Class 2 Job Offer.

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

So.

Basically bin offered my first job on class 2 passed my test a week ago. So I got on the search And a family friend shared an advertisement gave him a ring had an interview and agreed on a start date. It’s class 2 tramping around the UK delivering plant and specialist plant. The money is very good he offered me 15 ph for the 45 then 20 ph after + 30 quid night out money.

Where I’m going with this is I’m worried how much he expects out of me knowledge wise he knows I’m a brand new driver it’s probably just new job nerves. I was blown away by the money he offered as currently only on 9.80 hr it feels life changing and felt I had to share even to give others some hope.

Also is there threads for what to take when tramping ?
And decent maps and satnavs ?

Thanks.

2

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=37297

3

Good luck on your new job , it sounds like you will enjoy it and hopefully no stressful booking in times by planners who don’t know the job or seen at atlas .
The trick is not to take too much , I would start very basic the first week then you can work out what you need the next week .

Another bonus is unless your employer has specified only secure overnight parking for diesel thieves, with plant , I would park where you want .

When driving around, make mental notes of decent places to park or if the firm is on SNAP you don’t have to pay for parking out of your own pocket as just park up, give them the number plate details, that’s it .

If you do pay for parking, you get it back later .

4

A decent boss will show you how to secure your load with chain tensioners or ratchet straps, basically think of forward, backwards and sideways movement is what you want to prevent.
Some drivers will want to see the ratchet strap handle in their drivers mirror to keep on eye on it for loosening while driving but if you stop on the hard shoulder to tighten it , it’s dangerous.

Or the handle on the near side or kerb side , which is safer but it’s up to you on that one .
Overnighting is what you make of it , a bicycle is handy to let off steam after work or a set of bar bell weights to prevent the pounds piling up with sitting down all day .
Most truck stops have a bar , and Swindon truck stop has a card system of buying pints where you are given a card to top up with money and serve yourself.

Some drivers use leisure centres for a shower or use their nation wide gym membership.

5

First of all rip the blokes arm off for that job, very good money, no doubt there’s some muck and bullets involved, so make sure you’ve got some decent overalls gloves hat etc plus waterproofs, maybe even some steel toe capped wellies for when tramping through the mud of which there will be plenty, hopefully they’ll supply such things cos steel toed wellies and boots capable of lasting plant work don’t cost atenner from the market.
Make sure you get a height stick or at the very least carry a good tape measure, plant varies in height so make sure you check the heights until you’ve carried enough repeat loads you know them off by heart.

Yes get a sat nav but don’t ■■■■ half a weeks wages on one, a decent car nav is fine in combination with either the AA Truckers or Philips bridge height atlas, do not take a blind bit of bloody notice of which way a satnav says to go, its your lorry and you are responsible so plan you routes via proper maps and use the sat nav to run alongside where you are already going.
Use the satnav as pro lorry driver should, its a superb pocket sized street map of the country, it’s bloody brilliant for spotting unmarked turnings as you approach them, you alreday know the next left turn is ‘‘Leafy Lane’’ even if the sign vanished 20 years ago, what you should never do is follow the bloody thing blindly.

Nights out, forget self catering (pays to carry some emergency rations though) you’re strarting out on a proper job paying proper money that you can afford a decent dinner at the end of a hard day’s work.

Look after your motor and equipment greased/oiled as appropriate (well looked after equipment is a joy to work with, rusted half seized crap is hell), carry some basic tools bulbs and fuses so you can change bulbs and at least try and fix basic running repairs, some red/orange insulation tape so you can temporarily bodge up any tail lights that get damaged, which will happen, keep the windows and mirrors spotlessly clean and the interior as habitable as a mucky job allows.

Good luck to you mate, that’s a crackin start, learn all you can and do your best, new boss sounds like he isn’t afraid to pay the money, good for him too.

6

Excellent advice and tips from Juddian , I concur with having a decent meal and not go down the poor man poverty route of in cab cooking but for emergencies such as stuck for God knows how long in an accident where the forensic examinations take place, maybe some Pot Noodles, cans of soup , tin of Spam , can of spuds , instant mash, tins of chicken with sauce or beef to get you out of trouble.
A wash bowl for shaving and washing and the bottle to urinate in such as a laundry detergent bottle is ideal too .
It sounds like a cracking job and the pay is good .

