Hi all, wannabe driver from the North West here (Leigh area).
If all goes well with saving my hard earned £££ (and the wife’s!) I should be starting the ball rolling on my new career (LGV Driver) by the end of September. By that I mean getting the theory booked etc, should hopefully be able to start the practical by December. I’m going to be using a company called TRUK based in Bolton, I’ve not parted with any cash yet but I will be going down soon to see the vehicles, meet the trainers etc. I’ve seen their trucks on the road a few times and I see they are reccommended by people on here so all should go well.
I’ve been having a good look around the site and there is so much useful information. At the minute all I can do is research research and more research, not to mention revising and reading the usual DSA books on driving LGV’s.
I’ll be doing my Cat C first and then onto the C+E ASAP. I don’t expect to get work straight away and I am prepared to have to wait for my big break, but being a truck driver is a lifelong dream and turning 30 this year, I’m not getting any younger! Needless to say I won’t be giving up and I will be a professional driver if it bloody kills me. Stuck in a dead end job at the minute (pay is darn good though) and now is as good a time as ever to make a start and change my career.
Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest and talk to like minded people so I will continue to loiter in the background until I have something useful to post.
Go for it fella and best of luck with your training.
Remember to do a wee diary if you find the time during your training, it actually helps you through the week
Im currently using Enterprise LGV which is in Manchester and I have only heard good things about them, maybe check them out too dude. I have my medical on Saturday!
I’ll be sure to keep you all informed. I’ll check out Enterprise LGV too.
I should get my first lot of £££ at the end of September so if all goes well then I’ll get the theory side of things sorted, then it’s just a case of waiting to get the rest of the money together for the practical (not forgetting the DCPC). Really can’t wait for it though, just wish I had the money to go out and do it and jump in a cab and start driving within a week. Unfortunately the world doesn’t work that way and instead I will have to wait months and months before that happens lol. Good things come to those who wait I suppose! Really excited though!
mac12:
If it’s something you have always wanted to do why leave it untill you are 30?
Ever since I got my car license at 17 I wanted to be a van driver/truck driver. Thing is though, most places required you to be at least 21 and with experience. By the time I was about 18/19 I had 6 points on my licence from 2 separate speeding offences and 6 points from driving with no insurance. After that I didn’t drive for a good few years, what’s the point in paying silly insurance premiums?
Anyway amongst all that I’ve got married and fathered 2 gorgeous kids who are now 2 and 3, my licence is clean and I have 6 years NCD on my insurance. I’m now in a position to be able to save up for my LGV licences and get out of my dead end job. Believe it or not I’m going to be taking a pay cut going into driving (unless I can move over to the transport department where I am now), but hey, you gotta start somewhere. It will be worth it in the long run and for much much better job satisfaction. The plan is in the long run to be driving the petrol tankers but thats way off yet, I gotta get driving first and get some experience.
I should say, I currently work for Iceland/DHL at the RDC in Warrington as an FLT driver in the freezer. I’ve tried for years to get them to pay for the HGVbut as DHL basically run it for Iceland, they’ve always said no, something to do with a conflict between Icleand and DHL. Iceland operate about 2 rigids but mainly artics which they require you to have 2 years experience. What I’m getting at is I don’t want to be stuck here for 2 years with the possibility of getting the odd run out in a rigid every other week, that’s not enough, I know it will be hard getting work but I’m sure I would be able to sort something more permanent within 2 years, and what’s stopping me from trying to get a job back there when I’ve got my experience? I’m on good enough terms with the managers.
I hope that makes sense lol, I’m just typing it as I think (using my phone).
Welcome to forums tarman i was same as you but i was fortunate enough to get lucky and things fell into place whilst in mid 20’s i am 30 now and getting licences best thing i ever did and recently got adr licence for tankers which i can say via agency i am gaining valuable experience so good luck mate anything is possible
Flintshire is a bit of a trek to be going there and back each day, the TRUCK place isnt too far away from me and it’s a fully managed course, they do all the paperwork, applications etc and book all the tests, registration to online theory etc and application for a digi card, basically everything to get me legal and on the road, oh and the initial DCPC aswell. I’ll be checking them out first before parting with any money, more than likely put a deposit down to secure the test dates etc and then pay the rest off before the end test date.
There are a few training places near me, Stockport LGV training, Red Rose training to name a few, but TRUK seems genuine enough with a genuine price, £1395 all in for the C and another £700 for the C+E when required. It may not be the cheapest but it’s defiantly the most convenient for me. I still have to go down and see them at the end of next month, if all looks good then I’ll use them, if it looks a bit dodgy then I’ll try further afield.
I will still check them out though, can’t hurt to look!
I have first hand experience of TRUK and they are genuine, their trucks are good and the trainer I had lessons from was called Bill and he was a first class bloke. You will be looked after by them there, I was.
There is also a company in Hindley Green that I can also recommend. They are actually called Hindley Green LGV -web site paulslgvtraining.co.uk - lessons from Paul or Roy.
However, my BEST first hand experience recommendation is North Manchester HGV in Mill Hill Industrial Estate Bolton. Ken is the man there. Michelle does the Admin. and deals with telephone enquiries.
All three of these firms are genuine and will give YOU individual attention and WILL give you good value.
All three of these are on the recommend list on this forum.
I have also been to Red Rose, had an assessment and can tell you that it is a very professionally run outfit with very very good condition trucks and their OWN reversing area ON SITE. I didn’t actually have any lessons from them so I cant recommend from experience, but they have a very good reputation and very good facilities.
Good luck
LandyLad
Hindley Green LGV is probably a bit closer to me but they don’t do the medical etc, with TRUK everything is in one place if you know what I mean? Very convenient. I got a rough quote from Red Rose and they wanted £1200 not including the DCPC, which was an extra £250 I think, TRUK appears to be the best so far but I’ve yet to visit any of them.
