ADR or HIAB or what? [NEWBIE]

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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Although still a newbie (not even a newbie really as have not passed test yet) i’m seeking some advice as to what direction to take when it comes to getting an additional skill alongside driving. As i said on the newbie forum i’m pretty sure i don’t want to do c+e. Looks too much hassle with reversing, tramping and apart from a few specialist jobs like car transporter (which i don’t fancy anyway - looks like a nightmare moving cars on and off) i gather most c+e is going to be delivering to warehouses and supermarkets making it even more of a nightmare unless you like that sort of thing :slight_smile:

I know ADR and HIAB can involve multidrop which i don’t really want (at least not the amount of drops that you would be expected to do with, say, with parcel delivery but am assuming there might be jobs with less drops or in the case of HIAB not even drops at all in the sense i mean.

Just really trying to motivate myself by looking ahead as what would suit me most. Had a lot of difficulty over the years holding down a job (feel free to check out my “40+ newbie” thread although i don’t really want to dwell on the negative if i can help it). Having said that i wonder if there are any professional drivers who have been/going through similar things [depression/more so Avoidant Personality Disorder if you don’t fancy reading it :smiley: ] I need to really like a job (even enjoy it) in order to succeed.

I know different people like different jobs but would be good to get an idea of who hates/likes what and why? Good things and bad things about different sectors (if that’s the right word to use).

Thanks.

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lol

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JS8576:
Although still a newbie (not even a newbie really as have not passed test yet) i’m seeking some advice as to what direction to take when it comes to getting an additional skill alongside driving. As i said on the newbie forum i’m pretty sure i don’t want to do c+e. Looks too much hassle with reversing, tramping and apart from a few specialist jobs like car transporter (which i don’t fancy anyway - looks like a nightmare moving cars on and off) i gather most c+e is going to be delivering to warehouses and supermarkets making it even more of a nightmare unless you like that sort of thing :slight_smile:

I know ADR and HIAB can involve multidrop which i don’t really want (at least not the amount of drops that you would be expected to do with, say, with parcel delivery but am assuming there might be jobs with less drops or in the case of HIAB not even drops at all in the sense i mean.

Just really trying to motivate myself by looking ahead as what would suit me most. Had a lot of difficulty over the years holding down a job (feel free to check out my “40+ newbie” thread although i don’t really want to dwell on the negative if i can help it). Having said that i wonder if there are any professional drivers who have been/going through similar things [depression/more so Avoidant Personality Disorder if you don’t fancy reading it :smiley: ] I need to really like a job (even enjoy it) in order to succeed.

I know different people like different jobs but would be good to get an idea of who hates/likes what and why? Good things and bad things about different sectors (if that’s the right word to use).

Thanks.

What attracted you to truck driving in the first place?

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Mainly being left alone to get on with a job rather than standing around in groups (warehouse for example). For that reason never been able to hold job down. Careers adviser long time ago suggested driving would be ideal. Never really fancied it for much of my life but have reconsidered it recently. Suppose problem is the only previous driving job i did was multidrop (a lot) so thats maybe given me the wrong impression of what multidrop is like with LGV. May not be as bad as i think. Quite keen on combining the driving with something else, a specialised vehicle for example, or doing something other than typical haulage work.

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Checked out your posts SuperMultiBlue. I have conisdered similar type of work with tippers, etc… Do you need any CITB qualifications like CPCS or CSCS cards to get onto sites? Do they expect you to do other work as well on site, like labouring. I imagine with something like road repair vehicles you would be expected to do more than drive.

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Hi JS8576, I spoke to you on your initial post 40+ NEWBIE - NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE) - Trucknet UK

You made it clear that you were considering driving, as it would allow you to limit your interaction with others. While I didn’t completely agree that this would be the healthiest thing for you to do and wouldn’t help or address your issues, it is your choice. Fine!

But now you’re asking questions about driving that make you sound like you’re being really picky, and basically looking for a job that has zero interaction with others. Sadly a job like that probably doesn’t exist in the industry, and i’m also concerned that you don’t really understand (or have researched) that an awful lot of Class C jobs are going to have MORE interaction with other people, than a C+E job. While I’m sure there are a exceptions, I’m concerned that you believe you can find a Class C job that lets you live like a hermit, you probably won’t! You will have to deal with people, and let’s say for example you end up a Class C skip driver (so no nights out), what are you going to do when a client had overloaded a skip, and you HAVE to tell them to take stuff off or you won’t take it? - From what you have said, I don’t believe you could cope with such a situation…

It’s also a little worrying that you appear scared of C+E, so I’ve got to ask: Is driving really for you?

