I registered the other week and have gained lots of helpful info from reading various threads. Tomorrow is my first day driving for an agency, I passed C last November and then did all the regular ADR classes this summer as I was expecting to leave my job and relocate back to Scotland. As it happened I got made voluntarily redundant, which netted me a wee payoff and was very welcome. I’ll probably use some of it to do C+E next year, but I think there’s little point at the moment, I might as well get some experience in rigids.
So, last week when I’d moved back up the road, I signed up with a driving agency to see what I could get.Got a phone call on Friday offering me a week’s work in a 7.5 tonner delivering furniture (with driver’s mate). A job’s a job so I accepted. Slightly worried about the prospect of handballing sofas up flights of stairs, but hey, got to start somewhere.
I’ve enjoyed reading the various diaries posted on here so will probably do one myself. Cheers!
I did a couple of days with a mates company last year shifting for DFS.
Some mega tight places and some very easy places. Just make sure that the whole team are lifting and not skiving - It’s lighter and gets the job done a lot, lot faster.
I registered the other week and have gained lots of helpful info from reading various threads.
Hi RetroVaux,
RetroVaux:
I’ve enjoyed reading the various diaries posted on here so will probably do one myself. Cheers!
Thanks in advance for that, cos diaries help newcomers to get an insight into the types of work that they’ll face once they’ve passed their LGV driving test.
I’ve relocated back home to West Lothian after six years down south.
I didn’t sign up with an agency in Glasgow, I’m with Driver Hire (don’t sign up via their website, I did and then had to go through all the exact same forms in the branch itself - just call and make an appointment to go in) and also signed up with Blue Arrow (who I’ve not heard from yet). In terms of getting some Class C work they told me they’d see what they could do. I said I was happy enough to do some 7.5 tonne work to prove (or not) that I can cope with that OK. Be interesting to see if any ADR stuff comes up, as it was a toss up between doing that or C+E at the time.
Read a lot about the good/bad points of various agencies, will just have to see how things go. They’ve got me a week’s work booked from the first day I was available so it’s not a bad start I guess.
I registered the other week and have gained lots of helpful info from reading various threads. Tomorrow is my first day driving for an agency, I passed C last November and then did all the regular ADR classes this summer as I was expecting to leave my job and relocate back to Scotland. As it happened I got made voluntarily redundant, which netted me a wee payoff and was very welcome. I’ll probably use some of it to do C+E next year, but I think there’s little point at the moment, I might as well get some experience in rigids.
So, last week when I’d moved back up the road, I signed up with a driving agency to see what I could get.Got a phone call on Friday offering me a week’s work in a 7.5 tonner delivering furniture (with driver’s mate). A job’s a job so I accepted. Slightly worried about the prospect of handballing sofas up flights of stairs, but hey, got to start somewhere.
I’ve enjoyed reading the various diaries posted on here so will probably do one myself. Cheers!
hope your fit and able before you try and put sofa though front door measure the front door and sofa otherwise its the window a bit of advice from a ex removal driver
lol Only did one job like that sleepmaster beds through an Agent they said was a two driver job
I didnt get to drive was told I was there just in case their own drivers HRS ran out ( as agency drivers have to many accidents ) but I got to do plenty of lifting beds ect up stairs and then to put them together for the customer we were allowed 15 mins a drop ha ha I dont think the agent had ever heard language like it when I got home and Phoned him … he has never sent me there since .But I have had a lot of good jobs since from that agent Then I found out from other drivers that no one will do sleepmasters only the new guys who dont know the score … .but on a positive side its work and money
Got there at 7.30, did the vehicle checks and stuck the tacho card in. Met driver’s mate who is highly experienced in the art of furniture delivery (hard job!). Had a run out the back of Glasgow, eight drops (there’s usually more so I got lucky) and one collection. Had a few tight spots to get round in housing estates, the truck was a 56-plate Merc Atego 7.5 tonner with a long box body on it and it could do 57mph according to my sat nav (bonus). Carting the furniture into houses was pretty difficult especially in the driving rain, but we did get a £10 tip which was spent on a chippy in Glasgow where I stopped for 45 mins. The rain has been non stop all day and there’s a fair amount of flooding on the roads now, West Lothian is very bad so was glad to get finished in decent time. According to the tacho I did 3 hours 58 driving time, 178 km, 3 hours 34 other work and a 47 minute break.
Got back about 4 ish and was asked how I’d feel about running down to Leeds tomorrow to pick some stuff up from a depot there. I’d much rather drive all day than skin my knuckles on doorframes, so I said I’d be happy to do that. So, starting at 6am tomorrow for a nice wee run to Yorkshire and back.
In depot for 6am, on the road for 6.15 having filled with diesel at the local garage. Recommended route is to go across the M8 to Bellshill then all the way down the M74, M6, M61, M62. I stopped off at Southwaite services for a coffee (far too expensive will be taking a thermos if I’m out all day like this again) and a wee snooze. Break time was 23 minutes. Carried on south without incident apart from heavy rain and some strong winds. This lorry would only do 55mph instead of yesterday’s which did 57. Got just about blown into the hard shoulder by a couple of blinged up Scanias in ■■■■■■■■ To pass the time I spent it spotting British trucks (beats Eddie spotting IMO) on the opposite carraigeway. Saw six or seven ERF ECs, a couple of E-series, a couple of ECX and maybe one ECT. It’s surprising how many ECs are still on the road. I saw one D-reg double drive Foden with a low loader twice, once north once south, it was green and had (I think) a CAT badge on the front. It was empty north and had a bin lorry on the back going south. Didn’t see many Alphas although I did see two Morrisons units, hadn’t seen those for ages; I thought they’d all been put out to grass. Seddon Atkinsons: Nil.
Got into the services on the M62 with 4 hours 27 min driving time showing and the dash flashing driving time warnings at me. I had a 30 min break then drove a further 30 min to the collection depot. Got there and the warehouse guy said it’d be about 20 mins before they’d be ready so I stuck the tacho back on break and read the paper, so I’d only have to stop for 30 again later on. Soon had a full load of sofas on (and one fireplace) and was ready to make the return journey. As far as motorway trips go, this has to be one of the most scenic but the winds on the M62 were an eye opener, must have been going into a headwind coming up onto the motorway as I was struggling to get over about 42mph.
Trundled the rest of the way up, stopped at Southwaite northbound as the fuel warning had been on. I had a 30 minute break there. They didn’t take the supplied fuel card and I didn’t want to risk taking it up to the Golden Fleece services (it was nowhere near as far as the cashier said) in case it ran out so I put £20 in and got a receipt, then drove the short drive to fill up.
I was now on the final leg up into Scotland, and I was aware I might over-run my hours at this point plus I didn’t fancy going all the way up to Glasgow again to join the M8 so I came off at Junct 13 Abingdon and headed up toward the A70 at Carnwath which cut a load of miles and time (I reckon) off the journey. I got back 12 hours and 45 mins after I’d left. Total driving time 9 hours 54 minutes (which proves to me I was right to cut across, doing this run solo doesn’t leave much margin for hold ups or errors). 821 km.
Tomorrow I’m on a regular run to Glasgow, I did enjoy the run to Leeds however if I did it again I’d cut over to Junct 13 from the start. Am knackered and off for a shower then bed!
“Got into the services on the M62 with 4 hours 27 min driving time showing and the dash flashing driving time warnings at me. I had a 30 min break then drove a further 30 min to the collection depot”
bigfoot84:
“Got into the services on the M62 with 4 hours 27 min driving time showing and the dash flashing driving time warnings at me. I had a 30 min break then drove a further 30 min to the collection depot”
Didn’t update last night as was basically,er, knackered. This delivering furniture lark is a grind and I’m glad it’s only for a week. Don’t get me wrong the experience has been great and will serve me well, but as a career choice - noooo!
Was out in Lanarkshire and Glasgow yesterday and had to contend with some ridiculously tight spots - I know it’s only a 7.5 tonner but it’s really on the limit of what can go down some of these streets, I’d never want to drive a bin wagon. At once place near Mount Florida it took four different attempts do get down to a customer’s house due to parked cars, so there was plenty of awkward reversing and plenty of very small gaps. It was hard going, especially as I had to cart the ■■■■ furniture in with the porter/driver’s mate too. At the last drop a front door had to come off and by that point I thought I might actually have a little cry haha. By the end of the day I was just about unable to lift anything more and was sorely tempted to have a nice lie down on one of the freshly delivered couches. Driving time: 4 hours 29 min. Distance 171km. Other work 3 hours 58. Breaks 49 min.
Today I had a decent run up to Perthshire then Dundee and back into Edinburgh. Nothing too tricky apart from a door having to come off in Dundee then taking out a few small tree branches on my last drop when reversing in yet another cul-de-sac with cars strewn everywhere and some old bugger coming out his house to chuck in his two pence worth. They were needing cut back, I’ve done them a favour I reckon. Driving time: 4 hours 48 min. Distance 249km. Other work 3 hours 14 min. Breaks 47 min.
