So I passed my LGV 2 at beginning of March and have just secured my first bit of work. I accepted one job as a removals driver/worker then got offered another job at Brakes via agency delivering to restaurants hotels etc. As it is said yes to both jobs as couldn’t decide on either so need to cancel one off, which I feel rather bad about regardless. Really can’t decide what to do :-S.
Any thoughts please enlighten me, neither is perhaps my ideal role, and not so sure about all the heavy lifting and labour in removals, though Brakes is by no means an easy job perhaps will be more driving and better experience.
In all honesty, something attracts me to the removals work, especially if it’s a fair bit of long distance involved with the bigger trucks.
Sorry if this is posted in wrong forum section, just noticed there is a new drivers section also.
Brakes. Never again in a million years. Hard graft. The only driving is to get to your area, then its mostly hard graft handballing. The pay is ok, but its a flat wage, getting any overtime pay is discretionary of your manager. If you get a local run, maybe its ok for the pay. Get a run that is 2 hrs drive there and back, look at 12-14 hr shifts for the same pay. Oh and the clue is in the name…Brakes? Your breaks are spent working, and thats taught to you on your first two weeks out with the supervisors!
Removals firm won’t put you through your class 1. Not sure if Brakes will either, but at least with them you’ll have a chance of progression. Reckon you’d be better off getting a job at a small family owned general haulier who will invest in you (by putting you through your class 1), who will give you some leeway for a few minor bumps and scrapes, and who will give you a wide variety of experience transporting different things to different places every day. Brakes will be rdc to rdc repetitive work I’d imagine. I’d hate it. You’re better off tramping. Get a Scotch run and 2/3 of your driving time is used getting up there, do your drop, get a bit south and park up for the night. Beats flying about doing multi drop local work.
I did. It was tough and sure, I made mistakes. But to be honest, I’ve made bigger mistakes since I’ve become proficient at it. Complacency can screw you over big time.
I found it almost impossible to get Class 2 work yet fell straight into artic work no problem.
Try to avoid what would have been categorised as class 3 4 wheeler work and just look for 6 and 8 wheelers.That will at least avoid a lot of the zb distribution sector jobs.
As/for a Newbie, I’d suggest the pallet networks!
Work isn’t as hard, reasonable start times, and if the firm is good, the phone call in the afternoon is about organising collections, and not questioning why you’re maybe having a bad one…
Plus they often run both classes, and I was in an artic within 36 hours of passing my C+E!
And I should say a thanks to a class 1 driver that gave me some yard practice even before my lessons…
Did 3 years at brakes tamworth never again yes it has its perks but tbh it’s crap heavy work,getting wet in a hot kitchen then back in the freezer all day ain’t no good.
If you get numptys loading you get a whole cage come loose broken boxes all over the floor and when a cage has over 100 boxes in it and spending 15 mins looking for 1 box when you have nearly 1000 in a truck ain’t no fun when your against the clock all day and as for tipping on break well goes with the job.
Evil8Beezle:
As/for a Newbie, I’d suggest the pallet networks!
And I… as for Newbie… I’d suggest Tipper work…
No seriously.
I can’t comment, never done it…
And I make no claim on being sane, just that I had a positive learning experience on the pallet firm I was limping with!
You’ ve had positive experience with pretty much anything, you are pretty much the most positive member of this forum…
Each time you post here you are positive disregarding what you post about…
Evil8Beezle:
kyk:
Evil8Beezle:
As/for a Newbie, I’d suggest the pallet networks!
And I… as for Newbie… I’d suggest Tipper work…
No seriously.
I can’t comment, never done it…
And I make no claim on being sane, just that I had a positive learning experience on the pallet firm I was limping with!
kyk:
You’ ve had positive experience with pretty much anything, you are pretty much the most positive member of this forum…
Each time you post here you are positive disregarding what you post about…
Fair comment I guess, and I’d like to think it’s a bit about attitude, as if you have a good one, things just go easier…
But the main thing is that i’m not going to wash a firms dirty linen in public, it’s not professional.
You don’t see my praising the hours or the pay though, so I’m not positive about everything!
Evil8Beezle:
You don’t see my praising the hours or the pay though, so I’m not positive about everything!
I’ve noticed you regularly doing 13-15h shifts, Multi-Drop, pallet trucking 900kg pallets via tail lift and smiling day in day out, hence discussion about being sane…
Evil8Beezle:
You don’t see my praising the hours or the pay though, so I’m not positive about everything!
I’ve noticed you regularly doing 13-15h shifts, Multi-Drop, pallet trucking 900kg pallets via tail lift and smiling day in day out, hence discussion about being sane…
Some while back, and I make no defense on the hours, as a few days WERE like that. But nowhere near the slog I KNOW for a fact, other relative Newbie drivers on here are doing! Lets also not forget, I was earning a lot more than the FTW’s on that gig, etc. So I’m sorry but i won’t knock it, I did OK out of it and got my initial Class 1 experience there, so yes I’m grateful! I’ve just come off an even better gig, but I don’t feel the need, or see the professionalism in discussing the details of that…
I would say that skips or tippers aregood for gaining the all important experience with.They generally have a short wheelbase.Brakes drivers do a lot of running about (on break).
Wonder if the DVSA lads will be having a poke nose round a certain catering delivery company’s vehicles during deliveries following certain revelations in this thread, (explained during induction/training?)
