hi guys so im currently working in a 26t rigid in southampton done it with the same company for 2 and half years. ive realized that the pay is very good in comparison to most out there. ive got my class 1 but my company wont allow me to go out on the artics maybe as punishment for saying my bit. but i have the opportunity to work on the artics in kent 450 pw but its self employed and no extra for nights out after tax its about what im on now as class 2 without my extra night out money i get. but ive phoned 25 different local companies and its the same old 2 years experience or 7.30 ph …so what im looking for is your opinion do i stay where i am and not drive an artic or go where the opportunity is seeing as im only going to be driving for 6 more months anyway before i give it up for good. i live i southampton by the way and id be out in kent all week
If you’re calling it a day in 6 months time, I wouldn’t bother changing. Travelling from Hampshire to Kent weekly may sound OK at first, but having done something similar for 2 years the novelty soon wears off. I’m now back working at the local depot!!
BUT, if you’re leaving in 6mths for good and want a go of driving a C+E, then change and give it a go, it is a feeling like no other but it’s just a job after a while…
You will be a lot worse off in terms of what you’re picking up if you go for the class 1 work… no extra for nighting out?
Petrol for commuting to Kent and whilst you might be able to self-cater in the cab I always found that you end up spending plenty anyway. Not so bad if you’re getting £25 night out money but if you’re not…
jimmypk:
hi guys so im currently working in a 26t rigid in southampton done it with the same company for 2 and half years. ive realized that the pay is very good in comparison to most out there. ive got my class 1 but my company wont allow me to go out on the artics maybe as punishment for saying my bit. but i have the opportunity to work on the artics in kent 450 pw but its self employed and no extra for nights out after tax its about what im on now as class 2 without my extra night out money i get. but ive phoned 25 different local companies and its the same old 2 years experience or 7.30 ph …so what im looking for is your opinion do i stay where i am and not drive an artic or go where the opportunity is seeing as im only going to be driving for 6 more months anyway before i give it up for good. i live i southampton by the way and id be out in kent all week
opinions and thoughts greatly appreciated
I think you should go for the other option, which is to earn not much more than you’re on now but not enjoy any night outs at all in Norwich.
This won’t make much sense & neither will the replies, but for the next 6 months I think you should live in Southampton while working in Kent despite only being on a 26t rigid. I see you have been doing it for 2.5 years so you don’t yet have 2yrs experience to be doing artics in wherever the opportunity is.
thanks for the replies. money isnt an issue aslong as im getting what im on now im happy as im only 23 and have no real commitments apart from car finance. i kind of put a blokes nose out of joint he has always wanted me to be a yes boy but when id had enough i told him what i thought he didnt like it and is now making things difficult for me so the time has come to move on. the only thing that gets me is the self employment part offers no job security what so ever but that said has had driver there for 5 years or more.he pays for nothing no cpc uniform just about pays tolls and fuel. but at the monment its the only offering me anything and i dont want to have spent 1200 on the licence and not use it…im probably seeming like ive made my mind up but i suppose i was just waiting for someone to say WAIT its bad because… the drives a bit crap m25 around clacket lane is a pain in the arse.
I would stay put mate for 2 reasons. I drive a rigid but have been with my place 8 years and am paid very reasonably for my services I haven’t seen class 1 work advertised for what I earn without working 80hours and sleeping in the cab all week. I’m not saying I’m amazingly paid or giving it the big one I’m also in southampton and don’t see alot off class 1 about apart from agency work and to be honest I’d drive a 7.5 tonne if the money was the same I don’t have arctic envy and If I drive for my father in law on a weekend it’s great having a go in a v8 but I’m happy with my lot.
Reason 2 for me staying if I was in your position is the fact your tm or whatever he is making life difficult for you. The more I’m pushed the deeper ill dig my heels. I’d be digging my heels with my 2 fingers up at the ■■■■■ But don’t forget there’s also a reason for your prospective employer to have you on a self employed basis. It doesn’t suite him having you on paye for reason. If it goes quite your off if there’s no work one afternoon you’ll be travelling back to southampton no min 8 hours pay no sick pay or holiday it’s a better deal for him if you don’t know how to make being self employed work for you.
Good luck whatever you do and ill keep an eye out for you on my travels I can just about make out a white daf from my phone ill be flashing every white 6 legger I see lol.
