I have an interview Saturday for class 2 vacuum tanker work. I have only experience in Class 1 curtainsiders and fridges.
As far as I know it is wet waste and cesspits.
Any help for the interview would be appreciated as I really need this job.
Thanks lads and lasses
Be honest about your lack of experience, let them know you’re keen to learn, don’t seem desperate though, and tell them that you’ll always take your gloves off before you eat your sandwiches!
I work in the brown" industry 
- it’s not rocket science really, as long as you have common sense and don’t mind the smell of waste the job is straightforward enough.
Lack of experience shouldn’t be a problem - things I would mention at interview would include:
quick to learn new skills like operating the tanker
good knowledge of local area, makes it easier to find domestic customers in the back of beyond
people skills - helps to have banter with the customers (tips are a regular thing)
able to take initiative - you could be sent to find a septic tank in the middle of a field, nobody on site to help you or no-one who even knows where to find it or what to look for
physically fit - could be hauling suction hoses over fields etc
happy to work in all weathers - you are likely to do a fair bit of grafting while emptying the tanks and not a lot will be indoors for obvious reasons
Good luck with the interview!
After being made redundant in 05 I went into that game, mainly drainage, with no idea of the job whatsoever, I only applied as my drain was blocked & got a company to come & clear it. I ended up doing it for six years until the call of the road got too strong. If the company is anything like the ones I came across I wouldn’t worry about a lack of experience, they are more interested in a willingness to work, for some reason not many people want a job sucking up Tom ■■■ all day. On day one I thought I would be assessed on the equipment, not a bit, they gave me keys to a vactor, vacuum tanker, got in the cab with another lad & off we went to a job cleaning drains on a street in Durham. I just did as I was told, asked questions & got stuck in. Oh and now I have very little sense of smell and you can, literally, be up to your ankles in Tom ■■■.
And that’s good advice from the ginger chap.
Dead easy job…
Heaviest thing I lifted was the hoses, whether they were the 3inch or the 2 inch, and they were in ‘manageable’ lengths - not dragging a whole reel of hose.
A tip I was given was, when lowering the hose into the tank or whatever, only ‘bury’ about 8 inches, no more. Saves getting the whole thing covered as come removal time, you’ll be dragging **** everywhere, possibly on someone’s property too.
Doubt if its any different to slurry tankers so
Make sure you have it on ■■■■ and not blow.
Make sure you release the pressure BEFORE disconnecting hoses to clear a blockage
Its a use common sense type of a job,I did a bit of it with the agency.I had a nice new tanker but the smell was atrocious.You will have to reverse into some small driveways andfind gardens covered in oozing crap, then you start your proper job. 
Be very careful about your own personal hygiene as diarrohea is not funny.
Sewage is bad enough, but wait till you clean out a manhole filled with grease from a kitchen, now that really is overwhelming. 
The one good thing, is that the vehicle both loads and empties itself, so no waiting around on stroppy forklift drivers, no messing with strapping down loads and no having to sit in RDC holding cells. DVSA inspectors tend to leave you well alone too. 
As an added bonus the vehicles don’t come under tachograph rules as they have an exemption, we never used them anyway. Never had any problem with the WTD either, not sure if that was 100% legal though,certainly never recorded any work, and working long hours on any give day was the norm.
Forgot to post that I got the job two weeks ago and start tomorrow. feeling nervous as never done tanker work, but hey ho.
Onwards
Snarley:
Forgot to post that I got the job two weeks ago and start tomorrow. feeling nervous as never done tanker work, but hey ho.
Onwards
Once upon a time you’d never done fridge work either, but you got to grips with that. Good luck, hope it goes well. Ken
Snarley:
Forgot to post that I got the job two weeks ago and start tomorrow. feeling nervous as never done tanker work, but hey ho.
Onwards
Good luck with the new job!
well done not sure ‘enjoy’ is the right word hope it works out well for you
Go knock the crap out of it mate! 
This is why truck Net is the best forum out there. Cheers everyone
It’s a [zb] job, but someone’s gotta do it [emoji372] Good Luck !
I dont give a ■■■■… good luck fella hope you enjoy your new job, if it pays the bills why not but dont ■■■■ yourself laughing…
Snarley:
I have an interview Saturday for class 2 vacuum tanker work. I have only experience in Class 1 curtainsiders and fridges.
As far as I know it is wet waste and cesspits.
Any help for the interview would be appreciated as I really need this job.
Thanks lads and lasses
If you get the job DONT forget to have all your injections against herpititis etc. Your doctor will do them