“Knocking on doors” is a lot easier to do when you’re already working at the place you think you’d like to work full time.
“Try before you buy” - is alive and well.
commonrail:
It’s not…what yer know
It’s who yer knowAs we go about our lorry driving careers,we make friends.
Some of those friends,might secure the best paying,jobs in the area…and put you a word in.
Other friends may arse lick their way up the corporate ladder…and be in a position to do you a favour.It’s taken me 12 years,to get the lucky break
Better late than never.
Exactly, took me about the same time to get my break too.
That came by a chap who’s car i used to service putting a word in for me, which led directly to one of the best paying night jobs of the 80’s, after which i never looked back…BUT it would not have happened at all if i hadn’t already got a proven track record.
The thing is about friends already in the better jobs, the sensible ones only recommend people who they themselves would be happy to employ, if the company already trust the person making the recommendation its a win win all round.
If I were a class 1 newbie here I’d think about employment as suicide judging from one particular commenter. Then I read posts by people like Juddian, Winseer and the maoster and it restores both my sanity and faith in human nature. 
Employers are not social workers who provide work based on the drivers needs and wants. What is a good job for one person will be a nightmare for another and so we initially job hop until we find what personally suits us.
Eventually and with perseverance we find the round-hole employer that fits us as the round peg employee.
Grandpa:
If I were a class 1 newbie here I’d think about employment as suicide judging from one particular commenter. Then I read posts by people like Juddian, Winseer and the maoster and it restores both my sanity and faith in human nature.Employers are not social workers who provide work based on the drivers needs and wants. What is a good job for one person will be a nightmare for another and so we initially job hop until we find what personally suits us.
Eventually and with perseverance we find the round-hole employer that fits us as the round peg employee.
That’s fine.Until anyone who wants to drive trucks for the common reasons of wanting to drive throughout the country and possibly beyond with the emphasis on driving and a civilised loading/unloading regime,runs head on into the realities of the depths to which the UK ‘road transport’ industry has sunk and Juddian’s ideas on recruitment policies.Hence drivers in their 20’s now competing with those in their 60’s for easy non HGV car type driving work. 
Carryfast:
Grandpa:
If I were a class 1 newbie here I’d think about employment as suicide judging from one particular commenter. Then I read posts by people like Juddian, Winseer and the maoster and it restores both my sanity and faith in human nature.Employers are not social workers who provide work based on the drivers needs and wants. What is a good job for one person will be a nightmare for another and so we initially job hop until we find what personally suits us.
Eventually and with perseverance we find the round-hole employer that fits us as the round peg employee.
That’s fine.Until anyone who wants to drive trucks for the common reasons of wanting to drive throughout the country and possibly beyond with the emphasis on driving and a civilised loading/unloading regime,runs head on into the realities of the depths to which the UK ‘road transport’ industry has sunk and Juddian’s ideas on recruitment policies.Hence drivers in their 20’s now competing with those in their 60’s for easy non HGV car type driving work.
No one wants to drive trucks, ‘for the common reasons of wanting to drive throughout the country and possibly beyond …’
What’s a, ‘civilised loading/unloading regime’?
If you’ve got a HGV licence, why would you need to compete for, ‘easy non HGV car type driving work’? If you’re looking for a driving job on an ordinary car licence, you’re going to find there’s an awful lot of them and so lots of competition.
Oh for a perfect world!
Grandpa:
Carryfast:
Grandpa:
If I were a class 1 newbie here I’d think about employment as suicide judging from one particular commenter. Then I read posts by people like Juddian, Winseer and the maoster and it restores both my sanity and faith in human nature.Employers are not social workers who provide work based on the drivers needs and wants. What is a good job for one person will be a nightmare for another and so we initially job hop until we find what personally suits us.
Eventually and with perseverance we find the round-hole employer that fits us as the round peg employee.
That’s fine.Until anyone who wants to drive trucks for the common reasons of wanting to drive throughout the country and possibly beyond with the emphasis on driving and a civilised loading/unloading regime,runs head on into the realities of the depths to which the UK ‘road transport’ industry has sunk and Juddian’s ideas on recruitment policies.Hence drivers in their 20’s now competing with those in their 60’s for easy non HGV car type driving work.
No one wants to drive trucks, ‘for the common reasons of wanting to drive throughout the country and possibly beyond …’
What’s a, ‘civilised loading/unloading regime’?
If you’ve got a HGV licence, why would you need to compete for, ‘easy non HGV car type driving work’? If you’re looking for a driving job on an ordinary car licence, you’re going to find there’s an awful lot of them and so lots of competition.
Yes lots of competition for car driving work.Caused by too many young drivers who don’t want to drive an HGV or even 7.5 tonner on local multi drop work often involving lots of handball.If not driving a building supplies wagon around the local housing estates involving more time driving a Hiab than the truck which is probably a good thing in that case.
