Companies don't recruit Newbies due to Insurance Policies?

I found out that Most of the companies require minimum of 2 years experience driving Rigids for their insurance purposes. Dunno if that’s true but if so Where to search for jobs? If you are screwed at start ?

Is there any chance for doing Supermarket Deliveries like Waitrose or M&S Trucks or Sainsbury’s ? Tesco’s They pay good money and their offers are quite often online. One Example i found just blown me away Tesco offering £22 an hour for Artic Cat 1 Driver for doing nights but required 2 years minimum experience and No accident history and full CPC.

Just keep applying and get yourself out there buddy, i only passed my test in december and ive secured a full time job just recently.

Most supermarkets require regular driving experience and certainly in the case of Sainsbury’s you need a class 1 licence as they need you to be able to drive all fleet vehicles.

 No accident historyÂ
how does a company check if you are accident free.
does that include personal car accident
motor bike accident
non fault accident.
is there a data base were this info is keeped and for how long.

be nice to know the facts.

As far as I know when I was on the agency it was work accidents, as for 2 years experience come Christmas that gets forgotten about, if your under 25 that might not help but that said companies do take new starters on have to start somewhere.
As for store delivery work its not all Rdc work with big empty yards to play in, I do shop delivery for poundland and some are a nightmare to do, driving into bus stations, car parks, underground yards down side streets just wide enough .

Jeff

OK i will start searching ASAP as I get my licence back with FULL Cat C entitlement on it.

OR should i start looking for job now while I wait for the Tests and practical training?

If so what should i say to Transport Manager if they ask me about the licence ?

Ive not started my practical training, but i do look as it gives me an idea what im up against, don’t be afraid to get some contact details down and contact them informing them that you are due to start training/take your test soon and inquiring as to whether they take new lads and lasses whove just passed their test.

This is one email of a company i shall keep anonymous who replied to said ‘inquiry’ :slight_smile:

'Jonathan

We would be interested in talking to you when you have your HGV and full CPC entitlement. Why not call in and complete an application form when you have passed and we can arrange a meeting?

Good luck

Regards

cool Bloke’

Obviously not an out blown job offer…but it is an opportunity. :slight_smile: so hopefully this will help you in deciding that question.

As for the training wish you best of luck with it :slight_smile:

Cheers

Jonny :sunglasses:

I don’t know where you saw that but I can assure you that tesco nor no other company pay £22 an hour for driving. Perhaps you could provide a link. You can earn reasonably good money for class 1 but minus 10 or 11 an hour off that.

In terms of the 2 year thing that varies, just apply for everything and you’ll be amazed how many places don’t require that and seem to put it as a bog standard response. Busy periods like easter and especially christmas that goes out the window too. Go and visit local companies and take anything to start with to get some experience then once you have that then you can be more fussy.

I’m getting the " our insurance company needs 2 years experience" reason a fair bit. Kind of stops you in your tracks. Im still going out knocking on doors and registered with a fair few agencies, just keep going!

Even if I don’t get a job everyone in transport in the west midlands is going to know my name and someone will employ me! haha

I only passed my Class 1 in Sep 12 just before I left the Army in Dec 12. I passed my Class 2 in 2006, but never drove it since passing my test.

My first driving job was driving Class 1 LPG for Calor Gas (through Manpower Agency) to and from Immingham, and I am now employed full time with DHL since Sep 13, now on second contract with them.

The 2 year rule didn’t hold me back, had an assessment at each job, although the thing (s) that may have got me to the assessment stage could have been age (now 42), had full CPC, 21 year career in the Military. Or it may just have been my winning personality :laughing:

All you can do is keep applying and get as much Agency work as you can.

Best of luck.

Dan17uk:
I found out that Most of the companies require minimum of 2 years experience driving Rigids for their insurance purposes. Dunno if that’s true but if so Where to search for jobs? If you are screwed at start ?

Is there any chance for doing Supermarket Deliveries like Waitrose or M&S Trucks or Sainsbury’s ? Tesco’s They pay good money and their offers are quite often online. One Example i found just blown me away Tesco offering £22 an hour for Artic Cat 1 Driver for doing nights but required 2 years minimum experience and No accident history and full CPC.

Just apply for anything . at the end of the day company’s will run out of experienced drivers so they’ll have to re-evaluate their requirements and insurance lower limit.
I have a contact in Bristol that although an agency will do the recruitment for company’s that have and will take on new drivers

tmcassett:
I don’t know where you saw that but I can assure you that tesco nor no other company pay £22 an hour for driving. Perhaps you could provide a link. You can earn reasonably good money for class 1 but minus 10 or 11 an hour off that.

In terms of the 2 year thing that varies, just apply for everything and you’ll be amazed how many places don’t require that and seem to put it as a bog standard response. Busy periods like easter and especially christmas that goes out the window too. Go and visit local companies and take anything to start with to get some experience then once you have that then you can be more fussy.

Is that true about the 2 years experience as I’ve not applied for jobs with that in description. Didn’t see the point as I’d be knocked back instantly.

nick2008:
Is that true about the 2 years experience as I’ve not applied for jobs with that in description. Didn’t see the point as I’d be knocked back instantly.

Yes in some cases and not others, my first class 1 Job stated categorically in the advert that you must have 2 years experience, At the time I had none but I sent them my CV anyway, got asked to go in for a chat by the transport manager and basically just sold myself as someone that would be a good employee (which is true by the way!!) lol.

Also by the time I had reached my 2 years experience Id already worked full time for several agencies and at several different companies - most of whom said they wanted 2 years in their adverts.

Moral of the story - even if it states 1, 2 or any amount of years experience and you don’t have it apply anyway or even better go in person to see them. The worst they will say is no and you’re no worse of than where you started. It is getting easier for new drivers to get a start and come September time it may get even easier when the CPC becomes mandatory.

Always apply. It’s amazing how the 2 year rule evaporates when there’s a truck stood in the corner of the yard with no-one to steer it. The fact is that most insurance companies prefer drivers aged 25 + with 2 years experience. In nearly all cases, this can be overcome by the operator accepting a greater excess in the event of a blameworthy accident. When you consider all this, the importance of “selling” yourself becomes clear.

As a trainer, I carry hefty fleet insurance with a fair excess. But if a driver aged 18 - 20 were to have a bump the excess is substantially greater. That’s a risk I carry and, up to yet, I’ve never had cause to worry about it.

So folks need to get out there understanding fully how the insurance “2 year rule” really works.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Peter Smythe:
Always apply. It’s amazing how the 2 year rule evaporates when there’s a truck stood in the corner of the yard with no-one to steer it. The fact is that most insurance companies prefer drivers aged 25 + with 2 years experience. In nearly all cases, this can be overcome by the operator accepting a greater excess in the event of a blameworthy accident. When you consider all this, the importance of “selling” yourself becomes clear.

+1 +1 +1 +!

I went door to door “selling myself”. I’d had the licence for about 1 month, no experience, now I’m full time with “my own wagon”. As Peter said, it’s suprising how quick you can start when there’s a truck sat earning nothing. Don’t wait for jobs to appear that say come get me because they are the jobs that some other better qualified person will get. Get yourself out there, put yourself in the faces of transport managers, tell them who you are, what your aim is etc etc.

I passed in march and am 23 so had double the trouble, not 25 and no expeirence, i got on with agency after week of passing and have others ringing me all time for work. Good for getting driving on cv, just ring them up cause if you email them you waint hear anything back

In my experience this 2 year experience stipulation is a smoke screen often used by agencies.

I passed my class C last December and had secured a job within a month by going direct to a company who needed drivers. Went to an interview, an assessment and they offered me a job. One weeks training and I haven’t looked back.

Latest experience since passing my C+E in February is that I approached another company with a fleet of artic tankers, interview and job offer subject to a week training as it’s tramping. Started last week brand new Scania V8 with all the kit for nights out, amazing. No questions about experience, insurance etc just the usual driving licence, DQC, Digital Tachograph card checks and that’s it.
It varies but I had an induction, issued with PPE, uniform, phone, maps etc.

From talking to other drivers it appears that many adverts offering higher rates are bogus, if aged under 30 it can be more difficult as older drivers preferred, agencies operate for the good of them and their clients first, not new drivers generally.

There are jobs for all and good opportunities out there I personally have proven that this is the reality of the situation now, plus I also know of others that have also had a similar experience to myself in finding HGV driving work.

I would not rely on agencies as approaching companies direct has been successful for me and I only contacted four companies in total in order to be successful in getting an HGV 2 and now an HGV 1 jobs. Obviously, it’s always better to find those companies that are looking for drivers and smaller companies should be included in ones search within your local area. Also don’t be too choosy as your aim is to drive HGV for reward but primarily to gain experience and if necessary a stepping stone to that preferred job later on and don’t be deluded by the adverts as they only tell you what they want to get you to apply, reality can often be different.

Finally, I’ve been lucky I wanted to drive artic tankers and I am; at this stage, think I’ve secured a good job. Now in the coming weeks I’m about to find out if I like tramping and tanker work despite the new V8 Scania and decent remuneration but I will be gaining excellent experience the key aim in my first artic C+E job!

Don’t give up, be despondent or expect something to come to you - go out there and get it - make it happen and use your initiative - that’s what employers want - good luck!

The 2 year rule imposed by many agencies is due to them offering Driver Negligence insurance to their customers as a way of promoting their services. What this insurance basically does is to pay for damage caused to clients vehicles by drivers working for the agency.

An example of the wording of a Driver |negligence policy can be seen at thistlerecruitment.co.uk/med … ording.pdf The relevant section is on page 44

This type of insurance is normally only available as an extension to their public liability insurance and not as a stand alone policy.

Not all agencies offer this insurance to their clients and those that do usually charge a premium hourly rate for it as well as making it optional to their customers.

It’s not always true - I passed C+E 26th March, 1st interview last Tuesday, for a contractor working for Waitrose, I start Sunday with 0hrs experience, all RDC work on fridges.

Most of the supermarkets used agencies to employ their own staff, find out who else is in the supply chain and who else transports into the RDCs. Or get your ear to the ground and find out who locally is usually prepared to give the newbies a chance which is how I found mine.

As Peter Smythe says, when they’ve got trucks with no drivers, suddenly the experience ‘rules’ become more flexible.

Dan17uk:
I found out that Most of the companies require minimum of 2 years experience driving Rigids for their insurance purposes. Dunno if that’s true but if so Where to search for jobs? If you are screwed at start ?

Is there any chance for doing Supermarket Deliveries like Waitrose or M&S Trucks or Sainsbury’s ? Tesco’s They pay good money and their offers are quite often online. One Example i found just blown me away Tesco offering £22 an hour for Artic Cat 1 Driver for doing nights but required 2 years minimum experience and No accident history and full CPC.

22 p/h.average 12 hours per day.so about 60 hours per week .1320 before tax every week.can be 60000 per years.actualy agency pay about 10-11 p/h if you limited company.Sunday up to 15 -17 p/h