Hi guys, I just found this forum tonight after searching the net to get info on the prospects & wages and what the work is like. Obviously I want to know what kind of wage I can expect starting out and after a year or 2, but looking at some of the job ads they don’t seem to tell you the wage. They often just say they have loads of work.
The situation is this, I’ve been on the dole for so long it’s embarrasing and I’m not having any luck applying for jobs, mostly office based although I did go for a driving job with Coca Cola which I didn’t get either.
The jobcentre are offering me a free LGV training course and If I do that I will be contractually bound to do a job for about 2 months after that with 4am or 5am starts. That’s all fine, but the problem is I will have to buy a motor to get to work so I will probably be spending 800 quid just to get on the road (bloody insurance) if I do decide to do this course. I therefore need to make sure it’s right for me.
I’m not sure I’m coming at trucking from the right angle, it’s not my first choice I was hoping to do a gas fitting course, but the colleges are all full and I’m now back at square 1. Would anyone recommend such a course just to have under my belt even if I have intentions of learning a trade and doing different work in the long run??
I need to know what is the pay like?? Is there plenty of part time and temporary work? Also, are most jobs early starts? Are there shifts that start in the evening and finish in the eary hours instead. E.g 7PM til 3AM or something along those lines??
hi franco and welcome to trucknet,if this was me i’d want the licence for something to fall back on if other thing’s fell through.but 1st and foremost your heart must want to do the job.if your looking for agency work then it will depend on what area you are in and of course which type of hgv you hold ie class1 or class2.class1 will get you the best rates from an agency and there is more work revolved round class1.most companies will pay between 5-6 quid for class2,and 6-8 quid for class1,but you have to argue with them to get the highest rate.they will always offer you the lowest part of the pay bracket,but if you tell them you want x amount b4 you do the job then if they refuse just tell them to get someone else.in most cases they will come back to you,or say ok then.to answer your on start and finish times.there are jobs out there that will suit you,tell the agency you’d rather do a nite shift,where most start at 6pm and finish anything between 3-6 in the morning.your better of doing trunking work where you’ll go from a-b drop a trailer pick another trailer up and back to a.then finish.there are lads on here that do agency work and are away most of the week you will get more replies on fri/sat night when most are at home.good luck.
So how long dos it take to get to class 1 or can you do a test for that straight away. Also does the wage progress above 8 quid with experience and what type of better payed jobs can you apply for when you have experience??
I was told by someone on the net that it’s not what you know it’s who you know. He was telling me about a friend of his who drives a petrol tanker and managed to pull the strings for his son to get a top driving job within a few months of passing his test. Having been told that such jobs are few and far between that doesn’t seem very encouraging for a career in truck driving.
Is agency work generally better than driving for businesses or the Roayal Mail or one of those companies??
if i’m correct then i think you must work your way up the tree so to speak,you cannot go straight into class1,unless they have moved the goalpost’s.once you have done class2 there must be a gap b4 your class1.( how long i can’t think )someone will fill you in on that score.
as for wages progressing above the 8 quid mark? if on agency i don’t think you’ll get much more than 8 quid.but you might if you have a good full time job and if the boss respects the drivers and pays them accordingly.
most good jobs are gained through word of mouth,the jobs in the job center’s are job’s that the employer can’t keep drivers/workers cause the pay and conditions are poor.
your best bet would be to get of your backside and visit firms in your local area and get your name on the list and even go to places where you’d be prepaired to travel to to gain employment.you might come away with a good result.
most companies like royal mail use agency so don’t worry about that.you will get to know the good and bad companies to work for by working for them,you will learn to say no to the bad ones,and if you are good at what you do,you will find that a company will start asking for you by name which can be a good thing as you could end up with a good job provided that the pay and conditions suit your requirements.don’t just take a job because the said company like you.the terms have got to be right for you.good luck
kitkat:
if i’m correct then i think you must work your way up the tree so to speak,you cannot go straight into class1,unless they have moved the goalpost’s.once you have done class2 there must be a gap b4 your class1.( how long i can’t think )someone will fill you in on that score.
Nope, no gap. There’s nowt stopping you booking your C+E as soon as you’ve got your licence back from the DVLA after passing your C.
there you go mate once you have your class2,you can book your class1 once you get you licence from the dvla.at one time you could go straight to class1 but they stopped that a few years back,i ain’t saying when they stopped it as that will show my age thanks for that info repton
Franco:
The jobcentre are offering me a free LGV training course and If I do that I will be contractually bound to do a job for about 2 months after that with 4am or 5am starts.
Do it, that’s a lot of training cost saved even if you’re only half interested and it’s a big string to your bow whatever you wanna do long term.
Hi Andy, Like I said earlier I will more or less be paying for the course due to the fact I will be paying a few hundred quid to get a car on the road in order to drive to work at 4am or 5am and drive to the training school as well. Obviously without that cost It might take a bit less consideration before I decided to do it.
Well sorry to say it but I doubt the transport industry is for you!
1st Driving a HGV is a job that you want to do! you dont pass on that!
