After coming very close to giving up on getting a decent job as a class 1 driver and going back to rubbish PCV driving, I have finally found a really professional (2 weeks training!) company.
I’m getting my own brand new Volvo FH12 drawbar and will be having some nights out. So I thought I’d get my kit togther before starting E.G laptop for TV and DVD’s, kettle, Sat Nav, mobile phone charger etc… I’ve even got myself one of those gas alarms. Yeah I’m sure there are a lot of you thinking “blimey don’t get too carried away!!!” and you might have a point but I suddenly thought to myself, when I’ve parked up for night and the laptop is running off 24v and I have other stuff plugged into 12v. Will I be calling the boss the next morning saying the battery is flat■■?
Sorry for my ignorance but I’ve never had a night out in truck before and I’ve found over the years that buses and coaches will run flat if you leave cab light on for an hour with engine off!!
Just because a company gives you 2 weeks training doesn’t make them professional.
What it often means is that they have covered their arse. You will have been trained in how to deal with every possible situation which could conceivably arise, therefore any problems have been caused by you not doing as your training dictated. (Thats the attitude frequently found, in my experience anyway).
Running a few small things during the evening shouldn’t flatten the batteries on a truck. eg, boiling the kettle a couple of times, for a brew as you watch a DVD.
If you have a duff battery (like I did on a new truck), just parking up overnight will be enough to mean you need a jump start in the morning, whether or not you run a few small things. (So find out about jump starting your wagon, just in case, the computers in modern wagons are very sensitive to power surges).
To be honest Simon you have a fair point and until start I won’t be able to be sure just how professional they really are. All I can do is judge them from what was said during the interview.
The other way I’m judging them is by looking at what has happened to me over the last three years since I made the decsion to get away from PCV driving. I’ve got C+E, ADR and CPC Freight National but that has counted for nothing. I even went and did two days classroom and two days driving on a refresher course to try and get employers to get over the fact I’ve no working experience driving class 1 trucks. It feels like I’ve contacted just about every company in the West Midlands about work but to be honest about 90% of them couldn’t even be bothered to reply to me. When I did get an occasional interview they just sneered at me for driving PCV’s for sixteen years. In the three years I’ve been trying, I did get two class 1 jobs but jacked them in because they were total cowboys and I’m not breaking the law for anyone especially when it involves my licence!!!
It makes me laugh when people think about agencies, I couldn’t even get work with them because of the insurance requiements they tend to need now. The usual thing was “yeah come on down and register with us” and then when you go to see them they would say that because I can’t show I’ve been driving over last two years they would be able to offer me much!!!
One agency said that they could get me a perm job with Royal Mail but when I went down there I was given the keys which were then taken back off me when they found out about my lack of experience. That was done in front of their drivers and was very embarassing. In the end all they would let me do was 7.5t trunking work for the Royal Mail and no offence to 7.5t drivers but I didn’t do all that training to drive one of those.
Since I started to try and change careers its been a nightmare and I’ve been shown no respect at all. But I’m really trying to be positive with my new company. They have shown me respect and were impressed with the way I’ve approached my move into freight. They are a very very big brick and stone company who want to bring there transport in-house so they can improve customer service.
Although I’m qualified, the harsh reality is that I have no experience. So when a company comes along and says we will give you two weeks training, a brand new truck, OTE of £30,000 for a 45 hour week and 25 days holiday per year with the promise of career support then I have to try and be confident and think they are a professional company who want to do things right.
I know delivering brick is hard work and its going to be a test of skill getting on to building sites but my attitude is that if they are prepared to give me a really good package with good training and support then I’m prepared to work hard and be loyal.
I’m starting on 6/8/07 and to be honest I can’t wait to get cracking.
If anybody has any advice about Brick work or truck driving in general for somebody still wet behind the ears then it would be gratefully recieved.
Get an inverter, £ 60 350 watt, get down to Asdas and get a tv for £89 with a dvd, you will have a plug for your laptop to charge it or just plug it in the lighter socket in the morning to charge it, i use my TV Ps2 and charge the odd thing up, for up to six hours and it starts in the morning no problem.
Well done for sticking at it sounds a good job think i know who you mean, at least you wont have to swap boxes that does liven it up always seems to rain.
