hi all , im new to this so apologies if any of this has been covered before. im losing my job shortly and at the age of 40 want to get out of the factory environment and get on the road.im looking for a good reliable training set up within 30 miles of Selby.ive done abit of research and one that seems decent value is sterling training based in Leeds . Has anyone any feedback regarding this outfit or any other local to me ?
Alot of people are trying to put me off taking this career path.“hassle, regs, long hours,etc” . its something i fancy having a go at but must admit ive got concerns about finding a decent job when im qualified with having no experience.id hate to blow 2 grand and end up still unemployed.
your thoughts much appreciated. Jon
Regarding the training i would always Reccomend L+T Training at Fitzwilliam. They offer some real good deals and the training is spot on.
As for the work there is plenty around if your willing to work . I started on this career path two years ago and havent found myself out of work for more than a week.
thanks for that. heard a few say L & T are pretty good. my problem is i cant afford to train until i get my redundancy money which will be November.from start to finish providing you pass first time on average how long does it take to get your licence?
Hi Jonnyloppy,
Welcome to Trucknet 
A few things before you ‘start’…
You’ll need a medical
You’ll need a provisonal class C entitlement
You’ll need to pass your theory test (which is much easier than you would think).
All of the this you can do NOW whilst still working. ( there’s shed-loads of info on trucknet, I won’t repeat the detail!)
Providing you pass 1st time… 
The whole thing can take 5 working days to pass, then perhaps another week for the DVLA to pull their finger out & send your licence back.
There are lots of things that may effect the above - but I’d say 2 weeks is a minimum.
RE Sterling - there are several posts about Sterling, do a search and see what you think. Although my advice would be to go directly to a school.
Good luck with it and keep posting!
I learnt with and can 100% recommend R A Jackson in Sherburn. See http://www.rajackson-lgv.com. He has got a new truck since that site was updated - he uses a fairly new Merc with a box on the back now to meet the new test regs.
Paul
Tockwith Training, just outside York, are also another decent option.
hi jonnyloppy
After working for royal mail in ( based in Pontefract ) for 25 years I have decided to take voluntary redundancy and train for lgv too.
I have got my training booked for early august with R A Jackson in Sherburn. See rajackson-lgv.com. after reading on this forum about them.
I asked around a few driving agency’s near me ( castleford ) and they will have work for me as soon as I ( fingers crossed ) pass class 2 or now if you just want to drive 7.5 ton.
there’s lot of RDC’'S around this area I live so if you live near Selby you should be ok too.
after reading this forum like me iam sure you will feel more at ease about your chosen career
dparr59
thanks for the replies folks, appreciate it. heard a few good reports about Jacksons. do they only train on a one to one basis as well ? im only 6 miles from sherburn so it is a good option.
id love to train asap but til i get my redundancy im stuffed til november. 
i think they only do one 2 one driving is from 8.00 till 4.00 so its a full 8 hour day
plus the truck i had a assement in only had 2 seats,there other truck is a flat bed may have more seats
dparr59
jonnyloppy:
must admit ive got concerns about finding a decent job when im qualified with having no experience.id hate to blow 2 grand and end up still unemployed.
I’m not strictly disgareeing with Rich above (Bones), but I think he’s being a bit too optimistic. Finding work when you’ve just passed IS hard work and you’ll find that everyone slams the door in your face stating “come back when you’ve got 2 years experience”. Yes you probably can find work if you look hard enough, but those are the £6/hr, 70hrs per week jobs that no-one wants to do. The reality of it is that you will more than likely end up having to take such a job, just to get that vital experience.
Speaking from my own experience, once I’d had my licence for 3 months (from pass date) I wasn’t often refused work (on agency) and after 6 months didn’t have any problems at all getting agency work.
jonnyloppy:
thanks for the replies folks, appreciate it. heard a few good reports about Jacksons. do they only train on a one to one basis as well ? im only 6 miles from sherburn so it is a good option.
Unless you specifically ask for shared training it’ll be on a one to one basis. I did my cat C training with him on a shared basis, but that was only cos one of my mates was learning at the same time so I shared with him (which of course also meant sharing the costs…). I then did my C+E by myself on a one to one basis.
Paul