Still no job :-(

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

Kwikfit:
I wouldn’t try and wing it, you defiantly don’t sound confident/arrogant enough to pull it off (no disrespect mate). Me like many others here having winged and bullshited our way through various jobs, BUT, did it before H/S and all the other gestapo organisations had got up to speed on how to catch us easily lol

Got to ask, if you’ve got the opportunity to take a start at Stobbies even if its shifts you don’t want you’ve only got to do six months or more to then move on ■■

As my old man kept telling me (and it does ring true 30 years on) ‘’ We all have to do jobs we hate from time to time…‘’

I agree with you as i dont know the industry/job well enough yet.

I email the HR to update me on the current positions so i’ll wait up. Doing nights/tramping will be difficult for me. It’s the position im in.

22

ibby730d:
I’m in Sheffield by the way.

Will drive for up to an hour (about 50 miles)

But it’s come to a point where im thinking of stretching that to 1.5/2 hours for experience more than pay.

It’s worth looking further away just to get experience, once your in somewhere it can open other doors.
Jan-march is basically dead.
With agency’s don’t just join them and wait for the call you gotta pester them daily until you get something, take even Van work if it’s offered just to start.
Got any recycling/waste yards around? Go knocking they will normally take newbies because nobody wants to do it, just find out which agency they use.
I found that asking for the ■■■■ jobs that nobody wants through agency quickly got me working for them even when I had no experience, multi drop, skips, builders merchants, bins… You just need 1 shift to start don’t ■■■■ it up and away you go [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

23

Kwikfit:
I wouldn’t try and wing it, you defiantly don’t sound confident/arrogant enough to pull it off (no disrespect mate). Me like many others here having winged and bullshited our way through various jobs, BUT, did it before H/S and all the other gestapo organisations had got up to speed on how to catch us easily lol

Got to ask, if you’ve got the opportunity to take a start at Stobbies even if its shifts you don’t want you’ve only got to do six months or more to then move on ■■

As my old man kept telling me (and it does ring true 30 years on) ‘’ We all have to do jobs we hate from time to time…‘’

I would agree with this, I have winged it in the past but if you’re jumping straight into class 1 with not even rigid experience it’s a steep learning curve and these days with all the camera’s and monitoring and digital tachograph it’s very easy to get caught out don’t risk it.
Agency is the way keep annoying them till you get something.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

24

You will probably get your first job with an agency. Register with every agency in your vicinity. There is no driver shortage by the way. Lots of folk get a start on tippers and skips. You have to expect to do the dirtier jobs first.

25

It’s best to go direct.

Tesco are recruiting HGV Class 1 drivers in Wakefield. They will probably send you out with an experienced driver for the first 5 days.

apply.tesco-careers.com/members … ign=Indeed

It looks like it’s 4 days on 3 days off, so a good work life balance.

26

ibby730d:
I’m in Sheffield by the way.

Will drive for up to an hour (about 50 miles)

But it’s come to a point where im thinking of stretching that to 1.5/2 hours for experience more than pay.

Maritime @ Doncaster Iport - phone them

Newell & Wright @ Rotherham just along from Tinsley - go visit them

Shepherd Distribution - go visit them

Agency wise, Talstaff will get a job with no experience at South Elmsall

Taskmaster should be able to get you in places

Wincanton on the concrete mixers is another option

27

Don’t Wincanton have a yard at that little truckstop near Sheffield. Sorry bit sketchy but they were always good for new starts.

28

I feel your pain. I was in a similar boat. You have to treat agencies like the lying so and so’s they are. Make a real pain of yourself no matter how many times you get fobbed off. Also be as flexible as you can be. I swore blind I would never use an umbrella company again (once was enough with those thieving gits). But I have swallowed my pride and now have some 7.5 work I only have to put up with it for 13 weeks then I have the chance of being taken on directly. Incidentally I am working for a company that the same recruitment agency told me they wouldn’t take new passes so just because you have been told that blogs wants experience don’t be frightened to apply for other jobs with them.

Try and find an agency that is for drivers rather than a general one that promises jobs from bubble blowers to brain surgeons. Usually they don’t deal with hgv work they just see an advert and pretend its their own on the hopes the company will use them.

As said try the supermarkets direct I don’t know what depo’s are near you but all the ones around here have signs on the back of their waggons stating drivers wanted.

29

Jimmy McNulty:

ibby730d:
I’m in Sheffield by the way.

Will drive for up to an hour (about 50 miles)

But it’s come to a point where im thinking of stretching that to 1.5/2 hours for experience more than pay.

Maritime @ Doncaster Iport - phone them

Newell & Wright @ Rotherham just along from Tinsley - go visit them

Shepherd Distribution - go visit them

Agency wise, Talstaff will get a job with no experience at South Elmsall

Taskmaster should be able to get you in places

Wincanton on the concrete mixers is another option

I will check those out. I applied for a class 2 at Shepherd but havent heard anything.

When you say visit them, who should i see? or just pop CV over at the receptionist?

I’ve never gone direct without applying with CV first and hearing back from them in regards to next step.

30

carlston49:
It’s best to go direct.

Tesco are recruiting HGV Class 1 drivers in Wakefield. They will probably send you out with an experienced driver for the first 5 days.

apply.tesco-careers.com/members … ign=Indeed

It looks like it’s 4 days on 3 days off, so a good work life balance.

Just applied. Many thanks for that bud.

31

As much as it probably worked years ago, saying you’ve got 6 months experience will fall flat when they look at your tacho card and it shows zip. Remember it goes back a long long way. Plus it might burn future bridges.

My first one took 6 months to get and I only had it 2 months, but once you’ve learned straps, chains, tacho ops etc the agencies will be fighting for you. Admittedly it’ll be 4am phone calls but it’s a start.

Would defo accept 7.5T work as that gives you genuine experience of a large vehicle without jumping to artic which is a heck of a beast when theres no instructor beside you! Even if its fulltime, it counts towards your experience… then go class 2, then class 1. Skips are a good class 2 option.

If you lie and state you’ve driven artics when the last time was on your test, you will get into problems. 7.5T and class 2 are fudgeable if you’ve driven a van. Artic isn’t.

Btw, its the same with most job types - hard to get a footing but once you’ve got one and you’re above all the other people who’ve not done it.

(Now I’ll have to suffer the old schoolers calling me a wimp or maybe even a yes-man {shudder} :open_mouth: :smiley: ).

32

you say a month since you passed how have you been spending that time? if its just an hour a day applying thats not a busy day. iv learned that if im ever in a bind over something the way thru it is get busy . a busy body creates ideas , set yourself little challenges ,one might be to walk in to a truck company office and not leave for an hour. if the office girl brushes you off start talking to that guy pushing a broom , its suprising what can come of small challenges

33

trevHCS:
As much as it probably worked years ago, saying you’ve got 6 months experience will fall flat when they look at your tacho card and it shows zip. Remember it goes back a long long way. Plus it might burn future bridges…
Would defo accept 7.5T work as that gives you genuine experience of a large vehicle…
…

All of Trev’s post was good but especially those bits.
Keep trying. Normally quiet at this time of year etc all true too.
Foot in the door is difficult, but it’ll work eventually. [emoji3]

34

ibby730d:

carlston49:
It’s best to go direct.

Tesco are recruiting HGV Class 1 drivers in Wakefield. They will probably send you out with an experienced driver for the first 5 days.

apply.tesco-careers.com/members … ign=Indeed

It looks like it’s 4 days on 3 days off, so a good work life balance.

Just applied. Many thanks for that bud.

That’s the one stop shops you will be delivering too,they are owned by Tesco.
Very very hard work ■■■■■■■ cages about but the money looks good.
I applied when it first opened and went through 3 different interviews and told I’d got in but then got a phone call to say I hadn’t as I needed over 10 year experience :smiley: at the time I had 13 years…the whole thing was a complete waste of my time

35

trevHCS:
As much as it probably worked years ago, saying you’ve got 6 months experience will fall flat when they look at your tacho card and it shows zip. Remember it goes back a long long way. Plus it might burn future bridges.

My first one took 6 months to get and I only had it 2 months, but once you’ve learned straps, chains, tacho ops etc the agencies will be fighting for you. Admittedly it’ll be 4am phone calls but it’s a start.

Would defo accept 7.5T work as that gives you genuine experience of a large vehicle without jumping to artic which is a heck of a beast when theres no instructor beside you! Even if its fulltime, it counts towards your experience… then go class 2, then class 1. Skips are a good class 2 option.

If you lie and state you’ve driven artics when the last time was on your test, you will get into problems. 7.5T and class 2 are fudgeable if you’ve driven a van. Artic isn’t.

Btw, its the same with most job types - hard to get a footing but once you’ve got one and you’re above all the other people who’ve not done it.

(Now I’ll have to suffer the old schoolers calling me a wimp or maybe even a yes-man {shudder} :open_mouth: :smiley: ).

No not at all mate, you make a valid point tbf.
It would work if it was merely a limited experienced driver who could not get a job, but as you said no record on his digi card so no go…yet nother avenue of opportunity shut off by modern tech. :unamused:
Tbf I did say last resort, my motto is…
‘If at first you don’t succeed get out the dirty tricks book and cheat the ■■■■ s’ :laughing:

36

My humble advice…

Give google a good spanking if not already an search out as many firms as you can in the desired areas, use key words like livestock, groupage, waste, feeds, and look at firms who do their own work, as those will chuck up oddballs…[emoji6]

Then, if possible pack a bag with all your driving accessories an go smash doors in mate, and while your hunting cast your eyes about for those firms who don’t have a booming social media profile as they do still exist, sadly your dhl/tesco will still use poxy online recruitment so in that case just keep your CV brief, last 3yrs history an forget the rest till interview time.

Another oddball tactic I use is, if possible head for the local lorry parks/busy service areas/docks/distribution sites anything busy an see which firms are in/out…
Note the names and have a mooch while your sat [emoji6]

I do the latter alot, ■■■■ the funny looks lol, and it’s how I’ve gotten leads to jobs, ask a driver, an OWE em a coffee either way as you never know who’s tossed you a bone, and to me that’s the way it should be, I’ve paid many back so far, only a couple to go [emoji106]

Plus my youngest boy loves wagons so he enjoys an hour of spotting too… (aaaand yes esp the eddies bt3)… [emoji16][emoji16]

Stobarts seem very mixed at the moment, if they’re messing about as has been mentioned on here then it shows the shortage ain’t real as we all know, so again just bang a cv in an see.
Maritime want 2yrs 99% time so I’d save yourself the arse ache there, unless they’ve a depot near you can walk into an beg at(or friendly driver is found who may ping you a clue[emoji6]).

Agency’s of no interest to me as I need guaranteed money, but if you can work it then go for it, just don’t lie about experience, ain’t worth the stress as its your arse if ■■■■ goes south.

I’m in the same boat as you so all I can say is keep the faith an keep plugging away, ooooooor last ditch here, contemplate move… (insert European choice)… take hgv test, drive for couple days, move back, bingos I drive truck as have euro experienced, best driver uk have, plus you’ll get a twang in your native note tooo, win winski at all but even the hardest of UK haulage firms…
If you believe the rumours… [emoji38][emoji16]

Good luck man [emoji109][emoji109]

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

37

Jimmy McNulty:
Agency wise, Talstaff will get a job with no experience at South Elmsall

There’s a reason…

Anyone can get work there, it’s because it’s in the middle of bleedin’ nowhere. There’s no way I’d be driving from Sheffield and back for what might possibly turn out to be a poorly paid 8 hour shift. You’d be spending the lot on fuel.

38

What Benjie said. Go and knock on some doors of some smaller companies and have a copy of your CV to leave. Look smart, be polite, you never know where it will go.

Until I retired I ran a small firm and we took new passes on and not through desperation, we didnt even advertise. Some of the smaller companies are more flexible.

Personally I wouldn’t lie. I didnt lie to my drivers and I expected the same back.

39

yourhavingalarf:

Jimmy McNulty:
Agency wise, Talstaff will get a job with no experience at South Elmsall

There’s a reason…

Anyone can get work there, it’s because it’s in the middle of bleedin’ nowhere. There’s no way I’d be driving from Sheffield and back for what might possibly turn out to be a poorly paid 8 hour shift. You’d be spending the lot on fuel.

I know they can, that’s why I suggested it and the OP is looking for time on his card and they will take anyone with a pulse and a driving licence.

The OP is also looking to drive up to 1.5 hours. South Elmsall is 40 minutes away from Sheffield

40

Jimmy McNulty:
South Elmsall is 40 minutes away from Sheffield

Yeh, you’re right…

My bad, for some reason I had Sherburn in Elmet lodged in what’s left of my brain.

when you get to my age