Narc:
Forget about the email harvesting job sites and do what Rob said, go and knock doors or search haulage firms on google and cold call them,
Top tip for door knocking, go “dressed for work”: boots, hi-viz, gloves, hard-hat etc, and have your DL, DQC and Tacho ready, plus anything else officially relevant (eg ADR, MPQC, training records etc), and observe all their walkways, crossings and other H&S stuff.
We once had a guy wander onto our site, t-shirt, jeans and trainers, after wandering all over the main drag in and out of the site, ignoring walkways, he comes up to us and asks “Any jobs going?”
“Not for you y’ f’in divvy” replied one of the lads, before explaining the error of his ways to him Oh how we laughed, cruelly, at him, not with him.
Always found knocking on doors, CV in hand, cards in pocket, workgear in car ready to go for a test drive the best option. Posting out CVs never got me anywhere.
SHYTOT:
And how long before you don’t want to work in the dayleet
I lasted one week before going back to nights lol. Not enough time i know but I knew I couldn’t hack it.
I’d agree with what’s already been mentioned though, ask at your current place if they can swap you onto days. Worth a try
SHYTOT:
And how long before you don’t want to work in the dayleet
I lasted one week before going back to nights lol. Not enough time i know but I knew I couldn’t hack it.
I’d agree with what’s already been mentioned though, ask at your current place if they can swap you onto days. Worth a try
I’m fairly sure my boss knows I want as early shifts as possible. When I started it was even sometimes early morning starts.
I can’t imagine why someone couldn’t hack the day shift? Does traffic stress you? Make your day longer for no more money, or just pay a lower rate?
SHYTOT:
And how long before you don’t want to work in the dayleet
I lasted one week before going back to nights lol. Not enough time i know but I knew I couldn’t hack it.
I’d agree with what’s already been mentioned though, ask at your current place if they can swap you onto days. Worth a try
I’m fairly sure my boss knows I want as early shifts as possible. When I started it was even sometimes early morning starts.
I can’t imagine why someone couldn’t hack the day shift? Does traffic stress you? Make your day longer for no more money, or just pay a lower rate?
No I don’t do nights for the money, infact if days paid more I’d still work nights lol. Just a nocturnal person, always have been. Few people understand it but most don’t. 1600 is an early start for me ha.
Traffic doesn’t stress me, it’s inevitable these days even on nights.
What kind of start times do you do now?
I’ve pretty much always found my way into places via personal recommendation, even the “blue chip” ones with their fancy recruitment portals and that.
Bonus is I’ve already got a mate in the inside so I sort if know what I’m heading into before I even apply, bonus for them is that they’re getting someone recommended to them and I’m not the type to let someone down and be an arse if they’ve put a good word in because I don’t want them to be viewed negatively.
toonsy:
I’ve pretty much always found my way into places via personal recommendation, even the “blue chip” ones with their fancy recruitment portals and that.
Bonus is I’ve already got a mate in the inside so I sort if know what I’m heading into before I even apply, bonus for them is that they’re getting someone recommended to them and I’m not the type to let someone down and be an arse if they’ve put a good word in because I don’t want them to be viewed negatively.
Wow…if only I knew someone in such a position, you know, knew them, say, though an internet forum.
robroy:
Have you tried old school?
Ringing or calling in at local firms?
The problem is knowing, or finding, companies/work that I want to do. There’s a lot of film work around me (advertised on Indeed) but that’s all night. There’s parcel and pallet companies, again nighttime. So it’s just that I don’t know what to search for.
SHYTOT:
And how long before you don’t want to work in the dayleet
I lasted one week before going back to nights lol. Not enough time i know but I knew I couldn’t hack it.
I’d agree with what’s already been mentioned though, ask at your current place if they can swap you onto days. Worth a try
I’m fairly sure my boss knows I want as early shifts as possible. When I started it was even sometimes early morning starts.
I can’t imagine why someone couldn’t hack the day shift? Does traffic stress you? Make your day longer for no more money, or just pay a lower rate?
I started on nights, then tried days and am now tramping. Days was by far the biggest ball ache!
Obviously depends on the type of work and how good your planner is but nothing worse than getting to a supermarket RDC during their 3-hour shift change knowing you’re going to be sat there for 5 hours and are probably not going to make it home. At least with nights/tramping you know where you stand. I would guess days are a bit of a minefield, really need to find a decent employer who is not going to try to max your hours every week regardless of weather you’re going to make it home every night. I’d be looking for 8-hour days / 40-hour weeks to allow for delays getting home. Also, the day job really needs to be on your doorstep, 15-hour day plus commute time really doesn’t leave much time for anything else.
