Need to retrain

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

I have had my Class 1 for about 24 years and spent the first few years trudging around the UK on agency work before securing a PAYE job that fell to the recession of the early 1990’s. I moved on to another sector (Public Transport) taking all my skills with me (Both operational & Senior management) before this suddenly came to a halt about a year ago due to me employing a Knobhead as our FD and the clients insisting on us doing work for less than cost (sounds familar?). I have decided that i want to return to trucking but am aware that although i have driven many large vehicles since i left the industry i need to reskill myself to ensure i am not a danger to myself or others when i get back on the road.

I am hoping to be able to spend a week doing yard shunting working for free in around the midlands or north west - Has anyone got any ideas on who best to approach? Would rather not start phoning firms at random as i don’t want to frighten them - i thought about going back to a training school but but the last thing i need to know about is how to hold the steering wheel and what i need is “Real world” exposure - Any help would be greatly appreciated

2

Aphelan:
I am hoping to be able to spend a week doing yard shunting working for free in around the midlands or north west

If you’re prepared to work a week for nothing I’m sure you’ll have no problems finding a company who’s looking for a mug to take advantage of :unamused:

For every day you work for nothing a proper driver goes without a days wage :imp:

3

Hear what you are saying but i am not looking to work for free or to take food from anyones table - I am just looking to be a “extra” in a yard for a week so that i can pick up where i left off - i can start on the road tomorrow if i wanted to take the crap that some are offering but don’t want to put others at risk as my class one skills are a bit “rusty” - Just seemed like a common sense approach to me but if i have hit a nerve with anyone i will apologise in advance

4

I wouldn’t bother retraining mate,just get back on the road,asap.Your driving might as you say be a bit " rusty " but just take your time and it’ll all come flooding back to you in rag time. :wink:

5

You could try calling some of the training companies, I did when I had been out for a while. They ran assessments on Saturday mornings, I told them the score and they said no problem. Went along for an hours drive and it was a real help, no training as such just driving and a couple of reverses in the yard. It won’t take you long to get the driving back it’s other legislation that changed.

6

Glad to see I’m not the only one in that position, I started off in the early 90’s took the HGV test then could not get a job without experience, so I bought a truck, got the CPC & O licence and off I went. Been self employed ever since on groupage, containers and international tilt, moved to my own PSV work after serious illness and now the contracts finished, I’m trying to get back on goods. I have the DQC and digi card but other than an hour’s tryout with an instructor, I’ve not driven an artic since 2001, No problems steering the thing, just need to gain confidence as i found modern trucks give less driver feedback compared to the 20th century stock I used to run. So far I’ve not found many companies interested in an ex owner operator with no past employers to contact, regardless of experience.

7

Aphelan and Boone,

FFS you both have loads more experience than us ‘just off the production line’ drivers.

Six months ago, with the ink still wet on my licence, I got into an artic (learned in a wag’n’drag) and managed well enough. It was my first time driving a LGV on my own, first time in an automatic, first time carrying a load (30 tonnes) first time using a tacho, first time in the dark.

Count your good points and get out there and take your time, be careful and get some practical experience.

Never mind ‘working for nowt’, re-training, etc. You are both experienced professional drivers.

Good luck.
Alan

8

OnlyAlan has hit hail squarely on head.

You’ll have forgotten more than most will ever learn, you drove lorries when it needed a lorry driver to drive them, not many of the new lads will have that opportunity.
It will all come back with a few miles under your belts.

As for job hunting, the big logistic mobs might be funny about employing you, you might fail to tick a box on your assesment daily check walk around ** :open_mouth: , bloody horrible working environments anyway in many cases all bullshine and treated like kids, but there are many smaller transport companies out there would give their eye teeth for some old school seat of the pants drivers, might actually be able to keep the shiny side up.

**an old workmate of mine who being made redundant after bloody dozens of years on car transporters and general haulage before that failed his assesment at Argos (agency at that FFS), he failed to check something trival…he’s back on the cars now and Argos’ agency let a real old school lorry driver slip through their fingers…good.

9

OnlyAlan:
Aphelan and Boone,

FFS you both have loads more experience than us ‘just off the production line’ drivers.

Six months ago, with the ink still wet on my licence, I got into an artic (learned in a wag’n’drag) and managed well enough. It was my first time driving a LGV on my own, first time in an automatic, first time carrying a load (30 tonnes) first time using a tacho, first time in the dark.

Count your good points and get out there and take your time, be careful and get some practical experience.

Never mind ‘working for nowt’, re-training, etc. You are both experienced professional drivers.

Good luck.
Alan

I agree with this, I was out of this industry for 22 years, when I decided to return to HGV driving I did a few class 2 jobs through an agency to get the feel of handling large vehicles again then asked for class 1 work and got it.

To be honest I never even thought of working for nothing or retraining, I’ve always found the best way of doing things is to do some research to learn what you need to know then just go out and do it, and I would recommend that approach to anyone who has enough common sense to realise that they need to take it easy to start with.

When I first got back into an artic I was surprised how quickly and easily it all came back, on my first delivery I had to reverse 90º and down quite a steep incline onto a loading bay, I warned the warehouse op that this could take a while as I hadn’t done it for over 20 years :blush:, what a nice bloke he was as he just said “OK mate I won’t watch then” and he shut the bay door while I reversed onto the bay :smiley: :astonished:

About three shunts and I was square on the bay and very happy :smiley:

Just go do it, you’ll probably be surprised how little ability you’ve lost :wink:

10

OnlyAlan:
Aphelan and Boone,

FFS you both have loads more experience than us ‘just off the production line’ drivers.

Six months ago, with the ink still wet on my licence, I got into an artic (learned in a wag’n’drag) and managed well enough. It was my first time driving a LGV on my own, first time in an automatic, first time carrying a load (30 tonnes) first time using a tacho, first time in the dark.

Count your good points and get out there and take your time, be careful and get some practical experience.

Never mind ‘working for nowt’, re-training, etc. You are both experienced professional drivers.

Good luck.
Alan

Spot on. :wink:

11

What about having a word with some agencies ? The fact that you have done the job in the past should put you higher on their list than someone with no experience. You don’t have to stay with them once you are back in your stride !

12

Thanks for the advice,
I bit the bullet and replied to a non agency advert explaining my dilemma, I was invited up that same afternoon for an informal chat which resulted in me getting a trial drive today including hooking up, various road conditions, reversing and unhooking.
I have to confess that had I gotten in a muddle with any of my old trucks the way I did with this manual scania gearbox, I’d have sacked myself, but I thanks to this forum, I have identified the problem and can address it.