Sorry to be a real thicko but does an inverter plug into cig lighter socket and provdes a standard plug socket? If it is I think I’ll hang back and see what I’ve got in my FH socket wise. I’m hoping it will have a standard 12v lighter socket for Sat Nav, phone charging and gas alarm and with a bit of luck it will have 24v socket too. I’ve managed to get 12/24v charger for my laptop. So I’ll run it off that when I’m watching DVD’s at night. I bought a TV device for laptop but its rubbish so I might invest in Inverter and TV when I start getting a wage in again
Its been such a rubbish search for a decent job that I’m genuinely looking forward to starting!!! Its over a week until I start but I’m making sure that I have got a good overnight kit. Although I’m not investing in things like microwaves etc until I know the score with the job. They did tell me that I’d be having 2-3 nights out a week to start but they will be looking to reduce the delivery area and then they will be less nights out.
Any opinions on Volvo FH12 Drawbar? not sure what trim level its got but it comes with iShift and has 500+bhp
This site confirms what I’ve always thought, even though Wagon Drivers are treated like [zb] by everyone they are still top notch professionals!!
Cheers
Chris
Language Edit. If it needs stars to get it past the auto censor that is the clue it is not allowed.
i use a laptop charger while im away wilde, thing i paid about £7 off ebay for it, it works a treat and it runs through my 12 volt socket. i tend to keep the battery on the laptop charged up as much as possible so whilst i use the 24 volt kettle or oven i unplug the laptop and just run off the battrey, so far had no problems with starting the truck in the morning. also glad to hear that you finally landed a job you will enjoy, hope it al goes well for you mate.
Don’t buy too much gear to start with - small TV, kettle etc will do.
Make sure you have wet weather gear with you - you get soaked sat on the grab unloading, and netting strapping etc.
Driving on sites can be fun - just take your time and drop the trailer outside the site if you don’t need it.
Use the diff lock on muddy sites and keep your speed down (always stop to engage diff lock and remember to disengage it before you leave the site).
Always net the bricks, they have a habit of breaking and sliding out of the pack.
Always pick them up from where the fork lift holes are (height) and the grab goes either side where the holes are - next layer up (the bricks are arranged to be load bearing there).
Don’t swing the crane around too violently, if there’s a loose pack you could lose the lot on someones head.
Drop the suspension before you put the legs down, otherwise the suspension adjusts out of range of the feet while unloading. Also, keep adjusting the legs to keep them on the ground (not every lift, but after say half the load - you have controls from the grab seat)
Use the ladder !
Don’t rush ( especially when it’s wet / raining ).
Always strap the grab when traveling.
If you can’t get the hitch to open to drop the trailer, drop the wagons suspension a bit to line it up straighter.
You should get told most of this anyway in your training.
Some are nice, but quite a lot have a very high opinion of their own importance and a very low opinion of our importance.
They will want you to go somewhere you might get stuck, if you say you won’t they’ll moan…if you do it and get stuck they’ll moan…even if you do it perfectly they’ll still moan.
You wont need all that tackle in the cab, an inverter for your lap top and a good old whistling kettle. Use one of them little gas stoves that hold an aerosol can. They sit flat on the floor of an FH, dead handy for traffic jams and boiling the kettle on the move safely.
As for electrics we are well catered for with a normal 12v cig lighter socket for phone chargers. 24v standard DIN socket and we also have 2 direct wired 12 / 24 sockets which use euro domestic plugs. You can ask the fitters to wire in a 13 amp socket direct to the batteries.
My fridge has an auto cut out that prevents the engine starting circuit being too low on a monday morning
Can’t give you an answer on your question, but I wish you good luck with your job. Its nice to see a guy who is willing enough to start a job with a good, positive attitude.
I just wanted to thank you all for those nice and really helpful messages! I’ve got to say as a really inexperianced class 1 driver I am really nervous about starting. But I’m really glad that I’m getting a couple of weeks training because it would be daft sending out someone to do this kind of work without some good training.
I’ve got my kit together and it consists of:
Laptop & TV Stick, Kettle, First Aid Kit, Sat Nav, Gas Alarm, Flask & Mug, Duvet & Pillows, Phone, 4ltr Water Bottle, Gloves, Hardhat and Torch.
I’m going to be working for Hanson Building Products so I’m assuming I’ll get a uniform and good waterproof clothing. I know a lot of lads have microwaves, stoves and take food with them but I’ll see how it goes because I’m unlikely to be out all week.
Once again thanks for the support and thanks for the advice, I always think the people who really know about a job are the people who do it and not the Managers who think they know about a job.
Have a good week everybody and keep safe. I’ll try and enjoy my last week off and not get too stressed about all the stuff I’ve got to learn
Just come accross this thread whilst searching for something else )Wilde Transport). How did you go on Wilde1 ?
