Just a quick one, was asked this morning if i would consider adding explosives to my ADR, the day course is £139 and I would have to pay for that myself… now I know you don’t get any extra money in half the firms you work for when you have ADR license, it just broadens your work horizon, but would I be any better off for explosive being on it. There is work with a local firm through my agency that are wanting more explosive’s trained drivers through the agency.
tell them to get stuffed whoever they are
I imagine the conversation.
"sorry, there isn’t anything for you this week, unless. Do you have explosives?
I wouldn’t bother if you have to pay for it yourself mate, its a very specialised sector and hardly anybody does explosives transportation, so if you don’t have a local firm doing it all the time and giving you work then you won’t ever use it. Forget it 
Kerbdog:
Just a quick one, was asked this morning if i would consider adding explosives to my ADR, the day course is £139 and I would have to pay for that myself… now I know you don’t get any extra money in half the firms you work for when you have ADR license, it just broadens your work horizon, but would I be any better off for explosive being on it. There is work with a local firm through my agency that are wanting more explosive’s trained drivers through the agency.
Ask the agency if they’re prepared to pay for the course, they will gain more than you will so I don’t see why they shouldn’t be prepared to pay at-least a substantial proportion of the cost if not all of it.
If they had a worthwhile amount of work for that sector they’d happily pay it. If they’re not willing it kinda tells its’ own story.
Pay for it yourself but don’t tell them you’ve done it!
I’ll get me coat.
Well I actually know the firm that the work is for and it is a steady contract that they have. It turns out the only driver they have that does the explosives has broken his ankle so the question is would it be any benefit for me in the long term. I doubt it. So i have told them what i would want for my hourly rate and told them i would want at least 8 shifts at an 8 hour minimum pay. That way i make money and its worth my while. Ball is in their court. If they don’t want to take me up on it then there’s most lost for me
Kerbdog:
Just a quick one, was asked this morning if i would consider adding explosives to my ADR, the day course is £139 and I would have to pay for that myself… now I know you don’t get any extra money in half the firms you work for when you have ADR license, it just broadens your work horizon, but would I be any better off for explosive being on it. There is work with a local firm through my agency that are wanting more explosive’s trained drivers through the agency.
Well I’ve just about stopped laughing. How much do you have to give your agency in commission for finding you work? 
on that subject when i was on agency one customer wanted an adr driver with explosives for carrying lifejackets and inflatable life boats because they are inflated by an explosive charge. i think our instructor called it " bombs n bullets" 
dilbert:
on that subject when i was on agency one customer wanted an adr driver with explosives for carrying lifejackets and inflatable life boats because they are inflated by an explosive charge. i think our instructor called it " bombs n bullets"
Hi dilbert,
I’m afraid that somebody might be misinformed.
Most self-inflating life saving appliances, such as life rafts, personal flotation devices and self-inflating slides are actually in UN Class 9, even though they contain small amounts of explosives.
A driver does not need to have UN Class 1 on his ADR certificate to carry such articles, because they are in UN Class 9.
I don’t see why you don’t, I done mine and tankers, and I was driving a van back then. The only one I haven’t got is radioactive.
If you want to do it then do it, it’s only 100 odd quid and you “might” get some work out of it (I haven’t as of yet as I work for mainly chemical companys with acid or flavourings for food and drink)
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
You could be saving a bit of dosh here though couldn’t you on CPC training as if its approved you would get 7 DCPC hours too?
Something sits uneasy with me in this thread, one that a company who carry explosives will just take on any agency driver who has Class 1 ADR.
I know Dave does explosive training and acts as DGSA, he will have more of an idea about how many companies require the explosives part.
The Olympics are a couple of months away, so a company storing a few bangers and asking an agency driver to take them to Stratford may get some unwanted publicity.
Have you got a good memory?
Are you sure?
Is 1.4 worse than 1.3?
or is it 1.2?
what about those letters, was it g or s which is safer to carry! 
If it was me I would save the £139 and take her here to Skegness for a weekend of explosive passion
I would have thought the arguments would have been on just how much to do the dangerous thing here?
Not “Will I even get work”! 
I would want £20ph for 1.1 work that’s for sure!
Never say no to a job you don’t really want - just price yourself out of the market instead.
fredthered:
Well I’ve just about stopped laughing. How much do you have to give your agency in commission for finding you work?
I’m looking for the bit you are laughing about ? Firstly, rather than give a detremental response you could have been a bit more clever and offered a constructive response. Ironically I find myself laughing at you, another “I’m better than you” type comment because I’ve mentioned ‘agency’. My wages top line this week (home every night and 60 odd hours) will be just under £800. I’ve done every job and worked for every kind of outfit in this industry and being on the agency has brought me more money, more hometime and a better lifestyle, it may have a stigma but life is full of different things, everybody has something that works for them, right now this agency I’m with is great for me in my life right now. In answer to your ‘question’. As you know the agency take a percentage of the hourly rate before I see it, I couldn’t give a toss what they charge as long as I get what I want, i hope that is ok with you. I will run it by you if you want me to just incase you don’t approve of the hourly rate I want and probably will get as there is nobody else to cover the job. The agency haven’t been ‘finding’ me the work, they have had this job for quite a while, it’s funny really as the company (and you are a company man aren’t you ?) have never been able to employ anyone as they can’t find many drivers who actually have it, so it’s like all company’s do when they have nowhere else to go for a driver, they turn to the agency’s, the driver who normally does it broke his ankle playing football. If I get the money to pay for the days course and make me a few more quid on top, is that bad ?
