dar1976:
Having said that I am also 6ft4 and built like a tank. I am the true definition of the Big Friendly Giant. I dont go in all guns blazing, but can hold my own. I sometimes wonder if I should get my SIA badge and do security work.
Dean
lol remind me never to upset you then 
so after talking it over have you made any decisions â â
jenx
It takes a lot to get on the wrong side of me
I have work all week this week at DHL / NHS and they have rebooked me for Mon and Fri of next week. I will go and take a look at what the deal is with FirstBus on Wednesday next week and take that one step at a time.
As for Simarco. I still donât feel 100% comfortable with the company. Just a niggle.
Gregoryâs have got back to me and are keen to meet me and have a chat. They have local depots although only currently have vacancies in the Midlands.
Lots of maybes going on at the moment. Hopefully something more positive very soon
i dont normally like making suggestions to people as it has to be theyre decision but u seem a bloke that knows his own mind so here goes âŚ
You want to do pcv this year and first bus are offering to put you through that with a 2 year contract thats to me 2 years of work guarenteed not having to wonder when the phone gonna ring for next shift , and belive me 2 years goes quite quick as have just realised that i will have held my cat C for 2 years come april cant believe it gone real quick , saying that do you really want to work the wagons and if thats the case then you may have to save up an pay pcv yourself and no guarentee of job , mind you u are not backward about going forwards in the job hunt so your determination will win there i think anyhow sorry if trodden on your toes with this post just a few thoughts
best regards
Jen x
Any suggestions gratefully received
Think you should take the offer of the PCV job ok you have to stay for 2 years but that is 2 years of work money in the bank & experience & has been said it will soon pass
It could also give you all the cpc hr you need ( if you got grandfather rights soz cant remember 
)
No guarantee of training yet. Only at assessment stage.
HoweverâŚ
Got a call today to say they had made an error with the info in the original invited letter and that it will now be held in Taunton.
I may be just being over enthusiastic, but thinking that as they went to the effort of checking this, that maybe I am a possible candidate to go further.
Fingers crossed hey
Hey Dar1976,
Missed/lost your PM from Sat. 
You sound like you slept on it well and I take it you talked it over with your family as well. And from whatâs been said you sound extremely sound of mind, making decisions on facts, not just oh Iâll go and do it for the sake of it, when it could actually be detrimental to you.
From all the comments above from the others too, (ShropsBri, animal, LJA, roadrunner, Jennie) everyone seems to have their good advice head screwed on to help, even though youâve already practically made your own mind up.
She said that I am an unknown quantity. Normally hiring is done from word of mouth from current employees.
I think that sums up why it was a palava and a portrayed themselves as âamateurishâ, when comments like that are said
Everyone is an unknown quantity even if recommended, such a strange thing to say to a candidate! That really winds me up, needless to say it would have done the same to you no doubt about it!
As an employer does not really how any of us will react once weâre in a job, until weâre in the role and thatâs why we have probation periods Youâd have thought that would have been obvious too an employer by now, they all hide behind this fact nowadays anyways 
A 25 year experienced driver could blow his top or collapse on the floor in tears and a newbie straight out of the test centre could handle a role for years with no problems in that same very scenario as the 25 year experienced driver didnât. Yet supposedly one is always superior to the otherâŚ
For my âsuggestionâ Iâd go with yours, Jennieâs and animalâs suggestion tooâŚFirst. When the assessment is successful go with your two year plan on the buses (you never know you may like it too much and never want to come back to lorries!) experience, money in the bank, closer to home and that magic two year date has expired on the HGV licence too, should you wish to come back the mad house. I donât think youâll go wrong, bud
The gut feeling is still a useful decision making tool in my eyes! âNever ignore a gut feeling, but never believe that itâs enoughâ - Robert Heller
Lastly I take it youâve got no feedback after all this time from them.
Iâm sorry you got messed about.
C
No. Not had any feedback. Iâm going to give it until the weekend and if nothing then it will just strengthen my guy feeling.
Assessment with First on 8th. Looking forward to that. Hoping that they give me the training and a 2 year contract. Donât think Iâll stick it out any longer than that though. But it does give me 3 years C and 2 years CE on my licence. Also hopefully there will be a bit more recruitment happening on the lorries by then.
PM wasnât important. Just to say Iâd get back to you when in better frame of mind.
Totally understand bud, totally understand,
Well my fingers get re-crossed for the assessment with First. 2 years ainât really a long time as you get older Iâm beginning to realise
C
Well today has gone great at FirstBus.
I turned up half hour early and was offered coffee. Then had my licence checked and copied.
Then a breath test for alcohol.
Then I went out with the assessor to the minibus and gave him a great drive around Taunton for 20 minutes. Fantastic. All boxes ticked.
Got back and did my highway code and literacy / numeracy test. All went fine there.
Then there was a half hour interview with some strange scenarios. But I had a good score for that too.
Then he said that that depot had 7 on hold so no point jumping on the end of that list, but that the depot in Weston Super Mare had immediate vacancies. and how soon would I be available to start training.
I could not quite believe what I was hearing.
So anyway. I have a CRB check to come back and a medical to pass and then I am off out on the buses.
Still in shock⌠but a great result
Brilliant stuff, great to hear some good news!
Great to hear that Dean (apart from Iâve lost a PCV course!!!). Youâre sensible enough to approach it with an open mind. I did my time on the buses - granted many years ago when people still had manners - and it can be a great job. Very much what you make it yourself. The big plus is that you know what time youâll be finished, give or take a few minutes.
All the best, Pete
Sorry Pete. I would have booked with you. But with things the way they are at the moment work wise, I needed some guarantees for work so am killing 2 birds with one stone.
If you ever do tractor training, Iâll book up with ya 
Seriously though Pete. I am really grateful for what you did to get me through CE.
Some good news for you then good luck with it all
Do you want to do my interviews as you seem to be good at them not like me or getting that interview
TBH animal. Itâs taken quite a slog to get this interview as I was getting a lot of noâs.
But hoping this gives me the 2 years with CE on my licence and then I can give it another go on the applications for artic work.
Or alternatively I might really enjoy taking the drunks home at night and the kids to and from school
Congrats on getting started with First Dean. Did they make you do some personality test thing? I had to in Glasgow and well I didnât have the personality of a bus driver so they sent me packing, no proper interview, check licence, driving assesment nothing.
I wish you all the best of luck with it.
I had to answer how I would respond on certain scenarios. I also had to give examples of how I have dealt with difficult situations in the past.
I guess thatâs the closest I would label a personality test .
And thanks all for congrats.
dar1976:
Sorry Pete. I would have booked with you.If you ever do tractor training, Iâll book up with ya
Tractor training ? Can you not drive a tractor on car licence no more ? 
Nice one Dean,
Just noticed this thread, and was getting a sick feeling the more I read, that you would take the job, it sounded off from the start and sometimes if you think it is to good to be true it normally is.
Re: First Bus, hey free training got a regular income for 2 years!!! be at home with family save a bundle on fuel not travelling a 400 mile round trip just to come home be knackered all sat then having to go back on Sunday for work.
You can train in a auto and still get a manual bus licence.
Really glad you made the right choice and decided to go on the buses.
Disco
just read this post congratulations dean never a more deserving appointment , good luck with all the training who do they train with maybe you could recommend your own seriously well done im really pleased for you and your family
Jen x