thought i’d say hi…found this site in november but signed up to this website in december and has been useful throughout my learning journey
passed my cat c 28th november, got cpc practical 3rd january, i passed practical driving second time…tests absolutely terrify me but so happy i’ve done it…im now looking forward to agency work or even full time…going to be a whole new experience, slightly terrified but bring it on
on a side note if anyone knows of anywhere in the dudley, stourbridge, halesowen or lye area that i could add to the list of places to send off cv’s too that would be a big help…im on the fence about andyfreight as they say they want people with C+E licenses
Hi Bigbedda.
Congratulations on passing your test.
1st thing is to do your CV, tell the truth & make sure that you add any driving experience (so they know that you’ve got some geographical knowledge, ‘2nd big word alert this morning’)
I would take a drive around all your local industrial estates & note all the companies that look like they run wagons & use drivers & pop into the office with your CV, try to speak to the Transport Manager, some companies will take on inexperienced drivers, that way, they can teach newbies the job ‘Their Way’.
Obviously Agencies are your next step, but don’t expect a full weeks work out of them unless you fall into a temp to perm contract.
Anything would be good to start with Transit Vans & 7.5 tonners will get you out there, but can be hard work with multi drops.
Watch out for adverts asking for drivers with their own vans/self employed- a lot if these companies will promise you plenty of work & will pay you £100 a day (if you are lucky) but the running costs will be ‘£95’ (exaggeration) a day leaving you with £5 to spend as you like !
Good luck & Happy New Year.
cheers, to be honest im 23 and have been on job seekers since 18…only had part time work in wetherspoons 2 years ago so even agency work will do…i’m also planning on sending out speculative cv’s with a cover letter…i keep away from those adverts anyway and i don’t look at self employed either…i chose truck driving as always wanted to do it and want to get out and about and see new places
The above is good advice.
If I saw your CV I’d have only one concern. You’ve been jobless for 5 years. Why?? Is it laziness? That’s how I would view it as an employer so your cover letter either needs to be ■■■■ hot or you need to embellish your CV SLIGHTLY.
A good place to start is skips. I’d also look at laundry work it’s mainly vans and 7.5t but some have larger motors too.
Do not expect to be given the keys to the company’s flag ship class 2 motor with all the lights and the luxury. Simple out you won’t get that for a few years yet if ever.
Class 2 general haulage is harder work than class 1 and you have to expect to earn your wages. Specialist haulage (plant etc) pays better and is better work (IMHO) but you’ll struggle to fall over that with no experience direct or indirect
Congratulations on the pass and for getting off your ■■■ and off the dole.
Good luck and TNUK will be happy to help with anything you’re not sure on I’m confident of that.
Bigbedda,if you have a look on the Vosa website under applications/decisions it lists all the hauliers in your area with an address.Google the phone numbers.
Most firms ignore emails these days.And have cabinets full of job applicants on a waiting list.Council depots are a good start and refuse or recycling firms.
Van courier work gets you knowledge of the UK.
Any farms near you,some run trucks.
It may involve washing trucks on a saturday at a transport firm but that way you get to hear of any jobs going there and at ither firms where their drivers go to…
Try Eures and Rapido job search sites or Gumtree.
cheers for the advice…and it’s not laziness…for the first 2 years i wanted retail work and applied like mad. but always failed come interview stage…then i got the part time bar work and realised retail wasn’t for me. it was that job that made me realise i wanted to do warehouse work until i had the money for class 2 and possibly class one…i had a fair few interviews but never got anything… what i found funny though is as soon as i handed over the money for my class 2 training and set a date i had 2 interviews come through the post and an invite to the local bus company as i had applied there about 4 months previous…i know it’s going to be hard work, i also know it will be a massive change for me but can’t wait, can start saving for class 1 then
Robert Wiseman dairies Ltd,Knights of Old Ltd at Kettering and Widdowson transport take on newbies and may pay your class one training on an apprentice scheme.
well took my cpc…failed…didn’t pull enough of the strap though the ratchet and got it all ballsed up…the other questions i couldnt have failed on because the guy was basically telling me what i’d missed while talking and demonstration what he wanted me to…ah well maybe next time
I’m guessing by that you had to do the modules rather than the 35 hour method.
There are very good clinic videos on YouTube on how to use ratchet straps etc so it might be worth having a look at them before you spend the wedge on further tests.
Perhaps now you have class 2 (albeit without CPC) courier work may open up to fill the coffers
yup…i know how to use ratchet straps but stupidly i misjudged the amount of strap i had and didn’t pull enough through…if i could have undone it it would have been fine but it was tight as hell
andyfreights crap mate, he pays off some drivers every year when the work goes quiet with no regards to the job the poor blokes left to work for him and the bonus scheme is extremely hard to achive