Hello I’ve been a member of this forum for a while now but this is my first post. I’ve recently got some PPI money back and I want to use it to do my LGV cat c and cat c&e next year. I’ve had my medical and got my provisional entitlement on my licence. Assuming everything goes to plan I was just wondering if anyone had any information/tips on securing their first job? I know pretty much most companies only take on drivers with experience and that minimum two year rule a lot of them seem to have. But I suppose everybody has to start somewhere so I was hoping for some advice or success stories before I spend 2-3k on the training. Cheers
JUMP ON AGENCYS FOR A WHILE & YA’LL BE FINE! FIBS ON CV’S THAT YOU CAN BACKUP ARE FINE, LIES ARE A NO NO!!!
I HAVE MINIMAL EXPERIANCE I’M NOT HAVING ANY ISSUES GETTING WORK, FAIR ENOUGH THE MONEY IS RUBBISH BUT YOU HAVE TO TREAT THE CRAP MONEY/JOBS AS YOUR “REAL” TRAINING!!! OR PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, YOU ARE BEING PAID TO GET GOOD EXPERIANCE WHICH WILL LEAD TO BETTER THINGS IF YOU PRESENT YASELF WELL…
YOU DO NEED TO ASSESS IF YOU CAN SHOULDER THE ■■■■ TAKING, THE LACK OF HELP WHEN YOU ARE NEW, YOU HAVE TO PUT ALOT OF HOURS IN TO TRAIN YASELF MOST THINGS BUT ONCE LEARNT ITS EARNED! DO YOU ACTUALLY LIKE DRIVING/WAITING FOR IDIOTS TO MAKE SIMPLE DECISIONS YOU NEW THE ANSWER TOO WHILST THEY WERE CONSIDERING IT FOR 20MINS, BEING ■■■■■■ ABOUT FOR THE SAKE OF IT BY BORED ■■■■■ AT DESKS THAT IN REALITY CANT THINK FOR THEMSELVES & CAN ONLY FILL IN BLANK SPACES ON FORMS/FILE/PHOTOCOPY/LICK TH BOSS’ ARSE & TREATING YOU LIKE ■■■■
IF ANY OF THE ABOVE WILL GET TOO YOU OVER TIME, FORGET IT, IF YOU CAN ADOPT A MINDSET THAT NONE OF THIS CRAP AFFECTS YOU YA’LL DO GOOD, I’M NEW TO CLASS 2 DRIVING BUT DRIVEN IN VARIOUS ROLES FOR AGES SO ALL THE ■■■■ PEOPLE THROUGH HAHA SLIPS STRAIGHT OFF 
There are many recent posts by newbies on this issue so perhaps a read of a few of those in this forum might give you an insight into the jobs market for newbies
Please read all the stickies near the top of this forum before paying out any money for anything
Whilst there is NO driver shortage, there is no question that newbies are finding their first job much more quickly than a couple of years ago when things were a bit dire.
But you will still have to put the effort in, go knocking on doors, and present yourself ready willing and able to work.
In the meantime, stay away from training brokers. They are easily recognised by the websites stating massive driver shortages and £30k salaries. They also give the impression that they are national trainers.
Good luck and dont be put off by the prophets of doom!
Pete 
Thanks for the replies…I already know who I’m doing the training with he’s a local guy I know a couple of people who have used him before and have recommended him.
I recently passed, knocked on a few doors, spoke to companies direct and advertised for jobs but heard absolutely nothing. Agency will be the next port of call but for now i’ve put the driving career on hold and doing something else.
I would join straight up to a agency once you pass. Seems to be the number 1 most popular route for newbies. Gaining work through every other method seems to boil down to right time right place and pot luck.
Is there generally enough work at the agencies to sustain a decent living or is it just a couple of shifts a week for most newbies?
It would be easier to answer if we knew your location.
I struggled quite a bit whilst living in the North East but since relocating to Essex I have been having to turn work down.
So, where are you?
I’m in Scunthorpe mate
I always wanted to move to Scunthorpe so I could be putting the ■■■■ in Scunthorpe
nervoustimes:
JUMP ON AGENCYS FOR A WHILE & YA’LL BE FINE! FIBS ON CV’S THAT YOU CAN BACKUP ARE FINE, LIES ARE A NO NO!!!
