So Iv had my class 1 since 2008 (thank you Hm forces) Iv never done any real world class 1 commercial driving except a bit of tanker driving with bp while in the army and a day driving for a induction with a company who I decided not to start with, now Iv done class 2 work tankers, fridges etc and currently doing cash in transit now, all my driving has been multi drop and at times very stressful ie going to places I don’t know, driving down tight devon country lanes blah blah blah. Anyway Iv always been a bit afraid to get into a artic on my own incase I get lost or get into a sticky situation, but it looks to me that class 1 work is better paid less stressful and you actually do drive for a living which I want to be doing, so can you class 1 drivers give me a real insight to what class 1 driving is like and how much it differs to class 2 work, except the fact that one bends.
Thanks folks.
Class one! 
we’re superior 
If you mean the obvious difference between full load and/or at least few drops distance type work v local/medium distance multi drop type jobs there is no absolute guarantee that C + E will provide more opportunities in that regard than C or vice versa.It is just that the odds make it more likely to be C + E for obvious reasons that it is usually more economic to take more volume and weight over long distance than less.
While the difference is also more likely to be all about the usual pecking order, and ‘experience’ type bs historically endemic in the industry.Which,as expected,often puts the former in most coveted position leaving the zb work for those considered at the bottom of the ladder.At least without a lot of luck. 
I get what you mean I suppose it depends on the firm and what your delivering, it just sometimes it ticks me off when Iv gotta go do 41 drops albeit all close together and never do any real driving, cuss I’m new to all these job I got to learn about the type of vehicle I’m driving and the routes and areas which can be a real pain. I suppose what I want to know are the pros and cons to class1 and 2 work in general.
stinger:
I get what you mean I suppose it depends on the firm and what your delivering, it just sometimes it ticks me off when Iv gotta go do 41 drops albeit all close together and never do any real driving, cuss I’m new to all these job I got to learn about the type of vehicle I’m driving and the routes and areas which can be a real pain. I suppose what I want to know are the pros and cons to class1 and 2 work in general.
Local medium distance multi drop is more along the lines of of the job demands of a postal deliveries worker combined with those of a bus driver.It is obvious in that environment that a 7.5-18 tonner is probably ideally the largest that anyone with any sense wants to be driving,with a C + E the last thing.While the larger C and C + E only start to make more sense,from the driver’s point of view,as distances increase and drops/collections decrease.
In an ideal world that’s how it would always work out in practice.But in the real world larger trucks are being used increasingly to allow the local multi drop sector to put more drops on a wagon.As opposed to the orginal idea which was mostly about making it more viable to haul loads economically over long distances.In which case the availability of the latter type of work gets ever less with more drivers chasing it.Which obviously just adds to that historic issue of ‘pecking orders’ based on the more covetous nature of the typical distance full load/bulk type job as opposed to local multi drop one.
IE the issue of having to concentrate on locally concentrated multi drop orders and locations and routes are bad enough without having all the aggravation of lugging a large vehicle around to do it.While most drivers associate driving a large vehicle with what it is meant for meaning hauling either full loads or at least large loads involving fewer drops over long or at least reasonable distances.All of which is nothing new and I’d guess that your points are mostly just a reflection of all that.
From my experience class 1 work is far less stressful. I started driving professionally 3 years ago doing multi drop in a van. Hated it (mainly due to the fact that at 6’4 I don’t comfortably into a Renault Master.) I’d had a good redundancy payout from my last job, and had already got the wheels in motion to do HGV training before I even got that job. I promptly got moved on to a 7.5, which I found easier. ■■■■■■■ much more gear about, but far less drops.
I then took over one of the rigids when a mate of mine left, and with that having a tail lift, I tended to do mainly palletised drops. However, as contracts came and went, that became an overgrown 7.5, ie I could carry way more than a 7.5, so what started off as 1-3 biggish drops, became 8-10 back breaking ones.
In the end I left, now driving artics, doing less drops a week than I could have done in a day at the old place.
We don’t even carry pump trucks, either open the doors and back onto a bay, or do the curtains. Never been happier.
stinger:
and at times very stressful ie going to places I don’t know, driving down tight devon country lanes blah blah blah. Anyway Iv always been a bit afraid to get into a artic on my own incase I get lost or get into a sticky situation, but it looks to me that class 1 work is better paid less stressful work,
Thanks folks.
If you just want to be a trunker, then class 1 probably is easier. It doesn’t always follow though… I too drive down tight country lanes going to places I don’t know(farm deliveries) but in a 61ft wagon and drag with a moffett on the back but I look on it as a challenge and enjoy having my driving skills tested. Driving up and down motorways all day would do my head in.
I started my new first CE job last week.
I’m on night shift, so I get my trailer and driver to my collection point(4 hours drive) and change trailers.
