Hi guys, sorry this post is going to be so long but as a self proclaimed level headed 17 year old I feel the need to ask these questions
Basically i’m just looking for a few opinions on what some HGV drivers think here (if there are any out there on these forums) So as you know the minimum HGV age was lowered from 21 to 18, what do you think of this?
What do you think of the young guys that go and spend £4000 on a HGV course, and then are out of pocket a few months down the line because no one will touch them due to lack of experience?
If you’ve been in the industry for a while and know it well, how does this affect your position, as you have these young guys willing to work for half a wage just to get the experience, but the work is being done for the company all the same and the CEO doesn’t have to pay as much, obviously this must affect your position somehow?
I believe another reason for companies refusing to touch them is down to the age. Companies insurance either just won’t touch younger drivers or will slap a massive excess on them (at least I know this is the case for coach companies).
Something tells me (My Dad and Uncle, both HGV1 Drivers say the industry is in need of drivers) age is a massive factor too. So it’s possible the age was lowered to get more drivers, but it make’s it harder all the same.
Let’s face it, if you get pulled over for speeding in your little sooked up Corsa 1.0 and the cop asks you how long you’ve been driving and you tell him a year, he’s going to tell you that you don’t have enough experience of driving to be capable of handling any motor vehicle at speeds. So what’s to say you can handle a 50 tonne 40 foot lorry with only one year of driving?
Don’t get me wrong there are some very good young drivers out there and I’d (by my own & driving instructors admission) class my self as one. But is one year experience really enough?
Sam Millar:
Hi guys, sorry this post is going to be so long but as a self proclaimed level headed 17 year old I feel the need to ask these questions
Basically i’m just looking for a few opinions on what some HGV drivers think here (if there are any out there on these forums) So as you know the minimum HGV age was lowered from 21 to 18, what do you think of this?
I don’t see a problem with it, my 18 year old son is just about to start his C licence training.
Sam Millar:
What do you think of the young guys that go and spend £4000 on a HGV course, and then are out of pocket a few months down the line because no one will touch them due to lack of experience?
I wonder if they expected anything else?
Sam Millar:
If you’ve been in the industry for a while and know it well, how does this affect your position, as you have these young guys willing to work for half a wage just to get the experience, but the work is being done for the company all the same and the CEO doesn’t have to pay as much, obviously this must affect your position somehow?
I don’t see it affecting my position.
Sam Millar:
I believe another reason for companies refusing to touch them is down to the age. Companies insurance either just won’t touch younger drivers or will slap a massive excess on them (at least I know this is the case for coach companies).
That will be just one of several things against them.
Sam Millar:
Something tells me (My Dad and Uncle, both HGV1 Drivers say the industry is in need of drivers) age is a massive factor too. So it’s possible the age was lowered to get more drivers, but it make’s it harder all the same.
The industry has more drivers than it needs, more experienced drivers than it needs never mind fresh faced newbies.
Sam Millar:
Don’t get me wrong there are some very good young drivers out there and I’d (by my own & driving instructors admission) class my self as one. But is one year experience really enough?
Everybody who holds a LGV licence only had one years experience at some point, and don’t forget you could even take your car test in a truck not that long ago so you could have Class 1 with zero years experience. The length of time isn’t the issue, it’s the attitude.
There are lots of companies that’ll take you with low / no experience.
However, getting a job under 25 is difficult, under 21 would be damned near impossible I’d have thought.
TA’s (army) will give you a chance and maybe even train you.
Is it worth it? I couldn’t say, I paid myself, and I’m happy doing the job I do, but it certainly didn’t cost me £4k.
The gvt doesn’t want us to drive trucks, they just keep giving us more and more crap to keep our licences.
dCPC every 5 years, digi tacho’s, photo card renewals, fines for everything from ■■■■■■■ to going 1 min over your 4.5 / 15 cause you’d kill someone by falling asleep etc.
But, I still do it because it’s the best job for me.
I can sort of see your point and, reading between the lines, I’d say you’re in a hurry to get your h.g.v. license?
I’ve no problem with the 18yr old hgv driver, we all have to pass the same test at the end of the day. You may well struggle with getting work like you said. Personally, I’d say at least a couple of years on the road in a car (or van) is a great help - you get a sense for when things are going wrong and what the numpties will do - no-one can teach you that. That’s just my opinion though. Hope it helps…
darkseeker:
I can sort of see your point and, reading between the lines, I’d say you’re in a hurry to get your h.g.v. license?
I’ve no problem with the 18yr old hgv driver, we all have to pass the same test at the end of the day. You may well struggle with getting work like you said. Personally, I’d say at least a couple of years on the road in a car (or van) is a great help - you get a sense for when things are going wrong and what the numpties will do - no-one can teach you that. That’s just my opinion though. Hope it helps…
Since I was a kid it was always my intention to try and get my HGV license as soon as I could (and some may debate that at 17 I still am a ‘kid’). Since they brought the minimum age down I thought this was probably an unrealistic predicament.
I wanted to be as prepared as I could be for driving when the time comes (legal for a provisional from July this year) and so for the past few years I have been “sim-racing” and I know ‘racing’ is nothing like driving in a controlled manner, but after only three lessons my driving instructor has booked my driving test for me.
Sam Millar:
What do you think of the young guys that go and spend £4000 on a HGV course, and then are out of pocket a few months down the line because no one will touch them due to lack of experience?
Like Trading Standards say, you should never pay to get a job.
