There are not many jobs about although there are some but you have to go looking visit all the companies that have transport not just the haulage companies
Dont think you will need to retrain as once you get in & used to things it will all come back
Wages are poss lower than back in 2006 in the North East for Cat CE ( class 1 ) you are looking at about £7.20 per hr not sure bout yorkshire or south
Remember that a sat nav is only an electronic map so yep you have to also read the road
Don,t bother with agency work, liers all the way mate, if your near Tilbury, i could give you a run out on a skelly thats if you don,t mind workin with crap loads of eastern europeans, i,m english just for the record,
My situation is almost identical to yours. Business gone to the wall, I returned to the UK 3 months ago after 18 years living abroad. After I got back I had my medical and renewed my licence, immediately took my CPC course in full and got my digi tacho card. That in itself took about three weeks.
In the meantime I did a ton of research and identified companies that I wanted to work for thinking that it would be a breeze to walk into a job again given that I had several years of European experience. Upon approaching the said companies, mostly in person, it seemed they were put off by the fact that I had been away from the job for so long. Hence I received no job offers.
After about 2 months and no offers of work, with anxiety starting to set in, I signed up with an agency. Within 3 days I was asked to attend an assessment which I got through by the skin of my teeth and I have just completed my first week for a well known high street retailer on class 1 work. I am also booked in with them for the next couple of weeks at least. I have to admit at times it felt like I was starting all over again especially with regard to reversing. Thankfully, despite never driving an auto before it was a doddle to get used to and I already prefer it.
There is now a huge emphasis on health and saftey and I have spent a vast amount of time having to read through the rules and regs of the company I have been working for, and signing everything that they put in front of me. My week has been a mix of work from back street central London deliveries with blind side reverses to easy peasy trunking runs with tralier swaps. It was far different to the work I am really seeking but the experience has been a real confidence booster. But yes, they did push me to max my hours to the legal limits. As I really need the money, I was happy to oblige. I was however home every night which was great.
It was my initial intention to avoid the agencies but now, in hindsight, I realize that I should have signed on with one as soon as I got back in the UK as doing so would have got me back behind the wheel much sooner. I am of course still free to seek out the job I really want but in the meantime I am bringing in some decent money to pay the bills, in addition to regaining some valuable experience. My advice would be for you to do the same.
By the way, the money I invested in a truck satnav has thus far been a complete waste because the company I am currently working for bans the use of them.
Probably not a lot more I could add to that. Certainly research companies in your area that you want to work for and approach them directly. No matter you’re opinion on agencies, they are a means to getting a foot in the door when you’ve been unsuccessful otherwise - and more often than not on the bigger contracts, there’s every chance you’ll land a full time job after an agreed timescale (usually 12 weeks, ish).
im in the same boat as this guy lol , got the class1 a few years back done a few months work then the work dried up so I started driving taxis , I just got offered a job driving artics again and thought I would give it a go , im not worried about the driving part its remembering the taco symbols etc ffs lol I have just send away for a digi card & the wagon ill be driving has an analogue taco in it , , could someone put up the symbols of the taco to refresh me startin to panic a bit here lol
realdeal:
My situation is almost identical to yours. Business gone to the wall, I returned to the UK 3 months ago after 18 years living abroad. After I got back I had my medical and renewed my licence, immediately took my CPC course in full and got my digi tacho card. That in itself took about three weeks.
In the meantime I did a ton of research and identified companies that I wanted to work for thinking that it would be a breeze to walk into a job again given that I had several years of European experience. Upon approaching the said companies, mostly in person, it seemed they were put off by the fact that I had been away from the job for so long. Hence I received no job offers.
After about 2 months and no offers of work, with anxiety starting to set in, I signed up with an agency. Within 3 days I was asked to attend an assessment which I got through by the skin of my teeth and I have just completed my first week for a well known high street retailer on class 1 work. I am also booked in with them for the next couple of weeks at least. I have to admit at times it felt like I was starting all over again especially with regard to reversing. Thankfully, despite never driving an auto before it was a doddle to get used to and I already prefer it.
There is now a huge emphasis on health and saftey and I have spent a vast amount of time having to read through the rules and regs of the company I have been working for, and signing everything that they put in front of me. My week has been a mix of work from back street central London deliveries with blind side reverses to easy peasy trunking runs with tralier swaps. It was far different to the work I am really seeking but the experience has been a real confidence booster. But yes, they did push me to max my hours to the legal limits. As I really need the money, I was happy to oblige. I was however home every night which was great.
It was my initial intention to avoid the agencies but now, in hindsight, I realize that I should have signed on with one as soon as I got back in the UK as doing so would have got me back behind the wheel much sooner. I am of course still free to seek out the job I really want but in the meantime I am bringing in some decent money to pay the bills, in addition to regaining some valuable experience. My advice would be for you to do the same.
By the way, the money I invested in a truck satnav has thus far been a complete waste because the company I am currently working for bans the use of them.
Best of luck to you.
Now that is a very good reply to the OP’s question, well done that man !
