Hi Laura & welcome!
I’m in exactly the same position as you!
I’ve been in the Ambulance Service since I left school & I’m needing to escape the institutionalised bullying & harassment.
I passed my Class 2 a couple of weeks ago & i’ve got my Class 1 in a couple of weeks.
The only advise I can give you is… Go for it!
Suzanne
nobodysdriving:
deckboypeggy:
You cannot be serious ,no pension ,long hours, you must have no idea of the transport haulage industry its nothing like the eddie stobart tv shows . you must have some rank in the NHS?? if you are a nurse?nurses are dedicated to what they do ,not want to drive trucks at 25 years of age. yes go into another profession? not driving white vans because that is what you will be doing.good luck.I am just curious as to why she would end up only driving white vans?
I am a Midwife ‘but’ I was a trucker first of all…
I did only driving jobs from age 18 to 25 including cat 1 on the continent and PSV driving
then my son came along and I needed a more reliable/stable life and being a single parent I also needed a higher income so Midwifery came along.
The original poster may not be a midwife or a nurse; she may be a healthcare assistant or some other kind of care worker (some care workers get paid less than minimum wage, because they’re not paid for travelling between stops), or a hospital cleaner or low-level admin person. Anyway how long did you train to be a midwife? I thought it was a degree, much like nursing nowadays, so it doesn’t just “come along”, you’ve got to make a commitment to it, while even a class 1 licence can represent only two weeks of training and £2-3K.
Nobodysdriving you must have done well to run a HGV licence plus PSV all in 4 years .■■[21] age start class 1.
Indigo-jo you are correct,you got it sussed.
You’ll miss the drives out with the dogs if you want a big rig!
It is going to cost you a lot of money to get qualified and driving big rigs might mean having nights out… So you will need to think about someone to look after your dogs…
If it is your dream then do it… But if I might make a suggestion why don’t you see if there is a firm local to you running artics. Tell them you are thinking of a career in the industry are ask if you could have a day or two having a ride out to see if it is for you.
It is harder than most people think and is often stressful…
Hi Laura, I’m Sadie and another female here that has decided on a career change to trucking. I’m only on 7.5t at the moment having done my CPC, now waiting for the date of my Cat C training now I’ve done theory and HP.
Get yourself some good learning materials - have a search in the newbie section and read up as much as you possibly can. The info here is absolutely invaluable from people that have been where we are and guys that have been trucking for years. Soak up as much as you can.
As was said, be prepared for long hours and a tough time. It’s far from glamorous and it’s bloody hard work. But having said that, I’ve landed a great job that I love - it’s completely knackering, but it’s fantastic and most definitely worth it.
Best of luck with your driving career Laura, hope you get your licence soon x
Laura you are just down the road from me if you are ever near the A1M & see a CE driving down the road looking as if nobody is driving it might just be me 
Nowt wrong with white van that is where I started before moving up to CE
There are a couple providers up this way but may be a bit far for you to travel although I did go to Flair training in Chelmsford for my CE did take my C up here in the North East mind
welcome to the gang, how strange everyone is been so helpful i wonder why hahaha
i know a few female drivers and they love it so get your tests done and out on the road and then you can be miserable like we all are really 
Animal-you don’t drive a DAF CF by any chance do you?
Why is it that the drivers of these things seem to sit on the floor with no drivers seat. Whenever I pass one on the motorway,all I see is a scalp/forehead through the drivers window??
eagerbeaver:
Animal-you don’t drive a DAF CF by any chance do you?Why is it that the drivers of these things seem to sit on the floor with no drivers seat. Whenever I pass one on the motorway,all I see is a scalp/forehead through the drivers window??
I drive CFs from time to time. Some trucks have dodgy seat adjustment tools, and the seat riser not working is a common problem. One of two Scania R420s I drive on my regular Monday job has a broken riser, as with one of the MANs I drive on another job I do. Not sure if it’s common on the CF though. I was driving one a couple of weeks ago and I don’t remember having any problem with that.
CF’s always make the driver look tiny. I’ve seen one pull up, thought he was a tiny little guy, he gets out and he’s freakin huge! Well over 6ft tall!
IndigoJo:
eagerbeaver:
Animal-you don’t drive a DAF CF by any chance do you?Why is it that the drivers of these things seem to sit on the floor with no drivers seat. Whenever I pass one on the motorway,all I see is a scalp/forehead through the drivers window??
I drive CFs from time to time. Some trucks have dodgy seat adjustment tools, and the seat riser not working is a common problem. One of two Scania R420s I drive on my regular Monday job has a broken riser, as with one of the MANs I drive on another job I do. Not sure if it’s common on the CF though. I was driving one a couple of weeks ago and I don’t remember having any problem with that.
No dont normally
Being 147 cm tall & female I would have to sit high
deckboypeggy:
Nobodysdriving you must have done well to run a HGV licence plus PSV all in 4 years .■■[21] age start class 1.
yes got HGV 1 (did that straight away no class 2) and then shortly after the PSV
I did not drive for very long both classes of vehicles, I am not at all that experienced.
My initial driving jobs were at first in vans (courier ie: Fedex) then in 7.5 ton, also a removal company etc.
I just think I was lucky not that I’ve done well to be honest, well I think if you pass your class 1 you can then pass anything as a class 1 gives you a whole new ‘look’ on driving as you know, a lot of planning etc when driving a class one, skills which then help with driving anything else.
I have 2 years ago done my advanced riding exam with IAM and apart from polishing my motorbike riding skills the theory etc part of it was just like driving a class 1 truck, actually my IAM instructor did comment at first I drove a motorbike like a truck, whether that was a compliment I am ‘unsure’ 
IndigoJo:
Anyway how long did you train to be a midwife? I thought it was a degree, much like nursing nowadays, so it doesn’t just “come along”, you’ve got to make a commitment to it, while even a class 1 licence can represent only two weeks of training and £2-3K.
Hi IndigoJo, I did 3 years full time to train/qualify in Midwifery. I didn’t mean anything ‘bad’ by saying ‘Midwifery came along’ (ie did not mean to say it is something you put no effort in), it was just a short way to say I got into it not quite knowing how…well it is true…one day I was reading a magazine about going into education after having children, the next entertaining being a nurse in intensive care of the newborn and the next I was on a Midwifery course and here I am today.
It all happened as I am a single parent since my son was 5 months old…I wanted to work and provide a good life for him but I could ‘not’ visualise myself being a continental truck driver with him as a baby in the cab also I knew that the wages in trucking would not be as good.
Of course I studied a lot and it was hard financially being a single parent, my son was only 3 when I started my Midwifery, back then the government did not give any help with childcare where I was living, also you have to study/work all the time so it is not a walk in the park. Yes you commit to it if not you don’t qualify, simple as, but my son kept me going and wanting to give him a good example and a better life. I did not find the study or the training very hard, but the long hours with a young child yes, especially being on my own.
I have had a rough life from being homeless as a teenager climbing all the way back up (driving jobs for a few years) etc etc.
Yes I have worked hard but I think I am not special, some people have done a lot more than I have.
I digress now, so better cut it here as going off topic 