Thinking About A Career in LGV Driving

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hello,

As the heading says, I’m thinking about a career in LGV driving.
I’m unemployed at the moment and the expense of the training would
take a large amount of my savings. Because of this, I need to know that this
choice of career is the right one for me.

What I need to know, Is driving a LGV all it’s crack up to be?
I need to know the reality of driving a truck.
What are the good and bad points of LGV driving?

Do you have any say over what hours you work?
Does the tachograph cause any problems?
Does getting caught up in traffic jams cause problems (with deliveries)?
Do moden trucks come with air conditioning?

I’ll proberly think of more questions later, but these will do for now.
Thanks.

2

My advice is to forget it :exclamation:

Long hours (15hr days the norm), crap money (£6/hr for artic work seems to be the average for employed drivers from the top of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall), no respect from the general public (we’re just a nuisance), no decent facilites to get a wash, shower or decent meal at and most importantly as a newbie, you will spend your £2000 or however much it costs you to get your class 1 (artics, now called C+E) and then won’t be able to find a job anywhere because everyone wants you to be at least 25yrs old and have a minimum of 2yrs experience before they’ll even consider you.

Maybe harsh, but certainly true … :confused: Therefore, refer back to line 1 of this post :smiley: .

3

if you are thinking about it, chances are you will enjoy it. the hours can be long but that all depends on the job you are doing. LGV/HGV driving is a heading which covers a lot more than joe public could possibly imagine. you could be working 5 hours a day or 15 depending on the job. agency work is a good way to get your foot in the door and would provide an excellant insight into what is available.
as far as congestion goes, it can cause problems but not for everyone. i have had jobs where i am speeding all day just to complete the workload but my current job is exactly the opposite. no rush as long as i get the job done.
tachos only cause problems for those who purposely break the law and deservedly so.
air con is not a standard item in trucks. they would normally be found in the more expensive trucks which are used as a home at night for the driver.
it is actually quite difficult to explain why we love driving trucks. i think for most people it is a natural thing. for me certainly. i have always loved driving and as soon as i got out in a truck on my own, i knew that it was the job for me. if you enjoy being out on your own on the road, you will enjoy trucking. just you and the road ahead

4

Rob K:
My advice is to forget it :exclamation:

Long hours (15hr days the norm), crap money (£6/hr for artic work seems to be the average for employed drivers from the top of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall), no respect from the general public (we’re just a nuisance), no decent facilites to get a wash, shower or decent meal at and most importantly as a newbie, you will spend your £2000 or however much it costs you to get your class 1 (artics, now called C+E) and then won’t be able to find a job anywhere because everyone wants you to be at least 25yrs old and have a minimum of 2yrs experience before they’ll even consider you.

Maybe harsh, but certainly true … :confused: Therefore, refer back to line 1 of this post :smiley: .

I would agree with this based on my, admittedly limited, experience. I think it’s fair to say that unless you REALLY want to do it, it probably isn’t the career for you as the above is the reality of LGV driving.

5

Forgot to add, good luck if you do decide to do it :smiley:

6

mrpj:

Rob K:
My advice is to forget it :exclamation:

Long hours (15hr days the norm), crap money (£6/hr for artic work seems to be the average for employed drivers from the top of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall), no respect from the general public (we’re just a nuisance), no decent facilites to get a wash, shower or decent meal at and most importantly as a newbie, you will spend your £2000 or however much it costs you to get your class 1 (artics, now called C+E) and then won’t be able to find a job anywhere because everyone wants you to be at least 25yrs old and have a minimum of 2yrs experience before they’ll even consider you.

Maybe harsh, but certainly true … :confused: Therefore, refer back to line 1 of this post :smiley: .

I would agree with this based on my, admittedly limited, experience. I think it’s fair to say that unless you REALLY want to do it, it probably isn’t the career for you as the above is the reality of LGV driving.

PJ’s bits I’ve highlighted sum it up perfectly. Have a long, hard think about it and give yourself the honest answer and go along with whatever that answer is :bulb: .

7

Welcome to TruckNet UK paulm10 and good luck
if you do decide to do it :smiley: . Did you pass your car test
before January 1997 because if so you will have
entitlement to drive 7 1/2 ton trucks giving you experience
of the industry and tachographs and if you sign up with
a agency they might pay for further training but probably
with a 2 year contract clause. You could look for funding
or a young drivers scheme possibly.

