Hello folks,
I would just like to say hi to you all as this is my first time on here.
today (28 march 2006) I passed my class1 took one go at the test as did my class2, 3 weeks ago so my wife is very very happy she can now give up work lol. 
its taken me a few weeks to find a forum for drivers and their familys and im sure my wife and I will use it quite a bit as becoming a lorry driving is a completly new ball game for us as with all the termonology. 
Welcome to TruckNet !
Welcome Dobyman! 
First of all Krankee i would like to thank you what a help that list is and thank you for your welcomes.
Hi Dobyman,
Welcome and all the best for your future. Be the āTrucking Forceā with you. 
hi dobyman
welcome and well done on the passes
all the best for your future in driving
Welcome to Trucknet! 
Hi Dobyman welcome to TruckNet UK
And congratulations on passing class
1 & 2
hello and thank you for your kind words .
Today I have been phoning around agencies looking for work and surprise surprise no one will touch me. the only experience I have is 3 days worth driving class2 one day on the isle of wight and I worked 2 nights driving to the Birmingham pallet track hub from Southampton i loved it but i just wish i had more of it.
you see i done my course booking it through Clearstone who say they will guarantee you with a job at the end of training RUBBISH!!! I phoned them today, gave them all my details and that I am willing to travel within a 30 mile radius of Portsmouth which also covers Southampton and they said they have nothing for me just yet, I am quite dissapointed I know we are all in the same boat but why falsly advertise something. Im sorry for going off on one but its not easy when you are unemployed is itā ā ? 
Please dont mention Clear****e again, just the mention of the name really gripes. My advice - dont phone, get on your bike and go and see every company you can think of. Even if you get one day it is experience that will help. I at the moment am covering someones holiday for two weeks. Just knocked on the door at just the right time, before that all I had was three days with an agency. Keep tryingā¦ and good luck
Dobyman:
you see i done my course booking it through Clearstone who say they will guarantee you with a job at the end of training RUBBISH!!! I phoned them today, gave them all my details and that I am willing to travel within a 30 mile radius of Portsmouth which also covers Southampton and they said they have nothing for me just yet, I am quite dissapointed I know we are all in the same boat but why falsly advertise something. Im sorry for going off on one but its not easy when you are unemployed is itā ā ?
Did you do their fasttrack scheme?
Iāve booked my class 2 through clearstone, and i am wandering if i made a mistake 
After telling them i had my provisional licence,( when they called me after i booked my course), they sent me an info pack.
Two days later, they called to make sure i received the pack, and had booked a medical etc, āI told you three days ago i had my provisionalā oh, okay, iāll put you through to girl who books theory tests.
theory test taken and passed on fri, i expected to hear from them on monday to ask did you pass/right lets book your practical but nothing
Called them tues am, guy that books training in your area not at his desk and will call me back
tues pm, no call. I phone them back, get put through to voice mail, leave message to call me. no call
Wed am call again, guy not at his desk, and heāll call me back
no call wed
wed pm, a quick google reveals managing directors email, landline and mobile phone number - *information noted
thurs am, call clearstone, and numbnuts answered the phone, i managed to get him to do some work, before having to contact his m.d. and practical training/test is booked
Thing is, im unemployed and want to get a job asap, i have a company who my mate works for, that are prepared to take me on, and are keeping tabs on my training progression. and clearstone have possibly kept me on the dole for a week to two longer than i had to be.
hi again folks
What good news I have after phoning a lot of companies I have had 2 job offers one from the MD of the company whom i done my training with he also owns a container company he said I could start monday the problem he said was that it was nights and that I would be shunting for the first few months to gain reversing experience which I see no problem with as you say experience is experience, the other offer was from a returned phone call from TNT, the transport co ordinator phoned me back after i rang them in the morning he said he may well be looking for a class1 driver I explained to him I only passed on tuesday and his reply was thats no problem you have to start some where so he said he wants to see me next Tuesday afternoon he asked me to come along and we will have a further chat he said my hours would be, start at 2 pm and finish at 10pm and that I will be shunting and also going out on the road he said you will do that for a little while then we will give you a run. I am so so chuffed I was at the end of my patients yesterday afternoon but then i recieved two phone calls within 2 hours of each other, I thought I was going to experience the badness that other drivers are finding difficult to get a job after just passing but I think Ive been fortunate. now I got the choice of 2 the question is which one do i take.
