Considering hgv as a career, newbie questions

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

i have been unemployed for 4 months now, i am to trade a ‘manual miller machinist’ however there not much work for my trade in this area, Prestwick Scotland.

i have been thinking about driving lorries for a career, i know its not the best paid job but i am hoping one day i might earn around £10 an hour although i know i wont get that right away.

is it as easy as passing your test and getting straight into work? am i likely to get a job right away? is there much demand for lorry drivers in scotland, i live in Prestwick Ayrshire on the west coast.

How much will it cost and how long will it take me to get my liscence?

i seen an advertisement in the scottish sun for ‘advantage’ who do driver training and they claim there is thousands of jobs for lorry drivers is this the case?

is LGV and HGV a seperate liscence and what are the different levels?

please give me any help or advice you can as i am interested in changing career i just want to be sure its the right one.

cheers
robert

2

Hi Bob,

Others on here will give you much more thorough answers but in reply to some of your questions:

LGV is just the new term for HGV - they’re the same thing (Large has replaced Heavy).

Apparantly there is a shortage of LGV drivers in the UK at the moment, but it seems to be tricky to get on the first rung of the ladder and get your first job because most places want experience. That said, in my area there are a few firms who’ll offer newbies a chance and i’m sure it’ll be the same in your area too.

Regarding cost it will depend partly on how quickly you can pick it up. A typical figure might be 20 hours tuition at around £40 p/hour + test fees on top of that. If you need more hours or retests then the costs will rise. You’ll probably need a similar amount of tuition for both C and C+E unless you’re a very fast learner.

Might be worth looking into a Career Development Loan?

Different levels? C = anything rigid, C+E = articulated.

Hope some of that helps and good luck,

Mike.

3
  1. you might get £7.50 ph class c if your lucky, then £9 class c+e after .
  2. not same as car test, you have to sit two tests class c then class c+e.
    3.getting a job not easy when you first pass, but depends who you hnow, a lot companies want 2 yrs exp.
    4.cost you roughly £2000 to get training and both tests, thats if you pass both first time.
    5.hgv and lgv are same thing,

Rog will be along shortly and he will fill you in better. :smiley:

4

Also depends on age as well also when you passed your car test if you can drive a 7.5t

You will have to do the theory and hazard perception for hgv

5

mekong:
Rog will be along shortly and he will fill you in better. :smiley:

… here he comes… :laughing:

Welcome Black Bob :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:
The guys & gals on here can tell you what the current job situation is better than I can - trust them, they know. You may find that someone from your area will come along soon and give you the full SP on your area :smiley:
My advice is to have £1,500 in your pocket (general C course is about £1,000 but have reserves for retests if needed) and do the C (rigid), then wait to do the CE (artic) as employers are reluctant to take on a newbie on C, let alone CE. You can build up your savings for CE whilst getting experience on C.
Do not rush into booking a course - ask on here before committing to one and have all the details such as 'how many behind the wheel hours it will be etc.
What will you have to do and what do you have to learn - well, quite a bit, so check out the procedure below and click onto the links to get a good insight - a lot of reading and some printing off of a few bits, but worth taking the time IMO.

Try this for some pre training tips trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23857 & Please leave a comment on the end of it once you’ve read it — thank you.
ANOTHER NEWBIE wrote: “Can anybody explain the process over the forum as to what I have to do to start with so I can tick off on paper?”

LGV C (Rigid) formally Class 2:
Anyone who passes their car driving test and wants to drive a large goods vehicle will need additional training to be brought to the DSA standard. The vehicles used will also have to conform to the standards as set by the DSA.
The vehicle must conform to the following:
Boxed/curtain sided vehicles
Length 8 metres
Width 2.4 metres
8 forward gears
Tachograph
ABS as standard

Requirements:
Stage 1
Have a medical to prove you are physically fit to drive a Large Goods Vehicle using
Form D4 of the pack (obtainable from various driving schools). Please contact you’re GP or www.driversmedicals.com who can provide low-cost medical examinations.
Stage 2
Obtain your provisional licence. Having completed forms D2 & D4 send with your licence to the DVLA in the enclosed envelope, I recommended that you send it record/registered delivery. Your licence with provisional entitlement will normally be returned within 2 to 4 weeks.
Stage 3
Pass the theory test. This is carried out at local test centres and made up of two parts; Part 1 is multiple choice, 60 questions and Part 2 is hazard perception, 14 video clips.
Stage 4
Book your training course with LGV Training School. Once you have passed your theory.

