A few people have asked me how I got my first driving job so quickly. Well, for what it is worth, here is what I did. I am not suggesting this is the best way to get a new job, but it worked for me.
To begin with, I never sent out a CV (honestly) although I did carry some around with me to hand out personally.
I didn’t send any speculative emails either, nor did I apply for any jobs advertised by agencies.
I knew my lack of experience would be against me so I didn’t see any purpose in going head-to-head with more experienced drivers.
I began job hunting immediately I passed my C test. I printed some ‘business cards’ on my computer. They had my name, telephone number and email address. They also said ‘Class 2 driver, clean licence, digital tachograph card’.
I visited every small haulage company in my area and talked to the owners. I called more than once if necessary. I asked for a job, got various versions of ‘no’ for answers. Then I sought their advice on job hunting and asked for suggestions on who else I might try. I made a point of ‘chatting’ with them for a few minutes whenever I could.
I then called on these people and said ‘Mr Bloggs of Bloggs transport’ suggested I may give you a call. Asked their advice, names of who I might visit, etc.
I took every chance to talk to all truck drivers I encountered. Told them my situation and asked their advice (who to try, etc).
I asked my friends for ideas about where I might call (this is where I got the lead to my first job).
Four weeks later, when I passed my C+E…
I called on everyone I had previously visited, this time asking for Class One work. I went through the same procedure as previously.
(As a point of interest, I felt I was taken more seriously as a Class 1 driver, and of course, I had met most of them four weeks earlier).
Now I began getting a few 'leave me your number, things should start to pick-up soon’ responses. Even had one man say, “I wish I had a job for you”.
Another man told me he had recently had a driver leave but hadn’t replaced him because business was quiet. That was the clue I was waiting for so I asked him if he might take me out for a run with him, just to help me get used to things.
He agreed to do this but, when he hadn’t called me within a few days, I went back to see him again (on the excuse of asking his advice on job-hunting).
This time he did call me and took me out on a job with him.
Amazingly, he said, “I’ll show you this run, it is our most regular one, and then you will know how to do it by yourself”. I couldn’t decide if he was offering me a job or not.
We went out the next day. He drove us there and then said, “Do you want to drive back?”
Did I want to■■? My first LGV drive without L plates. And in an artic. “Yes please!”
I reminded him I had taken my test in a wagon-and-drag. His response was, “If you can drive one of them bloody things you’ll have no bother with this”.
I drove us back about 110 miles and reverse parked the truck (Yeah, I know, I had never reversed an artic but it wasn’t a difficult reverse and went well with one shunt).
He then said, “You seemed to enjoy that, do you want to do it on your own?”
OK, 6am tomorrow morning. And that was that.
So that’s what worked for me. Whether it would work for anyone else, I don’t know.
Alan
