Good evening everyone, wondering if you could offer any advice on hiab training. I have just passed my class 2 but the funding for my training is down to about 300 quid (westmids redundancy support). I can do hiab training, or put the rest myself for my class 1. I would appreciate any advice on which way to go.I am still working for the company that is making me redundant at the moment (engineering) and have never worked in the driving industry.
glgus:
Good evening everyone, wondering if you could offer any advice on hiab training. I have just passed my class 2 but the funding for my training is down to about 300 quid (westmids redundancy support). I can do hiab training, or put the rest myself for my class 1. I would appreciate any advice on which way to go.I am still working for the company that is making me redundant at the moment (engineering) and have never worked in the driving industry.
Put it towards training for your class one. There is no ‘demand’ as such for hiab drivers. Sure some companys need them but they either like/want you and train you for it or take you on because they are happy with you. It does not really add a string to your bow as such because the only time you would use it otherwise is probably during the summer when the companies are running at peak and need an extra driver with HIAB for a bit and the extra premium you get is a pittance. A look at any motorway will tell you most freight is moved by artics, and this is the licence you need if you want work, well at least a few offers of it and a choice.
sorry but as your probly used to office hours think your better of going for hiab as the rate for hiab as opposed to starting your first artic job youre better on class 2 hiab and be home evrey night as some folk cant handle the strange hours us bendy toy drivers do plus nights away 
and mike youre looking at it from an agenceys driver point of view
I agree with Mike - Class1 is the way to go.
Could you imagine tipping with a HIAB in the kind of summer we’ve just had?
I used to work for a builders merchant who had 2 trucks. I had the one with the HIAB and the other truck didn’t have one. he’d go off to building sites and sit in his cab eating his bacon butties waiting for the forklift driver - I’d be dropping stuff over fences and garden walls getting soaked to the skin for the same money!!!
I’d keep well away!
Looks like this is even stevens at the moment…
I’d say do the HIAB. If you work for an agency, they’re always looking for HIAB Drivers. It’s Monday to Friday, 0700 to 1700 and easy work that pays more than Class 1. Okay, you may get caught in the rain now and then.
Depends what you want in the long run though. Nights out or nights home?
can anyone here guarantee glgus an artic job 
but he does stand more of a chance of a job on rigids with a hiab licence think the mans just after a job probly home evrey night well glgus tell us what are you after
Thanks alot for the replys. Scanias post touched on something I,ve thought alot about though. I have worked for years doing shifts in a factory (mornings and afternoons) and its always done my head in as its the same thing week in week out. I work 37 hours aweek and can go in the weekend if i want to. How does this compare to lorry driving as a career?
scania245:
mike youre looking at it from an agenceys driver point of view
I’m looking at it from a look in the job centre view. I don’t have a HIAB licence, you wanna know how many days in the past 11 years that that has stopped me working?
glugus if you waste your money on a HIAB then you have severley restricted yourself, there is far more oppurtunities for class one, or C+E if you wanna call it that. Don’t take my word for it, just do a search on jobcentreplus website right now.
If you just want a HIAB or know someone who wants you if you get it then fine, go for it, but otherwise it will sit in the top of your wardrobe with all the other unwanted christmas presents.
To answer scanias second reply, I need to be working asap when I leave my present job (any time after november). Should I get experience driving class 2 before taking my class 1. Getting home at the same time every day don t bother me, just need to pay the bills! At the moment just looking forward to doing something I,ve always wanted to do
glgus:
To answer scanias second reply, I need to be working asap when I leave my present job (any time after november). Should I get experience driving class 2 before taking my class 1. Getting home at the same time every day don t bother me, just need to pay the bills! At the moment just looking forward to doing something I,ve always wanted to do
Just get your class one. The only time there is any real need for HIAB (in general) is for builders merchants in the summer when they are going flat out. Its now October. Go on Jobcentre plus like i said and look at the vacancies yourself and they’ll tell you which way to go.
Thanks alot Mike C, I think you have made my mind up, just needed to hear it from some one else
glgus:
Thanks alot Mike C, I think you have made my mind up, just needed to hear it from some one else
plese let us know how you get on
Thank you all for your replys, they have all been really helpfull, while Im at it just one more question. Should I do my class 1 in my class 2 lorry with a trailer or on a conventional artic?
glgus:
Thank you all for your replys, they have all been really helpfull, while Im at it just one more question. Should I do my class 1 in my class 2 lorry with a trailer or on a conventional artic?
Artic.
An Artic driver can confidently get in a modern wagon and drag (maybe not a A frame) and drive one.
A newly passed driver will find a artic much different from a wagon and drag.
Pros and cons for both I tend to drive a bit on both, given the choice id pick a artic everytime.
I asked my instructor about it an he said to do it in the vehicle I passed in. (class2) But as you point out I will have no idea about driving artics .Sounds sensible to do it in an artic then.
Hed be saying that as you know the rigid vehicle now so dont have to learn another truck just adding a trailer.
As a general observation drags tend to follow you very very well ie you dont need quite as much road space going forward and turning than a artic. Also you dont get the headboard effect when turning and bigger drags tend to be easier to reverse than smaller drags.
You can swing an artic round in less space than a drag and id say a artic is on the whole an easier toy to reverse under test conditions.
Guess others may disagree with some or all of the above, but personally if the boss gave me a choice of drag or artic id pick the artic evertime.
Going for the class one is certainly my advice.
Many companies will pay for hiab training for a reliable driver.
Its a lot cheaper for them than paying out for class one training.
The difference between W&D and Artic is generally that drivers trained on artic have no problem using a wagon and drag but drivers trained on a wagon and drag find it difficult to revert to artic.
Just a general observation. You go for the training in whatever you feel is best for you.
Go for Class 1 straight away would be my advice, it will broaden your horizons far more than HIAB will.
With Class 1, the World will be your Lobster. 
glgus, in my opinion i would do my class 1 first and if you still want your hiab, use the increased earnings potential the class 1 gives you to pay for the hiab training yourself. This is what i did mate and i can honestly say i havent looked back. There are a few advantages to doing it this way:
1, driving artics is the top of the tree, its invaluable driving experience
2, you dont owe any companies for paying for your hiab, i.e. nailed down with a a contract for X amount of time before you can leave
3, if your driving a 44 tonne wagon, they obviously carry more weight, this means a bigger hiab which means a bigger toy to play with. Childish i know, but i like playing with powerful cranes
whatever you decide mate, good luck…Pidger
Pidger:
glgus, in my opinion i would do my class 1 first and if you still want your hiab, use the increased earnings potential the class 1 gives you to pay for the hiab training yourself. This is what i did mate and i can honestly say i havent looked back. There are a few advantages to doing it this way:1, driving artics is the top of the tree, its invaluable driving experience
2, you dont owe any companies for paying for your hiab, i.e. nailed down with a a contract for X amount of time before you can leave
3, if your driving a 44 tonne wagon, they obviously carry more weight, this means a bigger hiab which means a bigger toy to play with. Childish i know, but i like playing with powerful craneswhatever you decide mate, good luck…Pidger
increased earning potential of class 1 sorry but 
been doing it long enough now you gotta hence a shortage of british drivers that will do what we done 20 years ago and for the same money now im earning less than i was in 1990 work that out and i was running legal then before you start