8

Good point convoy, if you can drive a 7.5 t it’s worth trying to get some experience in the industry.

9

I drive class 2 (LGV C) for a timber merchant, 38.5 hours a week, £6.50 an hour.

No hassle, no rush, no worry. Anywhere between two and ten drops a day, average 5 or 6 and all local. It’s not all max hours and arse chasing.

I love it, but it took a while to find the right job.

Agencies are good for a foot in the door, but in the long term they are generally two faced blood suckers.

10

as you are unemployed, you may be in a position to get your training for free; some companies do all the training and test for free, if you agree to work for them for a minimum set period of time (probably 24 months). The plus is that it is free, the minus is that you may be stuck in a job you don’t like (or have to pay if you leave).

It does depen on who you work for, and what kind of work you do as to how ‘hassly’ it is - but the most pressure you can put on yourself comes from yourself. At our place if the schedulers say ‘its a rush job, curfew at 10pm’ or whatever, I’ll just say ‘i’ll get there as quickly as I can, safely and legally’ then head out of the door, then you have told them and so no pressure on you!

If you like being on your own a lot, and like a challenge then it could be for you. If you like routine and like to get home at a set time every day then maybe not.

good luck

Simon

ps. I love it :smiley:

11

Welcome to trucknet m8.You have read the replies that you got now the choice is your’s.We can’t and will not tell you to do anything.You need to sit down and really think is it worth spending x amount of £££££££££££’s on this career move.Yes it’s the best job in the world when the sun is out running down the road,but when it’s pouring down with rain,gale force wind ,snow and ice etc,getting up at all hour’s of the night just to keep some irate customer happy,and when you get there they make you sit and wait for hour’s after they have given you a book in time.Your just a number in this game,especially with the bigger company’s.Good luck in whatever you decide to do. :wink:

12

Hello,

Thank you for all your replies. It’s certainly a lot to think about.
Maybe I should’ve mentioned that I was referring to a class II (C) license.
I don’t know if this will alter the advice or not. :question:

As the driver spends most of his (or her) time in the cab, I’m surprised about
the lack of air con in most lorries.

I DO like being alone a lot so the job would suit me in that aspect but
if the pay is low and the hours are very long! :frowning: :confused:

I’ll have to give it some more serious thought.

13

Hello paulm & welcome to TNUK.

I think the answer to your question is variable.
If you are thinking of paying out about £1,000 of your own money as it’s a job you think you may like then forget it, the hours are mostly very long, the work conditions are mostly poor & the wage is a joke & you’ll probably hate it.
But if being an HGV driver is what you really, really want & it’s that more than the job, then yes go for it.
There are some good jobs out there, you’ll have to look ( & hard) but they are there & despite everything thats wrong with this job like most of us you will probably love the job.

14

would it be possible to get out in a truck as a mate for a day on agency? at least you could get an insight from experiencing the job yourself and you would have a driver to chat to about it. :bulb:

15

Truck driving is not like a normal factory or office job, and it isn’t a way to get rich, although based in Watford you should be able to get more than the national average.
The hours are longer then most jobs, but then many people who do a 9 hours day spend several hours commuting, which is unpaid time and they are using their own vehicle, or worse public transport and it’s costing them.
People keep saying work for the agencies, but you can try and knock on doors as there are hauliers who will prefer to take on an keen novice. However they are normally the smaller hauliers, so the pay will be lower and the truck might not be the latest thing.
Air con is becoming more common, but it’s not the norm except maybe on distance work.
Congestion is a part of life, if you are stuck in it whats the point in stressing about a delivery, won’t get you there any faster. Phone the office and tell them, they’ll curse, but don’t take it personally. :wink:
Loads of regulation dealling with haulage and you will be told many versions, so it’s best to read up yourself and ask on this forum were you’ll soon find out the truth.
If asked to bend the rules say no, once a company know they can push you they’ll keep doing it, if they know you’ll do the job within the regs they won’t ask you to break them.

16

paulm10:
I DO like being alone a lot so the job would suit me in that aspect but
if the pay is low and the hours are very long! :frowning: :confused:

I’ll have to give it some more serious thought.

