Well after 15 years of PCV driving and 4 years of trying to find a decent LGV driving job, I’ve had enough of it.
I’ve been desperate for a career change for quite a while, but I finally got the news this morning that I’ve been praying to hear. I’ve been offered the position of a Trainee NVQ Assessor. I will be assessing PCV/LGV Drivers for their NVQ’s, which is going to be very weird but I can hardly wait to start . I’ve know I’ve got a lot to learn, but I will love the challenge.
I’ve been told that they will try and get the work local to me but they have been up front with me and told me that there will be nights away. That doesn’t bother me at all because I will be staying in hotels with all my expenses paid.
I just hope things in the haulage industry starts to improve, but I won’t hold my breath. Its really depressing seeing how bad things have become. I’ve met so many good professionals but how do they get rewarded? No respect, poor facilities, long hours and poor wages. How people are expected to come into the industry and be motivated to become the best that they can be when the industry is in this state is beyond me. I will try my best to assist Drivers to achieve their NVQ’s, I just hope that more employers start to see their staff as assets and not liabilities.
Thanks to everyone for the help I’ve had in the past. I will still visit the forum most days because its a brilliant with some great members and I want to keep up with all thats going on.
Good Luck Wilde1
How many Drivers will leave the job when the CPC comes in for ALL drivers from 2014 most if not all so hope your not making a bad move for the future
thought the drivers cpc comes sooner than that, so if we are in a different proffesion and we want to still keep our licence how much do we have to pay .
i have just done my nvq2 (paid for by the company)what a laugh,waste of time,was told it might count towards the cpc, seemed to be money for old rope for the training company involved.mind you it got me off nights for a shift and the company supplied very nice sandwiches so it was not all bad.and guess what i passed!!!
Wilde1:
I just hope things in the haulage industry starts to improve, but I won’t hold my breath. Its really depressing seeing how bad things have become. I’ve met so many good professionals but how do they get rewarded? No respect, poor facilities, long hours and poor wages. How people are expected to come into the industry and be motivated to become the best that they can be when the industry is in this state is beyond me. I will try my best to assist Drivers to achieve their NVQ’s, I just hope that more employers start to see their staff as assets and not liabilities.
I’m not quite sure how you know this given the fact that by your own admission (previously) you don’t have much HGV experience?
For example…if its depressing seeing how bad things have become, how was it before they came to be like ‘this’?
Good luck with the new job BTW and just let me give you a bit of advice !! In the buisnessworld ‘liabilities’ are got rid of, ‘assets’ are kept. The day employers see anyone as a liability, they will be gone so i think its safe to say , we (HGV drivers) are assets !!! You’ll know when you’re a liability when you get your P45!!
xxicelandicxx:
thought the drivers cpc comes sooner than that, so if we are in a different proffesion and we want to still keep our licence how much do we have to pay .
I thought this CPC was going live for HGV drivers in September 2009? I guess there will not be any ‘grandfather rights’ exemptions for current drivers?
Will it also mean 7.5 tonner drivers needing to take the new CPC - I wasn’t sure about that? It would seem crazy if we need to take it and they don’t.
I can see the next step being a CPC for van and car drivers too as it could present a nice little revenue raising opportunity for the government, under the guise of road safety, just like speed camera’s.
Wilde1:
I just hope things in the haulage industry starts to improve, but I won’t hold my breath. Its really depressing seeing how bad things have become. I’ve met so many good professionals but how do they get rewarded? No respect, poor facilities, long hours and poor wages. How people are expected to come into the industry and be motivated to become the best that they can be when the industry is in this state is beyond me. I will try my best to assist Drivers to achieve their NVQ’s, I just hope that more employers start to see their staff as assets and not liabilities.
I’m not quite sure how you know this given the fact that by your own admission (previously) you don’t have much HGV experience?
For example…if its depressing seeing how bad things have become, how was it before they came to be like ‘this’?
Good luck with the new job BTW and just let me give you a bit of advice !! In the buisnessworld ‘liabilities’ are got rid of, ‘assets’ are kept. The day employers see anyone as a liability, they will be gone so i think its safe to say , we (HGV drivers) are assets !!! You’ll know when you’re a liability when you get your P45!!
I think I’ve got a decent idea “how things were” with watching both my Father and Uncle drive artics from the mid seventies. Yes I know there were lots of problems then and I don’t view the past with rose tinted glasses but there is one thing I’m sure of and that is the industry has shown a total lack of ability in learning by past mistakes. Yes by my own addmission I am inexperienced on the Road Haulage side, but I have had my class 1 since 94 and did bits from then on and kept in touch with what I needed to know.
I only wish your statement about the busines world keeping assets was true, but due to my own experience I know you are mistaken. Assets are only kept while they serve a purpose, just because they don’t meet a purpose doesn’t automaticaly mean they are a liability. But if that purpose isn’t being met then they will disposed of. In my case I worked for a department that was hugely profitable yet wages were cut 40% in order that they could replace the workforce. You could argue that as the management didn’t want us then we must of been a liability. But I would argue that a hugley profitable department with excellent customer care, highly motivated staff and a very low staff turn over isn’t a liability. In fact that didn’t even try and justify their actions. The simple fact was, we didn’t serve the purpose at that time. So bye bye assets
. I’ve know I’ve got a lot to learn, but I will love the challenge.
seemed to be money for old rope for the training company involved.mind you it got me off nights for a shift and the company supplied very nice sandwiches so it was not all bad.and guess what i passed!!!