viking7000:
Do you know any drivers who would take you out for a day? You could even join the Royal Corp of Transport and get paid while you train but you might get shot.
RCT doesn’t exist any longer. It is now RCL (Royal Corps of Logistics)
Driver-Once-More:
viking7000:
Do you know any drivers who would take you out for a day? You could even join the Royal Corp of Transport and get paid while you train but you might get shot.RCT doesn’t exist any longer. It is now RCL (Royal Corps of Logistics)
Since when? I am showing my age now.
been a few years. Royal Logistics Corps now do all the transport for several regiments
So what branch of goods driving you thinking of?? Retail, general haulage ,building supplies, hazardous materials , fuel. ,
The latter req extra licences, so be aware, I would suggest speak to training agencies, other drivers , it is a way of life and can be tough at first but that said so is any profession. Just keep in mind initial costings like medical , training , cpc and tests. 
devonlad2009:
I am a driver driving large vans and love it but money is crap at under £7 per hour
Ah, thats different, you’re already doing it so you already know the answer.
The only thing is don’t ever be under the impression that the good money will automatically come your way.
Good money only normally gets earned by long hours, or specialising, or by doing shifts that involve either unsocial hours or a certain amount of weekend working, and to a certain extent where you live and work.
I’m yet to meet the bloke doing £40k for a genuine 40 hour week starting at 0700 Mon to Fri and home every night, London area excepted.
maga:
don’t listen to those who have done nothing but driving all their lives, they wouldn’t know hard work if it bit them on the arse.i personally don’t class sitting on my arse listening to the radio for a decent wage a bad gig. but thats just me…
As this guy says.Easiest job i have ever had.Only time i break into a sweat is when i fall asleep on the bunk with the night heater on whilst waiting to get loaded.
I started driving vans of all sizes including 7.5t then took my Cat C & CE never looked back always been in work
Although the money not great the job I am doing now is easy pay ok can easy live on this
But really it is up to you a look in here might help
Dont expect the good job straight away dont expect it to be easy to find a job but can be done but you have to go look for them
Pay depends where you live & what sort of work you are doing but anything from about £7.50 in this area ok some are paying more
As others have said go for it, ok some starts are stupid o clock im in for 3.30 tomorrow first drop Halifax but will be over Saddleworth moor as its getting light the views as you do is why I dont mind the daft starts.
As for more money average 55 hours a week and take home just over £500 a week no nights out and it takes me 5 mins to get to work.
Jeff.
Thanks harry just emailed them and even if I don’t get anywhere with them I’m still going to go ahead with it. I ain’t scared of hard work or long hours etc plus iv always loved lorries as when I left school my trade was building the body’s and tail lifts etc
Daytrunker:
As others have said go for it, ok some starts are stupid o clock im in for 3.30 tomorrow first drop Halifax but will be over Saddleworth moor as its getting light the views as you do is why I dont mind the daft starts.
As for more money average 55 hours a week and take home just over £500 a week no nights out and it takes me 5 mins to get to work.Jeff.
That’s double the wage I’m on lol
devonlad2009:
Thanks harry just emailed them and even if I don’t get anywhere with them I’m still going to go ahead with it. I ain’t scared of hard work or long hours etc plus iv always loved lorries as when I left school my trade was building the body’s and tail lifts etc
I don’t know a great deal about the new driver scheme but I sub-contract to Gregory’s (I’m an owner-driver) and I will say that they are a thoroughly decent firm. I’m sure that if they put you through your C+E then they would expect you to stay for a minimum period or pay back the cost of the training pro-rata but it would be a way of getting in to truck driving without any cost to yourself.
If you want to drive a truck, then do it. There were plenty of miserable old gits queueing up to tell me not to bother when I started, that was in 1986 and I’m still hanging on in there.
I would say yes to taking the jump into the transport industry.
My experience is very very small as I have only just began driving . Dare say most lads/ladies on here have reversed further than I have driven forward but I would never go back to my old job now.
Had a ■■■■ first experience with the company I went with and almost jacked it in but I landed on my feet working through agency now (puts on flame suit) Getting some good experience in now. Looking to do my C+E soon and keep gaining experience.
Like most Careers, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. But that will help you in the long run.
There is work out there if you look for it. Atm im not looking for full time jobs as im happy with the situation I am in now. 6am starts, work all day, great money and no one on the phone bothering me.
Do it!
I say go for it buddy. I was in a good paying factory job as a team leader in machine shop before i did my tests. I covered the costs of the training and tests in the first 3 months in extra salary. I started full time on tippers for a small local farm (5 artics) and never earnt less than 10k more than factory work. Some long hours, crazy start times and muddy fields for first few years but doing euro work now (basically general haulage most of year cept ya go interesting places like budapest or liepzig) and should smack 46K this year. If ya like driving youll get by as a HGV driver, If you love it youll never ever do anything else till the DVLA takes ya ticket
Go for mate it’s not the most family friendly of jobs but depending on what u do u could enjoy it and u get to see some sights (not just the tourist sites too) but it will take u at least 2 years b4 u can pick and chose ur jobs etc. and as said if ur a good worker u will never b out of a job
Thanks guys for your say. Least now next time someone tells me to save my money as it’s not worth it I can tell them to sod off lol
Go for it ,remember to post in a few months with an update.The industry does have an ongoing need for new blood as there are quite a lot of old crocks(and I include myself in this)driving.
I wouldnt say its really worth it, money can be rubbish, companies can be rubbish
but then again its been over a year since i drove a truck and im on better money than i would be getting driving an artic…except if i was driving an artic where i work.
Personally I would say it is.
I’ve worked in call centres and offices and it’s ■■■■. Press a button to go for a ■■■■ and your only allowed 5 minutes of ‘personal time’ a day! So that’s getting a coffee or going to the toilet and expect to be questioned where you’ve been if you go over your 5 minutes!
Same with breaks, do not dare go over a few seconds (yes seconds) otherwise your name pops up in a computer in red and they’ll be asking where the ■■■■ you’ve been.
You’re not entitled to an opinion, if you have anything to say and they don’t like it expect a warning… The list is endless.
I’m not office material, certainly not.
My job now, class 1 trunking. go in, given unit and a piece of paper and sod off. No one bothers me until I return to hand the keys in at the end of the day.
I work more hours but it’s so worth it, freedom and to be left alone to do what needs doing without taking the ■■■■.
Personally I’ve never earned so much and yes that’s down to the hours but I get up each day, get ready and go to work and don’t even think about it and most importantly I enjoy it.
I used to get up and think ■■■■■■■■ to this and spend ages deciding if I should phone in sick or not with the call centres.
The road is definitely for me, saying that I’ve always enjoyed being left alone to do my own thing and not seeing people day in and day out doesn’t bother me at all.
Go for it, once you eventually land a job (which others say and I agree, isn’t easy) it’s so worth it.
I’ve never been out of work. Crossed fingers I never will. Good luck to you. It’s hard graft if you want to earn a good wage, but I’ve never had so much fun. Most of the time 