Any offers? Since it’s F all use to me these days. Got made redundant April 2011 after 6 years full time driving. Unfortunately I live in deepest Ayrshire, miles from any of the transport companies. Signed up with a few agencies but they are a waste of time, goes ok for a week or so then they offer you a 3.30 am start 50 miles from home doing supermarket deliveries. Errrmm; no thanks (and we all know what happens after you refuse a shift)! I would be working the first 4 hours just to pay for my petrol. Driving is a second income on top of a pension, so I pay 20% tax + national insurance on everything I earn. I did a 7 hour dayshift the other day on class 1 at £7.50 per hour. 45 mins unpaid break, so get paid 6.25 hours. So £47, less tax/NI = £34, less £10 petrol cost to get to the yard and home again (it was only 25 miles away), leaves me with a whole £24 in my pocket!!
Seriously, this driving game is finished. Pay for your own CPC when you get paid the sort of money above? I don’t think so… Plus digi-card, medicals, clothing etc… I know there are some good driving jobs out there but they are few and far between and taken by those who have had to do the regular utter crap jobs for years. The vast majority of driving jobs are just pants. Badly paid, ridiculous hours, over-regulated by VOSA, and companies who couldn’t care a toss about you or your licence.
I am trying hard to get out of this game, and have no intention of contributing to the rip off that is CPC, so I have 1 more year to find an escape!!! Anyone out there thinking of trying to make a living out of this, my advice is forget it. At least if you live in the west of Scotland…
alcraw62:
Any offers? Since it’s F all use to me these days. Got made redundant April 2011 after 6 years full time driving. Unfortunately I live in deepest Ayrshire, miles from any of the transport companies. Signed up with a few agencies but they are a waste of time, goes ok for a week or so then they offer you a 3.30 am start 50 miles from home doing supermarket deliveries. Errrmm; no thanks (and we all know what happens after you refuse a shift)! I would be working the first 4 hours just to pay for my petrol. Driving is a second income on top of a pension, so I pay 20% tax + national insurance on everything I earn. I did a 7 hour dayshift the other day on class 1 at £7.50 per hour. 45 mins unpaid break, so get paid 6.25 hours. So £47, less tax/NI = £34, less £10 petrol cost to get to the yard and home again (it was only 25 miles away), leaves me with a whole £24 in my pocket!!
Seriously, this driving game is finished. Pay for your own CPC when you get paid the sort of money above? I don’t think so… Plus digi-card, medicals, clothing etc… I know there are some good driving jobs out there but they are few and far between and taken by those who have had to do the regular utter crap jobs for years. The vast majority of driving jobs are just pants. Badly paid, ridiculous hours, over-regulated by VOSA, and companies who couldn’t care a toss about you or your licence.
I am trying hard to get out of this game, and have no intention of contributing to the rip off that is CPC, so I have 1 more year to find an escape!!! Anyone out there thinking of trying to make a living out of this, my advice is forget it. At least if you live in the west of Scotland…
Steady mate, you’l have the self appointed mod’s on ya back soon, accusing you of moaning and ranting
But yeah, i know where your coming from, ive read loads of this sorta thing last few months. Part of the problem is the stinking government letting in all the polski’s who they know will work for next to f-all and so drives the rate down for everyone else.
I count myself very lucky for what i get but i didnt start off driving for my current employer of 12 years and sorta ended up driving as a means to an end.
Best of luck anyway, sorry thats of little use.
Down in Irvine myself and agree it’s pretty bleak. Only went through my C+E in January and have applied for everything to no avail.
Lucky enough to have a full time Class 2 but with 2 kids I can’t go jacking full time work in chasing my dream at the moment.
Once It’s been on there 2 years I’ll give it another think.
Haven’t been on here for a while, because I did my last HGV shift about 2 weeks after my OP… July 2nd last year, it was an agency shift for David Price refrigerated. Night trunk Glasgow to Ripon and back, so at least I finished off in a good motor on a decent run.
It’s a sad day when you can earn nearly as much driving a TAXI, as you can an HGV! That was my escape. Not great, but it is 2 minutes walk from my front door to my work, steady days/hours, and very little in the way of pressure or hassle.
