My first post… so be gentle !
I’m still at the thinking stage of taking my C Class test and have read on here how difficult it can be to get work with anyone unless you have two years experience.
Do agents and employers insist on 2 years experience to keep their insurance premiums low ?
I’ve had a car and motorbike full licence for 30 years surely that would make some difference?
Is it just very difficult to get work as a newbie or impossible?
I have had my commercial cat C license 6 months and found only one agency that would take me on as a newbie. They all wanted me on their books but only one gave me work.
It does not seem to matter how long you have been driving cars. The insurance companies are only interested in commercial vehicle experience. (Or that’s the way it seems)
Recently there have been a few threads that break the mould and newbies are being given a chance.
I don’t regret taking my training and test even knowing the uphill struggle I was likely to encounter.
Good luck in whatever you decide
I was working within 2 weeks but in that time I had wrote to or visited over 100 companies and only one gave me a chance , since then at least 8 have contacted me again, so there are chances but i would say it is very much dependant on were you live and what is around
Thanks Dar and Mikey… it’s good to hear that you don’t regret it.
I’m only 23 and had my licence for 4 months then I was offered a full time job.
It can depend on where you are and what is available in your area.
LR18… Thanks…that’s good to know…
I’m 26, I only asked four companies for work and got a full-time permanent job with one of them within 3 weeks of passing.
I got a job as soon a i passed my
Im 43 and got a job at the first company i phoned /called in at . Still loving it 7 months on 
I have had bike & car licence for over 30 years as well but really count for nothing
Had my cat C for just over 2 yr have done some agency work on that but atm driving vans as that was best on offer to me at time ( bit of a long story though also being female dont help )
I also drove vans & 7.5t for a long time & that dont alway count for anything
But good luck & yes it can be hard to get a break but sometimes depend where you live
There seems to be signs of a trend developing. Until quite recently the OP would have been bombarded with negativity. But there is so much evidence to show that new drivers do get work, often without long waits, that things are certainly changing. IMO this is down, in part, to the effort that newbies put in to getting work.
In another post I mentioned that my daughter’s partner passed with me and I was fortunate enough to know of a job that gave him an immediate start. So he’s driving his DAF XF105 - 480 all over the country and, yes, loads of mistakes and the steepest learning curve ever!! But the job is 50 miles from his home and he has no car. So some sacrifices have to be made. Clearly this isn’t perfect for him - but it’s a start.
The “2 year insurance rule” has some basis in fact but is frequently used as a barefaced lie to give employers a reason not to employ newbies. Things are changing. I have “placed” new drivers in companies that will not, under any circumstances, employ experienced drivers. They want someone who, being recently trained and qualified, will be extremely carefull. The job takes a little longer sometimes but they are happy to pay that price. These are well paid, permanent jobs. Sadly, there’s not an endless list of them - my point is that there are opportunities out there.
Whenever you see an ad that mentions experience, ignore the statement and apply anyway. When the truck is stood in the corner because they cant get a driver, your chances suddenly increase.
Interesting to see how the industry is moving. I predicted this with the introduction of driver cpc 2 years ago for trucks; it seems I may have been right. Lets all hope it continues.
It’s still the case that those drivers who sit at home waiting for the call with a full time job will probably be sitting for a long time. You do have to get out there, use any contacts you may have unashamedly and be ready to work instantly (boots, hi vis, night out bag etc etc in boot of your car at all times).
Best of luck to everybody training and testing over the next few days, Pete 
Thanks to everyone who has replied so far.
It’s very encouraging to know that there is work out there for newbies, provided they make the effort.
I have just had my medical and sent off for my prov licence. Busy working through the tests and practice hazards etc.
On another point, I should mention that since reading this forum I have started to view all the HGV drivers out on the road with a good deal of respect !
NogginTheNog:
On another point, I should mention that since reading this forum I have started to view all the HGV drivers out on the road with a good deal of respect !
Nah give that a year and the gloss will wear off.
Redrorry:
NogginTheNog:
On another point, I should mention that since reading this forum I have started to view all the HGV drivers out on the road with a good deal of respect !Nah give that a year and the gloss will wear off.
+1
NogginTheNog:
Thanks to everyone who has replied so far.
It’s very encouraging to know that there is work out there for newbies, provided they make the effort.
I have just had my medical and sent off for my prov licence. Busy working through the tests and practice hazards etc.
On another point, I should mention that since reading this forum I have started to view all the HGV drivers out on the road with a good deal of respect !
When I helped my brother get into LGV 2 years ago I took him out for the day as a passenger & tried to drill into him just how important it is to always be maintaining a high standard of driving & not treat driving a LGV like he’d been treating driving his car for the past 20yrs.
He reckons the week before his training, driving his car as if it were an LGV was a big help.
When you’re instructor is bawling at you to “LOOK IN YOUR MIRRORS” you might understand.
Once you’re working you’ll soon realise that not all LGV drivers are to be respected automatically, I work with 10 & there’s only 4 of us worth our salt.