Sumsmeister:
Portsmouth. Portsmouth.
Oh dear, I sound like a broken record…
In all honesty, I’ll rely on the agency to find me a day here and there just to get started. I’m in striking distance of Southampton so there’s a fair old number of companies not far from me. Containers might be a good place to be…
Try interaction recruitment if you want containers mate, as I know they have a couple of contracts doing them…
They also have Fowler Welch in your area if that takes your fancy…
Have you thought about the bus route? most outfits pay you for your training…I went to Calgary transit at age 57 still there aged almost 67 you ve obviously had lots of dealings with the public .
robinswh:
Have you thought about the bus route? most outfits pay you for your training…I went to Calgary transit at age 57 still there aged almost 67 you ve obviously had lots of dealings with the public .
Pensioners or prisoners, not sure which are worse! 
robinswh:
Have you thought about the bus route? most outfits pay you for your training…I went to Calgary transit at age 57 still there aged almost 67 you ve obviously had lots of dealings with the public .
I have thought a little about it, but Canada is too far to commute really! 
mac12:
Remember that you may only earn £8 or £9 per hour but you can do 80 hours a week and become a proper trucker.
That’s twice as many hours as I want to do!
Thanks a lot for all the advice so far. Feel free to post more if you have any. 
Hi
I’m 48 and only passed my class 2 in December 2015. Started for a local company who runs from 7.5t up to artics. We are part of the Palletline network so drop pallets to both business and private clients. Start at 7am and normally finish drops by 11am then it’s break and collections in the afternoon. Need to be back in the yard by 4pm as the trunks are waiting! it’s not that hard, the worst is a pallet of top soil etc to a private house but it’s kerbside drop! I’m doing my class 1 in September and the firm is paying for that. Wages are not the best but i’m a lot happier now and money improves on the class 1 so i decided to take a hit short term. My point is, it’s out there. Visit any local firms and sell yourself! It’s a lot better face to face rather than emails etc! go for it and good luck.
neil2402:
Hi
I’m 48 and only passed my class 2 in December 2015. Started for a local company who runs from 7.5t up to artics. We are part of the Palletline network so drop pallets to both business and private clients. Start at 7am and normally finish drops by 11am then it’s break and collections in the afternoon. Need to be back in the yard by 4pm as the trunks are waiting! it’s not that hard, the worst is a pallet of top soil etc to a private house but it’s kerbside drop! I’m doing my class 1 in September and the firm is paying for that. Wages are not the best but i’m a lot happier now and money improves on the class 1 so i decided to take a hit short term. My point is, it’s out there. Visit any local firms and sell yourself! It’s a lot better face to face rather than emails etc! go for it and good luck.
Thanks a lot neil2402, that’s just the sort of thing I want to hear. That type of driving work sounds good. I don’t want to be working loads of hours. Yes, I want to be earning a reasonable amount, but like you say, happiness is very important. My current job is getting a bit dangerous and I really want to give this a go. When I pass my class 2, first time hopefully, I will try to pay some local firms a visit. Thanks again.
I didn’t mean in Canada I m a brit who happens to live there now I don’t really understand british drivers licences as my psv and hgv are long expired .I just meant that bus companies as far as I know will train you and pay for your medical thus avoiding the four figure expense that you will be paying if you take the lorry route.I had no problem with any of my bus training over here at 57 years old. I have a friend hes 73 and still driving a city bus.
Evil8Beezle:
Try interaction recruitment if you want containers mate, as I know they have a couple of contracts doing them…
They also have Fowler Welch in your area if that takes your fancy…
Thanks E8B!
Hi, I was greatly encouraged to see I am not the only ‘oldie’ on here, starting out on a new career! I am 53 and since I was 15yrs old I wanted to drive trucks. Of course my school careers teacher and family thought I was taking the mickey! (obviously it was rare to find women truckers in the 1980s).
However, after working in boring office jobs for 25 years, (and still fancied a go at driving a truck!), I decided ‘its now or never’, took the plunge and got my Class 2 in January 2015 - I found it really difficult to get much agency work due to inexperience, insurance stipulations blah, blah, blah. But, any work I did manage to get was mainly shop deliveries around the Glasgow area. Nightmare - parking horrendous (my reversing experience was non-existant!!), palletised deliveries on tail lifts were too heavy for me to pull on to,(although I struggled I did manage it because I am not someone that gives up easily). But the handballing - I had so many trips running back and forth with the sack barrow, never mind lifting heavy sacks of onions etc into shops. Well, basically I found the multi-drop stuff was just NOT for me! Too much heavy lifting, all timed delivery pressures AND I was always late!
Then, it was when I got a few Class 2 night trunk type deliveries, that were forklifted on and off, I realised this is the job for me! No heavy lifting!! I love the driving more than anything but distinct lack of trunk Class 2 work, as it is mainly multi-drop. And without sounding sexist - you guys are at a distinct advantage - definitely stronger, faster and able to lift heavy stuff that is beyond my capabilities…
So this year I decided I would sit my Class 1 as all I want to do is night trunking. Passed it in April 2016 and wow - I have been INUNDATED with agency work, despite the fact I have NO Class 1 and minimal Class 2 experience. Its the best thing I ever did. No handballing, seems alot less pressure - not constantly chasing my tail? I wish I’d done it 20 years ago. I have worked mainly night trailer change overs at Motorway Services. But, being a newbie - I am struggling with the reverse parking. It is hard to get the judgement right (especially in the dark!) and so I try to find the widest space between parked trucks! But I am not proud - and rather than waste 30 mins trying to reverse park - and still making a complete hash of it, I just ask another driver to watch and guide me in. I think, for me, connecting up the red suzie line and reverse parking are the worst parts, but I wont give up. I know its practice. For now, I just get out Unit heaps of times to check as I know any damage means I wont get asked back!
I started off with Container work and once used to skelly trailers and the length settings, I enjoyed that. Like someone posted on here - you could be waiting at the docks for a while to get the box loaded, but I found it good experience. Reversing isnt as scary there because the lanes are really wide and no chance of hitting anything!
To other wannabes out there - GO FOR IT! If I can do it - anyone can do it LOL
Tea Jenny:
Hi, I was greatly encouraged to see I am not the only ‘oldie’ on here, starting out on a new career! I am 53 and since I was 15yrs old I wanted to drive trucks. Of course my school careers teacher and family thought I was taking the mickey! (obviously it was rare to find women truckers in the 1980s).However, after working in boring office jobs for 25 years, (and still fancied a go at driving a truck!), I decided ‘its now or never’, took the plunge and got my Class 2 in January 2015 - I found it really difficult to get much agency work due to inexperience, insurance stipulations blah, blah, blah. But, any work I did manage to get was mainly shop deliveries around the Glasgow area. Nightmare - parking horrendous (my reversing experience was non-existant!!), palletised deliveries on tail lifts were too heavy for me to pull on to,(although I struggled I did manage it because I am not someone that gives up easily). But the handballing - I had so many trips running back and forth with the sack barrow, never mind lifting heavy sacks of onions etc into shops. Well, basically I found the multi-drop stuff was just NOT for me! Too much heavy lifting, all timed delivery pressures AND I was always late!
Then, it was when I got a few Class 2 night trunk type deliveries, that were forklifted on and off, I realised this is the job for me! No heavy lifting!! I love the driving more than anything but distinct lack of trunk Class 2 work, as it is mainly multi-drop. And without sounding sexist - you guys are at a distinct advantage - definitely stronger, faster and able to lift heavy stuff that is beyond my capabilities…
So this year I decided I would sit my Class 1 as all I want to do is night trunking. Passed it in April 2016 and wow - I have been INUNDATED with agency work, despite the fact I have NO Class 1 and minimal Class 2 experience. Its the best thing I ever did. No handballing, seems alot less pressure - not constantly chasing my tail? I wish I’d done it 20 years ago. I have worked mainly night trailer change overs at Motorway Services. But, being a newbie - I am struggling with the reverse parking. It is hard to get the judgement right (especially in the dark!) and so I try to find the widest space between parked trucks! But I am not proud - and rather than waste 30 mins trying to reverse park - and still making a complete hash of it, I just ask another driver to watch and guide me in. I think, for me, connecting up the red suzie line and reverse parking are the worst parts, but I wont give up. I know its practice. For now, I just get out Unit heaps of times to check as I know any damage means I wont get asked back!
I started off with Container work and once used to skelly trailers and the length settings, I enjoyed that. Like someone posted on here - you could be waiting at the docks for a while to get the box loaded, but I found it good experience. Reversing isnt as scary there because the lanes are really wide and no chance of hitting anything!
To other wannabes out there - GO FOR IT! If I can do it - anyone can do it LOL
Thanks for that (Tea) Jenny, good to here from you. It looks as though you have made the right decision and are making a go of it. Just keep practising the reversing, it’ll come in the end! Can I ask you how much you earn. I know you are at the other side of the UK and pay rates are probably different, but I would be interested. I would be taking a bit of a pay cut leaving my job, but I know money isn’t everything. Cheers
[/quote]
Thanks for that (Tea) Jenny, good to here from you. It looks as though you have made the right decision and are making a go of it. Just keep practising the reversing, it’ll come in the end! Can I ask you how much you earn. I know you are at the other side of the UK and pay rates are probably different, but I would be interested. I would be taking a bit of a pay cut leaving my job, but I know money isn’t everything. Cheers
[/quote]
Sorry teajenny, didn’t mean to ask how much you earn, just your hourly rate. 
Cheers
I know what you mean about the Prison Service. After a 25 year career my service ended in January this year. 50 years old and was looking for something new. Came very close to taking my HGV licenses but decided in the end that I wanted local to home, no stress, pension, sick pay, holiday pay, share scheme, shift work etc etc so went and joined Stagecoach, took their training, now fully qualified and driving buses round my home town. Take home pay in the the Service was approx £500 a week clear, take home flat week now is approx £350 with £400+ easily achievable. The loss of salary is worth every cent for the stress free life I have now As I have said to my ex colleagues, if you’ve had enough then give the bus service some serious consideration, I’m glad I did.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.
Some of us can’t do bus driving, we hate people! 
But each to their own, and if it works for you then great…
Personally I like a bit of solitude and listening to tunes! 
Kwakzx7r you’re the second person to suggest trying buses. I can see the appeal, but I’m committed to HGV at the moment, got my practical class 2 course next week. I’m also looking forward to leaving the Big House! Btw, I’m a GSX1400 man myself!
When’s your test? I’m doing C+E on Weds.
Honda VFR 800 in the garage…
archno1:
Kwakzx7r you’re the second person to suggest trying buses. I can see the appeal, but I’m committed to HGV at the moment, got my practical class 2 course next week. I’m also looking forward to leaving the Big House! Btw, I’m a GSX1400 man myself!
HAHAHA the kwak tag has been with me for years mate. Current bike is a Suzuki Hayabusa. Love the GSX1400 and would have one but need the fairing for riding to France on.
I also share concerns about your wage expectation mate. £15 per hour(assuming you want Mon-Fri days) is very ambitious even with ADR.
You really need to be basing your calculations on £10 per hour and expect to not be doing less than 50 hours per week. I would say as a day man you should expect £400-£450 take home.
This is all CE work I am talking about. Class 2 work varies considerably, and most of it makes wet stuff gather on your brow/armpits. ■■■■■■■■ to that!
Sumsmeister:
When’s your test? I’m doing C+E on Weds.
Honda VFR 800 in the garage…
My test will be on Thursday. Good luck with yours!