It depends, I drive a concrete mixer… 7 am to 5 pm (ish) no nights out & no real hard work. Ok you have to get the truck in some pretty tight spaces but it’s a doddle after a bit of practice & thats about it!! I grossed £500 for 52 hours last week :open_mouth:

17

Paul, one big thing to take on board: Your asking about starting a career in HGV driving. Sometimes to get a foot in the door, you have to take a slightly lower paid job with a not so shiny motor to get on. These will, most certainly not have air conditioning. The first vehicle I drove virtually needed refilling with oil at the end of the day, was probably an unroadworthy scrap heap and I was happy to drive it, but I didn’t know any better. I was earning and learning. 3 years (total class 1 & 2) and lots of stress later, I’m now running a year old Mercades Wagon & Drag/DAF CF artic with all mod cons and have finally found that elusive decent job.

If you want a good idea of the reality of truck driving, then have a read around the forums :wink:. Their are lots of different areas in driving, just find one that suits yourself.

I do have a say over what hours I work to a certain extent, but I can’t pick and choose. However, if those hours were to breach drivers hours law, then I would walk, if the problem wasn’t sorted and go somewhere else. After all, it’s my licence and my livleyhood at stake. As it is, I can’t see that happening where I am as the runs are reasonably well planned (famous last words).

The tacho doesn’t cause problems (well not for me anyway), if I can’t do it, I can’t do it and that’s that it as far as I’m concerned.

Getting stuck in a jam can and does cause problems, but mostly, with the aid of the traffic bullitin and a good map/bit of cunning, this can be avoided (I say mostly). Also you develop an affinity for these things with a bit of experience. For instance, most mornings, I could safely say J11 - 7 of the M1 will have heavy traffic.

I couldn’t say weather you’d like driving or not, but I love the independance I get from it. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.

Would it be worth asking the Jobcentre for help with your training? They may have something somewhere, go and hassle them, make a nuisance of yourself :wink:. Also their’s a link at the top of the forum entitled - funding for training, it could be you. This may interest you :wink:.

Good luck and feel free to ask away with questions.

Hope this helps.

18

Hello Everyone I’m Steve,

I’m also thinking about a career as a LGV driver, and have found your views about the job useful in deciding to shell out for training… :confused:

I have a few questions also:-

What about new EC legislation coming in? Are you limited to the amount of money you can earn? Ive seen jobs in the paper offering £22000 a year for nightshifts!? This is excellent money where I live - Corby, Northants.

I’m 28 been mincing around in offices/factories for the past 4 years after Uni - get peanuts for doing this and can t see my money going up much. Driving seems straight forward though, the independance of the job appeals to me more then anything.

Do you think the shortage of drivers means wages will go up like the construction industry for plumbers? why is it people dont drive? Is there competition from cheap labour? Some thing under foot?

Anyway let me know what you think. :smiley:

19

Welcome to TruckNet UK motorhead77 :smiley:

20

motorhead77:
Hello Everyone I’m Steve,

I’m also thinking about a career as a LGV driver, and have found your views about the job useful in deciding to shell out for training… :confused:

I have a few questions also:-

What about new EC legislation coming in? Are you limited to the amount of money you can earn? Ive seen jobs in the paper offering £22000 a year for nightshifts!? This is excellent money where I live - Corby, Northants.

I’m 28 been mincing around in offices/factories for the past 4 years after Uni - get peanuts for doing this and can t see my money going up much. Driving seems straight forward though, the independance of the job appeals to me more then anything.

Do you think the shortage of drivers means wages will go up like the construction industry for plumbers? why is it people dont drive? Is there competition from cheap labour? Some thing under foot?

Anyway let me know what you think. :smiley:

Hello there Steve,im 29 got my class 1 and went trucking,i’ve always wanted to do it,so I got on alright with it.I drove for 7 months on containers and had to give it up 2 months ago and go back to construction due to another sprog on the way.I worked away Mon-Fri which suited me as I quite like the independance like you say but also my own company.Dont get me wrong I like having my family,but I appreciate that life more at weekends,because I was away all week.I hope to go back within a year
A lot of people on here will tell you Its low wages for long hours,but for the past 10 years I have worked over 60 hrs anyway so doing pretty much the same on trucks was no hardship for me,also I was taking over £400 a week inc night out money which to me aint bad at all,but like I say I was away all week,you’re not going to earn as much just doing days or nights,i think it just depends on what type of work you want to do and which firm you work for.
If it interests you and you like you’re own company go for it,but if there are any doubts,its not worth forking out the best part of 2 grand to get your licences :wink: Its not quite as easy as it may appear
Im sure you will get more replies with different advice from the others,i hope this has helped,
All the best :slight_smile: :slight_smile: