Sorry but another new driver. Got to my fifties and children have grown up so recently decided to do what I’ve always wanted to do - drive a truck. Have spent some time reading about the current state of the industry (sounds dire), lack of pay and over complicated regulations and a lack of respect from joe public - but hey, apart from the pay it sounds like the job I came from (being a solicitor - the pay was ok but otherwise…). So I’ve had my assessment drive and then my “C” course with WTTL in Devizes who I reckon were on the ball, professional and generally OK. They must have been as I passed last week. (That I spent half the test in a traffic jam and missed the “magic roundabout” in Swindon as a result was probably the real reason.)
Next step I reckon is to get some experience of the real world with an agency, then book up my C+E. I’m still working part time as a lawyer so it’ll be a couple of days a week if I can get any work. Thanks to those on here who provide useful tips for newcomers, in case anyone is interested I’ll hopefully let you know how I get on with agency work!
Welcome to the site kvin
I must say and i suppose a lot will tell u the same here stick to been a lawyer i think u mad but i admire u as well for following something you always wanted to do so first of all the best of luck with the driving .
Anything u need to know just ask dont be shy we all had to start somewhere
I am thinking of going with WTTL or 2start but anyway but wasn’t to sure on training using the magic roundabout as ive had run in with that before… But how did you find them good trainers? £1099 for a course isn’t it?
You say you work as a lawyer but want to drive lorries instead
Thank you, you’ve confirmed what I suspected about lawyers …
Driving work is relatively quiet now and especially so just after Christmas/New year so I’m afraid you’ll find it hard to get agency work for a while … having said most agency people are liars and parasites so you may have more experience than most of us at dealing with them
Well done Kvn on passing your test & welcome to the world of 2nd class citizens. I use to run alot of agy drivers in Swindon many yrs ago & all though my bank balance was very good my mental health was crap.
Class 2 agy work at that time in Swindon at any time of the year was pretty hit & miss as most of the big operators wanted C+E drivers regardless of what class the vehicle. A company called S W transport use to opperate a fair number of class 2 vehicles & I presume they are still a going concern as they were a well run company. You could try aproaching them for work as an ad-hoc driver direct, as in my experience they were aimable to helping people get a foot in the door. As I say it’s along time since I was in the game there but I hope this is of some use to you. Bye the way I went back to driving & now am alot sanner & happer, oh & of course broke.
Good luck.
I don’t know about other providers Dan (so I’ve nothing to compare them with) but WTTL were good for me. I had a free assessment - driving a reasonably new Daf - then four days training, test on the fifth day. Cost £1099 including the test fee. Plenty of useful local knowledge and tips which turned out helpful (there seem to be a lot of roundabouts in Swindon where some local knowledge is very helpful!) the instructor, Neil, was down to earth and sensible and what he said made good sense and got me through the test.
Going in to see a contact at a local agency tomorrow so I’ll see what comes of it…though waiting for my licence and my tacho card to come in the post.
Truckulent:
Can’t say i understand moving from £200/hour to £200/week…
You need a new job pal. I was earning twice that on the taxis and closer to three times that now I’m working class one. They must have seen you coming.
Truckulent:
Can’t say i understand moving from £200/hour to £200/week…
You need a new job pal. I was earning twice that on the taxis and closer to three times that now I’m working class one. They must have seen you coming.
I don’t think the £200 a week was meant to be taken literally
Truckulent:
Can’t say i understand moving from £200/hour to £200/week…
You need a new job pal. I was earning twice that on the taxis and closer to three times that now I’m working class one. They must have seen you coming.
I don’t think the £200 a week was meant to be taken literally
Correct. I merely implied a successful lawyer/solicitor would normally earn more in a week than an LGV driver would in a month. It isn’t a reflection of my earnings as I couldn’t run the Ferrari on that sort of money…PMSL
kvin:
Sorry but another new driver. Got to my fifties and children have grown up so recently decided to do what I’ve always wanted to do - drive a truck. Have spent some time reading about the current state of the industry (sounds dire), lack of pay and over complicated regulations and a lack of respect from joe public - but hey, apart from the pay it sounds like the job I came from (being a solicitor - the pay was ok but otherwise…). So I’ve had my assessment drive and then my “C” course with WTTL in Devizes who I reckon were on the ball, professional and generally OK. They must have been as I passed last week. (That I spent half the test in a traffic jam and missed the “magic roundabout” in Swindon as a result was probably the real reason.)
Next step I reckon is to get some experience of the real world with an agency, then book up my C+E. I’m still working part time as a lawyer so it’ll be a couple of days a week if I can get any work. Thanks to those on here who provide useful tips for newcomers, in case anyone is interested I’ll hopefully let you know how I get on with agency work!
another made up user name on the wind up, somebody in charge is desperate for topics that cause people to respond.
Could TNUK be going the way of dreamersworld?
Some wind up - I’m looking at my practising certificate and my pass certificate. It’s all very well earning good money but not if you’re miserable most of your life, and I can pay off my mortgage and still have some money in the bank so just need to earn enough to get by - so why not do something I’ve always wanted to do. Sitting in a warm office looks cushty but in a small to medium size firm you have to be a laywer - and deal with pain in the arse clients - all day, and manage 60 people in your spare time and have unlimited personal liability if the firm goes under. So it isn’t all a bed of roses. (honest).
Your a foil to take up driving for a living, it as turned into the worst job out there. Toilet cleaners get treat better. But being a lawyer you might have some advantage trawling through all the legislation that is being foisted upon us.
Good luck, your going to need it, I’ll give you a year till your on here complaining about all the ■■■■ you have to endure on a dailly basis.
A couple of months in to that year and still going - doing whatever comes along so long as it isn’t clerical work. Happy shifting sacks instead of being a lawyer and it’s a lot less stressful.
Did my artic test last friday and passed (despite not being able to get in to 6th which got me a couple of minors. Then my instructor had the same problem on the way back to base…). Suspect the truck - w reg scania - was slightly past its best and the examiner seemed surprised at the cable brake on the trailer…(especially when I had to hit it to get it off). Still intent on being a trucker, despite the lack of replies to e mails and calls and the constant response that you have to have experience to get a job. Give it another couple of months and I’ll report back but I’m no troll and I’m not stopping!!
Well after a lot of calls and visits I seem to have a foot in a couple of doors. One agency sent me along on saturday to be shown tanker driving, on my first day I learned a lot and ended up backing the tanker in to the bay at Oakthorpe dairy then driving it back down the North Circular and home to somerset in the dark. Second day on the job yesterday I did the lot - drove it fully laden with 28000 litres of milk to the dairy, backed it in to the bay and unloaded it then drove it home. Still supervised but a good learning experience and on that basis worth doing without pay. It’s interesting driving with all that milk sloshing around and you have to try to be really smooth and careful and anticipate, I seemed to get along ok and didn’t have any hairy moments. It’s a type of driving I really enjoy. Plus the truck (volvo fh500) was nearly new and very swish - with auto transmission - and a pleasure to drive. I’m hoping for another full day doing it supervised and then, hopefully and if I pass an assessment, doing it alone.
I reckon it has to be worth doing this without pay if I can learn to do it well and provided it leads to work.
Then by way of a complete contrast another agency needed someone this morning to take a van down to kent to do an urgent delivery - managed to find the drop straight away and get it done fast with no hold ups or problems so they were grateful and it might hopefully lead to some class 2 work… and this one I get paid for.
So there seems to be work out there if you persist but also if you’re lucky. Hopefully my age is a plus on the tanker work, fingers crossed I can get some experience and some work there.
