Hi everyone.
Just a quick question / advice. I recently passed Class 2 licence, I got a full time job which pays circa 17k a year. At the end of the year there is usually a performance bonus which comes up to about £400.
Should i just pack it up and go full time driving. Or wait till next year.
I also heard that between new year and march is a dead period for agency work is that right?
So if i stay it will have to be till march next year.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
folken83:
Hi everyone.
Just a quick question / advice. I recently passed Class 2 licence, I got a full time job which pays circa 17k a year. At the end of the year there is usually a performance bonus which comes up to about £400.
Should i just pack it up and go full time driving. Or wait till next year.
I also heard that between new year and march is a dead period for agency work is that right?
So if i stay it will have to be till march next year.Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Pack job in right now. £17k is less than half of an agency drivers wage. So even if you are not working for half the year you will still earn more.
There is loads of work around at the moment. Where are you based?
I passed my class 2 in january and never had a problem finding work. Loads was around then as well.
Also £400 is small change - it’s less than 2 decent agency shifts. You have the qualifications to literally double your income - so use them.
Or… pack job in right now. Go on the agency. Earn anywhere from £600 to £1200 a week. But live on what you have been living on. Save up the difference. In January do your class 1 with the savings. Then go travelling for 3 months with the extra money you have earnt.
I assume you’ve never done any HGV driving so I would recommend getting some agency work for your days off, a few people have started driving HGVs and ended up regretting it, I’m not saying you won’t like it but until you’ve done a few jobs you won’t know for certain.
I have to say though that if you do enjoy driving HGVs you should soon be on a lot more than £17,000 per year.
As for how hard it will be to find work, it seems to be partly dependant on where you’re located.
Im based in south west lincs. Any good agencies around lincoln/grantham/newark area? Can i do any driving while still in full time work? Eg during the weekend, how would that work with the working time directive? I do 40h during the week so max 20 more every other week if im not wrong?
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
folken83:
Im based in south west lincs. Any good agencies around lincoln/grantham/newark area? Can i do any driving while still in full time work? Eg during the weekend, how would that work with the working time directive? I do 40h during the week so max 20 more every other week if im not wrong?Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Weekly rest will just about kill that idea - unless you do what nearly everyone does and take the view that if the tacho doesn’t record it then it’s between you and god and no business of anyone else.
If you want to be a jobsworth type you can work one day a fortnight. But the agencies will be less than impressed with that. If I were you I’d offer to cover all weekend shifts or friday/saturday night shifts. Nights are easy work - less traffic. Generally you can get away with leaving the wagon where you want at night when unloading. I wouldn’t want to block a whole car park during the day to deliver - but at night I no the chances of me being blocked in or getting into an argument are very small.
folken83:
Im based in south west lincs. Any good agencies around lincoln/grantham/newark area? Can i do any driving while still in full time work? Eg during the weekend, how would that work with the working time directive? I do 40h during the week so max 20 more every other week if im not wrong?Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Non driving WTD and drivers WTD is separate and do not get added together so forget WTD issues
Non driving job counts as other work for the EU regs so cannot be used for rest
If working non driving job from mon to fri then generally you can drive for one day every other weekend due to weekly rest laws
I’m not quite sure about the pay expectation of up to £1200 per week for a new pass, but I would be surprised if you’re not making £500+ (26K/year) for 5 days/nights on agency before tax.
Make sure you are on PAYE and no umbrella companies. LTD company is an option but I wouldn’t go that route when you’re just starting. I would recommend not signing any damage waivers if the agency gives one to you.
Each agency branch seems to run differently as they’re usually franchises - One Driver Hire branch near me requires them signed, one 20 minutes away does not. One offers PAYE, the other does not, so it is worth shopping around with agencies - There is nothing wrong with signing up to multiple agencies to increase your chances of work
I don’t know about your particular area, but when I first started, I struggled to get work as a new pass Class 2 in January/February time. At the moment there seems to be loads of work out there and should only increase in the run up to Christmas. The parcel companies are already beginning to see increased volumes.
Personally I would recommend nights as Sammy said, less traffic and usually less hassle loading/unloading on industrial estates etc
At this point in time i would be happy if i got anywhere around 21k p/y. Will have a chat with the company director im at at the moment, cause i heard wispers threre might be two more lorries comming in before end of the year. Would be an advantage, Since its only 15 min walk from home. If not then —> agencies here i come 
Thanks for all the replies.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Hyh:
I’m not quite sure about the pay expectation of up to £1200 per week for a new pass, but I would be surprised if you’re not making £500+ (26K/year) for 5 days/nights on agency before tax.
Make sure you are on PAYE and no umbrella companies. LTD company is an option but I wouldn’t go that route when you’re just starting. I would recommend not signing any damage waivers if the agency gives one to you.Each agency branch seems to run differently as they’re usually franchises - One Driver Hire branch near me requires them signed, one 20 minutes away does not. One offers PAYE, the other does not, so it is worth shopping around with agencies - There is nothing wrong with signing up to multiple agencies to increase your chances of work
I don’t know about your particular area, but when I first started, I struggled to get work as a new pass Class 2 in January/February time. At the moment there seems to be loads of work out there and should only increase in the run up to Christmas. The parcel companies are already beginning to see increased volumes.
Personally I would recommend nights as Sammy said, less traffic and usually less hassle loading/unloading on industrial estates etc
I am a relative new pass. And I have done a week of night (6 days) and done those sort of numbers. Which is why I gave them. On a poor week it will be around 600 - but i’ve had good weeks where I’ve done over a grand.
I passed class 2 in July and as soon as i have signed up to agency, I was in work the next day. I’ve had to turn down work at times due to rest periods. Not earned less than £500 in a week and the job the agency have got me on now that’s on for the next 8 weeks is fetching in around £800 a week which breaks down to an average of 3 nights out @£25 and roughly doing 60 hours a week.
The hours seem long but the days fly compared to the 10 years office work previously. Don’t know whether that’s because I’m only a month in but so far don’t regret it.
Holiday is nearly paid off, now saving for class 1 and preparing in case January and February are quiet months
Oh one more question 
Going to all them agency jobs. Do most places have the satnavs in the trucks or are you expected to have your own?
I know it may sound funny for the old timey drivers who know all the roads around the coutry
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
folken83:
Oh one more question
Going to all them agency jobs. Do most places have the satnavs in the trucks or are you expected to have your own?
I know it may sound funny for the old timey drivers who know all the roads around the coutrySent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
If you want to use a sat-nav you will nearly always have to provide it yourself.
Sent from my mobile.
sammym:
I am a relative new pass. And I have done a week of night (6 days) and done those sort of numbers. Which is why I gave them. On a poor week it will be around 600 - but i’ve had good weeks where I’ve done over a grand.
Out of curiosity, how many hours are you doing per shift on average and is that via PAYE, LTD or some agency pay scheme etc ?
From memory I think I have seen you mention you are doing work for Royal Mail at the moment? From my limited experience, I would say their pay rates aren’t the norm…For my area at least, if that is what you are using as a basis of pay.
I figured a new Class 2 driver may struggle to get a full week of shifts booked through agency depending on area etc and so went with more conservative numbers for the OP
I think you’re doing very well if you are making over a grand a week on Class 1 if you’re a new pass
Personally I struggle with fatigue if doing 6 shifts per week so more power to ya if you can hack it
The closest to a company supplying me with a sat nav was finding an A to Z from 2010 in the truck once 
Assume you will need to provide your own truck sat nav (And truckers road atlas)
Hyh:
Out of curiosity, how many hours are you doing per shift on average and is that via PAYE, LTD or some agency pay scheme etc ?
From memory I think I have seen you mention you are doing work for Royal Mail at the moment? From my limited experience, I would say their pay rates aren’t the norm…For my area at least, if that is what you are using as a basis of pay.I figured a new Class 2 driver may struggle to get a full week of shifts booked through agency depending on area etc and so went with more conservative numbers for the OP
I think you’re doing very well if you are making over a grand a week on Class 1 if you’re a new passPersonally I struggle with fatigue if doing 6 shifts per week so more power to ya if you can hack it
That would be long hours - but not many of them actually working. Rock up at say 8pm. Might be waiting to go out til 1am. So just sleeping. And I haven’t done it recently - I had a short spell of being full time.
I’m set up as Ltd - my personal situation means it’s better for me. I’m not actually working for Royal Mail - however I have found work with another company that pays better than Royal Mail, that isn’t common I admit. But those jobs are out there if you are cocky enough to go and find them.
I really think it depends on where you are based in terms of what you can earn and how busy you will be. Where I am you can walk into decent jobs and they are so stretched they are not even doing assessments. They know they can’t afford to turn you away.
sammym:
Pack job in right now. £17k is less than half of an agency drivers wage.
Is it really? Because I’m doing class 2 for an agency and I’m barely making 20K. Though I’m not complaining (yet) because I’m a new pass and happy to get the experience.
stgodd:
sammym:
Pack job in right now. £17k is less than half of an agency drivers wage.Is it really? Because I’m doing class 2 for an agency and I’m barely making 20K. Though I’m not complaining (yet) because I’m a new pass and happy to get the experience.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
if your doing class 2 newish pass on agency then theres nothing wrogg taking home 400 ish in a worse case scenario assuming your ok with the work.this is assuming your working on planet earth and not the planet zork like some .
stgodd:
sammym:
Pack job in right now. £17k is less than half of an agency drivers wage.Is it really? Because I’m doing class 2 for an agency and I’m barely making 20K. Though I’m not complaining (yet) because I’m a new pass and happy to get the experience.
Depends on two things. How much you get paid per hour, and how many hours you do.
And that really depends where you are based. Dieseldog doesn’t think it’s possible. I posted an invoice for one single 13 hour shift. I gave the contact details for the agency to confirm those sort of rates. But that is class 1 night work. They do have class 2’s but I’m not sure what they get paid. If I’m asked to drive a class 2 I still get paid my normal rate. I’d imagine they are 1 or 2£ p/h less.
It also depends on the sort of work you are willing to do. If you are willing to pull cages of a tail lift it’s more. If you are willing to operate a crane it’s more. If you just want to do trunking/trailer swaps it’s less. I sometimes prefer to do trunking/trailer swaps on days and i drop between 2.5 -4 £ p/h to do so. The most important thing is your location though.
I got work for a firm with no experience or agency work and have a permanent contract at £9 an hour but ive been told the wage is going up to £10.50 hr soon im currently debating to go for my class 1 licence now as ive saved it up in 2 months of working for this firm.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Oh was told its too expensive to put an inexperienced driver on the company insurance. Been to register with agency on wednesday going out first time on monday
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk