I thought there was supposed to be a driver shortage! If so why can I not get a job now that I have passed my HGV Class 2 test !!! I have just spent months of my time and thousands of pounds to gain my Class 2 licence and no one will give me a job. I have contacted over 55 companies and countless agencies and I am so frustrated by the whole experience 
. When I have applied for jobs I am told that i need to have 2 years experience but how can I get that experience if no one will take me on!!! If there isn’t a driver shortage yet, there certainly will be one very soon as newly passed drivers who fail to get their foot on the ladder will find employment somewhere else. I feel like I have been totally led down the garden path and had. The one company that I did find who granted me a job interview offered me £7.76 an hour, that’s just over minimum wage for gods sake. How on earth would I manage to pay my mortgage on that? The driving that I would ideally like is Tipper work and I am now told that its a quiet time and try again in March. Grrrr it’s a good job that I am still in full time employment and haven’t banked on a driving job to see me through. Is anyone else in this frustrating position or has been in it? My last resort is a couple of agencies in Leeds who I plan to see over the Christmas break and am told they may have some companies willing to take on new drivers. Will I get any work out of them I wonder or will I be wasting my time yet again!!! Any suggestions because I am running out of patience?
Try not to get too disheartened about it. It’s not that often people just waltz into a full time job especially with just the C cat license. Unless it’s food service work but that is hard work, great if you enjoy hand balling… pay is good too, so I hear. A lot of us had to cut our teeth on agency work or dona job that’s a bit ■■■■for a while to gain experience. Luckily I have come from a crap paying industry (makes HGV work look like your earning millions) so anything over 7.60 is better then what I was on…
Have you tried going round and banging on doors? Usually works pretty good for most don’t just fire out cvs online doesn’t work most the time…
If you don’t mind doing erratic hours try something like recovery or night trunking. Helps to be flexible to work weekends too. I did anything to get my foot in the door when I first got my C ticket and I’m now in the same boat with CE… work is there if you look hard enough, depends whereabouts in the country you are too.
Best of luck chap
Maybe think about moving to the South West, Gregory are taking on at Cullumpton and North Tawton in Devon and at their depot in Shepton Mallet.
Nights away, or home every night, locals or long distance.
Also milk tanker work .Training for Adr,Dcpc and fork lift is paid for.
Artic training as well .
Get a b&b for a few days, train or coach down then hire a car.
For Bristol there is IJ Mgill.
Wrings.
David Hathaway.
Savilles.
Peter Green in Evercrech.
Massey Wilcox Chilcomptom.
Wilmots at Shepton.
Felix the cat:
I thought there was supposed to be a driver shortage!
Who told you that 
- oh. don’t tell me … the Govt or agencies
When there is a real driver shortage proper companies, not agencies, will dominate the job Ads and training schools will have companies bugging them to send new passes their way the moment they pass the test.
ADD -
took me about a month to land me a well paid â– â– â– â– job, i did turn down 2 other jobs as they where only offering me 8:50 an hour. i could not afford to take that much of a pay cut from my current non driving job. so yeah a month and i was where i wanted to be. well paid with my foot in the door but i knew i would be doing trash work. at first the job sounded wonderful but it was a bag of â– â– â– â– no wonder they pay well
after a month i got fed up and started looking (On and off) turned down 2 more jobs as they where not really what i was looking for plus money was trash again but then i got a phone call from a tipper company who sound really good and i am looking forward to working for them
Its hard buddy. if you took your test because you saw the pound signs then im afraid your probably going to be very disappointed like many others are. personally i took my test as i enjoyed driving and needed a career change. i was in employment still so i could pick and choose what i took which was nice
this time of year i think i am right in saying is a little low on the work front in some sectors so its not the best time to look for a job dont be disheartened mate if i can do it so any anyone else
make sure you have a solid CV AND cover letter though sell yourself Lots of people are taking tests and applying for the same job SELL YOURSELF
see if you can take some weekend work? unpaid work? sit in the cab with a driver and gain some experience ANYTHING to put you 1 up on some one else new
Felix the cat:
My last resort is a couple of agencies in Leeds who I plan to see over the Christmas break and am told they may have some companies willing to take on new drivers.
There’s no point waiting to Christmas that’s when the work starts to slack off, it’s now that you want to be trying to get agency work.
Keep your head up mate. As a person much wiser than me once said “good things come to those who wait”… and its true. I am a new driver done my cat c and went straight for c and e and thought that I would just walk in to an agency and they would say go to this yard tomorrow… but thats not the case. I as you are still in full time employment outside of driving but I have been offered a lot of work by being flexible on what I will do for experience. I explained to the 10th that I registered with that if I was driving I would do it. Since I have been offered van jobs, class 2 and class 1 work. It will come to you. Good luck
@ergot2005 - don’t ever offer to do unpaid work!!
No matter how inexperienced the driver you are providing a service. A service which should be paid for. If a firm is willing to have you in the truck earning money for them, they should be willing to pay you for that time and effort.
If they aren’t willing to pay that says volumes about the ethics of the firm.