While Juddian’s recruitment rules apply in the case of distance bulk pallet work for example.
That’s covered it all I think.Which leaves the question as to why you don’t even seem to know the difference.Although no surprise there’s plenty of the former type of work out there if that’s what you are looking for and if you really think it’s better than the latter. 
As for class 1 you did read that the OP is looking for class 2 and doesn’t actually have a class 1.As for new driver class 1 Juddian’s recruitment rules probably apply unless as I said he circumvents the problem by looking for night trunking work.
Always class 2 work at tipper companies, ask about
Yes lots of competition for car driving work.Caused by too many young drivers who don’t want to drive an HGV or even 7.5 tonner on local multi drop work often involving lots of handball.If not driving a building supplies wagon around the local housing estates involving more time driving a Hiab than the truck which is probably a good thing in that case.
While Juddian’s recruitment rules apply in the case of distance bulk pallet work for example.
That’s covered it all I think.Which leaves the question as to why you don’t even seem to know the difference.Although no surprise there’s plenty of the former type of work out there if that’s what you are looking for and if you really think it’s better than the latter.
As for class 1 you did read that the OP is looking for class 2 and doesn’t actually have a class 1.As for new driver class 1 Juddian’s recruitment rules probably apply unless as I said he circumvents the problem by looking for night trunking work.
If all these young drivers got a HGV licence, guess what you’d then be complaining about.
The op is moving up to class 1 so it appears he’s noticed the multi drop handball market is already saturated and let’s be honest, unless you’re young and fit that sort of work wouldn’t apply to us older drivers.
You’ve lost me after, ‘That’s covered it all I think …’
But I’m still stuck on the burning question. The, ‘civilised loading/unloading regime’ you mentioned. I’m having to guess here, but is it the one you get a free cup of tea and a shoulder massage while you’re waiting to be tipped, or am I on the wrong track? 
BigTipper:
Always class 2 work at tipper companies, ask about
This is very true, but again have to go knock a few doors. Something the OP not willing to do.
Their loss.
Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk
DF40:
BigTipper:
Always class 2 work at tipper companies, ask aboutThis is very true, but again have to go knock a few doors. Something the OP not willing to do.
Their loss.Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk
I appreciate drivers often don’t want sales type jobs, so selling yourself is not a comfortable experience, but as someone who moved from driver to owner, I had to sell the company, which was myself really, to get moving.
If it helps think of yourself as a product/your own company and the customer is the employer. You have services to offer, they are in need of the service you offer.
Grandpa:
Yes lots of competition for car driving work.Caused by too many young drivers who don’t want to drive an HGV or even 7.5 tonner on local multi drop work often involving lots of handball.If not driving a building supplies wagon around the local housing estates involving more time driving a Hiab than the truck which is probably a good thing in that case.
While Juddian’s recruitment rules apply in the case of distance bulk pallet work for example.
That’s covered it all I think.Which leaves the question as to why you don’t even seem to know the difference.Although no surprise there’s plenty of the former type of work out there if that’s what you are looking for and if you really think it’s better than the latter.
As for class 1 you did read that the OP is looking for class 2 and doesn’t actually have a class 1.As for new driver class 1 Juddian’s recruitment rules probably apply unless as I said he circumvents the problem by looking for night trunking work.
If all these young drivers got a HGV licence, guess what you’d then be complaining about.
The op is moving up to class 1 so it appears he’s noticed the multi drop handball market is already saturated and let’s be honest, unless you’re young and fit that sort of work wouldn’t apply to us older drivers.
You’ve lost me after, ‘That’s covered it all I think …’
But I’m still stuck on the burning question. The, ‘civilised loading/unloading regime’ you mentioned. I’m having to guess here, but is it the one you get a free cup of tea and a shoulder massage while you’re waiting to be tipped, or am I on the wrong track?
Here’s a clue.The OP wasn’t moaning about the local multi drop/handballed loads etc etc job market being saturated.He actually rightly said that he’s picky so he won’t take it on.
He also said that he’s actually doing the type of work that I described.But there’s obviously not enough of it and it reads like the agency knows that he won’t accept the zb so they are being fair in sharing out the good stuff as best they can.Creating the problem that he doesn’t then get enough hours during a week.
As opposed to an unfair regime.Which applies in the case of Juddian’s ideas.In which case he’ll then get given the choice of accept all the zb work so the chosen few ( or one ) gets all the decent work.Which seemed to be my experience of the job in most cases until as I said I managed to at circumvent the worst of it by going for class 1 night trunking although in itself not an ideal solution.
So that ‘covers it all’.Too much crap work.Not enough decent work.Too many drivers looking for the good stuff combined with a dodgy face fits elitist recruitment and job allocation regime infesting the industry.
