Hope you can help im 47 and i used to do the odd bit of hgv class 1 driving 20 years ago nothing complicated just A to B.
Im aiming to return to driving as not enjoying my current job which may also be under threat. I have enroled on cpc and going to book a few refresher driving lessons.
Once thats done to gain experience i was thinking of joining an agency and doing the odd Saturday. Are there many Saturday only opportunities out there or on an as and when needed basis ?
I do part-time through an agency and am getting regular slots Sundays and Mondays which is all I want. I do the odd Friday too if my hours permit it.
Bear in mind that if you have another job then that counts as ‘other work’ in your working hours limits. Therefore if you’re working five days a week then you may find you only have one day a fortnight available to do driving (making use of the reduced weekly rest).
ORC:
I do part-time through an agency and am getting regular slots Sundays and Mondays which is all I want. I do the odd Friday too if my hours permit it.
Bear in mind that if you have another job then that counts as ‘other work’ in your working hours limits. Therefore if you’re working five days a week then you may find you only have one day a fortnight available to do driving (making use of the reduced weekly rest).
Appreciate that piece of advice, never thought of that aspect.
Refresher of 2 hours absolutely no problems, so digi card ordered today and will try and get an odd saturday here and there to build the confidence and experience
Its been a bit weird and understandably, i get the feeling that agencies are reluctant to look at me for Saturday only as i may not be deemed reliable enough
Agency is the way to go, IMHO, unless you’ve got contacts in a local company.
Be up-front with them, tell them that you’ve got another job, but you want to do the odd weekend here and there, but that if you agree to take on a particular job then you really will turn up and do it.
Once you’re on their books, phone them up every Thursday afternoon/Friday morning and ask what they’ve got for that weekend. In my experience, they’ll initially offer work to the people that have worked for them most recently, and then go further and further down the list. By ringing them up, you put it into their mind that you’re available so that when a client calls, you’re the person they have in mind
You’ll probably have to do basic stuff first - maybe even 7.5t or van work - but make sure you take it and do the job. When I was doing agency stuff for the supermarket RDCs they’d always book more agency drivers than they actually needed because they knew that a load of them wouldn’t actually turn up. Once the agency realises that you do actually turn up and do the job properly, you’ll be trusted with more work.
Alot depends on the agency of course, and probably your region too.
If the agency has more contracts on their books than drivers then they are far more likely to place you for work even as infrequently as once a fortnight. A bum on a seat is money for them. However, they will probably give preference to their more frequent drivers if they don’t have enough contracts to fulfill.
If the driver shortage stories are to be believed then you are hitting the haulage industry at a good time, and probably stand the best chance in years of getting regular work, however infrequent.
If you’re able, I’d suggest going in in person rather than just emailing.
If you go in in person (provided you’re appropriately presented), it shows that you’re willing to make some effort, and you can impress on them that you’re actually serious about it. In that case, they’ve got to think up an excuse for not putting you on their books, rather than the easy option of just hitting “delete”. Take your licence, DQC and DTCO card, and be ready to answer “theory test”-type questions (many agencies have a short questionnaire to see if you know your Drivers’ Hours Regulations and stuff).
