Hi can anyone tell me how a new driver gets experience when all the companies tell me their insurance dictates they can only take on drivers of at least 12 months driving experience, I know there is a big shortage of HGV drivers needed but how will this gap be filled if companies can’t take on newby drivers. Anyone got any ideas to help a newly passed driver please?
Persistence. Knock on lots of doors, send lots of emails, ring lots of companies. Eventually you’ll drop lucky. Despite what you read, there isn’t a driver shortage so you need to just keep at it and hope someone will eventually give you a break.
Start small, vans, 3.5 & 7.5 tonnes, ring all your local agency’s, some companies will take newbies, you’ve just gotta find them. Multi drops are a pain in the Arse but will give you experience. Good Luck !
Can never get my head around this one, I’m 19 years old, had my Class 2 since Dec 11 and Class 1 since Apr 12, car license from November 10… done an insurance quote for me on a plated 44T tractor unit, (Volvo FH) with a Chereau (crem de la crem of fridge trailers for anyone out of the loop) and it came in at £2,700… I was honestly expecting it to be 10 times as much then some…
Anyway good luck.
Biker Gal:
I know there is a big shortage of HGV drivers…
Apart from the lgv training brokers you are the only other person saying that
What makes you think there is a shortage of lgv drivers when the reality is the opposite ?
There really isn’t a shortage but if your local training centre told you that finding a job would be like finding rocking horse ■■■■■ you would think twice about parting with your cash wouldn’t you? It’s a vicious circle not getting a job as your inexperienced and not getting experience cause you can’t find a job just doesn’t make sense and I sympathise with you I was lucky god knows what id do if I passed my test today, I wouldn’t personally send cvs or emails they aren’t likely to get to the top and you never know where they end up i would seriously spend a weekend driving around as many yards as you can it shows your more eager look smart but don’t look like your scared to get dirty if you can get agency work ride that out for a year cause after that year whoose to know if you’ve worked 20 days or 200 during that year,
Good luck and keep knocking doors something will come up I’ve never sent a cv in my life and have worked doing something or other since secondary school it’s all been down to luck right place right time so don’t give up.good luck !
Keep ringing companies and seeing people in person. It’ll happen eventually!
Or sign up with an agency and see if they do council bin wagon work.
It’s not the best but they seem to put newer drivers on those jobs because people don’t like doing them. I did them for 5 months and it wasn’t that bad! Bloody good reversing practise too!
Just keep on it and don’t give up 
Don’t expect to stroll into any job with a shiny fleet doing not much for mega bucks.
That’s the first thing to get past. Next you need to look at the less glamourous industries that use HGV’s and drivers. Skips, bins, raggedy old tipper fleets, vac tankers that sort of thing. You’ll hardly find a queue of people banging on the door of some of these places and therefore they can be more receptive.
Perseverance is the key.
Great advice from 8 wheels like he said dont expect the scania in the corner with all the chrome bits on you’ll be lucky to get the one with all 4 mudguards on but we all started there skip work or tippers is great experience will give you great reversing practice in and out off tight places etc if you get something like this though most off the drivers there won’t give a ■■■■ about hitting things nocking things over and keeping a filthy minging truck don’t become like it! Stand out a bit from the rest look after your kit and take a bit off pride in what your doing and that blinged up motor in the corner will become yours quicker than it will there’s!
kevchalluk:
Persistence. Knock on lots of doors…
+1
…and when you’ve knocked on all of the doors, start again and go back to the first door. Repeat as necessary. 
Thanks guys really big help, so kind of you all to respond, I have been round to loads of companies ( they must be getting sick of seeing me) . I don’t mind getting mucky, would even work on beast lorries. In Boston where I live there are loads of jobs but I keep being told by companies “their insurances don’t allow them to take on new drivers” frustrating. I will keep turning up with my smiling face and give them my card. one of them will weaken one day.
one day you’ll be in the right place at the right time. I’m in the same position as you, and hopefully will find out about getting a start somewhere later this week (already had an induction). Another tip is to look at local agencies’ websites and see what’s on offer, then try to work out which firms they’re supplying drivers for and go direct to them. That’s what I’ve done with a couple of places, and how I ended up with this induction. Agency site said “two years, they won’t touch you” but I emailed the firm and sent a CV and explained what the agency had said and they rang me back. Persevere, be polite, and don’t give up!
As the guy’s say, perseverance is the key, keep trying, maybe take copies of your update cv & have some at the ready to hand out. Good luck with your job search ,& welcome
Thats a good thought bout having some cv’s at the ready thanks bonnie lass. Good luck kevchalluk with the job possibility. I’m with 5 agencies so will checkout their sites.
I haven’t even put in for my medical yet, and I’m already trying to wrap my head around how on earth I’m going to be able to sell myself (not in that way 
) to a prospective employer, especially since I’m coming from an IT background. I think I may have a bit of a challenge on my hands too 
There are many posts on here that give at least a small glimmer of hope that it’s possible, and tons of excellent advice (especially regarding getting out there and just knocking on doors with CV in one hand, and boots + hi-viz in the other! – well, maybe in the car ) so I’d just like to chip in with my thanks here too if that’s OK with the OP (sorry for butting into your thread!)
I will keep turning up with my smiling face and give them my card. one of them will weaken one day.
For some reason I envisage someone with an evil glint in their eye and maybe a weapon or two behind their back when I read this
Best of luck to you in your search Biker Gal. I may be following in your footsteps some day soon!
Six:
I haven’t even put in for my medical yet, and I’m already trying to wrap my head around how on earth I’m going to be able to sell myself (not in that way
once you have the licence, you’re just the same as any other new driver so don’t think too much about your background. i’m coming from an office job in journalism now, and the only “experience” of note I’ve got is that I worked for a transport firm straight from school for a few years (multi-drop vans mostly) and I’ve had an interest in haulage all my life from family and friends connections. make the most of what you’ve got!
Never give up if you want it enough. Try every company you can think of and keep on at them. Half the battle is being in the right place at the right time and also getting to know people in the industry helps to.
You may have to tell a few white lies to get what you want, some basic research as to which firms are in your area, you can have a look at the website that VOSA have that lists applications on it, you can then google the firm to get their contact details.
There may be a one man band starting up, or an owner driver looking for holiday cover/sickness, the VOSA website will tell you who is expanding their fleet, adding vehicles and so on.
iN the truck magazines, you can place your advert for free at the back pages, keep the ad simple, by driving to truckstops and cafes, you can print out some business cards to place on the walls there.
I can only suggest offering to wash trucks at a yard, that way you get the gossip of who is leaving before the manager places an ad, so you beat the queue of future applicants.
It seems odd, that in eastern europe an 18 year old newbie can go all over europe, with a firm like Waberers in Hungary, but in the Uk, it is this 2 year thing.
I don’t mind Six curious from your comment bout weapons behind my back do you already know me hahaha … I’m just tenacious and don’t take no without good reason. I will get a job driving trucks coz thats what I want to do.
Thanks toby1234abc for the tip about vosa site will check that out and I will get the Truck mag too.
It’s nice to know there is a lot of support for newby drivers.