Have my break then head to the delivery point(4 hours drive), open back door and go on loading bay.
Once empty back to yard, drop of trailer and that is me finished.
Couldn’t ask for more than that, the hardest part of the job is putting the legs up and down.
stinger:
So Iv had my class 1 since 2008 (thank you Hm forces) Iv never done any real world class 1 commercial driving except a bit of tanker driving with bp while in the army and a day driving for a induction with a company who I decided not to start with, now Iv done class 2 work tankers, fridges etc and currently doing cash in transit now, all my driving has been multi drop and at times very stressful ie going to places I don’t know, driving down tight devon country lanes blah blah blah. Anyway Iv always been a bit afraid to get into a artic on my own incase I get lost or get into a sticky situation, but it looks to me that class 1 work is better paid less stressful and you actually do drive for a living which I want to be doing, so can you class 1 drivers give me a real insight to what class 1 driving is like and how much it differs to class 2 work, except the fact that one bends.
Thanks folks.
supermarkets pay good money,as do DIY companies,not hard work either,also tankers,i would never touch general though
When I moved from class 2 (class 3 in those days) to class 1 the biggest difference was twice as much handball, 20 ton instead of 10 
I’m lucky that the company I work for has some big contracts. We farm all the little jobs out. I’ve never done more than 5 drops in a day, and that tends to be it for the day. I’ll have run out the day before, and I’ll run back in the day after. All our drops are risk assessed. Never happened to me, but I’m led to believe that if I get a first time customer, and I’m not happy with the location, I just ring in, and will not be expected to do the drop. A member of the compliance team will go and check out the customer.
Also a very fuel conscious company, would never stick a smallish drop on me that’s miles away, I’d only be expected to do it because it’s around the corner from another of my drops
Compliance team !!! what the bloody 'ells that then ? Before long you’ll be wanting a nurse maid to wipe yer arse fer ya !! You have something on the back of your truck that someone wants so get on and deliver it and sort any problems out if and when they occur.
raymundo:
Compliance team !!! what the bloody 'ells that then ? Before long you’ll be wanting a nurse maid to wipe yer arse fer ya !! You have something on the back of your truck that someone wants so get on and deliver it and sort any problems out if and when they occur.
As I said, I’ve never done a drop where the motor wouldn’t fit. But if a customer ordered some gear from us which meant somebody or something might get broken, or it was inside a weight limit etc, I would not be expected to faff about trying to second guess what I was supposed to do. The compliance team is basically a few folk responsible for checking that all the drivers and motors are safe/legal/trained.
Oh ok, see where you’re coming from now, but I’m a dinosaur from the days when all that was part of the job.
If I ring them and say the yard is a mire, I’m fully freighted, and I’m worried it might sink, and they tell me I’ll be fine, I’ll have a go. If it sinks, I did my bit.
I’d rather be safe than unemployed/sorry
raymundo:
Oh ok, see where you’re coming from now, but I’m a dinosaur from the days when all that was part of the job.
The company I worked for before worked on a JFDI basis. Ignore weight limits, double yellows, red routes etc. Hence they are my ex employer. Got a tad ■■■■■■ off with being confronted with a palletised drop that involved me going through 18" doorways and then up or down half a dozen flights of stairs.
when i first started i did general haulage, it was delivering all around the country and i loved the job, never knew anywhere i would end up, only had maps, a to z or the local garages in the towns to stop off at for directions, it was a great job and i learned so much, of course all the motors back then had gear boxes, no abs and no night heaters, you would freeze your balls off trying to keep warm at times
i would recommend anyone wishing to go into class 1 driving to do general first so as to gain so much experience of tight places, tight roads and finding how to get around the country like the back of your hand and the best part is you get paid for all this experience you will gain.
of course you have to be brave and just get out there and do it and not worry about not being experienced as the idea is to build up that experience. also firms who do general are more willing to give new drivers a chance.
raymundo:
Oh ok, see where you’re coming from now, but I’m a dinosaur from the days when all that was part of the job.
Me too. When I started a driver was expected to use his brain and make descisions
So what am I supposed to do, judge it and think that it won’t fit, then ring the office after it didn’t?
Well I’m sure all the newbies are absolutely dripping with confidence now.
Making the jump from class 2 to 1 was the best move I made. I did all sorts of class 2 work during and after military service and envied the class 1 drivers. Then i got a job on class 2 but they tried to put me on class 1 on my 2nd day. I argued that I hadn’t driven an artic in years and was not competent to drive them. A few days doing refresher training and I felt comfortable enough to go out on my own I have never regretted it. 10 years later and I wont touch class 2 work but I dont need to because there is far more work available on class 1. It is usually less physical although that does not always suit me since I am a grafter by nature and like to do a bit of manual work too