Hi all,
I’ve read with interest many of the posts from new drivers, experienced drivers, male drivers and female drivers…some happy some not .
I passed my C+E test last week, I’m based in Manchester and I’ve been a Graphic Designer for 10 years but have grown tired of it and since this was something I always wanted to do, thought I’d take my tests and happily passed with no major hiccups.
My question is, is agency work the best way to get started? or is it good old fashioned footwork, contacting as many companies as possible in the hope that one will give a novice a chance?
I’d like to get started on artics sooner rather than later although I understand I will probably have to start on class 2’s but whats a fair guide to (timewise) before looking at an artic job (2 years seems such a long wait and I don’t really want to take much of a pay cut, i’m on 17k at the minute)?
I’m reluctant to hand my notice in as I don’t know what to expect from the industry, any advice welcomed with open arms.
goto agency and ask for sat or sunday work,trunking if possible (its easier) that way you get experiance and keep your full time job. don’t expect mega bucks and watch out for your finish time on sunday so you can goto work normal monday…days may be best to start with and ask for class 1 work ,so if they put you on class 2 you should get class 1 rates.good luck,
I work in an office full time and for the past 20 years have done agency work part time on a weekend or evening - good experience and now a days seems to be a lot of weekend work about.
My question is, is agency work the best way to get started? or is it good old fashioned footwork, contacting as many companies as possible in the hope that one will give a novice a chance?
try both you never know
it might not be the best time of year to look though.
Thanks for the welcome and the advice guys, got a couple of application forms to fill in and a couple of appointments booked for agency’s at the end of this week.
I understand my timing may be off (so jimbo, advice noted ), i’m really looking forward to getting started not to mention handing my notice in at my current workplace
I hope to be around here quite a bit, looking forward to sharing my experience’s and getting to know you all.
As the others have said-try both. But it can be a quiet time at the moment but it’s always worth taking back your application form and getting your face known, and a couple of weeks later follow it up with a quick call-just to remind them!
Just to keep you fully informed I thought it best to point out that if you are working Monday to Friday at your other job you will not legally be able to work both Saturday and Sunday. At best you can work one or the other and even then it is unlikely you could do this every week, although depending on start finish times of both your normal work and any driving you do it may be possible. After April the 11th this year you will only be able to work one day every second weekend as there are changes to the existing tacho rules then.
You could of course work both days every weekend if you wanted to, the chances of getting caught would be slim, but you need to bear in mind it would be illegal and most companies ask an agency driver to sign a form declaring they have had all the legally required rest and break periods. If you signed to say you had taken the required rest when you hadn’t and then were involved in a serious accident you would be wide open to prosecution and in the worst case scenario a jail term.
You must make sure you meet the requirements for weekly rest periods and also have sufficient daily rest between finishing your first job and starting a driving shift and again between finishing driving and starting back at your job.
I’m in a similar position to the original poster except I am working 5x8 hr shifts not HGV mon-sat with either wed or thursday off.
2 questions.
Under current rules-
Because I can take a 36 or 45 hr rest mid-week, can I then work Sunday as long as I have 9 hrs before and after the Sunday shift and only work 6 days between weekly rests? I will make sure that any 36 breaks are compensated.
If I only have a 7hr rest on my non HGV work mon/tuesday does this affect what I can do on the following sunday?
Haven’t registered with any agencys yet but might do once my licence comes back from Swansea if I can work.
Because I can take a 36 or 45 hr rest mid-week, can I then work Sunday as long as I have 9 hrs before and after the Sunday shift and only work 6 days between weekly rests? I will make sure that any 36 breaks are compensated.
Yes, that would work. Remember if your break is less than 45 but more than 36 hours then you only need to compensate for the amount of reduction.
blanik:
If I only have a 7hr rest on my non HGV work mon/tuesday does this affect what I can do on the following sunday?
Whether you can work the Sunday or not is governed by how many days you have worked since your last weekly rest, you are taking a weekly rest mid week so you can work the Sunday.
some not 
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), i’m really looking forward to getting started not to mention handing my notice in at my current workplace 