I HAVE MINIMAL EXPERIANCE I’M NOT HAVING ANY ISSUES GETTING WORK, FAIR ENOUGH THE MONEY IS RUBBISH BUT YOU HAVE TO TREAT THE CRAP MONEY/JOBS AS YOUR “REAL” TRAINING!!! OR PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, YOU ARE BEING PAID TO GET GOOD EXPERIANCE WHICH WILL LEAD TO BETTER THINGS IF YOU PRESENT YASELF WELL…YOU DO NEED TO ASSESS IF YOU CAN SHOULDER THE ■■■■ TAKING, THE LACK OF HELP WHEN YOU ARE NEW, YOU HAVE TO PUT ALOT OF HOURS IN TO TRAIN YASELF MOST THINGS BUT ONCE LEARNT ITS EARNED! DO YOU ACTUALLY LIKE DRIVING/WAITING FOR IDIOTS TO MAKE SIMPLE DECISIONS YOU NEW THE ANSWER TOO WHILST THEY WERE CONSIDERING IT FOR 20MINS, BEING ■■■■■■ ABOUT FOR THE SAKE OF IT BY BORED [zb] AT DESKS THAT IN REALITY CANT THINK FOR THEMSELVES & CAN ONLY FILL IN BLANK SPACES ON FORMS/FILE/PHOTOCOPY/LICK TH BOSS’ ARSE & TREATING YOU LIKE [zb]
IF ANY OF THE ABOVE WILL GET TOO YOU OVER TIME, FORGET IT, IF YOU CAN ADOPT A MINDSET THAT NONE OF THIS CRAP AFFECTS YOU YA’LL DO GOOD, I’M NEW TO CLASS 2 DRIVING BUT DRIVEN IN VARIOUS ROLES FOR AGES SO ALL THE [zb] PEOPLE THROUGH HAHA SLIPS STRAIGHT OFF
Just an FYI , check you have the correct provisional entitlement , Cat C , not C1 & C1+E … Going to be honest I did it , got to the training center only to be told sorry we can’t let you train , I had to wait a month to get my license back and for the training centre to have a slot for me , fortunately they didn’t charge me for the week , Anywho phoned up to book a retest and someone else has done it … So I’m filling his test spot for my retest tomorrow !!
Yeah it’s definitely cat c on my licence, just checked to make sure I have both c and c1 on it
OnlyAlan:
It would be easier to answer if we knew your location.I struggled quite a bit whilst living in the North East but since relocating to Essex I have been having to turn work down.
So, where are you?
Ssssshhh Alan,
That’s supposed to be a secret and you must’ve been told that when you started to move down here and got your Essex Visa!
You’ll unbalance the whole of the UK and we’ll sink into the sea. They’ll scarper down Saaaaarffff and pave over the whole of the Essex countryside before you know it 
Seriously Liam6226,
There are jobs out there quite a few, some advertised but a lot are from the grapevine, using your industry contacts and delivering etc, speaking to other’s out and about. Like the majority that say on here, getting out there knocking doors really does work.
I got my first full time job last month, only been there a week this week…already had to go sick yesterday but that’s another story, my loss in pay but I didn’t want to soil an interior.
I’ve been waiting to do a particular type of driving for over a year now I didn’t want to try anything else. Watched my father and Uncle do other driving roles in a variety of stuff and it didn’t interest me as much as what I am doing now.
I have tried other bits through agency and didn’t particularly enjoy them but it was part time so I didn’t get stressed just took the money and ran. Easier that way to see if you really would enjoy doing it full time.
It was only through making a friend on here that I got the information for the job I do now. And I got to know the depot manager personally by dropping my friend’s name in and him tipping me off before the new job came up as I used to visit them every three weeks to see if situations had changed.
Weirdly a day into this new job i spoke to a few drivers whilst loading and unloading and trying to learn stuff from them. Two said we’ve got vacancies we can’t fill to drive similar to what you do and we’d have loved to have a new boy join…
Ironically on the day I accepted this job I got two phone calls from TMs saying can you come in for an interview urgently. These were for speculative places where I had just walked in offered CV and covering letter.
All I can say is you’ve got to put some serious leg work into getting a job, as they won’t coming looking for you yet…that comes in a couple of years…supposedly!
Wish you all the best and hope it pans out if you decide to do it. 
C
here’s a success story for you;my son passed his class 1 [thats what us old hands still call it] 9 weeks ago got on with nr evans 3 weeks later working 4 on 4 off tramping pulling milk tankers or fridges out of cross hands and he’s only 19
I passed my CE test on 20th November.
I applied for a job advertising for experienced drivers with ADR. I was offered the job on 28th November after holding my licence for just 1 week and not having done the ADR!.
I passed my CE in jan not stopped working since march & live in the North East
There are jobs out there you just have to go & look for them
Received a phone call offering me an interview and job offer next week. No experience, no prior training in the industry. A CV and positive chat over the phone and it’s paid fruition.
Hopefully pass my C+E next week and seal the week off with a job 
Thanks for all the replies and advice…can’t wait to get started now it’s just a bit of a pain that I’ll have to wait until April time to start my training.