I passed my test (both class 1 & 2) way back on the 3/10/08. With still no sign of a job I’m considering taking the class 3 ADR to try and enhance my chances of gaining full time employment.
Is this a good idea or am I wasting my money till I get some experience?
Your thoughts and guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Not sure about how much it will improve your job prospects - knowing your local job market may help you to decide that.
As for the ADR course…
YOU MIGHT NEED…
I’M SURE HE WILL BE ALONG SOON 
I was thinking about doing the same but in this current climate I think it would be a waste of money. I am contemplating doing a FLT course next month, it’s a lot cheaper and I expect the work prospects would increase with a FLT certificate.
dinosteveus1:
I was thinking about doing the same but in this current climate I think it would be a waste of money. I am contemplating doing a FLT course next month, it’s a lot cheaper and I expect the work prospects would increase with a FLT certificate.
Well with a forkie licence you can have a choice if it happens at xmas
driving or an inside job
I know if i had the choice just now it would have to be fork lift
Boing Boing71:
I passed my test (both class 1 & 2) way back on the 3/10/08. With still no sign of a job I’m considering taking the class 3 ADR to try and enhance my chances of gaining full time employment.
Is this a good idea or am I wasting my money till I get some experience?Your thoughts and guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Boing Boing71, I can only offer you very general advice, since you haven’t given a clue as to your age/driving experience…
You might generate some suggestions from members familiar with your part of the country. 
ahh, the mists are clearing… Brum!! </crystal ball mode.> 
Firstly, I have have to ask; why Class 3 ADR?
Do you realise that you’d be limiting yourself to only carrying flammable liquids?
Or do you have something specific in mind?
Have you considered that you might lack general driving experience in commercial vehicles, let alone in LGVs?
Do you have tacho experience?
Generally, and whilst lacking the above info, I’d suggest that you consider starting much nearer the lower end of the range of vehicle weights, ie vans and 7.5t.
ADR only might be useful in your case, cos it might be wiser to hang on to your cash for Xmas.
As already mentioned, an FLT course could also benefit you in terms of broadening your appeal to potential employers, whereas ADR only might.
Without knowing a little more info on your reason for choosing Class 3, I wouldn’t suggest an ADR course TBH.
Please feel free to PM me if you’d prefer, I might be able to help, but in order to give you accurate and relevant advice, I’d need a little of the info from the questions above please mate.
dieseldave:
Boing Boing71:
I passed my test (both class 1 & 2) way back on the 3/10/08. With still no sign of a job I’m considering taking the class 3 ADR to try and enhance my chances of gaining full time employment.
Is this a good idea or am I wasting my money till I get some experience?Your thoughts and guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Boing Boing71, I can only offer you very general advice, since you haven’t given a clue as to your age/driving experience…
You might generate some suggestions from members familiar with your part of the country.
Firstly, I have have to ask; why Class 3 ADR?
Do you realise that you’d be limiting yourself to only carrying flammable liquids?
Or do you have something specific in mind?Have you considered that you might lack general driving experience in commercial vehicles, let alone in LGVs?
Do you have tacho experience?
Generally, and whilst lacking the above info, I’d suggest that you consider starting much nearer the lower end of the range of vehicle weights, ie vans and 7.5t.ADR only might be useful in your case, cos it might be wiser to hang on to your cash for Xmas.
As already mentioned, an FLT course could also benefit you in terms of broadening your appeal to potential employers, whereas ADR only might.
Without knowing a little more info on your reason for choosing Class 3, I wouldn’t suggest an ADR course TBH.Please feel free to PM me if you’d prefer, I might be able to help, but in order to give you accurate and relevant advice, I’d need a little of the info from the questions above please mate.
Dave, i like the crystal ball mode…
I’m 37, started life as a courier and up till 5 yrs ago worked at Amtrak so driving has always been in my blood, so to speak…
I’m from Birmingham…Sheldon to be precise, just by the airport. I was told to go for my class 3 ADR so i could get a job at the airport refilling the planes, I m told they are recruiting Oct/Nov.
It would be an advantage doing a "Level " security for air-side or will they be putting you through that
think it is level 1 you will need but I will stand corrected for this as I have level 4 this will get me "air side " or tarmac to load from a plane to van
Boing Boing71:
Dave, i like the crystal ball mode…
Hi Boing Boing71, Sometimes I need that, whilst at other times I have been known to miss the blindingly obvious. 
Boing Boing71:
I’m 37, started life as a courier and up till 5 yrs ago worked at Amtrak so driving has always been in my blood, so to speak…
Sticking to generality, an ADR or FLT might well increase your appeal to potential employers, but with the credit crunch and Xmas looming, you might have to make a choice…
Boing Boing71:
I’m from Birmingham…Sheldon to be precise, just by the airport. I was told to go for my class 3 ADR so i could get a job at the airport refilling the planes, I m told they are recruiting Oct/Nov.
IF you decide to go for your ADR with a view to doing bowser work at the airport, then you’re spot-on about class 3 for that. However, there is talk at the moment that you’ll not be able to opt for individual classes after New Year, but I’d suggest that you speak directly to an ADR training provider about that as they have the overview of what’s going on whereas I’m just a humble sub-contract instructor.
Wearing my other hat (DGSA) I can tell you that there’s no legal requirement for airport fuel bowser drivers to hold an ADR licence, even if they leave the airport and drive their vehicle on a public road for the purpose of re-entering the airfield, Eg to avoid having to cross a busy runway, which really isn’t a good idea when driving a fuel bowser. 
However, most airports require the fuel bowser drivers to hold an ADR licence, either out of ignorance of the exemption, or as a matter of company policy and good practice.
If you do decide to go for ADR, you’ll need a minimum of: Core, Tanks and Class 3 and about 3.5 days of lessons (including the exams) under the present training rules.
It might be an idea to do a little research at the airport to ascertain exactly what the requirements are in terms of an ADR licence. You may also need some info on the required level of security clearance and who pays for that course as animal suggests.
Thanks guys
Hello mate. I delivered some gas oil to the Bp filling station up at the airport a few weeks back and had a good conversation with one of the managers up there while i was doing the delivery. He told me its quite difficult to get on the tankers that refill the planes and he was saying the season is winding down now and going quiet. He also said quite a lot of the drivers come in for the busy period and then go elsewhere in the winter when its quiet. They also work very odd shift patterns.
If i were you and your determined to get your Adr then go for the week long course and get all your classes (minus 1 and 7) and the tanker module. It will give you more flexibility in your hunt for a job. I wouldn’t have thought it would cost that much more to do than just one specific group. i.e. Flammable liquids. Just a thought. Good luck to you 
.
A bit of a yes and no answer to this one. I have an ADR (packages) licence. I could’ve gone through my tanks test for another £50, but I didn’t have much interest in that, though in the current climate it would’ve been wise 
Whilst the aggeravation I go through, i.e the paperwork is all on your head, the load point never want to rectify the problems, if you’re on container work like me, they load it and haven’t got stickers for the box, then you can’t get the box off at the docks, then there’s the hassle of Mr Vosa. As soon as those orange boards come down, they’re like a red rag to Vosa’s bull. All for a poxy fiver a load extra. And I’m lucky to see 3 a week. On the other hand, with drivers getting laid off in Tilbury left right and centre, although my firm aren’t laying any of ours off (yet!) I’ve been told informally that should this happen, my job is safe over non ADR drivers, even if they’ve been there longer than me. Hope I’ve been of help.
jad24369:
Hello mate. I delivered some gas oil to the Bp filling station up at the airport a few weeks back and had a good conversation with one of the managers up there while i was doing the delivery. He told me its quite difficult to get on the tankers that refill the planes and he was saying the season is winding down now and going quiet. He also said quite a lot of the drivers come in for the busy period and then go elsewhere in the winter when its quiet. They also work very odd shift patterns.
If i were you and your determined to get your Adr then go for the week long course and get all your classes (minus 1 and 7) and the tanker module. It will give you more flexibility in your hunt for a job. I wouldn’t have thought it would cost that much more to do than just one specific group. i.e. Flammable liquids. Just a thought. Good luck to you
Hi jad24369, Very fair points indeed mate.
Another seasonal job with strange shifts is on propane ‘mini-bulker’ tankers for the likes of Calor Gas.
If all of those guys want to stay in jobs during the summer, they soon find themselves doing all manner of “other duties.”
OVLOV JAY:
A bit of a yes and no answer to this one. I have an ADR (packages) licence. I could’ve gone through my tanks test for another £50, but I didn’t have much interest in that, though in the current climate it would’ve been wise
Hi OVLOV JAY, More great points for Boing Boing71 to consider.
£50 for a tanker module is as cheap as chips considering that it’s a 1.5 day course at present.
Was the £50 price for the tanker module only applicable if you’d done all the rest first?
Just to try and put your mind at ease, the marking requirements for containers containing dangerous goods in normal packages are very straightforward in that they need to have placards (250mm x 250mm) on all four sides.
Yes diesel dave, she was offering the test paper for £50 at the same time as the packages as the training pretty much covers both and she felt we could pass the tanks paper. It was Wright training who used to be in truckworld in thurrock. I belive she’s near scantruck at purfleet now.
OVLOV JAY:
Yes diesel dave, she was offering the test paper for £50 at the same time as the packages as the training pretty much covers both and she felt we could pass the tanks paper. It was Wright training who used to be in truckworld in thurrock. I belive she’s near scantruck at purfleet now.
Hi OVLOV JAY, i still reckon that’s very cheap mate.
Just in case I’m missing something here, did she say that you could just do the tanker exam for £50 without having to do the 1.5 days of lessons?
yes diesel dave, she was confident we could pass the test as the course is similar, so we wouldn’t have had to do the other day and a half