Yeah I know strange title but it is my dilemma, I got into all this truck driving malarkey because I was no longer making a living as a driving instructor. My neighbour who trunks class 1 (trailer swap) encouraged me to get my class 1, he is a well rounded professional guy and makes an ok living.
Now I in no way was expecting to jump on that kind of gig anytime soon but it is where I would like to be headed. Anyhoo got my tickets C, CE from the DSA and now onto the agencies, long story short most wouldn’t even sign me up. The ones that would were only interested on a 7.5 ton basis, a licence I have held for 23 years and have never had the slightest interest in.
I’m 43 years old fit enough for my age but I didn’t get into this to spend more time in the back of the truck than driving in the front of it. Anyway this is where I screwed up I did mention the fact that I wanted to drive and was willing to work long hours, nights and weekends but that I was possibly past lugging heavy white goods up 10 flights of stairs. “We’ll phone you”, click phone goes down at the other end.
So what is the best way for “inexperienced” driver to approach these agencies and is driving 7.5 ton really a way in or just a way to get used by the agencies.
being honest in some cases is fine, im only 25 and screw lugging white goods up blocks of flats or doing removals (they still phone me to do removals though)
Things will get better for you even in the current economic climate though there might be even worse jobs waiting out there. You just have to take some of the crap ones, get a good reputation and wait till maybe the right perm job comes along. That’s how I did it. And I remember a similar day to your experience, a really hot one with washer/driers stacked up and one of those walk-in American-style fridges to manhandle - that was not fun at all. Most of the time the agency jobs weren’t killers but this was when the economy was booming so things are harder now. Oddly enough, like many I guess, I’ve wondered about becoming a driving instructor though I would be a constantly irate one!
Snudger:
Things will get better for you even in the current economic climate though there might be even worse jobs waiting out there. You just have to take some of the crap ones, get a good reputation and wait till maybe the right perm job comes along. That’s how I did it. And I remember a similar day to your experience, a really hot one with washer/driers stacked up and one of those walk-in American-style fridges to manhandle - that was not fun at all. Most of the time the agency jobs weren’t killers but this was when the economy was booming so things are harder now. Oddly enough, like many I guess, I’ve wondered about becoming a driving instructor though I would be a constantly irate one!
Not to put you off becoming a driving instructor but the qualifying tests are really hard and for every instructor you see another 9 lost £3000 trying. You are check tested and graded and you must teach to DSA standards so it not just a chancers game. i.e turn here, turn there your drivings crap that will be £25.00 quid for the hr.
Regards the great depression, I’m still a qualified instructor and have been for 10 years, learning to drive owning a car and paying very high insurance premiums is beyond most 17-25 year olds at the moment these are main age group for class B learners.
Snudger:
Things will get better for you even in the current economic climate though there might be even worse jobs waiting out there. You just have to take some of the crap ones, get a good reputation and wait till maybe the right perm job comes along. That’s how I did it. And I remember a similar day to your experience, a really hot one with washer/driers stacked up and one of those walk-in American-style fridges to manhandle - that was not fun at all. Most of the time the agency jobs weren’t killers but this was when the economy was booming so things are harder now. Oddly enough, like many I guess, I’ve wondered about becoming a driving instructor though I would be a constantly irate one!
Not to put you off becoming a driving instructor but the qualifying tests are really hard and for every instructor you see another 9 lost £3000 trying. You are check tested and graded and you must teach to DSA standards so it not just a chancers game. i.e turn here, turn there your drivings crap that will be £25.00 quid for the hr.
Regards the great depression, I’m still a qualified instructor and have been for 10 years, learning to drive owning a car and paying very high insurance premiums is beyond most 17-25 year olds at the moment these are main age group for class B learners.
Sorry to go OT but if you ever have the time I’d love to read about the real story of becoming and being a driving instructor plus any good/funny stories along the way/during your “career”. I reckon quite a few others would too. It was something I did consider doing earlier in my life (dazzled by the promises of great riches, just like trucking ads ) but I didn’t go through with it in the end, mainly because I’m terrible passenger when someone else is driving .
Hi Rob no funny stories, you have read the many diaries of people learning to drive trucks. It’s just like that but in a car. Pupils are not put in situations above their knowledge base so nothing “eventful” should ever occur.
Most of the general public who try to help someone to drive take the “pupil” into situations above their skill level and then the brown trouser stuff occurs. That’s the difference between a professionally trained driving instructor and Jimmy down the road thinking he can teach people to drive.
The hardest test to overcome to be a driving instructor is the instructional ability test the pass rate on that is about 13%. Companies “inviting” you to become a driving instructor are breaking no laws promising you the earth they are not regulated and don’t even need to be trained. They are basically “helping” you to pass the DSA’s driving instructor exams it’s a buyer beware situation.
Ill second that the instructional ability test is the hardest and I was qualified to teach it! I also worked for one of those companys and left as the promises that the sales guy would make would often be dashed as soon as the training began.
As for the eventful moments there are not normaly any BUT the one that sticks in my mind is the lovely young lady I was teaching that would close her eyes and take her hands of the steering wheel to cover her eyes if a bus or truck went by a little closer than she thought was ok. The first time was a shock but ok once I knew it was going to happen!!
If you are thinking of becoming a driving instructor apply the same rules for finding a trainer on her and ask if they are ORDIT registered.
dilligaf:
Ill second that the instructional ability test is the hardest and I was qualified to teach it! I also worked for one of those companys and left as the promises that the sales guy would make would often be dashed as soon as the training began.
As for the eventful moments there are not normaly any BUT the one that sticks in my mind is the lovely young lady I was teaching that would close her eyes and take her hands of the steering wheel to cover her eyes if a bus or truck went by a little closer than she thought was ok. The first time was a shock but ok once I knew it was going to happen!!
If you are thinking of becoming a driving instructor apply the same rules for finding a trainer on her and ask if they are ORDIT registered.
) but I didn’t go through with it in the end, mainly because I’m terrible passenger when someone else is driving 
.