Newly qualified C+E, Any agency advice etc, would be great

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi
I finally passed my C+E on Wednesday, it only took 11 long months from start to finish. A few re-tests, and waiting for available training spots and it surprising how long it can take from being a car driver to full C+E licence holder. Anyway I have a few questions and, would like some ideas form you lot out there. I have dipped in and out of this forum and you all seem like a good bunch.

I have not used my rigid licence, and have not driven a truck in anger. This was because I wanted to wait until I had a full licence, and have more options when approaching an agency, or company. I don’t want multi-drop, so wanted the odds stacked in my favour. I currently work on 4 on, 4 off 12hr night shift at a big freezer in Crick. Its cold, extremely physically demanding, but stress free, and the time off is great, and though nowhere near as much money before my redundancy, pays about £20,00pa / £10hr. So I will not jump into the first poorly paid full time job, or Agency job that comes my way, hence my waiting to get Class 1

First off, like a lot of you out there I learned in a wagon and drag flat bed, not a full Artic. (Yes, I know it’s not what I will be driving for a living but it’s the easiest way to gain the licence, and as it comes down to cold, hard cash, made the most sensible option for me).

The company I did my training with, will take me out in a full Arctic for a day, at a cost of £199, this will allow me to get used to the real thing in a controlled environment. Other than waiting for my first job from an Agency, and jumping straight in, it seems a sensible option. I know a few of you do just make the jump from W-D on the first job, but with all that it entails, and with everything else I would prefer to have a drive in Artic first. Then worry about how to find such and such, and the tacho, hours, load, etc.

My 1st question is.
Other than going for this option and paying £199 is there any other way, and could anyone recommend a company that I could use, based in the Wellingborough, Northants area. I did my training in Enfield, however if possible makes sense to do it closer to home?

As I work a 4 on 4 off night shift I have time to do some agency driving on my days off. I would like to start with a weekend trunking job, or even possibly a night shift. I don’t mind working weekends’ Bank Holidays as I have worked rotating shifts covering 24/7 for a number of years. I will not mind the odd night out ether. After doing some agency work, I will then start looking at full time job options.

My 2nd Question is what can I expect when I approach an Agency?
I can only guess that as a newly qualified driver they will try and palm me off with, (shall we say, the less than desirable jobs) and poor hourly rate. (I will not work for less than £10hr as that’s what my full time job pays, is this to much to ask, or am I hoping) ?

As I am not desperate for jobs I will not take any naff jobs, but do you have any suggestions, tips on how I can get the most from the agency when I do approach them?, and while working for them?

I have seen messages covering some of these topics on this forum before, but am unable to find them now, so any links would be handy.

I will sign off for now but will probably make a post in the future, on my thoughts on the inconsistencies on the DSA test procedure. And how I think the DSA is letting down the transport industry with poor testing procedures, and working practises. I did see a thread about this from some newly qualified and, not qualified drivers. but can’t find it now.

2

crosswind100:
Hi
I finally passed my C+E on Wednesday, it only took 11 long months from start to finish. A few re-tests, and waiting for available training spots and it surprising how long it can take from being a car driver to full C+E licence holder. Anyway I have a few questions and, would like some ideas form you lot out there. I have dipped in and out of this forum and you all seem like a good bunch.

For Starters, Congratulations on passing your Class 1. It’s a great feeling isn’t it :grimacing:.

My 1st question is.
Other than going for this option and paying £199 is there any other way, and could anyone recommend a company that I could use, based in the Wellingborough, Northants area. I did my training in Enfield, however if possible makes sense to do it closer to home?

I take it your working for a distribution company in the Crick area, someone like Tesco/Asda etc. Would it be worth having a word with them and seeing if they’ll train you on the artic using their own fleet?

As I work a 4 on 4 off night shift I have time to do some agency driving on my days off. I would like to start with a weekend trunking job, or even possibly a night shift. I don’t mind working weekends’ Bank Holidays as I have worked rotating shifts covering 24/7 for a number of years. I will not mind the odd night out ether. After doing some agency work, I will then start looking at full time job options.

It might be worth your while looking at the full time job first, get a bit of time out their on an artic and then see about agency work. I found it quite difficult doing agency when I first passed, 'cause I was on different sorts of vehicles all the time and couldn’t really get a handle on it. Now I love it. I wouldn’t go back to working for a firm again :wink: . Having said that, if you could get a night trunk, then that might ease you in gently to it.

My 2nd Question is what can I expect when I approach an Agency?
I can only guess that as a newly qualified driver they will try and palm me off with, (shall we say, the less than desirable jobs) and poor hourly rate. (I will not work for less than £10hr as that’s what my full time job pays, is this to much to ask, or am I hoping) ?

