What age did you get your first driving job at?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

?

And what about first class 1?

2

I left school at 16 and started work for a transport company as a second man then at 18 i started to drive 7.5t trucks then at 21 i moved up to class 1 work :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

3

22 years old two weeks after passing my class 1. Why do you ask? I wouldn’t like to be starting out in the current climate either. :unamused:

4

driverofhope:
?

And what about first class 1?

Class 2 at 21 (when it meant only six wheeler+ rigids) and 1at 25.You need to be lucky to find any class of HGV job under 25.

5

Too long ago to be relevant in todays situation/climate

6

I started driving the big stuff at 19. The day i passed i was out driving :slight_smile: all good fun!

7

Got my class 1 at 19 (in the Army) and got my first job in Felixstowe a couple of months after I came out at 22 (in 2002)

Carryfast:
You need to be lucky to find any class of HGV job under 25.

Looking back I think I owe Hanbury Davies a massive thank you (even if I did want to commit murder at the time), there’s no way I’d have got a job if I’d been up north at the time.

steve07:
I wouldn’t like to be starting out in the current climate either.

There’s not much chance without experience at the best of times, but at the moment I reckon you’d need a miracle. :cry:

8

My dad started at 14 on artics. i started at 28.

I stated van driving at 19, passed C in december 2008, got no work at all, passed C&E May 2009, started work on Class 1’s in July 2009!

9

ROG:
Too long ago to be relevant in todays situation/climate

Ironically for me the progression was more like today starting on vans,7.5 tonners,HGV rigids and then progressing onto artics than the usual then which meant that someone could take just one test from a provisional licence,(without bothering with the car test),with an artic and get all the licences from car to a class 1in one go.Those were the (better) days but the insurance issue is no differnt now as it was then.

10

37 , about three years ago :smiley:

11

40 about 5 months ago class 2 still waiting class 1 :blush:

12

I went directly from a car licence to HGV 1 when I was 27.

13

50 5 weeks ago 4 months after passing class 1 :smiley:

14

first driving job was for sainsburys to you in 2004 I was 22, that was with an agency. Then went onto home delivery network then reality for just over 2 years on the vans. Did my class 2 in 06 and could not even get agency work being under 25 :unamused: Luckily got a job with my old man on 7.5 and soon got my own 26 tonner :sunglasses: I was chuffed to bits had mega space cab I was buzzing :sunglasses: :stuck_out_tongue: Then did my class 1 last december and have my own unit now got it 1st day back after x mas. I want to move on now but with less then a years experience I will have the “no 2 years experience yet” thing to deal with but hopefully something will turn up. To put things into perspective my Dad has just got a job at boots on DHL and 300 odd blokes applied for a 15 jobs :open_mouth: So think im stuck where I am at the minute :frowning:

15

Shunting cars, vans trucks wherever I could, riding motorbikes & old cars around the fields of the North East!

Car & motorbike license the week after my 17th birthday (aka 1977) and driving 3.5t & 7.5t (flats & boxes) all over the UK and a couple of trips to Europe. :sunglasses:

HGV 1 at 22 (1982) & thrown the keys to a Volvo F10 & tandem axel tilt to load in Cramlington, ship out of Poole to Valencia, I asked ‘where the hells that’ and was told ‘you’ll find it’ (I meant Poole, he meant Valencia lol) :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Onwards & upwards from there I think! :sunglasses: :laughing: :sunglasses: :laughing:

16

My first HGV was at 27 (still am 27) but my first driving job was at 25 on the buses :wink:

17

First class 2 job at 25 (when i left the Army) & first class one at 33.

18

OllieNotts:
first driving job was for sainsburys to you in 2004 I was 22, that was with an agency. Then went onto home delivery network then reality for just over 2 years on the vans. Did my class 2 in 06 and could not even get agency work being under 25 :unamused: Luckily got a job with my old man on 7.5 and soon got my own 26 tonner :sunglasses: I was chuffed to bits had mega space cab I was buzzing :sunglasses: :stuck_out_tongue: Then did my class 1 last december and have my own unit now got it 1st day back after x mas. I want to move on now but with less then a years experience I will have the “no 2 years experience yet” thing to deal with but hopefully something will turn up. To put things into perspective my Dad has just got a job at boots on DHL and 300 odd blokes applied for a 15 jobs :open_mouth: So think im stuck where I am at the minute :frowning:

You’ve got your own unit■■? but you want to move on to what■■?.Surely you can’t mean that you’re an owner driver? but even if you’re employed you won’t find much to move on to out there unless you’re trying to progress from local distribution stuff onto long distance international work.I found a reinforced concrete ceiling in trying to get from long distance uk trunking onto international work and now at 50 it’s going to be owner driver for that or stay retired.

19

Don’t own a unit no meant my own regular unit to myself. Having a few issues with the gaffa and think it would be best I move on. Had head office about it And its made him worse so don’t know what I’ll do now. Not much about though so I’m putting up with his ■■■■ :stuck_out_tongue:

20

17 years young. (Army). Did my Class 3 one Friday, my Class 1 the Friday after (no Class 2) and on the Monday got given a dirty, drab olive green Antar tank transporter to play with! No wonder BAOR paid so much in damage claims. :smiley: :smiley: