Hello to All,
Just came across this most informative and helpful site,excellent1!!
Please bear with me as I’ve a few questions to ask.I’m a 50 year old forklift driver from a warehouse background who has had enough,been on the sick this last 5 months and shall throw in the towel at the end of this month,regardless of feedback here or elsewhere,I’ve been thinking of getting a class 2 for quite a while and would like as much feedback as possible,positve/negative on my chances of gaining employment should I go down this route.You see the adverts everywhere proclaiming lots of jobs,good money etc.
Now I could just pop into town,Coventry in my case,and ask a few agencies,but I bet they will all sing the same song until you register with them-bang-endless phone calls and no work!!!
At the moment I’m just trying to cast the net as wide as possible with regard to my options.Would I be too old as a trainee haulage jockey-is it
just a young mans game?
Finally, if I went down this route,any good LGV schools in the Cov or surrounding area’s?
Regards to All.
P.S. As much feedback as possible please.
Welcome to Trucknet forklift 
Well first of all 50 isn’t too old for training for this job, as for work prospects I’m afraid they’re not that good at the moment, there certainly is no driver shortage but many new drivers still manage to find work so don’t be too despondent.
I can’t say what the employment situation is like in Coventry at the moment but I do know that HDNL are in the process of moving to the old Ryton plant, I believe the move should be finalised within the next year to 18 months, HDNL in case you don’t know use an awful lot of agency drivers, sadly the main agency they use is “First Drivers on Line” who are one of the crappiest, most incompetent and most dishonest agencies around so hopefully they won’t get the Ryton contract.
You’re right about the agencies, at this stage they are likely to feed you a lot of bull[zb] just in case they can use you later so basically it’s probably best to ignore anything they tell you about future job prospects, much better in my opinion to listen to the experiences of the new drivers here when they’ve been looking for work.
I’ve no doubt someone will be along before too long to give you better information on the work situation in the Coventry area.
Good luck whatever you decide to do
If you click the link in my signature or this 
(Forum sponser logo) it will lead you to an index where you can access a lot more info which may be of use to you 
To book any LGV training I suggest the trainee-to-be, visits the training school, meets the head person(s) and has a quick look at the truck BEFORE parting with any money.
Using the site Search facility and putting the words TRAINING AND WHERE you wish to train may turn up some recommendations. 
forklift:
Now I could just pop into town,Coventry in my case,and ask a few agencies,but I bet they will all sing the same song until you register with them-bang-endless phone calls and no work!!!.
No flies on you mate - you got them well sussed
forklift:
At the moment I’m just trying to cast the net as wide as possible with regard to my options.Would I be too old as a trainee haulage jockey-is it
just a young mans game?.
Average age of a trucker is about 50 - (my age )
forklift:
Finally, if I went down this route,any good LGV schools in the Cov or surrounding area’s?
I used to work at the nearest one to you - not a bad school - oldish vehicles but fairly well maintained mechanically - cabs are a bit dusty 
- get Tony as your instructor - no-one else and go for 2 to 1 training as they do all day 1 to 1 which is too much for a C trainee.
They test at Gloucester
02476 700 300
If you are wondering why I do not still work there - I am currently in dispute with them over a non training issue which I cannot go into on here.
Never too old to learn anything mate, life is one big lesson!
Ok you may not be up to some of the more physical jobs but there are HGV jobs out there that cater for EVERY fitness/mental level.
You just need to know your limit and make sure you inform the employer of what you are ABLE to do.
Many on here will slate HGV driving, saying its crap, pay, conditions, facilities, bosses, roads etc etc etc etc.
But if it was that bad, they would have got off their arses and got another job.
Personally I love driving, always have done, started off in vans on UK/Euro work and now quite happy on Cat C Hiab/Plant work, its dirty, sometimes hard work, anti-social hours, nights, weekends, most Bank Holidays. But I prefer this to General Haulage.
EACH TO THEIR OWN! 
Good Luck in whichever path you choose.
Hi forklift, I was 57 when I started on the route of gaining my class C, passed class C+E in May this year.
I’ve registered with a few agencies, one of them has never made any effort to make contact, all the contact from my end, I’ve given up with them now.
The other 2 have been OK.
My first day on the road was a baptism of fire, which I put down to trying to do the best I could in a short space of time, not a good way to start. Since then I’ve had 3 days driving locally which put some confidence back in my abilities.
I look forward to the work, don’t mind when or where, it can be dirty and all the other variations you care to think of but if you enjoy driving, go for it!
I’ve just passed a forklift driving course, that may sound sad but another arrow to the bow, never know when it may come in handy.
All the best in whatever you decide.
Stu’:D’
Welcome to the madhouse
If you have been on the sick will you pass a medical as that will be 1 of the first thing then the disc for the theory or the book but remember that the disc is only compatible with windows
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23685
try there for medical
VOSA
The Goods Testing Station
40 Cannock Street
Barkby Thorpe Road
Leicester
LE4 7HT
0116 276 6381
and pick up a FREE copy
Rules in Drivers Hours and Tachographs
If i were you mate i would go for it. You should find some class2 work in Cov. Brakes have a depot over there somewhere and Palmer and Harvey too. Both companies will give newly qualified a chance. Its class2 multidrop work you are most likely to get and can be hard graft. So be prepared and do some research in your area. Thats my best advice to you . Good luck with your C.
Hi All,
Thanks for all the info you have posted in response to my questions,excellent and keep it it coming!!!