After passing the class 1/class 2 test and signing up with a few agencies how long before you can expect to get your first class 1 job? At the moment 7.5t and class 2 seems to be the only jobs available.
Well with me it was about 1 month.
I signed up with an agency straight after passing my class 1, they said well you know its gonna be hard to get you class 1 work since youve just passed your test are you willing to do some class 2 and 7.5ton work as well i said yeah no probs. He said we will look into class 1 jobs and get you easy ones like trunking where little reversing and you can get experience.
After one month i got fed up and called up the agency said look ive been driving class 2’s for years, if i wanted a full time class 2 job i would go get one kinda pointless me doing class 2 work for agencies ive gone with the agency to get experience i quit kinda thing.
Next day got a call we need a class 1 driver can you go do it. So much for the easy jobs, was a job delivering to depots in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen all quite tricky reverses. Enjoyed driving the class 1 but was freaked out by the size of it was a double decker trailer and panicing everytime i got to a depot and saw what i had to reverse into. But three days doing that run my and no crashes or scrapes my confidence was up.
After that following two months spent maybe one day a week driving a class 1 and rest usually on class 2’s or 7.5 tonners to keep me sweet they gave me class 1 money for class 2 work. Found myself confident with class 1 not the greatest driver but by no means the worst and wasnt having an accidents and reversing was getting better all the time.
Got into a company who was class 2 multidrop worked there for a month stuck it because it was a very easy job start at 7am finished by 11am and paid for the 8 hours, Was the summer and was like part time work, so enjoyed finishing at 11am spending time with my gf and my daughter had a great time and getting a full time wage. Went well for awhile got a new boss in, used to occasionally get hassle of shop staff being ■■■■■■■■ old boss would back you up if you were in the right, new boss wouldnt. Came to a head, i covered someones run and found out they hadnt taken empties for a few weeks, so i was giving someone say 2 cages and they are wanting me to take 10 away, in a class 2. By second drop no room left and was taking me ages to do drops which should take 10mins max. Shop staffed told me to stop being lazy take the cages, i said no chance no room, “we dont care kinda thing”. They called my boss he said you will need to put the cages on top of the other ones. I was like how and apart from being dangerous. Had a big argument told him to stuff it.
Back with agency, told them i would only do class 1 work from then on this was now 4 months after passing my class 1. Signed up with a couple of agencies told them the same would only do class 1 work. Since then ive only done class 1 work, worked a couple of shifts delivering Buswieser where maybe second run ive taken out a class 2 just cause only 5 or 6 pallets for ease but thats it.
I’d kinda put it to the agency you want class 1 work, if there is lots of class 2 work they will just keep giving you it, i’d kinda force their hand. Some places wont let drivers with little experience drive their class 1’s but a lot of companies will because they are struggling at times to get class 1 drivers. Even if it means signing up with 4 or 5 agencies at first should be able to get something at least.