I sort of see a point of a trial period with reduced wages but never a reason to work for free.
Plenty of firms will attempt to use an “unpaid assessment” to get an extra drop off with minimal cost to them.
fair point, but if it gets me a good reference and some experience on my cv then i wouldn’t mind it works both ways i guess. a few Saturdays surely cannot be too much of a heartache if it helps you with your career. depends how desperate you are i guess
kjw21:
@ergot2005 - don’t ever offer to do unpaid work!!No matter how inexperienced the driver you are providing a service. A service which should be paid for. If a firm is willing to have you in the truck earning money for them, they should be willing to pay you for that time and effort.
If they aren’t willing to pay that says volumes about the ethics of the firm.
I sort of see a point of a trial period with reduced wages but never a reason to work for free.
Plenty of firms will attempt to use an “unpaid assessment” to get an extra drop off with minimal cost to them.
I see nothing wrong with going out with another driver for the experience and not getting paid for it, but if you’re talking about doing a days work as the sole driver for free it might be worth remembering that everyday you work for free another driver goes without a days pay.
We’ve had people come on this board complaining that they worked for less than the other drivers to get experience, and they can’t understand why 2 years later they’re still being taken for mugs.
Felix - you’ve forgotten the golden rule of trucknet job hunting.
Get in your car with a full set of PPE and a shave and shower, and go and visit the companies in person. you are a lot harder to ignore than an emailed CV.
Secondly, there is nothing wrong with offering half a day of your time, to invest in your future and shadow an experienced man at the firm to see if you will like that kind of work. “Driving” for a living can mean many different things to different people, so I found it an absolute no brainer to offer to go out for a run or 1/2 a day just to see what the crack was, I did a bit of driving, a bit of forklift work, and spoke to a couple of the drivers(on the QT to find out if they were happy with their lot) and just generally was really nosy.
The point I’m trying to make is that you need to try and stand out from the crowd. And since you have no experience, attitude, application, and appearance are all you have to go on.
There is no driver shortage. There is only a shortage of good drivers(notice I didn’t say experienced) and a shortage of good HGV employers.
Arborist:
Try not to get too disheartened about it. It’s not that often people just waltz into a full time job especially with just the C cat license. Unless it’s food service work but that is hard work, great if you enjoy hand balling… pay is good too, so I hear. A lot of us had to cut our teeth on agency work or dona job that’s a bit [zb] for a while to gain experience. Luckily I have come from a crap paying industry (makes HGV work look like your earning millions) so anything over 7.60 is better then what I was on…Have you tried going round and banging on doors? Usually works pretty good for most don’t just fire out cvs online doesn’t work most the time…
If you don’t mind doing erratic hours try something like recovery or night trunking. Helps to be flexible to work weekends too. I did anything to get my foot in the door when I first got my C ticket and I’m now in the same boat with CE… work is there if you look hard enough, depends whereabouts in the country you are too.
Best of luck chap
Yep I asked a large tipper firm if I could buddy seat with one of their drivers and went out a couple of times while I was training for my test. I was given the impression that once I had passed my test there might be a job going. Once I had passed it, i turned up in the yard and asked the MD if there were any jobs going, full time or even just on a Saturday and he said No. I have sent further emails asking for an assessment drive but he does not respond back - I am being stonewalled. I feel my age and ■■■maybe working against me … I am a 51 year old woman wanting to be a Tipper driver
Don’t mind me, just unfolding my folding chair.
Wackattak:
Keep your head up mate. As a person much wiser than me once said “good things come to those who wait”… and its true. I am a new driver done my cat c and went straight for c and e and thought that I would just walk in to an agency and they would say go to this yard tomorrow… but thats not the case. I as you are still in full time employment outside of driving but I have been offered a lot of work by being flexible on what I will do for experience. I explained to the 10th that I registered with that if I was driving I would do it. Since I have been offered van jobs, class 2 and class 1 work. It will come to you. Good luck
Thanks for the encouragement mate, as my mother reminded me recently - patience is not one of your virtues!!!
Felix the cat:
Arborist:
Try not to get too disheartened about it. It’s not that often people just waltz into a full time job especially with just the C cat license. Unless it’s food service work but that is hard work, great if you enjoy hand balling… pay is good too, so I hear. A lot of us had to cut our teeth on agency work or dona job that’s a bit [zb] for a while to gain experience. Luckily I have come from a crap paying industry (makes HGV work look like your earning millions) so anything over 7.60 is better then what I was on…Have you tried going round and banging on doors? Usually works pretty good for most don’t just fire out cvs online doesn’t work most the time…
If you don’t mind doing erratic hours try something like recovery or night trunking. Helps to be flexible to work weekends too. I did anything to get my foot in the door when I first got my C ticket and I’m now in the same boat with CE… work is there if you look hard enough, depends whereabouts in the country you are too.
