I did my refresher in August so it’s still got over 4 years to run on my ADR ! To be honest with you the only problem I can see with the whole thing is that I will pay for the course upfront myself. It’s not really up to the agency as they provide me with work, they wouldn’t pay for someone to have a class 1 license so that I can work for them, I’ve had to get that myself like any other driver on here (unless you get it from the army or throught the dole, I know there are also a few drivers who’ve been lucky and had a firm like ASDA pay for it for them, but in the main we have got it ourselves). I have told them that I want a guaranteed 8 shifts at 8 hours at double time. That’s £9 an hour doubled so £18 an hour if I’m doing straight hours on days. That will get me £144 per an 8 hour shift or £72 more than if I done a basic 8 hours anywhere else. If you times that by the 8 shifts then It’s going to make me £576 more than the normal work (this is all assuming that the work is 8 hours and on basic rates, this is the minumum earnings - if the job goes into 12 hours days then I’m coining it but I have to think what the least I can earn from it). I also have to take into consideration a days pay lost on top of the course fee as I will miss out on a days work ! That’s the problem I have in the fact is it worth it. I suppose if I get more than 8 shifts and / or more hours than 8 then it is absolutely worth it, not only that but I have explosives added to my bow and 4 years or so to use it again, if I don’t use it again then I’d have still made my money.
Anyway, the stage I’m at is that I’m waiting for more info and then can make a decision. The next course is next week so I’ve told them not to take too long. The only thing I haven’t mentioned is that I will put a time limit on the 8 shifts, say 3 months. That way I will have recouped my money within 3 months and made a profit on the normal work I do !!!
I’m also going to enquire about the Radioactive course, not because I want to do it but I need to find out how to protect myself from some of the poison that appears on these forums haha !!! Thanks again to those who debate things sensibly.
Kerbdog:
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
Problem I see here, the guy’s broken his ankle NOW, not in 10 weeks when you’ll have completed the course and your certificate has come through.
It’s not a 10 minute thing, and for an agency and out of your own pocket, I think you’d be mad tbh
i added classes 1 and 7 a couple of months ago too my adr as my boss is thinking of retiring so i thought it would look good on the cv to future employers.
scotstrucker:
i added classes 1 and 7 a couple of months ago too my adr as my boss is thinking of retiring so i thought it would look good on the cv to future employers.
waynedl:
Kerbdog:
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
Problem I see here, the guy’s broken his ankle NOW, not in 10 weeks when you’ll have completed the course and your certificate has come through.
It’s not a 10 minute thing, and for an agency and out of your own pocket, I think you’d be mad tbh
An explosive topic !
by Kerbdog » Tue May 22, 2012 1:45 pm
scotstrucker:
i added classes 1 and 7 a couple of months ago too my adr as my boss is thinking of retiring so i thought it would look good on the cv to future employers.
waynedl:
Kerbdog:
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
Problem I see here, the guy’s broken his ankle NOW, not in 10 weeks when you’ll have completed the course and your certificate has come through.
It’s not a 10 minute thing, and for an agency and out of your own pocket, I think you’d be mad tbh
An explosive topic !
by Kerbdog » Tue May 22, 2012 1:45 pm
I think the guys ankle will have healed by now
Might’ve grown a new one
Ok, I only just saw it, it was at the top of the page, I don’t check the dates
have you got the money in spare cash?
if so, do the course. you’ll probably get 7 hours of dcpc thrown in.
also, as it’s classed as career advancement, you can claim it back from the tax man.
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.
Why? I’ve been to plenty of companies as a Class 1 agency driver and self employed where I’ve been considerably better than many of their own drivers. At one place, the drivers were lifers and it was a dead mans shoes type of place yet they had drivers there so retarded they needed to ask permission to do the most obvious things such as if getting held up at one place, tip their next drop of 1 pallet just up the industrial estate and come back.
Kerbdog:
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
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.
Why? I’ve been to plenty of companies as a Class 1 agency driver and self employed where I’ve been considerably better than many of their own drivers. At one place, the drivers were lifers and it was a dead mans shoes type of place yet they had drivers there so retarded they needed to ask permission to do the most obvious things such as if getting held up at one place, tip their next drop of 1 pallet just up the industrial estate and come back.
I used to do agency work for the MOD frequently until they changed agencies. when they need extra drivers, who else are they going to get?
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.
Life jackets don’t contain explosives at all. They inflate either by mouth through the tube or by a CO2 cannister which is punctured by a pin piercing the top of the bottle, when you pull the toggle. Even the auto inflate ones aren’t explosive - they have a ‘pill’, often of paper which expands when it gets wet and pushes the pin into the bottle.
As far as I recall life rafts don’t have explosives for deployment either - they’re nitrogen/CO2 bottles but obviously a larger bottle. As these are packed and sealed at the factory/service centre the only time I have seen them is on survival courses. HOWEVER packed life rafts will have distress flares in the survival packs so maybe that is the need for ADR or the size of the compressed gas bottle(varies from about 30 grams for life jackets up to ■■? depending on the size of the raft)?
No experience of ADR requirements but years of maritime experience!
