Finally Made it! Got a perm start

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

I am hoping this will help to encourage the newbies who are starting the process of joining some of us on the roads

A very quick one to some who may remember me on here maybe Mr Smythe or John from Flair if they are reading!

Been offline for a while due to being worked like a hard worker for my current employer in a field completely unrelated to driving - construction engineering and getting very depressed and withdrawn about this current situation.

My life history is in my first posts a long way back, so I’m not going to bore about what its like and what I’ve done, been through etc.

Obviously I got my class 2 back in the boom times of 2006 and worked for a newspaper haulier/contractor delivering on the weekend for 3-3.5 years (can’t remember now exact length) went to work at the O’Lympics and TCR underground station for 2 years and took time away from driving concentrating on that.

Then Joined a small company for last three years in what I trained for with my degree and had been doing for nearly 10 years of my career so far.

Cue an argument with current full time boss a year ago over a £10 expense and decided to look into agency driving work. Dusted off my licence, went for agency enrolement whilst on holiday. Next morning out driving for a client straight away and never looked back.

None of this zb about not driven for two years or insurance risk etc. PAYE terms and worked for a long time with one particular client until another event that has been described on here occurred. Ok it was weekend work only but I got a shout every weekend I wanted and that was every Saturday in my books bar proper holidays :sunglasses:

Class 2 Multi-drop handball, but it weren’t as bad as made out on here for one day a week, considering I had started doing palletised delivery in my very first driving job.

Had enough of nights/weekend/earlies/lates with the other job for the last 10 years did not want to replicate the lifestyle of my father being an HGV driver and what he had done last 40 years! Shopping trolley/RDC and tramping vacanices need not apply to me :laughing: :wink:

Anyway cut a long story short, back in August went for my first full time job interview, as I only want to do a certain type of driving Mon-Fri day shifts only - No nights out unless absolutely necessary - because of what me and my wife want to do together in free time.

The above shift pattern leaves only certain jobs, but luckily I wanted to remain a part of the construction industry and they are the type of driving jobs that would give me those shifts and guess what I was interested in! :sunglasses:

Again cue an excellent mentor on here 8wheels himself, started to take an interest in me wanting to go for construction type lorry driving, something like HIABS/Moffett etc! He convinced me to look at plant!!!

He’s taken me under his wing and any free time during a working week I can get I try to go out with him. Showed me how to do stuff to a very basic level, how to operate a few bits of plant that he carried, got me to go to diggerland to experience various diggers etc :laughing:

First serious interview, supposedly seriously wanted me, I was the only man to be interviewed etc, etc. (■■■■■■■■ :imp: ) To be a HIAB plant driver of which I was to be officially trained on but just over minimum wage and only 5 miles from home but a 5am start… :smiling_imp:

So I thought cycle, save my money etc and make it work. It was for a local family company, thinking it’d be great experience and a chance to get an NVQ in being a lorry crane operator etc.

Cue two interviews, much ■■■■■■■ about to suit their directors, no phone calls back and then low and behold 4 days late to be given decision sorry we’ve found a more experienced person to do the job for…actual minimum wage so we don’t want you! :blush:

OK accept defeat and complain to wife and 8wheels about the treatment of drivers for interviews and time wasting. Bearing in mind I had to do flexi work to fit in with the two 1.5 hour long interviews!!!

Quit in my head and think this won’t happen, stick with agency get a big savings built up and my class 1 and then go on agency in two years time and get back to what I want to do.

However during this time back in March this year, I applied to a brand new plant depot but never got a letter back and thought nothing about it. But 8wheels said pop in have a word, say what you are doing with me and put your CV in. Spoke to depot manager directly, he was interested and got me to fill an application in and waited…

Wife and 8 wheels told me to go back every couple of weeks, so I did and refreshed their memory had a catch up everytime. Heard how well they were doing, kept an eye on their progress locally and via credit check company on the business financially.

Last week call out of the blue, can you come in for an interview, we’ve got a ‘new’ (not new as in brand new I add) lorry for you and we want you to join us.

