Dear All,
I hope you don’t mind me asking on this side of the forum and not the traditional lorry drivers side of it.
As you are all owners and majority must be employers of some variety in the industry. I was wondering if you could help me understand the other side of the fence, on how I can become truly employable in haulage.
I’ve applied for a small amount of jobs (one’s that seriously interest me in sectors I wish to seriously pursue) now that amounts to about ten in total over the last 18 months. From these applications, I heard nothing back from a couple, a few I’ve heard back but they said thanks but no thanks, which was nice in this day and current employment market.
The other five I have made interview stage and even a second interview in two circumstances, one of them included a driving assessment. I admit I bullsed up that!
However from the interviews with TM’s/Depot managers/Directors and Planner, both in small family and nationwide firms (I don’t mind working for either, have more experience in national/international firms, but my current employment is in a very small independent firm.) I have found the most common questions keep cropping up/potentially ruining my chances of getting a job.
Hence my thread name, should I mention any of the below in further applications.
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Biggest question why do I want to give up a professional job for driving
Hahahahahahaha, if only they knew the reality of other industries I’d think they’d see why I want to leave it. But you can’t be that negative in an application/interview!
In reality the job is incredibly long hours, most weeks you’ll have potentially a shift, if not more shift, that go in excess of 18 hours easily! It’ll usually be 6-7 day working week unless on holiday.
I try not to mention the truth above, just the job is sendentary and its changing in a way that I am no longer interested in it and that I wish to pursue a new career which interests me greatly in haulage. -
Why don’t I want to use my degree anymore.
Sincerely not interested in my degree field, even though it is a technical and professional one, it just doesn’t give me the buzz like I had at university. However to be honest it didn’t after two years of graduation, hence my completely change to contracting in construction instead.
So I try to say that in a positive way, in that I have tried it, but it is not for me anymore, truthfully. -
Why do I want to stay on Class 2, when I am training to get my Class 1 in October.
This one throws me, as that is the mainstay of plant/skip work which relies on rigid lorries. As I want to follow that and the money is ok, why would I be concerned whether I have a trailer on the back? If anything the licence enables them to have some flexibility for certain work they may have to undertake, I would have thought?!
From all of these, one I get laughed out of the office and they were not interested - Never heard from again - Skips
Another was in general haulage - flatbed - with the possiblity of HIAB and Moffet training, impressed in the interviews but messed up the assessment drive - So was another thanks but no thanks.
Another was in general haulage - curtainsiders - impressed in the interviews but again someone more experienced came along on the final hour.
Two were in plant hire firms - Lost one because another came in with a HIAB ticket, fair enough. The other very recent was because the other was more experienced, even though I was told I was the only candidate to start?!
Based on the above and the stumbling blocks, should I drop the fact that I have a degree from the CV and try to forget the three years I was out of that employment history, as it was 10 years ago that I graduated!
Not sure how I can cover my current employment history though to stray away from current employment experience and only have the limited CV on the driving on weekends.
In essence to get a chance to drive full time now, should I jack all in that I am doing now. Go full commital to agency driving for a year (maybe longer if its as good as the weekend work currently) say and then approach companies for full time work again, having some more valid experience for them?
Maybe the month’s notice I have to give throws everyone off?
So would the agency work route help me with that side of things, as I understand that lorries can’t stand forever. Even though in three of those interviews, we knew the lorries had been standing idle for over a month before I came on the scene with my CV/application/interview!
I am currently training for my Class 1, FLT, HIAB and Moffett over the next six months (which should get my DCPC out of the way) to see if that will make me more employable.
Can’t think of any more things I can do now to make me more employable to date, so wondering what are employers really looking for in their drivers?
As at the moment when I get a chance to ask for feedback, I’m being told over the phone that I am coming across excellent in my interviews and as a person etc but I’ve either been replaced by people with a ticket or more experience?!
Thanks for reading and any help you can advise with regards to what employers are really looking for.
C