Hi everyone,
I am posting this topic as i am thinking about doing my class C HGV licence to start a new career as a lorry driver and would really like some good honest help & advice.
After doing lots of research online etc to find training centres i found a company called “EASY AS HGV” and after speaking to them on the phone and recieving their brochures and reading though them they seem to be very good? They are quite alot cheaper than all my local HGV training centres (I LIVE IN BOURNEMOUTH) they also have an in house recruitment team to help you find a job and help re write your CV etc.
Now has anyone heard of this company or trained with them? I havent found any bad reviews or comments about them? They are approved by the RHA and everything is included the only additional explense is £54 for a medical. They say they take care of everything, they give you everything you need to revise for your theory test and book all your tests etc in for you, they also offer a course on how to use digital & analogue tachographs, driver hours, regulations etc which im guessing would be very useful to know for getting a good job and also a course for the driver CPC which im told you need to drive for a living? All in im looking at a little under £1600 to do EVERYTHING which is the cost of just doing the driving test with most of my local training centres.
Now i have experience driving large vehicles as i previously worked as a bus driver and im using savings to pay outright so really what im asking is, is it a good time to become a lorry driver and is this company good? They say there are alot of HGV driving jobs at the moment and living in bournemouth which isnt far from southampton docks there would be quite alot of work here, but i would really like to hear the truth from real truckers? Im told that as truck driving is a speacialist job most compainies go directly to people like “easy as HGV” to advertise for drivers. There are jobs on jobcentre plus etc but not a huge amount so would that be a true statement that most large companies that need lorry drivers will go to a speacialist company to get them rather than just advertise for any joe bloggs in the jobcentre or is there no jobs at the moment? The easy as hgv website has jobs on it so im guessing they could get me one but what do you all think?
Is there plenty of work and is there good money to be made? I really dont want to use my only savings to gain a full time job if there isnt any or the money is crap!
Now easy as HGV seem confident there are plenty of jobs and the reviews i read from people who had used them they said they found them work?
The course seems very good value for money compared to local training compaines here and if they help get me a job as well it sounds a little too good to be true so any good advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks alot guys and i look forward to reading all your comments
They are a broker so dont have there own vehicles
Why not ask if you can go down & have a look round there place also do same with local training provider speak to the people that will be training you
There is a list on here of recommended trainers
But avoid Easy as like a barge pole
No there not a lot of driving jobs about look in the job centre & no they wont help find you a job afterwards
But then there are not a lot of jobs around full stop
viewtopic.php?f=46&t=44667&p=503949#p503949
Also ask if you can do an assessment drive
please dont go near these , always have an assesment , go down to the training company and see the vehs and meet the instructors for yourself , animal has posted a link for approved trainers on here have alook through , brokers will promise you the earth to take your hard earned cash and then more often than not dont provide , you are parting with a lotof money and need to see what your getting , you need to be happy with your trainer as you will spend all week in a cab with them so you need to get on !!!
please please please do a bit more research and dont part with any money until you are completly satisfied that they are the ones for you ,
ask on here someone may have trained with them and can help you out but most of all you need to be happy with them
good luck
jen x
Jennie:
please please please do a bit more research
+1
Dont use a broker under any cicumstances. Go direct to a trainer.
There are not a lot of jobs, especially for a new driver. Most want experience, it take a lot of work & luck to get the first job.
The job centre ads are nearly all agencys, they generally promise the earth but deliver nothing.
Most prospective employers will take you more seriously if you have C+E
Budget £3k to get C+E
But if you succeed, its the best job in the world on a good day.
Thanks for all your replies i appreciate you all taking the time to help. I just wanted to ask a few more questions in response to what you`ve all said.
What is bad about doing your test with a broker? easy as hgv are alot cheaper than all of my local training centres so im a little confused? The guys ive spoken to there said they are all ex truck drivers so know the industry well?
also if there are not many jobs at the moment wouldnt it be better to have a company who knows the industry well behind you helping you find a job and writting covering letters, re writing your cv etc rather than trying to go it alone?
also can someone tell me about this CPC? Is it something that has to be done?
The reson i would like to know all these things is if i used a local training company its going to cost alot of money compared to easy as hgv and all im getting is my licence. with easy as hgv im getting the licence but im also getting this CPC done and im also being taught everything i need to start work like how to use tachographs and everything else a driver needs to know so surely if i have all that, with my experience driving buses that would look better to a potential employer than just being a new driver with no knowlege at all?
Thanks again for all your input everyone it is greatly appreciated
ok hun heres how the brokers work
jen says ;;;;; "I can fly " so ive told you that so it must be true ■■?
they can make all the promises to you in the world, but have a search on brokers in the search box and read through some of the posts , these people talk the talk but they dont walk the walk half of them are related to each other and you think your talking to someone else but actually its the same person using another name !!!
as animal has on her signature IF IT LOOKS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE …
You asked for our advice and we gave it , i was scammed by these sorts of people so i know what im talking about, all i got was a lot of heartache and stress till i then went with a trainer I saw the lorries and met the trainers , thats what you need to do please dont fall for the ■■■■■■■■ !!!
regards
jen x
nbt:
The reson i would like to know all these things is if i used a local training company its going to cost alot of money compared to easy as hgv and all im getting is my licence. with easy as hgv im getting the licence but im also getting this CPC done and im also being taught everything i need to start work like how to use tachographs and everything else a driver needs to know so surely if i have all that, with my experience driving buses that would look better to a potential employer than just being a new driver with no knowlege at all?
Thanks again for all your input everyone it is greatly appreciated
not being funny chap but you would best off keeping well clear of any broker, they can take your money today and been gone bust tomorrow.
as for learning about tacho’s ect and with the greatest respect all good training companies will teach you that when you are learning to drive, but it won’t mean diddly squat to a new employer, alot now won’t even look at you unless you have held your licence for over 2 years, it will be a long stuggle to find someone to take you on without any experiance. there are guys out there with a lot more unable to find work, ok i see you have been driving buses but this is a cut throat business now, even agencies can pick and choose.
i am sorry to have to put it like this but its better you know now than to take all the bull from a broker telling you he can do this and that when he knows full well all he want’s is your money,
if you can afford it go with a good local trainer get your licence but be prepared to have to sit on it for quite a while before you find a job, and this is from a guy who’s been doing this job now for over 20 yrs so i know what i am talking about 
I have personally used these people for my training and they got me my class c and cpc. If you can go direct to a trainer with their own vechiles ect as all these people do is take your money and farm yiu out to your local company. And as for thier recruitment team well there are a joke! All they do is copy and past jobs from the jobcenter sife and email fhem to you? Do some mode ressarch before you part with your cash and best of luck to you!
Thanks everyone for all your feedback. You have given me some good advice and i will definitly be doing alot more research. I think i will avoid easy as hgv then as it doesnt sound very good.
Thanks again
nbt:
Thanks everyone for all your feedback. You have given me some good advice and i will definitly be doing alot more research. I think i will avoid easy as hgv then as it doesnt sound very good.
Thanks again
Please use the list of recommended trainers on the site.
I would actually probably advise you not to use any others that may not be listed.
Did you not here on the news a few weeks back that a man walk into a brokers nice office in London & trashed it 
Now where do yu think they park there lorries in the centre of London 
They dont as they dont have any simple
You could have a look at going to this it is well worth it & they will give you a lot of advise
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