Had interview, offered job on the spot, I was able to give full time notice period of a month too. Lorry should be here in 6-8 weeks time from body shop - 26t Iveco Beavertail. (A mere baby to 8wheels). In that time I have to do a loading and securing course and familiarisation with all of their plant which is many, many bits! Be driving a 7.5t in the meantime, couldn’t give a monkey’s give me the keys no puddle jumber snobbery here!

Contract arrived today, an extremely small cut in wages from current job, but a massive cut in working hours for me. So in real terms I am on more per hour than I am being paid as a degree qualified surveyor! Oh and I get paid overtime, which I don’t get currently, but overtime is expected of me.

On a sidenote, I did think my degree was holding me back. I asked on here, for advice from other degree holders and employers as I raised this a few months ago, I didn’t think I was being taken seriously in interviews.

As everyone asks why an “intelligent” person wants to be a lorry driver. WTF?! :question:

Needless to say an intelligent person would drive a lorry if they are being exploited whilst having a supposedly “professional career” and can make more per hour driving a lorry! Which is my usual response to this annoying question! :unamused:

However yesterday I received two further phone calls from two other companies I had put interest in, one moving timber, one moving carpets local to me. Both asked me to come in interviews for full time positions. Needless to say I was very polite and said thank you very much, but I am now not on the market for the time being and thank you for showing an interest in me.

You’ll never know when you might need them, so I won’t offend any potential company! :laughing:

Best of luck to the new newbies, but remember this I had a slippery slope getting here, but you will make it in the end, it’ll just be a potential long slog. It’ll be worth it in the end, if you seriously want to do it and have your eyes wide open to what the industry is like!

Ok I’ve tasted the driving in my free time over the years and kept going back and my family have/are heavily involved in it. But it is like a bug once you’ve caught it, you want to carry on doing it…well I do anyway.

PS I still love construction, but I certainly don’t like certain areas of it anymore! Too long in the tooth in a young mans game, by the way I’m only 33 yo! :laughing:

PPS Look forward to seeing Pete for my Class 1 starting next week too! :grimacing: :sunglasses:

C

2

Good post - good news. See you soon. Pete :laughing: :laughing:

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8 wheels must have the patience off a saint I bet he never got a word in edge ways :slight_smile:. In all seriousness though its nice to read something positive for a change well done, glad it’s all worked out for you.

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Hey Karl86,

8wheels, man he does have some patience has too to take the time to show things.

But with him I listen relentlessly, as I’m learning, no point talking as I don’t know what I am doing compared to his level of knowledge. So shut up and listen real good!

I’m my own head on my own or typing I’m rambling and have a million thoughts at once! I ain’t a typical silent /froathing ranting driver either though bud :wink:

Just to demonstrate to the new un’s you can persevere to get on something you want as a start. It won’t be easy though some of the odds are stacked in your favour you can get a start within reason. Or you can go through a serious of ■■■■ jobs and get jaded etc while you find the one that fits. Not the best approach to job hunting though in reality.

Either way the chances do come in the end, even if you had held the paperwok for 7 years! :laughing:

Thanks Pete.

C

5

8 wheels must have the patience off a saint

Actually no, I’m quite intolerant of people and don’t suffer fools. :laughing:

I think what convinced me that he was worth helping was when he took himself to MK to learn off another member about roping and sheeting, it struck me that here was someone determined to make things work and looking back wish I’d had someone to look out for me.

I’ve not had to use a lot of patience, an explanation of what I’m doing whilst doing it has generally been enough for the message to sink in.

I’ve suggested a few contacts and finally one has come good, I’ve said all along that I’m sure someone would take him as a person rather than an experienced driver.

26t Iveco Beavertail. (A mere baby to 8wheels)

Hardly, I spent 4 years with a 6 wheeler and it’s a proper tool. It’s virtually the same as my 8 but minus the crane and a bit more tail swing.

