I would like to ask whether the DVLA and haulage firms or a company would take me on as a disabled Lorry driver?
The kind of disability I have is high functioning Autism. I tend to have poor people skills because I a-social type. Would this be a barrier into entering this vocation?
I do have a criminal record however. I’ve had 2 cautions in my life time. The first for assaulting a police officer when I was 15 and second for committing a act of online-racial hatred for calling some a derogatory term on instant messaging when I was 22.
As for my personal situation I am 32 years old, unemployed & on ESA support group. I don’t have any children or a girlfriend. I am also extremely ugly and there is a strong chance I won’t have one in the future. I am pretty much a lone-wolf.
My aim would be to get a Lorry driving licence which would allow me to do at least 16 hours part time work. I am in a fortunate position to be able to get Tax Credits or Universal Credit to top up my wage. I don’t have many out going costs. I can live on less than £7000 to be comfortable. This means I could accept an apprentice wage of £3.20 a hour. I would value a NVQ in training a lot.
In the future I would like to see myself doing a month on the road. Just being able to work and not have the scrounger label effect me sub-consciously.
I’d like to know where to begin? I would be quite happy doing delivery rounds in one of those supermarket lorries that delivery groceries to peoples door.
My next door neighbor is a lorry driver as well as 2 of my uncles. 1 retired and 1 is still working for the Co-op.
Firstly, welcome to the forum which is a group of other ugly people (me included!).
Your police record is irrelevant as it’s all long since “spent” - expired.
Not come across high functioning Autism so I cant help you with that.
I suggest you make a start on light vans (up to 3.5 tonnes) just to get into the routine of going to work, dealing with colleagues and public, paperwork/computer records etc etc.
If you get on ok with that, then have a medical and apply for a CAT C provisional licence. I would expect your application to go to the Medical Board at Swansea for their decision but they don’t withhold licences for no reason. This will, though, cause a delay; don’t expect your licence within 12 weeks.
Employers shouldn’t have a problem provided you are able to do the job. But please be aware that drivers spend more time than they
normally imagine dealing with other people. It’s unavoidable with most driving jobs.
Please scrub any ideas of working for £3.20 per hour. As a van driver you should look for at least £7.00 an hour; any less is an insult.
Finally, don’t put yourself down. We all have our “little ways” and this is what makes us different to each other.
I hope you get somewhere and, in the meantime, don’t hesitate to come back on the forum with any questions. Or you can pm me if you’d rather.
Peter Smythe:
Just noticed your user name. Think about changing it. It’s seriously no good for your self image is it?
Pete
Well the image of ones ego is what tends to get a person in trouble. I prefer to call my ego what it is. Its daft & stupid.
Some autistic people like myself have some personality disorders. I am in the process of ignoring the whims and desires of
the ego so I can actually concentrate on being a genuine person and letting the real self come though.
In layman terms I have a habit of acting like a narcissistic self righteous prat.
But since people know I’m a bit daft they get the idea. Call a duck a duck and a spade a spade.
Peter Smythe:
Firstly, welcome to the forum which is a group of other ugly people (me included!).
Your police record is irrelevant as it’s all long since “spent” - expired.
Not come across high functioning Autism so I cant help you with that.
I suggest you make a start on light vans (up to 3.5 tonnes) just to get into the routine of going to work, dealing with colleagues and public, paperwork/computer records etc etc.
If you get on ok with that, then have a medical and apply for a CAT C provisional licence. I would expect your application to go to the Medical Board at Swansea for their decision but they don’t withhold licences for no reason. This will, though, cause a delay; don’t expect your licence within 12 weeks.
Employers shouldn’t have a problem provided you are able to do the job. But please be aware that drivers spend more time than they
normally imagine dealing with other people. It’s unavoidable with most driving jobs.
Please scrub any ideas of working for £3.20 per hour. As a van driver you should look for at least £7.00 an hour; any less is an insult.
Finally, don’t put yourself down. We all have our “little ways” and this is what makes us different to each other.
I hope you get somewhere and, in the meantime, don’t hesitate to come back on the forum with any questions. Or you can pm me if you’d rather.
Hope this helps, Pete
Cheers for the great advice. I will be looking into it.
Now I actually live in Lincolnshire at the moment and there is like 50 jobs going in my area for HGV/LGV drivers. I haven’t checked Van drivers but it looks like I can probably get some where.
I can access the 24+ learning loan made available by the Government. I consider vocational training worth yonks more than going to University. It will be well worth it.
I have no problems talking to people. Its just that I come across as cold and boring. I’m the kind of guy who will quite happy sit in the Pub watching football and say nothing.
High Functioning Autism is best described as having a Brain of genius but at the same time having all the communication and a-social abnormalities.
The best example I can give is well … I can literally write software code at the same rate as any other computer programmer but my people skills tend to prevent me from getting into jobs.
I suspect the driving industry attracts a disproportionately high number of antisocial lone wolves (I include myself in that, it is not meant as an insult). That is one of the things I like about the job, that I spend the majority of the day on my own not having to deal with other people. Not until I arrive at destinations or back to base, that is.
As long as you can handle people in small doses then you should be fine. You might have to do it under pressure, though, and even if you’re stressed out with something (traffic, being late, getting lost etc) you still have to be polite as you’re representing your employer.
If you really do have people problems then you might want to avoid ‘multidrop’ work and look for something longer distance with fewer collections/deliveries. Courier perhaps?
Just do it mate. I’m presuming from your post that your diagnosis is Asperger’s syndrome? If so, ignore it and do whatever you want to do, the diagnosis is just a label to make you fit into a system designed by people who have no understanding. I’ve known people with ASD achieve all sorts of awesome stuff, go on lad!