I do still miss driving the artics and sometimes feel a bit envious when I see you guys out on the road. But I stand by my OP, the driving game is broken with a capital “F”.
cant say ive ever had a problem with the agency that i have been working for as a stop gap even when i have had to refuse a shift or two but i suppose it does help when you keep copping off with the woman that own/runs the agency (not blowing my trumpet before anyone starts - i have someone to do that already - sorry ill get my coat)
alcraw62:
Any offers? Since it’s F all use to me these days. Got made redundant April 2011 after 6 years full time driving. Unfortunately I live in deepest Ayrshire, miles from any of the transport companies. Signed up with a few agencies but they are a waste of time, goes ok for a week or so then they offer you a 3.30 am start 50 miles from home doing supermarket deliveries. Errrmm; no thanks (and we all know what happens after you refuse a shift)! I would be working the first 4 hours just to pay for my petrol. Driving is a second income on top of a pension, so I pay 20% tax + national insurance on everything I earn. I did a 7 hour dayshift the other day on class 1 at £7.50 per hour. 45 imins unpaid break, so get paid 6.25 hours. So £47, less tax/NI = £34, less £10 petrol cost to get to the yard and home again (it was only 25 miles away), leaves me with a whole £24 in my pocket!!
Seriously, this driving game is finished. Pay for your own CPC when you get paid the sort of money above? I don’t think so… Plus digi-card, medicals, clothing etc… I know there are some good driving jobs out there but they are few and far between and taken by those who have had to do the regular utter crap jobs for years. The vast majority of driving jobs are just pants. Badly paid, ridiculous hours, over-regulated by VOSA, and companies who couldn’t care a toss about you or your licence.
I am trying hard to get out of this game, and have no intention of contributing to the rip off that is CPC, so I have 1 more year to find an escape!!! Anyone out there thinking of trying to make a living out of this, my advice is forget it. At least if you live in the west of Scotland…
I heard a rumour last week when up visiting that the skip company just above West Kilbride wanted a skip driver. Crap work but work , and who hauls the coal from hunterstone docks now, they are always real busy.
Just a thought.
Silver_Surfer:
It’s just where you’ve chosen to live mate, if you ain’t hauling Salmon, timber or whisky, may as well forget it up there.
what about all the other stuff we move about , like recycled waste, plastic pipes, chemicals, bricks, polystyrene, foodstuffs, clothing, tyres,
printing paper, steel racking plus many others, so yer a wee bit off the mark there, no offence intended but there is plenty of work up here its just a case of working hard to find it and making contact to secure it.
stobarttrucker:
£3000 plus for a class 1 licence now,you’d have to be pretty messed up to pay that
to be honest i can’t imagine it getting any better.but i have been wrong before.
In 1976 I saved up hard and got a Class 1 for £180.
When my old dad found out he said I must be [zb] mental.
That a was good price, same year for me but mine cost £100 more.
I couldn’t afford a week’s course, so had a 2 hour lesson every Wednesday when the shop was on half - day. Luckily I passed the test first time (phoned in sick that day!)
3 wheeler:
I heard a rumour last week when up visiting that the skip company just above West Kilbride wanted a skip driver. Crap work but work , and who hauls the coal from hunterstone docks now, they are always real busy.
Just a thought.
Gogar Logistics seem to do most of the coal hauling out of Hunterston, but they are based through in Stirling. So again not much use to me unless they do some sort of suitable shift system like 4 days on/4 off. Call me old fashioned, but I am supposed to be semi retired so not looking to do old school driving and never being at home.
I know the skip place you are talking about, on the high road out of West Kilbride; the one that joins up with the new by-pass at Ardrossan? Might stop in there and ask! Thanks for that info…
stobarttrucker:
£3000 plus for a class 1 licence now,you’d have to be pretty messed up to pay that
to be honest i can’t imagine it getting any better.but i have been wrong before.
In 1976 I saved up hard and got a Class 1 for £180.
When my old dad found out he said I must be [zb] mental.
That a was good price, same year for me but mine cost £100 more.
I couldn’t afford a week’s course, so had a 2 hour lesson every Wednesday when the shop was on half - day. Luckily I passed the test first time (phoned in sick that day!)
Similar to me i had to pass.
I did a 10 day course and due to taking an extra weeks holiday to do the course i was sacked anyway, would have been up the creek without a paddle if i hadn’t passed.
3 wheeler:
I heard a rumour last week when up visiting that the skip company just above West Kilbride wanted a skip driver. Crap work but work , and who hauls the coal from hunterstone docks now, they are always real busy.
Just a thought.
Gogar Logistics seem to do most of the coal hauling out of Hunterston, but they are based through in Stirling. So again not much use to me unless they do some sort of suitable shift system like 4 days on/4 off. Call me old fashioned, but I am supposed to be semi retired so not looking to do old school driving and never being at home.
I know the skip place you are talking about, on the high road out of West Kilbride; the one that joins up with the new by-pass at Ardrossan? Might stop in there and ask! Thanks for that info…
Yep thats the place , blue trucks i think, I was in the pub in West Kilbride and a driver said there may be a drive going ? that pub is the one the missus and her dad call the Zoo, all sorts of wildlife in it !
But the beer was Ok and a ■■■■ sight cheaper than Buckinghamshire !!!,
- sorry ill get my coat)