I’ve never done anything more than a few helpful words, all the hard work has been done by Constantine himself, I think it’s going to work out where he’s going as they are a decent bunch.

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That’s good to hear hopefully things really work for him it sounds like he’s earned it. I’ve always been one to get off my arris and go hunting for what I want and more importantly am appreciative off someone more experienced showing me a better way to do things the problem is there’s not many people who like to admit they don’t know it all and want to take advice. Only the other week I saw a driver making a pigs ear off what he was doing, I tried to offer some help and ideas but was shrugged off being 27 and looking younger must mean I don’t know what I’m doing. Suffice to say same said driver was still making life hard for himself when I saw him again this afternoon if only he’d listen he would off been in and out as quick as I was.

If people say I made something look easy it’s because I’ve spent the last 8 years listening to what I’ve been told and watching how someone better then me does things. Your willingness to learn Constantine and take pride in wanting to be good at what you do will pay massive dividends in your new career.

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Hey 8wheels and Karl86 welcome to the gathering here.

8wheels:
Hardly, I spent 4 years with a 6 wheeler and it’s a proper tool. It’s virtually the same as my 8 but minus the crane and a bit more tail swing.

A tool like its driver could be! :laughing: :unamused: :wink: Only kidding folks! :grimacing:

Confused by the tail swing comment now, this is because of the tag axle obviously■■? But are we saying the 6 wheeler has more of it or the 8 wheeler. In my head I’d have thought the 8wheeler would have the most tail swing out of all the rigid classes? Got myself confused over thinking again! :blush: :question:

I actually can’t wait there even to drive the 7.5t, haven’t driven one for so long just to get myself ready for the 26t really. Either way its going to be great to get a start, where people want to train me and for me to do well with and for them.

That’s such a refreshing change to the negative ideologies of where I’m coming from, that a) we want to work together…novel ain’t it and b) get some help to become better at a set of skills! I just sincerely hope it lasts a long time! :sunglasses:

Karl86:
More importantly am appreciative off someone more experienced showing me a better way to do things the problem is there’s not many people who like to admit they don’t know it all and want to take advice. Only the other week I saw a driver making a pigs ear off what he was doing, I tried to offer some help and ideas but was shrugged off being 27 and looking younger must mean I don’t know what I’m doing.

If people say I made something look easy it’s because I’ve spent the last 8 years listening to what I’ve been told and watching how someone better then me does things.

Good to see at a young age you are trying to help others, some may listen in the end bud, but they may be hard of hearing initially! The only way we can learn is that old philosophy you said above. We have two ears and one mouth, so you must have to listen more than yatter! :laughing:

3.5 weeks to go, promise I’m not counting everyday :unamused: :wink:

Karl86:
Your willingness to learn Constantine and take pride in wanting to be good at what you do will pay massive dividends in your new career.

Done that in nearly every job I’ve ever done and its pretty much carried me through the good and bad times! Won’t change the attitude now, I’m too long in the tooth at 33 already now!

C

8

Evening, how’s the counting down going then lol. I occasionally have to get in our 7.5 tonne that was mine before i turned 21 and done my tests I actually don’t mind it. It’s quite nice darting through a 7.5 tonne limit instead off driving the long way round but just be careful not to drive it like its a transit I Los many a mirror during the beginning off my career lol. To be honest with the size off some off the boxes put on 7.5 tonners now there not far off the length and width off a class 2.
If your going into plant deliveries/collections do you need tickets for that. I’ve always wondered we have a few machines we hire out on the side kind off thing I’ve never had any tickets for driving them. I’m pretty handy on a 360 and a grab, I do the odd job on a weekend but never had any formal training on them other than being shown by my boss how to use one when i first started. I just wondered really I have no problem jumping on a 360, roller, dumper and that but say I applied for a job with a plant hire firm(I’m not going to by the way) would I need various tickets for operating them?.

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Hey Karl86,

Off this week for my Class 1 training and holiday for a day with wife. So that’s only 2.5 weeks at best now!!! :laughing:

I haven’t driven a 7.5t since I left a well know DIY home delivery company from agency and that was only once or twice over that year, I was given the opportunity :laughing:

All I remember is in reality you have to treat them like a Class 2, as you say the dimensions were really the same size, you just can’t carry a lot of weight :laughing:

Haven’t lost a mirror yet…only ever scratched a car and taken a wing mirror off for a lucky charm in my career to date… :blush: Lets hope it stays that way for the future.

Don’t matter what you drive really, as long as you get your breaks and paid for it, no point being snobby about it, its a vehicle that is keeping me in a job! :stuck_out_tongue:

From what I’ve gathered for this particular job (other employment opportunites are available) they are paranoid about loading and securing. Fair enough in my opinion, so I have to do a week long residential course I am led to believe and that will cover the majority of what we will ever carry and how they want it chained etc. Usually 4 way etc, etc.

However I imagine I’ll be given familirisation with the types of plant they use at the yard by either them or during that course above. And of course over the course of time too whilst just working there.

I have no formal qualifications or tickets in any plant, wasn’t asked for any or expected of me to have them. Think of it this way if you look at the CPCS system for 360 excavators alone you have six catergories there…if you did all the plant you had, you’d spend months in training and having to get your log books up to date too to keep your entitlements and then start it all again five years later, you’d never do any work :laughing:

I think I may be correct - 8wheels is the best to ask - but as you are delivering them you are not technically being an operator. However techincally you could be apprehended to show a loader/securer CPCS card if you got asked by a knobend?! :unamused: Never heard of it though myself, but others in the game long term may have done during their driving time.

OK I’ll calrify it a bit more, I and when I worked for two very large international civil engineering companies they never asked for tickets to be shown by plant delivery drivers, as we never viewed them as operators. But if you rocked up and unloaded and then said you was going to dig a hole for example, the rules changed and then we wanted to see tickets etc. :neutral_face:

Other thing that only ever changed was if you used your HIAB Hook/Clam/Grab then you was always challenged for the ticket before starting with your work. Fair I suppose, as I saw some interesting stunts with HIABS in my time at Olympics and that was why it was ruined for all the genuinely decent HIAB drivers. :neutral_face:

Finally always remember under the Health & Safety Act you have to demonstrate you have had reasonable instruction and competent in what you are doing. This does not mean a formal ticket. So exactly like your boss has done and of course with you doing it on the weekend you are learning on the job and hopefully becoming more safer and skilled accordgingly.

Someone can legitmately watch over you, giving instruction, assess your ability if they are competent and then say yeah you are safe enough to go and do it for real and continue to learn whilst you are actually on the job. :open_mouth: :smiley:

As you get told less and less how to do things, the more compentent you become. A ticket does not mean you are automatically competent and safe it means you have achieved a certain standard required to do things correctly in their eyes!

The HSE recognise this and state this on their website!!! :open_mouth:

Unfortunatley a lot of insurers view a ticket as literally the be all and end all, to hit you over the head with if you zb up! In turn force it on the construction companies to do this with no choice. Even if they disagree with this view it’ll be in the T&C’s of the insurance.

Everyone gets their knickers in a twist about the H&S people being knobs and know nothings etc, you only have to read the rants on here.

But usually a lot of the things they have to do haven’t been selected or chosen by them to be enforced…it’s the insurance companies being extremely risk averse and forcing these silly rules to be implemented in their infite wisdom :unamused:

Yet the insurance companies have good PR and marketing teams and hence deflect all the ■■■■ back on to the H&S people when something contentious is ever raised in the public eyes. They hence get out of the spotlight in double time when something stupid is being implemented and get away with it.

This is a separate subject that winds me up considerably so I’ll drop it now (not to a frothing rant though) :laughing:

G

Edits - Spelling and my grammer is ■■■■!

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Finally always remember under the Health & Safety Act you have to demonstrate you have had reasonable instruction and competent in what you are doing.

Contrary to popular opinion this is the only legal requirement for operating plant. I could jump in a 40t dumptruck, D8 dozer or 80t 360 as long as I was deemed to have had instruction and was competent. However many companies insist on a CPCS ticket as evidence of the above.

Confused by the tail swing comment now, this is because of the tag axle obviously■■?

It’s the twin steer bit that makes the issue. A 6x2 and 8x2 will have the same overhang, however the 6x2 has a tighter turning circle as it doesn’t have to drag the 2nd axle round. Tighter turning circle means the tail will swing out more.

A 7.5t beavertail is quite a thing as they are only short and can be turned on a dime :laughing:

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Congrats Constantine, really pleased for you mate. There are some great jobs out there and it is jus a matter of persevering until you land a good catch. :smiley: :smiley:

12

I have four or five FLT certificates and all are operator certificates, I deliver various FLT trucks, though there is a restricted certificate (stamped in red across the front Restricted) that just enables a driver to move the forklift trucks around without operating them.

It may be the same for other plant?

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8wheels:

Confused by the tail swing comment now, this is because of the tag axle obviously■■?

It’s the twin steer bit that makes the issue. A 6x2 and 8x2 will have the same overhang, however the 6x2 has a tighter turning circle as it doesn’t have to drag the 2nd axle round. Tighter turning circle means the tail will swing out more.

So you’d have less tail swing to the 26t, so we’d close the door as well and have to be aware of parked cars at a junction parsay. But out of the two of us I’d have to be even more cautious than you for example.

Hmm intriguing principles need to be applied here and me learning about tags etc.

Going to be super cautious then until I learn how to handle it confidently.

C

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It’s quicker to be over cautious then it is to fill in your insurance details and get a bollocking from your boss for hitting a car :slight_smile:.

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Drift:
I have four or five FLT certificates and all are operator certificates, I deliver various FLT trucks, though there is a restricted certificate (stamped in red across the front Restricted) that just enables a driver to move the forklift trucks around without operating them.

It may be the same for other plant?

Never seen one to be honest and never read about it in my decade in construction days on site, being responisble for this kind of ■■■■. And boy was I a part of some crazy health and safety rules at times.

As I said earlier and 8wheels said, that is your only obligation to say you’ve had instruction to a reasonable level and compentent to know what you are doing. You can get straight in and do it and if it ever goes to court and you can prove the above you’ll be deemed competent. However too many very large companies want tickets and are scared ■■■■■■■■ if you don’t have a card. However they are just not legally needed.

Good legal term - “reasonable” - keeps lawyers employed for hours arguing for and against the exact meaning of that wolly word! Also competent as well, as you can be compared to others who do it and the may not have tickets either but you can all be viewed as competent if you do it safely and properly.

If you operate them properly in the course of you full time work activities then it all changes. You have a red card to say you are trained operator undergoing training etc whilst working. And then you have the blue card to say you’re competent and logging the hours and doing your H&S test every 5 years after you prove you’ve done all the relevant training to be viewed as competent.

And here endeth the potentially viewed “con” of the CPCS cards by the outside world. :laughing:

C

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Karl86:
It’s quicker to be over cautious then it is to fill in your insurance details and get a bollocking from your boss for hitting a car :slight_smile:.

Hahahahaha very true that. I’ll write that on the sun visor to remind me if I should ever be harrassed to hurry up! :laughing:

C

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I tell you what my boss’s late father was one off my main teachers off everything when I was 18 and just started for them. He taught me many things in his own very old school way but one thing ill never ever forget. After I broke my second mirror I think it was after only being there about 2 months he came up to me and grabbed my arm. “How long does it take to change that mirror?” He ranted, about 15 minutes I said. “And how long does it take to stop until the gaps big enough to drive through”, about 20seconds I said. “Well there you bloody go then!” He screamed at me. It all sunk in that afternoon and I think in the last 8 years I’ve planted one mirror in a bush and that was because a transit tipper came around a bend on my side off the road and I had no where to go. If he liked you and you listened there was no end to the advice or guidance that bloke gave me he was an actual ledgend.