Here’s my short story, would be interesting to hear some of your thoughts.
I was brought up on lorry driving, as my father has driven all his working life, and took myself and my brother to work with him on every school holiday throughout our childhood’s.
Naturally we both wanted to be lorry drivers, and when we became of age my father had a few lorries and a couple of vans and eventually bought myself a 7.5 tonner when I was 18.
After doing a few years driving all around the UK, myself and my brother decided to go travelling (he left the UK about a year before me) and went an saw many parts of the world, driving trucks too, which we both had to take tests for in Sydney.
So after coming home and spending many years in non driving jobs at a ripe old age of 41, I decided it was time to go for my HGV licence, as I’d had enough of working in factories, even as a forklift driver.
So I passed my test LGV C and also thought it would be easier than it actually is to get a decent driving job that doesn’t mean 60-70 drops a day (even in a 18 tonne lorry) plus collections.
Since last October most of the work I’ve done is van work, multidropping at around 60 plus drops a day for various companies through agencies, plus some 7.5 tonne work too.
Then came February and the work just dropped off, so I took the gamble and applied for a job advertised on the net for a company that I did one day of work for through the agency.
A good 8 weeks earlier I might add (I was asked to go and pick up a hire van and go to a company called Nightfreight, which I did, and was met buy a guy pulling into the depot with half of his front bumper missing, and watched as he told the transport manager to place his job somewhere where the sun don’t shine
And also explained he had just had the worst two weeks of his life. So they proceeded to unload most of his truck onto my van
Badly I might add, and I did a memorable days work and late evenings work for them too, which I vowed never to repeat.).
So anyway I got a job in February with Nightfreight, with one phone call to them, they asked me to go in the next day for an interview.
They almost read me a riot act of how tough the job was going to be, it could be 50-60 drops when it really get busy they said
But we will start you on 30 and see how you get on, plus collections of course.
I spent three days being shown my route with a guy that was leaving because he’d had enough, and didn’t fill me with confidence that I myself would be staying very long after him!
I was hired as a 7.5 tonne driver but spent most of my induction in a 18 tonner which I spent my first solo day in (56 deliveries plus collections) it was manic to say the least and quite stressful.
Everything is just thrown in the back of their lorries, the damage to customers parcels was unbelievable.
It was quite embarrassing to ask for signatures for some of the stuff you’re meant to deliver.
I spent a month there and really enjoyed driving the class 2 truck, even in the tiny country lanes in the middle on nowhere, but found their workload just far too much,(70 drops on last day) and with doing parcels on housing estates that a postman could deliver, in a class 2 truck just felt wrong.
The money wasn’t that good either.
So I knocked it on the head and now talking to the agencies again, and joined a few more (I’m registered with five now).
I have said to agencies that I don’t want anymore parcel work or home delivery! (I took my HGV to get away from all of that! Was that a wise move?)
I am doing the on foot hunt as well with all the local haulage companies and have got to know a couple quite well.
They just say it’s quiet at the moment and just to keep in touch, and I do once a fortnight.
My preferred job would be palletised general haulage….
Here’s hoping.
Would be interested in any of your thoughts on whether I should have stuck it out at Nightfreight to get more class 2 experience, although easier said than done as they run you ragged!
Plus all that jumping in and out of the cab and in and out of the back unloading, I have caused an injury to my knee (torn ligament) which I’m due for a scan next week to see what the verdict is.
Class C 16-12-2011
Couldnt be bothered to read your life story… Use it to tide yourself over till you get the job you want. What i will say is though and thats get a class 1, class 2 work is ■■■■■ and more people run artics so gives you more options. You’ve got more chance or landing a job by calling round instead of using agencys, forget the “2year thing” theres plenty of companies that take on those without.
Hello and welcome.
I passed my Class 2 (C) the day after you (17/12/11). Like Saaaaamon I never really read your full post. I’m only 18 myself but personally I’m not really sure what I would’ve done if I was offered Van work. I want to drive lorries not vans, some people say van experience goes for nothing, it’s not that much bigger than your average family people carrier. I would probably have been reluctant to take van work and that’s me knowing I can’t afford to be picky when it comes to work.
Luckily, my first start has been with the council driving bin wagons so it just shows, if I can get something at this age with no LGV driving experience (legally 
*) then just about anyone should be able to. (I’m from a small town too).
- Driven artics on private roads etc.
It is very quiet atm I have had my Cat C since 2008 have done some driving but since last year have been driving vans for a living as this was the best on offer although it is full time
But I am different as dont do much local work & normally only 1 drop with no collections
For me it is a means to an end to get what I would like simple as that
But also depends where you live
Was asked today if I would like a trip to the Shetlands 
but it didnt come off 
andrwegg:
Here’s my short story, would be interesting to hear some of your thoughts.
I was brought up on lorry driving, as my father has driven all his working life, and took myself and my brother to work with him on every school holiday throughout our childhood’s.
Naturally we both wanted to be lorry drivers, and when we became of age my father had a few lorries and a couple of vans and eventually bought myself a 7.5 tonner when I was 18.
After doing a few years driving all around the UK, myself and my brother decided to go travelling (he left the UK about a year before me) and went an saw many parts of the world, driving trucks too, which we both had to take tests for in Sydney.
So after coming home and spending many years in non driving jobs at a ripe old age of 41, I decided it was time to go for my HGV licence, as I’d had enough of working in factories, even as a forklift driver.
So I passed my test LGV C and also thought it would be easier than it actually is to get a decent driving job that doesn’t mean 60-70 drops a day (even in a 18 tonne lorry) plus collections.
Since last October most of the work I’ve done is van work, multidropping at around 60 plus drops a day for various companies through agencies, plus some 7.5 tonne work too.
Then came February and the work just dropped off, so I took the gamble and applied for a job advertised on the net for a company that I did one day of work for through the agency.
A good 8 weeks earlier I might add (I was asked to go and pick up a hire van and go to a company called Nightfreight, which I did, and was met buy a guy pulling into the depot with half of his front bumper missing, and watched as he told the transport manager to place his job somewhere where the sun don’t shine
And also explained he had just had the worst two weeks of his life. So they proceeded to unload most of his truck onto my van
Badly I might add, and I did a memorable days work and late evenings work for them too, which I vowed never to repeat.).
So anyway I got a job in February with Nightfreight, with one phone call to them, they asked me to go in the next day for an interview.
They almost read me a riot act of how tough the job was going to be, it could be 50-60 drops when it really get busy they said
But we will start you on 30 and see how you get on, plus collections of course.
I spent three days being shown my route with a guy that was leaving because he’d had enough, and didn’t fill me with confidence that I myself would be staying very long after him!
I was hired as a 7.5 tonne driver but spent most of my induction in a 18 tonner which I spent my first solo day in (56 deliveries plus collections) it was manic to say the least and quite stressful.
Everything is just thrown in the back of their lorries, the damage to customers parcels was unbelievable.
It was quite embarrassing to ask for signatures for some of the stuff you’re meant to deliver.
I spent a month there and really enjoyed driving the class 2 truck, even in the tiny country lanes in the middle on nowhere, but found their workload just far too much,(70 drops on last day) and with doing parcels on housing estates that a postman could deliver, in a class 2 truck just felt wrong.
The money wasn’t that good either.
So I knocked it on the head and now talking to the agencies again, and joined a few more (I’m registered with five now).
I have said to agencies that I don’t want anymore parcel work or home delivery! (I took my HGV to get away from all of that! Was that a wise move?)
I am doing the on foot hunt as well with all the local haulage companies and have got to know a couple quite well.
They just say it’s quiet at the moment and just to keep in touch, and I do once a fortnight.
My preferred job would be palletised general haulage….
Here’s hoping.
Would be interested in any of your thoughts on whether I should have stuck it out at Nightfreight to get more class 2 experience, although easier said than done as they run you ragged!
Plus all that jumping in and out of the cab and in and out of the back unloading, I have caused an injury to my knee (torn ligament) which I’m due for a scan next week to see what the verdict is.
Class C 16-12-2011
As the lads on here will testify , they are not called “nightfright” for nothing. Digressing slightly i applied for a class 1 ADR job a while back,first day saw me doing a machinery removal and transfer job on class 2 HIAB not what i signed up for, but i went with it, the next day i was told i was doing property maintenance ,mowing lawns mending fences + general gardening etc (the company owner rented out thirty terraced houses) because there was no work, so i told the T.M i hadn’t signed up for having the urine extracted and left after one days work. So the moral of the story is if you are not happy then leave, even though “decent” jobs are extremely hard to come by nowadays, something will turn up.