Going back to C####stone 
the advisor said to me about the fast track course that if i chose it i would get my practical training quicker so what did this gullible muppet do yup thats right wasted 200 smakeroonies I havnt done the course yet thats in May YES May 2 months after I pass both tests by then hopefully I will know what there is to know about tacho graphs and load safety i feel very very conned but at least i know now i can pay myself back with one of the jobs that have been offered in total i have lost Ā£500 cus i didnt need the pass protection that was also a waste my driver training school said it wouldnt cost much if i needed to pay for the retest myself rather paying the middle man money. you see C###rstone are making money not only from us but also the company who employs you ieā¦ If lets say Eddie Stobbart (one of thier clients) needed a permenant driver they will go to that shower of S### and pay them I believe Ā£1500 for a driver I think they a kind of a headhunting company āi know a driver you may be intrested inā sort of thing.
unfortunatley i think i have been had and so have many other people. i cant believe the placement advisors words yesterday morning her words were i qoute we dont appear to have any vacancies at the moment in your area so i advise you seek a agency to take you on or find something permenant yourself in the meantime. Well I thought thats why you pay them extra money, to find a job for you not tell you to do it yourself if you look on the C####stone website TNT is one of their clients so how the hell did I find a job with them and they canāt . I will stop Boring you now thanks for taking the time to read and yes i do think personally you will be wasting your money mate I have im 28 i dont need companys ripping me and my family off and neither do you. pay for the course youself if you need extra pay the extra dont waste it.
I booked the fastrac course aswell. I am due to take it 6 weeks after passing my class1 ā¦
My advice, get a refund. I havnt heard a word from their job guy at all. As I said its been 6 weeks since I got my license. Have managed to find my own temporary work to get the experience needed to land a proper Job. I am just going to forget the fastrac course, I am learning all the things as I go - read the small print - fastrac course is non refundable.
The biggest ā ā ā ā off was training with a guy who had paid almost half of what I had by going direct to the training company Clearstone put me withā¦
I havenāt booked the fastrack course, told them i couldnt afford it, but might use if it invokes their job guarantee. (The main reason i chose to use them)
Dobyman:
we dont appear to have any vacancies at the moment in your area so i advise you seek a agency to take you on or find something permenant yourself in the meantime.
clearstone:
Clearstone are the UKs No.1 for HGV Jobs, HGV Training, and HGV Recruitment
clearstone:
The UK is currently suffering from a massive shortage of qualified HGV drivers. This means that there are over 80,000 driving jobs
Well I thought thats why you pay them extra money, to find a job for you not tell you to do it yourself if you look on the C####stone website TNT is one of their clients so how the hell did I find a job with them and they canāt .
TNT certainly donāt use Clearstone on a national basis as their main DC at Atherstone doesnāt use them (at least according to the transport manager) - perhaps one of the smaller depots does ā ā
Training with them you will probably find that the training company (ie the people that do the actual work) gets paid a much lower rate than they would normally charge - even though you are paying nearly twice over the oddsā¦ ā¦ ā¦
G
Iāve also been stung by Clearstone, but yet to take the āmust haveā fastrack courseā¦
If i didnāt laugh iād cryā¦
Well done with passing your tests, and good luck to the future.
Just been reading the paper in the pub, and noticed a clearstone advert.
Why dont one of you newbie blokes make a name for yourself and take them to court for lying?
The advert says earnings of upto Ā£450 per week and 80,000 jobs available.
Finance Available
Anyone who uses these type of ripoff companys needs a check up from the neck up
Wheel Nut:
Just been reading the paper in the pub, and noticed a clearstone advert.Why dont one of you newbie blokes make a name for yourself and take them to court for lying?
It would be far more effective, particularly with the number of disenchanted customers that we have on here, for them to get together and ALL make complaints to the Trading Standards office covering the area where from where they operate the business. Whilst that would not result in any recompense, at least others following might be better protected.
Wheel Nut:
The advert says earnings of upto Ā£450 per week and 80,000 jobs available.Finance Available
Anyone who uses these type of ripoff companys needs a check up from the neck up
At which point you have offended umpteen of our members. Whilst I agree with your sentiment, āhindsightā is a wonderful enlightener.