2nd I am not so sure you want a job, never mind want a job working 14+ hours a day!
3rd if you do want a job, Sod the car and walk! stop making excuses, the transport industry is the worst in the world for excuses, and we know them all!
try again for a plumbers job, they are never they when you need them and by the sounds of it …that will suit you down to the ground!
Sorry if it hits home but after reading this thread, thats the way I feel!
And if you do want a good job, change your attitude!
TC:
Well sorry to say it but I doubt the transport industry is for you!
1st Driving a HGV is a job that you want to do! you dont pass on that!
2nd I am not so sure you want a job, never mind want a job working 14+ hours a day!
3rd if you do want a job, Sod the car and walk! stop making excuses, the transport industry is the worst in the world for excuses, and we know them all!
try again for a plumbers job, they are never they when you need them and by the sounds of it …that will suit you down to the ground!
Sorry if it hits home but after reading this thread, thats the way I feel!
And if you do want a good job, change your attitude!
Well thanks for replying although you seem to be assuming a lot with little evidence ot back it up. I’ve applied for plenty of jobs and haven’t got them, that’s different to not wanting a job. If you think i’m doing so little maybe I can get you to do my job searching, filling in application forms and writing and phoning employers looking for work or appreticeships. Since I supposedly don’t want a job it’ll be a breeze for you to do that.
On your first point someone said earlier that a class 1 or 2 licence would be a good thing to have to fall back on. I didn’t say I don’t want to do am HGV driving job I said it’s not my first choice. I’d rather learn a trade, but that’s seeming to be hard to do.
On your 3rd point I live in Central London and the training school and job will be outside of London. Do you walk 25 plus miles to work and back everyday. If you do then good, if you don’t then stop talking nonsense.
I would jump at a plumbing or gas fitting job in a second, but so would a lot of other people and that’s where the fun starts.
Lastly, what attitude?? I’ve come on here looking for good advice which I’ve got and am grateful for. However, your post was useless. Get out of the right side of bed tomorrow.
Hi Franco, Im 33 and have just passed my class 2, im lucky enough to be in fulltime employment although its not what i want to do, Driving is what i want to do.
i am due to start some weekend work via an agency this weekend and have my class 1 booked for November if all goes well i hope to go fulltime as a class1 driver in the new year.
Although costly i think once you have your licence you will always be able to find work, especially if your based in the central london area, Im based in Essex and the agencies there are crying out for drivers and you have great links to all the surronding counties.
Even if you decide that driving isnt for you, you will always have something to fall back on or earn some overtime with.
My advice is go for it, and if you need any info on courses etc… let me know i did loads of research before commiting, also have take the time to read through all the posts on this site, it gives what i think ios a very down to earth view of what life on the road is like.
Hi Andy, Like I said earlier I will more or less be paying for the course due to the fact I will be paying a few hundred quid to get a car on the road in order to drive to work at 4am or 5am and drive to the training school as well. Obviously without that cost It might take a bit less consideration before I decided to do it.
it costs about £1k for each category, ie £2k to get to class 1 status so it is a great deal you have been offered!
I would go for it; the situation is that there are more jobs than drivers, and most good driving instructors have those contacts that you talk about.
Pay depends on region, I don’t know what the average is for London, but here in Northants £8-£9.50 seems average for days for 8 hours then time and a half after that. Realistically, £400 take home is an easy target per week. But, bear in mind that driving is certainly not 9-5; 9-12 hours is the norm with the occassional 15 hour special thrown in when everything that day goes ■■■■■■■ up!
Agency or Permanent are as good as each other, depending on what you are looking for. I’ve enjoyed agency for the variety, both jobs and vehicles, but start next monday in a permanent role as I feel the need for steady work and settling down in this area. If I dont like it, I’ll work somewhere else.
As these days shops/factories/you name it, are open 24 hours a day, so jobs are available 24 hours. Last 2 weeks I did 6pm to 5am (or so), this week I am on variable starts (6-8am) with varying hours.
It CAN be hard work, you have to deal with clever-clogs all the time, but you are on your tod a lot of the time and if you like your own company it’s a good job.
If you do need help, 99.99% of the time anyone will help out.
Hi CBR, well I think the course is just for class 2 although I’m not 100% sure. A lot of the work sounds good to me, like choosing your hours with agencies and of course the money. I’ve decided to ring loads of companies in the next few days trying to find out if they’ll take me on as a gas installation apprentice, but if I don’t have any luck I’ll go for the HGV driving course.
By the way, thinking of class 1 driving as a long term career what sort of money do the owner drivers make?? I was looking on some of the threads and at an owner drivers website, but couldn’t get a good idea of the difference in earnings.
on start and finish times.there are jobs out there that will suit you,tell the agency you’d rather do a nite shift,where most start at 6pm and finish anything between 3-6 in the morning.your better of doing trunking work where you’ll go from a-b drop a trailer pick another trailer up and back to a.then finish.there are lads on here that do agency work and are away most of the week you will get more replies on fri/sat night when most are at home.good luck. 
