This is the reply since passing my class 1,now,I’ve not just passed my class 2 and then my one.I’ve been driving a 32 ton,4 axle concrete mixer for 2 years,and passed my 1 on sat’day.As far as i am concerned the artic was easyer to drive than my truck,yet NOBODY will take that in to account■■?
If i went to a agency,i would be working tomorrow,so if they can insure me,why carn’t any company■■?.
smallp:
This is the reply since passing my class 1,now,I’ve not just passed my class 2 and then my one.I’ve been driving a 32 ton,4 axle concrete mixer for 2 years,and passed my 1 on sat’day.As far as i am concerned the artic was easyer to drive than my truck,yet NOBODY will take that in to account■■?
If i went to a agency,i would be working tomorrow,so if they can insure me,why carn’t any company■■?.
After being on the concrete truck its well known that you drivers get set in your ways!!
sorry to hear about your difficulty with finding a fim
but ,this may be due to the type of insureance
that the company has,and if the insureance
states only drivers with two(2) years experience
then ,this is the rule he has to follow,Have you tried
WILLI-BETZ UK , STOBARTS; HOYER; thebigger the firm
then normaly they are willing to take on newer drivers,
keep on looking and asking,you will get a firm it just takes a while.
I think you will find most agencies ask for 2 yrs too i’m afraid.They do around here anyway. It’s because the agency client demands it for insurance purposes. The above post about bigger firms is a good call. Good luck and let us know the outcome…Shade
Mike-C:
After being on the concrete truck its well known that you drivers get set in your ways!!
shade:
I think you will find most agencies ask for 2 yrs too i’m afraid.They do around here anyway. It’s because the agency client demands it for insurance purposes.
Must depend where you live, in the Midlands I have never had a problem getting agency work and signed on with about 4 agencies…
G
I took on a driver last November who had less than 2 years exp, he had driven class 2 for the previous 2 years and had held his class 1 for 10 months. I spoke to my insurance broker they covered him no problem although it cost a bit extra on my premium. He has turned out to be a excellent driver and even though he is only 26 with limited experience he has caused me no problems at all. Just one word of advice Smallp if you came to me for a job and stated how artics were easier to drive then 8 wheelers even though you had just passed your test and had no real on the road experience to back up your claim it would put me off straight away and i’d show you the door, it makes you seem like a " Know it all " so maybe drop that particular approach. 
Keep on trying different agencies. You WILL find some that will give you a whirl, especially as we’re heading towards the (alleged) busy period now too.
In reply to R143-500,
I wasn’t stating that i am a better class1 driver as i haven’t had that experince,WHAT i was saying was that i found driving my 8 wheeler harder than a artic,simply because, how many artics have 24 ton load spinning round in the back?,how many artics can lose there load out the back if you 1. mis-judge corners.
2.mis-judge a hill.
3.miss a gear.
ect…ect…
My last post wasn’t a “i am better than you” post,it was a gripe at companys who want all this experince.
smallp:
My last post wasn’t a “i am better than you” post,it was a gripe at companys who want all this experince.
You’re just understandably keen and frustrated. You’ll get there, not as fast as you want to but get there you will!! Just gotta keep tryin thats all.
I cant blame firms for not wanting to take drivers on with less than two years under their belts because the whole insurance thing has become a nightmare now and I doubt theres a single person on here who could genuinely put their hand on their hearts and say that they didnt make some pretty stupid mistakes when they were had a bright green licence. Its such a steep learning curve, things like estimating whether your wagon will spin round in that particular space and the like only come with experience and thats expected and how it should be. I shudder when I think of some of the things I have done and nearly done. I was lucky and got away with most of them. Small bangs often cost fortunes in increased premiums, compensation claims and the like.
Trouble now is that some firms think nothing of putting a new driver out in a brand new top line scania with a full workload from day one and its wrong. You used to get the yard dog and easy loads and often buddied up with a old hand. You then made your mistakes and worked your way up gradually.
keep at it though mate, its a constant winge from new drivers but I understand the frustration and everyone makes it in the end as long as they dont totally nause it up.
As it turns out i have just got a job with taylor jones logistics,driving a brand new volvo fh12 globetrotter,no prob’s as far as insurance goes■■?,also had a interview with another bigish company,no problem with them about insuring a “new driver”
So glad to hear that you have found a firm all the best
and yes we would like to know how it going so please
keep on posting how its all going,
from some one who is a beginner as well take it easy the first couple of weeks.
I have survived my first 3 months with my artic. 45’ long trailer on a long ish prime mover doing work in and around the city. a few slight scrapes. and bumped curbs in the first few weeks. now its falling into place. I wont rush back in to a rigid after learning what an artic can do.
meggala