Those of you that have work consider yourselves lucky.
I got my license about this time last year, drove 7.5t for the company I worked for at the time and jacked it in so I could make better use of my license (it cost enough after all!). Ended up going the agency route because no-one was interested in someone with less than 2 years experience but things started off well.
Not any more though, last week I took a job minimum wage (£5.73/hr) picking rubbish out of the spoil from a crusher at a quarry - times are hard and I’m gonna have to sign on after I’ve typed this post to get a guaranteed £fourty something a week.
Anyone got any tips, I’d like to stay with the agencies incase work comes my way but I’ve heard that things get complicated if you’re working as well as signing on?
darkseeker: Those of you that have work consider yourselves lucky.
I got my license about this time last year, drove 7.5t for the company I worked for at the time and jacked it in so I could make better use of my license (it cost enough after all!). Ended up going the agency route because no-one was interested in someone with less than 2 years experience but things started off well.
Not any more though, last week I took a job minimum wage (£5.73/hr) picking rubbish out of the spoil from a crusher at a quarry - times are hard and I’m gonna have to sign on after I’ve typed this post to get a guaranteed £fourty something a week.
Anyone got any tips, I’d like to stay with the agencies incase work comes my way but I’ve heard that things get complicated if you’re working as well as signing on?
I signed on while on agency and did not tell them about a weeks work I did, had to go and see the fraud dept a few weeks ago about it, they gave me a caution I think you can work 16 hours while on the dole but you have to tell em. But if you get a weeks work you will have to sign off then back on, but when you sign back on it should be a rapid reclaim so will probably take 2weeks 6days instead of the usual 3 weeks
bubsy06:
I think you can work 16 hours while on the dole but you have to tell em. But if you get a weeks work you will have to sign off then back on, but when you sign back on it should be a rapid reclaim so will probably take 2weeks 6days instead of the usual 3 weeks
15 hours and 59 mins is the max to stay signed on.
All earnings must be declared
If you do earn over your weekly dole amount then you get to keep the first £5 and lose the rest.
So if your dole is £60.50 per week and you do 12 hours of work for £5.73 per hour = £68.76 then take off £55.50 you will be £8.26 better off financially - unless we take travelling costs into account …
bubsy06:
I think you can work 16 hours while on the dole but you have to tell em. But if you get a weeks work you will have to sign off then back on, but when you sign back on it should be a rapid reclaim so will probably take 2weeks 6days instead of the usual 3 weeks
15 hours and 59 mins is the max to stay signed on.
All earnings must be declared
If you do earn over your weekly dole amount then you get to keep the first £5 and lose the rest.
So if your dole is £60.50 per week and you do 12 hours of work for £5.73 per hour = £68.76 then take off £55.50 you will be £8.26 better off financially - unless we take travelling costs into account …
That’s exactly what’s giving me grief Rog, It’ll only really be better for me if I don’t get any work in a given week.
Out of curiosity, do you think it would be worth having another shot at my class 1 (assuming I can sort funds out) as there’s a lot more jobs about for class 1 drivers than for class 2, just the same as there’s roughly 1 rigid to 4 artic’s on the road.
darkseeker:
Out of curiosity, do you think it would be worth having another shot at my class 1 (assuming I can sort funds out) as there’s a lot more jobs about for class 1 drivers than for class 2, just the same as there’s roughly 1 rigid to 4 artic’s on the road.
Now there’s a question
Frying pan or fire
All I can say is that you have been around this site long enough to know the current job situation for all and the sort of pitfalls that befall a newbie in any class of truck so the decision is totally down to you.
IF, and a big IF, you can afford to spend the money and maybe not have the benefit from it for maybe a couple of years then go right ahead as your so called 2 years ‘experience’ is likely to coincide with the predicted ending of this DEPRESSION - oh, sorry Mr Brown, I meant RECESSION
darkseeker:
Out of curiosity, do you think it would be worth having another shot at my class 1 (assuming I can sort funds out) as there’s a lot more jobs about for class 1 drivers than for class 2, just the same as there’s roughly 1 rigid to 4 artic’s on the road.
Now there’s a question
Frying pan or fire
All I can say is that you have been around this site long enough to know the current job situation for all and the sort of pitfalls that befall a newbie in any class of truck so the decision is totally down to you.
IF, and a big IF, you can afford to spend the money and maybe not have the benefit from it for maybe a couple of years then go right ahead as your so called 2 years ‘experience’ is likely to coincide with the predicted ending of this DEPRESSION - oh, sorry Mr Brown, I meant RECESSION
well there’s a straight answer for you.
You’re right, I understand the pitfalls etc all too well. and I can see it would be far from garanteeing a job - but there’d be more which I could at least apply for and may make the agency side of things a little better.
