I am very interested in becoming a tanker driver. I am currently working at a retail Morrison, as a shop floor assistant age 20. I currently hold a full driving licence, however I haven’t been driving since I passed my driving test which was 18 months ago now.
Because I am working at Morrisons I think there could be some sort of advantage as a can move into logistics. However, I am unsure on how to get started where to training etc… I live in Manchester.
Also what is the minimum age to get a job? can I go straight into it ones I have been fully trained or do I have to start of driving small vans? Also what is the minimum pay hourly and for those who work very hard can they earn up to 45 - 55K
The minimum full-time entry requirements for getting a job these days is to have loads of experience already, already be working in the industry, have your DCPC up-to-date, and most of all “not mind taking a big pay cut in exchange for regular hours”…
The verdict then? - Don’t bother joining this industry from outside. Those already inside can’t get enough well-paid work, so what hope is there for someone who hasn’t a licence/any experience yet?
I am still none the wiser as to any “value” in chasing an ADR course next month… I might get it, and never get any such work. I might get it, and the work is horrible and poorly paid like delivering bricks once you’ve got the HIAB that’ll mean you get taken off your old, former “cushy” jobs…
I’m strongly motivated by money first, and a cushy job will do if I can’t nail down the top rates. There might not be a lot of well-paid stuff out there right now, but there is fortunately a decent number of cushy jobs to still be had. I may have changed my tune in 4 week’s time though… You never know how bad January is going to be until 1st February alas.
Can’t comment about petrol tankers,but was talking to the manager of a tesco express shop and he said he was on 37 k p.a( surprised me), wouldn’t you be better off training to do that keep going up the ladder and you I guess could end up on £££££££££, who knows where you might end up.
Could you progress from a tanker driver ,I don’t know the answer to that but wouldn’t of thought so.
If you want to drive trucks for the love of it,go for it,but if it’s too earn buckets of money I’d of thought with career progression you’d be better too try to move up the ladder in what you do at the moment
Spent most of the 80’s on petrol tankers in London and it was definitely the best driving job I ever did.It was extremely well paid with a few odd bonuses(some will know what I am talking about)and the conditions were great too.
Do not believe some of the guff on here.It may not be the same job as it was then but what job is but it is miles better than most others.
I was on 26k in 1985 plus bonus.
Go for it and good luck.
dozy:
was talking to the manager of a tesco express shop and he said he was on 37 k p.a( surprised me), wouldn’t you be better off training to do that keep going up the ladder and you I guess could end up on £££££££££, who knows where you might end up.
Ok let’s say that’s true, how much ■■■ did he/she have to lick to get there…!?
dozy:
was talking to the manager of a tesco express shop and he said he was on 37 k p.a( surprised me), wouldn’t you be better off training to do that keep going up the ladder and you I guess could end up on £££££££££, who knows where you might end up.
Ok let’s say that’s true, how much ■■■ did he/she have to lick to get there…!?
I’d say that £37K figure is accurate for a Tesco Express manager. The main store manager at a Tesco superstore are on around £90K, this isn’t myth I have friends who work for Tesco on the management ladder. There is good money to be made in retail, but your life has to revolve around Tesco and you have to be prepared to work well beyond the call of duty on the way up. Not for me.
RE: the op working at Morrisons. You are saying that you have never driven even a car since passing your test, i’d probably look at sorting that out first before going for HGV training. Then just Google HGV training in Manchester - Enterprise & Stockport HGV are good companies. Go direct not via brokers who are largely con artists. £2-3K later once you are fully qualified with your class 1 you then need to get some experience under your belt before petrol tankers become a realistic option. Whilst your young there is more interesting stuff to be doing anyway imo. Morrisons might be able to help you into the driving side of things, but I’d be very doubtful to be honest.
rob22888:
There is good money to be made in retail, but your life has to revolve around Tesco and you have to be prepared to work well beyond the call of duty on the way up. Not for me.
+1, not for me either, I used to see someone who worked there & rose through the ranks to management, ended up drifting apart because the job became more important than me…zb tesco…!!!
