I’m Stu, I have had my HGV for about 14 years, However as I have only just come out of the army, where the rules are the same but can be bent a lot to work in the favour of the army.
I have my CPC booked and will be completed by the end of Feb.
So if someone could help me out a little bit with a couple of questions please.
Although I have my HGV, I have only driven a limited amount of trucks within that time.
Is it sensible to start slowly and go to an agency, for a while first?
I have a full time job at present 37.5 hours a week Mon -Fri no driving involved can I drive at weekends?
Get a couple of training days in with a driver training company?
I do have a full time HGV job offer, but I’m lacking experience with arctic’s as I only ever drove rigid + trailer (MAN, Leyland DAF and the DAF DROPS vehicles)
If you already have a full time job offer thats pretty good - do they know about your lack of experience? maybe you could do some training days with a driving training that use artic not wag and drag and see how you get on. The other option would be like you have said join some agencies and get some class 2 experience just to get a feel of it again. and to get used to the regs that the army were relaxed on. Only thing with the agencies is if your only available at weekends might be harder to get work agencies like it if they can phone you any time any shift and your likely to say yes ill do it. If your always turning down shifts they will give up on you
mattni:
If you already have a full time job offer thats pretty good - do they know about your lack of experience? maybe you could do some training days with a driving training that use artic not wag and drag and see how you get on. The other option would be like you have said join some agencies and get some class 2 experience just to get a feel of it again. and to get used to the regs that the army were relaxed on. Only thing with the agencies is if your only available at weekends might be harder to get work agencies like it if they can phone you any time any shift and your likely to say yes ill do it. If your always turning down shifts they will give up on you
Yes I have told them of my experience and the lack of it on there type of vehicle + trailer
ok thank you, I will go back to the company and ask if they will be willing to do more training (I have arranged a week as a second driver this might be enough)
stukenny:
the rules are the same but can be bent a lot to work in the favour of the army.
■■
If your on about tacho /driving regs I thought the armed forces were exempt
They dont have tacho. they do a writen driver hours sheet that is by the law the same (but can be writen anyway you want so not to go over your hours) can still be stopped by VOSA(or what ever it is called these days)
The driving regs are the same as Crown Immunity ended some time ago. But you can be given a waver by the CO if you are on Operations.
stukenny:
the rules are the same but can be bent a lot to work in the favour of the army.
■■
If your on about tacho /driving regs I thought the armed forces were exempt
They dont have tacho. they do a writen driver hours sheet that is by the law the same (but can be writen anyway you want so not to go over your hours) can still be stopped by VOSA(or what ever it is called these days)
The driving regs are the same as Crown Immunity ended some time ago. But you can be given a waver by the CO if you are on Operations.