Best of luck chap
Yep I asked a large tipper firm if I could buddy seat with one of their drivers and went out a couple of times while I was training for my test. I was given the impression that once I had passed my test there might be a job going. Once I had passed it, i turned up in the yard and asked the MD if there were any jobs going, full time or even just on a Saturday and he said No. I have sent further emails asking for an assessment drive but he does not respond back - I am being stonewalled. I feel my age and ■■■maybe working against me … I am a 51 year old woman wanting to be a Tipper driver
just dont disclose your age nor your ■■■, at least then it would get you to the all important interview stage…
Hi there
I feel your pain there pal. I did my class 2, 2 years ago. I ended up shortly after working as an aircraft refueller on a good rate of pay at ÂŁ12 an hour. Everything was going really well with the job but the agency I was working for was terrible. Pay wrong, turn up for work to be told there was no work for me. I ended up having to leave as I have a 2 year old daughter & it was causing terrible problem with child care & not to mention my financial situation by being under paid as much as ÂŁ600 a month.
I thought that I would walk in to another job with ease having 11 months experience as a fuellerbut boy was I wrong. I tried various company but no one wants to know. I’ve turned up at yards at 5am with all my gear ready to step in should a driver not turn up. They still don’t want to know.
I managed to get some work as sweeper driver. The days where long just dusting off roads. I actually began to enjoy it as no taco needed as it’s classed as plant equipment. I was making a fortune but the work dried up in no time. I went back to agency for any work hours but not able to make a crust with stable employment. I’m now working as a packer in factor on £9 an hour putting crap in boxes. Monday to Friday 8-4. I’d love to get on the road again but very cautious on it as short term work & ■■■■■■■■■■■■agency aren’t for me.
I spent over 3k getting my class2 but like you I feel I’ve been sucked in to something that I thought May have thought was the answers to making good money. Boy was a mug. I say mug only to myself as I do think there work out there. You just got to not take no for an answer & pester your local tipper company. Go see the transport manager. Ask to go with another driver be dead keen & ask & don’t go away until they agree on giving you a shot.
Your not alone though mate.
Something will turn up. Just don’t let them grind you down
ROG:
Felix the cat:
I thought there was supposed to be a driver shortage!Who told you that
When there is a real driver shortage proper companies, not agencies, will dominate the job Ads and training schools will have companies bugging them to send new passes their way the moment they pass the test.
ADD -
Well said ROG
Hi Felix, I know its not the job you want, but
have you thought about dustcart driving? I know its not everybodys cup of tea, but your local waste company may give u a chance. Just a thought.
I was in exactly the same boat as you in July. I had been dreaming for years of being a lorry driver most of my friends always have been and I know it’s pretty sad but I used to really enjoy going out with one of my mates on a Saturday night shift rather than being down the pub (sad I know). So anyway I passed my class 2 mid July then my class 1 start of August it took me two weeks of daily phone calls and emails and all I got was shunting rigids from one depot to another to get loaded then back half a mile each way if that, I was as you are now properly ■■■■■■that I d basically just blown the best part of £3k to drive around an industrial estate for 8hrs a night, to make this even worse I eventually found an agency that said my in-experience was no issue and could get me into Fowler Welch I was soooo excited and I mean jumping for joy excited I kept checking with the agency asking if they were sure I then went to the agency signed on and did the Fowler Welch theory test again all the time double checking that all was still good anyway my driving assessment day came I wasn’t nervous purely because I was too excited go there see the truck nearly new Daf XF nice I thought driver trainer gave me the keys told me to crack on with the driver checks he was going to go and take copies of my license and he d be back so there was me like a dog with two dingalings keys in the ignition ready to roll he then came back after some time and said I m sorry we can’t take you on as you don’t have two years experience I WAS FUMING I left drove home and rang my mate nearly close to tears telling him don’t no why I d bothered and wanted to give up on the dream he gave me the number of a pretty big agency and said give them a whirl there advertising for 100+ drivers you never know they might take you anyway half an hour later I was booked in for an assessment drive the following day with a pretty large company who agreed the system is floored and they wanted to give new drivers a chance it wasn’t an assessment drive as such basically I had to go and do a full shift with the driver trainer who would then write a detailed report of my driving and such like for the insurance company I found the fact he was with me for a hole shift really reassuring and helpful needless to say I m still here infact on a bay right now I have nice new kit tractor units and double deck trailers and I get paid a good rate also got paid for my assessment day too. So although a bit of a long drawn out story I just wanted to show you I ve been exactly where you are right now only a couple of months ago just keep plugging at it and you ll get something just keep your chin up
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Prepare for many knock back,Liars and very deceiptful Agencies .
I passed september c november c+e .still nothing.
Have had many drives assessments flew them all
,tgen the employers try the bs training rates ,or agencies will not give you a written rate agreement .The worst one last week was an assessment for tramping .new kit ,manager was sound ,Job was offered at ÂŁ12.50 ph .Start monday .all of a sudden the agency stopped reply to calls and texts .,Then 7.45 Friday night got a text ,Rates ÂŁ1 an hour less no night out money ,cant guarantee it in writing either .
This industry is full of false promise .but i will keep on .in my own time .
The only people making real money are the trainers IMO.