I’m currently going through the process of doing my Class 2. The original plan was to obtain that license, work for 6-8 months then go for my c+e. However looking about and from speaking to people there seem to be far more companies who take on new drivers in a class 1 role rather than class 2 which I find odd. Tesco, Stobarts, Aldi all advertise for new drivers with no experience for class 1 work.
So what would some of you suggest?
If you can afford it, take both one after the other.
It will be easier to pass the Class 1 as you will still be in ‘Learner’ mode.
Your ‘2 years experience’ cycle will not need to restart.
You will have more to offer an employer. If you are taken on as a CE driver you can still take a rigid out if there is no artic work.
Best of luck.
dar1976:
If you can afford it, take both one after the other.It will be easier to pass the Class 1 as you will still be in ‘Learner’ mode.
Your ‘2 years experience’ cycle will not need to restart.
You will have more to offer an employer. If you are taken on as a CE driver you can still take a rigid out if there is no artic work.
Best of luck.
With Dean on this I took my cat 1 in jan this year & never looked back have been offered quite a few jobs also if you can get some cpc hours in it can help
Reed Bordall take on newbies as well
Oddly it would seem that people are wary of fresh C Licences and seem to demand experience, but often as you rightly say don’t seem bothered about the experience for CE. Could be that they seem to think CE holders are more experienced and therefore better. Stupidly you’d probably also find it easier to get a rigid job with an artic licence.
However if you stay at C or do your CE really depends on if your financial situation and also if you are dead set on doing one type of work that might have a bearing on it. If you have a burning desire to drive a roadsweeper or dustcart then the CE licence is probably not going to help.
If you are just happy to do whatever pays the best then CE would be the way as it would open the most doors. That said it’s not a given that you’ll earn more as an artic driver than as a rigid driver. There are high paying rigids jobs and plenty of low artic ones.
benbailey81:
So what would some of you suggest?