I think I’ve realised quickly that I don’t like company in the cab. Driver’s mates will cough, sneeze, ■■■■, burp, smoke then enjoy a pleasant half hour nap while I trundle down the motorway and then they’ll wonder at the next drop why I’m flagging and telling them that I need my 30 mins break early in the afternoon and not squeezing in the drop after. They also complain about the wages (which to be fair is nowhere near enough for this sort of grind), and then proceed to spend a sizable proportion of what they earn at the burger van/fast food outlets and on energy drinks. ‘Stop for a shop here man I’m dyin for some juice’ says one who kicked off the day with a litre of Lucozade and is now about to consume a litre of Spar own brand Red Bull. I’m sure that’s not helping the thirst situation. Massive respect to them though, they can make even the largest sofas go through doorways I’d never have thought possible and they do it week in, week out.
So, tomorrow is my last day here and I’m off to Glasgow, Ayrshire and back via West Lothian. Not a bad run for a Friday I reckon. Don’t know if the agency will have anything for me next week (ideally something involving loads that are put on and taken off with a forklift… please?) so I’ll just have to see what happens. I need to fill in a time sheet tomorrow and get it to their office so I’ll hopefully find out when I do that.
I’ve not had a beer all week, but I’m sure going to have a few tomorrow.
I’ve had that feeling too mate, sat in the cab after a huge handball drop thinking. “Why don’t I just look for a job where I’m loaded and unloaded with a forklift?” lol
Its good your getting the experience though, at the end of the day you’ll be able to move to bigger and better things in the long run
A decent run through to Glasgow, then down to Ayrshire then back up to Bathgate. Nothing too bad at all actually, apart from delivering to new build housing estates that are neither in my sat nav nor in my freshly purchased A to Zs. Did have a bit of a moment when a Ford Focus did an emergency stop going through some traffic lights on a roundabout that had just turned amber as he was below them. I actually had to swerve to avoid hitting him, thankfully there was nothing in my outside lane. While he shouldn’t have slammed the anchors on, equally I shouldn’t have been quite so close, so that’s a nice reminder for me to keep more of a distance back. I’d have been devastated to have an accident.
I’m glad I took the job, driving the 7.5 tonner all week has made me feel much more comfortable about jumping into a ‘C’ should the opportunity arise. There were some really tricky bits to negotiate. I’ll happily do more 7.5 tonne stuff until something does come up, but I’m going to say ‘thanks but no thanks’ to the old furniture game. My arms are aching, I’ve skint knuckles and I can now recognise sofas advertised on the telly, along with how diffucult they are to get through a doorway.
Haven’t heard from the agency yet about next week but they’d better hurry up as I also do some shifts doing car mechanics with a mate, and he’s going to get in there first. If they’re thinking of phoning my at 5am tomorrow that ain’t happening either, I’m switching my phone off and having a lie in!
Friday’s driving time: 5 hours 16 minutes, 285 km. Other work 3 hours 40 min, breaks 49 min.
A decent run through to Glasgow, then down to Ayrshire then back up to Bathgate. Nothing too bad at all actually, apart from delivering to new build housing estates that are neither in my sat nav nor in my freshly purchased A to Zs. Did have a bit of a moment when a Ford Focus did an emergency stop going through some traffic lights on a roundabout that had just turned amber as he was below them. I actually had to swerve to avoid hitting him, thankfully there was nothing in my outside lane. While he shouldn’t have slammed the anchors on, equally I shouldn’t have been quite so close, so that’s a nice reminder for me to keep more of a distance back. I’d have been devastated to have an accident.
You didn’t swerve to avoid hitting it, you swerved because it was your instinctive reaction. Please get out of this habit ASAP. Far better to bump the numpty in front than hit the oncoming vehicle head on.
When working on recovery I attended a double fatal, a young lady ‘instinctively’ swerved to avoid hitting a startled Pheasant !
I’m glad I took the job, driving the 7.5 tonner all week has made me feel much more comfortable about jumping into a ‘C’ should the opportunity arise. There were some really tricky bits to negotiate. I’ll happily do more 7.5 tonne stuff until something does come up, but I’m going to say ‘thanks but no thanks’ to the old furniture game. My arms are aching, I’ve skint knuckles and I can now recognise sofas advertised on the telly, along with how diffucult they are to get through a doorway.
Every experience is a learning experience, if you think delivering sofa’s is bad wait till they place you on a wholesale cash & carry job.
Haven’t heard from the agency yet about next week but they’d better hurry up as I also do some shifts doing car mechanics with a mate, and he’s going to get in there first. If they’re thinking of phoning my at 5am tomorrow that ain’t happening either, I’m switching my phone off and having a lie in!
Friday’s driving time: 5 hours 16 minutes, 285 km. Other work 3 hours 40 min, breaks 49 min.
In the early days, I find it helps to contact the agency after a job to ask if there’s any feedback, you never know if you’ve done something horribly wrong unless you ask. If the feedback’s good, it can boost your confidence no end. Give 'em a ring & ask will ya ?
Only did one job like that sleepmaster beds through an Agent they said was a two driver job
.but on a positive side its work and money 
