Having passed my Class C back in May this year it has taken some time to get a driving job. The same old thing, need two years experience and have been driving at least 6 months in that time. Well three weeks ago I got a start with a local builders merchant delivering building materials to local people.
My dilemma is that I have applied for various driving jobs straight after passing my Class C and now firms are starting to contact me with a view to having a driving assessment with them. I have a date this Wednesday with Sunlight for a driving assessment for a position I applied for back in May. Iām not sure if I should go for this assessment as in a previous post somebody has had a similar issue as it would show up on the didgi card.
The crux of the matter is that the truck I drive at present is smaller than the one I passed my test in, where as with Sunlight they are offering a similar size of truck to what I passed in. At the moment I only have to travel 4 miles to the yard where as if I go to Sunlight then it will be 30 mile from home.
If anyone works for Sunlight could you give me some idea as to what they are like to work for plus what sort of money do they pay.
I never used to be indecisive but now Iām not so sure.
Thatās a real predicament! Good to hear of having to choose between jobs potentially. My thoughts are:
Why change to drive a bigger truck?
Why change to increase your travelling seven fold?
Sunlight is not easy work - we train drivers direct for them so we hear the stories.
You could explain the situation to your current employer - probably not go down too well though
You could ask Sunlight if you could use a pre May 06 vehicle which would have analogue tacho (if theyāve got any) and explain why.
It maybe by āsmallerā truck you mean 7.5 tonne. In which case I would consider the move.
Apart from that, it sounds a bit like frying pan and fire to me and I would stay put.
Unless, of course, thereās a mega big increase in pay.
Rather you than me but the very best of luck with whatever you decide. Pete
The size of truck is irrelevant unless you are āa size queenā, my first driving job was with a laundry. At the time I enjoyed it, had a good guvānor and a decent bunch of lads. Do you enjoy working where you are now? That was what made the job, not the size of the lorry. 4 miles travelling against 30? Donāt just count the cost of your petrol but also your time. 30 miles sounds like around an hours travelling to me. You donāt get paid for that bit. The laundry work can be a bit heavy at times. Most likely it will be almost exclusively town work. How does that compare with what you do now?
I would stay well put!
ive done builders merchant work and worked for sunlight. I can tell you that sunlight is bloody hard graft and can involve carrying heavy sacks of laundry up and down stairs all day. Whereas the builders merchant stuff will give you good experience of getting a lorry into places and is a whole lot easier. I would have thought it was a no brainer.
Cheers guys for the responces, I was after a second opinion to my problem. I was thinking of saying thanks but no thanks to Sunlight as I am happy where I am apart from snagging one fence and removing part of a dry stone wall (now repaired).
mcc46:
Cheers guys for the responces, I was after a second opinion to my problem. I was thinking of saying thanks but no thanks to Sunlight as I am happy where I am apart from snagging one fence and removing part of a dry stone wall (now repaired).
Cheers again guys
Now Iām glad I have stayed on with the builders merchants as this week has been spot on. The fence is now repaired better then new so the old dear told me
Well not quite true, Monday was a real pain in the ā ā ā ā . Took avoiding action so as not to collide with an oncomming car and ripped off both N/S mirrors , got new ones fitted at the garage and back on the road. Next to last delivery of the day and had a comming together with a Fedex transit , he came off far worse than my little scratch. Totally his fault, way too fast on a tight country road.
Last delivery, again had to take avoiding action to miss a tourist in a car and scraped my nice new mirrors, gutted or what. since then everything has been fine and dandy.
better then new so the old dear told me 
, got new ones fitted at the garage and back on the road. Next to last delivery of the day and had a comming together with a Fedex transit