If you are self employed you invoice him you can claim travelling for uniform washing of it etc look into it properly you will also be able to claim for your cpc
But you will have to pay your own income tax & NI but if you set up as ltd it can be a bit different also a good accountant is worth it as they can save you a lot in the long run
If you are 23 & giving up in 6mth why as you say you have spent a lot of money gaining your licence
karl you raise the same points im worried about. if work goes slack im out on my ear till it picks up losing money all blokes give it the big one when it comes to loadsbut if hes as busy as he say he is then i wont have that to worry about . but like animal said theres alot i can claim and with a good accountant pay little tax as possible.- so the tm is making it hard by when its quiet instead of sending me out on an artic he gets agency in and gets me sweeping and picking litter…■■■■■■ me off all just because i had an opinion!! who do you work for not naming any names of course i can keep an eye out for you
animal i had an epiphany one night thinking i dont want to be doing this when ive got a family nights out away from home day work wont pay nearly as much as tramping so i made the decision to follow in the old mans footsteps and start learning the knowledge it will take best part of 4 year but once passed its a license to print money ifkeep you put the work in.
You are considering leaving a stable job for self employed, heading into Christmas, to do a different job, AND YOU ARE PACKING IT UP AT EASTER? Are you nuts?
If you were just starting in your career that would be different, new drivers have to bite the bullet to get the experience these days, otherwise you spend your entire life driving a van like a bellend rather than doing what you trained to do. But for someone at the end of his career, stick with what you’ve got, you appear to have a very reasonable deal for rigids anyways.
My opinion ain’t worth a jot in reality, but I’d be going along the same route as Karl86 if it was me.
Same again with SE if you are thinking about wanting the money within reason to tide you over. SE should be on your choice to do varying well paid jobs to make a decent profit, not just one job that you have a once a week commute too. Again my opinion not neccessairly the correct one.
Good luck with the knowledge, be careful though that is becoming a saturated market (like haulage I know ). I personally know 6 of them in varying points in their careers working in London. As it seems at the beginning of your career whatever era you are from you will be potentially working night and day to make it work, to get that money up and coming.
And speaking to them all, like construction they were one of the first ones to be hit in a recession and are only just starting to see demand pick up. They’ve made it work throughout tough times all of them, with small losses or breaking even. Hopefully for them the profits will return, but its not the goldmine its made out to be…just like haulage again with them £40k year - 6 hour shifts, driving an artic that we all hear about in the press
Think logically with your head and not your heart. However it is great to hear someone not think about money for once and are actually thinking about their time. Time is worth so much more than a pound note, its only taken me 10 years to realise this and potential health problems to say enough is enough, get me on the road.
Fair play to you for trying something new, hope it goes well with the knowledge.
jimmypk:
so the tm is making it hard by when its quiet instead of sending me out on an artic he gets agency in and gets me sweeping and picking litter…■■■■■■ me off all just because i had an opinion!!
Think I would be going above his head to the boss and asking “why, when it’s quiet and no driving work for you is the TM then wasting money and getting an agency fella in”.
Sorry for the late reply…the thing is with my company it’s the office against the drivers and the director will always back a tm etc etc before a driver hence going above won’t do anything if not just exacerbate the situation. Company politics a new driver has just done a job up north with a lot less driving experience driving and has just passed his c+e but he knows how to secure loads better and that’s more important? And I also can’t think I’m a good driver…
constantine the knowledge will be hard and will take atleast 4 years but it’s run in the family for 2 generations and it’s always been a dying trade but the way I see it is for the hours I work on the wagons I’d be far better self employed in any job not just a cabbie. But if not for the money the flexibility is second to none if you need extra cash work more wanna take the kids to school go to work after…but hey in 6 years I’ll probably end up doing something else haha.
as for being s/e I have been reading about it and two things come up
You cant be a sole trader and work for one company
It’s far more cost effective to be a plc?? But equally a pain in the arse but can be better for tax??.
In other news got another job interview locally in eastliegh so if it goes well going to Kent may not have to be an option.
If it’s only 6 months stick with what you know and take pleasure in the fact that you’re giving the TM grief too. I guess what you’re saying is you want some class 1 experience before you pack up, well you could pick that up anytime in the future when it suits.
Might not seem it at 23 but 6 months is the blink of an eye.
if your jobs secure why leave for somthing thats less money for 6 months.if the cash aint a big deal take the artic,if it is then stay
but if they offered me the 7 and a half tonner we have for the same dough i’d go on that.
it will take best part of 4 year but once passed its a license to print money ifkeep you put the work in.
). I personally know 6 of them in varying points in their careers working in London. As it seems at the beginning of your career whatever era you are from you will be potentially working night and day to make it work, to get that money up and coming.