Well, the redundancy money is running low, so its about time I started looking for work.
Recently passed my Class 2 . Hopefully (fingers crossed) Class 1 later this week .
I am a loss as to where to look for a job .I guess thats what 20 years working for the same employer does for you ) . I have signed on with one agency that supplies dustcart drivers to the local council ,but to be honest , its not something I really want to do if I can avoid it .
Will do agency work ,but to be honest I really want a full time job .Dont mind agency work if theres a possibility of getting full time work out of it , or even just longer contracts i.e 3 months or so.
What I end up doing is of no consequence ,whether it be delivering to supermarkets ,picking up trailers,driving a skip lorry or a tipper.
Want to work Mon-Fri only , although Sunday afternoon is OK (divorced, see kids at weekends).
Early starts are OK ,as are nights .Wouldnt even mind the odd night out.Not looking to earn my fortune (though it would be nice ).£300 take home would do me ,though I dont want to have to work 60 hours a week for that
What are some good agencies to work for (LONDON) ,who will place me with a big company (M&S ,Sainsburys etc,DHL?)
Any places I can actually just turn up on the door and enquire about work? Anywhere in London area…dont mind a bit of travelling ,but not extreme.Just thinking of names I have read on here like Exel ,Wincanton etc.
Bear in mind my lack of experience.
You could try Recruit on the Broadway at Stratford, I registered with them when I started and they offered quite a bit of class 2 work around the East London area.
They were looking for drivers for Arla at Palmers Green, Royal Mail @ Canning Town & British Bakeries at Dagenham to name but a few. They might not supply these anymore but they are all big on manpower useage.
When you register, you will have to go along to fill out forms and get given some test questions to make sure you are up to scratch (nothing to worry about) much like any interview if you are smart and presentable it will help, if you do get some work don’t be afraid to ask questions, try to appear confident even if you are nervous as hell. If you do a good job for the agency once, then they will be happy to put you up for more work.
Experience is the biggest bugbear, but sooner or later someone will accept you as an inexperienced driver because there is no one else available. If they have no driver, they get no deliveries. Even if you didn’t get it all done, they would still have acheived more.
Have been away and not read recent posts. They were OK wih me but admittedly not that recently.
I also used to to do some for Gable recruitment who have an office here in Chelmsford, just remebered they have an office in Rainham, Essex and possibly another in Loughton. They phoned me up out of the blue recently must have work to spare as its been over 18m.
There’s a shortage of 7.5T drivers (at least in mids) and whilst most ‘qualified’ drivers think it’s below them - I reckon it’s a good start & you can gain experience.
If you can get on well the ‘placer’ at any agency and show willing (ie 7.5T work) they’re more inclined to put you first for better jobs.
I did a bit of 7.5T work after passing my class 2 (having never driven commerically before) and it learned me a lot.
After registering with 2 agencies - I ended up turning class 2 work down. Pick up the yellow pages and call every agency - plan in some appointments (interveiws?).
Another tip (if the fone goes quiet!) is to ‘hassle’ your agency by constantly telling them when you’re available.
Also being totally flexible put you ahead - it’s the experience you’re desperate for.
Cheers guys. Unfortunately I fialed my class 1 …again .
Not averse to 7.5 ton work , in fact I have applied for a 7.5 ton job . Do have experience of that, did about 8 years of that with Post Office.Its getting to the stage where I cant be choosy ,need to earn some money.
) . I have signed on with one agency that supplies dustcart drivers to the local council ,but to be honest , its not something I really want to do if I can avoid it .
.Wouldnt even mind the odd night out.Not looking to earn my fortune (though it would be nice 
).£300 take home would do me ,though I dont want to have to work 60 hours a week for that 
. I can’t believe someone’s just recommended them 
.