Diesel Tony:
The grass is greener on the other side.I must admit the people giving me advice probably have never been near a fuel tanker.I wonder if there are drivers out there who are satisfied in their jobs with a decent wage earned
Hi Tony, I currently drive a fuel tanker ( artic) the way I got my break into the industry was to send CVs and knock on doors for 2 years, I had no experience in the industry at all, I fell lucky when I got an interview with a major independant fuel supplier and the manager took a chance on me, I have never looked back, ( nor as he I think ha ha ) .
On to the nooks the pay, yes it’s not what people think, the big boys ie, hoyer ,wincanton, and BP, are well paid about 41 - 43000 pa basic . As the biggest independant we on the artics are on 32000 , ( rigid drivers vary) basic. We do 12 hour shifts on days and 10 hour shifts on nights, you are maxed out on every shift but we don’t work a full week , only on nights we work mon - fri.
The work is varied both retail and commercial deliveries, although we are maxed out on hours ie 12 hour days we are not rushed , if you rush you will ■■■■ up monumentally, the kit is excellent well serviced and maintained, the industry has changed for sure, but all logistics have changed, also the petroleum driver passport will come into effect next year, this will weed out the cowboys and Johnny Foreigner out the industry.
Hope this helps you,
rob22888:
There is good money to be made in retail, but your life has to revolve around Tesco and you have to be prepared to work well beyond the call of duty on the way up. Not for me.
+1, not for me either, I used to see someone who worked there & rose through the ranks to management, ended up drifting apart because the job became more important than me…zb tesco…!!!
My last stint on petrol the full timers were getting 22k basic for 38 hours ish then paid every hour on top at time an half or so, plus shift bonus, plus scratch bonus (you don’t have accidents on tankers only minor scratches) then the other top up is if you do like multi delivery instead of singular delivery, I think that was what it was for anyways if you did 60 hour weeks kept your nose clean you’d be on £750 a week.
As for being chased/scrutinised my opinion is if you fill up properly, drive properly, tip properly, fill out paperwork properly, absolutely no one gives you any grief, it’s only if something isn’t going correctly and you don’t follow their procedures.
Just remember your not allowed to stop for a sandwich or pull into the services for a wee, get your head round their procedures and it’s all fine.
Just remember your not allowed to stop for a sandwich or pull into the services for a wee, get your headround their procedures and it’s all fine.
Hang on I realise things have changed since the 80’s IE bottom loading etc.I know because years later I drove aircraft refuellers but are you telling me you cannot stop for a pee now?
That can’t be right…what do they do then?
You get a piece of bicycle inner tube ,connect one end to the N.C.O. and run the other end to the AD-BLU tank,sorted.You can eat and drink on the hoof.
I can’t remember the term for it, but petrol is classed as highly valuable load to terrorists & therefore you can’t park or stop in certain places there’s a proper name for it but I can’t remember it.
Muckspreader:
I can’t remember the term for it, but petrol is classed as highly valuable load to terrorists & therefore you can’t park or stop in certain places there’s a proper name for it but I can’t remember it.
Correct term is ‘High Consequence Dangerous Goods load’.
Muckspreader:
I can’t remember the term for it, but petrol is classed as highly valuable load to terrorists & therefore you can’t park or stop in certain places there’s a proper name for it but I can’t remember it.
Correct term is ‘High Consequence Dangerous Goods load’.
rob22888:
I’d say that £37K figure is accurate for a Tesco Express manager. The main store manager at a Tesco superstore are on around £90K, this isn’t myth
there needs to be a rofl emoticon on this site. in fact there needs to be several.
dogface:
I work for shell /hoyer we can stop for a ■■■■ if we like, park almost anywhere has been like that for the seven years I have worked for them
Thanks for that.That is what I thought.I still know a guy who I worked with and he still works on tankers.
Tried to contact him but he must be away at the moment.
Also had a look on the net but cannot see anything that stops a driver stopping to relieve himself.
muckspreader where did you get that from?
keep going up the ladder and you I guess could end up on £££££££££, who knows where you might end up.
but it went up fast, faster than a ■■■■■■■■■ at the time 