I’m sure there are many good day jobs out there, but as mentioned above agency is probably the best way in. A lot of people looking for “decent” day work, so they can afford to be picky.
md1987:
[.
What kind of start times do you do now?
1600 to 1900 mostly. Finishing by 0100 to 0200 is fine but not the 0400 to 0500.
So how do you live in your weekends and holidays? Stay in a nightime routine?
I just kinda stay as I am yes. Rarely up before midday and rarely asleep before 4/5am. Like next month I’m away in Scotland for a week starting in Ullapool. But I won’t leave mine till say 3pm. Just what suits
Apply for random stuff see where it takes you. Mate of mine was laid off took a p/t Xmas job in Smyths toys ,now is helping open new branches in France
robroy:
Have you tried old school?
Ringing or calling in at local firms?
The problem is knowing, or finding, companies/work that I want to do. There’s a lot of film work around me (advertised on Indeed) but that’s all night. There’s parcel and pallet companies, again nighttime. So it’s just that I don’t know what to search for.
This is why agency work is a good bet to start with as you can set your terms and say you only want day work. You’ll get to do bits and bobs of work for all sorts of different companies and find out about companies and work that you want to do that way. See it as a form of networking. As another poster said, once a firm who you work for on agency knows that you will show up and do the job without regular drama, they will be fighting over you and asking the agency for you. Agency drivers have such a bad name all you have to do to impress is turn up on time, say hello and smile. I often get offered jobs, on that basis. I even got offered one by a client I was delivering to the other day. He has a large farm and runs a small fleet of artics delivering his veg to supermarkets. I would never have known it existed if I hadn’t delivered there.
One benefit of working for a builders merchant on a crane lorry has already been mentioned - they are own account too. The downside, if you see it as such is that there is a lot less driving and a lot more other work. The other work is not handball thought, and it requires thought, so is a challenge in itself, with job satisfaction of getting that bag of sand exactly where the builder wants it.
Good luck in your search and I look forward to hearing how you get on.
Should be said also I think that there are good and ■■■■ agencies. Some will drop you as soon as you say no to them or put you right down the list for desirable jobs. Others will try their best to get you the shifts you want and don’t resort to the above nonsense. Didn’t to a lot of agency work but that’s what I found.
My two full time jobs upto now I got by ringing them then going in to see them.
robroy:
Have you tried old school?
Ringing or calling in at local firms?
The problem is knowing, or finding, companies/work that I want to do.
Ok but if it was me I’d be getting in my car, checking out all the local transport outfits, ( and totally by passing a couple I know about/have heard about in a bad way) , kinda cold calling, then being as friendly and good mannered as I can, trying to make a good first impression, and saying…
‘Hiya I’m Rob,.I’ve been a driver with a clean licence for x no of years, just wondered if you were looking for a tramper (or whatever YOU want to do) doing xyz.’’ and take it from there, then trying to build my part but keeping the balance right between giving information and boasting and coming across all wrong.
Then tell him what you are no good at (if it was me ridiculously bloody early starts) and pull out your cv with references, tell him you’ll leave him a copy if he’s busy
You never know you might get the…’
‘Well.as a matter of fact a driver has just left’’ scenario, or at least a…
‘I’ll write down your details you sound just the driver we may want’’
Not patronising you here btw mate by stating the bloody obvious …,.but I have been on both sides of that ‘desk’ and it has worked for me in both scenarios,.employer and driver.
I only took drivers on who had the nous to come and see me over those who just rang or sent in a CV., it shows initiative.
driveress:
all you have to do to impress is turn up on time, say hello and smile. I often get offered jobs, on that basis. I even got offered one by a client I was delivering to the other day. He has a large farm and runs a small fleet of artics delivering his veg to supermarkets. I would never have known it existed if I hadn’t delivered there.
Ok, not being funny or sexist or anything, but we both know you would have an advantage over me.
We also both know a woman can achieve anything with a man by giving a smile and a certain look…if I gave the guy the same look I’d maybe get a smack in the teeth rather than the offer of a job…
Not demeaning you either, I am sure you are a very good and efficient driver, as most women are I have noticed, in fact many are better,.and certainly safer than a lot of blokes, despite a lot of b/s opinion.
Not knocking it either, btw, use any asset available if it achieves a goal.
Just saying.
Oh how we laughed, cruelly, at him, not with him. 
…,.but I have been on both sides of that ‘desk’ and it has worked for me in both scenarios,.employer and driver.