Its ok everyone wants to get there class one licence, as soon as they have passed there class two, but the fact remains that most employers want 2yrs experiance for class one.
You really think that a haulage firms are going to entrust a newbie with a £100.000 tractor unit and pay any additional insurance premium.
I think some of us need to re think what we are doing and what additional training that we are considering.
I would recommend that anyone with a class two licence, to get some road experiance before looking at paying out anymore to get a class one licence.
To many newbies think that once they have a class one, then they are going to drift into a job straight away, considering also there are plenty on drivers with more than the 2 yrs that most company want.
Also what is the true and correct salary for the classes of licence, I believe that for class two, a minimum of 25k and for a class one a minimum of 29k
It’s the insurance that’s the killer. Then again, these bosses that turn you down for lack of experience are just as likely to get you right back on the agency again anyway because that’s the only way to get experience…
And if £25K is average on class 2, I want to know where! I was lucky to get anywhere close to that! 5 years working, and the only times I was any even close was a night shift job, and tramping pre WTD with the 60+ hour weeks and night out money thrown in to make it over 20K…
And £29K on class 1? take a few grand off that mate and you may get close… 23-24 would be closer to the mark round here, less in some places further north.
I think some of us need to re think what we are doing and what additional training that we are considering.
I would recommend that anyone with a class two licence, to get some road experiance before looking at paying out anymore to get a class one licence.
THAT is also my viewpoint as an instructor but others say that ‘you are in training mode’ and it is best to do both ASAP.
It is a personal choice as to which way you get both licences but please note the quoted views - they make good logical and economical sense IMO