I’m a new HGV driver just passed my class 2 license recentley have clean license.
Signed on to a agency in the hope of finding work
Have applied online and by phone for work but it’s not getting me very far. C.V. is O.K.
and have previous work references but not for HGV.
. Just a few questions/
Can anyone tell me if buying a HGV Sat Nav would be a advantage as a new driver or do most companies have there own, obviously agency work is unpredictable so maybe someone out there will know from previous experience.
Also does anyone know where i might find work in the Milton Keynes area or within 15 miles of perimeter . Like this side of Northampton and Bedford area . As you will be aware getting started as a new driver can be quite tricky.
Look forward to your response
Sat Navs appear to be personal kit - I managed with my car one for about nine months then bought a truck-specific (Garmin nuvi 465T) which is quite good at height and weight restrictions - but I don’t know how well it handles the complicated London Exclusion Zone rules - not a big issue in South Wales, but might matter in MK.
I think its a good idea to buy your own. I would recommend planning your own route to the area with a map using the major roads then turn the sat nav on to get you to your exact location.
I don’t bother with one because I know all my drops now but before I would just ask a fellow driver for directions, always happy to help.
Use all of the above, sat nav is great most of the time but if its a new drop check it on the map as well just so you have an idea of it in your head, ask other drivers (as a last resort planners) before you set off and when you get to the area and satmap/roadworks/new roads etc let you down, use your eyes to look for clues, your mouth to ask someone and your ears to listen and a pen & paper to write it down. If you have a laptop or netbook you can google map and print it off as well. I have a plastic wallet file that I keep any maps etc for drops in so if I’m given a drop I’m not sure of even though I’ve been there before I just open it up at the right map with any notes, comments and corrections.
Remember that sat navs are only of any use if the address you have is accurate, there have been several times I’ve been given a map from the office using the postcode and wound up a long way from the delivery site and often in an awkward area for an artic - a lot of our site are in pretty obscure places.
I tend to ask another driver to put an X on a map for me with a new delivery then work my own way in.
Try the personal touch if you can, visit local firms. Get your name in their address book if possible. You might just turn up somewhere that needs a driver and you’ve cracked it. Don’t just rely on agencies they are not the best at finding you work and neither are JCP.
A bit expensive,but the Snooper is a HGV sat nav,has all the weight limits,truck ban routes,routes for ADR dangerous goods,and a TV in it.
The car Tom Tom one is just for cars,and will sent you down Farmer Giles`es country lane that was built for horse and carts 200 years ago.
The Tom Tom can be changed over to HGV use.Some on here do a lot of farm work and rural areas for deliveries/collections,recently i became trapped in a small village,a lady had turned her car wheel out towards the road,and my trailer would have cut it,lucky she was in to get the keys to move it,it took 20 minutes,as we could not get in the car,by this time about 20 cars and vans were all waiting to go home,and the village was gridlocked.
For euro work,they are handy for when the boss asks which ferry you can make,as the time of arrival and distance to the port will show on the screen.
If you blindly follow a sat nav you will soon find yourself in trouble, there are plenty of excellent maps and the A-Z is a must in London. Most firms will provide you with a map anyway and always ask other drivers in the yard or the shunter. That little bit of extra information could save you an awful lot of hassle.
The reason I bought a sat nav is to have every road in the uk, in a 5 inch box. It saves a load of space and is easier to cart about than about £500 worth of map books. Just treat it like a map. Look at the route review and if you think there is a better way, use it. All the idiots that get stuck and blame the sat nav get no sympathy from me
Don’t waste your money on pointless and expensive things. Buy a purpose built LGV road atlas with restricted routes in it and save a couple of hundred quid.
I have always said they are a waste of money, I now have one on my smart phone but that is only because it’s only a cent a month and altough I never use the sat nav itself even though it has truck routes. I do however turn iy on at lay overs/night outs etc because it tells me every movie and show in the area and gives details of the venues and description of the movie, it also tells me every place to eat in the area and every supermarket.
Sat navs just mess up the routes.
