After 24 years service I’m finally leaving the forces and taken as many courses in Haulage as I can. HGV 2/ADR/MOFFET/HIAB. My question is. How do you land a descent job as 95% of the Jobs I’ve looked at ask for the two years minimum experience and that’s with some Agencies as well, for Insurance obviously. Is it just a case of finding a company that needs you now and is desperate enough to pay the extra Insurance premiums? Any advice on how some of you more experienced Drivers got started?
After 24 years service I’m finally leaving the forces and taken as many courses in Haulage as I can. HGV 2/ADR/MOFFET/HIAB. My question is. How do you land a descent job as 95% of the Jobs I’ve looked at ask for the two years minimum experience and that’s with some Agencies as well, for Insurance obviously. Is it just a case of finding a company that needs you now and is desperate enough to pay the extra Insurance premiums? Any advice on how some of you more experienced Drivers got started?
Welcome my fellow blue and thanks for the 24 years looking out for us, there seems to be alot off agency’s around Pompey and southampton so that could be an option or palmer and Harvey seem to constantly be after drivers in southampton I think the pays poor but they always seem to need drivers so may not be too fussy or even try the council or amey I think it is there the ones who dig the roads up stick some temp lights up and ■■■ off for the rest off the week good luck hope something turns up when you need it too.
Co-op in Andover (Noddy Dent run it) are always desperate for drivers, I know a couple of ex-matelots that got some time in with them. It’s quite a trek but the pay is better than most in this neck of the woods.
Agency wise try Drive Personnel in Fair Oaks (http://www.drivepersonnel.co.uk/), they offer some work for newly qualified drivers. But as always expect a slow start when you are new, especially with agency work. Drive don’t offer the most but are, in my limited experience of agency work, reasonably fair to good to work for.
Where ever you go expect to have to do a dicky exam (usually multiple guess) and a driving assessment.
Good Luck
As always there are other companies and agencies out there!
MickeyG, firstly welcome, secondly I salute your service to HMG, thirdly imo you’ll be hard pushed to find an agency that’ll take you without the 2 years malarky (which you’ve already identified to be fair).
My advice to you would be to pick up a Yellow Pages and look up any haulage operations in your area and get your ■■■■ on their doorstep and keep pestering them. Monday morning just after payday is best, someone will not turn in and Roberts your Mothers brother, right place right time.
Stobbies do seem keen on employing ex forces, but I reckon you’ll need a Class one to work for them.
Either way, good luck and don’t despair, something will turn up.
I was in the same position when I got out in 99, man are you in for some surprises. Regular companies would not even look at me as they know you rarely, if ever, use your licence in the forces. I was advised to go to agencies and did it for a couple of years. Don’t worry about the 2 year thing, that goes out of the window when they need a driver at short notice, just get signed up. Brush up on Tacho & WTD rules, as well as filling in the centre field on a Tacho chart, as you usually get a written test. As I was told when starting out, “you will have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet a prince” . Just be prepared to have a go at anything. Good luck.
After 24 years service I’m finally leaving the forces and taken as many courses in Haulage as I can. HGV 2/ADR/MOFFET/HIAB. My question is. How do you land a descent job as 95% of the Jobs I’ve looked at ask for the two years minimum experience and that’s with some Agencies as well, for Insurance obviously. Is it just a case of finding a company that needs you now and is desperate enough to pay the extra Insurance premiums? Any advice on how some of you more experienced Drivers got started?
When i left in 97 i was lucky to get some casual work from a mate who was already in at a firm, but i’d used my licence as that was my trade. Anyway, you could also take your c.v round and say you’re happy to be a casual driver if they need any. They’ll always be that last minute job that comes in…
Thanks for all the very good advice I have received!
I tried Fowler Welch in Hilsea, seemed Ideal coming from a catering background and been Hygiene trained. I emailed them and asked if I could do some work experience (Also something Haulage orientated to put on CV) but they just replied I would have to apply for jobs in the normal manner? I was just asking to work for free and get some work experience as I’m still been paid by the Navy. I may just wonder down to there Hisea office though as you cant beat speaking to someone face to face I think.
see that stuff they taught you on your first resettlement courses about CVs and job hunting etc? it works! i am still using that same CV i wrote then (updated obviously) and i still use the techniques i was taught then. be pro-active and get your CV out to every company you can think of
except palmer and harvey. i had a block booking with them and did 3 days and 2 out of 3 deliveries on the 4th before taking their truck back and walking out on the job. that is the only job i have walked off site from and i have worked for a lot of companies. co-op wasnt bad when i worked out of their depot in chandlers ford but that was 10 years ago. the pompey site was totally different
How long has it been since you got your license? If its more than 2 years then tell them you were driving in the army for 2 years. They have no way of verifying it and given the standard of ex-RLC drivers I’ve seen especially with reversing, your inexperience won’t stand out.
Conor:
How long has it been since you got your license? If its more than 2 years then tell them you were driving in the army for 2 years. They have no way of verifying it and given the standard of ex-RLC drivers I’ve seen especially with reversing, your inexperience won’t stand out.
Only just qualified as part of my resettlement programme, fancied a change from working with people you have to motivate and drive to just do the bare minimum on a daily basis. Worked with the RLC in the Falklands, never saw them drive, just drink and smoke
This may be a noddy question? but there are a lot of varied jobs out there! I’m gathering that agency work will offer a lot of those varied jobs to me. How do you actually gain experience of been a “Tipper driver” “Skip Driver” “HIAB Driver” “Tanker Driver” “Multi Drop Driver” Do the company’s wanting these types of drivers, train you to do that specific job?
Conor:
How long has it been since you got your license? If its more than 2 years then tell them you were driving in the army for 2 years. They have no way of verifying it and given the standard of ex-RLC drivers I’ve seen especially with reversing, your inexperience won’t stand out.
Only just qualified as part of my resettlement programme, fancied a change from working with people you have to motivate and drive to just do the bare minimum on a daily basis. Worked with the RLC in the Falklands, never saw them drive, just drink and smoke
This may be a noddy question? but there are a lot of varied jobs out there! I’m gathering that agency work will offer a lot of those varied jobs to me. How do you actually gain experience of been a “Tipper driver” “Skip Driver” “HIAB Driver” “Tanker Driver” “Multi Drop Driver” Do the company’s wanting these types of drivers, train you to do that specific job?
Last time I was agency was when I left same as you
It was mostly on the job training
Most of the time there is always someone about to ask.
It dosen’t harm to just request a quick walk round and show me how it works.
Some firms will give you a quick driving test anyway and then show you the ins and outs
Best to get famillier before writing something off worth £100k
Alot of big firms waive the two years
Stobarts seem to have more ex Squaddies than the RBL