Sorry to sound harsh, but I think you still have a few questions to ask yourself…

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I wouldn’t say scared just a lack of driving experience i think is the main thing with regards to c+e. Don’t really want the extra cost thus would be better for me to stick with rigid only. Plus like i said i think most artic work (and probably all rigid+trailer is going to be general haulage). I’m quite keen to combine the driving with something else.

Am being really picky :smiley: Always been a very picky person. As i said before i can tolerate day to day contact with other people. I didn’t mean my previous thread to imply that i cannot do it at all. But just prefer it that way really. So i suppose on the one hand i’m looking at something technical to combine with the driving (which may involve additional qualifications - possibly outside of the driving sector where the driving itself is incidental to the main job for example sewage type vehicle) or i’m looking for something where i’m not doing general haulage work (by which i mean delivering ■■■■ to shops, high street and warehouses).

Someone had a go at me the other day for riding bike on pavement so i told the c… to go f… himself so i can do it when i need to :smiley: Normally i am a very polite person.

I expect that i will in the first instance have to make do with general haulage especially if i do agency work. I might even love it :smiley: but i like to plan ahead and while i’m waiting to do the practical training i’m just trying to find my niche. I am 45 and would like to spend the next 20 years doing something i enjoy so it’s important for me to focus on choosing the right type of job.

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I’m also a driver principally because I like being on my own. I’ve got Class 1 and HIAB and in my experience (I live near London, so YMMV) the HIAB certificate will get you more work and class 2 HIAB work pays more than class 1 but the vast majority of it is local delivery work for builders’ merchants, garden centres and timber merchants. You probably won’t go more than 20 miles from the depot unless you’re in a rural area. It gets boring and frustrating pretty quickly and you’ll often have to deal with motorists frustrated that you’ve put your supports out in the road and held them up a bit. The exception is the type of company that delivers containers to building sites and other places that are used as cabins - they tend to use larger cranes and sometimes drawbar lorries - their mileage tends to be higher but not as high as if you’re trunking. In some places you can get HIAB work for £12/hr or perhaps more.

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Ok, fair enough…

So if you want to get into something specialist that combines driving, I assume you realise that any company that would train you up to do a specialist job, is only going to “invest” in you, after they are CERTAIN it’s going to be a wise investment for them. And the only way that is going to happen, is after you have proven yourself for a few years!

So in regard to your initial question, I think you are getting ahead of yourself, and for the moment, you have to commit to doing Class C, and see what happens after that…

Best of luck!

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Thanks IndigoJo. You say you have got class 1 so do you do class 2 hiab work? If so do you not use your class 1? I have to admit the hiab does appeal to me as an extra skill. I think i would enjoy the delivery side of hiab (even if multidrop and even with the problmes you mention) more than the usual haulage deliveries. I’d certainly want to look into hiab once i pass cat c. I hardly see tanker ADR rigids and combined with all those more experienced drivers and the ones who have c+e i doubt i’d get my foot in the door for that type of work anyway but i’m only really interested in that because i heard it pays the most out of any driving job. Can’t be that good though else tanker drivers wouldn’t be going on strike every now and then so maybe not all it’s cracked up to be. I’d happily do ADR radioactives or explosives just on the off chance that something very niche comes along but i doubt that would ever be put to use. Probably expire worhtless after 5 years.

Thanks Beezle. You’ll be fed up with me before long :unamused:

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JS8576:
hardly see tanker ADR rigids

They don’t deliver heating oil to homes in an Arctic! :wink:

And I resist the sarcasm reply to GETTING fedup! :smiley:

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Thinking outside the box a little; lorry-mounted fork lifts (commonly known as Moffetts after the main manufacturer of same) seem to be more and more common. Why not train up on that instead of the ADR or HIAB? Might give you a better chance of work, as it’s likely to be a skill that more and more companies are looking for; especially the agencies, which is where you’ll be more likely to cut your teeth.

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I have had my class 1 since 1987 fed up of tramping so looked for something completely different,
found a class 2 adr delivering chemicals sometimes 1 drop max 4 maybe stop out 1 a month start times flexi normally go in at 6.30 out of yard for 7 after checks and having a cuppa!
always back before 5 pm we are on salary £30,000 a year even if ime back at 2pm its job and knock. no nights no Saturdays not too bad really,

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I have had my class 1 since 1987 fed up of tramping so looked for something completely different,
found a class 2 adr delivering chemicals sometimes 1 drop max 4 maybe stop out 1 a month start times flexi normally go in at 6.30 out of yard for 7 after checks and having a cuppa!
always back before 5 pm we are on salary £30,000 a year even if ime back at 2pm its job and knock. no nights no Saturdays not too bad really,

Is that all classes or are some more in demand?