Test Criteria:
Answer approximately 5 questions on basic vehicle checks.
Reverse into a marked bay.
Controlled brake test.
Drive for approximately 1 hour around the town. Test may also include hill starts and motorway driving.

Order a D2 Form (MARK FORM FOR C NOT C1)
forms.dvla.gov.uk/forms/ordering_forms_dg.htm
Fill the form and a D2 form will be send to in the post
Download the 8 page D4 Medical Form direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg … 020731.pdf Please print and take to your GP if you have the facilities at home or work

Theory - get book /CD rom + HPT (Hazard Perception Test) again, you can get CD rom to practice. Best idea - get in touch with LGV school and, for a fee, they will train you and may have cheap medical.
Read posts on this site before booking any LGV school course - if in a certain area ask about a school near you on here. It may be worth you considering a B&B elsewhere in UK to do a course.
The driver CPC is not the same as the other CPCs.
Digital tachos are usually required by agencies if you work for them but you are responsible for getting one. If you work for a non-agency they might be nice and pay for it but don’t hold your breath!
For some idea of cost try trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … highlight=

This post is worth a read trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … 678#277678

If you have the time then this very long thread from a newbie who went through theory, C & CE might be worth a read trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … sc&start=0

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Robert,

First thing is well done for asking before rushing into it. Yes these sites and adverts do tell you there are thousands of job shortages and in reality, there probably is, but they don’t just put adverts in the paper and wait for people to apply, not in this industry.

Yes you can do your test (I wont go through it as everyone above has covered whats needed there) and go out and get a job as soon as its back from the DVLA.

My recommendation would be to get your license and go and join a driver agency (there are abound to be at least a couple in your local area) and get experience that way, they might um and ah about taking you on but if you go into the office, be confident and enthusiastic, they will give you a chance, and as long as you turn up on time and work well you’ll soon find yourself in a good career.

Its a good life if you enjoy it, in fact I think you’ll find most people on here wouldn’t dream of doing anything else!

Let us know what you decide and feel free to ask as many questions as you like.

Best of luck.

Alex

7

Its a good life,

if you can put up with the luxury, state of the art road side facilities, the jam free roads, the curteous drivers.

Nah seriously, good on you for asking, as a relative newbie to HGV (18 mnths)
14 yrs previous on vans and 7.5 tonners. Always ask the veterans!

Good luck. :wink:

8

thanks guys for all the helpful replies, at the moment i have a car liscence which covers class GH and A, whatever that may be, i am 38 and should pass a medial ok. I passed my driving test in 1986.

it looks like i have a lot of reading to do, thanks rog for the lengthy post and links which ill read up on when i have more time.

there is a local company do driver training but i have not called yet for a price on lessons etc ayrdrivertraining.co.uk/

i was given a leaflet from the job centre and some scheme can give you up to £200 towards training, also i was told at the job centre i would need to be unemployed for 6 months before i was eligable for help with training courses. I would not need a career developement load as i reckon i could fund the lessons and test myself.

so whats a good way to find out what hgv jobs are available in this Prestwick area, is there any particular website specialises in hgv jobs ? I have checked the job centre website but nothing much came up. I just want to be sure there is a decent demand for hgv drivers in this area before i take the plunge.

9

thanks guys for all the helpful replies, at the moment i have a car liscence which covers class GH and A, whatever that may be, i am 38 and should pass a medial ok. I passed my driving test in 1986.

as it was before 1997 you should have a C1 (7.5 tonner) on your licence :question:

10

I’m just along the road from you Bob in Ayr, there isnt very much HGV work in Ayrshire these days, i work mostly outta Glasgow and East Kildride going class 1 work.

Class 2 is a bit better in Ayrshire got open cast mines, and some other places only prob is the money tends to be crap down here. Class 1 wise i’m better off traveling to East Kilbride every day doing agency work than working down here even with the cost of traveling the better wages still makes it a lot more worthwhile.

CLass 1 in Prestwick you gotta JHC at Prestwick Airport £27K i think there is an advert in the job centre at the moment, i believe its runs from here to heathrow but you would need experience, same with most decent paid jobs in Ayrshire.Other work thats available is quite regularly HIAB class 2 work comes up in Ayrshire, ive been tempted to get my HIAB licence seen jobs at £9 per hour day shift.