They probabley will give you the poorly paid jobs to start with/firms they don’t like dealing with/are going to loose anyway, so they can suss you out. If you then get a reputation of being a reliable, conciensous driver, who turns up on time and doesn’t bump into the furniture (much :laughing: ), and they’re a good agency who look after their better employees, then you can try re - negotiationg your rates/try for the better contracts. I know the one I work for has a certain number of drivers that they do everything they can for and look after IE keep in work.

Lastly, Welcome to TrucknetUK Crosswind100 :wink: . Don’t be a stranger.

3

Hi Crosswinds and welcome.

Congrats on passing your C+E.

After spending many years driving a wagon and drag i found driving an Artic easier and you may do too if thats what you did your test in. Can you book just a few hours in an Artic i.e. 3 hours and if you feel like you need more time then add hours on as required?.
Nobody was born an experienced artic driver and an agency is a good place to start and after reading some of the threads here it would seem that most people register with about 3 or 4. I am not registered with one so can’t really help you there but, for my area atleast, i think £10 per hour is hopeful although i could be wrong.
Here is a link to the Tacho regs that might be useful:

transportcafe.co.uk/drivershours.htm

Good luck.

4

Well done on Passing your test mate.
Did you do your training with Sterling? if you did dont give em any more money for a lame day out in their crap artic,they are just rip off merchants.Anyway I did the same as you passed both class 2 and 1 in a wagon+drag, without driving for a living,I waited til the time was right and the job was right,I put myself on the agency books for weekend work as I was not prepared to give up my full time job in construction for them to mess me about and say there was no work some days,but in 3 months they only offered me a couple of Friday night jobs in a class 2 which I could nt possibly do without falling asleep at the wheel,They were nt prepared to give me class 1 work as no experience would risk them losing clients should I decide to crash into things.I dont know what the agencys are like in your neck of the woods
In my opinion apply for class 1 jobs ,explain to them you passed in a wagon+drag and if they are interested they will call you in for an assesment,
i.e your chance to drive an artic for free
Just be completely straight and honest with people and tell them exactly what you can/cant do and it will pay off in the end.
I had my class 1 for six months and rigid for 9 before I had driven a proper lorry (not training vehicle)I went for driving assesment with Container company in Southampton never driven artic or used range change with split gears,they offered me a job there and then(unfortunate for them)
Hope this is of help :confused:

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well done that man :laughing: :wink:

6

Hi,

thanks for the advice, I will be approaching my current employers and testing the waters on that front, but as yet am not confident that driving for them is the right thing. Among other reasons, I am guessing a lot of the work is store delivery, we do a lot of RDC as well, but until I speak with them I can’t be sure what sort of work they would give me, if at all. However I will test the waters as soon as possible on this front, even if it just means that I get a go in there Artic, and will keep you posted on that front.

You are right, I did train with Sterling, and must admit was not over impressed with the professionalism of the instructors. Too many cups of Tee, and chats for my liking. But as they say, you pay your money and take your chance. I must admit I was concerned on the type of Artic they used, as there’s isn’t the best fleet in the world, hence the request for advice here.

It helps to find out how others made the transition from Wagon and Drag, to Artic, working in the real world, on completion of training.

7

Too many cups of tea on North Weald airfield I bet. :laughing:
Reversing artic with box on back is so far removed from the wag+drag flat bed sterlings use,it is completely different and for me it took quite a while to get the hang of it,but a little tip that I was told by another driver after seeing me struggling was to always reverse in from the right (drivers side)and since then my reversing has got better and better,another good thing with an artic is you can spin them round easier than a w+d when you take a wrong turning,come to a dead end etc :blush: :blush: which has aided me on the many stressfull situations I have come across these past few months.

8

Well done on passing your C+E crosswind100
and welcome to TruckNet uk just In case this
is the first post of yours I have replyed to.

Convoy :slight_smile:

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Crosswind First and foremost Congratularions on passing your test. Like you it took me a long time, I also passed on a Truck and drag but not a flatbed. I couldn’t wait to pass my Class one before I started drivng,didn’t want to work for an agency for all the obvious reasons so I got a job for a transport firm that deals mostly on pallet work. It amazes me what people put on a pallet. When I passed my class one the firm let me go out with experienced drivers till I had a bit of experience and they were desperate before I went out on my own. I found the artic harder to drive than a T&D but I seem to be in the minority. I’m now employed as a Class one driver by the same firm and really enjoying it. But that doesnt mean I don’t still get a dose of the Heeby-Jeebies now and then.

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Crosswind, congratulations on getting your licence.

