Looking to the more experienced members to give me some advice. I live in Largs, which is hardly the a hub of the transport industry. The choice of work in general [not just driving work] is very limited. The nearest place I have been able to find work is at Glasgow Airport, a 50 mile return trip. With the ever increasing price of petrol, commuting is eating more and more into my pay.
IF I am going to bite the bullet and move house, where should I go? Lanarkshire seems to me to be the obvious choice, with all those distribution centres within easy reach of the M74 and M8.
I used to go to school in Dumfriesshire and quite like it down that way. Apart from Curries, is there any other big employers in the area? Even Carlisle?
Or should I stay where I am and try to find a 4 on/4 off job where I could travel to say Dumfries at the start of the 4 days and then sleep in the cab for the 4 days or nights I was working? [or would the unit be used by another driver between my shifts?].
Any advice welcome.
I would say you were right enough. I think most of the work is at the western side of the central belt.
To confirm that, I would look at the job centre web site. Even if you don’t like any of the jobs they are advertising, you’ll be able to see where most of the jobs are.
If it’s going to mean a house move, you will no doubt have taken into account that an area with low unemployment will probably also have a buoyant housing market.
You could try Deb Smith at Prestwick or Exel.There’s a paper company just at the Hurlford r/bt (Q8 Garage).Directions,approaching the r/bt from Glasgow you take the 5th exit (towards killy) as u come off the 5th exit there’s a small r/bt turn left about 1.5miles up on the right hand side is this paper company.They where looking 4 a class1 driver but it’s wag &drag m8,night’s out but not every night,sounded a good number when i spoke to the lad a few month’s ago.If you want i’ll get the correct name and get a number for you.One of the driver’s walked out ( personel probs) and they was going to ask the old guy ( who retired a good few months back) to come in and do a few shift’s till they got someone but they said that they where not in a rush to replace him straight away.let me know.
Lanarkshire would be your best bet if your set on moving,personnelly i’d stay where you are and try to get local work.good luck
Ive seen a couple of fridge trucks from your neck of the woods in Poole. They only seem to do uk work, the job involves transhipping crabs and shrimps onto Spanish Trucks. What I havent got my head round is the fact that these blokes are splashing about with sea water and smelly fish, then go to sleep in the truck without visiting the shower
In answer to the title i dont know as i moved out about 17 years ago because their wasnt any work then, so i became an economic immigrant to the English where there is far much more work.
jammymutt:
In answer to the title i dont know as i moved out about 17 years ago because their wasnt any work then, so i became an economic immigrant to the English where there is far much more work.
That’s not the case Jammy m8,the work (especially for drivers) is booming in the Lanarkshire area.Some companies struggle to get agency driver’s no matter what time of year it is.Unlike down in England where there is a quiet spell for a few month’s like xmas-March.So if your an English guy working with the agencies and can’t get work during this period,then get up here( only if you got a working permit of course) and join an agency in my area.Work for you agency guy’s is really booming.
You could try Deb Smith at Prestwick or Exel.There’s a paper company just at the Hurlford r/bt (Q8 Garage).Directions,approaching the r/bt from Glasgow you take the 5th exit
Thanks for that Kitkat. I do collections from Debsmith [well, Ayr Cargo Services] and thought about speaking to them. One of their drivers told me they are good to work for and pay decent money, but they are further away than Saints!
Not sure about driving a wagon and drag, not having done it before, and in any case I think the Hurlford roundabout is again further to travel than the airport.
Maybe I could start up “Largs-European” transport! There doesn’t appear to be anyone else nearby other than Island Express over in Millport. Anyone got a spare 250 grand I can borrow? And thats just for the first months diesel…
Jumping on the thread a little, but does anyone know what availability of work and / or rates are like in the Livingston area ■■? I know that there are quite a few RDC’s up there so hoping there is a good bit of well paid work ■■?
Check the local job center website’s,that should give you a rough guide to what kinda rate’s that you will get in the Livingston and surrounding area’s.
How far is Irvine from you? There is a largish long established haulier runs out of the old Volvo factory yard there. I can’t just think of the name, but sure KK or Jammy will know…
Was in at Debsmith at Prestwick airport today and got an application form which I have just filled in. According to multimap.com it is only about 2 miles further to travel than Glasgow airport from my house. If things work out I would be quite happy to move to Kilmarnock or somewhere around there. House prices look ok… So, please Mrs Debsmith, gie’s a job !!