At the moment, no I can’t afford it but if it looked like a gamble worth taking I’d consider finding a way (I intend to re-take the C+E at some point this year anyway) - if that makes sence? Hence the
question.
I would not take the Class one now, there are a shed load of drivers on the dole, many of whom have a lot of experience, and who when things start to improve are going to be prime for the good jobs etc… The inexperienced are going to get the crap in most cases…
Heres what im doing, invest spare cash, for me ive bought £500 worth of shares that were almost a fiver each last year, now worth 3p!!, the shares are with a Bank, banks do NOT go bust (Wife works for a big one, so we get the inside info ) and when things pick up, the shares will rise (Already have actually) so if they go up to £4 each, well you work it out!! Better than any savings account, or min wage job…
So my advice, if you can and have cash spare, invest it, but invest wisely, and it will pay dividends, poss sooner rather than later…
if you are now out of work and on the dole then cant the social in your area retrain you and give you a class c+e.
i dont know the first thing about the social but there have been plenty of drivers trained up for free
dave:
if you are now out of work and on the dole then cant the social in your area retrain you and give you a class c+e.
i dont know the first thing about the social but there have been plenty of drivers trained up for free
I tried this but they said they could only help if I was made redundant. I had to pay out of my own money in the end.
Another factor to consider is that (by the letter of the law) you would not be eligable for dole on the week you do your training because you would not be “available for work”
Semtex:
Another factor to consider is that (by the letter of the law) you would not be eligable for dole on the week you do your training because you would not be “available for work”
There is a legal way around this -
If you have 1 to 1 half day (4 hours) training and start on a Wednesday with the test on the following Tuesday then you only do 12 hours in one week and 8 in the next = no loss of benefits
I would not take the Class one now, there are a shed load of drivers on the dole, many of whom have a lot of experience, and who when things start to improve are going to be prime for the good jobs etc… The inexperienced are going to get the crap in most cases…
Heres what im doing, invest spare cash, for me ive bought £500 worth of shares that were almost a fiver each last year, now worth 3p!!, the shares are with a Bank, banks do NOT go bust (Wife works for a big one, so we get the inside info ) and when things pick up, the shares will rise (Already have actually) so if they go up to £4 each, well you work it out!! Better than any savings account, or min wage job…
So my advice, if you can and have cash spare, invest it, but invest wisely, and it will pay dividends, poss sooner rather than later…
Fair point, I’d be willing to take some of the crap in exchange for experience (to my mind, that’s how it works anyway) but the only way I’d afford it would be a career development loan or similar (so shares idea isn’t an option). The thought was it may open up some options for me, and considering I was going to do it at some point anyway may be worth considering. Still a definate no-no?
ive been hauled up by the fraud lot at the dole because they screwed up, they gave me a payment 6 months after i came off the dole, said id pay soo much back a month and never heard a single thing back fromt hem
but im meant to be going to the dole office 2moro to start signing on again so aye thats gonna be fun
i dont wanna be on it tbh its rubbish, wonder if i can get my hiab or forklift from them lol
gogzy:
wonder if i can get my hiab or forklift from them lol
They used to do this for free on the dole for flt license, I am not sure what happens now but I paid only 50 quid for mine while me mate who was signing on got it free. He only came cause it was free and I didnt wanna go alone might of had to be signing on for so long though before it was free. I have never signed on in my life as I never thought i’d be out of work long enough. Even did days in factorys filling diarys at one time! That was depressing but money is money, good luck to everyone in this thread
gogzy:
ive been hauled up by the fraud lot at the dole because they screwed up, they gave me a payment 6 months after i came off the dole, said id pay soo much back a month and never heard a single thing back fromt hem
but im meant to be going to the dole office 2moro to start signing on again so aye thats gonna be fun
i dont wanna be on it tbh its rubbish, wonder if i can get my hiab or forklift from them lol
dave:
if you are now out of work and on the dole then cant the social in your area retrain you and give you a class c+e.
i dont know the first thing about the social but there have been plenty of drivers trained up for free
I tried this but they said they could only help if I was made redundant. I had to pay out of my own money in the end.
Many yrs ago when i left the forces and went to sign on i was told that they would/could put me through my psv.But i had to be unemployed for 6 weeks,i refused the course as i didn;t want psv licence.And i didn’t expect to be unemployed that long,so pop the question as they won’t tell you coz it saves them money which goes towards their bonus at end of financial yr.good luck.
Those of you that have work consider yourselves lucky.
I think you can work 16 hours while on the dole but you have to tell em. But if you get a weeks work you will have to sign off then back on, but when you sign back on it should be a rapid reclaim so will probably take 2weeks 6days instead of the usual 3 weeks 