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JS8576:

I have had my class 1 since 1987 fed up of tramping so looked for something completely different,
found a class 2 adr delivering chemicals sometimes 1 drop max 4 maybe stop out 1 a month start times flexi normally go in at 6.30 out of yard for 7 after checks and having a cuppa!
always back before 5 pm we are on salary £30,000 a year even if ime back at 2pm its job and knock. no nights no Saturdays not too bad really,

Is that all classes or are some more in demand?

it depends what job you go for we don’t do gasses and obviously 1 and 7 but we do all the rest I would do the lot its a weeks course mine was £350 or there abouts.

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I’ve got a class 2 hiab
Plenty of work available, I deliver for a local builders merchants, as long as your confident with the crane and stand your ground when it comes to customers who for some reason believe the crane will extend the stock miles up their drive then it’s easy.
Good days and bad days on it, but beats hand balling crap out of a box lorry.
Oh and make sure your good at stropping and tieing loads down :slight_smile:

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Thanks Crane-Boy

When you say you got class 2 hiab do you mean you’ve got LGV C then hiab. I think the HIAB also comes in categories. From what i understand i would need a category C hiab which covers lifts upto 20tm (whatever that means, i assuming ton meters). There is a Cat D HIAB which lifts over 20tm but i believe that’s for things like lifting portacabins which probably a bit too involved and specialised for me and probably will require crane superviser, signaller, etc…

Although it does look like there are jobs doing Cat C lifting that are classed as more dangerous and therefore are more onerous when it comes to the number of people involved. So if you went to a domestic property and there were people working in the road nearby would that require you to have a crane superviser or signaller. Because i understand that the hiab operator cannot always take on the role of operator/superviser/signaller?

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JS8576:

I have had my class 1 since 1987 fed up of tramping so looked for something completely different,
found a class 2 adr delivering chemicals sometimes 1 drop max 4 maybe stop out 1 a month start times flexi normally go in at 6.30 out of yard for 7 after checks and having a cuppa!
always back before 5 pm we are on salary £30,000 a year even if ime back at 2pm its job and knock. no nights no Saturdays not too bad really,

Is that all classes or are some more in demand?

Maybe there’s some confusion with terminology…?

When talking of vehicles, it’s probably best to use the word “category,” or Cat for short.
(The law speaks of vehicles in that way.)

Eg: Cat C, or Cat C + E.

When talking of ADR, it’s probably best to use the word “Classification,” or Class for short.
(The law speaks of dangerous goods in that way.)

Eg: Class 2 or Class 3.

Now I can advise that there are plenty of Cat C vehicles that carry dangerous goods, especially common are Class 2 or Class 3.
Some of this work can be seasonal, and could be via an agency or by being directly employed by the company who own the vehicles.

Class 2 = Gases, so you’d be looking at carrying gases for the likes of BOC, Linde, Air Liquide, Air Products, Cryoserve, Calor Gas or any of the local/regional gas distributors. It is also possible that you might work for a company that subcontracts from any of them.

Class 3 = Flammable Liquids, so you’d be looking at the likes of any of the major oil companies, Shell, Esso, BP etc or for a company that subcontracts from any of them. There are plenty of those too!

Classes 2 or 3 can be carried in packages, such as cylinders, drums, boxes, crates, jerricans or IBCs, or they can be carried in tankers, but that’s a choice that YOU make when you book your ADR course.

Class 2 Cat C:

Class 2 Cat C.jpg

Class 2 Cat C:

Cylinder truck.jpg

Class 3 Cat C

Picture1.jpg
Picture1.jpg794×596 54.4 KB

I hope this helps. :smiley:

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Thanks dieseldave. In you cylinder picture would that be tanks or packages? Bit confused over how they identify some items. If it was a piece of machinery which is mildly radioactive. It’s not a tank, or a tanker, or a package :exclamation:

Also wondered if you can give a clear explanation on lorry mounted cranes.

Not sure if you are dieseldave because you know all about ADR and HIAB not your area.

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It will once you get ADR or HIAB come down to experience.
Most companies want 1 yr but you can get a job without the experience!

ADR Class 1 is useless unless in the Military or working for a quarry!
ADR & Packages/Tanks is up to what you want to do at the end with work.

I asked 3 local driving agencies which Lorry Loader(HIAB) Licence they recomended and it was ALLAMI, 2nd RTITB.

Onceyou have the certificates all you need is experience!!!