basicly I’m in a job which is actually an enjoyable steady job, the money isn’t the best but the job itself is great. However My daily commute has now gone from 3 miles each way to now being 18 miles each way, so I’m not sure weather to just stick it out or find something nearer, plus I’ve only had my license 12 months.
No harm in having a look see what’s out there. You never know when a good job will come your way out of left field.
If you’re happy stick with it and at least get your ‘2years experience’ in while you look around closer to home. My regular daily commute is @76miles all in which makes a hell of a hole in my day but the pay is good and I like the people. If a closer company was as good to work for and matched the pay rate then I might reconsider 
76 that’s nothing I’m doing 79 each way 4 days a week
Have a poke nose about if you fancy a change, you don’t have to take another job, bu it never hurts to keep your eyes peeled for that golden job opportunity.
mac12:
76 that’s nothing I’m doing 79 each way 4 days a week
18 miles is not a lot really I used to do that ok did have some nights out money was good drivers good was only small but management had a lot to be desired
There are a lot of people that do commute further you could of course move closer to the job
I was cyclng that far to get to work last year, get a bike. It’s a win win, get fitter, save fuel money.
mac12:
76 that’s nothing I’m doing 79 each way 4 days a week
79 each way what’s your working day on top of that??
I recall a lorry driver being interviewed on radio 2, some item about long distance commutes, this being aired maybe some 10 or more years ago, maybe even 20 years ago.
Think he was travelling from somewhere up the A1 might even have been as far up as Peterborough to Bracknell(ish) and back daily commute, he’d got a Pug 309 Diesel that had done some astronomical mileage…imagine that on a Friday afternoon after 12 hours on shift, i’ll do less mileage than that tomorrow with one delivery.
Close to home does it for me. Could maybe drive 20 miles and earn another quid an hour. Not interested. Better the devil you know too.
Stuff commuting. I’m fortunate to live less than ten minutes’ drive from work; do enough miles every day without having to do more out of me own pocket. As it happens my current job pays well, though like all jobs it can be a PITA some days. Would have to be something really special to tempt me into a change.
mac12:
76 that’s nothing I’m doing 79 each way 4 days a week
That must be one highly paid job if it justifies that commute. Seriously, how do you cope with that!?
My current commute home is 40 minutes and that drives me mad, as soon as a job with the right hours & money crops up nearer to home i’ll be off!
Some while back, a local radio show had just this topic, who does the longest daily commute and it turned out to be a bloke who used to go from Fareham to Peterborough
Racked up on the 25 twice daily - hideous.
Bet he’s not doing that any more.
As billyhunt says that is easy cycling distance . looking at hour and quarter .
If you leave you will be applying upward pressure for pay increase . that wont help you personally but you will have satisfaction of helping industry as a whole .
Dont worry too much about 1 year thing if you have clean licence . a lot of employers insurers want recent experience , and 180 days in past year is common
Big haulier within about 10 mins of me but the pay is truly abysmal, they’re stuck in the 70s and the kit was poor last time I looked otherwise I could save myself about an hour a day in commuting 
Don’t use the local agency franchise either, I drive through a small outfit based further away.
Would I change jobs?
A vacancy for Cheryl Cole’s personal gynaecologist paying £50k might tempt me but whilst I wait for the vacancy to arise I’ll stick. I’m happy with what I do, what I get for it, how I’m treated and how far away it is - a novel concept for Trucknet. 
I set a personal rule. No more than 10 minutes each way. Any more than that and I’d find a different job. My current job is an 8 minute drive, my previous job was a 4 minute walk. No way would I commute for more than that - I think of it over a year. As it is I do about 50 hours a year. That’s a week’s work unpaid!
PaulNowak:
Close to home does it for me. Could maybe drive 20 miles and earn another quid an hour. Not interested. Better the devil you know too.
Same here, rather drive 10 mins to work then 40-50mins drive to Bristol to earn an extra £1hr just to feel better on here.
Doing agency at moment, so workplace varies, but set myself a max distance of about 10-12 miles and around 30 minute commute. Don’t want to be driving too much in my own time, nor racking up the miles on my car.
Cycling may be all very well and good in some areas, but I still class cycling on the roads as a dangerous pastime…