When my HGV entitlement expired and I turned the ripe old age of 45 and requiring a medical, I decided after nearly 20 years behind the wheel that I needed a break. I didn’t renew my entitlement and didn’t have the medical. Instead, I decided to tax my brain and study for a law degree. Not much of a change of career!
Having achieved a 1st Class Honours degree, I’ve now decided to… yep, you guessed it.
My medical is booked for next Wednesday and once completed I’ll get my entitlement put back on my licence. I’ve then got to take the bloody CPC, which I’d managed to avoid prior to hanging up my gloves, and I’ll be back on the road. God I’ve missed it!
Used to follow Trucknet religiously, so now I’ll be back more often.
Just a quick question, does anyone know if the umbrella companies like Nova and Maddison are still going for Agency drivers?
I too went down another route from driving trucks, becoming an electrical and electronics engineer. Last year I also took a medical, reinstated my vocational licenses and did a week long cpc course. Ended up doing some well paid assembly work since then which has now ended so looking for suitable driving work myself too.
Only problem I am finding at the moment, is that much of the HGV driving work out there is things like shop deliveries or double manned home deliveries, neither of which I want to do, as my skill set lies with industrial and construction deliveries.
Hopefully you’ll find something suitable - good luck with it…
Yu now have the choice of doing either the two initial tests or the 35 hours attendance as you never had a DQC issued for your acquired rights
Cost is about the same whichever route you choose
Initial theory and practical can be failed but 35 hours cannot
To get initial can mean jumping through a few hoops as the system is not set up yet for easy access to it
your choice …
PS - fancy putting that newly acquired law degree to work on a licence matter ?
If yes then a question -
On 19/01/2013 there were changes to B+E where the trailer cannot be more than 3500 kg MAM
Is that law retrospective so it now applies to all those towing under B+E
Welcome back Dave, Its surprising the amount of highly educated truckers out there.
I gave up a well paid job in internet marketing to return to trucking even turned down a 50% pay rise.
Guess if its in the blood the call of the open road will get you every time.
Only way I satisfied my hunger to drive again was to go tramping, long hours for mediocre pay ticks all me boxes. I understand those after less driving hours for more pay wont get this.
Oh and sure your law degree will come in very handy on this forum, we have a fair few armchair solicitors on hand but someone versed in the technicalities of the legal profession will be great to have on board.
ROG:
On 19/01/2013 there were changes to B+E where the trailer cannot be more than 3500 kg MAM
Is that law retrospective so it now applies to all those towing under B+E
It seems not:
Driving licence entitlements gained from a car driving test passed before 1 January 1997
Your car driving licence will show categories which include: B, BE, C1, C1E(107). Those who last updated their licence before June 1990 should refer to DVLA website for the meaning of earlier categories.
B with BE category entitles you to drive a vehicle with a MAM up to 3,500kg and tow a normal caravan/trailer within specified dimensional limits.
C1 with C1E entitles you to drive a vehicle with MAM up to 7,500kg and tow a caravan/trailer where the combined MAM of tow vehicle and trailer does not exceed 8,250kg and the trailer MAM does not exceed the unladen weight of the vehicle.
