Need honest advice

[slartibartfarst42]

Hi everyone,

I’m a newbie here and I’ve done what research I can on the forum but need some honest advice as everything seems to be conflicting. Firstly, some background.

Me
I’m 47 years old next month and I’ve been driving since I was 17. I also hold a bike licence and have driven a 7.5 tonne with no problems a couple of times. I’ve had a few different jobs in my life, having been a hotel manager, driving instructor, car salesman and now I work as a teacher so I hold a BA Honours Degree. As a kid all I ever really fancied doing was driving trucks but everyone told me I was ‘too bright to just do that’ and as a result I’ve had a lot of jobs I haven’t really liked. Strangely, all of my jobs have involved working with people yet I actually prefer my own company. Teaching has good holidays, decent pension and good pay as I’m on over £30k but teaching is changing a great deal and it’s bloody hard work now so I simply can’t imagine me doing it at the age of 67. It would kill me! I saw some adverts saying truck drivers can earn similar money so I thought I’d look into getting my HGV licence.

I should point out at this juncture that I have no problems being alone, I don’t mind spending some nights away and I don’t mind taking a bit of a hit on my salary for a while but obviously I do have a family and mortgage to consider. I’ve contacted ‘Advantage’ and ‘Easy As HGV’ who both tell me I can earn similar money to what I’m on now and should be able to get a job with a Class 1 licence either immediately or after just a couple of months on a smaller truck. All of this is wildly at odds with what’s on here. There was an article in The Mirror today saying there were plenty jobs but also a comment at the end saying that newly qualified drivers couldn’t get work so even that’s confusing.

mirror.co.uk/advice/jobs/201 … -22814168/

Positives
It seems to me that there are a few positive things I have to offer an emplyer. I’m not a lunatic kid who is likely to crash as I have driven for many years and have a clean licence. I have a record of great reliability in every job I’ve had and I am intelligent enough to be able to think through problems and work independently.

Negatives
Basically, no HGV experience!

So, what I really need to know is this:

1. With a Class 1 licence, will I be able to find work?
2. What will that work realistically pay?
3. Can I drive and earn about £30K+ and if so, how long will it be until I’m earning at that level again?
4. What hours will I be doing?

Am I insane? I know I’ll never be able to retire early as I can’t afford to but equally, I can’t see me teaching until retirement age either. I love travelling and driving and if it was just me, I’d throw caution to the wind and go for it but I have responsibilities so I want to research this thoroughly before making a decision where my heart rules my head. I’d love to be an HGV driver and wish I’d ignored other people and done it years ago but doing it now involves more people than just me. I don’t feel I can trust the people I’ve contacted so far as they seem to have their own agenda so I thought it best to ask people who actually work in the industry and don’t have a vested interest in giving me any particular advice.

Sorry that goes on a bit but if I’ve missed anything out, just let me know and I’ll add the information.

Thanks

[paul_pstt]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Let me tell you straight away that I am a trainer but I will, nevertheless, give you honest, balanced advice.

Understand your situation - I have 2 daughters who are both teachers and are extremely stressed by the system and/or poor management in the schools and the education system. So I can see why you want to jump.

Be under no illusion that, to earn £30k, you will be living in the truck. And that’s if you can get a start in any case. Whilst there has been a history over the last few years of real problems getting work, this is certainly easing. However, the work involves long, peculiar hours and you can often wave any social activity during the week a very firm bye bye.

Having read your post I am of the opinion that you would interview well, your age is a plus (perceived maturity) and you would stand a fair chance of getting a start. But no-one can promise you that. Other threads on here indicate the importance of “getting out there” and showing your face.

You are in the same position as some others: reasonably well paid employment at the risk of going quickly round the twist.

You could consider investing in your training with a view to agency work during school holidays. That would give you a taste for it before you abandon your current career. Agency work does lead to permanent employment sometimes so you could drop lucky.

You mention Advantage and Easy as HGV. These are both brokers who will take your money and eventually organise training with a local provider. Why not just go direct to the provider? Any good trainer will sort out everything you need to proceed through the maze lovingly known as LGV training.

The stock advice is to always visit the trainer, satisfy yourself that they are bona fide (so far as possible), sit in the trucks, meet the trainers and look at the facilities. The only exception is to book on the back of rock solid recommendation.

I wish you all the best with this tricky decision; it’s certainly not a quick easy fix. Pete

[ncooper]

I’m having trouble thinking of two other jobs that could be so different.

You have:
A good salary
A pension
Job security
Short hours
Long holidays.

As a driver you will have none of these.

You may be able to earn over £30,000 but you will need to work 60 hours or more
every week to achieve it and probably spend most working nights away from home.
You might not want to be a teacher at 67 but not as much as you won’t want to be driving
a truck at that age.
You will need all your patience and people skills to deal with the strange gate staff and goods in characters you will meet.

In your position, I suggest you try a bit of agency work driving a 7.5 tonner.
You will have spent no money and will soon find out if life as a driver really suits you.

Regards,
Nick

[paul_pstt]

In your position, I suggest you try a bit of agency work driving a 7.5 tonner.
You will have spent no money and will soon find out if life as a driver really suits you.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Just bear in mind that 7.5 and Cat C (formerly class 2) can be harder physical work sometimes than CE (formerly class1). Multidrop is commonplace in 7.5 and Cat C but it’s unusual with an artic.

Pete

[tashman]

as just said above,i would take a look around at lgv training schools ring them up get advice they will help you along the way stay away from the brokers,you can do the calls your self, i dont no what area your in but you will find some lgv training schools near to you,as the salary goes you will have to work for it mate,stay with your job do your lessons/test etc register with driving agencys for weekend work etc,even go door knocking to driving firms show your face leave name number etc,and you will be surprised your phone will ring one day,but dont give up a good job you have got until you are 100%happy with driving, i use my licence as a safety net, i am a bricky mon-fri and as we all no the building trade is dead, so my licence is there and i do do driving work on weekends for agencys,good luck its your choice, thats my advice mate hope it helps you

[switchlogic]

I was told in school ‘you could do better’ too. But with me I just ignored it. I always wanted to be a truck driver so that’s what I did. I’m sort of doing things in reverse to to you as I’m now doing a law degree. The thing is I look back and sometimes wonder how life would have panned out and had indeed ‘done better’. I’ll never know what could have been but I know for certain one thing, I would never have been happy till I was a truck driver. I may have had a great job a nice house and a big salary but it would have meant nothing to me. I do intend to stop driving when I’m 40 or so but not because I hate it, but because I want to see what else I can do. At that point I will have been driving for 20 years. I love driving for a living more now than when I started 14 years ago and hope I do when I’m 40.

I’m rambling now but you know you won’t be happy till you do it so go for it. Money, job security, etc mean nothing if your miserable.

[sam_millar]

I think for many of us we could have done better than lorry driving but if it’s a dream then why not pursue it.

Luke (switchlogic) put it into perspective 100%.

[dico]

All of the above is spot on. Confusing eh?
Just remember, 60 (minimum) hours plus a week to earn £30,000. Read this one sentence again and again.
Best wishes.

[slartibartfarst42]

There’s a lot of good advice here so thank you very much. It does make sense to do some agency work on 7.5 tonne and as I’ve driven that size before on a normal licence, I assume I won’t need to pass a test to do it so as you say, no expense. It also means I can start gaining that valuable experience that employers are after. If that goes well I can get the Cat C licence and still do agency work in holidays with bigger trucks to broaden my experience and move on from there if I want to. I met a coach driver earlier in the year who used to be a teacher and drove coaches in the holidays until he decided he’d rather just drive so this may be very similar for me. If nothing else, the extra money will come in handy

[wheel_nut]

Slartibartfarst42:
There’s a lot of good advice here so thank you very much. It does make sense to do some agency work on 7.5 tonne and as I’ve driven that size before on a normal licence, I assume I won’t need to pass a test to do it so as you say, no expense. It also means I can start gaining that valuable experience that employers are after. If that goes well I can get the Cat C licence and still do agency work in holidays with bigger trucks to broaden my experience and move on from there if I want to. I met a coach driver earlier in the year who used to be a teacher and drove coaches in the holidays until he decided he’d rather just drive so this may be very similar for me. If nothing else, the extra money will come in handy

I cant fault much of what has been written here, except you may earn less than 30k as a newcomer, even seasoned men are not all earning that, in fact in this area I have seen 7.5t drivers jobs advertised within reach of £7 per hour

[redrorry]

I was looking forward to the “open” road, £7.25 ph and phonecall most mornings to run around like a headless chicken is the reality thus far. No listening to “smooth” sounds as you won’t know the drops so I have to tune into £375.00 quids worth of specialist sat nav.

I’ve have had the odd sniff at the open road but for the most part it’s been shoving large vehicles into very busy crowded spaces. Even Buchanan and Sauchiehall street ped precincts (busiest streets in Glasgow your third largest city in the UK). Oh then there was Princes Mall in Edinburgh, down the “service” tunnel backwards (oh errrrr Matron). Can’t complain about the “experiences” though.

You also start to see lots of class 1 vehicles shoehorned into allsorts of places you never dreamed. I’m sticking with my class 2 shoehorning before I give that a go for more or less the same money (£7.00 -£8.00 ph). And I have my class 1 as I purchased it at the same time as the class 2.

Personally like most things it looks better than it actually is, I find myself driving past other trucks liking the look of them, but too busy driving myself too acknowledge the fact that I’m also driving one. So make sure you like driving and it’s not just a case of greener grass syndrome.

[rog]

Doing part time work under EU regs means that the weekly rest rules must be adhered to
That means your teaching job counts as other work for those regs

Generally, if working mon to fri in one job means that driving under EU regs can only be done on one day every other weekend

[animal]

Try agency even if it is just a van as that will give you a taste of things

But remember that your van & 7.5t work may not count towards your "experience " that they may want ( yep this is from my own experience ) most of this will be paid at approx. £6.5 ph & that is the normal so if you want this you may have to take a pay cut & can you afford to do this

But as has been said go to visit your local provider there is a list on here or look in good old yellow pages

I am also in my 40’s ( but never ask a lady her age :lol: ) have a fully bike licence Cat C have been driving for nearly 17 years so some experience started off on vans then 7.5 then Cat C ( old class 2 ) & it is not easy to gain a full time position but can be done

You will also have to think about the dcpc if you are going to do this for a living as your will have grandfather rights this is periodic training every 5 years ( & could be at your expense ) you will have until 2014 to complete 35 hrs then dont forget your medical every 5 years again at your expense

You will also have to complete your HTP & theory but if you go to a good provider they should sort it all out for you as mine did a few years back from medial to practical test

Not sure what area you are in so cant help with much more

[marcus_22]

How old are you ang

[animal]

marcus 22:
How old are you ang

You going to the “do” as will tell you then if you are a good boy

[marcus_22]

animal:

marcus 22:
How old are you ang

You going to the “do” as will tell you then if you are a good boy

aye i will be their

[noddy220]

Hi Slartibartfarst42

When I was a lad, so to speak, whilst on school holidays I would go off with my Uncle who was a truck driver. We would go all over the country, mainly sheeting and roping large bails of wool. I was 10 and could tie a dolly knot. I loved it.
However I left school and my career took me on a different path. I like yourself have always been drawn to truck driving, not for the money but for the joy of it, the challenge and adventure.

Im 44 and at present. Im too in a good job, £37k a year. Without going into lots of details, I have to retire when I get to 50. I have no qualifications to speak of and would need to work. It was my Uncle who suggested to me in August of this year to give truck driving a go.

Now Im not one to be held back, so I got cracking. Passed my Theory and HP then found a local trainer and did a crash course, so to speak. Passed my Class C first time. All this cost me about £1350. Not cheap I know.

As soon as I got my licence back I applied for a test date for my C+E. Did training on the arctic and and took my test about 1 month after my Class C. Failed, 1 minor and i serious which I didn’t agree with but there you go. Took it again a week later an passed. This cost me, with the re-test about £1500. Rather expensive for both.

Im now a qualified truck driver and have been for a month or so. The feeling is great. I loved the training and loved driving the truck. However, if you asked me, at this moment in time to go load a trailer, drive half way across the country, reverse it into some tight spot, unload it, then get another load and come back again and do all the other things that truck drivers do as well as drive a truck on the road, I’d have no chance.

Now Im not so wet behind the ears not to understand that all Ive done is train to pass some tests and not in fact be an all round truck driver. Ive shown that Ive reached a level of competency to drive a truck on a road and nothing more. Being a truck driver entails masses of various competencies. Driver hours, tachographs, vehicle safety, loading, unloading, customer service and road craft to name but a few. All of which I know very little about.

This is why Ive done it now. So Ive got 6 years to gain the experience so when I do retire I can say now Ive got the experience and stand a better chance of getting employment. Good plan you may think. Well theres a little flaw. Ive been to a couple of agencies and they said I could not register until I have at least two years experience. Ive approached a local haulage company and same again to work for them I have to have the experience. A vicious circle. You need a job to get the experience but can’t get the experience without a job. So it wasn’t looking good for a while.

However, today I fell on my feet. Through a friend of a friend of a friend I was put in touch with a transport manager of a local haulage company. I went out to meet him and he was very accommodating to my situation. In fact a great guy. Hes going to train me up. I have to shadow one of his experienced drivers first of all. He will teach me all I need to know about truck driving and then I will be let loose on my own. All this will obviously be when Im not at my other job.

In short, if your like me and you’ve got your heart set on something then you have to give it a go. Im despondent about my current job at the moment and was wondering what I was ever going to do in the future. Let me tell you Im now very excited that I have something that I will really enjoy.

Go for it.

Let me know how you get on.

Good Luck

Steve