How can someone who’s just passed there Cat C/C+E (Well last year anyway) get any experience when no-ones prepared to offer you the chance to earn experience…? I’ve listed with Agencies and contacted companies direct and still no joy. Agencies are now asking for your experience record because firms are telling them to or they’ll find other agencies to employ.
Please can one of the more experienced drivers put us none experienced cat C or C+E wannabe’s right…?
I’ve applied for about 30 driving jobs around Bristol and had 2 agencies ask for my experience, as soon as I tell them none they tell me more or less to go away and get experience.
animal:
Same as it has alway been it was like this back in the late 70’s when I left school & was looking for my 1st job
So how did you go about finding that all important experience they all require for insurance purposes…?
At 16 dint drive for a living but it was the same then so not a lot changed just kept knocking on doors going round asking people sending out a CV ( very limited as just left school )
Did eventually get a break but was low pay even then & unsociable hrs all the worst shifts that nobody else wanted or would do yes I hated it but gave me some experience of work & life & couldnt wait to leave
animal:
Same as it has alway been it was like this back in the late 70’s when I left school & was looking for my 1st job
So how did you go about finding that all important experience they all require for insurance purposes…?
At 16 dint drive for a living but it was the same then so not a lot changed just kept knocking on doors going round asking people sending out a CV ( very limited as just left school )
Did eventually get a break but was low pay even then & unsociable hrs all the worst shifts that nobody else wanted or would do yes I hated it but gave me some experience of work & life & couldnt wait to leave
Harder now then back then mind
I will keep trying and I have uploaded my CV to numerous job websites (national and local) and to be honest I don’t mind driving [zb] shifts just as long as I get that much needed experience. Pay for newbies is always going to be rubbish so I except that part of the job.
Thank you for your inspiration and help
dar1976:
Wrams:
animal:
Same as it has always been it was like this back in the late 70’s when I left school & was looking for my 1st job
So how did you go about finding that all important experience they all require for insurance purposes…?
There are a few companies that will take the risk on you as a newbie. You just have to find them.
The other option is agencies. I know some agencies are strict on levels of experience but others will take you on the day after your test.
It’s all about weeding out the bs from those that will give you the chance.
Best of luck.
A friend of mine is going to speak to his sister in law who works in Mainline agency in Bedminster, Bristol. Once he see’s her on Monday he’s going to ask her to sort it out for me. (Hopefully)
A neighbour who drove class 1 for over 40 years is also going to ask old bosses and mates if there’s anything about I can do. Again I have to wait, I don’t mind just as long as I get that chance.
Thank you for your wishes
Harry Monk:
You don’t actually need two years experience, you just need to have held your license for two years. This will come to pass…
I know its already been 9 months since I passed my test and I didn’t even realise it either until my wife told the other day after I told the neighbour I had my license for about 4 months Time flies…
Again thanks guys for your support I appreciate it
ok from personal experience can I point out that the “insurance says driver has to have 2 years experience” is a load of ■■■■■■■■ I can confidently say this as I have had numerous conversations with companies insurance companies and the uk insurance ombudsman who have all told me that the 2 year rule is a cop out its for companies that aint got the balls to say not interested I have been fortunate enough to get class 1 work straight away and working on heavy haulage so goes to show that if it did exist no insurance company would allow me when i was a new driver to do that type of work.
I hear ‘Pertemps’ Bristol are looking for class 1’s at weekends for a major bakery in Avonmouth. I passed my test on 7th July, Pertemps at Exeter have asked for all my available weekends to the end of August, might be worth getting registered with them!
…continuing a, possibly, positive angle, I registered with 4 agencies. I got my class 1 licence back from DVLA yesterday (24th July) and found myself in a 6 axle artic doing a trunk run to Stafford 8 hrs later (This agency was RLM at Exeter)…this was my 1st ever run !!!
I agree that the two year thing with insurance is a load of nonsense too, I was told this by an employer at an interview I had (no i never got the job ) but he told me there’s no such thing.
I believe though, that most agencies have a negligence insurance policy now of their own and it’s part of their own conditions that you must have/held license or experience for 2 years.
I’ve registered with Mainline and today I was told to bring my details down to Interactive Recruitment and a mates daughter in law works at Mainline so shes going to sort something out for me. It’s rubbish these firms, they should not be aloud to lie about insurance when it’s clearly not the truth.
Sam Millar:
I believe though, that most agencies have a negligence insurance policy now of their own and it’s part of their own conditions that you must have/held license or experience for 2 years.
may be something in that , twice I have turned up at 2 different companies for a class 2 job , and the tm saying we could of done with an artic going out really but couldnt get anyone ,
when I say I have class one with the obligatory but only held it since dec so havent the 2 years experience, they both have turned around and said , you hold a class 1 licence yes ? then we could have used you,
If you go down the agency route it can help if you dont demand class 1 jobs, start off by driving anything, vans, 7.5t etc. Do this for a couple of months and you will find the agency will start to offer you “better” jobs on bigger vehicles. I know it may feel like a step backwards, but if you can show willing and prove that you are not a danger to society then the jobs should start coming
mkb600:
If you go down the agency route it can help if you dont demand class 1 jobs, start off by driving anything, vans, 7.5t etc. Do this for a couple of months and you will find the agency will start to offer you “better” jobs on bigger vehicles. I know it may feel like a step backwards, but if you can show willing and prove that you are not a danger to society then the jobs should start coming
Mate if they told me to drive trucks through a truck wash day in day out for 2 years worth of experience I’d do it. I know everyone starts at the bottom and works there way up. I quite happy to do the meaningless crap jobs no other bleeder wants
As for doing other stuff. This week driving milk tankers, 2.30 am start in Somerset, up to London with 27000 litres and unload, up to Chelmsford empty and pick up 24000 litres of cream, back to Wiltshire, swap trailers then back to Somerset. 550 ks, 9 hours driving, 12 to 15 hours shift depending on traffic and delays. £85 for 12 hours then £10 an hour after that. Stick in an hours drive to work and an hour back and its a hard day, doing it five days in a row is quite tiring. Option 2 (which I had last week), was delivering furniture foam in a sprinter van. 5 drops, start at 9am finish at 2.30 with a half hour lunch break. £85 for the shift.
Your starter for ten. I want to be a driver and drive artics, but which job do I do… (Yeah ok so I pitched for the milk job. Why oh why. Do I need my head examining, is the kick of driving a big truck worth this sort of grief).
kvin:
I’m sure you can find some crap jobs out there…
As for doing other stuff. This week driving milk tankers, 2.30 am start in Somerset, up to London with 27000 litres and unload, up to Chelmsford empty and pick up 24000 litres of cream, back to Wiltshire, swap trailers then back to Somerset. 550 ks, 9 hours driving, 12 to 15 hours shift depending on traffic and delays. £85 for 12 hours then £10 an hour after that. Stick in an hours drive to work and an hour back and its a hard day, doing it five days in a row is quite tiring. Option 2 (which I had last week), was delivering furniture foam in a sprinter van. 5 drops, start at 9am finish at 2.30 with a half hour lunch break. £85 for the shift.
Your starter for ten. I want to be a driver and drive artics, but which job do I do… (Yeah ok so I pitched for the milk job. Why oh why. Do I need my head examining, is the kick of driving a big truck worth this sort of grief).
Mate good luck with that, I can’t wait to be driving like artics myself. I to probably would have picked the tanker rather than in a sprinter. Thats why you became a trucker and not a van driver
Sometimes you can be in the right place at the right time. Last week I applied for two C+E jobs to try and change from my normal 8 wheel tipper work. One of these companies phoned back so I went for an interview and assessment drive. I guess I passed both as they offered me a job of driving vans, 7.5, C and C+E for them.
The up shot is I have to give two weeks notice to my old firm. The Director of the new firm said it was a shame I was not free next week as I could be driving a C+E over to France. So I have booked off next week with my old firm and they will be getting my letter very soon so I will have just one week with them when I get back from France.
So yes a bit of luck can help but just try to stay positive and something will come your way
Thanks guys for your help. I spoke to a guy on the phone at an agency in Bristol today and he said “mate don’t worry about having no experience” and offered me a class 2 job for tomorrow, however tomorrow I have a meeting with a client over a website, ■■■■ client. Still I’ll earn more money with the client than I can in 2 days of driving agency. I phoned him again and he said he’ll have work for me for next week, this time I won’t let him down.
Sam Millar:
I believe though, that most agencies have a negligence insurance policy now of their own and it’s part of their own conditions that you must have/held license or experience for 2 years.
may be something in that , twice I have turned up at 2 different companies for a class 2 job , and the tm saying we could of done with an artic going out really but couldnt get anyone ,
when I say I have class one with the obligatory but only held it since dec so havent the 2 years experience, they both have turned around and said , you hold a class 1 licence yes ? then we could have used you,
makes ya wonder
jx
agencies negligence insurance may state 2 years but direct contact with companies and that should not be an issue at all as you say jennie companies using the 2 year experience thing arent very professional to say the least using that as an excuse.
Time flies…
) but he told me there’s no such thing.