You have the advantage of being in what I saw once referred to as the “Golden Triangle”. A dirth of Transport related sites which was earmarked by our illustrious politicians who, apparently, neglected to research the availability of LGV Licence holders living within the area. :slight_smile: Therefore your expectation regarding rates of pay are attainable. Note that I use the word ‘attainable’ as opposed to ‘reasonable’.

If the company you are working for use artics, have you considered spending a day off assisting the shunter. Obvious question, and I’m sure you will have reasons for already having discounted that.

You seem to express a reluctance towards RDC work. Why? I would suggest that it provides a good training ground. Yes, there are pressures as regards timed deliveries, but once through the gates, there is normally ample manoeuvring area (with exceptions) and people that are willing to help if you approach them with a friendly attitude.

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Krankee:
You seem to express a reluctance towards RDC work. Why?

The way I read it, he’s expressing a preference for RDC work, and a reluctance towards store deliveries. That seems pretty sensible to me for someone not confident in their reversing abilities… :slight_smile:

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Well done on your test. but.

Time and time again I read of drivers on this site wanting to pick and choose who they work for, what trucks they will drive and what type of work they want to do.

Well in an ideal world, that would be nice

Driving a rigid on multidrop work gives you a grounding in transport and lets you learn your routes. absolutely anyone can be trained to deliver a load to one delivery point. what happens if there is an accident?

how will you know how to avoid it. Instead you will sit on a motorway while they clear it up. Learning from the bottom will teach you other parts of transport rather than just steering a flash truck between two depots

Talking to a friend who runs trucks last night. He set on a new driver and sent him out with a new curtainsider to load timber. On the first roundabout he came to the load sliiped. My mate was called out to look and there was not one ■■■■■■■■ the load. :confused:

Drivers passing their test might have a licence, it certainly doesnt make them drivers

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Well done crosswind, and here’s wishing you enjoyable and safe driving.

Malcs comments are soooo true too. I’m now a veteran of ten shifts for an agency and although I’ve been offered permanent work with one of the customers I feel I should do a much longer spell getting more of the variety I’m getting so far. Timber, frozen food, chemists supplies, bread, paint, and stone are some of the goods I’ve carried so far, with different trucks& tailifts for each load. Variety? Bring it on I say :smiley:
Gordy

14

Congratulations on passing hun…

£199 for a days training in an artic… forget that!!!

Why don’t ya spend a day down here with big wheelers, reading, and it’ll cost you less than half!!! There trainers are brilliant at what they do.

In my experience, and i guess that it was a little harder for me to get through the door where work was concerned because of being female, you need to keep banging at the agencies to give you a shot at it. I found that some of the smaller agencies are more willing than the larger ones. Be honest about what you can and cannot do and try not to be to picky about the work to begin with. You need to build your experience and i’ve found that doing agency work is great for it. Your never in the same wagon and your never pulling the same trailer and your never doing the same work. I had to take a drop on the wages front to begin with until i had proved myself but once i had proved myself that i wasn’t going to crash into things i was the same as any other class 1 driver. You may also have to take an assessment first or even have someone with you for your first couple of runs, again it’s them just covering their backs. Try not to come accross to the agencies as having a list of demands, be flexible and you shouldn’t have any problems.

With regards to RDC work, it’s great experience and like someone else has said, there are plenty of people in there to help you out should ya get stuck.

Once you’ve found an agency, show yourself to be reliable and take the ■■■■■■ jobs and they’ll offer you more and more work with better jobs.

When i first started i used to do the friday and saturday nights, simply because no one else wanted to do them. I still do them now.

Good luck in finding work and getting a bit of experience with artics, if you need a contact number for big wheelers (there also in london i think) then give me a shout.

Tiggz

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Thanks for that TIggz, I’m about to start training and as I’m in Reading I was wondering whther to use Big Wheelers.

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crosswind…much as in an ideal world you could hang out for the best job, it is that very unwillingness to do the lower paying/not so ideal work which could stop you from getting it! :open_mouth:

At the end of the day, you are starting on the bottom rung of a new career and need to accept that having a licence doesn’t make you a driver. The good firms will want experience, and you will only get that if you knuckle down and take whatever you can get in order to gain it. Unless you are very lucky, any firm which is that good will be able to pick an experienced driver over you…so the only way past that is to grit your teeth and do your time like we all had to. The same goes for agencies. They will want you to prove your ability and reliability before they give you the plum work. It’s all part of being a Newbie…a label which will apply to you for a good while yet!!! :wink:

Also, watch that any agency work you do in your days off from the cold store doesn’t make you illegal. You must by law have 45 hours off every weekend, regardless of whether you have been doing driving or non-driving work. This can be reduced to as little as 36 hours so long as you compensate for the lost hours by the end of the third week following. :grimacing: