As much as I’ve enjoyed class 2 work for the last few months, varied, 8-10 hour days, no nights out and usually pallets and forklifts I’ve decided to go for my class 1 while I can still afford it.
This is not really by choice, though it was always on the cards, but more out of necessity as the work seems to have dried up. At least that’s what my agency tells me since I refused to do a bread run one Saturday night — me thinks they’re trying to teach me a lesson but no luck getting work elsewhere and money’s running out.
Rightly or wrongly I decided class 1 has to be the best option even with little driving experience, thankfully this is one industry where age should be on my side, so got on the phone and managed to find a test date for the 28th. It’s with a local family concern that run a Renault with a flatbed trailer, one to one over 5 days which suits me fine.
I do have some concerns over the type of work done on Class 1 but first things first…
There are more opportunities for work with a C + E. Obviously, if you have a class 1 you can do class 1 OR 2 work, whereas if you only have a class 2 you can only do class 2 work. Stating the obvious, I know.
Hopefully, as you passed your class 2 recently, you won’t have forgotten how to drive to pass a driving test. Or picked up too many bad driving habits . You now have some experience in handling large goods vehicles, sticking a trailer on the back will be a new experience but shouldn’t give you any major problems, except the reversing, which can cause a few problems.
Best of luck with the class 1, keep us up to date on how things are going.
I would advise anybody (if they can afford it) to get the class 1, if you got that lisence, you can drive it all, so it always made sense to me. I went straight into class1 Steve, as you could then, and did have a baptism of fire, but really, it aint so bad, I reckon racing about and trying to impress is the biggest pitfall to a new driver, good luck with it M8!
I went in to meet my new lot today, I was going to be shown round the vehicle & have a chat but ended up going for a drive.
It’s basically Class 2 work on recovery, but we need class 1 as we pull caravans etc.
Class 1 is well worth the dosh steve, or should that be Mr _24v ?.
I personally find rigid work far more varied & thus interesting, but I also enjoy the odd night up the road & the distances involved in bendy work.
This is the best time to be up grading as everyone is desperate for drivers in the build up to Christmas (Nov & Dec,) so a new bendy driver will be given more chances to work & also with Class 1 you stand more chance of being treated well by the agency in the low season (Jan & Feb.) as they want to keep hold of you, so the odd days rigid work, on top of the bendy stuff, will help to keep the dosh coming in.
. You now have some experience in handling large goods vehicles, sticking a trailer on the back will be a new experience but shouldn’t give you any major problems, except the reversing, which