Ok so i passed my mod 4 on wednesday so im ready to start driving as a cat C driver. A huge thanks to all the guys at Chevron in flint for gettting me through it all, i couldnt recommend them enough.
I currently work in Mcdonalds as a shift manager where ive been for 13 years and for reasons i wont get into i hate it. Getting my C licence was my chance to get out of that place and start a new career, im so happy i finally found something i wanted to do for a living and had a passion for.
Through my current place of work i met a guy who went down the HGV road and joined an agency, like me he started out new with a class C licence and is now doing C+E work with them 5/6 days a week. He’s been with them over a year and has never been short of getting work so i decided these are the fellas im going to go with.
Ive just gave them a ring, i had a chat with the guy and he sounded a decent bloke, he said they’d take me on but he wouldnt recommend leaving a full time job to do it. He said although there’s work right now it could dry up quite easily. He recommended i stay at my job and work my days off there to get experience.
This has got me thinking now what should i do. Ive practically had my notice written out ready to give in, its something ive been wanting to do for years! I cant stand working there any longer, ive worked hard and paid alot of money to change my career and i dont fancy working 7 days a week and not seeing my girlfriend and son. I do shift work so my 2 days off could be anytime in the week, there is no pattern to my shifts it can range from 4am starts to 4pm starts.
What do you guys think?
If you want to work at McDonalds as a main job and in addition work as an agency driver on you days off, BEWARE!
The drivers hours rules will mean that you will struggle to do it legally. Any work you do at McDonalds is work under the drivers hours rules and you MUST have your daily rests (11 hours {9 hours} each day) and your weekly rests 45 hours (or thereabouts).
You really need to read up on the drivers’ hours rules before you consider doing part time agency driving.
Can you simply reduce your hours each week at McD’s leaving you some legitimate driving hours?
Even if you do this, who says that the agency will have work for YOU on the EXACT days of the week that you are not working at McD’s.
Think it through very carefully. Make a plan that will work and then see if you still like the idea.
The alternative is to resign from McD’s and hope that you get some driving work (Not too likely - see all the other posts on the same subject from the past 6 months)
Good luck anyway.
Cheers,
LandyLad
Thanks for the detailed reply landylad. I think thats pretty much cemented my plan to leave. I was taken back the guy at the agency suggested I did that, I thought he’d be promising me alsorts to get me on the books. Sometimes in life you have to take risks
Hi
Firstly congratulations on passing your mod 4 and your cat c with chevron. I myself passed with them a little over a year ago a great training provider and Paul who trained me was great at his job. Who trained you? Which is the agency you have registered with as there is 1 called top gear recruitment in Warrington which take on newbies and dream team in worsley
Hope you get something sorted soon mate there are some agencies that will give you the time of day also have you been round local companies with your cv theres always a chance as some people on here have secured perm jobs out of it.
Good luck and keep us all informed on your progress
John
Thanks John. I’ve read some of your posts along with phils when you were both training, I had Paul myself too, we actually seen Phill in his edge truck on Wrexham industrial estate.
Where are you working now? The agency is drivers direct in Runcorn, my mate said they’re good once they get to know you I’ll be getting 5 days a week like him.
If im not getting work I guess ill join some more agencies. Once I’ve got experience I wanna do my c+e then look for permanent work.
Do you know Chevron have just been approved as a dvla test centre now, so the examiners have to come to them and the test starts from their doorstep. Should be starting in the next couple of weeks.
Hi I haven’t seen Phil since not long after passing he was driving for edge then as well.
Didn’t know chevron had got Dvla test ctr status that is great news for them if anyone reading this and is looking for a decent professional trainer then give them a call ( little recommendation for you there John 
)
What is the work you are hoping to get that your mate does for them?
Where abouts are you situated by the way for work?
Iam hoping to get my class 1 done one day just need to get that saving started 
are you going to do yours sooner rather than later
Good luck in your job hunt and I hope you get what you want from that agency
Regards
John
He’s done a whole variety of work with them, binwagons, supermarket runs, UKmail and is now doing class 1 work with stobarts. I will take any work for experience I’m not looking for anything inparticular.
I’m living in Wallasey now, I grew up in little Sutton and my mum & dad still live there. Are you working on the binwagons in the port? Do u know of any jobs going?
I’ll go for my class 1 when funds will allow, hopefully within a year.
Thanks for the good luck John, think I’m gonna need it
Nate187:
Thanks John. I’ve read some of your posts along with phils when you were both training, I had Paul myself too, we actually seen Phill in his edge truck on Wrexham industrial estate.
Where are you working now? The agency is drivers direct in Runcorn, my mate said they’re good once they get to know you I’ll be getting 5 days a week like him.
If im not getting work I guess ill join some more agencies. Once I’ve got experience I wanna do my c+e then look for permanent work.Do you know Chevron have just been approved as a DSA test centre now, so the examiners have to come to them and the test starts from their doorstep. Should be starting in the next couple of weeks.
.
ftfy
well done Chris - good luck with the career change. John
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Thanks John.
Just handed my notice in. Hope I’m doing the right thing
Give Edge transport at Wrexham a call- they take newbies
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Hi mate
There is some jobs coming up they are at the Chester depot They are on the jobcentre website it’s with an agency called blue arrow
Apart from that mate I will let u know if I hear of anything John is right tho edge gave phill a chance when he had not long passed
Hope something comes up for u soon
Ps dunno if u would do it but go plant on the rossmore ind in the port are sometimes taking on its crap money tho but it’s a start
Let us know how u get on
John
Cheers fellas.
I spoke to another guy at that agency today, he asked what experience driving I had and when I replied none he said it would be tricky finding me work, he said he’d phone some clients to see if they give work to someone with ‘limited’ experience and then phone me back. Guess what…yup he never rang back 
I’d love to work for edge but afraid it’s too far for me living in wallasey. I’ll try that blue arrow company thanks John, u enjoying your job? How am I best finding driver companies in my area?
hi mate you are gonna get a lot of agencies saying that usual thrase of have you got experience but dont let it get uyou down because some will give you the time of day my advice would be to register with as many agencies as possible that will let you register with them anyway.
another option you may wanna try is get your cv updated or printed out with a nice covering letter explaining how keen you are and that you will do anything, fill your car up with some fuel and drive round all the industrial areas in your area, you say you are in wallasey… nip over the water and try round the docks and there are quite a few ind areas over that way, ask to spk to the transport manager if he/she is available and just sell yourself.
its worked for some people on here
its one of them they will not come to you you may get lucky and someone may have just quit and then you walk in with your cat c licence
hope things get sorted for you
a cpl of agencies you may want to try is redline recruitment, top gear recruitment and dreamteam in worsley i know they will deal with newbies as 2 of them gave me work when i had just passed
good luck mate
john
Cheers John appreciate it. I’ll give those agencys a ring in the morning and let you know how I get on
Right, I got intouch with driver hire today and was told they’d take me on so im heading down their office in Liverpool in the morning. I’ve heard good things about them, a girl I knows dad joined them a month ago and has been getting work.
Is there anything I should be asking the agency?
Wanna-b-a-newbie:
Hi
Firstly congratulations on passing your mod 4 and your cat c with chevron. I myself passed with them a little over a year ago a great training provider and Paul who trained me was great at his job. Who trained you? Which is the agency you have registered with as there is 1 called top gear recruitment in Warrington which take on newbies and dream team in worsleyHope you get something sorted soon mate there are some agencies that will give you the time of day also have you been round local companies with your cv theres always a chance as some people on here have secured perm jobs out of it.
Good luck and keep us all informed on your progress
John
hi i have had my class one(clean) for 20 yrs this post says call top-gear I called them they said they would not take me on unless i have driven 180 days class one in the last year or two this is the second agency to say this acorn in Preston did take me on, said they would call me to work on Friday ,no call ,they called wed ,to say they would be in touch about working weekend if still interested ,no call ,they called me at 10pm Thursday night to work the next day but was in the pub so couldn’t do it ,so i went to stobarts done assessment and interview ,passed and he said i will be starting as soon as he can arrange an induction ,