As for the civilised loading regime.I’d thought you’d have known that I was referring to something along the lines of every drop or collection means arriving in the yard and being met by a forklift ready to take off or load the pallets/stillages that you are dropping or taking.At most the driver might have to use the pallet truck that the forkie has brought out,to shift some of the pallets to/from the back edge of the load deck,for him to pick up.
Preferably with the bonus points of that being only three times in a day at most preferably less and the rest of the time is spent driving.Or enjoying the sun and views sitting in a nice country lay by on break so as not to carve the job up by getting back to the yard to early.
ETS:
I’m too shy and not that desperate to go knock on doors
Time to get over that shyness I’m afraid, I know it’s not easy though, so good luck.
I passed my test and the third company I went to I was offered to start on Monday, full time contract without having a single hour on the road other than the training and test. Get out and knock on doors!
I don’t know if it’s the best work, but I’m now working full time getting loads of experience (it’s multi-drop food, one of the big companies). It’s a lot of manual labour unloading cages / pallets, but I’m closer to Class 1 driving given they have a few artics in the yard. Been there 4 months now and while it’s not much, I’ve had a go in one of their artics (just an hour). Got a good few grand in the bank now, paid off my loan for the training and looking forward to getting on the big stuff and never touching another ■■■■■■■ cardboard box in my life 
Really though, get out and knock. Just say “Hi” and that you’re looking for work, show a bit of enthusiasm. Doesn’t need to take more than 5 minutes.
Here’s a clue.The OP wasn’t moaning about the local multi drop/handballed loads etc etc job market being saturated.He actually rightly said that he’s picky so he won’t take it on.
He also said that he’s actually doing the type of work that I described.But there’s obviously not enough of it and it reads like the agency knows that he won’t accept the zb so they are being fair in sharing out the good stuff as best they can.Creating the problem that he doesn’t then get enough hours during a week.
As opposed to an unfair regime.Which applies in the case of Juddian’s ideas.In which case he’ll then get given the choice of accept all the zb work so the chosen few ( or one ) gets all the decent work.Which seemed to be my experience of the job in most cases until as I said I managed to at circumvent the worst of it by going for class 1 night trunking although in itself not an ideal solution.
So that ‘covers it all’.Too much crap work.Not enough decent work.Too many drivers looking for the good stuff combined with a dodgy face fits elitist recruitment and job allocation regime infesting the industry.
As for the civilised loading regime.I’d thought you’d have known that I was referring to something along the lines of every drop or collection means arriving in the yard and being met by a forklift ready to take off or load the pallets/stillages that you are dropping or taking.At most the driver might have to use the pallet truck that the forkie has brought out,to shift some of the pallets to/from the back edge of the load deck,for him to pick up.
Preferably with the bonus points of that being only three times in a day at most preferably less and the rest of the time is spent driving.Or enjoying the sun and views sitting in a nice country lay by on break so as not to carve the job up by getting back to the yard to early.
Carryfast, I know from previous encounters with you that you have trouble understanding what people say. He said he wasn’t getting responses from CVs and cover letters he had sent, PLUS he was being picky, not because he was picky. He isn’t getting the offers to be picky about. I didn’t say he said the market was saturated, I said that.
If I knew what you meant by ‘civilized loading regime’ I wouldn’t have asked. I’ve never been asked to use a forklift myself as I do class 1 trunking and never did class 2.
I thought I’d look to see why this had got to 3 pages. Surprise surprise, a man who hasn’t driven a truck in over two decades or looked for a job in even longer telling everyone the exact state of the industry. Keep on keeping on Carryfast
switchlogic:
I thought I’d look to see why this had got to 3 pages. Surprise surprise, a man who hasn’t driven a truck in over two decades or looked for a job in even longer telling everyone the exact state of the industry. Keep on keeping on Carryfast
I think partly a socialist entitlement mindset, but also a refusal to adapt to a changing employment market and that’s not just trucking. In the 60s you left school, tried a few jobs, settled into one that fits and expected to retire there. I remember one job I had where if you turned up on time for your shift for a week the employer entered you into a draw and you could win a prize of a TV or a washing machine. Big prizes in the early 70s.
Those days have long gone and some can’t adapt. It’s now a buyer’s market and the employer is the buyer. It’s also why if you flood the employment market with cheap foreign labour, the employer gets the best bargain. Those who don’t adapt and are stuck in an 80s time warp are going to find it especially difficult.
Grandpa:
Carryfast, I know from previous encounters with you that you have trouble understanding what people say. He said he wasn’t getting responses from CVs and cover letters he had sent, PLUS he was being picky, not because he was picky. He isn’t getting the offers to be picky about. I didn’t say he said the market was saturated, I said that.
If I knew what you meant by ‘civilized loading regime’ I wouldn’t have asked. I’ve never been asked to use a forklift myself as I do class 1 trunking and never did class 2.
No it’s definitely you who has the problem with comprehension.He isn’t getting the responses to his applications,for more of the decent work,that he isn’t getting enough of,where he is.As I said because there just ain’t enough of it for everyone who wants it.
While he’s obviously rightly too picky to take on a labourer/driver job.You know like scaffolding/shuttering deliveries/collections.Or local multi drop especially involving hand ball loading/unloading.Or driving around the local housing estates doing Hiab deliveries/collections etc etc etc
It’s clear that my definition of a ‘civilised loading/unloading regime’ means not having to handball loads of stuff especially numerous times a day on multi drop work.
( Or for that matter doing the wrong type of night trunking job )
Yes it’s an employers market.Oh wait why in that case are the jobsites full of unfilled vacancies for ( local/multi drop/handball/building materials deliveries and the advertisers in question moaning about a driver ‘shortage’.As opposed to all those unadvertised jobs described by Juddian and the elitist recruitment policies being applied regarding them.While at the same time telling new drivers that they will have to accept all the zb until those with his views decide otherwise ‘if’ they decide that is.
Looks like we have our very own Wolfie and the TPF
Imo, easiest way to get a job is do agency work, if you’re not an idiot, lazy or a bad driver the companies hiring you through the agency will probably offer you a full time job, if not just move onto different work.
When i first started as class 2 i did 6 months agency work and was offered jobs from 2 of the 8 places i worked at, had they been 4/4 jobs i would have accepted but they wanted up to 60 hrs a week which i couldn’t do.
The job i have now i just applied for online and they rang me up and invited me to an interview/assessment.
the maoster:
Carryfast:
the maoster:
…Tell us more about how you,as an employee applicant,would magically ‘create’ a job opportunity,as opposed to an employer advertising a situation vacant.As opposed to the job sites etc in question inconveniently showing the reality of what’s on offer posted by actual employers generically.
Just as the job ads in the local newspaper were the usual go to place before the internet existed.Which is how I didn’t end up among Maggie’s millions in 1980 at least and even owner driver work in most cases still requires contacts like forwarders etc to provide the sub contract ‘opportunities’.
On that note it would be fair to say that the uk road transport industry is infested with crap work and too many drivers looking for too little of the good stuff.With all the resulting elitism and arbitrary favouritism and excessive competition for the limited amount of attractive jobs and others being left with the scraps,that brings with it.
Seriously mate everything you’ve written is word soup. Like everything you post it’s half arsed gibberish, a weird kind of stream of consciousness diatribe.
It all boils down to your victim complex and the fact that you’re bone idle and for some bizarre reason think that the world owes you something. I’ve got news for you, it doesn’t, deal with it .
I found what he said easy enough to understand.
How, he asks rhetorically, does a prospective employee “create” a job opportunity? The boss either has demand for additional labour, and thus advertises a vacancy, or he does not, and there will be no vacancy.
Except, I would add, where a prospective employee indicates that he is willing to work for less than the going rate.
Then the bosses may be induced to dismiss an existing driver on high pay (including by dismissing a subcontractor who employs a number of well-paid drivers), and replace him with a jobseeker willing to work for less (including engaging or providing more work to a subcontractor who employs a number of low-paid drivers).
But the latter exception does not describe how employees create more vacancies overall - only how they can possibly capture a job from an existing employee, and only then by undermining the wages of the job they would seek to capture.
Logically, if all employees behave like this, they will have roughly the same rates of employment at the end, but the actual benefit of being in work (in terms of the wages paid) will be seriously undermined.
Grandpa:
switchlogic:
I thought I’d look to see why this had got to 3 pages. Surprise surprise, a man who hasn’t driven a truck in over two decades or looked for a job in even longer telling everyone the exact state of the industry. Keep on keeping on CarryfastI think partly a socialist entitlement mindset, but also a refusal to adapt to a changing employment market and that’s not just trucking. In the 60s you left school, tried a few jobs, settled into one that fits and expected to retire there. I remember one job I had where if you turned up on time for your shift for a week the employer entered you into a draw and you could win a prize of a TV or a washing machine. Big prizes in the early 70s.
Those days have long gone and some can’t adapt. It’s now a buyer’s market and the employer is the buyer. It’s also why if you flood the employment market with cheap foreign labour, the employer gets the best bargain. Those who don’t adapt and are stuck in an 80s time warp are going to find it especially difficult.
The appropriate adaptation would seem to be to bring pressure to bear against the employers in response.
Vote for a government that will implement higher minimum wages (including minimum multipliers for overtime rates), and make the employers howl with tax rises, for example.
You’re right that if people don’t adapt in response, they will find it awfully difficult.