As far as flattening batteries is concerned, not a problem except for repeated use of kettle or leaving fridge on all weekend.
TV’s, laptops etc, aren’t that power hungry.
When i worked (many years ago) for an independent used car garage, we used to put the radio on in the car nearest to the office in the show room. It would be on, quite loud, from 8.30 am to about 7pm. upto 7 days a week. It used to last a month!
Why go for an inverter?
I can never understand the logic of going from 24v DC to 240v AC only to go back to in my laptop’s case 19v DC
When you can buy a noebook charger that will convert directly? Surely that is the most energy efficient/battert saving way? I stand to be corrected by Leccy Techie types, as I’m only using GCE physics logic
renaultman:
Why go for an inverter?
I can never understand the logic of going from 24v DC to 240v AC only to go back to in my laptop’s case 19v DC
When you can buy a noebook charger that will convert directly? Surely that is the most energy efficient/battert saving way? I stand to be corrected by Leccy Techie types, as I’m only using GCE physics logic
Yes, if you’re aiming for 19 VDC, then you’re probably better off going direct. However, if you’re aiming for (e.g.) 9 VDC, then it’s not so clear cut. It depends on the type of DC dropper, whether it’s linear or switched mode.
A linear dropper for my laptop (which takes 9.5VDC) would only be about 33% efficient, and it’s certainly possible that an inverter plus a mains PSU could be more efficient than that.
However, if you’re powering your laptop, then a linear dropper would be about 69% efficient.
Switched mode droppers, if properly designed, should be somewhere in the region of (at a guess) 80% efficient.
renaultman:
Why go for an inverter?
I can never understand the logic of going from 24v DC to 240v AC only to go back to in my laptop’s case 19v DC
When you can buy a noebook charger that will convert directly? Surely that is the most energy efficient/battert saving way? I stand to be corrected by Leccy Techie types, as I’m only using GCE physics logic
Yes, if you’re aiming for 19 VDC, then you’re probably better off going direct. However, if you’re aiming for (e.g.) 9 VDC, then it’s not so clear cut. It depends on the type of DC dropper, whether it’s linear or switched mode.
A linear dropper for my laptop (which takes 9.5VDC) would only be about 33% efficient, and it’s certainly possible that an inverter plus a mains PSU could be more efficient than that.
However, if you’re powering your laptop, then a linear dropper would be about 69% efficient.
Switched mode droppers, if properly designed, should be somewhere in the region of (at a guess) 80% efficient.
And yes, I’m one of those Leccy Techie types
MrFlibble BEng MIET
Ta for that.
Just goes to show that, 'just cos it’s logical, doesn’t mean it’s right.
Just goes to show that, 'just cos it’s logical, doesn’t mean it’s right.
True. However, there can be other advantages to using a dropper rather than an inverter. For example, inverters can create quite a lot of electrical noise, which can interfere with things (like the radio).
Unless you buy a really expensive inverter, the output is only a vague approximation of what a standard 230V mains supply should look like, and whilst that’s fine for simple things, it can get a bit nasty if the equipment being plugged into it is more sensitive.
I’m considering building a linear dropper for my laptop because when I run it from my inverter, I get really distorted sound through the (laptop) speakers, and if it’s doing that to the audio output, [zb] knows what it’s doing to the internal (digital) stuff.
Just goes to show that, 'just cos it’s logical, doesn’t mean it’s right.
True. However, there can be other advantages to using a dropper rather than an inverter. For example, inverters can create quite a lot of electrical noise, which can interfere with things (like the radio).
Unless you buy a really expensive inverter, the output is only a vague approximation of what a standard 230V mains supply should look like, and whilst that’s fine for simple things, it can get a bit nasty if the equipment being plugged into it is more sensitive.
I’m considering building a linear dropper for my laptop because when I run it from my inverter, I get really distorted sound through the (laptop) speakers, and if it’s doing that to the audio output, [zb] knows what it’s doing to the internal (digital) stuff.
I got mine from XLB truck stops, and it’s been ok. I’m not sure about the sensitivity of laptops my charger’s rated and pushes out 19v but the battery’s only errr inside this laptop so I can’t see it. I know it’s less
renaultman:
I got mine from XLB truck stops, and it’s been ok. I’m not sure about the sensitivity of laptops my charger’s rated and pushes out 19v but the battery’s only errr inside this laptop so I can’t see it. I know it’s less
Yes, mine might work on a “standard” one, but I was thinking of building my own because it specifies a rather wierd 9.5 VDC input (and partly “because I can” )
