Tipperdipper1:
planetrucking:
I’m willing to take a pay cut just wondering by how much 
Like I say I have seen pay above and below mine so good to get an idea of what’s right from all your inputs…
With hours- If it’s 60 hours+ per week that’s fine for me if not driving 9 hours straight everyday… waiting around to load/unload but still getting paid for it is fine for me. If that’s the way it is …
I would always try to work for a company which pays by the hour or fixed rate for x amount of time per day, after that overtime rate per hour and extra on the weekends.
If you want to work 60 hrs/week and more
- work for Stobarts, paid by the hour, 45 minutes break deducted per day. The rest is yours. May be not good rates but as a new driver they give you a start.
I hate salaried positions where you have to work all the hours god sends, get pushed and get 30 to 31k.
You can work 71 hrs Monday-Friday (Doing 3x15 hrs + 2x 13hrs legally and use POA/Break where ever you can)
Divide 31k by 52 and the result gets divided by 71.
That gives you a rough idea what your average pay is for a such a position.
- In your case put the 28k and divide it like I described it.
But,
I may not like these kind of of salaried jobs but others love them, each to their own [emoji4]
But remember the 90hr rule, you’re in for an easier ride next week 
steviespain:
eagerbeaver:
But don’t start whining when your partner buggers off and you end up doing all the hours God sends 
My partner already buggered off before I got my licence back.
She also thought it was appropriate to throw 90% of my clothes away too.
That actually worked in my favour really. I only had my smartest trousers and shirts left. SO everywhere I go I have, well, me smartest stuff on.
She probably knew I was only a Class 2 
and not a [zb]…, sorry, a Knight of the road 
and she was not interested in staying to reap the 2nd class benefits.
If you’re really unlucky, when you get your class 1 she will come back. But don’t worry, you will never be at home to see her.
Wages in this game are all over the place.
Some are on terrible money, some are on very good money (i know blokes averaging £25+ per hour on nights), but drivers are weirdos, those on crap firms paying crap money often love it whilst those on class leading terms often hate every second, if you find the better jobs and like it there you’ve cracked it.
The trouble is it can take many years to crack the better end of things, took me 13 years before my big break, yet others fall into dead mens jobs with the ink still wet on their licences.
This industry you need some luck in, you can help guide luck your way but for every driver who’s got themselves into a niche there might be half a dozen who’ve never had a decent lorry job for all the years they’ve been doing the job.
The best advice i can give you is that hire and reward transport is on its arse, there is no money in it generally unless specialised so there’s no big wages to be had.
Own account, ie carrying your own goods or servicing your own clients (supermarkets etc) is usually fairly well paid and you are unlikely to be pushed and shoved about.
Much depends on where you live.
jbaz73:
steviespain:
eagerbeaver:
But don’t start whining when your partner buggers off and you end up doing all the hours God sends
My partner already buggered off before I got my licence back.
She also thought it was appropriate to throw 90% of my clothes away too.
That actually worked in my favour really. I only had my smartest trousers and shirts left. SO everywhere I go I have, well, me smartest stuff on.
She probably knew I was only a Class 2 and not a [zb]…, sorry, a Knight of the road and she was not interested in staying to reap the 2nd class benefits.
If you’re really unlucky, when you get your class 1 she will come back. But don’t worry, you will never be at home to see her.
I am PROPER sniggering to myself here 
Can we PLEASE get a "Like "button?
To give quick answers to the question as theres quite a bit of info above.
Getting immediate class 1 might be tricky although some companies will do that such as Stobarts since they dont run many class 2s. Class 2 will be multidrop…lovely.
First jobs are most likely to be with less brillant companies who run every hour out of you and give you the jobs no one else wants, eg: the 3am starts and 15 hour days.
Coop are a good payer but boy will you be knackered afterwards! Think they mostly take new drivers from the warehouse rather than general public but will take more experienced drivers from outside. Wouldnt believe all ads for their pay rates as many are agency in disguise.
Max hours - 3x 15 hours, 2x 13 hours working. Driving is 3x 9 hours, 2x 10 hours within those days. Those of course exclude getting to and from work.
Average payrate is teesport - prob £9 hour for class 1 or £12 hour down south ignoring agency. So would suggest 24 to 30k if maxing hours as many dont pay breaks. There are better of course but not generally for new drivers or they are extreme handball.
Would i switch - not unless you hate your job although there is some satisfaction in being able to reverse an artic.
Co op is not too bad. Definitely a Baptism by fire for a new driver though especially if jumping in from class 1.
In my area they pay 38k a year for 48 hours.
I’m a Class 2 agency driver with only four months experience and I earn £12.50 an hour, rising to 1.5x that after 48 hours (although it’s hard getting much overtime as my employer is quite strict on the WTD).
I haven’t had a class 1 job yet as I recently passed but I done class 2 for 18 months
As a roadside recovery driver - Class 2
12 hours a day
6 on 2 off shift
£9.50
Overtime is time and half
DHL - Class 2 (just started
Salary of £34,000
Rotating shift of 4 days Then 5 days and so on
Rota 1 - sat-tue
Rota 2 - sat-wed
Hope this helps mate
Every job wildly different, but ours is something like:
12.25 ph PAYE. Overtime, double time sundays and BH + day in lieu. We pay through breaks and POA.
Top earner last year was 48500 for a 63 hour average week, but actual driving and work was around 25 hours a week. Double man and long ferry trips mean POA.
Lowest earner was shade under 40k.
Hours are all over the place, mostly because of the ferry timings
Thee’s no comparison with our job and someone doing a 4 on 4 off shift system.