Another thing dont go near Ayrshire agency for driving, its a waste of time, lucky to get a shift a week.

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Hi BlackBob, I don’t know if I can help much but thought I’d let you know how I got on. Took my class 2 (rigid/Cat C) in Nov 07 and artic (C+E) in Dec 07, in total it cost me less than £1500, (passed both 1st time, kept cost down). The main points I want to make are:

  1. You can get £200 funding from ILA Scotland as you are resident in Scotland
  2. Since I passed I’ve not been short of class 2 work from agencies. £8 an hour from NAS livingston. There are good agencies in Glasgow too but I’m not sure about Ayrshire.
  3. Before you start your training, get loads of quotes and play companies off against each other to get the best deal. For the record I went with LAGTA for class 2 (with ILA funds) and Scania (newvbridge, Edinburgh) for class 1, highly recommend both.
  4. Work-wise Ive not stopped since getting my licence and as I write this I have just been offered a class 1 job in Aberdeen- well happy so you should be ok finding work too.
  5. Finally, I would not touch clearstone and advantage HGV (the ones that always advertise in the paper) as all they do is sub-contract your booking out to a local firm (well clearstone for definite, not 100% sure about advantage HGV) so you are as well cutting them out and going to the firms direct, saving you some cash.

Hope this can be of help, and keep us posted as to how you get on. Paul.

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Black Bob:
thit looks like i have a lot of reading to do, thanks rog for the lengthy post and links which ill read up on when i have more time.

.

Take the time to read everything ROG wrote and referred you to, you won’t find better pointers anywhere and best of all, it’s free.

Good luck.

13

Harry Monk:

Black Bob:
thit looks like i have a lot of reading to do, thanks rog for the lengthy post and links which ill read up on when i have more time.

.

Take the time to read everything ROG wrote and referred you to, you won’t find better pointers anywhere and best of all, it’s free.

Good luck.

Yes - perhaps ROG should be THE first point of contact for those who wish to consider a career as an LGV driver. :slight_smile: His tips certainly helped me.

14

SuperLez:

Harry Monk:

Black Bob:
thit looks like i have a lot of reading to do, thanks rog for the lengthy post and links which ill read up on when i have more time.

.

Take the time to read everything ROG wrote and referred you to, you won’t find better pointers anywhere and best of all, it’s free.

Good luck.

Yes - perhaps ROG should be THE first point of contact for those who wish to consider a career as an LGV driver. :slight_smile: His tips certainly helped me.

I’m not so sure about giving advice as to whether someone should embark on a career in truck driving, others on here are much more qualified to give advice on that :smiley:
My ‘bag’ is training and if I can help out on that aspect, I am happy to do so but remember, other instructors may do things differently - the advice is from my personal perspective.

15

ROG:

thanks guys for all the helpful replies, at the moment i have a car liscence which covers class GH and A, whatever that may be, i am 38 and should pass a medial ok. I passed my driving test in 1986.

as it was before 1997 you should have a C1 (7.5 tonner) on your licence :question:

The old category A does cover the modern C1.

16

The old category A does cover the modern C1.

Thanks - I’ve not come across that yet, probably because all the ones I check are modern with cat C provisional on them - except for the odd dopey who ticked the C1 box instead of the C :unamused: :slight_smile:

17

ROG:
Thanks - I’ve not come across that yet, probably because all the ones I check are modern with cat C provisional on them

I’m sure you need to upgrade to the new style licence anyway when you apply for a provisional C.

18

mrpj:

ROG:
Thanks - I’ve not come across that yet, probably because all the ones I check are modern with cat C provisional on them

I’m sure you need to upgrade to the new style licence anyway when you apply for a provisional C.

Correct - thats why I have not come across ‘A’

19

ROG:

mrpj:

ROG:
Thanks - I’ve not come across that yet, probably because all the ones I check are modern with cat C provisional on them

I’m sure you need to upgrade to the new style licence anyway when you apply for a provisional C.

Correct - thats why I have not come across ‘A’

thought A was motorbikes now !

20

thought A was motorbikes now !

yes it is :blush: :blush: - I’m having a numpty day :unamused: :laughing: