I have already mentioned this in a previous thread. The thing is, as prospective employers more or less insist on 2 years experience, theoretically I can pass my test tomorrow, I don’t then drive a an LGV at C or C+E level for the next two years. How does that make me a less obvious risk? Especially as in two years I could go and tell a few whoppers to get a job and cite all kinds of experience.
Considering the dimensions of any LGV one surely needs immediate and regular access to build on the training after passing a test.
Well if you didnt drive one for tow years after passing your test, you wouldn’t have two years ‘experience’ you would just have held a licence for two years.
As for telling whoppers, well any decent employer would at least check you refferences. Aside from the fact you would be very rusty and you’re lack of experience would be fairly obvious.
Yesterday i drove one for the first time in 3 weeks, and even i felt a little rusty! A break of 2 years with only a couple of weeks experience previous, you would forget most of it.
You are quite right that there is a big difference between the two - you will find that a lot of companies may require you to do an assessment drive which would probably show them if you have had the experience that your licence suggests…
… I think getting experience after the test is vital, since it keys in the lessons you have learnt. I was talking to a guy in London last year who had passed his class 1, but was getting experience in a class 2 for a “year or so” before he started driving them - made no sense to me whatsoever !!!
a lot of places ask for 2 yrs experience and that you have driven say at least the last 90 days , i fell into this when i did a assesment the drive went well but i hadnt had 2 yrs experience
By reference, usually. Transport is a very small world, and I’ve known employers “check” references by quizzing you about what you supposedly did in a stated previous job. I got caught out once after “embroidering” my year’s rigid experience when I first passed Class One. Turned out that, despite living 40 miles away, my prospective employer occaisonally drank with my previous one, and knew full well that I’d never driven anything bigger than a 15 tonner whilst I was there… …So you’ve been warned.
As for the difference in competance between a new pass and a driver with a couple of years experience…I guess it’s something that becomes all too obvious once you get out there. Training only teaches you to pass the test, not drive the truck. After 2 years you’ll be through the nerves which slow you down, past the false-confidence that comes after and causes many a “bump”, and be starting to learn how to deal with difficult situations.
Effective traction, angles of approach, load restraint, the behaviour of different loads and the effects of different weight distribution, the list is huge…and even after 6 years I’m still learning every single day. The day I don’t - or perhaps more importantly think I don’t have anything to learn, is the day I should, and would, hang up my keys.
It’s not as easy as it first appears, as you’ll rapidly find out.
