Im looking for peoples views and opinions on my current job situation. The more the better…
Ive just turned 31 yrs old and passed my Class 2 in June last year. When I got my Class 2 I was working as a self employed car valeter, something I have done for roughly the last five years. My girlfriend who I live with has worked for two companies in the last 18 mths that have both gone into liquidation, she is now working full time but would like to go back to uni When I passed my Class 2 I made the mistake of not getting registered with as many agencies as soon as possible, when I did get round to it I found that I had to brush up to get through their written tests. I didnt take time off work straight away because my g/f wasnt working and I was self-employed (no holiday pay!) All but one agency were pretty much a waste of time, but I had been offered a new job away from HGV driving by the time they started offering me work. As I no longer wanted to be self-employed and valet cars I took the office based job I was offered. Typical huh! Im finding it really hard to work in an office as I feel trapped, when I was valeting I was out and about and my own boss. Im on roughly £20k now so its pretty good money, its just that I dont know if I can do it long term. I feel like it was a waste of time and money me getting the licence. Now I just look out of the office window at trucks driving by wishing that was me but at the same time I see people on here with experience who cant get work, what chance do I stand!? I am pretty much the bread winner, my g/f contributes but nowhere near as much. This is the reason I didnt just go out there in the first place, not that many jobs about and lots of bills to pay. I guess my licence is for life though, I have it for good. The biggest problem is that Ive only driven once since June, I would need to go on a refresher course to be confident again. The day I passed my test I was SO confident and drove brilliantly I know Im the only one with answers to my questions but I`d appreciate some opinions, you can see financially that I have to be sensible but at the same time I want to be happy. Catch 22?
If you are expecting 9 to 5 office hours forget it! If you pass your C+E (Artic) and I’m assuming thats what you want to do long term you will have to take work when and where you can find it and that may mean agency work, which may involve, weekends, nights, bank holidays, taking work at the drop of a hat. You wont know when work is coming in so planning anything is a nightmare. The hours are LONG! Forget about the driving time you are allowed its the other aspects of the job that are a real pain in the arse, wating to load, tip, etc.14/15 hr days are not uncommon. Also in the current claimate your 20k a year may be more than you will earn on an agency over a year.
IT aint all doom and gloom. I used to work in an office based job like yourself and I hated it too. IF and its a big IF you are lucky you might get a permanent job with a decent firm, but I would say 8 out of 10 new drivers have to earn the points through going down the agency route for a coulpe of years, I did and to be honest I built up my experience that way carrying different loads, flat bed, Fridge work, double deckers, containers, etc etc.
If I where you I’d hedge my bets, dont give up on it coz if you get in with the right firm you will be as happy as a pig in the brown stuff.Keep your hand in say at weekends with your class two, the odd bit of agency work. If you can put a bit away each week to put towards your class one then hopefully by that time you will have enough dough put aside this recession will be over (who knows) and you can go for it. If youve changed your mind by then and dont want to do it take your misses on a nice holiday!
It would help if we knew your location, because a lot of jobs in haulage are not put on the jobcentre. In the last month after being made redundant, I have had 2 job offers and some casual work as well as helping another member on here (newbie class 1) some casual work.
Yet there are no LGV vacancies in the south west…None of these were advertised.
I work 8.00-5.30, monday - friday and live in the Coventry & Warwickshire area. There are always quite alot of HGV jobs advertised on-line in this area. I could let the agencies that were more helpful know that I’m able to work wkends. Do you think they need wkend only drivers though?
Hi, I recently passed my class 1 as a safeguard and something to fall back on during or recent and continuing recession thinking I may lose my full time job, I was lucky enough for an agency to take me on and aswell as working full time Mon - Fri I drive Sat & Sun, there are companies who will always need ad hoc drivers on a weekend, I started with them in October last year and have had 2 shift almost every weekend sice beginning with them, I think the key thing is to get over to them how reliable you are - I think thats what got me through the door. The downside… Working 7 days a week!, The upside… experience and getting paid for it. Best thing I ever done
. Welcome oztoon .
Something you said makes me think that you are not fully conversant with the EU driver regulations…
oztoon:
aswell as working full time Mon - Fri I drive Sat & Sun,
If you have a job from Mon to Fri you are only allowed to drive under EU regs for one day every other weekend so that you can get in a Full weekly rest at least once in every two consecutive weeks.
You need a minimum of 24 hours off one week and then a minimum of 45 hours off the following week to comply with the regulations.
If you drove under EU regs in the week (mon 0000 to sun 2400) then you must also download onto a digi OR (your choice) put onto a seperate tacho card a record of what you did in the other job during that week.
If using tacho cards then a seperate card needs to be used for each day and each card must have your name, date, start & finish time on it so that VOSA can see what you did in the week that you drove.
Hi ROG, I’m confused and slightly worried now! When I first signed up with this agency ( well known agency ) I was asked to sign a disclaimer about the working time directive - I think it was to opt out■■? (maybe I misread it), I have been working on a Sat and Sun for the last 6 months as well as my Mon - Fri job… Is that Illegal? There have been times when I have asked the manager of the agency to do the odd shift on a weekday night (maybe a 6 hour run) but he said that I will exceed my hours, I presumed from him saying this that I was ok working weekends as he hasn’t said otherwise… help!
oztoon:
I was asked to sign a disclaimer about the working time directive - I think it was to opt out■■? (maybe I misread it),
That is only for the basic WTD - not the RT(WTD)R or, more importantly, for the EU driver regulations. It could have been an opt out for the RT(WTD)R night rules.
oztoon:
I have been working on a Sat and Sun for the last 6 months as well as my Mon - Fri job… Is that Illegal?
A great big YES - absolutely illegal
Have you been recording your ‘other work’ mon to Fri job as I described? - I’ll bet not.
