Hi all, I hold a CE licence and have up to date CPC.
I’ve been struggling to get back into HGV driving (left in 2010 to care for my kids) for a few months now. I was told about AA recovery patrol and, the internet being the internet have been able to find nothing good on the job although the bad stories I’ve read are from years ago. Can anyone give me any info on whether it’s a worthwhile path as the salary is attractive.
Not sure how many people on this forum do recovery as appose to haulage, but I currently do recovery work for The Mansfield Group, so I’ll give you the best advice I can.
Recovery isn’t for everyone, it’s definitely a marmite job from what I see. I’ve seen newbies fresh out of training gone within a week, and others who find recovery stupidly addictive, which I can also admit to 
The job itself isn’t hard as such, but you do need to be able to think on your feet a little bit. For example, you may have a broken down car on the hardshoulder, nice and easy. Then the next one you go to is in a ditch, 20 feet from the carriageway, upside down etc… It’s certainly not a boring job by any means, and the satisfaction you get when you know you’ve helped someone in their hour of need is worth it in my eyes. The tips you get are handy too 
Shifts are normally between 10-12 hours and you’re not on tachograph. The only time you use your digi card is if you’re going out of a 60 mile radius from where the vehicle is normally parked, then you’re on tacho for the rest of your working week.
Feel free to PM me with any questions, as you can probably tell I’m not the best at explaining things, there’s too much I’d like to say but I can’t think of how to type it 
Thanks very much for the detailed reply, Conor.
I was immediately drawn to recovery when it was mentioned for some reason, I used to love just hauling stuff from a to B/Z and happy to throw my keys back at office staff at the end of the shift regardless of the success of delivery but I think this is something different.
I have a mechanical background having been in the army for 4 years as an armourer, although I helped out the vehicle mechanics from time to time, and have done more than the average amount of work on my own car (fitted new radiator, timing belt, lift pump etc) so I feel this could stand me in good stead also.
The 4 on, 4 off appeals to me as well as the salary.
A mechanical background is always helpful. I’m not mechanically minded in the slightest, I know how an engine works, and all the major components, but when a customer is standing there saying stuff like “oh I think it’s the such and such that’s broken” I kinda just stand there and nod politely haha. Rather that than tell the poor guy that I have no idea 
It’s definitely an interesting job, no one day is ever the same, and there is a great sense of comradeship in the industry. Drivers always wave as I drive past, and vice versa, regardless of company. And 4 on 4 off sounds much better than my 4 on 2 off, you lucky git
Unless the AA have changed their policies, you won’t be touching anything that isn’t on the carriageway.
Anything upside down in a ditch would be subbed out to a contractor. In fact anything other than a straight forward recovery will be handled by contractors.
DonutUK:
Anything upside down in a ditch would be subbed out to a contractor. In fact anything other than a straight forward recovery will be handled by contractors.
Interesting, I didn’t know that 
Isn’t it a case anything on a main carriageway… like motorway, dual carriage etc they normally send the big recovery units out, due to the fact of the dangers involved trying to repair at the side of the road
Swampey2418:
they normally send the big recovery units out
Define big xD They wouldn’t send a wrecker with a 60 tonne crane for a broken down Micra xD
I joke I joke, as Swampey rightly put it, they’d normally send a transporter with a fully de-mountable bed to recover anything from a busy road, where it’s considered too dangerous to attempt a repair at the roadside.
Applied on 19th April, confirmed they had my application 22nd April. Haven’t heard anything since.
Kinda expected a response by now to be honest.
That’s surprising, especially as you have a CE licence. Being able to take two cars on a tilt and slide is a nice advantage over a class 2 applicant.
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Did you ever get a reply off them in the end?
I’ve just been given an interview In a couple of weeks and wondering if anyone on here works for the AA that can give an insight?
check out “highway thru hell” on u tube…shows how its done over here very interesting