Slightly demoralized and puzzled too

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Well I have failed the C&E (Class 1) twice now and feel quite low about it. :frowning:
I forked out £869 for 20 hours training including test #1, and another £280 for a couple of hours including test #2. :open_mouth:

I am very puzzled with what I understand to be correct about the UK transport industry:
If the average age for LGV drivers is 55 and there is a terrible shortage of drivers, surely the writing is on the wall - that the severe driver shortage will get much worse than it is at present.

Most drivers I chat to tell me that the young people won’t come into this business because it is too hard and too expensive and the Class 1 test is so bloody hard to pass.

Surely there must be many companies who could assist people like me to get the Class 1 test pass, and fulfill a much-needed driving job.
There is a limit in finances for us, why isn’t there a government scheme to rectify this problem. There must be thousands of us needing financial help and a litlle bit of training to crack it.

I sat by the side of the M62 last week and made notes of what I perceived to be the ages of the Class 1 drivers and it was quite shocking to me. The guestimates were
55, 60, 65, 62, 58, 68, 50, 58, 60, 50, 28, 48, 55, 59, 54, 48, and so on

I suppose the only option I have is to try to find a C Class (Class 2) job with a company that can assist me to pass the Class 1.
If anyone has any leads in this regard, I would be very grateful to hear from you, either on this forum or privately to deepdiver42m@hotmail.com
I am in the Warrington, Manchester, Chester area.
Thanks for any assistance and for following feedback on this forum :slight_smile:

aposhark

2

People who say young people don’t want to come into the industry dont know what they’re talking about. I’m young, 21 years old and know several people who want to move into truck driving yet find it totally impossible to pay the sorts of money both me and you have recently, when we could very easily end up failing 1,2 or 10 tests if luck isn’t on our side. Then, if the stupid fools like me who pay all this money out, actually get as far as passing class 1, far from there being a shortage of drivers, there is a shortage of companies who will even aknowledge your existence. You can’t discriminate against Blacks or Asians or by nationality, or by ■■■ but anyone who’s under 25 is fair game to be stereotyped as some sort of unsafe driver. I passed my car test three years ago and have since driven in that 15-20k per year and until recently worked as a van driver going anywhere from Southampton to Glasgow doing thousands of miles per week, and yet, despite my age I have never had a single accident in anything I’ve driven, not so much as a bump of scratch so why is it I’m disciminated against? Simply being under 25 isn’t a good enough reason, any transport company or insurance company could easily check my record and see what I’ve just said is true. There are only two things stopping young people becoming truck drivers, they are the huge costs of training, about 3k for both classes now with the odd retest that most people will need on both classes and then you’ve got the “Must be 25 and above blah blah blah…” which appears on just about every job advert and if it doesn’t, its all you hear on the phone, so whats the point? Why would anyone apart from those like myself have a one track mind and want nothing else, spend three thousand pound to end up going back to the job they were originally doing.

Anyway…I’m off to Germany now (in my car) so I’ve got a week or so to forget about the absolute nightmare that is the process of becoming a truck driver nowadays.

3

:confused: Don’t understand this, I often see ads stating they will take on Class 2’s and help them through to class one. There’s probably a clause with it that you have to stay working for them for a year or so. But - how bad do you want it ■■

One that springs to mind is Clearstone. Quite a few agencies seem to advertise it too. :confused:

4

I don’t believe there is a driver shortage, if there was you wouldn’t see jobs paying around £6 / hour (or less) and asking for at least two year experience would you? As has been said before it appears that there are just too many transport companies out there and so a constant supply of labour is needed.

5

Sorry to hear you failed your 2nd class 1 test aposhark :frowning: .
I hope you can find away to carry on as you have come
this far and £280 pound Is lot cheaper than regretting
not having another attempt and down the line deciding
to have another go costing £869 pounds again. All the
best In whatever you choose to do :slight_smile: .

6

Convoy - thanks for the kind words

mrpj - It seems that there is a big shortage to me, but for Class 1’s.
There are signs up all over the country - I saw them doing Class 2 multi-drop.
Most drivers tell me there is a shortage too. :confused:

Dafmad - If you have any details of assisting Class 2 to 1, please let me know.
I have emailed Clearstone, awaiting reply. :open_mouth:

robinhood1984 - I really sympathise with your situation. Puts my worries in the shade. Guess being an old ■■■■ has some benefits then. Best of luck in your young quest. Keep on plugging away my friend :slight_smile:

7

DAFMAD:
One that springs to mind is Clearstone. Quite a few agencies seem to advertise it too. :confused:

Clearstone, if I remember correctly, is little more than ‘facilitator’.