I disagree with the change in the age limit, I know that as an 18 year old driver I was no where near mature or experienced enough to drive 44t. You should have to work your way up with experience, Car > Van > PuddleJumper > Class2 > Class1 and companies should give people a chance at each stage if they show that they have been a responsible and safe driver at each level.
weewulliewinkie:
as others have said we all have to start sowhere.
how much is a hgv training course these days surely not 4 grand
I recently got my class1 after a run of bad luck and a grand total (from provisional, theory, medical etc to class1) I’ve spent over £3900 so it’s not impossible but maybe a worst case scenario.
Sam Millar:
Hi guys, sorry this post is going to be so long but as a self proclaimed level headed 17 year old I feel the need to ask these questions
Basically i’m just looking for a few opinions on what some HGV drivers think here (if there are any out there on these forums) So as you know the minimum HGV age was lowered from 21 to 18, what do you think of this?
What do you think of the young guys that go and spend £4000 on a HGV course, and then are out of pocket a few months down the line because no one will touch them due to lack of experience?
If you’ve been in the industry for a while and know it well, how does this affect your position, as you have these young guys willing to work for half a wage just to get the experience, but the work is being done for the company all the same and the CEO doesn’t have to pay as much, obviously this must affect your position somehow?
I believe another reason for companies refusing to touch them is down to the age. Companies insurance either just won’t touch younger drivers or will slap a massive excess on them (at least I know this is the case for coach companies).
Something tells me (My Dad and Uncle, both HGV1 Drivers say the industry is in need of drivers) age is a massive factor too. So it’s possible the age was lowered to get more drivers, but it make’s it harder all the same.
Let’s face it, if you get pulled over for speeding in your little sooked up Corsa 1.0 and the cop asks you how long you’ve been driving and you tell him a year, he’s going to tell you that you don’t have enough experience of driving to be capable of handling any motor vehicle at speeds. So what’s to say you can handle a 50 tonne 40 foot lorry with only one year of driving?
Don’t get me wrong there are some very good young drivers out there and I’d (by my own & driving instructors admission) class my self as one. But is one year experience really enough?
Hmmm. Opinions on young drivers? What do we think of young truck drivers paying 4k, what do we think of young drivers working for less, then companies are not touching them so that sort of negates the previous question, the industry is in need of drivers according to your dad and uncle, your a great driver and is one years experience enough? I think i got it all !!! I think your gonna make a great truck driver, you’ve already mastered the art of spinning out a story !!!
But i think the driving age for trucks should be raised to 40 years of age, women and Poles banned from driving trucks too!!! Give some of us old ■■■■■ a chance
Mike-C:
Hmmm. Opinions on young drivers? What do we think of young truck drivers paying 4k, what do we think of young drivers working for less, then companies are not touching them so that sort of negates the previous question, the industry is in need of drivers according to your dad and uncle, your a great driver and is one years experience enough? I think i got it all !!! I think your gonna make a great truck driver, you’ve already mastered the art of spinning out a story !!!
But i think the driving age for trucks should be raised to 40 years of age, women and Poles banned from driving trucks too!!! Give some of us old ■■■■■ a chance
Just some questions from a hopefully trucker to be sometime
Sam Millar:
Just some questions from a hopefully trucker to be sometime
With your extraordinarily mature command of the English language and knowledge of the transport industry, I would say you were more suited to a career in journalism.
Sam Millar:
Hi guys, sorry this post is going to be so long but as a self proclaimed level headed 17 year old I feel the need to ask these questions
Let’s face it, if you get pulled over for speeding in your little sooked up Corsa 1.0 and the cop asks you how long you’ve been driving and you tell him a year, he’s going to tell you that you don’t have enough experience of driving to be capable of handling any motor vehicle at speeds.
I’d say that like most of today’s young drivers you’ve swallowed all the age bs which those coppers and those older than you etc throw at you.I used to hear the same thing nearly every day as a 17 year old in the 1970’s when I got pulled up for the umpteenth time for a ‘check’ followed by a lecture.The difference was that I was driving the same type of car as most of them were at the time (Triumph 2.5 PI) which could run all day at well over 100 mph and they were a bit upset about it.After accepting the lecture I drove off again saying bs and waited for the next time.I took the same attitude to working as a truck driver when I heard one guvnor after another turn me down for lack of experience.The only way of getting experience is to do the job and the age when you start makes no difference it’s just a question of how early in life do want to start getting that experience.The sooner the better.
jeeeeeeeeesh how much …■■? my car , hgv , psv and my cpc did’nt cost even close to a grand ! you must want it more than i did if you are willing to pay 4 grand .
having said that i can understand the age thing , my first boss had to tell the insurance company which motor i was driving at any given time due to my age , 21 at the time and i did get pulled over alot due to me looking about 12 years old . i’m 45 now and boy do i feel old …
bowser:
jeeeeeeeeesh how much …■■? my car , hgv , psv and my cpc did’nt cost even close to a grand ! you must want it more than i did if you are willing to pay 4 grand .
having said that i can understand the age thing , my first boss had to tell the insurance company which motor i was driving at any given time due to my age , 21 at the time and i did get pulled over alot due to me looking about 12 years old . i’m 45 now and boy do i feel old …
i would say its stupid to drop the age to 18, i mean yes there is a few 18 year olds out there who dont drive like complete chumps, but the majority of 18 year olds drive like twits in their lil 1.1 saxo so just imagine that in a 44 tonner…
also getting a job when your under 25 is hard with no or little experience, ive been in the game since i was 21 and today finally landed a permanent (hopefully) job and im 24 now, passed the magical 2 years on class 1 at the start of the month so i dunno what its gonna be like for somebody whos under 21.
.
. i’m 45 now and boy do i feel old … 
