Failed my probationary period with CVL in Crewe

Hi all, well I thought I’d update you on my driving career. I didn’t make it through my probationary period with CVL/Bargian Booze, as I wasn’t suitable for the job, as I was struggling with the all hand balling aspect of the job. I have an impingement in my right shoulder, and I was coming home in pain each day, having offloaded 10 tonnes of stock.

I have updated my CV and sent it to S Cooper again, and I will contact all the skip hire companies in Cheshire to see if they would be willing to take on someone with less than 2 years experience.

I have already heard back from Nick Brookes, with the usual “sorry, must have 2 years experience”

Out of interest, does anyone know if any skip hire firms take drivers with less than 2 years experience.

It does seem like I am going to have to sit around for another year, before I can get any work, as by next August I will have had my class 2 entitlement for 2 years.

I do wonder to myself what was the point in spending all that money on a licence that I can’t use, and why do the DSA still offer the ability to take a Class C test when next to no-one will give you a job, because you’re too much of an insurance risk!

DSA and insurers have no job connection to each other so I fail to see why you should think so

The only people who do have an overall knowledge of the newbie job situation are the training schools - the good ones will tell you how it is in reality

As in most things, its up to the individual to do extensive research before committing to a large financial outlay

Yeah, I see your point. Gatewen Training in Wrexham didn’t exactly tell me that the job situation was dire for newly qualified’s. I suppose they just wanted my money, so they are hardly going to say to each potential client, that there’s next to no work out there, as you wouldn’t bother spending the money to train with them, or any other school for that matter.

Clearly the job situation varies according to area. Our local skip firms will happily take on newbies. And there’s plenty of other work that’s not so dirty.

It’s always best to go and knock on doors rather than rely on cv’s and phone calls/emails.

All the best with your search. Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Braveheart1984:
Yeah, I see your point. Gatewen Training in Wrexham didn’t exactly tell me that the job situation was dire for newly qualified’s. I suppose they just wanted my money, so they are hardly going to say to each potential client, that there’s next to no work out there, as you wouldn’t bother spending the money to train with them, or any other school for that matter.

I know schools that do tell it like it is and it does not seem to put off trainees - in fact they appreciate the honesty

I was made fully aware of the situation before I parted with any money I still did my class 2, 4 months of searching and im now in steady employment 5 days a week at the same company for a agency for £8.15 p/h not the best I know but its steady work and pays the bills 1 more year and ill have my 2 years experience and doing my class 1 next month good times :slight_smile:

That’s good news for those of you in work. Hopefully I will be able to find a skip hire firm in Cheshire that doesn’t require 2 years experience/2 years holding the entitlement. Anyone know of such a firm, to save me ringing loads of them?

Braveheart1984:
That’s good news for those of you in work. Hopefully I will be able to find a skip hire firm in Cheshire that doesn’t require 2 years experience/2 years holding the entitlement. Anyone know of such a firm, to save me ringing loads of them?

Put on a shirt and tie , print out a heap of cv’s and GO to the companies .

A call is easy to fob off, if you turn up looking presentable and show an interest and strike up a conversation re skills abilities and determination just perhaps they will remember you and make you the first choice when a vacancy turns up.
Put some bloody effort in and it comes back, being a lazy sod doesnt cut it !
Life is not easy and no one gives you anything, you have to go get it.

I did intend to visit firms in Cheshire. I did that when I first joined on here. I had been to about 7 haulage firms with my CV in hand, and asked to speak to the transport manager wherever I went.

I’ve got a suit, so I’ll wear that.

It is true to an extent that trainers have an idea about the local employment situation. All trainers can tell stories of young newbies that get a job quickly as well as people that find it hard.

The 2 year experience thing is partly a fantasy. No driver has ever started their 1st driving job with 2 years EXPERIENCE. People buy from people they like. That’s generally why trainers do assessments. A potential employer is the buyer. Would you buy what you have to sell? Would employing you be value for money? Have you asked why the skip firms insist on 2 years. Do they want extra skills ie HIAB or FLT etc.

Perhaps broaden the search beyond skips. There are plenty of driving jobs that don’t involve handballing all day. If skips are really your thing then find out all you can about the skip world. Find a reason why employing you would be the best thing they could do. If they are willing to give a newbie a chance and 4 people turn up as well as you for an interview make sure you have a good reason why you should get the job. A bit of research into the company helps as it shows you are keen. Become knowledgeable about transport laws as they won’t want a new starter getting infringements that damage their ‘O’ licence score with VOSA.

You could always ask the decision maker how they got their 1st driving job. Remind him how keen he must have been to be given that first opportunity.

Come back on here and let us know what finally works for you. Good luck

Thanks for the advice. Skip work isn’t my passion, I was just advised by another member on this board that this type of work is less desirable, so there may be more opportunity to start as a newbie. I’d like to try lots of different types of HGV work, and would like to take my class 1, once I have driven for about 12 months.

I’m pretty good at selling what I have to offer, and I’m passionate about driving, and really do enjoy being out on the open road, seeing the country. That’s why I did the training.

I can only do the best I can at selling myself, and hope that the person interviewing can see that I’m keen, and want a career in the haulage industry. I want to make the logistics/road transport industry my career, and would look to become a transport manager one day.

Try road sweepers to most are class 2 and some pay good money. I got my first break on a sweeper and always seems to be firms taking on…go plant have a depot in Cheshire go knock on the door ask to speak to the head honcho and see how it goes.

convert2green.co.uk/contact.html

try this company in middlewich, they have a couple of rigid tankers non adr i think ? also a 6 wheeler curtainsider and a handful of 7.5t and vans.

seem to go through drivers due to the work and the salary, but it will give you some experience.

Thanks guys. I found 3 HGV driver vacancies at the job centre today, 2 are temporary with a possibility of long term, and one is permanent in Wythamshawe. It said that it would take on newbies or experienced. I’ll just keep at it until I get something.

Thanks for the road sweeper advice!

Your welcome… It’s like most jobs you go into it opens doors to other avenues. Working on the roads led to me getting a job with a large road planing company driving there sweeper they put me through my class one so I could tow a road plainer with the sweep. Hopefully next step is the low loaders…

3 wheeler:
Put on a shirt and tie , print out a heap of cv’s and GO to the companies .

A call is easy to fob off, if you turn up looking presentable and show an interest and strike up a conversation re skills abilities and determination just perhaps they will remember you and make you the first choice when a vacancy turns up.
Put some bloody effort in and it comes back, being a lazy sod doesnt cut it !
Life is not easy and no one gives you anything, you have to go get it.

This is SO true! I agree with it 100%. :sunglasses:

I also believe in being in the right place at the right time. So get out there and make sure you’re the right one at the right time in the right place! :laughing:

Don’t be put off by hearing that “two years experience” thing. It’s a load of tosh!! :smiley:

Good Luck with the job hunting.

Thanks guys. I will just have to let my passion to be a truck driver in the road haulage industry shine through.

Well I have not stopped! I have now signed up to 4 agencies but one in particular has used me most of the time and has me with a large logistics company doing RDCs and multi drops. I think they like me there because:

  • I don’t moan and get on with it. The other day the tail lift would not go up on remote but would go down so I had to climb up every drop which was a pain! I just reported the problem and someone in the office said we have nothing else you will have to take it out tomorrow. I had a go at problem solving and found the connection was dodgy so I clean the pins with a bit of emery cloth and got it working perfectly. Browny point to me

  • I am good with customers and represent the company well (Not sure if the company has been ringing up and checking)

  • Another agency driver had a problem with his sticking door (just something in the track!) and kicked up such a fuss and I offered to swap him wagons and mine is a 2013 reg!

  • Came in to do a shift at 05.15 and it was cancelled, actually the agency cocked it up so I waited around half an hour to see if they were OK for staff and no one called in sick. The planners loved me for it. I then signed up for other agencies that day and got a night run that night.

Anyway I politely asked if I do my class 1 (they have a large fleet) would I find it difficult getting on the artics with having a new licence category? Guess what, the guy in charge of the transport office piped up and said “no mate you wouldn’t as I will send you out for 3 days with one of the class 1 drivers and then you would be on your own”. Wow virtually a job offer!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

So the moral of the story is make them want to keep you, create an impression.

Good for you alder!

Ring adecco in chester and speak to hannah, she deals with the contract for may gurney driving bin wagons in chester, they take new drivers.

Go plant road sweepers are in ellesmere port, might be too far to travel, but they take on new drivers as well…