Hi all.
I passed my C and C+E 2 years ago now but haven’t driven trucks since passing. This has been mainly down to the fact that everywhere I tried for a job they wanted me to have held the license for 2 years.
I tried agencies, but without 2 years on my license they could only offer hand-balling jobs around London. I can’t do hand-balling due to having a replacement disc in my back, so unfortunately I can only do easy work which is frustrating as I’ve always been a bit of a grafter.
I’m now planning to do a refresher day so I can get though an assessment without looking like a numpty, and I’m hoping to get on the supermarket work.
I have been told though that I need to get agency work with supermarkets because they only employ from agency workers, Is this true?
If I was on an agency i would need regular work, a day here and there is no good to me.
I’m in Harlow, Essex, which is close to a Tesco and Sainsbury warehouse.
I doubt the company’s you’re referring to only employ agency drivers, but without any experience you would almost certainly need to go through an agency.
You need to find out who the company’s main agency’s are and approach them.
I don’t live in that area but I’m sure someone here will have the information you need.
Sceptic:
I have been told though that I need to get agency work with supermarkets because they only employ from agency workers, Is this true?
Most likely. From digging around I’ve done, some don’t do any dealings direct, but through their flavour-of-the-month agency. They’ll use a few agencies and they’ll be all chasing the same bone.
Good luck, but don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t come off. You might stand a better chance playing the Lotto. There’s other work to get experience on that doesn’t involve heavy lifting. It might not be as easy, clean or well paid as supermarket work, but shouldn’t be discounted.
Most trunking jobs involve nothing more than driving and swapping trailers, but again unless you’re lucky you will probably need to go through an agency.
hi sceptic! i am also in harlow i know exactly where you are talking, i have the same plan! but i will let you know that MRB agency will get you a drive after 1 year! i have held c for a year and c+e a year in august, and been told i can have a assesment then at tesco, i did manage a assesment at sainsburys over waltham point a month after getting class1 !!! that was with crown over in hallingbury, but to be honest i only wanted part time then and sainsburys had just come back from recruiting in poland! with new full time drivers, i did my assesment fine but as i took 2 shunts on the bay i was nervous as hell the road drive fine but they said i hadnt failed but need a practice reversing? they gave me a fone number all non official it wouldve cost me £120 something i didnt have spare! i didnt know if this was a scam or something so was put off, but now i have more experience after doing royalmail trunking an fedex, but i will try again in august, if you go in MRB tell them paul sent you, i get a good bit of class2 but like you say no good for you loading 30 cages etc. i have been told since 2 shunts so what! i didnt hit anything an i was safe, also i pointed out i put it in the middle an then they say we keep to one side so you can drop the trailer wheels with the handle easy, but he didnt tell me that at 1st, it waslike put it on bay 99.
There’s other work to get experience on that doesn’t involve heavy lifting. It might not be as easy, clean or well paid as supermarket work, but shouldn’t be discounted.