Just signed with an agency in Manchester for driving (transits) as I’m desperate to earn cash to do class1.
Told today that for now they could probably get me some work as a ‘drivers mate’.
I pressume most people on this forum may have started out that way and i’m just wondering if someone could explain what i would be expected to do and what the going rate would be approx■■?
I have to start somewhere i suppose!!!
GMANSCAN
depending on job you are doing pay rate range from £5phr to £6phr.
Wanting to do class1 one you will have to do class2 first and before that 7.5t test also. costs alot of cash need to knock in some heavy duty hours for that.
You don’t need to do a C1 (7.5t) before a C if you are over 21, you can go from B straight to C then.
My agency pay £5 per hour for drivers mate, I’ve done the odd day here and there when it was all they had. ■■■■ easy usually though as long as the driver is ok. When I’ve done it the driver has usually been happy to have me, as usually they get sent teenagers who don’t really give a ■■■■.
You don’t need to do a C1 (7.5t) before a C if you are over 21, you can go from B straight to C then.
This only applies if you had your car license passed before jamuary 1st 1997, otherwise you will have to sit the cat c1 test also before doing your rigid.
goes a little something along these lines
“Since 1st jan 997, new drivers passing the car and light vehicles test (ie with vehicles upto 3.5 tonnes permissible maximum weight) for the first time are not permitted to drive vehicles above this weight without securing additional driving catergories on their licence. This restriction to 3.5 tonne driving applies only to those who first pass their test since this date - it is not applied retrospectively to existing license holders.” and it goes on to say
“Drivers who pass their car test (cat b) are not permitted to drvie minibuses (cat d1, medium sized goods vehicles(cat c1), or tow large (over 750kg) trailers (in cat b+e, c1+e, and d1+e. They must take a further test if they wish to drive such a vehicles or vehicle combinations.”
tiggz:
You don’t need to do a C1 (7.5t) before a C if you are over 21, you can go from B straight to C then.
This only applies if you had your car license passed before jamuary 1st 1997, otherwise you will have to sit the cat c1 test also before doing your rigid.
Nope.
I’'ve just done it. I had a 3.5t licence (passed after 1997) and went straight to LGV Cat C.
You can take a C1 test if you need to, but it’s pointless unless you are under 21. I haven’t seen many places that offer the training either.
If your licence was pre 97 then you automatically have cat C1.
If you are after 97, all you need to do is CAT C, which will cover you automatically for C1. 
There is no need to sit a C1 before you can do C
Gurner:
If your licence was pre 97 then you automatically have cat C1.
If you are after 97, all you need to do is CAT C, which will cover you automatically for C1.
There is no need to sit a C1 before you can do C
I looked in to doing a C1 a few years back, when I was under 21. I started driving for a living in vans when I was 18 (23 now). Realised quickly it wasn’t worth it and I was better off sticking to the vans until the time was right (financially and age wise) for the Cat C training.
I was always a bit ■■■■■■ off about missing out on the C1 by a year, but in retrospect after LGV training I think it’s a sensible move.
Andyroo, did you not consider the young drivers training scheme? It is , i believe, grant assisted & can get you out driving an artic on your own before U R 21.
Drivers mate work is most likely to be on dray wagons doing pub deliveries or 7.5 tonners delivering white goods to domestic addresses.
Driveroneuk:
Andyroo, did you not consider the young drivers training scheme? It is , i believe, grant assisted & can get you out driving an artic on your own before U R 21.
I only found out about it after I was 21. 
Thanks everyone,
missed out on drivers scheme as was completly unaware of it!!! Had my first transit job on Thursday delivering car batteries around the northwest. Really enjoyed it and excellent motor. No stress at all.
Intend to do Cat C as soon as i have the money. I just cant believe there are companies out there that will sposor/help out/train new drivers.
Sick of my desk job and want to get driving, problem is i’m currently on £17850 a year and dont think i will ever find a driving job that pays that. Why cant i afford training straight away i hear you ask??
Well i bought a house at the age of 22 and have debts up to my eye balls!!! Seems to be downhill from here.
GMANSCAN
GMANCAN -
I was a programmer on £21k last year, and moving to HGV was/is the best move i’ve make EVER…
I drove 7.5 tonners for a couple of months (to get used to Tacho’s, RDC procedures, air suspension, etc…) then registered with ‘Driver Hire’ who within 2 weeks offered me a place on their free ‘NO tie-in’ training… I had only done 2 jobs for them and refused loadsa stuff (cars and vans) insisting I wanted ‘Trucks’ but that didn’t bother them…
Into the bargain (or penance for the free training) you also have to do an NVQ in HGV driving, which basically covers all the things you SHOULD already know, loading, weight distribution, Tacho stuff, etc…
That was 2 hours once a week at college, for 20 odd weeks iirc… Too long, but hey… It was completely FREE…
They did say they were doing it again this year (about now) and said we could go back and do a C1 and the next level NVQ… !!!
Luv
Chrisie… 
If you can do a bit as a drivers mate, specially class 1 long hours, if thats what youre after, do it, and do it for as long as poss, you’ll know what the hours “feel” like then, as opposed to what they “sound” like! 
either way, it’d be a good experience.
GMANSCAN:
Sick of my desk job and want to get driving, problem is i’m currently on £17850 a year and dont think i will ever find a driving job that pays that. Why cant i afford training straight away i hear you ask??
I don’t see why you couldn’t fairly easily earn that driving. That money for a 50 hour week with time-and-a-half after 40 (i.e. 55 hours paid) is only 6.24/hour. If you don’t mind doing a 60 hour week (70 hours paid) you only need 4.90/hour to earn that. (and as of 1st October, the minimum wage is 4.85, so you must be able to earn that…) Even on a basic 40 hour week it’s only 8.58/hour which isn’t completely unheard of in some areas (although for a new driver it probably is).
If you don’t mind working on a Sunday then it’s even easier to earn that money, too.
Paul
My main problem is the fact that I can’t even drive 7.5t purely because of the date that i passed my driving test. Its so unfair.
The only way i can start out is to find a some of cash at least £700-1000 just to get going and gain a little bit of experience.
Thanks again everyone for your input!!
GMANSCAN
If you are going to be a drivers mate, you might as well enjoy yourself and earn some decent money.
Have a look at the furniture movers. They do the international removals with 2 or 3 men, this gives you the experience of finding the way around. using ferry terminals and drinking beer in the sun.