Driveroneuk:
How far is Irvine from you? There is a largish long established haulier runs out of the old Volvo factory yard there. I can’t just think of the name, but sure KK or Jammy will know…
Maxi.
But they Run from Bellshill now, the only thing at Volvo is the Group HQ.
What type of work are you looking for? Just Airfreight or anything?
There are more Tipper operators Around here than anything else.
Frews in Stevenston, Malcolm in Kilwinning, R&A Muir in Dreghorn (they do Hillhouse Quarry) Cunninghams in Galston (prob further than the airport for you though) Barr, Taylor, Watt.
Ferguson Coal at Hunterston run a couple of Tippers too.
General there seems to be a fair bit in the Irvine area.
Malcolms In Kilwinning (again) Scotlee, Chas F Street, Irvine Movements.
Steven Friel in Greenock still has a couple of Motors on the go.
Kilmarnock has Billy Bowie (Tankers). DHL. Biffa.
It really boils down to what you want to do and how far you want to travel.
Tried WH Malcolm, and got offered a job…at Castlebank Street!!
Traceys…no reply, despite them advertising vacancies.
Steven Friel…no chance, had a run in with his father Harry.
Did a mail shot to about 50 companies earlier this year and thats how I got my present job, but I fancy a shot at class 1 if anyone will take me on after having only passed my test a month ago.
If possible I want to stick with air freight since I know my way around that, so it means I can concentrate on learning to drive the artics, rather than spending time figuring out a totally new work routine, if that makes sense…
alcraw62:
Was in at Debsmith at Prestwick airport today and got an application form which I have just filled in.
Having spoken to one of their drivers today, and seen his pay slip, my application is now in the bin !!
£6.00 per hour for class 1 !!
Drivers are expected to work 5 x 12 hour shifts per week, plus extra shifts at the weekend where legal. Well I suppose they have to if they want to earn a decent wage at that hourly rate. What about the WTD?? Must be a lot of P.O.A.'s [sitting about, bored] during a shift.
No wonder there is a supposed “driver shortage” if that is the reward for spending @ £2000 to get a class 1 licence. I wasn’t expecting it to be a road to riches, but on the other hand I have bills to pay, and I don’t do this for charity, or to make someone else rich !!
Rant over, now back to work with tail between legs…
Keep at it chief. Something will turn up. Ask every driver you meet who they work for, how much they earn, what the boss is like. You learn a lot from asking around. If a driver gives you a thumbs up about the crowd he works for, ask for the bosses name and number and give them a call. Sometimes it pays off. Sadly in Scotland the good jobs are harder to come by, but sooner or later you come across a gem. Shame you sometimes end up doing the not so good ones before you find them.
I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been there.
As for location, I have to agree with most of the posts, most of the Scottish wagons I see have Lanarkshire phone numbers on the side. But don’t up and leave until you’ve exhausted all possibilities in your area. Decent paying firms are very hard to come by in my neck of the woods too. It took me ages to find a job I liked on the East coast.
Sounds like you will have to travel if you wish to stick to air freight - Glasgow or Prestwick.
I was down Kilmarnock/ Irvine way last week. There are actually a lot of firms if your not too fussy as the type of work. As tvradict said, lots of tippers and it’s easy work. There is also Scotlee transport in Irvine next to Rockware Glass, Filtec next door and Malcoms in the glass factory. I talked to a malcoms guy down there and he said you be better going to the depot at Linwood for class one since the tippers are a different division. I also saw Excel vehicles run by Cunningham on work from Prestwick. Then at Kilmarnock there is Bowie tankers, Shearer of Fenwick, A - Plant etc. There must be plenty skip/ rollonoff and builders merchant jobs about as well just like other areas. I also tipped in Ardrossan and saw some Arran Transport wagons, they would probably use mainland based drivers for some of their work.
The worst thing is you will have a fair size petrol bill which ever direction or job you go for. Nothing worse than filling Gordon Browns pockets every morning going to work.
Keep looking, I am sure you will find something closer to home without having to move.
