suit you perfectly, if not, keep gaining the experience while you look for something else.
So, if a trunking job is advertised, and you have the appropriate licence, then go for it and see if it’s for you.
Good luck - and don’t let people put you off asking perfectly reasonable questions! 
Thanks for the history lesson on your life since school it was a good read
Now, I did read your OP and it said you dont want to through yourself in too deep that is what I meant by having more confidence in yourself it wasnt a criticism mate more of a suggestion not to worry about all this before you have even started
The advice above is good, get whatever job you can. Co Op is a good place to sharpen up your reversing skills as would be general haulage but you have to try a few things to see what you like. I think getting thrown in at the deep end is a good thing cause you will learn faster and I like to learn things hands on so it is taught quicker then watching from the side trying to pick up tips. I never said you dont have a good attitude either I just commented on your dont want to remark. Anyway you need to pass your tests first so I wouldnt start worrying just yet your priority is getting into the bendy club
And my first job was taking a van to oxford and coming back in a car full as there was 4 of us going down in vans to drop off and I had to follow the leader…I lost them all doing 90+mph down the motor way and had no map and no address to where I was going No mobile phone either then nearly 8 years ago I had to stop at some services and return the charges to the agency as I didnt have any money either and had to wait by the public phone box and not let anyone on it till I had my call returned 
I got there an hour late to much abuse off the lads but we had a laugh on the way back
Second job was sainsburys to you around the derby dales…HELL!!!
Then did home delieveries, then general haulage(went class 2 to class 1) then co op and now on agency trying out all kinds of work to see what I do and dont like. Done flat beds, fridges, curtains, boxes, removals, stacks of pallets, trunking, 27/35/45 foot trailers some rear steer the list goes on. I have found I dont like any of it I prefer general haulage but the jobs I have been offered have been really bad rates one was £6.85 an hour But I gave it all a go and am still learning with each job that offers something I havent done as I will learn no matter how far in the deep end I feel I just get on with it and hope it works out
Anyway good luck with your quest I hope you get what you want, but remember you have to learn sometime and as the old saying goes “no time like the present”
Start with trunking to get some steady, complication-free miles under your belt. When you start getting bored with it, that’s when you’re ready to move on - simples!
My first artic job was long distance General haulage. It was a Sunday, I was 21, I had zero experience and I was given a brand new truck, sent from Bathgate to Dufftown which is in the north. The north of Scotland that is, not oop north England then sent to Preston then Sittingbourne in the arse end of England. It was the best thing I did. Straight in at the deep end, sink or swim. Sure I was a wreck with near panic attacks with the stress of it but looking back I know for me it was the right decision. You’ll be bored of trunking within a week.
OVLOV JAY:
I did nights for safeway when I passed my test. I still got the experience of driving a 45ft fridge around central London but there were no prying eyes when I made a mistake, and boy did I make a few of those. Trunking will give you limited experience, although it will give you more than you have now. Supermarkets are normally the best place to start out
Nothing more to add IMHO. You wrote all I wanted.
dont get shirty over a picture…jeez!
Anyone who starts out doesn’t normally have a choice, they take what they can, they will get stuffed, they will learn from that stuffing, a driving job is a driving job. Anyone who spends upto 2k on a licence cannot afford to be choosy.
There may be some class c work on the pallet networks, good experience, good variation of work.
With the old licensing system I came off C & D parcels onto a night trunk with a KM Bedford with an A frame drawbar and two or three swapbodies. To be honest the money was similar but the job bored me eventually enough for me to leave and take up a more interesting lesser paid job.
When I started driving, you could take your very first driving test in an Artic, I know many who did leave school, work in a warehouse and take their class one before they could drive a car, but those who had already got some rigid experience for a couple of years could hit the road running.
Stonehouse69:
Let me just clear it up, i aint a lazy Barsteward in the slightest, My post basically asked (apart from trunking) “whats good first time experience”
Anything is good first time experience, if you get offered something take it and try it out. You know your limitations so work within them at whatever you get and you will be fine. Take it steady, ask questions and good luck.