Wheel Nut:
Something sits uneasy with me in this thread, one that a company who carry explosives will just take on any agency driver who has Class 1 ADR.
This is a crazy comment too, why on earth would it sit uneasy with you ? I’ve done loads of work for this company so they know me, they have my number etc. I know the transport manager and the MD personally through my brother so it’s not like I’m unknown to them. They have asked me to work for them direct on previous occasions and invoice them as I’m sole trader but I’ve said no to them, I get a lot of money and a lot of work from the agency, well looked after. Why would I turn down the agency jobs to work casually now and again for this firm ? I know as well as anyone else, if you start turning work down then there is always someone else to replace you. I’d maybe miss out on a double paying Sunday or something, it’s how it works, you scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours.
If any driver whether he is classed as self employed, agency, employed, new or old has passed that explosives course and got their license, then they are capable of carrying explosives. I bet you passed your Class 1 license or whatever you have and had to start from there, it’s how you learn. A guy may have had explosives on his license for 20 years, one thing is for sure, he had only just passed his course at one stage in his life. So I do think the “will just take on any agency driver who has Class 1 ADR” quote is complete bin material.
As for the other posters on this, I was asking for opinions, for advice and you gave me your opinions and advice which I thank you for.
We spend half the time being cut up, hated, moaned at, told where to go, frowned upon and looked down on in this industry, the job is a hard job but it is a unique job, the hours are long and the work is like no other. When someone asks for an opinion on this forum lately it seems to become like a classroom of children, half of them are your mates and the other half become immature name callers and snigger at whomever is posting. Just one example. I read a post saying Eddie Stobart crash, the guy was shot down in the first reply for no reason. If he had have said “a crash on whatever motorway” then people would post “It was a stobart motor” or “does anybody know who was involved”, the poor guy was just making a statement, it happens time and time again on this forum these days. It’s getting a bit beyond a joke. It’s petty and childish. Stop ridiculing people asking for opinions or advice, if you can’t answer without ridicule then don’t reply at all. Rant over …for now !
As for the dCPC. It’s a good idea and one that I asked about when I rang chemfreight, sadly it does not count towards the dCPC, nor does the tankers module !
If some people have anything to do with it, there will be nobody left with explosives on their ADR within the next 5 years as we’d be all stupid to do it, even for more money. Or so it seems, that is what they think.
Kerbdog:
Just a quick one, was asked this morning if i would consider adding explosives to my ADR, the day course is £139 and I would have to pay for that myself… now I know you don’t get any extra money in half the firms you work for when you have ADR license, it just broadens your work horizon, but would I be any better off for explosive being on it. There is work with a local firm through my agency that are wanting more explosive’s trained drivers through the agency.
Hi Kerbdog,
IMHO it’s a question of whether you can recoup the £139 once you’ve spent it.
I think that if you get more than two shifts where you defo need your UN Class 1 on your ADR certificate and you wouldn’t otherwise have been working, then you’re quids in. Another way that you might look at this is that £139 over the five years of validity would work out at £27.80p per year.
Mind you, the £28.80p per year will look a bit different if you add UN Class 1 to an existing ADR certificate, depending on how long it’s still valid for.
Without knowing how long your present ADR certificate still has to run, it might be an idea to do your refresher, then add the UN Class 1 to a fresh certificate.
Potentially, you could end up with an ADR certificate valid for up to 5 years ten months and three weeks.
hi i would suggest that the agency pays for the course and deduct it from your salary over the 8 weeks therefore pretty much guarenteeing you the work. i have ran agencies and have done similar deals with hiab drivers over the summer (ones i knew wouldnt just get the cert and sod off mind!), dont worry about the company men who think all agency drivers are muppets mate 
. as for the does it not ring alarm bells?? no no more than the firm taking on a driver who has the adr already and they dont know■■?
Wheel Nut:
If it was me I would save the £139 and take her here to Skegness for a weekend of explosive passion
Your such a charmer 
,
youve just gone up in my estimation :laughing: :laughing: . . **Kerbdog.** Go for it dude , its another addition to your skill set and personal armoury (no pun intended 
).
Outlook is you would initially get 8-9 weeks out of it while other chap recouperates, then maybe a little more to relieve him on hols etc.
Ask the agency if theyre willing to assist in paying for the course, as you are willing to be helpfull and flexible to them too. Nowt wrong with that . You get an extra ticket - they get an extra willing flexible member of staff - win win situ.
Either or might be able to right it off against Tax deductable training maybe ■■ Or as a Trade Membership deductable ■■ ( need to ask taxman )
Don`t leave it too late - strike a deal while the irons hot and good luck.
Say it quick , and £139. in this day and age is peanuts when it comes to training and skill sets.
Kerbdog:
This is a crazy comment too, why on earth would it sit uneasy with you ? I’ve done loads of work for this company so they know me, they have my number etc. I know the transport manager and the MD personally through my brother so it’s not like I’m unknown to them. They have asked me to work for them direct on previous occasions and invoice them as I’m sole trader but I’ve said no to them,
You asked a question at the top of the page, you wanted opinions, although you did leave out the most important part, that the company is known to you, they have offered you work in the past etc.
Your original post came across as many do on these forums lately.
Hi. I have worked in an office for 30 years and I now want to pass my HGV and drive petrol tankers!
As Dave W has mentioned previously, the classes, 1 and 7 are specialisms, that is why they are not offered as routine on ADR