They take your money and then point you towards a training company local to your area.

Use the search facility to look for any previous comments on their activities.

8

Not only is there a shortage of drivers but a major shortage of drivers that respect the industry and would be a credit to it like Robinhood and Aposhark. I am sorry that you are both facing so many problems. I am sorry you failed Aposhark, it is easy for us to say keep going and the decision must be yours but when you are sitting in your artic looking back at the trials and tribulations of your training the time will come when you wonder what the problem was. You both seem to want it enough so it will happen you may find it useful to enquire about companies like safeways and tesco’s even if you work in the warehouse for a few months. The experienced drivers have issues with these two but they have an exemplary record for supporting the new driver and are an excellent spring board to a career in driving. Not only do they have an active in house training scheme they also continue the support as you find your feet and hit the road. There are other members who have more information on state funding to assist with training. Good luck both. :wink:

9

Krankee - thanks for the tip :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Ladytrucker679 - thanks for the supportive words. :slight_smile:
Thanks for the tip regarding supermarkets.
The frustrating thing for me is that I would love to do weekends and/or nights out to boost up the savings. :unamused: Still gotta keep smiling :slight_smile:

10

Don’t quit mate, get you’re licence and you will have plenty of time to regret doing it in the first place. lol. :wink: :laughing: :laughing:

11

hi aposhark.
First of all sorry on your 2nd test result what did you fail on?
vigfan

12

Keep going lad’s,don’t let it slip out of your grasp.It’s so close now that you might regret not giving it one final push.

I’M sure that swift/christian salvessan do young driver trg.Give them a shout,i’m sure they have a depot in warrington area or mayby it’s leigh.good luck :wink:

13

Krankee:

DAFMAD:
One that springs to mind is Clearstone. Quite a few agencies seem to advertise it too. :confused:

Clearstone, if I remember correctly, is little more than ‘facilitator’.

They take your money and then point you towards a training company local to your area.

Use the search facility to look for any previous comments on their activities.

:confused: Strange seeings as they say they pay up to £550 a week for drivers, just find their website. They advertise on Job Centre plus too sometimes offering jobs. :slight_smile: PS I have nothing to do with them at all.

Just search on the internet Jobs and agencies in your area and as far as you’re willing to travel. I find them and I’m not looking for them.

14

Im sorry to knock your plug in when it has just been knocked in already by failing a test.

Most drivers I chat to tell me that the young people won’t come into this business because it is too hard and too expensive and the Class 1 test is so bloody hard to pass.

Im afraid that the young drivers i see only want to come into the industry if it means getting a new Scania topline or Gobstopper.

The reason you see all us old ■■■■■ doing the job, is that we were brought up by old fashioned hauliers, you have to earn your keep and your stripes.

Why would anyone give a new driver a vehicle worth in excess of £200.000 without any proof they can do the job.

It’s hard to say but you have to lower your sights a bit, Read some of David’s (Spardo) posts, read some of mine. I started driving a rigid caravan transporter, built to weigh less than 3 ton unladen. when I got a feel for the job and could find my way about, I was given a Ford D series with a 4 cylinder engine.

I had been driving Artics for 7 years before I was given a new lorry, and in my time I have only driven 3 brand new trucks.

When I took my HGV 1, I spent the same equivalent of money to pass my test. Wages were then around £50 per week and to pass a test was around £200.

That was a months wages, so dont feel badly done by

15

Got to agree with Wheel Nut on this one. I’m a relative newbie at 28 years old with 5 years under my belt, but even that recently I had to start at the bottom by saving to pay my way through then doing dodgy jobs with crap pay to get experience. I’ve earnt it back though, if you look at where I’d be if I hadn’t bothered.

To add to what he said, you have to accept that going into any career means starting at the bottom of the ladder. If you feel hard done by on the training costs, thank your lucky stars you didn’t want to be, say, a teacher. Indisputably vital and professional occupation, yet trainees run up thousends in debt getting through college and earning a degree, then there’s the actual teacher training course, then the dodgy jobs whilst they earn their "stripes. Ditto doctors only more so. Ditto nurses, even with the very paltry grant the government are giving. Ditto…you get the picture. :confused:

And no, the pay at their “bottom end” isn’t exactly great either. But then neither is that of the office junior who may just one day make MD. :wink:

16

:slight_smile: Along similar lines. I paid for my Class One training 18 years ago, passed first time, got to drive a few artics on the agency. But when I got my first job I was only let loose in Rigids to start with and got the occasional artic run when they needed an extra driver for Portakabins - wide load :open_mouth: Certainly never had a new truck, not even close. As has been said, you had to prove yourself.
My personal opinion, is that no-one should drive artics until they have done at least some rigid work. Start form the bottom and work your way up, you’ll get some valuable experience along the way. The chances of you getting that top of the range flash mega cab will improve with time and experience.
The amount of times I’ve seen even experienced drivers (so they try and tell me) go to connect up and can’t even manage that correctly is amazing. I could tell a few stories on that one. Here’s one, bloke older and more experienced than me, misses the pin twice in one week, smashes the back of the cab into the front of the trailer. His excuse ? - someone wound the legs down too far, - rubbish. I could say how to avoid that, but you have to learn it. :slight_smile:

17

I’m in the same boat, passed my class 1 quite recently. Getting a class 1 job is not as easy as I thought. All the companies that said “give us a call when you get your class 1” (I’d just passed the class 2 then) all backed down. sorry mate no vacancies.

I did 4 months with a tipper firm on rigids, driving some very dodgy motors. Some would say that that was not enough, however this was on the back of 6 years pcv driving.

I’ve recently gone over to an agency (that was reccommended by another t.net member in my area) and decided that to get the experience, i would have to travel further than I originally thought.

Even with this agency, i’ve had to have an assessment with our tm to see if i’m competent enough to be put up for class 1 work (This morning)

I’m just now waiting to see what comes up. I am not ready for one of the clients that they deal with yet, but I should get some night trunk work. Even then the first trip will probably be with another driver.

Despite all this, I am actually glad to go through all this because to many agencys send you out cold, and end up getting greif because the driver is not up to it.

As lucy says, the work will get better when I have PROVED myself. If that means I am back to driving ■■■■■■ vans to prove myself that is what I will and have done.

I’m not to bothered about the money side as long as I can pay the bills. If I was I have a coach driving job waiting for me anytime I want it. (I don’t)

Oh and by the way I’m 30, smack bang in the target age range.

Stick with it guys, it will be worth it in the end.

Sorry for the long post :slight_smile:

18

:confused: I wouldn’t worry about having to do assessments. Some places you might get to go insist on them no matter what experience any of us might have. :unamused:
Often assessed by someone with less experience and knowlege too. :imp:

19

vigfanbike - 2nd test fail was reversing, 1st test was gears - so it shows I’m supert consistent :confused:

kitkat - I have applied to Salvesen, hope they reply

DAFMAD - Clearstone phoned me today, said they could only sort training out for me at £999

Wheel Nut - I am not young and I don’t expect a new truck straight off. Passing the test would be a start for me :open_mouth: I have been doing Class 2 Multi-drop and also agency work, I believe I am at the bottom, but I ALWAYS look up :laughing: Thanks for thr comment though.

Lucy - Likwise answer above to Wheel Nut. The comparison to others in other types of work does not overly concern me. I want to be a driver, I am ambitious yet (I hope) level-headed enough to know I am on the bottom rung at the moment. :slight_smile: Thanks for thr comment though.

Semtex - Thanks to you too.

I will keep on plugging away and I am very grateful to all of you for taking the time to post comments. One day I would love to tell you I have passed C1.
I see artics every day, I can hook 'em up (I think :smiley: ) and think I am 75% there, I just can’t pass the bloody test :imp: I have noticed others passing the test - what a feeling that must be.
Maybe I will have to go into debt, I am just trying to weigh up all the options and I am asking as many questions as I can to artic drivers, to get a good grounding asap. I driver I talked with today told me the same about the shortage in 5-10 years when he and his mates will be gardening and golfing.
Another about a bloke who passed C1 on his 13th attempt - Hmmmm

20

Aposhark, my comment wasn’t directed at you personally but in General, although there are some who refuse to wear certain colours of clothing, drive to places they dont like, will not pull tilts, change wheels or have nights out.

Again this is a general post, but if the cap fits :stuck_out_tongue: eh!

As for Lucy’s analogy with Nurses and Doctors, I hope I get someone with a little bit of experience when I go in for brain surgery :smiley: