I’m doing my mod 4 on 15th so hopefully goes well and I can start using my class 2 license. Any of you experienced drivers know of work for new drivers in South Wales?? I see that agency work/drivers are frowned upon here but would that be my best shot? I’m currently full time employed at the moment so I don’t need to rush and jump ship! Cheers.
Try to find some “casual” work if possible on your days off.
Some Saturday’s runs or at a dealer to get some experience.
That would be the best way in, without experience you are even at an agency going for the last dregs and would not make a full weeks income, or have any job security.
Also South Wales is not famous for high pay rates in transport.
At this moment in time, I wouldn’t give up a full time employment for uncertainty in transport.
There was a time, that if there was no work with one haulier, another one was pulling your sleeve to work for them, but that is gone.
So knock on doors, offer them your possibilities, e.g. A Saturday or Sunday or any other day in the week that you are available ( as long as it doesn’t affect your wtd to much)
Thanks for the reply. Am I right in thinking as I work 40 hours full time, I can only do say a Saturday shift every two weeks??
Yeah something like that. The thing to bear in mind is that you need a 45 hour rest period and a 24 rest period every 2 weeks. Your week is fixed from the start of Monday to the end of Sunday. Have a 24 and a 45 in that period and you’re fine.
Whatever you do don’t leave a full-time job for agency especially as a newly qualified driver, South West Wales you could try John Raymond, Rhys Davies, Owens they may give you a bit of weekend work shunting or local work.
South East Wales then the next licence you need is for a motorcycle you can then travel to Avonmouth toll free where the work is plentiful and considerably higher paying than South Wales.
+1. My son passed his test a few weeks ago and has kept his job on. He does 4 on 4 off shifts so can do a couple of days inbetween.
Funding him for his C+E as there seems to be a hell of a lot more artic work than rigid around here.
Newbie1985:
I see that agency work/drivers are frowned upon here but would that be my best shot?
Ignore the ■■■■■■■■■ on here. Most drivers including many of them slagging off agency got their first experience driving for agencies. Very few in the last 20 years have not done agency work at some point or another but as said, as a new driver don’t rely on it to replace a full time income. It’ll take a good few months of proving your worth to an agency before you get to that point. Take everything they offer, get the most and widest range of experience of different types of driving jobs in that you can during the first couple of years, it’ll help you figure out what you like and don’t and you may find that you like something you’d never ever have considered applying for - in my case it was doing waste food compactors on a hook loader. I did it for a week when it was dead at the agency and ended up absolutely loving the job.
Cheers for that reply! Some sound advice there. I would eventually like to do my class1 eventually, I’m only 31 now 
So I have plenty of time on my side to work the way retirement age goes up ! Think il have a chat with near agencies just to see how things work and options I can use.
Conor your son needs to get his c+e soon had some agency text me this week offering 4 months work at Howdens then high chance of going full time, that more than they give you
Conor:
+1. My son passed his test a few weeks ago and has kept his job on. He does 4 on 4 off shifts so can do a couple of days inbetween.Funding him for his C+E as there seems to be a hell of a lot more artic work than rigid around here.
Newbie1985:
I see that agency work/drivers are frowned upon here but would that be my best shot?Ignore the [zb] on here. Most drivers including many of them slagging off agency got their first experience driving for agencies. Very few in the last 20 years have not done agency work at some point or another but as said, as a new driver don’t rely on it to replace a full time income. It’ll take a good few months of proving your worth to an agency before you get to that point. Take everything they offer, get the most and widest range of experience of different types of driving jobs in that you can during the first couple of years, it’ll help you figure out what you like and don’t and you may find that you like something you’d never ever have considered applying for - in my case it was doing waste food compactors on a hook loader. I did it for a week when it was dead at the agency and ended up absolutely loving the job.
In the absence of a “like button” I agree with these comments - I drive from S W Wales and started on agency.
The O.P. would be better off browsing the wanabee and newbees forum.Talk to the agencies but dont believe all of their promises.They can only give you work if they have the work in the first place.
Sorry, …just looked back and saw you were looking for Class 2, so removed post.
mac12:
Conor your son needs to get his c+e soon had some agency text me this week offering 4 months work at Howdens then high chance of going full time, that more than they give you
They were lying to you. Its coming up to Period 11 which is the busiest trading month and they are getting drivers on the books so they can supply enough for that. You won’t get full time work other than during period 11 because there are people who have been there years on agency who get it first, there is absolutely no chance of going full time. Come the end of Period 11 around 1st/2nd week in November you’ll find there is no more work at all other than the odd Friday night with only people like myself who have been there more than 2 years getting any.
In regards to going full time Howdens now run their own apprentice scheme and are only recruiting through that from their own internal staff (usually warehouse) and from the age of the people being put through the scheme if you’re over mid 30’s forget it. Even before the scheme you were looking at doing 2-4 years on agency before you’d be even remotely given the chance of being offered a job and that has been the case for the last 22 years I personally know of. There are now agency drivers who have been there more than 4 years full time who have seen only this last few weeks the jobs that came up being filled by new trainees taken out of the warehouse. If they are still recruiting from agency which none of us believe any longer then you’d be at the back of a very long queue. There are at least 8-10 drivers I can think of who have been there at least 2 years. Last agency drivers were taken on almost a year ago, there have been about a dozen trainees taken on since.
If it is ADR at Wakefield the rate is for self employed drivers and is worse than the rate Prestige in Hull are paying. Sorry mate its the usual agency bollox.
Don’t know the name of the agency or where they got my number, text said 5 day week 4 to 5 months work going permanent if suitable starting this week. Not much good to me i left driving 3 years ago.