Hi all, can anybody give me the pros and cons of getting the class 1
Started off on transits 7 years ago, got my c1 back in 2010 and class 2 a year after, I earn decent money at present.
Been speaking with some class 1 guys who say they are only on £8.50- £9 an hour, I already earn £10
Monday Friday
Easy days mostly and local runs, is the class 1 really worth it?
Only if you can get someone else to pay for it,otherwise spend your money on something you’ll enjoy I:E women and booze.
Too many variables, where you live, the type of work you want or can do, the hours and days you want to work, if you’re happy doing what you are now and it’s secure and you can live on it why change.
Class 1 varies from the figures you’ve mentioned at one end to blokes i know who are on salary but average (on nights) between 20 and 25 an hour across the board for every hour they spend at work, with as many variations between those figures as you could imagine.
Class 1 gives you more opportunities to earn, whether you get the chance to take advantage of them is another question entirely, if you haven’t got the licence you definately won’t.
Its a natural progression for you, do you want to do it?
To be honest I would like too, but as at present I have a young family I wouldn’t want to work away long (odd night would be fine) but I couldn’t be working every hour under the sun.
Seems a natural progression as I started on a van but the cost is high, perhaps in a few years I’ll make the jump 
Crane-boy:
To be honest I would like too, but as at present I have a young family I wouldn’t want to work away long (odd night would be fine) but I couldn’t be working every hour under the sun.
Seems a natural progression as I started on a van but the cost is high, perhaps in a few years I’ll make the jump
Think in your posts mate you are answering the questions your self. £10 ph class 2 is pretty good. I’ve been looking for both classes of work for many a month now and that sort of money, easy work and no nights out. Where are you? Any jobs going?? Class1 you might end up getting more money but the grass isn’t always greener. Better the devil you know etc
Crane-boy:
To be honest I would like too, but as at present I have a young family I wouldn’t want to work away long (odd night would be fine) but I couldn’t be working every hour under the sun.
Seems a natural progression as I started on a van but the cost is high, perhaps in a few years I’ll make the jump
If you can raise your family on your present wage and you’ve got a family life and a sound relationship, then my advice to you is stay exactly where you are and enjoy life, if you find an odd £grand hidden down the back of the sofa then by all means take the test but just sit on it, one day a decent well paid day job class 1 might come your way, if it does bite their arm off.
Juddian:
Crane-boy:
To be honest I would like too, but as at present I have a young family I wouldn’t want to work away long (odd night would be fine) but I couldn’t be working every hour under the sun.
Seems a natural progression as I started on a van but the cost is high, perhaps in a few years I’ll make the jumpIf you can raise your family on your present wage and you’ve got a family life and a sound relationship, then my advice to you is stay exactly where you are and enjoy life, if you find an odd £grand hidden down the back of the sofa then by all means take the test but just sit on it, one day a decent well paid day job class 1 might come your way, if it does bite their arm off.
+1
charger:
spend your money on something you’ll enjoy I:E women and booze.
+1[emoji16]
Crane-boy:
Hi all, can anybody give me the pros and cons of getting the class 1
Started off on transits 7 years ago, got my c1 back in 2010 and class 2 a year after, I earn decent money at present.
Been speaking with some class 1 guys who say they are only on £8.50- £9 an hour, I already earn £10
Monday Friday
Easy days mostly and local runs, is the class 1 really worth it?
Pros:
- No local multidrop
- No local multidrop
- No local multidrop
- No local multi drop and
- No local multidrop.
I’d suggest you stay as you are.
If you’ve got the urge to drive an artic, do your test anyway. Your situation might change in the future
So how many deliveries and pickups do you have to achieve in 1hr / per day to earn £10 per hr… most of the parcel couriers cant manage that rate…
But as Paul has already stated suggest you stay as you are.
If you like charity work go for it.
2 years experience bull will come into play once passed ! can you afford the wait
Depends what you want to do?
A mate drives for a well known high street retailer on LGV C+E and drags & drops.
Drops a full trailer & picks up an empty one easy and no hassle unloading.
Finds the job the best he has and only being doing it 9 months since upping licence.
But LGV C offers plenty of work & if you add Lorry Loader or ADR more doors open!
For what you pay to go from C to C+E you could do Lorry Loader & perhaps ADR.
And yes of course LGV C+E holders are the gods of the road as they keep telling people! 
I’ve had C&E for years but seldom use it, as very few of them are daywork only jobs. I’d rather be cuddled up with my woman every night, watch tv on a 42" screen, make a fuss of my hounds and sleep in a proper bed.
I tend to specialise in tippers, and steel deliveries (and the odd sewage tanker) within a sixty mile radius, all rigids and comfortably earn over £500 week through the agencies. Hourly rate usually around the £10 to £11 mark, but the catch22 is you have to be experienced in those. Years ago people would train you, but not now. Yep I get dusty and dirty sometimes, but at least I don’t have to doss out in laybys. Driving a truck is just a job, it all depends what you want out of it?
I passed my class two, well class three near thirty years ago, landed this job a few years ago and happy as it’s a good firm and not stressed and I am paid just a smidgen under the class one drivers.
but the spoiler is they have graciously asked would I mind taking my class 1, I told them not a problem a tad more money (nothing an hour or two on the time sheet on sort)and at their expense ad time, they agreed, just waiting for officialdom to grind it’s gears.
I am happy class 2 but at least it’s another feather in my feather hat colection kimusabi 
It all depends on what you want out of life, if you’re happy at present but curious then have a go, it’s really not that hard to pass the test but the expense is high.
As for the work then it’s just a case of what suits you. I’ve worked for all sorts of companies since I started,some good, some bad, some I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to, well maybe my worst but that’s all. It’s not all nights out sleeping in pish stinking lay-bys, unless that’s what you fancy of course, there are plenty of day jobs, or night jobs or afternoon jobs, again it’s what suits.
The pay will depend of what the going rate is around your area, your current pay would suggest it would be ok but again, it depends on what you’re doing.
Depends on your age as well I think. People will say its only a pound a hour more on artics but if like me you started driving lorries at 21yrs old I think I should recoup that extra 1k I spent on training before I retire.
Crane-boy:
To be honest I would like too, but as at present I have a young family I wouldn’t want to work away long (odd night would be fine) but I couldn’t be working every hour under the sun.
Seems a natural progression as I started on a van but the cost is high, perhaps in a few years I’ll make the jump
not every class 1 job is nights out.i’ve only done 4 in 36 years.only do 48 hrs per week on average as well.