I am going to be starting my driving career soon, Class C+E and have a few questions before I actually go out driving for a living:
-Navigation / Planning Routes - Best way to do this? Been looking at Sat Navs but am a bit reluctant to spend approx £300 on a truck sat nav. Is there a cheaper way of effectively planning out your route to include low bridges etc?
-Best Agencies? - obviously there’s loads out there, which are the best and most reliable?
-PPE / Work Wear / Equipment & Tools - If I go down SE route I will need to provide my own so wondering where the best value suppliers are. Also whether I will need to buy any equipment or if anyone has any recommended tools etc to always carry with me which aren’t typically supplied by an employer?
My advice is not to use a car sat nav in a truck.
A truck sat nav will get you of trouble and pay for itself.
If the Police shut a road and you are diverted in an area you are not sure of.
Builders merchants have quality Ppe gear and work clothing.
A truckers atlas will have bridge heights for route planning.
I have the Snooper S8000 with freeview TV.
Adr route planning.
16 multidrop planning.
Live information for road closures/accidents/bad weather.
Bluetooth phone so your mobile can be paired up.
You speak in to the sat nav.
Most msa’s sell sat navs at Phonebitz franchises.
Sorry forgot to also add - can I do my CPC modules 2 & 4 before I take any of my practical? (I am taking class 2 then class 1 so might be able to secure some class 2 work in between if I have CPC)
Hi mate good luck with planning to do your HGV licences. passed my class 2 a year ago and haven’t looked back.
As for sat nav’s its pretty much down to personal choice, personally I use a tom-tom pro 5150 truck, which inst a bad device but I have heard great things about the much cheaper (£50-£70) ones from fleabay or HGV trucktables. I plan to get one of these next.
with agencies I think most people will agree that its best to be on the books of a few different ones local to you.
I found that the best place to get PPE is screw fix, nice and cheap but all the top brands so you know they will last.
Sat Nav’s are expensive but Ive linked in below a cheap alternative…Id also have a look at Amazon and invest in a HGV Map as your backup… technology can and does fail… hgv-trucktables.co.uk/truck-sat-nav.php
Workwear / PPE is depends on the type of work your doing, personally you drive in what you feel comfortable in and you get it from where ever is offering be best price and quality …the basics are decent work boots… Hi vis jacket…
Don’t know what your expecting to carry in the way of tools other than a decent pen, torch, tyre tread gauge and possibly a multi tool…but then your going into the relms of repairing the vehicle whilst on the road and it all comes down to what type of work and vehicle your using…
Agencies… just register with them in your local area and see who offers you consistent work…
Just thinking back to the agency question earlier on I have another question around registering with different agents - If I do this will I be employed by the agencies or as self employed?
I understand this may be a long winded question to answer so if anyone can point me in the direction of this info summarised it would be a great help!
Agencies you can be either employed or self employed or can go down the umbrella system
PPE I bought mine for a local dealer has 1 shop same price as all the rest & get the more personal touch as he know me or he will order in anything I need then phone me np
Bought mine when was working for me & have replaced some since working agency also bought my own boots as prefer to do so
When you register with an agency, if your asked are you registered with other companies be honest and tell them that your freelance driver and will take the work from who ever offers…
Make sure your clear on when you get paid as well
Always work on the basis of first come first served
I’m probably going to go down agency route to begin with as seems there is more of that work around at the moment.
How far in advance does an agency tend to guarantee work for i.e. will they offer you a set amount of work for x amount of weeks in advance? And if I was employed by the agent would this work be an actual written agreement?
Thanks again for all the help, literally got a million questions I could ask but just trying to cover the important bits at the moment.
I am presuming I can’t do CPC before my practical tests (?)
Agencies will pick you up & drop you as quick as you never know from 1 day to next then they sometimes cancel
You may be lucky & get an "on going contract "
I have seen the video from the DSA about the driver daily walk around checks and these being recorded in the tachograph as ‘other work’ but when officially should I start recording my working day? As soon as I get to the vehicle I will be driving?
Also if I’m being paid hourly either by an agency or if working for a company, would I be paid for all the time I have worked (i.e. driving + ‘other work’)?
LDP:
but when officially should I start recording my working day? As soon as I get to the vehicle I will be driving?
Where I work it’s from the time I clock in. For example, if my shift starts at 0800 and I clock in at 0758 then I will show other work from 0758 on my tacho.
If you’ve clocked in, then you are at work and the time/activities should be recorded.
LDP:
but when officially should I start recording my working day? As soon as I get to the vehicle I will be driving?
Where I work it’s from the time I clock in. For example, if my shift starts at 0800 and I clock in at 0758 then I will show other work from 0758 on my tacho.
If you’ve clocked in, then you are at work and the time/activities should be recorded.
But if you were say planning your route in an office or building away from the lorry you will be driving then you couldn’t put the tachograph card / chart in so how would this work?
Just to clear this up as I have been a bit confused. . CPC periodic 35 hours do not need to be completed until 5years after I get my hgv licence is that correct? I have my modules 2 and 4 booked in and I know these are necessary to start work but just wondered about the periodic training.
