Hi all newbie here just passed my class 1 and waiting for my license to come back from the dvla. I know its hard to get a start as i have no experience because i went from passing my class 2 to class 1 with no work in between. Can i just say that i am sooooo happy, throroughly enjoyed both courses, especially driving the artic, giving me a taste of what i thought was to come? I’m about to send off for my digicard, and i’m now thinking of doing my ADR pack plus tanks with the 7 classes leaving out 1 & 9, not sure how long this lasts for once you have complete the course and passed the exams is it for the duration of your license or for 5 years? also thinking of doing my HIAB too. I live in West Bromwich in the West Midlands and would be willing to travel 30-40 miles to take the courses so if dieseldave, or anyone else could kindly recommend a traing school for both i would be grateful. Am i right in thinking that this is broadening my horizons and making me more attractive to future employers or am i just wasting money?? As i’ve found the majority of jobs require experience, which at the mo i don’t have and won’t gain if i don’t get a start. I’ve even been phoning agencies and have been told they may take me on as class 2 which MAY lead to class 1 but then again MAYNOT! I’ve come this far and i’m determined not to give in. I’m a long distance taxi driver at the moment, and can’t take my eyes off them trucks when i’m coming up and down the motorway!!! I suppose class 2 is better than nothing but that for me was just a stepping stone as my heart is set on the artics! I’ve been reading on these forums for a month or so and finally decided to sign up, so any feedback would be appreciated, so please accept me on here, i know i’m new but my heart is really into it!
Your ADR ticket last for 5 yrs
But as you say Dave is your man for ADR
It depends what work is available in our area if I was you go in to se these agency & register with them take the Cat C or any other work they offer you if you can ( when not working the taxi ) it is all experience at the end of the day & if they see you willing to take other jobs you may get your chance to do CE
Most now want 2 years proven traceable experience as I have found as there are a lot of drivers out of work they can have there pick would you let someone who has just passed with 44t & sever hundred pounds worth of kit lose or would you prefer someone with experience 
as a new cab alone an cost up to £100k then there is the insurance etc
Wel done on your pass & welcome to the forums
Good luck with it all
Hiyyaaa goggins, Congratulations on passing your C+E test & welcome 
Hi goggins
very well done with passing your class on e
In answer to your ADR and I speak from experience the only work I had with mine was with gas bottle deliveries, Class Two, its hard graft mate as youre lumping around 70k bottles to caravan sites mainly but the pay is getting up to near class one and I think as a start in a job you may stand a better chance that way. The only thing is it tends to be seasonal, ie winter months.
When you move to artics who knows you may find a job straight away with class one) it tends to be more specialised, ie corrosive, petrol etc and as such they are going to want a more experience driver delivering this sort of hazarous stuff, so your back to the two years experience bit, (there are always exceptions though).
Being near a petrol refinary helps to, like Elsemere Port but again these are sort after jobs and they mainly go to friends or friends of friends if you get me.
As to getting an ADR (and dont let me put you off) you have to way the cost of the outlay for the return. Most Agencies only pay you a pound an hour more to shift what amounts to a motorised bomb around or something with a nasty load in it, worth it? you be the judge.
Mine was thrown in with my class one but I wont be taking the refresher course unless my present firm backs out on my CPC training, in which case I may renew it as it counts towards CPC modules.
Hope this gives you some food for thought and well done again and welcome to Trucknet and if you want any more info just ask, theres lots of help on here which we all need from time to time.
PS sorry for the spelling mistakes its 4am in the morning and Ive been on a long shift and still waiti 
ng to be loaded
goggins1234:
Hi all newbie here just passed my class 1 and waiting for my license to come back from the dvla.
Hi goggins1234, 
And…
CONGRATULATIONS on passing your “C+E” test
goggins1234:
… and i’m now thinking of doing my ADR pack plus tanks with the 7 classes leaving out 1 & 9,
I’m guessing that the “9” is a typo and you mean that you’re leaving out classes 1 and 7, because that’s what most people choose to do.
Classes 1 and 7 are very specialised and therefore quite expensive.
As for the tanker module, it will take 1.5 days of your time and I’d guess at £100 - £150 of your money.
Unless you live close to some tanker firms, or you have a handily placed relative, my honest advice is that you save both your time and money because you’re unlikely to get a start on tankers as a newbie. That doesn’t mean that it won’t happen, but it’s quite rare.
goggins1234:
not sure how long this lasts for once you have complete the course and passed the exams is it for the duration of your license or for 5 years?
If you take my advice above, Core, Packs and seven classes is three days of tuition and half a day for the exams (3.5 days.)
If you decide to do the tanker module, please add 1.5 days.
An ADR licence is valid for 5 years and can be ‘refreshed’ anytime after 4 years, but NOT with less than 5 weeks of validity remaining.
goggins1234:
also thinking of doing my HIAB too. I live in West Bromwich in the West Midlands and would be willing to travel 30-40 miles to take the courses so if dieseldave, or anyone else could kindly recommend a traing school for both i would be grateful.
I’ve no idea of training schools that offer HIAB in your area, but if you phone the ADR schools I’ve mentioned, you could ask them that question and maybe ask whether there’s a discount on offer for taking both courses with them. You just never know… 
goggins1234:
Am i right in thinking that this is broadening my horizons and making me more attractive to future employers or am i just wasting money??
That’s the $64,000 question, because it really could go either way.
My advice is that taking one or both courses can’t do your long-term prospects any harm.
goggins1234:
As i’ve found the majority of jobs require experience, which at the mo i don’t have and won’t gain if i don’t get a start. I’ve even been phoning agencies and have been told they may take me on as class 2 which MAY lead to class 1 but then again MAYNOT! I’ve come this far and i’m determined not to give in. I’m a long distance taxi driver at the moment, and can’t take my eyes off them trucks when i’m coming up and down the motorway!!! I suppose class 2 is better than nothing but that for me was just a stepping stone as my heart is set on the artics! I’ve been reading on these forums for a month or so and finally decided to sign up, so any feedback would be appreciated, so please accept me on here, i know i’m new but my heart is really into it!
It might be like taxiing… would a taxi firm give a new driver the plum long-distance jobs straight away?
Would you honestly expect a tanker firm to let you loose in a tanker straight away?
I’ll be back a bit later with some contacts for ADR training in your area and preferred travel-range.
goggins1234:
… I live in West Bromwich in the West Midlands and would be willing to travel 30-40 miles to take the courses …
Hi mate, I’m back with a few suggestions for ADR providers in your preferred travel range, but they’re in no particular order.
MDM Training
48 Church Hill
Wednesbury
WS10 9DG
Tel: 0121 502 6212
Email: admin@mdmtraining.com
Contact: Mr Michael Middleton
Specialist Transport Training
Brownhills Activity Centre
Chester Road North
Brownhills
Walsall
WS8 7JW
Tel: 01543 360 444
Email: ronald_wyld@btconnect.com
Contact: Mr Ron Wyld
CDS Training
96 Bell Lane
Marston Green
Birmingham
B33 0HX
Tel: 0121 788 2738
Email: geoff@cdstraining.co.uk
Contact: Mr Geoff Fielder
TNT UK Ltd
TNT Chambers Ltd
102 Long Street
Atherstone
CV9 1BS
Tel: 01827 715371
Email: paul.olorenshaw@tnt.co.uk
Contact: Mr Paul Olorenshaw
hi to you all. thanks to everyone for your advise and info. i’m still waiting for my license to come back from the dvla but its only been a week. i put a couple of aplications out there but i don’t think they will take me on this side of xmas as they won’t want to pay me holiday money. i’m still happy that i passed my class 1 and when i’m out on the motorway and look at them artics i say to myself “i can drive them” hahahah. it really is a great and i’m loving it but just can’t wait to get a job driving one so i will have to be patient. i think i might take my psv after xmas so i will have them all then what do you all think?