Hi,as the subject says iv just passed my class 2 at 46 yrs young,and was always reading posts about work on here. After I passed I sent my cv to every man n his dog ,messaged them on Facebook twitter,went in to a few yards as well. Anyway I got 2 calls to go along for a chat but to bring my license etc at the end of the chats both offered me a job!! Happy days. Trying to say there is company’s out there looking for keen drivers regardless of experience as the Tm said they’re is a shortage…
Congrats on your success, what sort of jobs are they ?
It was 2 well established company’s in Scotland …A dairy company and a laundry/linen company
Plenty of opportunities out there for eager newbies!!! 
Show a bit of willing and common sense, you won’t have a problem. 
Well done mate, and if you’re not doing food service, or home delivery for corporate companies, you’ve done well!
Best of luck! 
johnbhoy:
It was 2 well established company’s in Scotland …A dairy company and a laundry/linen company
With reference to my previous post, I’ve no idea about theses sectors! 
But if you’re not criticised and chased every drop by a POD (telling you you’re running late! 
) then maybe it won’t be too bad.
- With food service to shops, it’s a nightmare to park and make the drop.
- With home furnishings to peoples houses it will be corporate, so expect full on workload with each drop timed to the second on a POD - “Point of Delivery” tablet/handheld PC.
If you’re wondering…
I do palletised delivery for a non corporate firm. (So appreciate what I’ve got! )
Technically it’s “kerbside” delivery for the pallet, although not always strictly true, as good customers need to be accommodated from time to time, as you develop regulars! It’s mainly 80% commercial/businesses with a few curve balls thrown in to keep things interesting. So a good percentage of my drops are not a ballache to park and unload at, and some days I hardly use the pallet truck and monster tail lift (whole back door) to unload stuff, as it’s almost all forked off!
So I’m not chased by a POD (yet), and left to go about my run which is worked out by the midnight to 9am planner. (Sod having that job!)
Most days I finish my drops and pick up a few collections, but when I do return with undelivered pallets, I don’t get the corporatly required mandatory moaning.
So my advice is to look for smaller firms, and think about the drops involved when choosing which jobs to go for…
My agency asked me if I wanted to deliver sanitary products (probably heavy & awkward) to residential addresses (up stairs) for a corporate company!
It was £1 more than what I’m currently on…
Can you guess what my answer was?
Good job sir. I’m a few weeks behind you but after spending today speaking to a few haulage companies it was encouraging and have been invited along for a chat, whatever that entails! It would be a long wait I think if you were not proactive and relied upon job websites like reed or indeed to find employment. Out of interest what did you wear to your chat and what exactly did it involve?
The first one was out the blue as I was out for a run in my car and got a call to come in for a chat and bring my license etc …si I told him I was only in my jeans n trainers said he wasny fussed how I was dressed only interested in my driving! Second one I just put my jeans n a nice jersey.smart but casual.the Tm was sound showed me round told me what I would b doing n offered me the job. The loads r in cages mainly some bags and delivering to hotels up north…I’m chuffed iv a foot in the door n canny wait.good luck with yours .just pop into places fb them anything just try
texaspete:
Good job sir. I’m a few weeks behind you but after spending today speaking to a few haulage companies it was encouraging and have been invited along for a chat, whatever that entails! It would be a long wait I think if you were not proactive and relied upon job websites like reed or indeed to find employment. Out of interest what did you wear to your chat and what exactly did it involve?
I’ve been at it 10 weeks I think…
I’d say that chatting to a firm and chatting to an agency are 2 different things mate. A firm wants to see if your willing and semi-intelligent, where an agency wants to check you have a pulse!
I’d dress presentable, and that doesn’t mean a shirt and tie as basic personal hygiene comes before, which is still beyond some. 
So smartish casual clothes are fine, just don’t look scruffy.
I’ve never had a chat with a firm as an unknown prospective mate, so can’t really comment…
But as a guess, i think that if they like the initial look of you, they will start selling you the job and telling you about the package they offer and make out it’s better than it is. Call my cynical if you like!
An agency wants you to fill in forms, give references, employment history etc…
They will also want you to do a basic Driver hours and WTD knowledge check, which will be in the form of a load of test questions, possibly on paper or computer… But this is just a formality, and I’m not even sure you can fail it!
Anyone going the agency route should probably sign up too as many as possible all in one hit/day, and pick the offer of work from the agency they like, and the job they like the sound of… You will find that different agencies are account/main contractor for different companies, so you will get a greater range of placements by signing up with more agencies. On the negative side you will have to deal with their continued calls… 
Hope that helps pal…
I start on the 2nd November was up the day to fill in all the forms etc .like I said canny wait
johnbhoy:
I start on the 2nd November was up the day to fill in all the forms etc .like I said canny wait
Sorry mate, can’t understand your northern accent, I’ll ask the beaver to translate it to Whippet&FlatCap for me!
Best of luck mate, I hope the average delivery access isn’t too interesting!
Have fun!!!
Haha cheers do my best!
Evil8Beezle:
johnbhoy:
It was 2 well established company’s in Scotland …A dairy company and a laundry/linen companyWith reference to my previous post, I’ve no idea about theses sectors!
But if you’re not criticised and chased every drop by a POD (telling you you’re running late!
- With food service to shops, it’s a nightmare to park and make the drop.
- With home furnishings to peoples houses it will be corporate, so expect full on workload with each drop timed to the second on a POD - “Point of Delivery” tablet/handheld PC.
If you’re wondering…
I do palletised delivery for a non corporate firm.
Technically it’s “kerbside” delivery for the pallet, although not always strictly true, as good customers need to be accommodated from time to time, as you develop regulars!
So I’m not chased by a POD (yet), and left to go about my run which is worked out by the midnight to 9am planner. (Sod having that job!)
Most days I finish my drops and pick up a few collections, but when I do return with undelivered pallets, I don’t get the corporatly required mandatory moaning.So my advice is to look for smaller firms, and think about the drops involved when choosing which jobs to go for…
My agency asked me if I wanted to deliver sanitary products (probably heavy & awkward) to residential addresses (up stairs) for a corporate company!
It was £1 more than what I’m currently on…
Can you guess what my answer was?
So when do you start?
Same day you do pal, NEVER!!!
I posted that for fresh Newbies to tell them that not all Class 2 is the same…
Money isn’t everything, as the jobs that pay the top money, will want blood for it!
Newbies should consider the job as well as the wage…
Blimey - all these youngsters at 46 coming into the industry and poaching my job (at 57 ) but welcome to the bright lights of palletised deliveries. Doing the same job myself since July and 2 days are never the same (although domestic deliveries can be a pain). An ideal day is 10-12 drops to industrial clients with forklifts but you have to take the rough with the smooth. On the plus side, my health has improved and my gut is shrinking nicely