Evening everyone, been a member on here for a few years now and really enjoy reading the different variety of topics etc but this is officially my first post. I have been a class 1 driver for 6 years and since the day I passed my test, all I have ever done is retail/fridge work. I’ve worked for Halfords previously and now dominos. However I am now at a crossroads and wondering what to pursue next as I’m Bored of the retail side of the industry. The two things that I’m looking at are : moving into the heavy haulage game or looking to get a job driving a mobile crane hopeully progressing onto gaining my crane licenses. Was just really looking for some advice as I’m sure there will be guys on here who have done both.
First question I would like to ask is: is the money in the heavy haulage game as good as it’s made out? I’ve heard stories of guys making 50/60/70k a year doing heavy haulage (being away most of the time, which I wouldn’t mind if the money is that good). On this side of things there doesn’t seem to be many companies near me who do heavy haulage other than west of Scotland heavy haulage or cadzow. Would be great to here from anyone who worked with either. I have been into both and pleaded my case for a job but as of yet haven’t heard anything.
On the crane side of things again I have the heard the money is good but involves working away a lot, I have handed cvs in whytes cranes. Ainscough etc but again have not heard anything back. Get the feeling that I’m basically being treated like a new driver cause I haven’t done either of these thing in my driving career so far.
Any help or suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
Alright big Man.
I’ve done bit heavy haul and now drive mobile cranes.
All the jobs are quite hard to get a break into.
I found heavy haul bit to much for me mate I was only moving small machines like tractors, teles and small machinery.
It’s not driving the truck that’s the problem.
It’s getting the plant on and off as you need to load the truck yourself.
You will find its guys with alot of plant experience doing it.
Mobile Cranes is a catch 22.
I got a job through pestering people and companies for a start.
I eventually got a start after couple years trying.
The company paid my tickets for my slinger and mobile crane op.
The courses are two weeks long.
But had give 2 years back.
You can also go down the route of paying for the tickets yourself.
I would advise to get slinger and mobile ticket at once.
As gives you more opportunities having slinger ticket as well.
For both tickets it cost about 3-4 grand depending on training provider.
You will get a red ticket after the course.
Don’t worry about having only a red card companies will give you a start.
Be honest on employment about experience.
You will be on lower wages aswell for few months after starting maybe bout £10 hour.
As you are pretty much a trainee with no experience so you will need showing ropes and shadowed.
The wages are bout £13-15 hour depending on experience.
Time half after 8 hours and time half n sat. Double Sunday.
Not sure how much proper heavy haulage pays but low loader work used to pay well (50k+) but I think the digi tacho has put paid to that 
.
If you have a crane licence the real money is as a subcontract driver, you are sometimes out of work between jobs and you have to move from site to site but the money is generally really good. I have a couple of pals in London getting about £1250 (including the lodge) for 50hrs over 5 days.
I went on a training course a couple of years ago with an Ainscough driver from Essex, he mentioned that they were on about £800 a week but I don’t know what was involved for that (or if it’s true).
It’s the same as all jobs you need the hours to make good money.
Depends how much you want a life balance if honest.
I finish at 4 most days.
Be doing about just over 35k for 5 days and in house at decent hour.
If I do long shift the O/T rates are time half Nd double so ain’t as bad as driving.
If you want the 7 days a week and 70-80 hours is there if you want the 60k a year.
That’s the catch 22 I’m in guys, cause I’m making decent money the now, I work for Domino’s just now and for 4 night shifts a week I’m on 38k a year, plus I usually work the 5th day aswell and should have earned approx 40-42k this year but it really does bore me senseless lol. I want something more challenging and something that’s a bit different every day.
I’ve managed to make a contact in whytes cranes in Grangemouth through a friend and I’ll keep pestering him and popping into their offices every so often, I was totally honest with the guy when I went in and explained that I had no experience, and I’ve always found that actually going into places with a cv and putting a face to the cv really helps but as of yet I’ve had no luck.
Thanks for the replies guys it’s much appreciated. The moocher, do you enjoy your job as mobile crane driver?
Henney1984:
I’ve worked for Halfords previously and now dominos
Any help or suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
So you want to go from changing bulbs and making dough balls, to heavy haulage ?
Aye that’s what I do buddy, not only do I deliver all the gear to the shops, I then do shifts changing bulbs and making the best pizza in town
If I’m honest no I don’t like the work.
It’s just the same sitting around all day doing nothing for sometimes one or two lifts.
Bored out your skull.
I had lived out a bag for 20 years and got feed up with doing it last year.
I didn’t want to be doing 15 hour shifts and going home every night.
So thought I would jump ship and see how it goes.
I took quite a big pay cut thou so keep that in mind.
I was on 50k driving before I changed jobs.
That was at the start I was only doing £10 hour.
Now about £13 and good overtime structure.
Get paid 10 hours a day no matter what.
But still not making the same money no were near for 5 days i was Tramping.
As I said it’s mega steady in gym most days at 3 and home for 4.
It’s good life balance at minute.
It really all depends what you want out life.
You aint going make some crazy 60-70k year doing 40 hours a week.
So be under no illusions.
If you want chase the money your going be doing 7x12 every week.
I’m more than willing to put the work in over the next 5-10 years, I want to be mortgage free with my feet up relaxing at 45 max so I’m just chasing the money now so I can wind down a bit later in life. What company do you work for if you don’t mind me asking? Do you not fancy moving onto the bigger crane work or does that not interest you?
I’m down south mate.
I see windhoist bought out forsyths of denny recently
Might be worth looking there.
It’s the same as all jobs mate.
You need start off at the bottom gain experience.
I ain’t been doing it long about a year.
It will take a good few years before you get anywhere near a decent size mobile crane 100-200 tonners.
That’s where the guys are earning decent money £15-18 hour.
You proberly start off on 15-30 tonner for 6months to year.
Then be on 40-70 tonner for another good spell.
Then move onto 100 after that.
Cheers for the advice mate, I actually drove past forsythia yesterday, I’ll pop down there over the next few days and see if can grab a chat with one of the gaffers and give them my cv, hopefully the fact that I’ve had two jobs in 6 years will show my loyalty as an employee and might stand me in good stead. I understand I’ll need to start at the bottom and go from there, are there guys in your work that are away all the time or all local, just cause when I spoke the guy from whytes cranes he said he had only been home 6 nights in 5 weeks and says that is totally common with them being away that much
Simple answers…
On most heavy haulage you wont earn much more than your average general haulage driver - the opportunities to earn more are limited and normally its a pretty closed shop, The top end of heavy haulage where the somewhat better money is ( and its still not fantastic) is hard to get into. experience and reputation- word of mouth gets you into to the best jobs.
There is very good money in the crane side especially once you get into the over 500 tonne side, But again you have to get into one of the big players. One way in is to get some STGO Cat 2 experience and then try for a STGO Cat 3 crane ballast drivers job - I know a few lads who have moved on from Ballast driving and got their first rigger, then crane licence paid by the company. But beware if you think general haulage is rough for cowboys, there are some crane firms out there that still expect the ballast drivers to drive all day, then off the chart, rig and derig the crane ( can be very heavy manual labour) and still be on site on the next job first thing next morning.
If you really want to go for it try the more well known names. Mammoett, Sarens, Ainscough, if your insane or really desperate then Bldwns- but having worked there personally I wouldnt
Apologies rikki but what STGO stand for? I was thinking that going for a ballast job was the way in and that’s what I’ve mentioned whenever I’ve went into these places, I’ll just need to keep chappin doors and hopefully someone will give me a chance, that’s the thing I know if they spoke to anyone that I have worked for then I would have a good chance of getting in cause I’ve never missed a shift or phoned in sick since I started driving for a living so would defo have great references to say I’m worth taking a chance on. Also have my ADR booked for the first week in June so if all else fails… lol
It all depends what you want todo.
If you work for smallish local firm you will be home every night ar decent time and work normal hours.
But the money will reflect this on 35-40k year. More experience guys maybe pushing 50k.
If you work for the national companies. You will be away constant and doing alot more hours.
70-80hours a week but earning the money 60-70k.
That what was saying previous.
You aint going earn big money doing 40 or 50 hours a week.
I was earning alot more Tramping 5 days than I do driving cranes for 5 days.
But I’m home every night and still making decent enough money
Rikki-UK:
Simple answers…
On most heavy haulage you wont earn much more than your average general haulage driver - the opportunities to earn more are limited and normally its a pretty closed shop, The top end of heavy haulage where the somewhat better money is ( and its still not fantastic) is hard to get into. experience and reputation- word of mouth gets you into to the best jobs.
There is very good money in the crane side especially once you get into the over 500 tonne side, But again you have to get into one of the big players. One way in is to get some STGO Cat 2 experience and then try for a STGO Cat 3 crane ballast drivers job - I know a few lads who have moved on from Ballast driving and got their first rigger, then crane licence paid by the company. But beware if you think general haulage is rough for cowboys, there are some crane firms out there that still expect the ballast drivers to drive all day, then off the chart, rig and derig the crane ( can be very heavy manual labour) and still be on site on the next job first thing next morning.
If you really want to go for it try the more well known names. Mammoett, Sarens, Ainscough, if your insane or really desperate then Bldwns- but having worked there personally I wouldnt
I’m able to confirm this is true…
Henney1984:
Apologies rikki but what STGO stand for? I was thinking that going for a ballast job was the way in and that’s what I’ve mentioned whenever I’ve went into these places, I’ll just need to keep chappin doors and hopefully someone will give me a chance, that’s the thing I know if they spoke to anyone that I have worked for then I would have a good chance of getting in cause I’ve never missed a shift or phoned in sick since I started driving for a living so would defo have great references to say I’m worth taking a chance on. Also have my ADR booked for the first week in June so if all else fails… lol
Special types general order. It allows you to drive vehicles heavier than standard class1&2 license
I would have thought that your way into cranes would be through the ballast trailers side of things . If you can get a job as a ballast trailer driver this will let you see what its all about , it also lets your employer see how you work as part of a team and lets them assess how much time and money they want to invest in you .
Now please don’t take this the wrong way but you had to ask what STGO is - to me and any prospective employers out there it shows you don’t know much about cranes and heavy haulage . Both these jobs require a high level of being able to think on your feet and being able to get the job done (safely ) without having your hand held and spoon fed everything you need to know .
If its a career you want then go for it - but make really sure you know what your getting yourself into -7 x 12 hr shifts for 9-10 months of the year aint as much fun as you might think no matter what huge lump of money you think your getting for it .
beefy4605:
I would have thought that your way into cranes would be through the ballast trailers side of things . If you can get a job as a ballast trailer driver this will let you see what its all about , it also lets your employer see how you work as part of a team and lets them assess how much time and money they want to invest in you .
Now please don’t take this the wrong way but you had to ask what STGO is - to me and any prospective employers out there it shows you don’t know much about cranes and heavy haulage . Both these jobs require a high level of being able to think on your feet and being able to get the job done (safely ) without having your hand held and spoon fed everything you need to know .
If its a career you want then go for it - but make really sure you know what your getting yourself into -7 x 12 hr shifts for 9-10 months of the year aint as much fun as you might think no matter what huge lump of money you think your getting for it .
The thing is mate.
The guy been on retail.
No one does know anything about heavy haul or cranes till you start working around them.
If you aint done specialist moves you proberly will never have came across STGO category units and trailers.
That’s what I was saying previous it’s quite hard to get on heavy haul as you will find most of guys have very good knowledge of plant equipment first.
You would get job on.cranes but you would more than likely end up forking out for your first course to get your red card if you can’t get a company to take you on in a trainee role.
Most companies will pay for your courses there after to keep you up to date.
You need to know where your driving with movement orders and good road knowledge over 44 ton.
There is alot of bridges and fly overs on roads that are weight restricted to 44 or 50 ton limits.
That ain’t marked up.
We have a newsclip up on our works poster board about a certain Crane Hire Company that Rikki has mentioned above. Read all about it here.
or here.