7

First of thanks for all the reply and feedback.

I did snap his arm for the job and start on the 9th August as working current notice period and holiday at the end of the month.

The advice means alot and I appreciate it I’m so excited nervous all in one. I’ve got a little tool tote I’m going put the basics like you said about screwdrives some sockets and tape maybe wd40 microfibers. Is there any recommendations and cleaning products I’ve since quite few drivers using chrome ?

I’ve spoke to him today went through some details I’m getting allocated my own lorry which is a volvo fh 450 I think haha. then with in a month so doing hiab course aswell. Because it’s hiab mounted plant truck if that makes sense. I’m a pretty hands on person bin some form construction since I was 14. I’m feeling very blessed he has given me a start and going do my best I can. He said the job can be demanding long hours. But I’m already used to as I bin doing 76 hours for the last 3 months to make 600 quid a week.

Thanks for the advice. Defiantly will be taking it on board and start getting things organised.

8

Good for you mate, well done on taking the job offer, well done the new boss for giving someone who’s already proved from age 14 they ain’t afraid of some graft the chance, hope it works out for both of you.

In the meantime don’t give the merest hint of where you are in the country on this forum nor any other details which someone could use to second guess who you are going to work for, some bugger already in the game will try and have that job from under your nose.

9

The pink bottle spray of Chrome is brilliant for cleaning inside the cab , nice smell, there is nothing to be nervous about as once you get going you won’t have time to be nervous as nobody ever stops learning.
Try and avoid lay by parking and use truck stops as sometimes you can have a good laugh with fellow drivers especially the bar upstairs at Junction 29 truck stop, the bar lady is a right laugh if she is still there .
Having some sort of social life after booking off is essential, but bear in mind truck stops and motorway areas fill up 17.00 to 18.00 but some truck stops you can book ahead to reserve a spot such as The Hollies near Cannock .
Watch out for the Cougars in The Stockyard truck stop as they offer a back wash service in the shower .

10

This sounds very much like my job, except for the nights out so I have a few bits of advice.

Try and load all the plant yourself, find out how to start it and basic operation whilst it’s on the ground. You can’t fall off the ground, whereas if you experience a new bit of kit for the first time when you have to unload it you can easily get in a muddle that will at best scare the hell out of you and at worst do untold damage or injury.

Take your time, ask questions and watch other people doing the job. Look at other trucks carrying similar items to see how well or badly they have loaded and secured and work your system from that.

There is a lot more to the job than just driving, you need to be a problem solver and ingenious. You might find sites are reasonably helpful when delivering although there will always be concrete or muck away coming so you’ll better hurry. Collecting is a different matter, they finished with the plant and left it in any sort of state with buckets / attachments scattered far and wide and bits hanging off.

This is where you need to have a few odd bits and pieces that will enable you to get it loaded rather than try and rustle up help or call for assistance.

Selection on basic tools, couple of screwdrivers, hammer, selection of spanners and a socket set will be ideal. Ideally you want a set of 6m long heavy duty jump leads so you can jump start things off the truck (having used your tools to access the battery)

Cable ties, Gaffer tape and wd40 are handy. Also beg, borrow or steal any plant keys you can, most stuff uses a generic key for the brand and security is anything from none existent to a code you input. There some with separate fobs or coded keys so you are stumped but with the more basic stuff you can at least load if the keys are missing / lost or someone is bringing them down to you.

Get a diary and write down the codes to the machines you move. If you know that ■■ plant’s digger number e76 has code 12345 write it down as sooner or later you’ll need to collect it and no one will know it. Also phone numbers are worth keeping as never given when you need them.

Once you’ve loaded keep your straps and chains in good order and try and squirrel away a couple of spare straps for emergencies. I never use the spares to secure the load, they are just in case one breaks or if something moves (something will sooner or later) or starts flapping about.

It’s a hard and dirty job that gets easier by time doing it, I’ve been doing it nearly 16 years and still learning new things. If you can last a year dealing with everything the world can chuck at you, you’ll probably not look back. I’m not sure I’d be very interested in doing a job that was just driving a truck now.