Harry Monk:
OK, here’s my two pence worth.Within the parameters of the job in hand, I start when I feel like it. I go whichever way I want and stop for breakfast, dinner etc whenever and wherever I want.
If I get tired, I even have a bed to have a snooze on.
If it’s hot, I wear shorts and a T shirt, if it’s cold I wear jeans and my favourite baggy jumper.
I have my work environment at whatever temperature I choose and 99% of my job consists of listening to CDs and the radio and watching scenery roll by.
Exactly
So I don’t mind it. Those who do seem simply not to have found the right job yet.
DEFO
If its what you want to do then its 100% worth it. What you have to realise is that alot of people talk alot of rubbish on the internet and you never know for sure who it is your talking to.
I’ve worked in various factorys and various offices and all have been different, some I liked, some I hated, and Im sure its the same with LGV driving. Im sure some companies will be a pain in the arris to work for but there are bound to be some diamonds as well, its like any job its all about dropping on.
I used to be an electrician and am currently out of work due to lack of work for my expericence levels and the lack of avaliable jobs in my local area, but when I was working I thought it was o.k. I had some good days and some bad days…such is life. However if a wannabe electrician ever asked me what I thought of it as a career path I would always say DONT DO IT, and I said it for a number of reasons, varying from insecurity that this person might one day be in competition with me for work , to he asked me at the wrong time when I’d had a bad day and had a ‘cob on’. I know for a fact some drivers on forums will be saying dont do it because they dont want the competition and they think the grass is always greener on the other side and they’ve probably done the same job for 30 years and are now bored of it. Im sure if you asked 20 LGV driver their honest opinion you’d get 20 different replys as you would if you asked 20 different sparkys.plumbers.nurses.joiners etc.
I suppose it all depends on what your used to and what wage your used to but for the younger generation, used to £5.50 p/h on some grotty warehouse picking and packing all day with your jobs worth “i live for my job” ■■■■■■ of a boss looking over your shoulder all shift I think LGV driving would be a breath of fresh air, I could be wrong of course because my opinion is based on my observations and not any practical LGV experience, I have recently lost my call centre job which I hated with a passion and am about to start the ball rolling for my LGV training, if I hate it I’ve lost nothing as long as i make my money back and its always there for sumit to fall back on in the future, one thing for sure is since leaving my last place of employment I promise myself NEVER to be stuck in a job that I hate again so if/when I do it if it doesnt work out I’ll just move on…Nothing ventured, nothing gained
If your currently a postie, my advice is to stick with it mate. I was on the post for 5 years and the worst days work I ever did was leaving. Took me a while to adjust to the real world after the Royal Mail (you know what i’m talking about!) when I actually had to start working ALL the hours I was being paid for! Is there not a mail centre near you that you can transfer to with a view to them putting you through your test? Thats what they used to do for hgv drivers in my neck of the woods, although it may be different these days.
Not forgetting the VR’s that will be on offer of course if the worst does happen, you might find it worth hanging on for a payout to fund your own training.
Is it worth it though… Same as any job, its what YOU make of it that makes it worthwhile or not, good luck with your decision though… 
hi…this is based on my youngest lads experience
if you expect to make mega money…dont do it
if you believe getting a driving job is easy…dont do it
if you think all agencies are good…dont do it
if you think all the jobs on direct gov are real…dont do it
if you have a young family to support and have a reasonable job at the minute…dont do it
if you think all firms / agencies will treat you with respect…dont do it
on the plus side
sick of being in a mundane boring job…do it…his stories are hilarious
want to meet interesting people…do it…hes met them all..genuine blokes to complete phsycos
if you have a thick skin to take the knockbacks…do it
if you can take the rough with the smooth…do it
if you are prepared to drive anything initially…do it…van work got him into one companies class 2
Never seen my lad so happy with his work life when he`s out there[used to do warehouse work]…used his redundancy to pay for his training…its hard to get established even with the agencies but the work now comes along more often and in larger lumps…the hope of a full time job is there but looks a little way off yet,
Sunny days and the open [ish!!] road cant be beaten after been stuck in a warehouse on nights for 8 years
Please consider everthing before parting with your hard earned cash
Cheers,Stu
seems to be a lot of different veiws on this subject so here,s mine
I took and paid for all my training for my C passed jan 2011 & C+E passed march 2011 This was a long time achivement of mine and im loving every min of it, I was lucky enough to get a C+E job with in 1 week of passing my test granted its nights but you have to take the ■■■ with the smooth! , I was stuck in an office 9-5 taking stress and ■■■ stupid meetings on worthless sales figures and being told to sell printers and IT equipment, Cold calling which is brain numbing to say the least and all for 15k a year £288 a week before tax!! , now im on a perm gig and earning £450 a week! and best of all i am for once happy in a job and no stress and best of all no jumped up little ■■■ of a sales manager breathing down ya neck moaning that your sales figures are down!
So my view is HELL YEA its worth it in total i spent £1600 on C & C+E and it will pay for its self within 4 months, and if we listened to the odd remarks of other drivers saying dont do it the we would have no new drivers coming into the business!! fair enough its tuff with the current climate of fuel hikes etc but we are a nation of moaners and groaners but we should be a proud british nation
IM HAPPY WITH WHAT IM DOING AND NO VIEWS WILL CHANGE MY MIND 
It probably is worth it…in the end and if its what your really keen to do then go for it but it is what you make it like most jobs!
All these folk saying you’ll never be out of a job, Im a class 2 driver and have been qualified for 2-3 years now and…im out of a job right now and have been for the last 9-10 months, Could’nt be trying any harder to get work to be honest. Dont all you wannabe drivers be fooled into thinking you’ll pass and walk into a job, afew do but the majority do not! this is not meant to put anyone off going for their licence, just dont think its a quick fix!
Just thought i would say that as i felt people were making out as if its a magical qualification that makes you ammune from unemployment.
Kenny1975:
Depends on your circumstances.Depends what you are already doing as a living, will the wages be better etc… Ive worked in transport since i was about 21. Started out as a motorbike courier made lots of money in London but always risking serious injury, moved into vans, then managed to get put thro my class 2. Eventually got my class 1 just under 2 years ago.
It works for me hours are a lot more than others jobs i could be doing and as others have mentioned depends on where you get work.
I’m wanting to also do other stuff self employed away from truck driving, but the truck driving is great because with agencies i can supplement my income as much as i need to and ive always got that to fall back to if i need.
Saying all that ive i was young again i.e. in my teens i would have done things differently gone and got my self a trade done a YTS these guys are on silly money these days.
Fixed that for ya.
steveig:
seems to be a lot of different veiws on this subject so here,s mineI took and paid for all my training for my C passed jan 2011 & C+E passed march 2011 This was a long time achivement of mine and im loving every min of it, I was lucky enough to get a C+E job with in 1 week of passing my test granted its nights but you have to take the ■■■ with the smooth! , I was stuck in an office 9-5 taking stress and ■■■ stupid meetings on worthless sales figures and being told to sell printers and IT equipment, Cold calling which is brain numbing to say the least and all for 15k a year £288 a week before tax!! , now im on a perm gig and earning £450 a week! and best of all i am for once happy in a job and no stress and best of all no jumped up little ■■■ of a sales manager breathing down ya neck moaning that your sales figures are down!
So my view is HELL YEA its worth it in total i spent £1600 on C & C+E and it will pay for its self within 4 months, and if we listened to the odd remarks of other drivers saying dont do it the we would have no new drivers coming into the business!! fair enough its tuff with the current climate of fuel hikes etc but we are a nation of moaners and groaners but we should be a proud british nation
IM HAPPY WITH WHAT IM DOING AND NO VIEWS WILL CHANGE MY MIND
Mate I can 100% see where you are coming from, I worked for insurance and had to try and sell customers breakdown cover and legal protection etc, im no salesman so my targets were never met and i had some ■■■■ of a boss lookin over my shoulder every 2 mins telling me to make/take a call, ill NEVER do a job like that ever again, and i was on 12.5 K a year for the most mundae job I’ve ever had, I used to dream about breaking free, Im not saying HGV driving is the answer to all my prayers but its gotta be a better option than what Im used to
this is the way i see it,
i havent been driving for long mayb a couple of months i have been very lucky by having a break early. the reason i did my class 2 was passion i wanted to know what it was like driving lorries. i actually spent 3000 grand on my class 2 due to me failing a few times. but if you think of the costs ull never do it driving is a love it or hate it job regardless of size of vehicle car bus lorry doesnt matter if u love it ull do anything drive anything just to keep ur hunger depressed. if it costs u 3k n u love it 3k over 40 yrs? not much for a job for life but 3k n u dont like it ■■■■ happens ull always have it ull always can get agency work if u had nothing else plus within time tht money wont b missed
i love driving i hate it sometimes 2bh i hate the current work multi drops aint my thing but its getting experience thts all im worried about but the company know im using them for tht too
so if u wanna do it go for it uve nothing to lose!
jimmypk:
this is the way i see it,i havent been driving for long mayb a couple of months i have been very lucky by having a break early. the reason i did my class 2 was passion i wanted to know what it was like driving lorries. i actually spent 3000 grand on my class 2 due to me failing a few times. but if you think of the costs ull never do it driving is a love it or hate it job regardless of size of vehicle car bus lorry doesnt matter if u love it ull do anything drive anything just to keep ur hunger depressed. if it costs u 3k n u love it 3k over 40 yrs? not much for a job for life but 3k n u dont like it [zb] happens ull always have it ull always can get agency work if u had nothing else plus within time tht money wont b missed
i love driving i hate it sometimes 2bh i hate the current work multi drops aint my thing but its getting experience thts all im worried about but the company know im using them for tht too
so if u wanna do it go for it uve nothing to lose!
exactly, and if you dont like it and decide to walk away what have you lost ? as long as you make your money back you’ve lost nothing and like you said its always there fall back on if need be